Shadow & Light is a list of curated photography stories, features, techniques, news and inspiration that I’ve come across this month.
This month we dive into some classic contact sheets and gaze at the wonder of the Northern Lights. We look at the stunning winner of the Earth Photo 2020 award and shoot an 8 year long exposure with a beer can.
So, with no further ado, I give you this month’s Shadow & Light Monthly. Go grab yourself a cuppa and enjoy this month’s selections below. Please let me know in the comments what you think.
Pick of the month – Thousands of rare and unseen celebrity shoot contact sheets now online
One of my favourite books is my copy of Magnum Contact Sheets. Not only is it packed full of incredible images, it also shows you the original contact sheets (along with the photographer’s notes and marks). Being able to see the moments immediately before and after a shot can really help you to understand how the photographer adapted to the scene as it unfolded. After all, every image is just a single frame from a bigger picture.
With that in mind this story really caught my attention this month. Iconic Licensing has acquired thousands of previously unseen contact sheets from some of the most celebrated photographers of modern times, including Terry O’Neill, Norman Parkinson, and Ted Williams.
To dig into this incredible archive, head on over to the Iconic Licensing site.
Additional reads
The 2020 Northern Lights Photographer of the Year
Seeing (and photographing!) the Northern Lights has been the runaway number 1 at the top of my bucket list for as many years as I can remember. I gaze at stunning images that capture this incredible sight with a mix of awe and straight up jealousy.
The winners of the 2020 Northern Lights Photographer of the Year award are every bit as incredible as you might expect. One day…
Check out the incredible images at Capture the Atlas.
Coffee shop conquered by nature scoops Earth Photo 2020 award
Sticking with photography awards and nature comes this stunning series of photos featuring nature reclaiming a building abandoned by civilisation has scooped the top honors at Earth Photo 2020.
The image above really caught my attention. It’s an incredible scene that could have easily been lifted straight from an apocalyptic Hollywood blockbuster.
You can check out more images from this incredible series on the Royal Geographical Society site.
Shot with a beer can, this is probably the longest exposure photo ever captured
Finally the story of University of Hertfordshire student Regina Valkenborgh. She created a pinhole camera out of a beer can towards the end of her MA Fine Art degree in 2012 and promptly forgot about it.
By the time it was discovered it had been shooting a continuous exposure for over 8 years. It’s likely the longest exposure ever captured.
Read more about this story over on PetaPixel.
Until next time…
I hope you enjoy the articles above. Don’t forget you can follow my Shadow & Light magazine over on Flipboard if you’d like to see more of what I’m reading if you like what you’ve seen here.
Stay safe x
Shadow & Light Magazine
Shadow & Light is a list of curated photography stories, features, techniques, news and inspiration that I maintain on Flipboard. It’s a great way to create myself a ‘read later’ list. Feel free to follow the magazine for updates or keep an eye on my blog where I regularly post Shadow & Light monthly highlights.
