Camberley Noir

 Back at that level crossing again. And not such a unique feature as I thought (once again, I find I know nothing at all) as it's been pointed out to me that there are quite a few around locally. Never underestimate train buffs. Anyway, back to the shot... bad weather again, so of course I had to go out with the camera, and the usual haunts. One track mind. Or two tracks in this case. Getting on a train, plane or automobile is attractive to me. And many songsmiths of course. Where, and more importantly, to whom will the journey lead? A great song I'm reminded of is Early Morning Rain. Ah, itchy feet...

Theatre & High Cross Church

To get this shot would be quite simple you'd think. But Murphy's law dictates all endeavours it seems. So it was that on the night I chose, the council decides to dig the road up and put traffic lights and other obstacles strew around. Plus, two great big car/vans decide to park outside the theatres entrance obscuring it almost completely. Nothing I can do about that. But it still can work. So I choose the viewpoint, set up tripod and camera and wait, cable release in hand, for the light to fade enough for the shot to work as I want it. 

I now have only a few minutes left before the light fades to complete darkness as I wait for a car, just ONE car, to drive past and provide the trail lights I require. Nothing. But still, I'm entertained by humorous  remarks directed towards me from youths in cars blaring thumping rap music while waiting at the temporary traffic lights. Still nothing and its getting darker. Two cars come the wrong way around and are useless. Still nothing. I'm about to admit defeat when one car turns in and I hit the shutter. All things come to those that wait... 

And on a previous wet and miserable night...

Don McCullin

 "Photography for me is not looking, it's feeling. If you can't feel what you're looking at, then you're never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures." ~Don McCullin~

Don McCullin is a British photographer whose work as a photojournalist has had a profound impact on the field of war photography. And on me. I was starstruck by his exploits and his photography in the Vietnam War at the time, and I seriously contemplated, usually after one too many beers, to taking my one and only Nikon F camera and it's only lens on a plane out there to get into the action. Nonsense, of course. But in those days, it WAS just feasible. Who knows what would have happened to my life had I done so. One of those forks in the path of life. 

His images of conflict, famine, and poverty have been published in some of the world's most prestigious publications and have helped to shape public understanding of the horrors of war.

Born in London in 1935, McCullin began his career as a photographer in the late 1950s. He quickly gained a reputation for his gritty and uncompromising images of the working class, but it was his work as a war photographer that would make him a household name.

McCullin's first assignment as a war photographer came in 1964, when he was sent to cover the conflict in Cyprus. He would go on to cover many other conflicts over the next decade, including the Vietnam War, the Biafran War, and the Troubles in Northern Ireland. His images captured the horrors of war in a way that was both raw and powerful, and they helped to shape public understanding of the impact of conflict on civilians.

But McCullin's work as a war photographer took a toll on him, both physically and emotionally. He was shot and wounded on several occasions, and he witnessed countless atrocities and acts of violence. The trauma of his experiences led him to develop a deep sense of empathy for his subjects, and he has spoken openly about how war photography changed him as a person.

In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, McCullin said, "I am not the same person I was when I started. I have seen too much, and it has affected me profoundly." He went on to describe how his experiences had left him with a deep sense of empathy for those who have suffered as a result of war and conflict".

Despite the toll that his work has taken on him, McCullin continues to be an active photographer and advocate for human rights. His photographs are a testament to the power of photography to capture the human experience, and they continue to inspire and educate people around the world.

In recognition of his contributions to the field of photography, McCullin has received numerous awards and honours, including a CBE in 1993 and a knighthood in 2017. His legacy as a photographer and human rights advocate is significant, and his work serves as a reminder of the importance of bearing witness to the suffering of others.

But he has since found a kind of solace in landscape photography. He says: "There is guilt in every direction: I don't practise religion, guilt because I was able to walk away, while this man was dying of starvation or being murdered by another man with a gun. And I am tired of guilt, of saying to myself: "I didn't kill that man on the photograph, I didn't stave that child." That's why I want to photograph landscapes and flowers. I am sentencing myself to peace". 

And that's all anyone can do really. Find some form of peace where you can. 

Night Train

 

Camberley station is the only railway station (I know of at least) that has a level crossing at the end of its platforms. Nothing remarkable about that you say, but for a photographer, it means I can get good perspective shots looking like I was dangerously exposed standing down on the tracks. I have a few of these shots and I must post some more. This was taken on a damp misty night, and I love bad weather for photography. The station lights lit up the mist in a etherial way I can't resist. For once, here I shot in colour, but in another shot, somewhat different, I go back to my dark noir love. I'll put that up in a day or two. 

Park Street, Camberley.

 

A more normal view of the pedestrian shopping area, not a hint of Parisian atmosphere this time. Developments are increasingly fast paced, shops open and close depressingly quickly, so taking an ordinary picture of life at this particular moment in time, is always worthwhile thing. But I'm guilty of not doing that as much as I should. It's ordinary after all, who cares? Well, maybe in years to come, it might at least be a curiosity, and someone might care. And of course it gives me something to do. So, inspired by a brilliant blogger who keeps a close 'eye' on Camberley town, (The Camberley Eye)  I'm going to do just that, and take pictures of this ordinary town and post them up here.  Each day if I can. For the future viewer if nothing else. 

Paris or Camberley?

 

Park Street in Camberley stood in for Paris on one cold winter foggy night over Christmas. I'm a sucker for a good old fashioned noir style movie, Casablanca being one of my favourite movies, even though they made it quickly as "B' feature, it still beats the pants off modern movies for style and inteligent dialogue. Remember dialogue? These days that simply means mumbled incoherent nonsense. Back then you had to concentrate on what the actors actually said, because it was important to the narrative. Today CGI is the more important. So this shot is my nod to the genre.

I guess that's why I tend to like my images dark and with a little bit of a lost feeling about them. And of course, Paris has all that and more. The same can't be said about Camberley... 

The image above looks great on the wall. I have my images printed and framed professionally by Whitewall.com and if you want to own any of my images, I only charge you what they charge me. At cost in other words. I then add 30% for my beer money. Seems fair to me.  

Fleet Town, Friday Night

 

Friday night's are traditional 'let your hair' down nights. Unfortunately for me I have no hair left. The cafes, pubs and restaurants were packed with people determined to have a good time. Recession? What recession?