End frame: “Wiltshire, October” by Barry Thornton

David Ashcroft

I am a retired Chartered Electrical Engineer who has been photographing since my early teens (a long time ago!). I work mostly in B&W and photograph landscapes, buildings, and fine art nude.

davidashcroftphotography.co.uk

When I recovered from the shock when Charlotte asked me to provide an End Frame article, I was then a bit flummoxed as to what picture I should choose.

Should it be one of the late great Adams, Weston, Bullock etc. or one of the modern masters, Cornish, Waite, Kenna?

I thought that all these great photographers are well known, and that it might be interesting to choose someone who is not a public figure. Looking through my photographic books, I decided to choose Barry Thornton.

Barry, now sadly passed away, was a British photographer who straddled the analogue and digital worlds. He held a senior role in corporate training but eventually gave this up to earn his living as a photographer.

As well as image making, he designed black and white film developers and other chemistry, ran training courses in all aspects of processing and printing and wrote several books. He was an early adopter of digital printing, and he helped me considerably with my start in digital printing.

The image I have chosen is titled “Wiltshire, October”. It depicts the wide-open spaces of the Wiltshire Downs.