Bridge players

Yesterday I photographed bridge players at Esher Bridge Club. They meet every Tuesday evening. I also went to one of the members house and took some shots earlier in the afternoon. I was worried as usal about the light being to low and thought I might just as well use the invitation. So it was bridge all day and all I can say I know about bridge now is that it is very complicated and even though most of the players have played for years they need to look at their notes at times.

The light in the club was OK, so they are the pictures I have uploaded on to the DR site. I found the shoot quite difficult even though the players remain pretty much in the same position throughout. I looked for small details, like hand movement, concentration on face and eye contact as well as finding a good position to shoot from. I was trying to use the players shoulders to look over, to frame the image, lead the viewer in to the image and create a more exciting perspective. This did not quite work out, I would have to move in closer for such effect but then I was loosing faces. I think this would perhaps work out with a 24mm.

I really enjoyed last week's lecture. Though, being familar with all three photographers work I have never looked at them together and compared their practice. I was in to photography for a long time before I came across The Americans by Frank but it is one of the most amazing books I have ever seen. Every image, the sequence has that certain feeling, a distance to the world it observes, often very melancholic and I can indulge in this feeling forever.....and it just seems to speak volumes about the state of America and its politics at that time.

Winogrand's colour image was incredible, so graphic and unreal! I'm trying to find more of his colour stuff.