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Charlie Waite Urban Landscapes
On the right track
We take one of Britain's favourite landscape photographers away from his comfort zone and challenge him to shoot in an alien environment. Charlie Waite heads for London's St Pancras International railway station in search of the perfect composition. Bob Aylott reports
INI the middle of London's newly renovated St Pancras International railway station, t03 landscape photographer Charlie Waite Is lying flat on the floor, staring up at the roof. 'It's 689 feet long, 100 feet high and spans 240 feet,1 he says, beaming. 'Thank the sweet Lord that Sir John Betjeman and others contributed to savirg this station It would have been a tragedy if it had been pulled down.'
Following this reflection, he quickly gets down to the business at hand. Much like our vlsi: to Mud chute in London last year (see AP15 November 2008), Charlie Is stepping out of the world of landscapes and Into this Impressive feat of modern architecture. The plan is to capture the station in all its glory with a composition that shows off the bu Idlng's innovation, yet also pays homage to the rich heritage of railway station photography.
'The first thing that attracts the photographic eye Is the overwhelm ngly wonderful roof. Because It is an arc, it offers a sense of security that photographers love; says Charlie. 'Also, the cornflower blue of the girders, which is apparendy the nation's favourite colour, goes well with the terracotta brickwork. The way the architects have merged the old with the modern Is a masterpiece of restoration.1
Eventually he rises from the floor. Then he throws an unexpected spanner into the works and reveals that today he will shoot using only a dlgtal camera, a Canon EOS 5D to be precise, with 16-35Tim and 28-300mm lenses, rather than his traditional medium-format model. 'I like the idea cf using digital, as if this is a professional assignment,' he explains. 'By shooting architecture on a digital camera, I'll feel like I am using a computer to make a picture and will be well and truly out of my comfort zone'
Charlie heads straight to the station's larger-than-life bronze statue of Sir John Betjemar, who In the 1960s had been the driving force behlnc efforts to save St Pancras from development 'It's so magnificent that it's a must for any photographer coming here,' lie says. Then he slowly walks around the statue, viewing it from every angle. Finally, he announces, 'Photographically speaking, I don't feel that Sir John Is in :he right position. It wou d be nice to be able to photograph him and include more of the beautiful roof In the same frame. I would have liked to have used a part of him and then use the roof as the main area of the picture, but that Is not possible.'
He looks concerned, and then once again he beg in s to wriggle around on the
Shooting at the station
Staff at St Pancras International welcome photographers. You don't need permission to photograph at the station unless you work with a tripod. So why not leave the three legs at home, turn up the ISO, handhold, take a smaN beanbag for extra stability and have a great da/. Check the website at www. slpancras.com before leaving home, and if you're in cny doubt on the day, check with the station manager. Respect the station and the passengers at ail times, and you'll return home with some fantastic pictures.
stauon floor, this time studying Sir John from a worms-eye view. 'I am worried about shooting from behind,' Charlie says, trying to find the perfect vantage point (see image left). 'First, it is ¿n issue of enormous contrasts. The bronze reflective surface Is difficult to reconcile with the roof. There isn't enough light on his back and I can't stand Hash. I have always had an absolute revulsion for flash.'
He ponder; as he slithers around Sir John's feet, gently touching the flowing bonze coat. Would he consder using the HDR technique and blending several exposures to get a fuller range of tones, I ask? 'I know about HDR, but I've never seen a good example of it in my life,' he explains. 'I always think the rauos are wrong. A shadow should be a shadow In the real sense. Unless you can lift a shadow brilliantly, it never looks right.'
While he recognises that HDR is one of the most popular digital techniques of the day, he says, I don't like the idea of mergng something with something else. I want to enjoy the challenge of getting it right in-camera as 1 would If I was snooting film. The pleasure of pnotography is greater if you get it right on the day, rather than going back at night and working on the computer'
Charlie says that although the statue is beautiful and an Important part of the station, It is difficult to photograph successfully If you want to Include the station as a backdrop. Incorporating Sir John and the station in one composition would be the perfect picture; the statue on Its own is just a record of someone else's artistry,1 he says. 'If I photograph any part, or even a small detail of It, then I can't take the credit. It is the sculptor Martin Jennings who should take the praise
'it's also Important to Include a recognisable view of the station In my composition because there's
Charlie used a wideangie lens for this picture. Like the station itself, the picture has both a modern and classic style, and is immediately associated with trains. 'This one frame has all the ingredients/ he says. There's early morning mist, fumes from the trains and stunning shadows on the platform that are reminiscent of railway sleepers, which I was looking to accentuate in my composition. It's a tenuous link, hut it gives the image a bit of a Grand Central Station feel in New York. This shot gave me the chance to combine transport with the root. The Eurostar train looks kind of sinister behind its protective glass. There is a little haze in the background, a suggestion of Gothic architecture and the clock In the distance, which I like. The commuter running with his bag portrays urgency. The combination of all ttie parts of this picture brings romance to the final image. It's not the sort of picture I usually take because I didn't have enough control over the situation. Yet the man running towards me was a surprise, which 1 received as a gift from above.'
Charlie Waite Urban Landscapes
for more information abcul Charlie Waite visit www.lightandland.co.uk
something wonderfully romantic and photographic about all railway stations. I would recommend any photographer to go to their local station. Roofs are important subjects and make perfect compositional elements for images of these places. At St Pancras, even though it is a splendid roof, it is too obvious just to photograph the whole roof on its own. I need to incorporate something else into my roof picture. That is why I want to include the brim of Sir John's hat in my frame.
'1 would advise photographers who want to photograph their local railway stations to arrive early, just as you would for a landscape, and look for shadows caused by side lighting pouring through the roof. If possible, stay late and try to catch the crossover light.1
Finally, Charlie spots an angle that appeals and moves close to the statue's face. He studies the light falling on the nose, eyes, mouth and cheekbones. However, again he looks concerned. After a few minLtes of contempation he cracks a nervous smile. There is a relationship between the brim of his [Sir John's] hat and :he arc of the station. The lines are similar. It's a tenuous link, but one I would like to explore,' says Charlie, rummaging around in his camera bac Charlie's challenge is to establish a relationship with the curve in the bnm of the statue's hat and the arc above the clock, which he hopes will link the foreground to the background of his f-ame (see image page 25). However, he complains that unfortunately these are not in perfect alignment. They are at odds with each other,' he says. 'I think there is just enough light falling on parts of the face to ma<e the picture work, but it's still a question of the arcs. Is there enough evidence of the elements interlocking, such as the rim of his hat and the semi-circular nature of his chin relating to the clock7 Is there enough roundness to bring it all together?'
Charlie asks himself these questions as he carefully orepares his composition. Satisfied, he presses the shutter. AP
Digital imaging vs film
Charlie admits that working with such a small camera feels strange. 'I am conditioned to the preparation that happens when shooting film on a medium-format camera,' he says. 'The length of time that it takes to get set up is, for me, an important part of the process that makes me work slower. It is that which allows thought to come into my work. The knowledge that this can be done so quickly by using a digital camera doesn't make me feel more confident. There is a tendency with digital to shoot too many pictures and for people to think that digital makes them a better photographer. But sadly, it's not so.' Charlie says that using colour negative film would have given him more latitude. However, his favourite colour transparency stock, Fujichrome Velvia, would have been far too contrasty for these difficult conditions, he says.
for more information abcul Charlie Waite visit www.lightandland.co.uk
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