Mark Rowden

New Creative Photography Class

Mark Rowden — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 07:51:47 +0000

STOP PRESS: CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY MASTER CLASS

Marseille, France 4-day Creative Workshop 26–29 July 2011

SEEING THE PICTURE: A NEW WAY OF SEEING AND THINKING ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY

A new venture, and an intention to improve peoples’ lives

Mark Rowden — Sat, 07 May 2011 13:08:52 +0000

A new venture, not entirely unconnected, as I’m providing photography on these retreats as part of the inclusive price.

RETREAT TO GO FORWARD

Please share.

An orchard in Normandy

North Norfolk Happy

Mark Rowden — Sat, 07 May 2011 13:02:25 +0000

Well, I finally got around to publishing a series of 6 images – available from three north Norfolk art galleries – as greeting cards.

One of the images is here…

An unusual sighting at Cley beach, north Norfolk

The other images (plus a few more) can be seen at : http://www.markrowden.com/north-norfolk.html

Landed at last!

Mark Rowden — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:13:26 +0000

Well, hello there. It’s been a little while since my last entry… but I’ve been in the process of travelling and, eventually, moving from Normandy to north Norfolk. I’m about 2 miles from the sea, with the smell of salt air in my nose. Oh, and I’ve been taking pictures. Plenty of them. A few new ones are uploaded onto my newly revised website: http://www.markrowden.com/portfolio-one/101.html …. and then follow the links from there. Only a few new images for now. I have a backlog to work my way through!

Let me know if you are out there. I have next to no idea who if anyone is reading this blog. Perhaps I’m talking to thin air. If I’m not, well, then I’ll probably write a good deal more.

Paris digital photography workshop

Mark Rowden — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:09:34 +0000

Image © Saschia Ryder, 2010

February’s SEEING THE PICTURE digital photography course in Paris was a great success.

Thank you to everyone who attended and congratulations on some STUNNING photographs from the day!!

In addition to the studio-based exercises the small streets and ‘secrets’ of the Marais area of central Paris made for some great street photography.

What a wonderful way to spend the last day of the winter – and the morning after the worst storm in France for decades!

The second day of March

Mark Rowden — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:48:40 +0000

Champosoult: late afternoon, the Pays D’Auge light playing its tricks.

This rust colour is typical late afternoons, usually lasting only 15 minutes.

2 March 2010

The first day of March

Mark Rowden — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:33:52 +0000

1 March 2010

Saschia Ryder

Mark Rowden — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:03:42 +0000

“This was by far the most enjoyable photo shoot I have ever done — it didn’t feel like being photographed.” — Saschia Ryder | dancer | Paris

Each portrait session IS different. We are all individuals and the purpose of a portrait is to reflect this individuality. Saschia is used to the lens; she has great confidence, but I wanted to arrive at the point where the lens was no longer any more important than her; for a lens tends to intimidate, and even the confident model sets up a relationship with the lens that then dictates what they show of themselves. I wanted Saschia and the lens to be equals.

Achieving this aim included me attempting to become invisible. I tried to avoid being directive. Few words were spoken.

Also it’s important to me that I don’t act or look like a photographer. In other words the photographer should not pretend to be more important than their model. I want people to be at one with themselves — whatever that emotion or feeling or knowledge is. I’m not interested in pretence. So I go with the moment. I wait and watch intently. I only shoot when I feel no choice.

These images were made inside, the lights low (no studio lamps) sunlight raking through the windows (but it’s February and the sun was sporadic and weak). I shot on ISO200 (because it produces cleaner skin tones on my Canon DSLR). In other words I was on the limit with an extremely shallow depth of field to focus on. I used a wide angle because it was clear that I needed to include more than Saschia’s head for these images to qualify as portraits of her. There were a few constraints in the room which eliminated certain angles I would have explored. But then again, constraints, or should I say perceived constraints, can be a good thing. If only because they make us — certainly me — work harder.

More images of Saschia: here

Snow Falling

Mark Rowden — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:03:01 +0000

The February weather in around Guerquesalles is changeable. A few moments before this image was made, all was sunshine.

I thought it would be fun to set a slow shutter speed to accentuate how fast the snow falling: 0.7 secs – less than a second!

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