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Photographs I Love | Just Married 1948

Victoria — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 09:00:44 +0000

This choice was inspired a little bit by my post this time last week, but this photograph is much closer to my heart. I love this picture of my grandparents on their wedding day… they look happy don’t they? Sadly Poppa died a couple of years ago, but not before he and my Nan received a telegram from the Queen congratulating them on their Diamond Wedding anniversary. Their marriage, like my parents’ marriage, is an inspiration to me. Throughout the good times and the challenging times, their marriage stood strong. I very much hope that if I get married I can be as strong as they were.

“Just Married” – Photographer unknown 1948

Being the 52nd post, I think this picture draws a very fitting conclusion the “Photographs I Love” series. Each Friday for the past year, I have written a short post about a photograph which has caught my eye over the past seven days. Occasionally I’ve been criticised for sharing other people’s work on my blog, but I haven’t minded because I believe photographers should always look beyond their own work and take inspiration from the world around them… including the work of other photographers past and present.

I’ve always included a link to the photographer in question and invited my readers to go and look at their work. The irony is, where this final photograph is concerned, I don’t know the identity of the photographer. Nevertheless I’m very grateful to them for recording this happy moment so beautifully.

Photographs I Love | The Birth of the Ark Royal

Victoria — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 12:00:10 +0000

Author Peter Hagerty described this as “the most reproduced photograph illustrating and era of Liverpool’s commerce“. It certainly is a dramatic photograph and I love the composition; to me the little boy wandering down the street in the foreground makes this image, adding life and scale.

This image epitomises the very peak of the shipbuilding era on the River Mersey and I love that my grandparents were setting up home only a few streets away when this photograph was taken. I love that Hardman traveled to Martigues (a very familiar town to me and the place in which I took the first seven photographs in this post) in 1926 and took this photograph which went on to win First Prize in the American Annual of Photography in 1927. I love that the Burrell Hardman studio was located for many years at 51a Bold Street in Liverpool, only five doors down from the architect’s practice I worked in after I graduated from University. I love that Hardman married the woman he loved and loved her all his life.

“The Birth of the Ark Royal” by E. Chambré Hardman 1950

Photographs I Love | The Little Fisherman

Victoria — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:45:10 +0000

So apparently in the months leading up to my birth, my parents nicknamed me “the little fisherman”. This was in the old days before parents-to-be were given the option of finding out the sex of their child and my Mum was convinced I was a boy. Needless to say she was mistaken. But nevermind, just under three years later my Mum and Dad were blessed with a gorgeous, fat, bouncing baby boy and this is one of my all time favourite pictures of my him! My Mum still has this photograph pinned up on the notice board in their kitchen… the little fisherman.

“The Little Fisherman” by John Phipps 1993

Photographs I Love | Totem #15

Victoria — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 08:00:00 +0000

It’s that time of the week again, where I post a photograph I have stumbled upon during the last seven days of wandering along the information super highway and generally having my eyes open. Quite often I don’t stumble upon a single photograph, but a series of images which I find striking. When this happens it’s difficult to choose a single “favourite”, as each photograph makes the next stronger. This is one of those occasions…

French photographer Alain Delorme created a series of photographs exploring the made in China dialogue under the title “Totems”. Each individual image tells a similar story; tall, sculpted stacks of mass-produced goods tower over individual workers on the streets of Shanghai, as they begin their long journey to the consumer.

The typical response to the iconic photograph of Chinese culture in the 21st century is an image depicting immense crowds of workers. However, Delorme’s subtle approach depicts the paradoxes of contemporary China in a different way. His controlled composition draws the eye to the seemingly insignificant individuals in the picture. This photographs do not seem to focus on materialism, but instead put forward an overabundance of products leaning towards the absurd.

Somewhere between dream and reality, the “Totems” series gives an insight into the complexity of a country in the process of reinventing itself and the individuals caught up in the change.

You can see the rest of the series here. It’s worth a look.

“Totem #15” by Alain Delorme 2010

Photographs I Love | A Royal Slump

Victoria — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 21:37:13 +0000

Exactly 30 years ago today, Charles and Di were married in a (very eighties!) fairytale wedding which captured the hearts of the nation. It was 4 years before my time but seeing the footage and commentary on the television, you get a real sense of the jubilant atmosphere and optimism which swept the country. Amidst an era of economic depression and political uncertainty, it seems this day raised people’s spirits and offered a grand event of which they could be proud.

Of course there are several hundred pictures of that day in July 1981, but this is undoubtedly my favourite – an unrehearsed photograph depicting the royal bridal party collapsed in fits of laughter and exhaustion during the official photograph session led by Patrick Lichfield…

“The Royal Wedding” by Patrick Lichfield 1981

Photographs I Love | McCartneys in Scotland

Victoria — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 19:00:47 +0000

I’ve always liked this picture… on one hand it’s a very humble photograph, but in reality it’s so much more than that because of the characters involved. It’s an insight into a normal family life which exists away from the celebrity spotlight… photographed by Linda McCartney in 1982 this image depicts Paul McCartney (music legend revered across the globe!) seemingly showing off to his wife and kids in typical ‘Dad’ style by casually walking along a high fence, whilst daughter Stella (now fashion designer extraordinaire) appears indifferent, concentrating instead on an inanimate object of seemingly far superior importance. At the same time son James (now musician, songwriter and sculptor) has decided to bravely throw himself from the family car.

There is something about the characters of these three high profile individuals which was captured in this photograph, lovingly taken by Mum during a quiet moment on a family holiday. I think it’s lovely!

“Paul, Stella and James in Scotland” by Linda McCartney 1982

Photographs I Love | Saturday Morning

Victoria — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 14:53:43 +0000

This lady is so creative… I’d love to spend some time wandering through her mind, but in a way each picture she creates gives you a brief glimpse into her imagination. Be sure to browse the rest of her work next time you have a cup of tea in hand and five minutes to spare, you won’t be disappointed!

Wishing you all a pleasant Saturday Morning… x

“Saturday Morning” by Heather Evans Smith 2008

Photographs I Love | Albert Einstein

Victoria — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 09:05:54 +0000

I love this picture! I’m not going to try and argue it’s one of the most traditionally beautiful pictures I’ve ever seen… but it is full of humour.

The story goes that on Einstein’s 72nd birthday on 14th March 1951, UPI photographer Arthur Sasse was trying to persuade him to smile for the camera for the thousandth time that day. Feeling fed up of smiling, Einstein stuck out his tongue and, in one snap of the shutter, his reputation as an eccentric genius was set in stone!

The Father of Physics certainly changed the world with his ‘General Theory of Relativity‘, as well as his significant contributions to nuclear physics and quantum mechanics. In fact Einstein dedicated his life to answering science’s most formidable mysteries. What makes this portrait so brilliant is that it humanises the genius – without it, history would remember Einstein quite differently. In capturing Einstein’s playful character, this photograph ensured he was remembered for his personality as much as his brain.

In June 2009, the original photograph was sold at auction for $74,324!

“Einstein” by Arthur Sasse 1951