So I have now returned from the monastery and I am keen to try the deadpan aesthetic to see what results I get.

With this approach there are a few things that I need to bear in mind. The first one is to try not to make a focal point within the picture as this will dominate the composition. This is what I have been guilty of before and so the photograph then becomes my own interpretation because the focal point is prominent and it’s myself that makes it prominent. Consequently it distracts the attention away from the rest of the scene and is too focused and in essence I am saying “this is the important bit” and ignoring the rest.

The other element I need to consider is to use the zoom lens set on 35mm to keep the perspective realistic and also mounted on a tripod at head height. I think both of these elements will produce a regularity that will help the photographs to be more comparative and also more realistic and less open to my own personal interpretation.

I also decided to limit myself to a certain number of shots, same as I did in Hammer Forest at the monastery. This will make the photographs more considered and will be avoiding the “machine gun” approach (this also makes editing easier as I wont have hundreds of photos, just thirty to go through)

Below there are two galleries, the first are the final 6 images, with the last one in B&W and colour to make it possible to see which works better, then further down are all the photographs from the shoot.

Of these five photographs DSC6014 is probably my favourite. This is because it shows the texture of Little Stone Wood (LSW) and demonstrates that the deadpan aesthetic will work. I had been concerned that with trying the deadpan aesthetic at Hammer Wood was easier because it is more spacious, but LSW is more confined and feels closer, is more inhibiting. But it seems to of worked ell with this image, the impression of claustrophobia is there because of the thickness of the trees but there is another sense of space because the foreground isn’t encroached upon. DSC6026 and DSC6032 are the two landmarks that I have concentrated on before but have tried to capture them without them dominating. They are now placed more in the background and hidden but there presence is also noticeable.

However thoiugh I am still undecided as to whether to use colour or B&W. BOth formats have their own merits, colour is good for realism but the B&W is more atmospheriic. Colour does really have that element of realism that B&W doesn't and in the case of the forest it does not distract or create a visual noise that impedes the viewer. This is something that I am going to need to decide on fairly soon though.

So overall it has demonstrated that the deadpan aesthetic can work with LSW, it’s just a question of being creative enough to make it happen.