Tranquility In The Vastness Of Space

When I spotted this woman doing Tai Chi alone on a deserted beach I knew it would make an interesting image. Initially I stood about 2 meters behind her and shot it as a silhouette with her figure taking up about a third of the frame. It wasn't until I got back to the car and looked back at her that I realised that I had been thinking of the image as if I were on a conmmisioned job for the printed media. In my opinion the image I've ended up with says a lot more about the human condition than a closeup. Most page designers on most newspapers and magazines would never consider using this image. There's just too much wasted space here and space in newspapers and magazines is at a premium.

The liberating aspect of the internet is that space is not an issue. Photographers and on-line publications are now able to display images in an almost unlimited number of ways. From scrolling pages to thumbnail links to full multi-media sideshows the still image is no longer restricted to a three column space on a news page. When I look at the work of other photographers I very rarely look at the printed media anymore. Google the name of any photographer you care to mention and his or her portfolio and recent stories are there for all to see. There's a lot of debate at the moment as to whether the printed media is dying or is merely in a transitional phase. As far as photography is concerned I believe that the best work is being published out there on the web. The problem now is how do we continue to make a living from it.


Yesterday French photographer Remi Ochlik and Sunday Times correspondent Marie Colvin were killed in the town of Homs in Syria whilst covering the bombardement of the town by Syrian government forces. Remi had just recently won a prestigious World Press Photo award for his work in Libya. His award winning images can be seen here.