Graffiti Galore

Birmingham is full of artists…
…and some of them are on public display away from galleries and museums. You never ever see them at work, working in shadow or seclusion, preferably both. Some make you wonder how they reached their canvasses, others put little effort in beyond signing their visit.

After the St Patrick’s day parade in Digbeth on Sunday 13th March 2011, Mrs ND and I wandered around looking to snap some of the partying events around Digbeth. On that walk we came across many ‘works of art’, including a couple of practitioners, unafraid of the throng of people and scattered police presence.

I Graffiti

Nikon D700 'FX', Nikkor 70-200mm F2.8G AF-S VRII @ 102mm, Exposure 1/640 @ F2.8, ISO 400

This relic of a building…
…is one that I have visited before, but this time I wanted to show some of the symmetry left in this otherwise collapsing structure. I like how the regimented yellow girders, standing to attention, are offset by the decay around them, and the mural of a graffiti tag running the length of the wall behind them. I wonder if the original ‘artiste’ had the intention of returning to colour this outline in, or whether the Job’s a Good’un?

Digbeth Dereliction – Reservoir Posts

Nikon D700 'FX', Nikkor 70-200mm F2.8G AF-S VRII @ 70mm, Exposure 1/100 @ F13, ISO 400

In ‘Graffiti and Contrast’ I found a comfortable, but probably accidental, play between the sharp jagged lines of the central motif, orbiting tags and the shadows from the remaining rusty roof struts and trusses. The wall itself is almost camouflaged.

Digbeth Dereliction – Graffiti and Contrast

Nikon D700 'FX', Nikkor 70-200mm F2.8G AF-S VRII @ 70mm, Exposure 1/8000 @ F2.8, ISO 400, Considering just how bright and sunny a day it was I didn't actually need F2.8 at ISO 400 for this one, but brain faded and the D700's fast shutter capability saved me.

‘Digbeth Tags” is a much simpler shot, only worthy because of the bright sunshine hitting the wall at an oblique angle, casting long thin shadows from even the smallest of protrusions and imperfections jutting out.

Digbeth Tags

Nikon D700 'FX', Nikkor 70-200mm F2.8G AF-S VRII @ 116mm, Exposure 1/4000 @ F2.8, ISO 400, I like the contrast in this image, especially the long thin shadows emanating from screws and other protrusions in this wall.

The following week, on another walk…
…we headed up the Birmingham and Worcester canal from The Mailbox towards Old Joe at Selly Oak. We found ‘In Your Face’ under a concrete road bridge over the canal and I couldn’t resist capturing it as the water was so still and mirrored.

Graffiti aside, I actually rather like the detail and texture in the concrete path edge, especially as it reflects in the water. I admit that in post-processing I pushed the contrast and definition up a little here.

In Your Face

Nikon D700 'FX', Nikkor 70-200mm F2.8G AF-S VRII @ 78mm, Exposure 1/15 @ F2.8, ISO 640, Under a gloomy concrete canal bridge on the Birmingham and Worcester canal, my back was really against the wall on this one. literally! This was almost all I could get into shot with this big heavy lens and almost swapped to my 50mm F1.4 to go a bit wider. Erm, but didn't!

Go on, Paint the Town Red,
ND

(c) Nakedigit 2011