The Reckoning

 


I've been to the cemetery in Cupar, Fife, that's home to this angel, quite a few times without paying the sculpture much attention but it was the cage around it that caught my eye this time, particularly the torn parts. Driving past with the dogs in tow, I actually thought someone must have erected the structure to protect the public because the sculpture had become a bit wobbly.


However, judging by it's somewhat tired state, I think the cage must have been up for a while. The angel is right next to the boundary wall of the cemetery and a golf course is on the other side so it's possible the cage is there to protect her from a stray golf ball.


I'm sorry (not really) to admit it's Just Another Iphone Pic. I did have the D700 with me but it's bad enough trying to take a picture one-handed with the phone while Oscar the Dashing Hound is yanking the lead in my other hand so there is no chance of grabbing a photo with the big Nikon.


Here's the A3 print on Marrutt Pro Photo Satin using the Epson dye inks

I could see that this image had some apocalyptic potential at first glance. The torn wire netting, the judgemental sky of a vengeful God and the solitary figure pointing the way to salvation. This sky isn't just about weather but of reckoning. OK, I'll stop now. But you get the picture.

A bit of tweaking in Photoshop had the photo looking like I'd imagined it and it prints well on glossy and matt paper using both the pigment and dye inks. Photographer pal, Phil, has joked in the past that I'm doing so many A3 prints that I'll need to build an extension to house them. He's not too far off the mark.

I realised that tonight when I picked up the A3 box of the Marrutt paper to pluck out a sheet and there must have been about 20 big prints in the box already sitting on top of the unused sheets. I've got two other A3 boxes full of prints as well - it's amazing how they mount up when you’re enjoying yourself.
Written by Bruce Robbins at

3 comments:

  1. Bruce Robbins6 May 2025 at 09:17

    Thanks, Stephen. I’ve found maintaining my motivation to be harder as I’ve grown older and having an iPhone that weighs nothing and is fuss-free certainly helps in that regard. Even the wee add-on converter lenses that turn the 26mm lens into a 52mm are small and pocketable and reasonably priced. I think seeing good compositions becomes easier when you mentally accept that the iPhone is a “proper” camera and that there’s no need to make excuses. Just treat it as seriously as you would your big camera outfit.

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  2. Anonymous7 May 2025 at 21:33

    Like the resulting image, Bruce. Do you prefer to use the 58mm converter lens rather than use the zoom function on your phone. Maybe a little more info on the add-on lens if you have investigated them.
    Many thanks....Tom

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  3. Bruce Robbins7 May 2025 at 21:46

    Thanks, Tom. I tend to use the 26mm lens wherever possible for the best quality but often tap the X2 button to bring up the 52mm focal length. I’ve started to use the portrait setting as well as it takes the pic stopped down for front to back sharpness but uses the slight difference of view between the two lenses to calculate depth of field info so it can do a fairly convincing job of producing a shallow depth of field as you open up the aperture in processing.

    I don’t know enough about the add on lenses to be able to offer anything worthwhile. Re-reading an earlier reply I made I’ve probably given the impression I have a converter lens but that’s not the case. I’ll definitely write something if I buy one of them, though.

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