Reflecting on family snaps

click photo to enlarge

In terms of the number of photographs taken, family snaps must easily top any list that seeks to measure the uses to which photography is put. That must have been the case since the advent of Kodak's first home-use cameras, and it surely remains so today. Photography eminently fulfills the need of people to record their lives and the lives of their nearest and dearest. But, in terms of the hierarchy of the uses of photography - at least from the point of view of "serious" photographers - the family snap props up any such list, with all other branches of photography above it.

I suppose the reason for this is that such images are sometimes thought of as "unconsidered". That is to say, the thoughts about composition, colour, mood, etc that usually characterise the images made by professionals and enthusiastic amateurs are often absent from family snaps, or present only in fairly basic ways. But, whilst this can lead to photographs that conform to "types" - figure in front of landmark, figure at party, figure on beach, figure pulling funny face, figure with immediate family in a row, etc - it also, periodically throws up creative compositions and ideas that sometimes wouldn't have occurred to someone steeped in the art, craft and traditions of photography.

I was reflecting on this a few days ago when we were near Stave Hill, Rotherhithe. I've photographed this man-made hill in London before, and the view from its summit. On this occasion we were admiring the wild flowers - mallow, yarrow and much else - that was growing on its slopes. As my wife climbed the grassy cone I noticed the fine, white clouds against the blue sky and took a couple of shots of her as she scrambled upwards and away from me. But, when she got to the top she turned to me and I took the shot above. Looking at my images on the computer it is the one I prefer. I hadn't set out to take a family snap, but it will serve nicely as one even though she's quite small in the frame.

photograph and text (c) T. Boughen

Camera: Canon
Mode: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 47mm
F No: f7.1
Shutter Speed: 1/800
ISO: 100
Exposure Compensation:  -0.33 EV
Image Stabilisation: On

View from Stave Hill, Rotherhithe

click photo to enlarge
A while ago I posted a photograph of Stave Hill, the man-made mound situated in the former docks across the Thames from Canary Wharf. Here's a shot from the top looking over at the gleaming towers, with the trees of the park below. The metal model/plan in the foreground shows what was here before the area was turned over to housing.

For the past two days much of my time has been spent fabricating a cage to cover my newly established strawberry bed. This year I'm determined that I'll eat more strawberries from my garden than will the local blackbirds. I'd like to say that the finished article is both functional and a joy to behold. It certainly isn't the latter, and only time will tell if it's the former. Anyway, my DIY endeavours account for the brief nature of this post.

photograph & text (c) T. Boughen

Camera: Olympus E510
Mode: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 11mm (22mm/35mm equiv.)
F No: f6.3
Shutter Speed: 1/500
ISO: 100
Exposure Compensation: -0.3 EV
Image Stabilisation: On

On Stave Hill

click photo to enlarge
On Sunday morning, with two companions, I walked to the top of Stave Hill in Rotherhithe and surveyed the young woodland below the summit of the 30 feet high, man-made mound. The new leaves on the saplings and bushes below had that yellow-green glow of spring, and from the tree tops and thickets came the sound of birds proclaiming their territory. Listening carefully I could pick out blackbirds, a song thrush, great tits, a dunnock, and the harsh, grating call of a magpie. Nothing remarkable about that in mid-April in England you might say. However, Stave Hill is in the middle of London, and the flying creatures that usually fill the air with sound at this location are the 747, the Airbus, and the sundry helicopters that clatter about the city. The suspension of all commercial flights in the UK following the arrival of ash clouds from the Icelandic volcanic eruption, gave Londoners a taste of what life would be like without the constant noise of Heathrow-bound aircraft. And very pleasant it was too.

There are those who see the suspension of air flights across Europe as a catastrophe. I'm not one of them. I like the reduction in noise that it has brought. As a regular photographer I'm also enjoying the absence of aerial graffiti, also known as vapour trails. And finally, I'm pleased to see mankind having to give way to Mother Nature rather than imperiously, trampling all over her as is usually the case. I took a few photographs around and on Stave Hill, and I may post a couple more soon. However, this was the first one, taken against the light, after I'd waited for my companions to be silhouetted against the sky at the summit.

photograph & text (c) T. Boughen

Camera: Olympus E510
Mode: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 19mm (38mm/35mm equiv.)
F No: f6.3
Shutter Speed: 1/1600
ISO: 100
Exposure Compensation: -0.3 EV
Image Stabilisation: On