Leica M6; Fujifilm Superia 400 photographed at 800; Lab developed at 400

A quick search on the internet for ‘Elements of a photograph’ reveals that there is as little as three and as many as eleven elements in order to create a successful image.

As a teacher of Art I understand that there are essentially seven elements of art. Line, shape, form, space, texture, value and colour.

Of all the elements, colour is the one I use the least in my personal photography.

Initially I set out pursuing street photography as a means of initiating some creativity in my professional work. I photograph weddings and corporate portraits as the main sourced my photographic income and was feeling myself settle into a predictable routine.

Having read the book ‘The Photographer’s Playbook’, a book offering photographic assignments to boost creativity, I decided to try one of the challenges; that is, to create a photographer and photograph in their particular style. My character was to be a Russian immigrant living in Australia doing street photography using a Leica film camera. I felt that would be a multilayered challenge that would boost my image making, particularly as I felt street photography was what I considered to be the hardest photographic genre.

The challenge was as I felt, a success which boosted new ways of seeing in my professional digital world. The by-product was that I also became enamoured by the genre and the use of film.

That was three years ago.

Black and white remains at the heart of what I do as a way to separate it from my professional work. Colour simply makes me feel as though I’m at work.

Regardless, I do on occasion photograph in colour for the authentic colour film experience, and at times, I’ve been lucky to have captured images that I feel has a small degree of success.

Judging by the images presented in this blog, that’s one a year.