A small matter of Chance and Choice

Chance and Choice A small matter of

Photography by Michael Critchley

A small matter of

Chance and Choice Dedicated to my wonderful wife Francine, who gave me the chance of my lifetime.

There was and never will be any other choice?

How much does the choices we make on when and where to photograph influence the chance of a good result?

If I make the choice to lie in the grass for half a day on the off-chance that a yellow butterfly will land on a blue flower, is the result a lucky shot?

We’ve all heard the phrase “I was just lucky to be there at the right time” or “Lucky I had my camera with me”. Luck is merely a name we give to events

A small matter of CHANCE AND CHOICE The design and photography in this book are Copyright ©2012 by the author Michael Critchley.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any mechanical or electronic means without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

after they occur which we find to be fortuitous, and as chance would have it, I have a few lucky shots.

As an artist, I choose to take a photograph at a given instance in time. I choose certain weather conditions and geographical locations. I choose my equipment – cameras, lenses and technical data.

Most importantly, I choose the composition of my subject. The finished result, through the choices I make, make me the artist I am.

I don’t specialize in any particular subject, there’s

.m e

just too many interesting ones to choose from.

These photos are a selection of my choices.

Lookout for the blue dot on the lucky ones.

Caught on camera I was using a longish exposure for the crowd and didn’t realise the mother had taken a flash shot of the boys at the same time.

One of those lucky shots.

Canon EOS 7D EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM ISO 400 0.6s @ ƒ6.3

To remember Past memories captured of the Canadian, Polish and British Commemoration Day at the AdegemMaldegem, Canadian War Cemetery in Belgium.

Canon EOS 400D EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ISO 400 1/200 @ Ć’8

In memory A grey damp day for the Canadian, Polish and British Commemoration at the AdegemMaldegem, Canadian War Cemetery in Belgium.

Canon EOS 400D EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ISO 400 1/250 @ Ć’3.5

Mont Saint-Michel Strong triangles of the town roofs echo the uplifting ideologies of the church and it’s geographical position.

Canon EOS 400D EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ISO 200 1/500 @ Ć’6.3

Resting up The contrast and position of the yellow kyaks against the black waters of the Franklin-Gordon river in Tasmania make a dramatic composition.

Canon EOS 400D EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ISO 200 1/320 @ Ć’6.3

Rows of support Predominantly yellow and black with splashes of red and green. A strong colourful image.

Canon EOS 400D EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ISO 200 1/160 @ Ć’5

Ocean Duo A strong composition is achieved by the dynamic angles and positioning of the metal frame against the soft curves of the surf skis.

Strong colour-contrast with orange and blue.

X marks the spot for rule of thirds.

Canon EOS 400D EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ISO 200 1/2500 @ Ć’5

Aqua barrow I noticed two metal wheelbarrows surrounded by a mass of wood. Aqua and yellow colours in a forest of pine. Rule of thirds.

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II EF 24-105mm f/4L IS ISO 400 1/320 @ Ć’13

Bottom Only 60W House Farm, Robin Hood’s Bay We A centred stayedcomposition at a farmhouse of aB&B workonarea our under weekend trip a single to Robin light Hood’s source.Bay and took the opportunity to photograph the farm buildings and equipment.

Canon EOS 7D I like the arrangement of the window EF-S 17-55mm frames with f/2.8the IS USM black shape of broken glass; ISO 400 the corrugated metal and the shadow of the 2.0s @roof; ƒ11 the angle of the wooden panel over-lapping the rough stone wall.

HDR Canon EOS 7D EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM ISO 400 1/250 @ ƒ11

Afternoon snooze I like the light and shadows cast on this peaceful hog at the Bowland Boar Farm.

Canon EOS 7D EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM ISO 320 1/320 @ Ć’6.3

Clitheroe auction Strong lines point to the centre of the image where the auctioneer calls for bids. An interesting point to notice in this photo – there are no eyes visible.

Canon EOS 7D EF-S10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM ISO 1250 1/10 @ Ć’5.6

Awaiting their verdict What fate awaits these animals?

Strong angles and straight lines contrast with the soft curves of the sheep.

Canon EOS 7D EF-S10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM ISO 1250 1/40 @ Ć’5.6

Tagging day These sheep are waiting to be tagged, identified and catalogued. The pattern on the walls reflect the patterns in the wool.

Canon EOS 7D EF-S10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM ISO 400 1/640 @ Ć’6.3

Leap of faith I heard the whooping call of this gibbon high on his pole. He became aggitated and restless and suddenly he took off into the air. Lucky I was ready for him. The simple poles and straps create the composition.

Canon EOS 7D EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM ISO 400 1/1600 @ Ć’6.3

The dream of life is – just to be From a series of photos exploring the effect of water movement with an underwater light, flash and long exposures. And a model.

Canon EOS 400D EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ISO 800 1.6s @ Ć’5 Flash

Dove of War After death, she lives on in this photo.

Rule of thirds.

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro ISO 200 1/400 @ Ć’3.2

Working in the shadow What a wonderful eye.

Canon EOS 7D EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM ISO 320 1/400 @ Ć’5.6

Framed Speed and luck caught this sparrow.

Geometric, rule of quarters, with extreme grid composition.

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II EF 24-105mm f/4L IS ISO 200 1/100 @ Ć’10

Skippy We were driving round the lake at Jabiru Safari Lodge, Mareeba, Australia and when we stopped to look out of the windows this startled kangaroo with Joey, looked up, saw me point the camera and took off. Not before I got one shot framed in the bushes. They are so well camouflaged.

Another speed and luck photo.

Canon EOS 400D EF75-300mm f/4-5.6 ISO 400 1/500 @ Ć’7.1

Cataract Gorge, chairlift I like to have definite areas of textures in my images, quite often taking up more space than the main subject. For me the total composition is more important than the subject. Here, the man and chairlift station are the subject but the composition is the placement of the subject amongst the foliage. I wanted to show the vast amount of greenery surrounding the chairlift, not just the chairlift. Cropping in on the chairlift would give a totally different picture, not neccesarily a better one.

Canon EOS 400D EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ISO 200 1/200 @ Ć’8

Brown gate Another image of large amounts of texture surrounding the subject. Centrally positioned, the doors are highlighted by the surrounding foliage.

Canon EOS 400D EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ISO 200 1/500 @ Ć’4.5

White house Lots of texture framing the subject – the white house. Even though the lichen on the tree is in-focus, the main focus, and where the eye is drawn to, is the house.

Canon EOS 400D EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ISO 100 1/60 @ Ć’10

Homes to let I wonder what size birds live in these homes?

Strong sunlight and shadows add to the strange scale.

Canon EOS 7D EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM ISO 200 1/100 @ Ć’10

Three men on a wall These men are repairing a sloping buttress of a medieval bridge in La Gacilly, France.

Looking down from the parapet gave a different perspective on their work.

Canon EOS 400D EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ISO 200 1/100 @ Ć’6.3

Look on the bright side I heard the plane going overhead as it passed by the sun.

Point the camera, click, and hope for the best – too bright to look at.

Looks like an explosion!

Canon PowerShot SX10 IS 5.0-100.0 mm ISO 80 1/1000 @ Ć’8

I have been an Art Director/Graphic Designer

I like the space to surround my subject and I will

for over 40 years and using cameras for longer.

quite often divide my compositions in half or

Now, with those years of experience behind me,

thirds with more emphasis on the open space.

making images with the camera – photography

This space is not wasted but is left there for a

and paintography – is what I enjoy most of all.

reason – it is part of the design.

I see designs of shapes and spaces all around

Let the image breath.

me and when I look through my 3x2 viewfinder it’s as if I’m designing a double page spread in a brochure or magazine. Perhaps it’s because I’ve always needed empty space in photographs to insert a headline or a block of text, that I compose my photos in this manner. .me