TAOP

Part Five: Narrative And Illustration.

Project: Putting the Subject First. 

I had a trawl through my files for this one and came up with a number of images that fit the bill.  One image I took from the files of The Mail.

The first is a picture I took In Deal during the last snowy weather.  It shows a snow covered street, a couple of walkers with their dogs, and two girls.  A pretty picture of Deal and the sort of image that one could find on a post card or Christmas card.  The overall effect is what is important and not any component part. 

The second of this type is one I took off Anzac Park in Port Douglas in Australia.  A tranquil scene of a yacht sailing past with misty mountains fading away in the background.  Again it is the overall structure that is important and not any particular part.  There is a subject but not a dominant one.

The next is one that made every paper in the land and is of the girl leaping from her flat  at Reeves Corner, Croydon during the height of last years riots.  Technically a poor shot.  Out of focus, camera shake, not straightened, intrusive highlights and a poor attempt at flash.  This one picture, however, summed up the two days of mayhem that tore through parts of London.  All the faults I listed only add to the immediacy of the image and endow it with the power it undoubtably has.   All subject.

The last is one I took in 1980 at the Biggin Hill Air Show and is of an exploding plane.  I was taking pictures from a field near to the show when I saw a twin engined A-26 Invader getting into trouble as failed to recover from a roll.  With no motor wind I had to try and time my shots.  I took two shots of the crash and this is the second and most dramatic.  The result below made the front page of the Sun and The Daily Telegraph.  Again an image with many faults but one that conveyed the horror of that crash.