Tony Blood
”Photography, for me, is about telling a story and capturing
moments of time which would otherwise pass us by without notice.” Tony Blood 2011
”Tony’s photography is origional and inspiring, his strong images are all encompassing and full of life and validity” This is from a written review written by Jenny Gunning BA(HONS)GCF
Culture is one of my favourite subjects. I find differing nationalities to be visually
interesting. The food, the clothes and the countries themselves.
Language can be a barrier to the majority of us but the power of the
photographic image can speak to us all, without the need for translation.
I have developed a candid style to my photography and a few
examples of my work include ‘Passing Strangers’ whereby two people walk across a
sunlit cobbled street in Tallinn.
‘Passing Strangers’ – Tallinn, Estonia
This image was photographed outside a hotel window looking down upon a sunlit cobbled street in Tallinn. Two people are about to pass each other as they walk across the road. One holds an umbrella; the other carries a violin case.
One idea I had involved the subject with her lips painted in the shape of a red heart while holding ceramic hearts close to her face.
Heart Shaped’
Holding the ceramic hearts close to her face makes a link to the heart shaped lips. This image is all about colour; the bright green eyes, the red nails, the red hearts and the red lips.
One example features a musician playing a cello. Capturing the movement of the bow
being played across the strings was an effective way of portraying a sense of
sound.
‘Violin & Bow’ – Birmingham (This is a photograph from the same collection)
A musician rests after playing his music, holding his violin and bow, he waits for the next piece to start.
I practice Muay Thai boxing. In addition to keeping me fit, it has enabled me to take advantage and practice my photography skills whenever the gym have organised boxing bouts. As well as Photography I also enjoy painting and have carried out a number of private commissions in both mediums.
Being actively creative most of my life has been a benefit to me when it comes
to the composition and construction of my images.
‘After The Rain’ – Laganas, Zakynthos
After a heavy downpour in Laganas the sun begins to draw out the colours in the puddles. The surrounding buildings and lamposts can be seen in the reflections.'After a heavy downpour in Laganas' the sun begins to draw out the colours in the puddles. The surrounding buildings and lamposts can be seen in the reflections.
‘Balcony With Towel’ – Gozo, Malta
Taken within the citadel grounds of Gozo Cathedral, a green towel drapes over the edge of a balcony. The colour of the towel is emphasised by the earthly tones and rough texture of the building.
‘Beach
Basket’ – Dalyan, Turkey
Walking along the beach in Dalyan I saw an abandoned fishing basket half buried in the sand. I positioned the horizon close to the top of the frame including the line of people and focussed on the basket in the foreground using a short depth of field. The basket is in sharp focus while the background remains slightly blurred. The brightness of the sun gave a dark contrasting shadow of the basket in the sand.