My picture gallery contains; photographs of the West End of Glasgow, photographs of Glasgow, and photographs of Scotland.

Click each pictures to get a larger image.

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25th June

I've not have much chance lately to get out taking photographs - but here are a couple I like which I took in the Botanic Gardens.

8th June 2000

I've taken a 'rash' of photographs over the last few weeks - mostly taken in the evening to catch the warmer light. Below is part of one of the red stone tenements in Hyndland which I 'snapped' at the close of the last sunny day we had before it started raining. For me Hyndland has some of the most attractive tenements in the West End, if not in the whole of Glasgow ( if you are into that sort of thing :-)).

I have passed this disintegrating fence in the car on a number of occassions and thought the shapes and patterns that the vertical struts would make an interesting photograph. I like it - although I could have taken a better photograph.

The Park area is another interesting part of the city - characterised by the four towers which can be seen for miles around. Three of the towers belong to the Trinity College (which is now converted as flats ) and the fourth ( i.e the white one) is the the remaining part of Park Parish Church - the rest of the church was demolished in 1969.

The flower below was taken in the Main Range of glass houses in the Botanic Gardens. I forgot to take a note of it's name.

June 1st 2000

When I first started this photography lark about six months ago I didn't realise how much was involved and just how difficult it was going to be to take a decent photograph. There was just so much to remember. First I needed to figure out how the camera worked and what all the buzz words meant - which wasn't easy. These terms where all new to me: apperture, shutter speed, depth of field, focal point, metering, exposure, and a million other that I can't remember at the moment.

Then I had to struggle find out how these variables relate to the actual photographs; when is a shallow depth of field appropriate and when should the picture be sharp as far as the eye can see, how do I ensure correct exposure - and for that matter what is meant by correct exposure. And what's this 'rule of thirds' all about?

Once I got a handle on at least some of these - I hit the hump of getting over the dissapointment of taking so few usable photographs. It's about then that you start to think that there must be a secret formula to taking good pictures - at the very least it must be because I've not got a good enough camera or I haven't got the right lenses. Not true of course.

I have read lots of 'every thing you need to know to take great photographs' books and I now know there is no secret formula. however I think I have arrived at my first insight - taking a decent photograph boils down to two things: quality of the light, and an interesting subject.

Composition, depth of field, getting the right bits in focus - all of these are important but if you ain't photographing something interesting and the light is doing nothing for you then you don't have a good photograph!

So over the last few evenings I've been out and about trying hard to become a better photographer by thinking just that bit harder before I press the shutter. I have not got full control over my camera yet and I still regard myself as a beginner but I think I am now at the stage where I can start to think about the photograph rather than how to use the equipment.

All the photographs above where taken in Kelvingrove Park. The one below I took while walking throught the Main Range of Glass houses in the Botanic Gardens - I like the way the leaves give the feeling of an abtract pattern. I'd like to see this picture blown up four foot wide so that it looks like one of those modern abstract paintings.

I have a selection of my photographs for sale in the Gallery Shop.

Comments

Jim

I enjoyed your 'lesson' on photography, and note that you pictures are getting better, in my opinion as a fellow beginner, not that I would post my prints on the web, or realy know anything, Framed copies of my prints in my office are public enough!!! As 'the boss' no-one visits me there so there is no public..

I also note that moving around the site is quicker than before, something has changed but I am not sure what. Anyway, I enjoyed tonights visit before bed.

Love to Pat

R
--rose ( e-mail at your dot host ) from Scotland on 24.6.2000; 0:00:00 Uhr