Fernandel Recommends / France, 2012 Pentax K20D; Sigma 17-70mm; 1/160sec; f/5.6; ISO 100 This guy is Fernandel. He was a native of Marseille and a much-loved comic actor. He seems to have had a liking for cafés because I saw this same signed portrait in several cafés around the city. All recommended by Fernandel. 
Razor Edge / Australia, 2010 Pentax K20D; Sigma 17-70mm; 1/100sec; f/13; ISO 100 Office block in Sydney reflecting the clouds 
Negative Facespace 1 / Malta, 2016 Pentax K3; Sigma 17-70mm; 1/160sec; f/7.1; ISO 400 Another image in the 'Negative Facespace' series. This one started out as a planter outside the front door of a house in a narrow street in Birgu. 
Dinosaurus Metallica / Germany, 2004 Praktica BC3; Prakticar 70-210mm; Ilford Delta 400 I can't remember where I captured this image except it was dusk and somewhere around Frankfurt. The structure in the foreground made me think of dinosaurs, the species Dinosaurus metallica, perhaps. 
Un Photographie Pour Un Dinar / Tunisia, 2012
Pentax K20D; Sigma 17-70mm; 1/125 sec; f/5.6; ISO 100 Une Photographie Pour Un Dinar
The title is exactly what this girl said to me in a street in the town of Sfax in Tunisia. So I took some photographs (as you can see, she was a natural in front of the lens) and I gave her a few dinars. But by doing so, I’m well aware that I (yet again) opened an ethical can of worms, at least in the eyes of some photographers. It's commonplace in many developing countries to be approached by children for a photograph in return for some loose change. Several decades ago, many children off the beaten track in North Africa would ask photographers for a stylo or bon-bon and they would actually be surprised and delighted if you gave them money. They would be touting for no more than small gifts, mere trinkets, and the look of joy on their faces when we all gave them some coins! Nowadays, however, dirham and dinar seem to be their sole currency.
Backsteet Steed / Tunisia, 2012 Pentax K20D; Sigma 10-20mm; 1/50 sec; f/6.3; ISO 100 A backstreet steed found in the medina in Sousse. 
Quality View / Australia, 2010 Pentax K20D; Sigma 17-70mm; 1/250 sec; f/8; ISO 100 Sydney Tower, from a less salubrious viewpoint than the tourist brochures depict. 
Balat & Fener 1 / Turkey, 2015
Pentax K20D; Sigma 17-70mm; 1/100 sec; f6.3; ISO 100 The Istanbul Suburbs Of Balat & Fener
Ask any street photographer what their favourite city is and invariably one rolls off their tongue automatically. For many, that city is Istanbul. Ask why and they'll usually tell you it's the enticing mix of east and west, Europe and Asia. Alas, not for me. I really don't see the appeal. I just don't get it. To me it's too much like southern Europe with a mosque on every corner. Far better to have one or the other, rather than some hybrid.
Negative Facespace 31 / Wales, 2019 Pentax K3; Sigma 17-70mm; 1/25 sec; f/7.1; ISO 100s A detachable plastic doll's face peers into our souls. From the 'Negative Facespace' series. 
Arabic Numerals / Tunisia, 2012 Pentax K20S; Sigma 17-70mm; 1/60 sec; f/5.6 ISO 200 A clock shop in Sfax. 
Washday / Hong Kong, 2010 Pentax K20D; Sigma 70-300mm; 1/250 sec; f/6.3; ISO 100 Washday captured in the village of Tai O, Lantau Island. 
Dodge / USA, 2005 Praktica BC3; Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50mm; Ilford XP2 400 A vintage Dodge pickup truck parked in the Fashion District area of downtown Los Angeles. 
Omani Mosque Detail 9 / Oman, 2017 Pentax K3; Pentax 55-300mm; 1/640 sec; f/10; ISO 100 Minaret of a mosque somewhere in Oman. 
Chic Street / France, 2012 Pentax K20D; Sigma 17-70mm; 1/60 sec; f/5.6; ISO 100 Found in a chic backstreet in Panier, the old town area of Marseille. 
The Dark Ages 3 / Wales, 2009 Pentax K20D; Sigma 10-20mm; 1/30 sec; f/5.6; ISO 100 Christian-inspired artwork in St Hilary's Church, St Hilary. 
Negative Facespace 22 / Wales, 2019 Pentax K3; Sigma 17-70mm; 1/125 sec; f/9; ISO 100 A doll with an all too human expression. More from the 'Negative Facespace' series of images. 
Sunset In Yellow & Black / Wales, 2004 Praktica BX20S; Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50mm; Fuji Superior 100 Sunset scene from the road between Llanuwchllyn and Dinas Mawddwy. 
Negative Facespace 33 / Wales, 2019 Pentax K3; Sigma 17-70mm; 1/50 sec; f/5.6; ISO 100 Elsa from 'Frozen' gets the 'Negative Facespace' treatment. Because much of popular culture passes me by, I had no idea what this doll was when I set up this image. My only thought was that she looked suitably eerie. My granddaughters enlightened me, but I still think she's eerie. 
Mirror Universe / Spain, 2009 Pentax K20D; Sigma 17-70mm; 1/125 sec; f/10; ISO 200 The bus station in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital city of the Canary Islands. I'm acrophobic (have a fear of heights). The floor in this new bus station was so highly polished I actually felt queasy walking across it because the reflection of everything above the ground was so clear and vivid. It felt like walking in a mirror universe. 
Sh...... / Germany, 2009 Pentax K20D; Sigma 17-70mm; 1/80 sec; f/4.5; ISO 100 Candid silhouette of a man in Munich. 
Street Zorro / USA, 2005 Praktica BC3; Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 135mm; Ilford Delta 400 I encountered this Street Zorro walking toward me in Hollywood, Los Angeles. He was on his way to work, posing for tourists for a few bucks. I was his first customer for the day and he kindly waited while I changed my lens. 
Upwards To Buddha / Hong Kong, 2010 Pentax K20D; Sigma 70-300mm; 1/320 sec; f/10; ISO 100 Walking upward to the Tian Tan Buddha at Po Lin Monastery, Lantau Island. 
Dungeness 2 / England, 2011 Pentax K20D; Sigma 17-70mm; 1/125 sec; f/8; ISO 100 An abandoned fishing boat at Dungeness. More of my images from this place can be found here 
Torre Calatrava / Spain, 2008 Praktica BC3; Prakticar 70-210mm; Fuji Superior 100 The Calatrava communications tower at Monjuic, Barcelona. Taken while lying on my back to get a lens flare effect, with some post-processing embellishment. 
Eye Of Osiris / Malta, 2010 Pentax K20D; Sigma 17-70mm; 1/500 sec; f/6.3; ISO 100 The eye of Osiris (or Isis, or Horus, or Ra) is found throughout parts of the Mediterranean as a symbol of protection, health and luck. Many fishing boats in Malta have the eye. This is one of them. |
imago diem
It's Latin for 'image of the day'. OK, images don't quite appear every day, but they are randomly selected images from my eclectic archive, so surely they're worth a look? They're even accompanied by a few words..... Depicting whatever from wherever until whenever since November 2019. A sister site to my more static portfolio: telltaleimages.com
"Everywhere I look, and most of the time I look, I see photographs."
Bert Hardy (1913-1995) GenresGearAgfa Portrait 160
CZJ Pancolar 50mm CZJ Sonnar 135mm Fuji Superior 100 Ilford Delta 100 Ilford Delta 400 Ilford XP2 400 Pentax 18-55mm Pentax 55-300mm Pentax 80-320mm Pentax K200D Pentax K20D Pentax K3 Praktica BC1 Praktica BC3 Praktica BX20S Praktica Nova PL Prakticar 70-210mm Sigma 10-20mm Sigma 17-70mm Sigma 35-70mm Sigma 70-210mm Sigma 70-300mm PlacesAlgeria
Australia Croatia England France Germany Hong Kong Ireland Malta Morocco Nepal Netherlands Oman Portugal Romania Scotland Spain Tunisia Turkey United States Wales CopyrightAll photographic images and original written content are copyright © Gary Hill 1984-2020. All rights reserved. Not in public domain.
InspirationJim Mortram
To my mind, probably the finest documentary photographer working in the UK today. Except he doesn't do this for a living; all the people whose lives he chronicles are known to him personally. Strikingly honest photography. Bert Hardy British documentary and news photographer who had a gift for capturing the gritty streets and no-frill lives of people living in the poorest districts of post-war Britain. Ara Güler The respected Armenian-Turkish documentary and portrait photographer, who denied photography was an art form, travelled the world photographing celebrities. But his monochrome images depicting the working class people of mid-20th century Istanbul are the images that stand out for me. Jane Bown British newspaper photographer who photographed many ordinary folk, but mainly famous people, especially those associated with the arts. For many years she used only a simple camera, an Olympus OM1, a standard 50mm lens and available light. Toby Binder German professional photographer. It's not his commercial work that works for me but his street-honest personal photojournalism projects. 'Wee Muckers', his depictions of Belfast teenagers is downright saddening and inspiring. |
