enchanting Cornish Landscape
Cornish Mining interviews Kelly-Marie Smith, a young photographer with a great future who has been enchanted by the Cornish mining landscape.
So, Kelly-Marie, who or what are your influences? “I am embarking into the world of becoming a Natural History Photographer. Ever since a young age I have been fascinated by the art form of photography and its ability to capture the natural beauty the world has to offer. Whilst living in Cornwall I fell in love with the beautiful landscape it has to offer. I began to produce a project that explored Cornish heritage. This enabled me to capture the mining culture from both above and below the surface. When producing my photography there are a number of influences that are always at the back of my mind. Andrew Brook is one of my inspirations. Surreal atmospheres are created through his work, making stark urban surroundings beautiful. ‘Hidden Manchester’ was one of his exhibitions that I went to when it was held at the Urbis in 2008. The work inspired my underground photography within my Cornish heritage project.”
What drew you to capture our mining heritage at night and underground? “As a photographer I am always trying to find new ways to capture my subject in a unique manner. I found that night photography would be an interesting way to portray the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site in a new light.”
Does the subject require any special techniques in order to capture the right shot? “Patience is the key for night photography, there is a lot of sitting around waiting for the exposures. The outcome of the image is dependent on the weather, more importantly the cloud coverage. To produce the star trails in my images, I needed no cloud coverage to enable the camera to see the stars. Photographing underground is a completely different experience to what you experience when above the earths surface. It is a challenging task but very rewarding when you capture the image you imagine in your mind. The main factor to consider is lighting of the underground scene that you are photographing. Flashes can be used, but to capture my photographs I use torches to enable me to ‘paint with light’ at specific areas of interest. By using this technique the photographer can have complete control over the highlights and shadows. When being underground, experimentation by the photographer can be fully explored, resulting in some extraordinary image making.”
Where would you like to take your work? “As my work has now been featured in Digital Camera Magazine and CNN, I would like to continue to share my work with a wider audience. I would like to eventually visit a number of World Heritage Sites and document the cultures through photography.”
If budget were no issue, what equipment would improve your work?
“The photographic equipment that I use on a regular basis is my Nikon D200 & D90 camera. I have to use the University lenses, as they are better quality than the ones I own. Therefore, with unlimited money I would purchase a better camera and a variety of different lenses, so I am no longer restricted. Also, I would like to travel around the world and visit as many World Heritage Sites as I could.”
Kelly-Marie Smith will be exhibiting her work at Nature Exposed at the Centre Space Gallery, Bristol in June. For more information visit;http://
natureexposed.org/.
Kelly-Marie Smith dpown a mine
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