Mark Woods
Published on 5. 10. 2011 at 10:07 am
Take a quick glance at Mark Woods’ ChooseFilm album and you’ll see straight away someone who finds beauty in the simplicity of the world around him. He uncovers charm in nature’s most minimal scenes and in landscapes that have been indelibly touched by man.
A 2009 finalist in Target Media’s “Visions of Spring” competition, Mark is clearly a man for all seasons with this intimate shot of Foxgloves in an English Summer:
(Taken with a Canon 1000FN, 70-300mm Sigma lens with Hoya polarising filter and Fujifilm Velvia 100. Handheld.)
“I like impact with portraits so I crop-in very close. I don’t think you can frame a shot too close!” – It’s a style that brings out the intensity of his subject – something that Mark feels is also helped by the colour saturation and reproduction his favourite film: “I love Fujifilm’s Velvia because of its faithful colours. Velvia purples are good which is not the case with all films.”
Colour and composition is also key in his landscape work, such as this picture of Castlerigg Stone Circle near Keswick in England, one of the most impressive prehistoric monuments in Britain:
(Taken with a Canon 1000FN, 35-80mm Sigma lens with Hoya polarising filter and Fujifilm Velvia 100.)
Mark started taking photographs in 1995 and has always used Canon cameras. He currently has a 1000FN: “I’m familiar with it so I can concentrate on my pictures rather than thinking too much about the mechanics of the camera.”
Having recently moved to Manchester, Mark admits he’s been going through an “I wish I’d brought the camera out” phase, although he has planned several landscape shoots to Saddleworth Moor and Glossop to rectify that situation. In fact, he’s so determined to not miss another shot he’ll be taking two cameras with him when he goes: “I’ve just bought a second body on eBay for £5.60 including delivery! My intention is to have one body with a long lens and a second with shorter lens so I’m not constantly swapping. It’s another advantage of film – the equipment’s so cheap!”
Mark is currently organising Time For Print shoots (“get in touch, aspiring models!”), and sells his own photography on ChooseFilm.com, on his own website www.beanpods.co.uk, on www.deviantart.com and also through www.photographerdirect.com
www.choosefilm.com/members/jabberwoc/album/pictures
