I have several friends make excellent travelling companions. Not interested in photography themselves, they understand there are places, chanced upon, that require time spent. Places which, for some indeterminant reason, have about them potential as settings. You recognise them as you arrive.
In Aberdeenshire there is a stately home with a garden, open to the public for a fee, named Crathes. Actually a lovely garden, though I never entered the house, with a raised lawn accessed by two staircases on one end, left and right as you approach. It was the left one interested me.
I visited this place three times. First the discovery, then the return with the Leicas, lastly on bike with the view camera. The second time I spent an amount of time, standing to the left of the staircase, waiting for people to pass through, hoping to capture some interesting movement through the image. Children are always good for that, as they bring energy, but I also liked the calm, amiable aspect of the elderly man, too.
Working with a rangefinder and a fast-moving subject like this boy means, at least for me, setting focus on a predetermined spot, in anticipation of the subject’s eventual position within a composition. It worked quite well in this case, I felt. I was quite pleased with it.
The picture below was taken using an old Speed Graphic 4×5 press camera.
The Speed Graphic, plus film holders, plus lenses, plus tripod, weighs some. I thought it was worth a try. I took all of this on my bike, 90 minutes to Crathes, locked the bike, got into position, set up the camera, and this old lady and her daughter walk up the stairs. I had just enough time to make sure the focus was on the top of the stairs. Quickly took the shot, as soon as the pair reached the top. Immediately after that, the sun went in. No more photos that day. Packed up the camera and got back on the bike.
Confy says
I like the boy very much. It has the elements attracts me. Everything of it is perfect.