November 2005 Winner - Industry

[JohnG]

I took this picture of nearby Clipstone Colliery early the other Sunday morning and deliberately shot straight into the sun to try and get this kind of effect which I enhanced (hopfully!!) with sepia. This is supposed to represent industry from a bygone age as this colliery has been closed for years like most of them around here. These headstocks are some of the largest ever built and will sadly be demolished shortly.

[stevegreen]

It's a good idea John, I don't think I'd be brave enough to shoot into the sun but you have done a good job. As you said in the other thread, you could have done with been a bit closer to the subject though.

[Zone]

Agree its a good idea, but I too would have liked to have seen the "headstocks" filling more of the shot, the sepia is a nice touch though

[JohnG]

I decided to leave this photo as it as because I really wanted fields in the foreground because it means something to me - let me explain.
Up until the last few years, thousands of Mansfield men were employed by the mines and worked underground. Now there are only a couple of pit left out and all the rest have closed meaning that the thousands of men who worked underground now have to be found jobs above ground. So in my view, coal was not the dirty old fashioned thing that it's always seen as, because for a very small surface area of buildings you could employ thousands of men and still maintain open fields around the area. Now most of the fields around the old pit sites and between the mining villages that are dotted around Mansfield are being tarmaced over so they can build huge warehouses and indutrial units. I bet it won't be too long before the field in the picture is no more.
I know that these reasons for the photo are very personal to me, but that's what makes photography so great... one photo can hold so many memories, thoughts, passions, feelings etc

[Zone]

Nice sentiments John, I'm Barnsley born and bred so I know where you're coming from.

[Miniholic]

Nice shot John, love the colours and the way the hedgerow frames the shot. I did think about doing something similar with a part demolished power station near me, but didn't get chance.

You could have moved the hedge closer to the winding gear though.

[Decadence]

This is my favourite, I like every photo but this is the only one, for me, which has personality. Although I am impressed everytime with the macro shots it is great to actually look up once in a while and take in the view and there are some awesome views....

Unfortunately I didn't get he chance to take a photo this month but it would have looked similar to the Immingham pic, using Saltend as the subject...