by Steve Tanham
Drama comes in many forms, but those forms can be accentuated by the rigours of Winter
(250 words, a two-minute read)
The estuary to the west of Arnside has an ancient feel, and is filled with dramatic shapes and foliage. In Winter, some of these can look primeval, and the natural desaturation of colour caused by the lower levels of light play to the mind looking for objects of potential menace…
Familiar objects, like the park bandstand above, can take on a more dramatic form when photographed in a way that emphasises their aloneness. We are invited to enter… but what awaits?
Fire is one of the most dramatic things, and has ancient links into the human psyche. Protector or destroyer may hinge on circumstance…
Fire is notoriously difficult to photograph realistically. The twilight helped with this shot, giving the dancing flames a vivd life of their own.
I was able to re-use this image to create a blend of flames laid over a woman with flowing blonde hair, sourced from Pixabay. The finished montage became the keynote picture of a new series of blogs on the power of the image within our psychological makeup.
©Copyright Stephen Tanham, 2020.
All photos by the author unless otherwise stated.
Stephen Tanham is a Director of the The Silent Eye, a journey through the forest of personality to the sunrise of being.
Sun in Gemini 
Pingback: Winter walks with camera (6) : the shape of drama ~ Steve Tanham | Sue Vincent's Daily Echo
Thank you, Sue x
LikeLike
These are great pictures, Steve. The fire shot is terrific and I loved the overlay of the woman.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Robbie. Yes, the fire shot came out well, which fire doesn’t always. The twilight helped! The overlap shows how a very simple technique creates a compelling picture. Anyone can do it ❤️
LikeLike
I love the atmosphere of these, particularly the gazebo photo.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Alethea. I thought there was something vaguely sinister about it, too! it reminded me of the 1967 series ‘The Prisoner’. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prisoner
LikeLiked by 1 person
Definitely sinister. I have not seen that series…
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’d enjoy the opening episodes… very clever stuff for its time!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will add it to the list 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful photography, Steve. The winter colors are stunning.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Diana. Worth the chase!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful photos, and an effective montage. Nice work!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Sheri. The right montage can be so effective.
LikeLiked by 1 person