Assignment 3: Short List

After some deliberation I opted to go for the theme of water rather than my alternative, churches in the landscape.  Although I have enjoyed, and will continue, photographing churches, I had many more water images to select from and feel that I have more variety.  Interestingly, whilst shooting this assignment, I have gathered enough images to have presented themes on sunsets or lighthouses, perhaps indicating where my interests lie.
On the theme of water I wanted to portray some of the moods and emotions generated by water and also some of the uses of water.  I think that water can engender feelings of calm and peacefulness, fear, relaxation, motion, power, reflection, stillness and mystery.  Water has many uses such as drinking, recreation, transport and ornamental.  When making my image selection I tried to ensure that I had a balance of the above.  I have also attempted to emulate Ansell Adams in using a small aperture to ensure maximum depth of field and Galen Rowel in having rich, fully saturated images whilst at the same time not being overdone.  Rowell achieved this with transparency film by pushing the speed of the film ie slightly underexposing them, a technique I have used.

In this shot of Penmon Lighthouse on Anglesey I have tried to protray peace and calm.  It is taken at twilight just after the sun has sunk below the horizon.  I decided on a vertical format to suit the shape of the lighthouse and also to capitalize on the rock pool which leads the eye into the picture, thus providing perspective.  The image is a reminder, although no ships are present, that the sea can be used for both leisure, work and transport and that it can be a dangerous place.  This was a calm evening but I have seen images of this lighthouse with the sea crashing over the top of it.

A different atmosphere here.  The sea is no longer mirror calm but rough and boisterous.  It is a reminder of the power of water, one wouldn't want to be swimming in this sea.  I took many images at this spot in order to capture just that moment when a wave crashed over the rock in the foreground, in the same way that Cartier-Bresson did in his photography.  I also used a fast shutter speed in order to freeze the drops of water in the spray.

In this shot I wanted to give a reminder that water is essential to life and that for domestic use it is stored in reservoirs.  This is Ladybower Reservoir which serves the population of Sheffield.  It was constructed in the 1930s and resulted in the drowning of two villages.  Its other claim to fame is that it was used by the Lancasters of 617 squadron when they were preparing for the infamous Dam's Raid.  I have placed the pool of water in the foreground, both to mirror the reservoir and also to form part of a sinuous curve made by the puddle and the reservoir, thus leading the eye into the picture.  I think this image engenders a sense of calm.

A shot taken at Robin Hood's Bay on the Yorkshire coast.  I have used a vertical format to work with the rock pool leading the eye towards the distant  headland of Ravenscar.  This, and the gradually receding boulders provide perspective.  I have placed the nearest boulder on a third.  What I wanted here was to show the reflective property of water and I am pleased with the way the blue sky and clouds are reflected in the pool.

I wanted to include something just a little different in the submission.  I took this shot of Sheffield town hall through the cascading water of a fountain, illustrating the ornamental use of water.  Hopefully I have generated a sense of mystery in the picture.

I wanted to portray both a sense of motion and calm in this image of the River Braan at The Hermitage near Dunkeld in Scotland. I used an ND filter in order to achieve a long exposure to produce the swirling motion patterns in the water and also to smooth out any ripples.

Another shot of the River Braan, this time of the falls above the bridge.  Here the aim was to protray motion and to this end I have again made use of an ND filter and long exposure to produce motion blur.

This is a shot taken of the old harbour by The Shore in Leith.  I wanted to show the rich colours and the excellent reflections.

I took this image at The Fitties near Cleethorpes late one evening earlier this year in the twilight just after the sun had gone down.  I wanted to protray a sense of calm and peacefulness, whilst at the same time showing the reflections of the pink tinged clouds.  To this end I employed a long exposure to smooth out the ripples on the water.  There are lots of lines leading the eye into the picture but I am not sure that there is enough interest in the foreground.

This is an image of West Burton Falls in the Yorkshire Dales.  My aim here was to show both the motion and the power of the water.  I tried to frame the shot in such a way that the line of the water flows in an s-shaped curve from the top of the fall to the observer.  Recent rains helped as the river was in full spate.

I wanted this shot of Whitby Harbour to portray a sense of the evening calm after a wonderfully sunny day.  It is taken in the evening light just before sunset.  I also wanted to show the superb reflections in the calm, still water of the harbour.  I have cropped the original image slightly to remove the distraction of a tiny part of a boat to the right. The picture also reminds us that water is used for work, recreation and transport.