Tables and chairs

click photo to enlarge
Of all the objects that man designs possibly the most frequently attempted by people who are not trained designers are tables and chairs. These staples of the interior seem to attract the home DIYer, architects, artists and others as well as those qualified in design. Frequently, as I have mentioned elsewhere in this blog, the motivation is appearance rather than utility because tables and chairs make such a strong impact on interior design. And all too often the pieces that look the best perform the worst when it comes to using them for their intended purpose. Tables and chairs that combine great appearance with excellent functional attributes are the mark of a good designer, whether amateur or professional.

Today's photograph shows some tables and chairs that I saw outside a restaurant/cafe near King's Cross and St Pancras railway stations in London the other day. Looking down the line of white table tops I was reminded of the circular ripples that appear on still water when you skim a flat stone across it. The other thing I noticed was that, apart from the colour white, the tables and chairs had no obvious connection: they don't appear to be designed to go with each other. In fact they didn't look too bad together, and even the brown leather seat pads weren't too dissonant, offering a warmer note to the black and white. In fact, the contrasty aesthetic was a factor that prompted me to take the shot, and I knew as I pressed the shutter that I would be converting it to black and white.

photograph and text © Tony Boughen

Photo Title: Cafe Tables and Chairs, King's Cross, London
Camera: Olympus E-M10
Mode: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 15mm (30mm - 35mm equiv.)
F No: f5.2
Shutter Speed: 1/250 sec
ISO:200
Exposure Compensation: -0.3 EV
Image Stabilisation: On

Chairs, posteriors and primary colours

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What are the chances that anyone who buys and sets up cafe chairs that are red, blue and yellow will choose a centre-piece for each table that isn't green? Very slim I'd say because those four colours (sometimes its three of them) are presented to us as a group so often they seem to be a natural combination. I've done no research on this matter, but it seems to me that this wasn't the case until the revolution in art, printing and design of the early twentieth century. Before that time colours were often more subdued, or where bright were used sparingly as highlights, or were more subtle. Today the colours are almost mandatory in children's toys and are frequently seen in graphic design, architecture, packaging, even beach huts - and much else.

Consequently it came as no surprise to find a cafe in Old Spitalfields Market in London where the owner had chosen red, blue and yellow chairs, or that the table decoration was a pot of green leaves. Nor was it surprising that the designer of the chairs had taken little account of the human form in his choice of shape and materials. However, none of that dissuaded me from thinking that the scene might produce an interesting photograph.

photograph and text © Tony Boughen

Photo Title: Market Cafe Chairs, London
Camera: Olympus E-M10
Mode: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 47mm (94mm - 35mm equiv.)
F No: f5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/100 sec
ISO:1250
Exposure Compensation: -0.3 EV
Image Stabilisation: On