City of London

Nicholas Brewer

An information service has been provided in St Paul’s Churchyard since 1956. The circular kiosk provided for the Festival of Britain had seen service for over 50 years. Although it enjoyed an extremely advantageous location and possessed a distinguished heritage, this structure was badly in need of refurbishment and was no longer capable of supporting the technology required to offer a state-of-the-art information service to the millions of tourists, residents and workers who pass through the area each year.

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Abstract

Nicholas Brewer

Taken last year as an interest in architecture started to reveal itself. The great thing about having an  interest in the built environment and living in London is there are always new buildings to photograph.  Photography of any description reveals much about the photographer. The taste that I have architecturally leans towards the modernist aesthetic. Straight lines, uniformity and repetition stimulate a sense of ease and comfort within me. While this is not especially modernist it does have the other qualities that I enjoy.

Discovery

Nicholas Brewer

From 2010 I spent over two years photographing abandoned buildings. It was part adventure and part companionship. Photography is often an isolated craft but during this period I went with a group of explorers and photographers and it was fun.There was often a strong smell as you entered the musty building from the fresh air with my heart racing and a heightened sense awareness the adventure began.

Instagram

Nicholas Brewer

The photographic equivalent to Facebook has over 400 million active monthly users which seems like a huge number. The current use of photographic images has never been more prolific making digital photography a truly universal medium.

Vertical

Nicholas Brewer

Following in the theme of previous posts and the use of straight lines in photography I wanted to share this image with you. Taken with a Nikon D200 on a tripod this image shows London’s National Theater in the background. It was the sketch like quality of the image that attracted me and I visualized it in monochrome.  I have used the Tilt-shift blur in post-production to add increased depth and space. This type of cubist aesthetic is a quality that I loved from childhood days looking at sketches and art work. Repetition is a universally appealing visual quality for a myriad of reasons. It is easy on the eye, adds perspective and on a physiological level, repetition makes up a big part of everyday life.

Geometry (part 2)

Nicholas Brewer

An image from a shoot last year in Japan and fits neatly into to the theme of geometry. You can see there is some brick work about half way across and a third of the way down. I have considered retouching it but on balance decided  that it should stay. I try and keep the pictures as natural as possible especially for the personal work. An interesting photograph often has an element of mystery about it and unless it seriously detracts from the picture I try to keep it as truthful as possible.

Geometry

Nick Brewer

A picture from last year that I have reworked. The soft natural light and graphic shapes are soothing to the eye. It would have been good to move the towel up or retouch it. The tiles have their own rhythm and story.

Is this illegal?

Unknown

What a charming property! Lush green lawns and blue sky I can imagine the delight of the photographer when he or she arrived but not a perspective buyer….

This still is taken from Google Street View (it explains the join two thirds of the way in) yes a big difference. The agent selling the property claims that they did not take the image and it was supplied by the owner but this is hardly the point. Even if you are to put the ethics of this aside the disappointment factor alone would create mistrust and frustration. The agent Ray White states that there is no Photoshop in this picture just a clever angle and shot on a wide lens. I refer you to my earlier point.

The Australian laws are unique as they are in most sovereign countries but managing your clients expectations is a universal rule of sales and this is a stupid and dishonest thing to do.

Ray White faces a $22,000 fine from the NSW Office of Fair Trading if the image is found to be false, misleading, or deceptive advertising.

Do you think this is deceptive advertising?  Leave me a comment so I know what you think.

Read the full article from Petapixel

Photographing Hotels

Biggin Hall is a 17th century country hotel in the heart of the Peak District in Derbyshire England. As you may expect open fires and the smell of fine food are just two of the experiences that greet you. It is a charming hotel furnished with antiques and many original features. This was my experience of Biggin Hall and I wanted to capture that in the external picture. Taken at dusk to make the most of the warm atmospheric lighting from inside the hotel and lit with a small amount of flash to provide a slightly cinematic quality to the picture. Of course nothing in photography is straight forward and I could only get one of the lights either side of the path to work. With patience and a helpful member of staff I managed to resolve the problem. The intention was to bring depth and warmth to the front of the hotel and I feel that I have achieved this.

Monochrome Awards 2015

Southbank Centre London/Nick Brewer

Always with a sense of hope and optimism do I press the send button for an entry to a competition. This year I was fortunate enough to receive to an  ‘Honorable Mention’ for two images both from the Brutalist project.  This is a novel experience for me and the boost to my morale and productivity seriously out weigh the ‘disappointment factor’ of never hearing from them again. I teach photography part-time and one thing that I consistently tell my students  is that hard work and determination are more important than natural ability. It is true not just in photography but a general lesson in life.