I once read somewhere a statement from a photographer which said, “If you are able to remember where and when you took a photograph, that means you’ve taken a good one.” I must admit that I have the same feeling every time I see this photograph. I can recall exactly that freezing morning in particular, and how I envisioned the photograph inside my head even before I pressed the shutter.
This is really emotional for me. It’s almost like going back in time to 2010. It was an extremely cold sunny morning in late November. I had my Nikon F2 film camera without any light metering system, backed with a 24mm wide angle, with Ilford black and white film. I was climbing Primrose Hill’s main path when I noticed some trees from the other side. I thought to myself, “If I shot through the trees, I would be able to capture this strong light.”
I waited patiently until the pedestrians had walked by. The exposure was just perfect! Probably if I had taken it in digital, it would have been under-exposed or over-exposed. I do believe that film portrays hard light conditions much better than digital. You can see the circle of the sun perfectly through the branches and scant leaves. I love the shape of the photograph, that’s why I decided to include the negative transparency along with the positive. I hope you love it too!
Piece by Joan Olivella. Follow on Instagram @littlewhiteflatphotostudio
