SteveTanham – writing, mysticism, photography, poetry, friends

Category: Photographic techniques

March 28, 2023 + #Silenti, Ancient Landscapes, Ancient Sacred Sites, Castles, Consciousness, English Lake District, Lake District, landscapes, Photographic techniques, Photography, Places and Prose

A most unlikely castle…

by Steve Tanham

James Dawson had an eye for a view. In 1840, he stood on the spot from which the photo below was taken. and decided to buy it. His advisors explained that he couldn’t buy all of that, but could have the land down to Lake Windermere, on which he could more or less do what he wanted… planning control were not expected along for … Read More A most unlikely castle…

March 26, 2023 + #Silenti, Collie dogs, Consciousness, English Lake District, esoteric psychology, landscapes, Photographic techniques, Photography, Silent Eye School, Travel and Photography

No strangers on the shore

by Steve Tanham

“Lead them in,” said the man who taught me much about composition in photography. “You’ve got to ferry those looking at your images into the core of the shot…” The steps, alone, were a perfect ‘lead’ down to the beach. Add in the storm wall and the high level of the promenade’s main body and you have a harmonic set of ‘pointers’. The third … Read More No strangers on the shore

March 7, 2023 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, Ancient Landscapes, Ancient Sacred Sites, Consciousness, Lake District, Photographic techniques, Photography, Places and Prose

The Swift and Windermere

by Steve Tanham

Just had to take this shot. Didn’t even know it was there until I stepped into the cafe next to the boarding pier for a quick cup of tea during one of our dog walks around Bowness-upon-Windermere. It was a grey Tuesday with poor light, and I hadn’t expected to find much to photograph, I collected my tea from the counter and turned to … Read More The Swift and Windermere

March 5, 2023 + #Silenti, #wantonwhimsy, Consciousness, Dark Humour, Photographic techniques, Photography

A lushness of patio: #wantonwhimsy

by Steve Tanham

The New Zealand white slipped down easily as he typed furiously on the iPad. Hours seemed to pass, industriously. Ideas flowed and the plot thickened… By one inch from the bottom of the bottle, he had it nailed. The robbery, the savage death in the pool of the sadistic villain, the near drowning of the woman – the kidnap victim who had given up … Read More A lushness of patio: #wantonwhimsy

March 2, 2023 + #Silenti, Consciousness, People power, Photographic techniques, Photography, Places and Prose

Decline, Fall … and Renewal

by Steve Tanham

As we approach the spring, it can be instructive to consider examples of how cherished things struggle to maintain vitality – and which ones succeed. The inevitable cycles of growth, maturity and decay are ever-present. But they are not all-powerful. Business fortunes as well as personal fate obeys certain laws of success and decline. As a young computer salesman with a (now long defunct) … Read More Decline, Fall … and Renewal

February 28, 2023 + #Silenti, Consciousness, landscapes, Photographic techniques, Photography, Places and Prose

Lines against the Sun

by Steve Tanham

I never used to like strong sun. The temperate summer of verdant and lush England always suited me fine. The rain was the price of the incomparable greens of the Spring. Everything was balanced… And then I became more involved with creative photography… and my trusty iPhone Pro has never been far from my questing fingers and eyes, since. But then I noticed, while … Read More Lines against the Sun

February 26, 2023 + #Silenti, landscapes, Photographic techniques, Photography, Places and Prose

Less is more

by Steve Tanham

Arnside on one of the dullest days of the year. In the viewfinder, there was nothing of interest. Half-heartedly, I pressed the shutter button and put the phone camera back in my pocket, content that I had a record of my visit. But when I looked at it over a coffee, back home, this appeared. Blurred and practically monochrome. But it was moody and … Read More Less is more

February 21, 2023 + #Silenti, Photographic techniques, Photography, Places and Prose, Silent Eye School, Social History, Travel and people, Travel and Photography

A return to Manchester

by Steve Tanham

For over two decades, the centre of Manchester was only a short journey from our offices in the rapidly changing landscape of Salford Quays – then a barren set of post-industrial docks whose only offering to the 1990’s was a floating wine bar, soon to be burned to a hulk of floating black wood because it’s owner wouldn’t pay protection money to the neighbouring … Read More A return to Manchester

February 14, 2023 + #Silenti, English Lake District, landscapes, Photographic techniques, Photography, Silent Eye School, Travel and Photography

The massive Skiddaw

by Steve Tanham

The massive presence of the mountain called Skiddaw towers over the Lakeland town of Keswick. The entire north-eastern horizon is dominated by its sheer size. I was intending to simply post the photo above, but the dramatic image invites a bit more background information for anyone who is not familiar with the northern part of the Lake District National Park. The opening shot was … Read More The massive Skiddaw

February 12, 2023 + #Poetry, #Silenti, #WhimsyPhotoEssays, landscapes, Photographic techniques, Photography, Travel, Travel and Photography

And Cherries on Sunday

by Steve Tanham

©Stephen Tanham 2023 Stephen Tanham is a Director of the Silent Eye, a journey through the forest of personality to the dawn of Being. http://www.thesilenteye.co.uk and http://www.suningemini.blog

February 7, 2023 + #Silenti, Ancient Landscapes, Consciousness, Lake District, landscapes, nature, Photographic techniques, Photography, Places and Prose

Stories of Winter Fire

by Steve Tanham

Here in the Lake District, colour can be hard to find in the Jan-March depths of winter. So I thought it might be fun to explore the replacement of faded colours – like those found in last year’s grasses and ferns – with a colour treatment that was blatantly artificial, yet suggested hidden fire and life… The grasses above are a good example of … Read More Stories of Winter Fire

February 5, 2023 + #Silenti, landscapes, Photographic techniques, Photography, Places and Prose

Silverdale in February

by Steve Tanham

It’s called ‘The Lots’. It’s a heavily protected stretch of undulating land behind the rocky headland of Silverdale’s rugged coastline. Silverdale is one of the most northerly places on the Lancashire coast. Before the boundary changes that created Cumbria (soon to be sliced into a new set of nonsensical pieces) Lancashire extended all the way around Morecambe Bay to Barrow-in-Furness. The peninsula on which … Read More Silverdale in February