Best of Bolton
Now and again, I come across a photograph I particularly like, something I think is worth pulling out of the mainstream of posts and setting aside to keep it more accessible.
Updated on
From 2018, 18 January
A Rainy Day in Bolton - who knew?
The rain is so heavy that it can be seen in the bright light. The pavement is so wet it is like a mirror, and everybody, apart from one, is already sheltering. The scene is framed by shops on one side and lamp posts on the other. These are the elements that I think work, but there are a couple of issues with the composition. The post in the foreground acts as a "barrier" to the eyes of the viewer, and two of the edges are untidy. A figure walking into the frame is cropped, and tree branches on the right intrude from an out-of-shot tree.
I am sure "removing the tree branches" wouldn't be difficult, but it isn't my way of doing things, and anyway, it would leave the cropped figure on the left.
The post in the foreground is the serious problem, but getting close enough to "compose it out" would have involved standing in the rain, so my choice was to take the shot or not.
From 2016, 23rd August
The figure in the image appears to be the epitome of an "old man". Wearing a suit with formal shoes, walking with a slight stoop, silver-haired with a bald patch and he seems to carry "the weight of the world" on his shoulders. Despite all this, he retains his dignity.
The cobbled back street runs off into the distance with brick buildings on the right providing a frame and some interest. The dustbins, stone walls, and parked cars provide interest as the street disappears off into the image. The telephone pole and its wires complete the image's frame, while the light, wispy clouds provide some interest without distracting from the main elements.
This is one of the very few of my photos where I struggle to see how I could have improved it. Perhaps the figure could have been a little further to the right and framed by the wall of the second building. I'm not trying to suggest it couldn't be improved, only that I am unable to see possible significant improvements.
From 2023, 1st October
I like that the image contains a number of distinctive features that are well known in Bolton town centre. Newport Street Arch, the now redundant Holy Trinity Church Tower, Trinity Street Clock Tower (just in front of the church), and, of course, taken on a rainy day that many would also consider characteristic, if not distinctive. These elements place the image firmly in Bolton town centre.
The arch, although clipped at the top and in the reflection, still provides a frame for the main figure, his reflection, and the other main elements in the image. The cloudy sky is almost burned out and so doesn't provide any distraction, which I am happy with, and this was a choice during processing.
The image may be too busy with other points of interest - other pedestrians, the sign on the right, and the other buildings in the background. I am not sure if they are far enough away from the central figure to not matter - I tell myself the most important thing is that the main figure is isolated and doesn't overlap any other figures in the frame. I hope this is the case.
Finally, I like the reflection starting on the pavement, extending across the puddle, and just reaching the pavement at the bottom of the frame.
From 2017, 21st December
From 2017, 20th July.
