It’s the Orkney Camera Club competition time again. The last of the three “Monthly” competitions had its deadline this week. Unsurprisingly for me, having known about the topic and submission date since last September, I spent most of Sunday and Monday in trying to capture some of the ideas that have been swilling around in my head since Autumn.
The topic is “Playing With Scale”
[su_quote]Is that small or just far away? Have some fun creating images that amuse, baffle and boggle. Just a hint but there may be more than one interpretation of scale…[/su_quote]
I am sure that what was envisaged would be some forced perspective shots – you know, like people holding up the leaning tower of Pisa. Not really my bag. Or possibly they intended to see some little scale figures doing fun things – like David Gilliver’s photography. That certainly would be my bag, had I sufficient get up and go to furnish myself with some scale figures in time. I kept backing off from the cost! I did have one very clear image in mind, involving both styles of forced perspective and little people but the models of photographers that I wanted would have set me back forty quid… just to try and make one photograph. I really wanted to do it but just could not countenance the expenditure.
Another shot that I had clearly in mind, and planned for well in advance was scuppered by roadworks at the site when we arrived in October. We were unable to pull off the road in the right place. That shot was to be Fa: a long, long way to go. In the absence of any scale figures and with a lack of enthusiasm for forced perspective… I was left with playing with the meaning of the phrase “Playing with scale.” Fish scales? Ladders and hillsides? Instruments and measures? Musical scales, keyboards and frets? Tonic Sol Fa!
I had the idea of three shots (max allowed) on the tonic sol fa theme: Fa – a long, long way to go and perhaps Do, a deer, a female deer might have been obtained whilst we were in Scotland last Autumn but neither materialised. For weeks now I have tried without much success to capture a decent shot of crepuscular rays for Re, a drop of golden sun. That left me with So, a needle pulling thread for Sunday’s activity and Te, a drink with jam and bread to challenge me all of yesterday afternoon.
The needle thing never really worked and my vision did not materialise yesterday though I mashed a pot of tea and eventually came up with something I had not expected but actually quite liked.
These are the six that went. The header image is one that I wanted to submit but I always leave the final cut to Mr L, who has the knack of picking winners. All the B&W stuff was plucked from the archive as shots that would “do” – on reflection one of these six should have been pulled in favour of some “god rays” – but it’s too late now, I have committed
Last month’s competition was “Myself” – and I managed a Third in the Colour Digital section with this one
I was pleased with that, as I really like this composite.
Month 1 also yielded a Third, in the same section. Will I make it a Hat Trick this time? Judgement is due on the 3rd of February.
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