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Venturing Through the Snow

Two lines of thinking converged to give rise to this panel.

Firstly, I love the transformative effect of fresh snowfall. Snow on roads briefly produces something beautiful from the otherwise mundane. Over several winters I found that occasional vehicles on these roads provided a good focal point for photographs, and a little colour, whilst the leading lines of tracks in the snow gave depth.

Secondly, I wished to create a painterly feel in the images. I was inspired by a magazine article featuring heavy grain applied to an image. I loved the effect and wished to try it in my own work. I realised that a minimalist composition was required and that my images of traffic in snow might be suitable. The heavy grain, happily, not only gave the look that I enjoyed, but also enhanced the impression of falling snow, and masked the text on number plates and commercial vehicles.  A high key treatment completed the effect. I thought that this project could give rise to a panel with which I felt a close connection.

My first submission was unsuccessful due to lack of variety. I updated the panel and submitted it for Online Advice. Still more variety needed! I identified some further images to address the remaining concerns and happily the third iteration succeeded.

The project was all done in the UK, most of it very close to home.  

The grain, unfortunately, does not translate well to screen. The images are best as prints, my preferred medium.        

Martin Parratt ARPS