Join the conversation
Subcribe to comment rss feedFive photographers, five visions of the world that surrounds us.
Vanda Ralevska
I like those moments in time when everything goes quiet, my heartbeat gets faster, I take a deep breath and the time stops… until the shutter clicks and the moment that took your breath away is preserved… forever…
Five photographers, five visions of the world that surrounds us. Despite the diversity of the subject matter and their individual interpretations, the artists are connected by one aim – to look beyond the literal representation and capture the essence of the chosen subject.
The exhibition provides a seamless journey through the beauty of the natural and human made world with its variety of colours, ever changing light and extraordinary atmosphere.
OXO Tower Wharf, London from 28th October to 1st November.
Contributing photographers
Sue Bishop
Sue specialises in flower and landscape photography. Her aim is to create an image that goes beyond a simple record of its subject and becomes art, and her compositions are a celebration of colour, light and shape. Her distinctive images are impressionistic and ethereal, with a simplicity of composition, evoking her love of the natural world. “For my part of this exhibition I have chosen to show flower images. Although I photograph many different natural subjects, flowers always draw me particularly with their wonderful variety of graceful shapes and beautiful colours.
I try to go beyond a simple record picture and make an image which reflects some of the emotional response I had when I saw the flower. Often I do this by using a very shallow depth of field, and sometimes also with multiple exposures. Flowers are very delicate and ephemeral, and I try to reflect this in my photographs. Many of the photographs that I show are close up or macro images. I especially love this approach as it enables me to see flowers in a way that would never be possible from a “normal” viewing distance.”
Charlotte Gilliatt
Charlotte’s ‘trademark’ night and low light photography conveys a mood, atmosphere and emotion which transcends the viewer into another age, long since past. And in contrast to her shots of the city, there is a serene softness to her depictions of land and sea, where the shadows of bricks and concrete are replaced by glowing, salty skies and fog tinged landscapes.
“My panel for Vision Five includes a selection of urban street scenes that I have captured in London, Prague and Paris, encapsulating the haunting beauty, intrigue and atmosphere of the night. Drawing inspiration from the work of early 20th century photographers such as Josef Sudek, Brassai and Bill Brandt, I strive to achieve the atmospheric eeriness that envelopes me when I’m standing alone at the dead of night.
My aim is to share with the viewer a glimpse of the capital seldom seen. Coming from the East end of London, I prefer to photograph the environment that I’m used to and feel most comfortable with… the city has an emotive attachment for me. It’s where I belong. My images are captured both digitally and on film using anything from a pinhole camera to medium format. I also prefer black and white photography as I feel that it conveys the emotion that I am trying to achieve.”
Beata Moore
Beata’s images are distinctive; bold colours and strong composition enable her to perfectly encapsulate the spirit of the places. Versatile and creative, she always strives to get that special image from the mosaic of forms, textures and light. Her love of colour heavily influenced by the paintings of Turner and Monet is strongly visible in her impressionistic photographic works, where longer exposure and intentional camera movement allows her to achieve the smooth, pastel colours conveying forms and emphasising the effects of light.
“My part of this exhibition presents a series of photographs that reveal the beauty of the natural world, with a focus on woodlands and the sea. My fascination with both environments is a direct result of my childhood experiences of exploring the primaeval forest of Bialowierza as well as the unspoiled coast of the Baltic Sea and Atlantic Ocean.
While emotionally engaging with the woodland, I explore the shadows and light trying to find interesting shapes, textures and rhythm which provide pleasing forms whilst immersing the viewer in my experiences. When capturing sea images I often use longer exposures and intentional camera movement to help abstract away from the literal subject matter; this achieves a mysterious and changeable character that the sea conveys.
The aim is to communicate what I felt while standing at the edge of the water; by sharing my perceptions and emotions I hope I will not only reveal the beauty of trees and ever changing sea but also promote conservation of our exquisite natural world. In architectural photography my approach aims for a strong composition, I search for lines and shapes as well as colour and texture contrasts; this combined with dramatic camera angles and flattened perspective allows me to show the best qualities of the buildings.”
Vanda Ralevska
Vanda is always searching for those fleeting moments of magic that transform our world into something extraordinary. She finds inspiration in quiet scenes and the intimate detail that abounds in nature. In her images she strives to reflect the atmosphere, feeling, and sheer wonderment that our natural world can evoke within us. For Vanda, photography is more than just a recording of where she has been.
"It is about encompassing the whole experience of being in the great outdoors, and trying to capture that one special moment that leaves a lasting impression on us. “I have a great passion for landscapes, the coast in particular. Perhaps it comes from my childhood and growing up in an insular country. Even then I felt a great fascination with its infinite power and uncontrollable energy.
Moving to the UK almost two decades ago gave me a life changing opportunity to explore its breathtaking coastline. Therefore one of the sets I have chosen for the Vision Five exhibition consists of seascape images taken in England. In my pictures I strive to capture the essence of the sea and its shoreline. I love the experience of standing on the shore, taking in the moments defined by ever-changing weather conditions, times of the day and running tides. It makes me feel alive and gives me a sense of freedom. It is an emotional as well as a physical experience; the sound of the shingle when the waves retreat, the wind, the sea spray and the taste of salt, the surf pounding, the seagulls crying, the light reflecting on the lapping waves.
My images are based on my emotional response to this experience. Because I live and work in London I don't get a chance to drive down to the coast as often as I would like to. However I have always believed that there is beauty to be found everywhere and in any weather conditions, even in the city in the rain. Therefore for the second Vision Five set I have chosen images from my project When it Rains.
When living in England you need to adapt to the changeable and sometimes fickle weather, including more than an occasional rain shower. I find endless opportunities for capturing images in wet weather; reflections, colours, abstracts, stormy light. Streets come alive with colourful umbrellas, pavements fill up with reflective puddles, windows and glass panes are covered with raindrops, and colours are much brighter and more intense.
The light just before or after the rain can often be spectacular. I get very excited about every rainy day, which paints a unique canvas for capturing transient moments in time that may never be repeated.”
Linda Wevill
Linda considers that in photography the camera is just a tool and how the changing light is chosen reflects the photographer’s vision and what they are trying to communicate. She aims to capture the essence of a place and to portray the colour, texture, shape, form and vitality of the scene before her. “My contribution to Vision Five is made up of images from my project By the Shoreline, water abstracts and seascapes. I especially enjoy experimenting with long exposures which enable me to capture the movement of the water and the atmosphere of the landscape. The way the changing quality of light is used enables a personal portrayal of my environment and communicates the mood that I am trying to convey. Living by the sea, I am a keen sailor who is used to securing boats to the shoreline. I started looking more closely at the objects in this process: the pulleys, rings, ropes and so on. I decided to make these objects, with their variety of colours and textures, the subject matter of my project By the Shoreline. I blended these with images of the sea in order to put them into context. I wanted to give them a soft, painterly feel to portray their beauty and, at the same time, the atmosphere of the weathering process, with them continually at the mercy of the wind and splashing water.“