Discover Top Posts Tagged with #patrice warrener

4,126 Likes, 43 Comments - Financial Times (@financialtimes) on Instagram: “FT Photo Diary 📸: 'The Light of the Spirit Chapter 2' by Patrice Warrener at Westminster Abbey,…”

#colour #financial times #westminster #design #patrice warrener

Flinders Street Station: Beyond the Decisive Moment

At Metro Trains this week, while signing in for a recce, I found myself face to face with a photograph I created 14 years ago of Flinders Street Station when it was lit for the opening of The Melbourne International Arts Festival. This has always been a favourite image of mine and was an early example of what’s become my ongoing fascination for creating images that tell a bigger story. These images go well beyond just one moment bringing the whole experience of what I’ve seen into one frame, creating a cinematic effect. In this case creating a finale of the whole night.

Photograph © David B Simmonds | Light Projection "Chromolithe" by Patrice Warrener | Opening Melbourne International Arts Festival 1998 | BUY PRINT

I was shooting film in those days (Fuji Velvia and Provia being my films of choice), and was all set to capture the opening night spectacle. The crowd gathered, but the lights on the crowd were turned off when the projections started on the station facade, everything but the building disappeared into blackness. There were many stages to the light show and, luckily, in the finale all the projectors were on at once giving me my core image. But there was still more...a didjeridoo player sat up on the dome in a ring of fire, a bagpiper and others performed. Fireworks finished the evening but they burst off to the left over the river instead of over the dome!

No single frame of the images I took that night captured the total experience. So I set about re-creating the evening in a single image. Whilst this image contained only about 5-10 layers in post-production, the one I’m currently working on contains 45 layers and counting! Whilst this is a useful technique to use to deal with unexpected problems that can arise on location, the best results come from thoughtfulness and planning through all its stages, from conception through shooting and post-production. It takes a lot of time in post but I get a never-been-seen-before image that is dynamic and has real impact. I also get the enjoyment and satisfaction of a creative challenge brought to completion.

#Melbourne #Flinder's Street Station #Melbourne Festival #Patrice Warrener #David Simmonds Photographer #Light Projections