I made this image on a workshop in the Autumn of 2024. We spent the afternoon visiting a beach with lots of boats and huts - usually a happy recipe for myself. I setup a composition on the first boat to get myself into the zone and then tackled one of the interesting features of a second nearby boat.
There was some interesting modern covering that was reflecting the blue sky above that I thought might make a strong image.
As usual I got excited about the idea and spent an age setting it up. It was tricky to focus and compose - I was pointing diagonally along the side of the boat and using lots of swing to hold the focus from right to left. I couldn't get the image to work or focus properly and I got increasingly frustrated with things. I felt I was fighting all the elements. The race against time with significant tides to worry about didn't help. Eventually I got setup and (with help to shield the lens) made the alternative image. I thought I would be fairly happy with it at the time and relaxed, happy at least to have made an image. I was sure it would be strong.
I then spotted the main composition above on the first boat again and moved the gear back over without even packing down. It was a two minute setup composed almost on instinct and with very little conscious thought. It was only when I got the images back home that I realised that my feelings about the images versus expectations were reversed. I tried and tried to process the alternative image to my satisfaction and couldn't. More than likely I have to put it down to subject failure. It feels more like a technical exercise than a meaningful image. It is possible that proximity is the main issue at the moment and I may change my tune about the image over time! That also happens.
The main image however was as easy to process as it was to make and has much more substance and significance. I had a portfolio of images underway focused on the processes of time and the melancholy feeling of the decaying boat cover fit the portfolio perfectly. Sometimes instinct wins out over brute force! As does having a portfolio concept in order to slot images. The alternative image is a standalone image at the moment.
I think the right workshop in the hands of the right leader are crucial for personal development. I was exposed to lots of new people and ideas once again and workshops can help to trigger thinking about your own practice and your creative process. The trough in quality, motivation and satisfaction I experienced between 2015 and 2021 was in part I think because I stopped attending workshops. I became insular and closed to a lot of external input at a time (transitioning from film to digital) when I most needed that coaching and support.
Northumberland, November 2024
Phase IQ4 150 Cambo Actus DB 120mm Rodenstock.