5 A Day - Shadows Tate Modern

I couple of years ago I found myself at the Tate Modern in London. It was my first visit and I was there with my family. The museum is a wonderful space.  We were on our way out, but first the bathroom break as well as a stint in the gift shop kept everyone occupied. I was left alone in this grand lobby.  I sat and watched the people entering and exiting from the building as I waited. It was hypnotizing. I began to notice the shadows they cast and what they were doing. Then it struck me to start shooting. I had to capture some of these images.  I was more interested in the shapes rather than the actual people. In doing so I was able to let my imagination run wild as I made up stories for some while I was shooting. like playing with shadow puppets. Some people looked as if they were caught in a tractor beam, while others looked as if they were in a walking race. The shadows they cast added to the fantasy changing the shapes of their bodies or bringing me back to the story of Peter Pan. I'm not one to shoot many silhouettes, but in this case I couldn't help myself. It was one of those instances that was calling to me, it made perfect sense as I could not see it any other way.

All images are for sale. They are printed to archival standards using 100% rag papers and archival pigment inks. Images are limited to editions of 25 for 13 x 19 and 15 for 17 x 22.

You can see more of my work on my website - www.ricomandel.com
Click on images to enlarge.

	The Light Will Guide You 13 x 19 $250.00 17 x 22 $400.00
	Semaphore 13 x 19 $250.00 17 x 22 $400.00
	On-Looker 13 x 19 $250.00 17 x 22 $400.00
	Chess Pieces 13 x 19 $250.00 17 x 22 $400.00
	Waiting 13 x 19 $250.00 17 x 22 $400.00

5 A Day #3 - Doors

There is something about a door that evokes a curiosity in me. The natural inclination is the curiosity of what is behind it. The temptation to open it as if you will be transported into another world. On the other hand it also gives me a sense of history as to who has come before me. What has this door seen over the years? Who has passed through it? What did it look like new? On the other hand it can be a symbol of being shut out, that of protection from hordes in the street and so on...

I have been photographing doors and parts of doors for years. This selection is European. They were photographed in Italy and Austria. I get captivated by the textures and colors, the way the light crosses them and the mystique that surrounds them.

What are some of your impressions of doors... I'd love to know.

All images are for sale. They are printed to archival standards using 100% rag papers and archival pigment inks. Images are limited to editions of 25 for 13 x 19 and 15 for 17 x 22.

	Behind the Green Door 13 x 19 $250.00 17 x 22 $400.00
	Lighted Filigree 13 x 19 $250.00 17 x 22 $400.00
	Rosso e Arancione 13 x 19 $250.00 17 x 22 $400.00
	Worn Layers 13 x 19 $250.00 17 x 22 $400.00
	Medieval Entry 13 x 19 $250.00 17 x 22 $400.00

Different Perspectives

When I go shooting it is not unusual for me to pick a subject and begin to work it. What I mean by that is to find different perspectives of the same subject working my way around seeing the subject in a variety of angles or perhaps lighting conditions, the details etc... I'm cruising down the highway or a back road and come accross something that catches my eye. Of course if I did this all the time the I'd never get anywhere let alone back to my computer to process the images etc... so there are occasions where I stop to smell the roses, or in this case pastures, and take some photographs.It was a rainy day in northern California and I was on my way to do some photography in the town of Occidental when I came across this building. What caught my eye were the subtle colors, geometry and stillness of the scene. It looked like an old service station or automotive garage. My first instinct was to photograph the over all building, keeping the lines straight as possible, not to distort the geometry of the scene. I am always thinking back in time when I come across a subject like this to both the day it was built and the uses it had during its heyday. My next observation after completing the first image was the garage door, clock and light. I noticed the textures, cracks peeling paint and weathering of the building. I wanted to get in closer to show more detail. The next image was a geometric detail shot of the face of the building. I composed the image keeping my favorite elements in the shot.
Next I walked up to the building for closer observation and was attracted to the cracked peeling paint and particularly the clock, stopped in time, with it's rusty perimeter, spider webs and a multi colored patina that has taken years to come to perfection. From one angle I wanted to capture the clock and the shape of the light. From another I was attracted to the extreme weathering around the clock and decided to capture that as well.
This is what I call working your subject. It's a matter of looking at your subject from different perspectives and angles examining the details, textures light colors and shapes. Thinking to yourself, how does the light fall when I'm up close or behind? How does the scene change when I view it from above or below, near of far?


It's about playing to see what happens and what the subject reveals to you. Sometimes you get multiple images from the same subject and other times you don't even get one but if you don't play then you'll never get any.