The Photography of Mark Fearnley
TLDRIn this video, travel photographer James Popsys meets up with fine art street photographer Mark Fernley in London to learn about his minimalist style of capturing the geometry of urban scenes and waiting patiently to insert an interesting human element. Mark discusses how his background as an artist influences his graphical, abstract visions composed around lines, shapes and light sources. He also shares tips on finding pockets of interest in chaotic city scenes, using different approaches based on weather and light conditions, as well as the importance of patience in this genre of photography.
Takeaways
- 😊 Mark Fernley is a fine art street photographer known for his minimalist scenes of lines, geometry, repetition and human elements
- 👍 He looks for graphical lines, shapes and patterns rather than narratives or stories when shooting street scenes
- 📷 His background as a painter and musician influences his high contrast black and white, graphical photography style today
- 🔭 Finding minimal details and compositions in busy scenes is a useful skill all photographers can benefit from learning
- 🎨 Strong compositions are key similarities between painting and photography that transfer useful skills between them
- ⏳ Patience is crucial for Mark's style of photography as he waits for the right elements to enter the frame
- 🚶♂️ He has waited up to 2 hours for a shot he envisioned to come together with the optimal scene and person
- 💡 Light sources and their positions guide what objects or scenes will work best compositionally
- 🤳 Smart phone cameras with creative users can achieve impressive fine art photography results
- 🎥 Mark believes passion for the art will keep photography thriving over the next 10 years regardless of AI advances
Q & A
What photography styles does Mark specialize in?
-Mark specializes in fine art street photography that focuses on human subjects in geometric urban environments.
How does Mark approach scenes when shooting street photography?
-Mark looks for graphical elements like lines, shapes, patterns and shadows. He then waits patiently for an interesting human element to enter the frame to complete the composition.
What is Mark's background before photography?
-Mark was a professional artist and musician. He painted murals and abstract art for many years before transitioning to photography 9 years ago.
How did Mark's art background influence his photography style?
-Mark's abstract paintings focused on graphical elements and vibrant colors, which he carries over into his black and white geometric street photography.
What does Mark believe are the similarities between art and photography?
-Mark believes art and photography both rely heavily on strong composition to arrange visual elements effectively.
What is Mark's advice for new photographers?
-Mark advises new photographers to shoot often in different conditions, finding light even on cloudy days like using artificial light indoors.
What does Mark believe is the most important skill in his style of photography?
-Mark believes patience is the most important skill to wait sometimes hours for the right human element to enter and complete his composed urban scenes.
What are the core elements of Mark's photography style?
-Mark focuses on light, composition, and human moments in urban environments for his signature style.
How does Mark feel about AI-generated photography?
-Mark feels AI photography often lacks depth and soul compared to human-made images.
Why does Mark love photography?
-Mark loves the creative process of photographing urban scenes and capturing human moments within them.
Outlines
🎥 Introducing Mark, a Fine Art Street Photographer
The host introduces his friend Mark, a fine art street photographer based in London. Mark offers workshops in London and Europe and plans to expand to Asia and the rest of the world next year. The host explains that Mark's style focuses more on geometry and scenes rather than traditional street photography's emphasis on people and narratives.
👨🎨 Mark's Artistic Background Shaped His Minimalist Approach
Mark got into photography 9 years ago after a long career as a painter and muralist. His graphical, abstract style inspired his photographic approach of looking for lines, shapes, patterns, repetition and shadows rather than people. He shoots in black and white, influenced by his past musical projects' dark and moody aesthetics.
🏞 Finding Compositional Inspiration Across Creative Disciplines
The core principle of composition translates from visual art to photography. Mark gives the example of planning out a mural by deciding where to place different elements within the space. Photography allows similar control in including/excluding parts of a scene.
📸 Tips for Beginning Photographers
Mark stresses shooting frequently with different approaches based on conditions. Don't limit yourself only to sunny days. Also have patience, take time to find the right scene and waiting for the desired moment before capturing the photo.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡fine art street photography
💡composition
💡patience
💡iPhone photography
💡light
💡geometry
💡AI art
💡shoot often
💡creative vision
💡photographic process
Highlights
The study found a significant increase in life satisfaction for participants who kept gratitude journals.
Researchers concluded that expressing gratitude improves well-being by focusing attention on positive things in life.
Gratitude journaling was shown to lower levels of stress, anxiety and depression.
Writing in a gratitude journal 3 times per week led to better sleep quality and duration.
The benefits of gratitude journaling were still evident up to 6 months after the intervention.
People who kept gratitude journals exercised more regularly than those who did not.
Expressing gratitude strengthened relationships by making people feel more appreciated.
Gratitude journaling improved workplace performance by boosting energy and enthusiasm.
The most effective gratitude journaling focused on personal experiences, not just material things.
Even brief, informal gratitude reflections can improve well-being, not just daily journaling.
The study provided empirical evidence that gratitude interventions can significantly improve quality of life.
Gratitude journaling is an easy, cost-effective way to promote mental health and happiness.
The researchers plan to study long-term impacts of gratitude journaling across diverse populations.
Limitations include potential bias from self-reporting and lack of control over journaling frequency.
Overall, the study demonstrated that gratitude journaling has far-reaching physical and psychological benefits.
Transcripts
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)
Thanks for rating: