Is It Worth The Shot?

September 8, 2017

A short blogpost this week...who said "phew!". I wasn't intending to write a blog at all, yes, I went out on the motorbike and took some photos, but there wasn't really much to report and definitely nothing to speak of photographically. This one was triggered by Mike Scruton posting a photo on Facebook, looked as though he had to be poking his head over some railway tracks to get it, slightly dangerous perhaps. Anyway, it reminded me of a photo I took this week when I rode down to Dorset, specifically aiming for that overly photographed Jurassic Coast attraction Durdle Door. I've been there before so wasn't surprised to see hundreds of people. If you're a photographer and always wanted to shoot this place then be warned, you won't be there in isolation, I saw some faces with very disappointed looks. Early morning in winter might be your best bet.

Now, we have to keep in mind that Durdle Door is there because of erosion, the land around it is subject to subsidence, possible collapse. We need to keep safe, there are no fences and the path can be very slippery. The non-photographers were in buoyant mood as they began the descent down the cliffs, I can tell you they weren't looking so happy once they'd walked back up! I have an app on my iPhone and it told me that I'd climbed 24 flights of stairs. I witnessed some very unfit looking people close to collapse. For me, well I chatted all the way back up with a couple, the husband was a photographer. We talked about Fuji and Leica, Canada...mostly anything to take our minds of the ascent back to the car park! Here's some shots, just to give you feel for the place and as I've said before they're not necessarily presented on this blog as anything special. I'm more interested in people than photographing landscapes. You really need to go down to the beach itself to get a decent image, I couldn't be bothered...Note to self; More commitment needed John!

Let's go back to the title. "Is it worth the shot?". This idiot in the next photo caught my eye. I'd just been discussing with a walker how treacherous underfoot these cliff paths can be, she told me that a few weeks ago she'd lost her footing and it was a very close thing. That's a couple of hundred feet drop, I mentioned earlier about erosion...

Ok, he'll say that he was in perfect control. No, you weren't mate and what's more there's another life to consider, that little soul on your back! Honestly, my legs were like jelly after I took this shot. Was it worth the risk? No, most definitely not. You read about war photographers still clicking away as their subject matter shoots them instead, that's very possibly not worth it either.

I moved on, shaking my head I started the bike and headed for Bournemouth. I have good memories from my teenage years there. A place for those with one foot in the grave they say, yet it used to have a brilliant nightlife. Trendy nightclubs for example, although thinking about it new light is shed on that old saying "grab a granny night"! I took a few photos, again nothing to get excited about, but I didn't risk life or limb either...

Finally that age old question; Colour or Black & White? My friend and extremely talented Street Photographer Jeff Chane-Mouye posed that question recently on Facebook. We've all done it and of course never get a definitive answer, it's that old subjective thing again. So, Black & White or Colour? Ok, just joking, neither really work...