Time To Reflect

Bad pun? Yes. But good photo!

You Don't Have To Be Rich...

I took a lot of more glamourous subjects on this roll than this simple pile of bricks. However, this was one of the better pictures.

Look around you.

Controlling the Frame

There is no wasted space in this composition.

Basically, I have taken the very geometrical Museum of Islamic Arts and further deconstructed it to this very abstract assemblage of features which remains very recognisable.

Convergence

In the "being in the right place at the right time" department I submit the above.

What made me drive around and get out was what the sun was doing on the side of the central building here. What made me press the shutter when I did was the gift of the dhow passing in front.

Overcast Light

Overcast light can be dull. It can also be magical.

If the light has no direction then things are dull. If there is direct sun contrast tends to be very harsh. In between is a sweet spot where a bit of sun can give definition whilst the high bright clouds provide loads of magical clean "fill".

Learn to recognise it and then find a nice subject quickly!

Grain Does Not Equal Noise

This is a good example of how even in a colour photograph grain can be nice. The fundamental difference between digital sensor noise and grain is that sensor elements are arranged in a rectangular grid whereas silver clusters (or, in colour film, dye clouds) are randomly arranged and spaced. This gives a much more organic texture and can actually enhance some images.

This is a very fine grained film and normally would not show graininess but this particular image is a tight crop of a 35mm frame so it is greatly enlarged, making the grain visible.