WHAT I'M WORKING ON: "Bunker Art"

Another in my series of photographs depicting the details of military fortifications along the west coast. In this case, I converted the image to black and white and then let just a bit of the underlying color image come through. Gotta say, I like this effect!

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

What I'm working on: BUNKER ART

There’s one project I’ve been working on for years, and it revolves around photographing military bunkers and forts throughout the Pacific northwest. The subject matter is usually considered strange, the pictures are mostly abstract, and the colors are mottled and subdued. But my heart races when I go out to shoot, which tells me I’m doing the right thing.

Why is this project a good idea? Because it gives me a purpose. At the end of all this, maybe there will be a book, a gallery exhibit, a photo essay. Or not. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that I have a focus, one that makes me explore the wonders of black and white photography rather than the instant gratification of color.

And it makes me happy.

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

What I'm working on . . .

For the past 15 years or more I've been entranced with the military bunkers in the Pacific Northwest. I love their age, their solidity, their mystery.

And then there's the grunge. The dirt. The overall patina.

For someone like me, who loves abstract lines, forms, designs, and textures, visiting these places is akin to visiting Disneyland when I was nine.

I would like to make a handmade book featuring my photos, and I'd like the photos to be black and white.

Why? Because look at the difference here. My original photograph shows the way this bunker interior has been painted. It's powder blue, for heaven's sake! And the walls look smooth, well-kept. It's boring.

But see it in black and white and the vibe is totally different. It's appropriate. And look at all the texture we can see in the black and white version. Shadows become SHADOWS. Soft lines become stark and bold. And texture is revealed and enhanced, texture we might not have noticed at first. Now it's all in your face. And that's what I love.

Now that the weather's getting warmer, I'll be out there with my tripod, going from room to room, exploring, searching out elements such as this, composing, looking, looking, looking, creating.

And the goal is a small, handmade book. A book that will reflect the texture and grit and mystery of these cement remnants here in the Pacific Northwest.

Wish me luck! Am still working on the Kyoto book as well . . .

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Look at the difference

Here's an example of an image I made at Fort Casey on Whidbey Island. I liked the texture of the wall, the combination/contrast of curved lines and straight ones, and the shadowing.

The focal point is the iron ring. That's where I want your eye to go first. But, if you're like me, your eye probably went first to the green patch of paint on the left.

If my photo is all about texture, curves, lines, and shadows, what does GREEN PAINT SPLOTCH have to do with anything? Nothing. And that's the beauty of black and white photography.

Black and white images take away the distraction of color and enable your viewers to see and appreciate what drew you to an image in the first place. In the black and white picture, your eye probably went immediately to the iron ring, maybe back and forth along the strong horizontal line, and slid lazily down the curve bottom right.

Notice how the smooth patch in the black and white shot is no longer the distraction it was as a big green rectangular shape in the color version.

It's often the case that we see in color, but we notice the artistry in black and white. (And ooh, didn't that sound terrific? You can quote me on that!)

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you!

Lines and curves

As I continue to work on my black and white series of military fort details, I'm seeing how much easier it is to see line and design when not being distracted by color.

Color can seduce you into a photo, but composition, line, and design keep you interested.

Ooh, that sounded good, didn't it? (I was going to elaborate, relating it to bad relationships and life, but I won't go there. And aren't you glad?!)

In the first shot, I liked the contrast of the textured background behind the smooth railing. I also like the diagonal bits. And finally, I like the little rounded knob on the railing against all those incredibly straight lines.

Same thing in the second photograph. In this case I like the curve in the lower right, the curves of the round ring, both contrasting with the bold black horizontal line.

Then in the bottom photo, all we have are straight lines. The sharp edges of the steps, precisely cut, diagonating across the frame. I purposely let a bit of warmth come through in the background just to set off the steps a bit.

Gotta say, I'm enjoying this black and white work. And it's fun to go back through years of photos I've taken in various forts and bunkers and look at them with new eyes and new skills. And a new attitude.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you!

Bunker art . . .

A huge percentage of photographers love to be out there in nature, photographing extraordinary sunsets, reflections in lakes, herds of zebras, etc.

But give me old army bunker walls and I'm like a kid at Disneyland!

The textures, to me, are just amazing. The sensual curves of railings in interesting juxtaposition with all the hard edges of a military structure. And yet the hard edges can come together cleanly and simply (and appealingly) as you see in the last photograph.

This is my project for the upcoming year: to create a series of interesting, provocative, and mysterious photos of these structures that were built to protect the coast in the Pacific northwest.

What's made it especially fun is that Fay from southern California was in the area recently -- just as passionate about these buildings as I. And then Craig, too, here from Bend, Oregon, got into the madness the other day as we oohed and ahhed over shades of gold colors, drippy things that looked like jellyfish tentacles, and iron rings set into concrete, cameras repeatedly firing.

Maybe you have to be really weird to get excited about all this grunge. Luckily, I know a lot of weird people!

P.S. Looking at this particular post on various other devices, the photos appear really dark, especially the last one. Do they look unusually dark on whatever monitor you're seeing them on, too? Let me know. Thanks.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you!