Pictures from the picket line

I was recently asked by Unison to cover their picket lines in Bristol. The weather was wet, windy and cold but everyone was in good spirits and there was a lot of public support for the strikers.

It normally takes an hour or two after a shoot to edit and send the pictures. To speed things up, I took a few pictures on my phone which could be published on social media immediately as the story was unfolding.

Some of the images taken on the day can be seen on here the Unison website.

Over the years, I have done a lot of trade union photography and worked for most unions including; UNISON, Unite, GMB, PCS, CWU, ASLEF, RMT. The range of work I have done for unions includes conferences, issues and campaigns, there are some more examples here.

I am also a member of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the University and College Union (UCU).

Agricultural machinery photography

JCB Fastrac for Farmers Guardian

I have quite a large collection of images of agricultural machinery so it seemed like a good idea to group a few of them together on my website. The pictures in this post have all been produced for editorial commissions.

The JCB Fastrac Icon images were for a story comparing the new model with its predecessor, a lot of the differences where in the technology controlling the vehicle so a lot of the images focussed on the cab.

JCB Fastrac Icon

JCB Fastrac new and old versions compared

JCB Fastrac new and old models compared

The Merlo tele handler was a full electric model and the shoot involved demonstrating the machine undertaking the type of jobs it might normally be given on a farm.

Merlo e-worker

An empty barn was used to shoot the vehicle which provided a less cluttered background and gave me more control over the lighting. I normally have a car full of lighting equipment for this type of picture.

Merlo e-worker

Often there is no time to take posed studio pictures and I just have to shoot the demonstration vehicle at work. The Unimog shoots were taken during a busy harvest. A brief technical problem with the combine gave me a few precious minutes to take a few more controlled images.

Unimog U435

Unimog U435 alongside combine

Unimog U435 on the road

Unimog U435 alongside combine

The weather was so dry that the vehicles were surrounded with huge dust clouds. This gave me the opportunity to capture a few extra atmospheric images of the huge Case combine harvester.

Case 9230 combine harvester

Case 9230 combine harvester in dust cloud

Fendt 516 tractor

To find out more about the photographic services, I offer, please email me at mail@nigelgoldsmith.co.uk

Darkroom training and consultancy for schools

I am often asked to visit schools to help set up a new, or reinstate an old darkroom and train the staff or pupils on film processing and printing in the darkroom.

As a photographic artist, the darkroom plays a key role in my practice and allows me to produce images that would be impossible using digital techniques. I have also taught analogue photography and darkroom practice to students from GCSE to degree level and recognise the points where mistakes are often made and have developed teaching methods aimed to reduce student error.

I have also helped to develop lesson plans which can help to lesson the learning curve of analogue photography and darkroom practice.

Nigel sparked not only confidence in us, in what we were going to teach the students but also newfound enthusiasm for the process. Whilst with us Nigel also spent time checking out, advising, and helping organise and clean our current darkroom that hasn’t seen much love. He advised us on best practice and items to purchase to make what we had already easier to use and more effective, he even brought along his own kit as examples and to demonstrate techniques to us. Emma Hart, Curriculum Leader, Sandy Secondary School, Bedfordshire

Darkroom consultancy services;

I can visit your school or college to assess an existing, but unused darkroom and suggest how it may be brought back to use.
I can provide guidance on darkroom layout, health and safety, and buying equipment and consumables for a new darkroom.
Provide training to staff and students on; camera less photography, analogue photography, film processing printing and experimental darkroom techniques
For schools without darkrooms that would like to see the potential of analogue photography, I can also bring a small temporary darkroom which can be set up in a classroom for a 1 day darkroom taster workshop.
Quick 1 hour online darkroom review (please contact me to discuss this service)

If you would like to know more, please email me or call on 07973 631185

Training staff from the art department at Chadwell Heath Academy

Salon des Refusés at Aberystwyth Art Centre

Shortly after being told that my work had not been selected for this year’s ‘Y Lle Self’ (the art place) at the National Eisteddfod in Wales, I received an invitation to show my rejected film at the Aberystwyth Art Centre as part of their Salon des Refusés exhibition.

The original Salon des Refusés was set up in the mid 19th Century by artists that had been rejected by the annual Paris Salon and decided to show their work in an alternative venue. The salon soon became a space where the many of the early impressionists could get their work seen by the public.

The Palais de l'Industrie, where the event took place. Photo by Édouard Baldus.

The Palais de l’Industrie, where the Salon des Refusés took place. Photo by Édouard Baldus.

Despite not making it to the Eisteddfod itself, the work in the exhibition was of a high standard. I was proud to have my film shown in such a great venue alongside a wide range of work produced by over a 100 highly accomplished Welsh artists.

Ffion Rhys, the exhibition’s curator selected Passing trade (Masnach sy’n Pasio) for the show. This work was screened at the John Ruskin Prize and the Small Axe Film Festival in 2019 but hasn’t been out much since so it was great for it to get an airing again in Aberystwyth.

Still image from Passing Trade

I have also included some images of other artist’s work from the exhibition.

‘Cranky’ by Peter Stevenson

Weeping, by David Garner

Gallery 2, Aberystwyth Art Centre

Agriculture and rural affairs

Agricultural Photography

Jess Palmer, student at Royal Agricultural University

Portrait of Jess Palmer, Agriculture student RAU

I had the good fortune of growing up on a dairy farm in Pembrokeshire so love the opportunity to put my wellies on and take pictures down on a farm. I was introduced to farm photography at an early age. As a toddler I appeared in a story about my parent’s farm in the Farmers Guardian. Over the years, I have photographed most aspects of farming life. Below you will see a range of images I have taken on farms and markets across the UK.

Feature on young sheep farming family in Dorset for Farmers Guardian

Going through the shooting brief with my subjects - cow photography

Going through the shooting brief with my clients

Lifestock

Cows make great subjects, they are naturally curious and with little encouragement will come right up to you in a field. While this makes close-up shots easy, you cannot put your camera bag down for long or their curious noses will leave a trail of drool over all of your kit.

Brown Swiss Cattle, Rancourt Farm near Swindon

Brown Swiss Cattle and Friesians , Cancourt Farm near Swindon, for National Milk Records

Free range hens

Ewe and lamb in field for Farmers Guardian

Ewe and lambs – Farmers Guardian

Ewe and lambs for Farmers Guardian

Brown Swiss Cattle, Cancourt Farm near Swindon for National Milk Records

Piglet, Newton Farm for Farmers Guardian

British Blue bull in field for Farmers Guardian

Free range pigs for Farmers Guardian

Turkey for Farmers Guardian

Location portraits

Every visit to a farm requires portrait images of the people behind the enterprise. I always try to provide atmospheric images that give a sense of the day to day working environment though the shot might be taken in the farm kitchen or in the middle of a field.

Portrait of farmer sitting in off road vehicle

Portrait of sheep farmer for Farmers Guardian

Portrait of dairy farmer for Farmers Guardian

Male farmer sitting in field with 3 sheep dogs and sheep in distance behind

Sheep farmer with dogs for Farmers Guardian

Male farmer leaning on Land Rover with red flag of military firing range in background

Portrait of beef farmer on Salisbury Plain army range for Farmers Guardian

Ben Reynaldo and his free range poultry unit for Farmers Guardian

Portrait of tractor driver for Farmers Guardian

Portrait for Farmers Guardian

Portrait of Tim, Kingsclere Estate for Farmers Guardian

Rob Addicott – Manor Farm near Wells for Farmers Guardian

Will and Dawn Hawking, owners of Marshfield Farm Ice Cream

Farm Profiles

Farm profile for Farmers Guardian

If I am asked to photograph a farm profile, I normally try to document every aspect of the farm to provide an in depth record of the business and the people behind it.

Farmer and sheep for Farmers Guardian

Hand shearing for Farmers Guardian

Gwen the farm dog

Market

Market photography is very different to farm photography. The pace is fast and there are normally people and animals everywhere. Moving around the market quickly is difficult so you often need to find a few good spots to work in before the auction starts, and introduce myself to the auctioneers well ahead of the main event.

Frome Lifestock Market – auctioneer for Farmers Guardian

Sheep at the market for Farmers Guardian

Diversification

Quite a few of the farms I have worked at have diversified into other product lines or services from ice cream and cheese to clamping pods. While I am on the farm it is normally quite easy to pull out a set of lights and set up a temporary studio in a barn or farmhouse kitchen to get some product shots or portraits of the staff or owners of the farm.