Thursday, April 02, 2015

The photographic appeal of repeated forms

click photo to enlarge
Walking down the south aisle of a church the other day I came upon a stack of I didn't know what. They looked like the bases of tables, the sort of rectangular metal top with legs that would support a flat smooth surface. And yet that didn't sound like a reasonable answer to what they were. Why would they be stacked without tops when its perfectly possible to stack tables in this way with the tops in place?

But, it wasn't the question of their purpose that interested me and caused me to pause by them so much as the way the repeated forms, lit by the subdued light of stained glass windows, made interesting semi-abstract shapes. I took a few shots of the pile and moved on.

However, when I returned home I made  a concerted effort to find out what they were. After some searching I concluded that they must be the bases of movable staging; the sort of thing that can be erected when needed - for a concert or ceremony for example - and then stored until the next time. At least that's what I think they are. If anyone knows different I'd be glad to hear from them.

photograph and text © Tony Boughen

Camera: Nikon D5300
Mode: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 27mm (40mm - 35mm equiv.)
F No: f5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/25 sec
ISO:6400
Exposure Compensation: -0.33 EV
Image Stabilisation: On