Images inspired by the landscape photography of iconic British photographer Bill Brandt who I researched in detail in late 2013. I have always enjoyed black & white photography, partly because it was all I could afford in the 1970’s, but to study the output of one photographer so closely was an inspirational and highly rewarding activity. At the time I commented that I would be very surprised if his work did not influence my own photography at some point and I was proven correct a few weeks later on a trip to Skye.
The chiaroscuro-influenced prints of Brandt’s later work stirred in my memory whilst photographing on Skye in what was at times horrible weather and at others glorious sunshine; such is Skye. Chiaroscuro in art is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. My interest stems largely from the prints made by Brandt from the late 1940s onwards.
Whilst there was plenty of autumnal colour still in the landscape it was the shapes and the contrasts that drew me in throughout the week and these lent themselves to this approach very well.
Dave's Place 