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This small gallery of images focuses on the human animal as I have come across them over the years. I once thought I was a loner, and indeed, have always spent a lot of time in my own company, but of late, I find that I am enjoying the sheer, inexhaustible variety of the beast that is Homo Sapiens. You only have to take the time to sit on a busy corner in a city to see the infinite variety that will surely pass by in a very short space of time to see that here lies many a photograph just waiting to to be recorded. Photography allows us to retain memories, provoke thought and move the emotions. No form of the art does so as much as photographing people as they go about their lives, because we can all identify with the subject whether they are rich or poor, strong or weak, beautiful or full of character. Please
browse though these photographs at your leisure and email
me with any comments or just plain chatter as you prefer. My main aim
in producing these pages is to establish contact with like-minded folk
from all around the world 
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My
daughter Heidi provided the moment here whilst on a picnic boat trip.
I quite like the departure from the cliché'd crystal blue water, that
is usually depicted in the "bathing beauty" shots, that the
tannin stained water here presents. The soft light of overcast skies
is nice, but a little fill-flash would have added a much needed lift
to the eyes.
Nikkormat FT2, 105mm Nikkor. |
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My
interest in folk music has offered me many opportunities to capture
the creative side of humanity doing what they love most. A time when
they are particularly photogenic. Here, the mother/daughter Morris Dancing
team of Becky and Toshi portray the inner glow of just such a feeling.
Nikon FM2, 55mm Micro-Nikkor, 1/125sec @ f8, Metz 45CT1 fill-flash |
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Charlie.
One of nature's gentlemen. On a SCUBA diving holiday on Fiji, he was
our dive guide and a gentle soul with a brilliant smile for anybody
that came along. I captured this slightly thoughtful pause in a lull
between dives.
Nikkormat FT2, Nikkor 105mm, 1/125th sec @ f8, Metz 45 CT1 fill-flash |
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Okay,
technically this shot has a lot wrong with it. Contrast is way too high,
exposure was wrong, not too sharp, etc., etc. It was a small part of
a 35mm transparency copied up to fill the frame. Why bother?
When you see the photo, grab it first, then adjust the camera/viewpoint, etc. If you can improve on it, great. If, however, as was the case here, the subjects move on, at least you have the image. My son Tony approached this buck Red Kangaroo with the innocence of an infant and the fascination was mutual for all of about three seconds and then the 'roo lost interest and lay down. If I had tried to adjust, I would have lost it! Praktica Nova SLR, 135mm lens. Copied onto Ektachrome via Nikkormat FT2/Nikon PB6 bellows/Slide Copier |
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Julie,
caught here quietly practising her guitar in the late afternoon sunshine
at an informal folk musicians gathering was a subject worth photographing
as the last rays of sun filtered through her hair. Backlighting is often
a very effective method to make the subject lift away from the background.
Selective use of a wide aperture also helps to minimise distractions
from the background.
Zeiss Contax IIa rangefinder w/50 f1.5 Sonnar lens, 1/50 @ f5.6, Metz 45CT1 fill-flash. |
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This
Papua New Guinea native dancer makes for a very interesting portrait.
The use of a medium telephoto lens allow the photographer to crop out
a lot of extraneous clutter around this strong subject. Keep the shutter
speeds high though to combat camera shake and freeze subject movement
if needed.
Nikon FM2, Nikkor 200mm lens |
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The
Taiko Drummers of Japan are a remarkably dynamic group of highly disciplined
performers who display impressive skills during their shows. Here, the
young boy at left takes his drumming very seriously with impeccable
results.
Nikon FM2, 200mm lens, 1/250sec @ f11. |
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The
Paranormal Music Society. A madcap trio of master musicians in their
own right who, when they occasionally gather together, provide fine
music along with a very firmly adjusted tongue in cheek attitude to
comedy. This shot was taken just by stage lighting and captures some
of the character of the group, plus the unreal colouring of the tungsten
lighting adds mood. Stage lighting can be used to great advantage sometimes
if approached carefully.
Nikon FM2, Nikkor 200mm lens, 400ISO Fuji film. |
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What
the well dressed photographer is wearing this year!
When I gave Lisa a new pair of bright yellow overalls to paint a black waistcoat & pink carnation onto, she got a little carried away once she got started. This is the result! We strutted through a very busy market arm in arm that day to the sounds of more than a few exclamations.  Wave if you see me!
The final message.... Don't take yourself too seriously.Nikkormat FT2, Micro-Nikkor 55mm lens, 1/125sec @ f8 |
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All photographs copyright Colin Sheehan 2000