People Interacting With Place: First Thoughts
Here are a few sketches that might be re-shot and turned into photographs.
The Fox, Chetwynd Aston. The barrell vault of this room has an interesting accoustic property: one can sit in one corner and hear a conversation taking place in the opposite corner, even when there is a noisy group round the centre table.
The figure in the corner isn't noticed at first glance. In this image its white clothing is completely blown out, but HDR could be used, from a suitable pair of shots, to fix the exposure problem.
Taken with a compact camera; RAW not available.
Rural Space, Pim Hill
An attractive space, here with a single 'accent' figure - and another, top right, on an exercise bicycle! The rectangular black plates on the exercise machines are removable, and I'd take off the nearest two, though that would expose a large area of floor. A lower viewpoint. I like the location of the figure in pink; she's near the vanishing point of all the diagonals, which therefore point at her. My first thought was to place a figure coming down the stairs, using a long exposure to blur movement and showing only the torso and legs. But this might be too subtle. Perhaps a figure leaning over the balcony rail? I'd like to try all of these.
This image was stitched together from two portrait-format images from a compact camera. A wider lens on my SLR would probably cover the scene.
Traitor's Gate Brasserie, Shrewsbury
This cellar, with its attractive brick arches, is now under new management. I see two options: near and far: a figure by the far wall; one sitting at a foreground table. Or, more subtly, the
hand of someone at a nearby table. With a wine glass? Framing could be changed, to move the 'tunnel' to the side, and I don't like that hay-basket.
Art Squad, at Shrewsbury Coffee House
This man stands out because his behaviour is different from that of everyone else in shot. And, of course, he's mugging to camera. Something more subtle would work: place him right at the back; the only person to respond to the photograph. His behaviour could be more subtle too. Simply looking to camera when no one else is.
Another option, to make a person stand out in a crowd would be to use movement blur: either he's the only one still, or he's the only one in movement. Ranks of soldiers on Horseguards' Parade with a moving figure - has this already been done, with an errant dog?
Does it have to be a live person? A statue among crowds?
Or make the appearance stand out: Erica Roe, the streaker, comes to mind. Or Spielberg's girl in the red coat, in Schindler's List.
