Horizontal
1.
The horizontal line created by the top of Derwent Dam stands out because it is a man-made artefact in the natural environment. In taking this image, I had in mind the work of Fay Godwin for whom a strong theme was 'man's traces' in nature, with both positive and negative impact. The dam is fairly 'sympathetic' given its tone, texture and the way it is nestled in the trees.
This image from Godwin's 'Landmarks' collection (2001, 'Great Langdale, Cumbria', provided a model for my attempt. While the contrast between the natural and the man-made is stark, the dry-stone wall is by no means a blot on the landscape.
The same cannot be said for the pipe-line I photographed in the resevoir below Derwent Dam. In this case, the 'horizontal' draws a stark and uncomfortable line through a pleasant scene. With reference to the course notes, both my images are static, stable and have weight, but their location evokes very different emotional responses.
Fay Godwin also took striking landscape images that did not necessarily include 'man's traces'. This one of Beadnell Bay in Northumberland has a strong 'horizontal' that is not man-made, but neither is it static or stable. Because the sea and sky seem to converge on the horizon, it creates a sense of movement into the distance.
Again, I tried to follow Godwin's model, just south of Beadnell at Howick. In my image, the dynamic is mostly in the sky. The sea and land are relatively still, therefore there is little sense of movement towards the horizon and it is much more stable.
2.
In this image, the horizontal is more of a boundary than a base, separating the newly refurbished, well-ordered flats from the old wall covered in graffiti. This is quite symbolic of this part of the city, where old 1960's flats have been modernised to provide high quality apartments for professional people.
I was aware that some contemporary photographers take similar images of urban life. One in particular that gave me some ideas was Joel Sternfield, one of whose images I have included, (from Bright, S, 2005, Art Photography Now, Thames and Hudson).
3.
This image was taken in a derelict factory which has almost become a graffiti workshop for aspiring Banksies. The horizontals in this image provide lines and an appropriate frame for the work of the artists.
4.
The line of cauliflowers not only provide a 'base' for the display of vegetables, but also a striking feature that attracts people to the stall.
Eugene Atget was clearly struck by the graphic elements in shop displays as well as in buildings, as shown in this photograph of rows of shoes, (from Aperture Masters of Photography, 1980, Eugene Atget, Koneman). The rows are at a slight angle therefore there isn't the same static quality that there would be had the photograph been taken at 90 degrees to the shoes to create more horizontal lines. My photograph had to be taken at a slight angle as well, but my closeness, and the use of a standard lens, minimised the convergence of lines.
Vertical
1.
A low angle emphasised the 'tallness' of the statue at St Pancras' Station and increased its impact on the viewer. I also wanted to include the roof to enhance the 'drama' in the shot. A straight shot from a standing position in front of the statue would have been much less powerful. I'm not sure that the Olympic rings add much to the image and I may re-shoot this after August.
Henri Cartier-Bresson used a similar device to emphasise the power of the speaker and the size of his audience. (from 'A propos de Paris, 2004, Thames and Hudson).
2.
There is also a sense of 'power' created by the tallness of this television mast shot with a wide-angle zoom lens, at 17mm, against a fairly dramatic sky. Representing it as a silhouette increases this feeling.
When the image is shot with the lens at 10mm, a slight bend is introduced into the mast which adds a sense of 'threat' to the power.
Alexander Apostel (from Bright, S 2005) used strong verticals to represent power. In this case, a water fountain is his 'power-tower' and is symbolic of the surge in the Venezualan economy in the 1950's due to oil. It isn't a strong and lasting 'power-tower' though, which was also the case for the Venezualan economy.
3.
The vertical in this image is created by shooting upwards at the corner of a modern hotel building. The height is emphasised by the repeating 'blocks' disappearing into the sky and the arrow formation created at the corner of the roof lines.
Eugene Atget (from Krase, A. & Adam HC.) provided a model for my approach; emphasising the tallness of a building by photographing the corner and creating strongly converging lines in the roof. In addition, he increases the sense of height by having the building disappear beyond the top of his photograph.
4.
For this image, I used a very low structure to create a vertical. I did this by shooting along the top of a dry-stone wall with a wide-angle zoom lens set at around 12mm. This angle, and the curving horizon, gives a strong sense of movement towards the far distance, which is clearly an illusion since it is only one field's length.
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