Having sat through the rolling news breaking over the past few days the extreme wide-angle effect (who's taking bets on it being a Nikon 14-24?) the bizarreness of the images is, perhaps, surprisingly apt.
In pictures: Gordon Brown's last moments inside No 10
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Anorakus
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No, I think artificial lighting would have been the wrong approach.
Also using ultra wide angle lenses.. I can see the photographer wanted to capture as much action as possible in the small spaces available, but the distortion of faces just looks weird.
I would have gone in there with my 5D and a 50mm, and gone for some candid shots. Or followed Gord around and waited for that split-second show of emotion that would have told the whole story.
A.
Tight Fart
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I would never personally insult the look of someones wife but she has made herself a public figure so I think the comment's were justified.
had I had said what a stunner she was you wouldn't have edited my comment.
had I had said what a stunner she was you wouldn't have edited my comment.
Tight Fart
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As for the quality of the pics, I would have expected more from a fantastic opportunity.
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I for one enjoyed looking at these pictures (with no political bias whatsoever), and thats what photography is about isnt it, no matter how its achieved?
It gives a real insight not just into the developing situation, but to the inner workings and ambiance of what are the corridors of power that run the country. Imagine the world altering decisions made behind that tiny corner desk Gordon Brown clearly occupied in that office! Almost quirky! I like the wide angle used as well, it captures so much, a tighter lens would lend itself to more intimate images, but I dont think that was the overall intention as it does not portray any intimate moments, moreover moments involving many people.
It gives a real insight not just into the developing situation, but to the inner workings and ambiance of what are the corridors of power that run the country. Imagine the world altering decisions made behind that tiny corner desk Gordon Brown clearly occupied in that office! Almost quirky! I like the wide angle used as well, it captures so much, a tighter lens would lend itself to more intimate images, but I dont think that was the overall intention as it does not portray any intimate moments, moreover moments involving many people.
Having viewed the selection , I feel the photographer has done very well considering the weight of the situation.
The photographer became part of that situation too, I would imagine that the photographer would have realised very quicky how fortunate he was.
Melting into the background would have been his motto, and discression the order of the day and he has done an excellent job in obtaining some real life stills (look at the kids pictures on the wall behind Mr Brown when he takes the phone call, they have not been placed there at the last minute, but they were up until the last minute. Its obviously Mr Browns normal place of work inside the house) .
Everybody seems comfortable, They were obviously at ease with being photographed and this is part of the photographers skill also.
Whatever side of the political fence you are on, these make interesting viewing.
This and other little things make this set a rare insight into what was in any estimation an unusual day, instead of usual staged stuff.
The photographer became part of that situation too, I would imagine that the photographer would have realised very quicky how fortunate he was.
Melting into the background would have been his motto, and discression the order of the day and he has done an excellent job in obtaining some real life stills (look at the kids pictures on the wall behind Mr Brown when he takes the phone call, they have not been placed there at the last minute, but they were up until the last minute. Its obviously Mr Browns normal place of work inside the house) .
Everybody seems comfortable, They were obviously at ease with being photographed and this is part of the photographers skill also.
Whatever side of the political fence you are on, these make interesting viewing.
This and other little things make this set a rare insight into what was in any estimation an unusual day, instead of usual staged stuff.
Oli R C
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Thanks to Grum for posting a link to these shots. Alastair Campbell was on Radio 5 this afternoon talking about these very photos, and it was quite a compelling listen. 
The rest of this thread is very boring. :thumbsdown: (well you know which bits I mean)
The rest of this thread is very boring. :thumbsdown: (well you know which bits I mean)
Clonetrooper
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Really like those pictures, never seen them before thanks.
This one is a favorite. It says to me maybe he's just happy to get more time with his boys.
I liked that one too, I liked all the ones I've seen of him with his boys. He shielded them from the public so well I kinda forgot he had any kids. He kinda looks relieved in all the pictures I've seen when he's with them.
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Strange, though, because when I looked at those photographs (and they are good, artistic kind of, composed well etc) they kind of screamed 'publicity, staged photo-opp' which, of course, Blair was a bit of a master at. They don't really make me think heck, that's a guy with the weight of going to war on his shoulders....more that he's a pseudo Burtons model posing with a phone. They kind of lack the 'real life' feel that the ones of Brown have.
Personally, I'd rather see 'un-doctored' photographs of a moment in history than allow my cynicism to run amok with what I perceive as posed propaganda - who the heck stops half way down the stairs to read something unless they know there is a camera there with a tog and his own publicity team directing him?
The ones referred to in the OP are just the truth - and that isn't always interesting, exciting or composed as well as we would like, I guess.
desantnik
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Spot on!
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They do, composition is awful (it's all centered), the moment is often the wrong one i feel and relies on wide angle far too much when sometimes it requires a closer shot.
The only redeeming quality is that most of us will never set foot in that building and it is the only chance to see that interior and the only chance to see that moment in our lifetime.
Rovers_Andy
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Sorry but the people slating the shots because "they could do better" need to step back and think about it, theres a hell of a lot of difference between shooting a staged shoot and shooting in real time and too a deadline. It would be like me walking onto the pitch last night to tell Rob Earnshaw to take his shot again because i missed his 2nd goal IT AINT GONNA HAPPEN. One thing i've realised since i started shooting for an agency is the shots are about telling the story of what is happening. You simply dont have time to dictate what's happening
desantnik
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The old cliche.... "report the news, don't be the news"
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A bit like a wedding then?
I hate to compare it but look closely, in terms of photographic merit, they are bad !
Ian_Wilson
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Thanks for posting the link, heard about these when Alistair Campbell was being interviewed on radio today and wanted to see them.
It's good to see the shots in colour rather than B&W, which I imagine generally hides a lot of the photographic difficulties working in an environment like this.
It's good to see the shots in colour rather than B&W, which I imagine generally hides a lot of the photographic difficulties working in an environment like this.
purpleclouds
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Nothing at all like a wedding.
Weddings are broken down into 2 lots.. the staged shots, which are that. Then you have the candids. Candids are a lot easier than shooting the making of history live. A little girl smiles at a wedding, you miss it.. she smiles again 5 minutes later, you nail it.
Any 'action' such as walking out of the church down the aisle is relatively slow action compared to football/photographing that one moment GB gets to hug his child. Laughs during speeches, tears during vows are all incredibly simple to predict with experience. News isn't. If you think it is.. please do tell me who will win the FA Cup on Saturday, I've got £100 I'd like to put on the winner
I have, and do shoot weddings... and I do shoot news/sports. I know which I'd go for if I wanted a nice easy day
Rovers_Andy
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Nothing at all like a wedding.
Weddings are broken down into 2 lots.. the staged shots, which are that. Then you have the candids. Candids are a lot easier than shooting the making of history live. A little girl smiles at a wedding, you miss it.. she smiles again 5 minutes later, you nail it.
Any 'action' such as walking out of the church down the aisle is relatively slow action compared to football/photographing that one moment GB gets to hug his child. Laughs during speeches, tears during vows are all incredibly simple to predict with experience. News isn't. If you think it is.. please do tell me who will win the FA Cup on Saturday, I've got £100 I'd like to put on the winner
I have, and do shoot weddings... and I do shoot news/sports. I know which I'd go for if I wanted a nice easy day
I predict a team that play in blue will win
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Nothing at all like a wedding.
Weddings are broken down into 2 lots.. the staged shots, which are that. Then you have the candids. Candids are a lot easier than shooting the making of history live. A little girl smiles at a wedding, you miss it.. she smiles again 5 minutes later, you nail it.
Any 'action' such as walking out of the church down the aisle is relatively slow action compared to football/photographing that one moment GB gets to hug his child. Laughs during speeches, tears during vows are all incredibly simple to predict with experience. News isn't. If you think it is.. please do tell me who will win the FA Cup on Saturday, I've got £100 I'd like to put on the winner
I have, and do shoot weddings... and I do shoot news/sports. I know which I'd go for if I wanted a nice easy day
It doesn't take away the facts that these looks like bad snapshots.
purpleclouds
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It's all subjective. I like them, I can imagine the restrictions the photographer will have been under. It will have been one body one lens.. can you see him having a bag of lenses, flashes, filters etc sprawled out over a table somewhere? I can't.
As has been said, they are in the Guardian style, he is a Guardian photographer.. don't like it? Buy the Independent
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It's all subjective. I like them, I can imagine the restrictions the photographer will have been under. It will have been one body one lens.. can you see him having a bag of lenses, flashes, filters etc sprawled out over a table somewhere? I can't.
As has been said, they are in the Guardian style, he is a Guardian photographer.. don't like it? Buy the Independent
I don't buy any papers.
and one lens is not an excuse, they are still bad snapshots.
Rovers_Andy
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purpleclouds
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In your opinion
I recognise they are not meant to be works of art, they are a record of our history, and therefore go on that merit. If they were taken for a camera club competition where technical details matter, then yes.. they'd be 'bad'.
Just to go back to something you said yourself in your criticism of the images...
...which kinda does make one lens an excuse, don't you think? You say the moment was the wrong one.. but you have absolutely no idea what was happening, apart from in those single fractions of a second?
In your opinion
It is documentary photography intended ( I think) as news not contemplation. I think they are not dissimilar to the type of work of (say) Bill Brandt and suit their purpose perfectly.
jabbermack
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I think the shot's of the queen meeting david cameron at buckingham palace yesterday are far worse.
Taken with either a tacky point and shoot or camera phone.
Pathetic.
Taken with either a tacky point and shoot or camera phone.
Pathetic.
purpleclouds
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In your opinion
It is documentary photography intended ( I think) as news not contemplation. I think they are not dissimilar to the type of work of (say) Bill Brandt and suit their purpose perfectly.
Indeed, in my opinion
If the photographer had gone and 'wasted' (in my opinion) time messing around with some shallow depth of field or being arty then he would have missed moments happening. A news picture needs to convey as much detail and information as possible. A nice shot of GB looking sad/happy/mad/laughing, done on a 70-200 2.8 with a nice bokeh background does not do that... it does not offer any link to the event, and could have been shot at any time of his recent life (taking into account ageing etc). That's just an example of course, but demonstrates why wide angle shots are the more common shots used in this kind of scenario.
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Yes, in my opinion, and in your opinion, and in everyone here's opinion.
As for a single second, i am sure that phone call to Nick Clegg lasted more than that...for example.
purpleclouds
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Perhaps so, but that doesn't automatically mean that there was a better shot to be had.
There is a reason the photographer is in 10 Downing Street and not here bickering over a few pics on an internet forum
Rovers_Andy
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its hardly taking some snaps at a family christening :shake:
Its easy to crit images, but unless you've had to shoot live, on the fly, too a deadline i dont feel your comments carry any weight, of course its your opinion, and i have voiced mine
Rovers_Andy
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Ayup..the TP ego`s are gyrating...............
Welcome to the Party, what took you so long, the free bar has nearly finished
purpleclouds
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Ayup..the TP ego`s are gyrating...............
There is a fox thread over in the nature section awaiting your witty comments
purpleclouds
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its hardly taking some snaps at a family christening :shake:
Its easy to crit images, but unless you've had to shoot live, on the fly, too a deadline i dont feel your comments carry any weight, of course its your opinion, and i have voiced mine
I'll raise one to that!
Rovers_Andy
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Whilst i'd love to have been there in downing street i had to settle for a Championship Playoff Semi Final along with Phil
Well you like to offer your unfriendly criticism of other people's pics, do you ever post any of your own?
purpleclouds
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It's ok to have an opinion.. I've many opinions on football, but I don't expect to be on the Match of the Day couch alongside the two Alans and the big eared one
Airing an opinion is one thing, stating you could do better is another thing entirely.
Whilst i'd love to have been there in downing street i had to settle for a Championship Playoff Semi Final along with Phil
Yea, tough break for us eh!
Rovers_Andy
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hmmmm, so your comparing the person behind the camera to the person in front of the camera hardly a valid comparison