yorkshire miner after work
one of a series of images from a project based on the 1950-60 era miners of Yorkshire, united kingdom
one of a series of images from a project based on the 1950-60 era miners of Yorkshire, united kingdom
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Aug, 2018Views
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Awards
Zenith Award
Celebrity Award
People's Choice in Coal Mining Photo Challenge
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Peer Award
Genius
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Behind The Lens
Location
this image was taken in the locker room at the Yorkshire coal mining museum. it is an retired pit that still has the pit and original buildings with many original features wich made i loved taking advantage of to get the best authentic appeal.Time
I decided this image would be taken around 10am this is because as its inside it was rather dark and wanting to make it as a documentary style I wanted to use natural light as many documentary photographers dont carry around a studio set up of flashes with them. the light at 10 am was soft due to the clouds on the cold morning but it spread the light nicely into the room from the windows, also going this early meant there wasnt as many people there so we could take our time getting the exact images i wanted without many interruptions.Lighting
i wanted this image to look like a 1940s photo journalist image so i decided to only use natural light and have a high iso to make it lighter but also add the grainy effect consistent in the 1940s era.Equipment
I used a Nikon D7100 and a Nikon 24-70mm lens, no flash or tripod was used. I chose not to use a tripod so I had free range of movement easier and could perfect the position I wanted without a weight to carry along side the other props we used during the day. I wanted to keep the equipment minimal and simplistic also I wanted to use only what I had myself as in the 1940s. another reason I didn't choose to use a flash is that a flash helps eliminate visible grain from a person but lightens the back ground. this is something I didn't want.Inspiration
where I liive used to be a mining town, most men who lived here before the mines shut worked in them and people even moved here from the north for a job in the mines. when I took this image I was in college and realised people was doing very similar subjects or they wasn't putting much thought in there project. I chose to be different, to do something unexpected and challenging that would make my work not only stand out but a project that everyone could connect with weather it was just the theme of mining being in the area famous for mines or memories of there time in the mines, parents or grand parents working in the mines. this image is one of a series of images about the life of a minor using a friend who was infect a minor himself local to this images location for added authenticity. In this particular image, i wanted to show the minor at the end of a long tiring shift i have heard stories of horrible tragadys happening in the mines and the men was expected to carry on each time, i asked my subject to just sit down and think of some of the sad times he has witnessed in the mines. this image is to show that raw emotion unable to even cleen himself up first he sits to rest but as his position shows he cant just rest even though hes exhausted, reflecting on what he has seen and experienced at the end of a shift.Editing
unlike in the 1940s, I did edit the image. due to being taken digitally it was colour so the first step was to turn it black and white. then i added a bit of clarity to show more detail and make it look more gritty I also then mad a little more contrasted bringing the highlights up a small amount and blacks down although I wanted to make sure all the mid tones was still visible and not too dark to ad to the detail and story of the image, making sure the dirt stood out still and the scuffs and marks on the floor and the lockers was still showing to add to the gritty and noisy look.In my camera bag
the first think to go in my bag is now my Nikon D800 followed by my Nikon d810 which is my beautiful everyday lenses. the next lense depends on what i am planning on doing, for landscapes i use my Nikon 11-16mm and for portrait it is may Nikon 70-200mm i swap these as needed to keep my bag lighter. I always have the Godox TT685 flash with the matching trigger, I carry at least one at all times with a number Neweer gels encase I want something different. i always have at least 3 battery's for my camera and at least one set of envelop battery in my flash and in my trigger i oftern have more then a set each but when charged the envelop pro lasts almost day of constant usage.Feedback
If you are looking for a perticular sort of image it is a great idea to make a small mood board up of images you like in similar styles and point out what you do and dont like so you can decide exactly what you would like but don't be afraid while you are there and have the model to do extra images, even if you think you have a perfect image a slight head change or even a small hand movement can improve the image you think is amazing. while you are with a model do as much as you can as you cant change the camera or there position once your not there. When trying to do images from another time always be very careful what is in your image, for example if my model had an i phone 5 next to him the all people would look at is the phone thinking why on earth is that there, any props you use are there to help set the scene and evan the time so be careful and have your eyes peeled for what may be just silly small things to keep the image tidy and believable.
