France

After the recent tragedy that occurred in Paris that past few days i thought this was a good a time as any to post some of my photographs from France. Photographs that i feel reflect the spirit of the rural towns and villages, and show why i feel it's such an alluring place. I took these images quite a few years ago while i was visiting family for my cousins wedding in the south of France. Having French relatives meant the first thing that went through my mind when i heard about the attacks in Paris was "I hope my family aren't affected". Thankfully everyone was away from that area at the time and all safe.

Anyway, away from the tragedy and back to photography. I want to just show some of my work which i feel shows France as the peaceful and beautiful country it is, above all else. Walking down narrow, cobbled paths through extremely old towns, with the warmth of the mid day sun beating down, just makes you smile as you walk slower than normal to take in the view. You get the sense that although most parts have modernised, peoples values have hardly changed. Petit boulangeries and patisseries still supply people with their fresh bread just as they have for years. As it gets cooler in the evenings people still come out to socialise (as during the day its too warm to do anything other than sleep or paint apparently), bringing with them a strong feel for their culture. The photographs below are summary of what i think of when i think of France, and i just wanted to show people the charming side of a country that is going through some hard times.

As always these photos and much more are available on Instagram, at peterboothphotography. Please check it out and give me a follow!

The Med

Back when i was on holiday in Rhodes i took the opportunity to try and get some photographs that i thought reflected the mood of the remote area. You can't help but get drawn into a more relaxed pace while you're there especially as we were situated away from the popular tourist destinations. A short walk up a (steep) cliff to the top of the acropolis in Lindos you get an amazing view of the entire east side of the island. Although the acropolis is fairly busy with tourists (understandably), the surrounding areas are peaceful, slow paced, fishing harbours. The only boats you see are small fishing ones going at a snails pace, but there isn't a need to go any faster. 

Above is a photograph of the busiest part of the water i could find. I entered this image into the recent National Geographic photography competition along with another image from my trip to Rhodes. The complete stillness of the water and the lack of boats really does emphasise the calm, relaxed nature of peoples lives in remote parts in the mediterranean. Nothing is rushed.

Below Alex shows off just how stunning the view is from the top of the acropolis. The boiling hot trek was definitely worth it in the end, even if Alex thought her shoes had melted.

As always remember to visit peterboothphotography on Instagram and give me a follow!

Sunset On Zanzibar

Nearly 4 years ago, just after i had volunteered in Kenya, myself and the others who had volunteered had a couple weeks free time before our flights home. Naturally one of the places we all wanted to stop off at was Zanzibar. Zanzibar, a little island just off the coast of Tanzania and birth place of Freddie Mercury, is stunning. No other way to put it. The whole island is just, wow. The capital of the island, located on the west, is full of beautiful, winding, cobbled roads that all lead back to the harbour which is surrounded by crystal blue waters. As you travel out of the city in any direction you are guaranteed large stretches of green forest with the blue of the ocean peeking through. Anywhere you go you'll end up on a stretch of golden sand. Definitely the closest thing to paradise i've seen.

As a large group of around 13 of us all ended up at the far north of the island in a place called Kendwa. Little cabins situated on the beach front (with a bar on the beach) made it hard for anyone to leave. The one thing i remember most clearly about my time on Zanzibar though, wasn't the green forests, or the brightness of the ocean, or even the great food, it was the sunset. Every night it would fall directly in front of you and make everything a gorgeous orange hue. In the middle of the beach, just off from the water were two palm trees. Hanging in between was a large hammock. I can honestly say one of my favourite memories was sitting in that hammock with my girlfriend and watching the sunset. (Probably why to this day i love hammocks).

As always remember to check out my Instagram page at peterboothphotography and give me follow! 

AV And Kenya

I wanted to show a couple more photographs i took while i was in Kenya. These photos were taken at the school that i was volunteering at. I've probably mentioned it before but the kids there are just so inquisitive and want to know everything about you and all the things you have. (Such as my camera). This made it a lot easier to capture some portraits, which was made EVEN EASIER by the beautiful natural light seeping in through every gap in the building. While i was there i was teaching P.E and creative arts to some of the older kids, but the teachers were more than happy to let you take over a younger class. 

I took my camera in to try and get some more natural shots of the students and teachers at school going about their business, but when you're one of the first white people they've seen and have this thing that can take their pictures then all relaxed students learning pictures go out the window. I honestly wish i had a wider angled lens at the time as the kids were wanting to get as close as they could.

The company i went with, AV (www.aventure.co.uk), were absolutely amazing. This was the first time i had been away without knowing anyone before i went, but i think that's part of what made it so special. The way i would describe volunteering with AV is like bungee jumping. The jump itself is you having the freedom to do exactly what you want to do in a new environment without having someone constantly there, and immersing your self within a new culture with new people. AV is like the bungee rope. If you need advice, help organising anything, or just a chat, there is always someone on the end of the phone, or someone who can come and visit to make sure everything is ok. If you are ever planning something like this i would highly recommend AV. Without them some of the best things in my life wouldn't have happened. 

Once again just a reminder to visit my Instagram page, peterboothphotography, and give it a follow! I'll be uploading some new stuff very shortly so keep an eye out! 

Grandma's Books

The years my grandma lived with us, i never once saw her read any of the old books she kept in her large, ornate book case. Those books were always locked away with a tiny key, and it always looked as if the slightest touch on the glass would shatter it. All these years later I'm starting to wonder if she even read any of them! 

Just after she passed away i wanted to try and capture it exactly how it has been for nearly 15 years. Using my go to camera, the Canon A1, and a 28mm prime lens to draw in the subject closer, i tried to show the fragility of it all. I only used the natural light pouring in through the window which cast a diffused glare on the glass cabinet while enhancing the shadows. Making the focal point objects through the glass i feel helped show how thin it actually is. 

Just as an added note, when i use my analogue cameras i prefer to only use natural light. This is a personal thing, but i think when you have to think about the aperture and shutter speed you start to think more about how shadows will fall and highlights will show, along with thinking more about the composition of the images.