Reading mode: Light Dark

Imitating Ed Leys?

Go to last post
G

Greg VdB

Senior Member
Messages
4,665
Solutions
1
Reaction score
303
Location
Earth
Hello all,

I'm just back from a two week long vacation to Switzerland (as always with a vacation: way too short) and finished going through the pictures I took. I must say I was kinda pleased to see the results, as most of the shots are as I intended them to be. Of course I can't show all of them to you yet, although I'd love to (I think each of them deserves some time in the digital darkroom). But here is one preview, wich isn't representative for all the shots, but it is A preview. And one that is inspired by the way Ed Leys shoots his landscapes, as it is about light and structure. In this case: "Switzerland, light and structure".



You could say I'm imitating Ed Leys, but I like to think about it differently. It's almost a year now that i'm frequently visiting this forum, and I've learned a lot from the people over here. In this particular picture it is Ed Leys's influence that is clearly visible, but in other images it would be other people who influenced me more, or a mix of influences by many different people. I'm proud to say that there are many different sorts of images amongst my holiday pictures, all of them shot with the help of the knowledge I gathered during this last year. So in fact I'm not really imitating, I'm only using your help without you knowing about it ;-)

Well, I'll stop writing for now, but not without saying 'thank you' to all of you who keep this forum alive, meanwhile helping other people.

By the way, comments and litle chats are always welcome,
regards,
--
Greg Van den Bleeken
http://www.pbase.com/gbleek
gregvandenbleeken.instantlogic.com
 
Greg VdB said:
Hello all,
I'm just back from a two week long vacation to Switzerland (as
always with a vacation: way too short) and finished going through
the pictures I took. I must say I was kinda pleased to see the
results, as most of the shots are as I intended them to be. Of
course I can't show all of them to you yet, although I'd love to (I
think each of them deserves some time in the digital darkroom). But
here is one preview, wich isn't representative for all the shots,
but it is A preview. And one that is inspired by the way Ed Leys
shoots his landscapes, as it is about light and structure. In this
case: "Switzerland, light and structure".



You could say I'm imitating Ed Leys, but I like to think about it
differently. It's almost a year now that i'm frequently visiting
this forum, and I've learned a lot from the people over here. In
this particular picture it is Ed Leys's influence that is clearly
visible, but in other images it would be other people who
influenced me more, or a mix of influences by many different
people. I'm proud to say that there are many different sorts of
images amongst my holiday pictures, all of them shot with the help
of the knowledge I gathered during this last year. So in fact I'm
not really imitating, I'm only using your help without you knowing
about it ;-)

Well, I'll stop writing for now, but not without saying 'thank you'
to all of you who keep this forum alive, meanwhile helping other
people.

By the way, comments and litle chats are always welcome,
Click to expand...
Hi Greg

Well I know what you mean when you say that this image was influenced by some of his images .. I can see it in the expanse of hillside very much and the tones of green ...

Its quite an unsual angle I think ....
When can we see your Swiss light and structure gallery then Greg ??
Or some more images from that great place !!

Hope you had a good holiday also .. I mean other than your time enjoying it with your camera :-)

--
Mark
 
Hi Greg,

Hmm, I don't see a single family member or animal in the photograph. So perhaps I did have an influence on this. :^)

Though perhaps a cow or two would have been a nice touch...

But, yes, I think you have taken a quite fine photograph. Pretty scenery can make a pleasing landscape, but too often people seem to think that's all it takes. And such photographs are often enough shallow, without any real weight. You've gone deeper here, you really have shown the structure of the land, as seen through your eye...and you done it in quite an unconventional way that clearly shows the truth and forces that have shaped it. And you have additionally used the light to paint it into a fine composition, one that would occur to very few.

Is it in imitation of me? Well, you might have had me in mind when you were taking it, or perhaps in looking at it later on, and I am pleased to have been thought of...but it was your skill that saw this. You deserve full credit. You certainly get that from me .

My very warmest regards,

Ed

--
http://www.blackmallard.com/cal_ls/
California Light and Structure
 
Hi Mark,

I definitely had an absolutely great time. This picture for instance was a shot I made when I was riding my bike to the top of the Furka-pas (which is more than 2400 meter high!). I also made some very nice (and exhausting) hiking trips in the mountains, together with my parents. The results will have to wait a bit to be shown on the net, for the reason I talked about in my other reply to you. But when they get to pbase, be prepared for some very diffent shots of mountains, plants, animals, extreme macros, some houses and churches and so on. The title will probably be something like Switzerland 2003, because something less overall would exclude many images. I hope I'm not going to have to pay extra for my pbase account ;-)

Oh, before I forget it, I kept my promise to shoot some pics low-from-the-ground, with mountains in behind. I got one i like very much with the Matterhorn as a background, but you'll have to wait to see it :-)

regards,
--
Greg Van den Bleeken
http://www.pbase.com/gbleek
gregvandenbleeken.instantlogic.com
 
what a fast response, does that mean you still visit this forum every day? I must confess I included your name to be "sure" you'd take a look at it. Glad you liked it. And while taking this picture, I wasn't thinking how you would have taken this, i didn't even think about you at that time. But I surely noticed this scene because I saw some of your images in the past.

I don't think I would have shot this scene if I hadn't seen your work, or I would have framed it differently. By the way, I also made some more "conventional" shots from the same place, so your influence is not restricting (as you might be scared of). And about including a cow or so as some kind of scale: I don't agree. What I like about this picture, besides the nice light and structure, is the way people don't seem to know how "big" the scene is. My brother got the impression it was made from inside a plain :-)

regards, (and thanks very much for your thought about it)
--
Greg Van den Bleeken
http://www.pbase.com/gbleek
gregvandenbleeken.instantlogic.com
 
Greg VdB said:
Oh, before I forget it, I kept my promise to shoot some pics
low-from-the-ground, with mountains in behind. I got one i like
very much with the Matterhorn as a background, but you'll have to
wait to see it :-)
Click to expand...
Hi Greg

re getting down :-)

I have been doing it a lot recently (with my 28-70 at 28mm) and it is mostly thanks to your urging ...

So thank you for that because the style of images and perspective is quite interesting.

A useful tool to have in the head when so many are shooting down on their subjects :-) makes my clothes dirty a lot but hey who cares :-)

I look forward to seeing the matterhorn background ...

--
Mark
folks often post pics in samples - for feedback -
So if posting pics please give some others your thoughts
Otherwise its a sad place with you waiting and they waiting.
 
Mark_A said:
re getting down :-)
I have been doing it a lot recently (with my 28-70 at 28mm) and it
is mostly thanks to your urging ...
So thank you for that because the style of images and perspective
is quite interesting.
Click to expand...
A couple of examples





Both taken from the lying down position .... its quite relaxing .. except you get run over and jumped on :-)

--
Mark
 
Hi Greg,

As a great admirer of the pictures from Ed Leys I have to say that you saw this very well, it definitely has an Ed Leys mood. Great picture and great composition, I like it a lot, very well seen of you. I would like to see your other different pictures of your trip to and hope that you can post them. Don't know at what time you make this picture but I think that Ed would have taken it at vey early morning light and most of his images have a darker tonality, but they don't have to be imitations of course, yours is very good as it is. Maybe this kind of photography has to do something with people from Belgium as Ed Leys has Belgian roots. Here in the area I'm not able to make that kind of shots as the landscapes are not really suited but Ed found some in my galleries who had also that Ed mood and light. As I never have time I only jump over the borders of our little but interesting country for some hours. So Greg, keep going this way and a big cheers !
 
Greg,

I visit the forum much more often than I have time for. :^)

And I actually first saw your post very shortly after you had put it up, before there were any responses. But I could not make one of my own at the time.

Now, I was not at all seriously suggesting placing a cow in the photograph, and I never would suggest using one of the wonderful beasts just to provide some "scale". Your photograph doesn't need that anyway. No, I was mainly referring back to a prior conversation when you asked if I ever took photographs of animals, and there were cows in one of the photographs. Maybe my tongue was in my cheek a little bit this time.

I don't think I ever do anything to show scale, certainly not deliberately. Scale will be there or not, people will just have to figure it out--if it means anything to them.

Ah, but cows... Yes, if they are around they can add a certain earthiness to a photograph. Here's a link to a forum post of a photograph I know you have seen in my gallery, but I do not believe you have seen the post. The post links to two others of mine that also have cows in the photographs. Perhaps you will get some enjoyment from them. (and congratulations on your graduation)

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1005&message=2340442

My very warmest regards,

Ed

--
http://www.blackmallard.com/cal_ls/
California Light and Structure
 
Thanks very much for the compliments Dirk, and thanks for the encouraging words too, they mean a lot to a beginning photographer like me.

kind regards,
--
Greg Van den Bleeken
http://www.pbase.com/gbleek
gregvandenbleeken.instantlogic.com
 
Martín,

Here is another writing which goes along with the statement you quoted. It has long been one of my favorites...

It is in the nature of man
to comprehend first
things he respects.
He accepts them with a bow,
then harbors them,
and finally
defends them fanatically.

Only when he starts
to wonder
about the origin of his respect
is the process of thinking generated,
reasoning started,
and the holocaust of creativity
begins to take its toll.
  • Zvonko Glyck, from his book "Photographic Vision"
My best regards 'con color',

Ed

--
http://www.blackmallard.com/o_barn/
One Barn
 
Hi Grag,

Yes I can see Ed inspired you. But I think it's a real Greg and not a Ed.

Of course there is the fine textured landscape, the nice greens and maybe even bron colors, but th elight is Grag and not Ed.

Is this negative. No most certainly not, it's your light, your way of percepting and capturing and showing,

Fine photograph,

jacques.
 
Greg VdB said:
Oh, before I forget it, I kept my promise to shoot some pics
low-from-the-ground, with mountains in behind. I got one i like
very much with the Matterhorn as a background, but you'll have to
wait to see it :-)
Click to expand...
But wait how long they wondered :-)

--
Mark
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top