Assignment two: Elements of Design

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One of my favourite types of subject is the point where industry and nature meet, so I decided to base this project on a tiny beach on the banks of the River Humber which I often visit with my children. The beach is set between a ship yard and a power station and is the home of three old ships, slowly decaying into the riverbed. 

Edward Burtynsky’s ‘Shipbreaking’ series documents the industry of dismantling and recycling ships in Bangladesh. India based Tasveer Journal describes the set as one of Burtynsky’s most poignant and increasingly significant in light of today’s environmental insecurity, describing ‘objective detachment and a desaturated colour palette of rusty oranges, cool blues and steely greys’. I have aimed to use a similar palette in my work as I feel it is fitting with the subject matter.

In order to complete the project, I visited the site on three separate occasions; a dull, rainy day, an early morning as the sun was rising and a relatively sunny afternoon as the sun was descending in the sky, creating some interesting shadows. Unfortunately, these shadows come with much more vibrant hues, so I have desaturated some images in post processing in order to create a more cohesive set.

01 – Tipped: The first shot in my set was taken in order to display a single dominating point in the frame. This is the only staged shot in my set and I added the gravel in order to add some interest. I found the shot worked best with the bottle set on the top left third as the third lines are a classic position for drawing the eye. This also gave to bottle space to ‘look’ into as it was facing downwards and towards the right side of the screen. The leading line created by the gravel trail promotes movement through the image.

02 – Cold: My reasons for positioning the subject in this image were quite different. The boy was placed to the edge of the image in order to show the vastness of space around him. If he had been standing mid shot, this would have had the effect of splitting the shot in half and therefore making it seem smaller. Secondary subjects such as the jetty and the Humber Bridge, several miles behind show the outer limits of the space. 

 03 – Sunk: The two subjects are fitting examples of my theme, industry and nature. Both elements are manmade, the rock seemingly being from some kind of wall. Over time, they have become so worn and weathered that they have almost become a part of the natural surroundings. The shot is taken from such a perspective that the boat and the rock appear to be almost the same size. Their positions in the shot balance each other and the leading lines in the mud draw the eye from the rock to the boat.

 04 - Stepping Stones: This image shows multiple points of interest creating a geometric shape. The three clumps of seaweed form a diagonal line leading towards the horizon. Along the horizon is the end of the jetty, echoed by a small grassy island. The horizontal and the diagonal lines create an implied triangle, being joined by the right hand edge of the shot.

 5 - BlackPaull Illuminations: The lights create a horizontal line reaching out from the right side of the shot and becoming very faint towards the left. I feel that the grasses, as well as creating foreground interest, add some weight to the left of the shot so make it feel more balanced.

 06 – Three Times Tall: The repeating pattern of the silver pipes echoes the lower row of silos. The horizontal lines of the silos and the vertical pipes create stability in the image reflecting the nature of the sturdy structures.

 07 - Saltend Skyline: This image of the power station displays a wealth of both vertical and horizontal lines. The lights accentuate the rhythm of the towers moving along the image, with the horizontal smoke giving direction to the movement.

08 – Jagged: The rock creates a definite diagonal line across the shot from top left to bottom right. This is echoed by a softer line to the lower left and intercepted by a second soft line bearing down from the top right corner. Although simple, the lines created are balanced and pleasing to the eye.

 09 – Road to Nowhere: The groove in the mudflats creates a curved line leading towards the rear of the shot. This follows the idea of an implied line leading into the background; however the curves give much softer, slower movement than a more direct line would. The clump of seaweed in the foreground gives a point of interest as a starting point to the movement.

 10 – Hull: The intention when taking this shot was to show the implied triangle created by the converging parallel lines of the hull. On uploading the photograph, I discovered that the curves of the top and bottom of the boat were more prominent. The two elements combined create a sweeping movement through the image.

 11 – Stuck: I found this metal bar jutting out from the pebbles and was unable to move it so decided to shoot it in situ. The angle of my shot shows the triangle which is implied when two parallel lines converge.

 12 – Grave: Triangles can also be created by implied lines between three subjects, for example, three people. The children in this image form an implied triangle with the two ends of the boat. The boat itself is also made up of several triangles.

 13 – Tracks: The tread shown in the tyre show rhythm flowing along its circumference. I have shown the hole and the edge of the tyre in order to bring an end to the rhythm, creating a more interesting image.

 14 – Edible: This image displays pattern as the repeating shapes spill over from all edges of the shot. Although the pebbles are not exactly the same shape, they are similar enough to create pattern.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this module and feel I have learned a great deal about what design elements work in an image and why. I have visited this beach many times over the past few years, yet this exercise has enabled me to create a much more diverse range of images than on previous visits. I feel that setting similar challenges on future shoots will enhance my creativity and lead to much more interesting images.

All images from this assignment can be seen in the corresponding Flickr album.