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No photograph that is displayed and posted on this blog may be reproduced, copied, stored, manipulated or used in whole or in part of a derivative work without the prior written permission of the Copyright (c) Owner & Photographer: Trevor David Betts BA (Hons). All rights reserved.

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If you want to use any of my photographs displayed upon this blog, for inclusion in an essay, presentation, talk, or for posting on your blog or web site. Or for use in any other way or means. Then it would be very much appreciated if you could contact me first (as a matter of courtesy and decency) to seek my permission to use any of my photographs. Failure to do so is breach of my copyright and rights.





Sunday 16 August 2009

PROJECTS: TREE STORIES

This particular project came about after I had just watched Tim Burton's film "Sleepy Hollow". I was really impressed with the dark brooding sets, the trees in the woods.

As such I have always being a lover of the countryside rather than the city. And obviously like many other people I fully understand and appreciate the vital role that trees play within the environment. However I feel that we do not treat them with the respect that they deserve. We seem to be hell bent on obliterating trees from the landscape.

Trees give you shelter, furniture, tools, medicines, food, heat, fuel and many other vital items. The English long bowmen would have being lost without the Yew and Willow trees. Trees play a vital role in absorbing noxious gasses, they are the lungs of this planet. Instead of cutting them down, we should in my opinion be planting millions, and taking greater care of all the old and established trees and woodland.

Hence this project which seeks to portray trees in a positive light by showing their natural beauty, presence and role within both the urban and rural landscape. It has proved to be one hell of a project to embark upon mainly because it is such a huge project to undertake. The scope and scale is mind-blowing. That is why it is an on-going project which will keep me occupied for a while, or at least until I am satisfied that I have done the subject justice.

There is so much to photograph, and many established woods and forests to visit within this country. To date I have visited and taken photographs for this project at the following locations:
The New Forest, Sherwood Forest, Millington Woods, Broughton Woods, Dalby Forest, Kielder Forest, Bardney Limewoods and many other locations in Staffordshire, Lincolnshire, Northumberland, Norfolk, Derbyshire, East, West and North Yorkshire etc.

Right from the outset I decided to use just monochrome film and to photograph both in daylight and after dusk. Some of the images from this project appear on this blog. To date this project has being very enjoyable and I have learned a great deal through my research into the history, folklore and geography of trees.

4 comments:

  1. I love trees - and photographs of them of course! There was (and possibly still is) a really interesting installation at Kew Gardens which involved lots of very sensitive microphones attached to a tree (I wrote about it briefly here. Visitors could wear headphones and listen to the tree 'breathe'. It makes you very aware of the tree as a living thing sharing the Earth with you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes there is a lot that we has the so-called intelligent life force on this planet do not really understand. One of them is the vital importance of trees as a living organism.

    Thanks once again again for your comments JA.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It is pretty sad to think about how much nature has to give way for human life these days. I just read the other day that burning down of forests is a way of life for some jungle tribes in Indonesia...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hello Nikki,

    Thank you for your comments. Yes it is sad that we seem to have a complete and utter lack of respect for the natural world around us.

    Apart from the major problem of deforestation and global warming, I feel that we all need to urgently address the problem of overpopulation, migration and housebuilding on the greenbelt.

    ReplyDelete

SLIDE SHOW

HELLO AND WELCOME

To my Photo Blog,

All my monochrome photography is darkroom produced. This portfolio consists of photographs from several of my projects, assignments, personal and course related work. Some of these monochrome photographic prints are then selectively toned.

Take a look at the slide show, or the popular posts. Click onto some of the many excellent blogs that I have listed in my blog roll. I welcome constructive feedback (post a comment).

Click onto the links in some of my posts which will then take you to the relevant website link where you will be able to find out more about that location, charity or organisation etc featured in the post and which is relevant to that specific image.

Also please click onto my links. Join my blog and my Google + followers. If you would like to know more about any particular photograph or project then please send me an email. My email address is at the foot of this page.

Also from time to time I will post videos that are of interest to me, mainly from my military background.

Yours sincerely

Trevor David Betts BA (Hons)

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TECHNICAL INFORMATION

All the photographs featured on this blog spot were taken on Canon analog 35mm SLR cameras which included: Canon A1, Canon AE1 (non-programme) and Canon T90. The Canon A1 was rendered useless after prolonged exposure to salt spray residue, and the AE1 suffered a malfunction, and one of my T90s just packed up on me during a photographic shoot.

Most of my camera equipment was initially purchased brand new, then as the years have past I have purchased second-hand equipment. But the vast majority of equipment I currently possess is well over twenty years old.

Canon FD lenses used were: 28, and 35mm wide angle, 50mm standard, 35-105mm short telephoto zoom and a 70-210mm large telephoto zoom lenses. Also used was a loaned Mamiya 645 with 50 and 80mm lenses. My favourite combination is a T90 fitted with the 35-105mm lens with an Hoya orange filter. I use Hoya orange, red, neutral density, and skylight filters. Hoya and Canon lens hoods. A Canon remote cable. I have used a great Metz 45 CT-4 flashgun for many years. I used this for the bounced and fill-in flash for some of the documentary and portraiture work.

Studio flash used was Courtenay brolly flash (just two heads fitted with soft boxes) at Hull Community Artworks studio (sadly this excellent local arts facility closed in 2001). Billingham and Tamrac camera bags (the Billingham is a old model that I have had for years - wonderful bags). The Tamrac one is a medium sized back pack type bag. Slik Black Diamond 88, and 500 DX Pro tripods. A Cullmann touring set (which consists of a light tripod, ball and swivel head, all-purpose clamp, suction cap, and a ground spike). I presently have three Canon T90 and one A1 SLR cameras.

Film used was mainly 35mm (with some 120mm). Ilford Delta monochrome negative print film, 100 asa (a few rolls of 400 asa as well). Ilford HP5 and FP4 (400 and 125 asa respectively). Fuji Neopan 400 asa. Various Fuji colour film. Photographic chemicals: Ilford ID-11 and Microphen film developers. Agfa Rodinal fine grain film developer, and Ilford Hypam fixer.

Photographic paper: Ilford Multigrade IV VC paper, Fibre based VC paper including warm and cool tone. Kentmere Velvet Stipple and Art Document papers. Kodak selenium toner. Barclay and Fotospeed sepia toners, and Colorvir blue toner. Durst M60 and Meopta 5 enlargers fitted with 50 and 80mm Schneider lenses. Kenro negative sheets and Jessops negative folders.

Most of my photography involves the use of the camera being securely mounted onto the tripod, with the shutter set to the 10 second delay. I bracket my exposures (relying on the excellent Canon in-camera meter). My aperture settings are usually between F5.6 and F22. In the vast majority of cases the very first exposure I take is usually the correctly exposed one.

Finished photographic prints (spotted if needed). At the 10 x 8 inch size are then scanned on an Epsom 1660 photo perfection scanner using Adope Photoshop CS2 at the 5.5 x 3.5 inch image or canvas size, 150 dpi and at the 750 x 550 pixels size, and saved as for the web. The only thing that is manipulated is the brightness balance and contrast levels.

DON'T FORGET

"It is the soldier, not the minister, who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to fair protest.

It is the soldier, not the politician, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag."

From: "Fighting for Queen and Country,
by Nigel 'Spud' Ely. Blake Publishing London, 2007.
"