GET A GRIP!

[FUJI]

The Wheelwright's Yard shoot, threw up, almost too many Photo Opportunities, it was difficult not to see potential at almost every turn....it was also difficult not to get too cliche'd in outlook.

Here (and with a few others shots) I used the Shallow DOF of a wide open Sigma 30-2.8 lens to throw this beautiful old Forge Vice Forwards...................I was left wondering, in what year was the vice itself wraught.....and just how many jobs did it grip, before being left outside to rust like this.

Look at my other mono studies from this series and you will see that an almost idendical Vice is still in use inside the working Forge:

The Wheelwright's Yard with all its Tools, Timber, Templates,Machinery and allied Paraphanalia, were walked away from in the mid 1960s by the last in line of a family of Village Wheelwrights of 150 years service....he walked away because there simply was no work, he wasn't a blacksmith or a Carpenter.

During the past three years, the Yard built up a huge amount of local interest and support, after it was threatened with demolition and development....a prime village site.....The Friends and supporters (with the aid of a TV program, managed to acquire a large Lottery Grant....the result being that the Yard is now fully preserved after a complete clean up and cataloguing, with everything being returned to where it was discovered.

The hard working Volunteers make visits interesting for all age groups.........the Young Blacksmith and his assistants, light up the Forge at weekends.

I am pleased to say, that the elderly ex craftsman owner, lived just long enough to see his restored Yard Open to the Public:

Just to think that almost every UK Village had a Wheelwright's like it once, plus a Builder, Carpenter/Joiner/Undertaker and Blacksmith/Farrier.......I started my working life aged 15 in April 1953 in a Joiner's Shop, that still had Gas Lighting and the Trades all used Hand Tools.

This Visit was one that brought back many memories of those times:

 

FUJI

 

[Ryewolf]

I really like this, to me it looks like something that is used quite often, but is quite old. I might have gone for a bit less brightness and a bit more contrast, buts that's probably because I come from a graphic design background and also purely personal tatste.

[Rick448]

I like this but would like to see the colour image. 

[FUJI]

Thanks folks, 

 

balancing the the tones  in this was a challenge, which is the fun of mono processing.

I too lovethe textures and the obvious hard wear given to this extremely important device for a hard working metal worker, just observe to the very beautiful design of the individual components, which remain serviceable today

I will post the colour version, a little later on.......funny old world isn't it? ;-)

yesterday, I posted a colour pic from the same shoot and a mono version was requested......methinks one of each is required in future posts if the subject warrants it.

 

FUJI

 

[FUJI]

The colour version, as requested:

 

FUJI