Standing on the Edge

Posted on Mon, 9 July, 2012 by LensScaper

A quick post today. In London for Pat Metheny’s concert at The Barbican last night. Absolutely superb.

I was in London at the Photographers Gallery ten days ago to see Burtynsky: Oil (sadly finished now). As always, compact camera in hand. I walked into one gallery and there was an isolated figure standing at a floor to ceiling window gazing out.

I had probably two seconds to get a shot, so I just fired. He moved away within a second of this capture. I was so lucky. All I had to do to this was slightly straighten the verticals and some simple processing. Some times you just have to go with your instincts, grab a shot first, and then do the thinking. If I had done the ‘thinking’ first I would have missed this.

About LensScaper

Hi - I'm a UK-based photographer who started out 45+ years ago as a lover of landscapes, inspired by my love of outdoor pursuits: skiing, walking and climbing. Now retired, I seldom leave home without a camera and I find images in unexpected places and from different genres. I work on the premise that Photography is Art and that creativity is dependent on the cultivation of 'A Seeing Eye'.
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23 Responses to Standing on the Edge

  1. Little bits of Sheffield says:
    Mon, 9 July, 2012 at 08:40

    This is an engaging shot. I like the anonymity of the subject. At first glance (without reading your post) I thought that what is probably a paper catalogue in his hand was possibly the butt of a gun! It is clear that it isn’t but as I say it was a first glance. Great shot and reason to always have a camera in hand. Glad you enjoyed Pat Metheny. I always liked the collaboration he did with David Bowie for the soundtrack to the film The Falcon and The Snowman. Its also a great film featuring a young Sean Penn. Best wishes, PC

    Like

    • LensScaper says:
      Mon, 9 July, 2012 at 16:59

      Man thanks for those comments. I think he’s holding the Gallery brochure. Pat Metheny has done a huge number of collaborations. The stand-out one for me is the really laid back, melodic ‘Beyond the Missouri Sky’ – a collaboration with bassist Charlie Haden

      Like

  2. edithlevyphotography says:
    Mon, 9 July, 2012 at 10:52

    Wonderful capture and beautifully composed Andy.

    Like

  3. Len says:
    Mon, 9 July, 2012 at 11:00

    Always good to have that camera in hand ready to shoot. Excellent catch Andy. The silhouette really contrasts well with the rest of the image.

    Like

    • LensScaper says:
      Mon, 9 July, 2012 at 17:00

      Thanks Len. I tried a conversion to black and white – but then realized how important those contrasting coloured elements are on the background wall.

      Like

  4. Steven Perlmutter says:
    Mon, 9 July, 2012 at 12:51

    Your instincts definitely paid off Andy. Nice capture.

    Like

  5. oneowner says:
    Mon, 9 July, 2012 at 13:02

    Another reason to be ready with a camera at all times. Perfect shot.

    Like

  6. Paul Shorrock says:
    Mon, 9 July, 2012 at 22:37

    You say ‘lucky’ in reply to a comment above Andy, but you have a knack of making your own luck – well done!

    Like

  7. Marcie says:
    Tue, 10 July, 2012 at 11:56

    Love the silhouette..the anonymity..the not-knowing who or what he is. So wonderfully composed.

    Like

  8. hdrexposed says:
    Tue, 10 July, 2012 at 12:23

    This is outstanding man. The lines are just perfect and you’ve captured just the right amount of shadow. Well done.

    Like

  9. Adam Allegro says:
    Tue, 10 July, 2012 at 12:43

    Really like the way you processed this. The dark subject, lighted outside. I know how good it feels to capture something when you only have a split second to do so. Well done.

    Like

  10. seekraz says:
    Tue, 10 July, 2012 at 14:30

    Nicely done, Andy….

    Like

  11. Mark says:
    Wed, 11 July, 2012 at 08:23

    Yeah very nice capture.

    Like

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