Sunday 20 October 2013

Day 293 : undercover!

I signed up for a workshop today to consider creating photographs that are a bit more commercial. To perhaps explore the stock sites and deliberate what would make our work more saleable .

We were due to meet last week but the rain got in the way. We were meeting in Cambridge Heath to give us a variety of scenarios we could exploit. I get there for what I thought was an 11am start and it transpires we’re not actually due to meet for another 2 1/2 hours. Well at least after the early rain, the sun is out and I have time for a very fine Eggs Benedict before wandering around with my camera.

When it is time to congregate, the café is way too popular so we decamp to the pub on the other side of the road and Lucie imparts some of her knowledge in the world of fine art stock photography. We peruse various book covers and album covers and discuss how we could produce similar images.

Firstly we return to the park to try out some moods, we start with spooky with a plan to move to happy. But the moment we start formulating our dark, brooding concept the heavens open and we’re in the midst of a proper rainstorm. We don't need to dream up gloomy scenarios, we’re in the middle of one.

We shelter under the Japanese pagoda and Lucie gamely jumps up and down both with and without an umbrella to help us with our “happy” portfolio. The slate grey skies are doing little to assuage our less than jolly temperament.

After being thwarted by noisy boys driving us crazy by letting balloons down we are handed our briefs and set forth to make magic in the persistent drizzle. I have a book cover for a tale about a rich family that aren't what they seem, with the nanny at the protagonist. Lucie suggests I go and check out some haughty dog statues and large ornate gates but they're not doing it for me. I grab a few shots of potential nannies pushing strollers in the continued rain but guess that could be very misconstrued.

I'm not really feeling my challenge I'd like to do something more prop based with maybe a fancy dummy and some pearls. I opt instead to look at some rosé thorns covered in rain drops. I think the single thorn is a stronger image but my renderings are not quite sharp as I'd like.

As we’re all walking along a baby’s red ball rolls into the road and gives us another opportunity for an abstract shot. It's been a day for food for thought and I'm definitely going to consider touting my wares on some stock sites and see if they bite.

 

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