lf-photo.org.uk

Anyone read the new Joe Cornish Scottish Mountains book yet?

I bought it last week, very enjoyable but not quite at the level of 'First Light' IMO

I was interested to read that Joe shot a small portion of the book on digital, never thought I would see that day even though I understand he has been investigating it for a while.

Just wondering what other members think of the book.

Julian

http://www.photohome.uku.co.uk/

We had Joe come do a talk at my local Photography club earlier in the year, and he previewed a lot of the images from this book, and there are some absolute stunners in there, and plenty of good anecdotes to go with them the book didn't disappoint either, though I admit I haven't had time yet to actually "read" it properly.

It was certainly his most difficult book I think, shooting from the top of mountains, in winter... not for the faint of heart.

I think he mentioned he used a Ricoh GX1 for framing shots.

I think he mentioned he used a Ricoh GX1 for framing shots.

In the book he says some of the B+W shots were made with the Ricoh although reading the text it is clear some of them were made with the Ebony. As there are no technical details in the book for the B+W shots its not clear if the ones made with the Ebony were converted from colour or shot on B+W film.

Julian

I thought from reading it that all the B&W shots were either taken with the ricoh or a phaseone back on a hasselblad.

For what its worth I got this book as soon at because available from amazon, which was around the start of Sept (it does pay to pre-order). I though it was great, the photos and reproduction are to the usual high standards, and its probably a better and more engaging read text-wise than the northumberland coast book.

Julian Boulter wrote:Anyone read the new Joe Cornish Scottish Mountains book yet?

I bought it last week, very enjoyable but not quite at the level of 'First Light' IMO

I was interested to read that Joe shot a small portion of the book on digital, never thought I would see that day even though I understand he has been investigating it for a while.

Just wondering what other members think of the book.

Julian

http://www.photohome.uku.co.uk/

Hi Julian,

I saw quite a few of the images at the Wild Stillness exhibition and I think they marked something of a departure in a more experimental direction (for Joe - don't expect Misrachesque departures!) but still with a link to classical Cornish aesthetics. Pictures like Arran Cascade (p47) are sublime and drowned tree stumps are far from the usual Cornish canon.

There are quite a few new pictures, in particular Clach Leathad, Meall a'Bhuiridh (p38) which is astonishing! (and my new favourite Cornish picture). Beyond this, the repertoire of pictures range from the instantly accessible (p26 shot of the buckle in snowy conditions) to the real growers (like the 'From cairn lochan p78).

My particular faves ...

Birch in winter (p23) - nice use of differential focus
From Stob Beinn a'Chrulaiste (p26) (snowy buckle) - Just stunningly impressive in getting there and getting the picture. Impressive use of the banked lines in the bottom left to solve a compositional problem
View of Glen Etive from the slabs (p34) - good view back up the valley
Gorge (p36) - One of my favourite etive pictures
Ice Contours (p37) - beautiful patterns, well seen
Clach Leathad, Meall a'Bhuiridh (p38) - My favourite picture from the book.
Arran Cascade (p47) - So wonderful
Drowned tree stumps (p75) - amazing tectures
From cairn lochan (p78) - Beautiful glow on rocks and clear sky
Snow clad pines (p81) - I'm a sucker for snow highlighted trees
Mid-winter sunset (p83) - again, only in the mountains can you see views like this. The use of snow as natural sharpened edges is wonderful.
River Dee before sunrise (p87) - atmosphere and effort in buckets
Reeds and reflections of Sgurr Dubh (p99) - magical reflections and context
Stream near Culnacraig (p125) -
Dark afternoon, Glen Affric (p126) - an evocative shot

However, I expect this to change over time (which is a good thing).

Whilst we're talking about new books, what do people think of the new Charles Cramer book? Oh, and a couple of recommendations on books that you really should buy now if not yesterday ... Jan Tove's Beyond Order and Speglingar (the latter of which Richard Childs showed me recently which totally gobsmacked me).

Tim

p.s. My only problem with the book is the over use of shadow highlight on many pictures

Hey Tim, could you point some examples out of what you'd consider to be too much use of shadow highlight, it's not really something I noticed?

uniB wrote:Hey Tim, could you point some examples out of what you'd consider to be too much use of shadow highlight, it's not really something I noticed?

Storr (p55)
Unnamed Lochan (p80)
Lower Strath Nethay (p88)
Beinn Eighe (p101)
An Teallach (p110)
Loch Coulin (p113)
Stac Pollaidh (p131)

Sorry Joe! Blame the printers

Tim

The shots on 55, 110 & 113 don't look objectionable to my eye, but I did notice the rest.

I think you're going to have to explain what the problem is to me on Wednesday Tim – I can't really see it. Which is worrying...

uniB wrote:I think you're going to have to explain what the problem is to me on Wednesday Tim – I can't really see it. Which is worrying...

That is obviously a good thing (for Joe) but a bad thing for me ...

If we listened to every critic calling for greater subtlety or mastery in this area then the other, overall we would be headed to inoffensive neutrality courtesy of the thought police. I for one hope artists have thick skins and continue to shock.
I am not for all that denigrating the technical knowledge of some and the benefits it brings to those unto whom they impart it. Equally it is important to learn from other people's work as long as it allows us to grow rather than be hemmed in.
Best regards,
Charles

I'm not really sure what shadow highlight means. It must be some kind of light dark bit I guess ....

Charles Twist wrote:If we listened to every critic calling for greater subtlety or mastery in this area then the other, overall we would be headed to inoffensive neutrality courtesy of the thought police. I for one hope artists have thick skins and continue to shock.
I am not for all that denigrating the technical knowledge of some and the benefits it brings to those unto whom they impart it. Equally it is important to learn from other people's work as long as it allows us to grow rather than be hemmed in.
Best regards,
Charles

Sounds good - not sure what it means though.. Does it mean you like the book or not or does it mean you don't care about post processing? Sorry to be thick :-/

Tim

p.s. Shadow/Highlight is a tool in photoshop to balance the overal contrast of a picture. Depending on its use, it can have an effect on high contrast areas. For example, on a mountain with a sky behind it, the edge of the mountain can end up over dark and the sky around the edge of the mountain over light (i.e. The mountains look like they glow slightly). My comment about the post processing is obviously just a pet peeve of mine and I'm definitely over sensitive to it because of this. I don't mean it as a criticism of the photography or content of the book, it's just a small distraction on a few pictures once you have noticed it (so I should have probably done the rest of you a favour by not mentioning it).

I am just noticing that a good picture is one that is sharp, but not too sharp, colourful but not over-saturated, well-composed but not over-engineered, with detail in the shadows but not too much, with highlights but nothing white, etc. You get the flavour. Or should that be lack of flavour?
You're right: they're probably more peeves than criticisms. And the short-comings you point out are more to do with post-processing and presentation than anything else. Still, one must be mindful of being boring.
Sadly, I haven't had the chance to read/ look at the book yet.
Best regards,
Charles

Charles Twist wrote:I am just noticing that a good picture is one that is sharp, but not too sharp, colourful but not over-saturated, well-composed but not over-engineered, with detail in the shadows but not too much, with highlights but nothing white, etc. You get the flavour. Or should that be lack of flavour?
You're right: they're probably more peeves than criticisms. And the short-comings you point out are more to do with post-processing and presentation than anything else. Still, one must be mindful of being boring.
Sadly, I haven't had the chance to read/ look at the book yet.
Best regards,
Charles

No problem... and I agree.. In fact I'm quite happy with flaws if the rest of the picture overcomes them. The only thought here is that the slight problem I perceive is one that is to do with post processing and mostly avoidable. Like I say though, it's a personal issue mostly, 99.99% of the population won't see it (and if Dav doesn't then I'm probably on my own)..

Not sure about you "Highlights but nothing white and details in the shadows" (para). I'm happy to let a picture drop to black or burn out completely if the subject warrants it. Peter Dombrovskis is a classic example of a photographer who regularly lets skies burn out completely. But I know what you are getting at..

Tim