This is a slide show of my most recent shoot, this was during a frozen spell at the turn of the year, this turned the lake at Dacha into a whole other world. I spent a few late afternoons walking through here as the light faded, it had a completely different feel to it. There was no wind and it was eerily still you can see from several of the images that even with a slow shutter, there is little movement in the trees branches. There is a satin effect on the surface of the middle lake, I love how the fading light makes it shine silver, and the tree branches frozen in time poking out from the ice. There is a stillness to the photographs that signifies a sort of solitude and silence, which is as I have been trying to portray in my subject.
I was quite excited at the results of this shoot, Being able to view them immediately once I returned home, I could easily identify those which I would like to add to my list of potential images for my submission. I had also taken photographs in tandem, with my analogue camera. I was hopeful I might have some images from this that I could use in my book or for my final exhibition piece. I am still undecided on how I will separate my images from analogue / digital and colour / black and white. Or even, whether its necessary to have this as a concern at all.
This was a shoot which really helped me to pin down what I was trying to do. I loved most of the photographs from this session, it was chilly, getting dark and by the time I finished it the moon was climbing high in the sky. I used long exposures with my digital camera on a tripod. Sometimes as long as 5 minutes. I hadn’t done much night work up to this point and wanted to see what results I might achieve.
I have converted a few of the images to black and white as I think this added to a sense of timelessness The jackdaws in the trees were very vocal, as were the pheasants! As it was their time of day to set up roost in the trees. This was tricky to capture on camera but I rather like the movement in the treetops whilst also revealing the silhouette of the birds settling there for the night. The canopy of the trees was especially dramatic because of the clear sky and full moon that night. They cast their silhouette on the lake and so with the longer exposure I had the effect of smoth mirror like surface of the water and the reflection of light cloud, branches and leaves which had slight blur to them.
This work was a joy to make and the focus on just a few small areas of the lake meant again that I just surrounded myself with the landscape and really felt a part of it.
As I was about to leave, I turned around and saw the perfect reflection of the moon in a puddle. I got the camera back out and photographed it, also the scene of the driveway down to the area of the property where the rented sheds are.
The work here really doesn’t quite fit visually with my narrative though. I am being less concerned about that when actually shooting because thats my aim but when it comes to sequencing a book or selecting work for the gallery wall, I think it sits alone. It is likely I will create a separate body of work for another project having been inspired by this shoot.
This area of Guiting Wood is of particular importance for me. This is a place, tucked away at the Southern end of the woods, where the stream comes from underground and opens up into a small pool. The water here is always freezing cold as it makes its way from under the ground and its always crystal clear. My grandfather was responsible for looking after the water pumping station, situation about three quarters of a mile away. I always think of him when I am here, wondering if we’d be looking at the same view. Here is an excerpt from his diary, which details this along with his other duties that week. I love his writing and the details of his hours spent working locally. I chuckled at the landrover note, it seemed so matter of fact, as though this was an unsurprising occurrence!
I spent some time here, just alone with my thoughts and thought about my family. As my mind settled, I thought about the bridge that we used to sit on, skimming stones throwing sticks and leaves, seeing who’s would win the race. I thought above how my cousin and I collected creatures into buckets or pre-prepared jars and studied them for a while. I am reminded of the time I was so fascinated by the huge Roman snails that can be found in this area and took several home with me to live in the garden, except (unbeknownst to me, they are protected and since 1981 it has been illegal to take them!) I accidentally left the jar in my parents car with the lid off. My father wasn’t thrilled when i went to get in his car at 5am for a long drive up North for work. Needless to say, I have taught my own children to leave things in place (thats what a camera is for, after all)
As I settle into place and tap into my memories, I can sense what I can only describe as echos of conversations past and I can feel everyone in this place. I am reminded of one of my favourite quotes that I discovered when researching 7802, by landscape architect Jacques Abelman, for his study into the dwelling perspective. It poetically describes the scientific facts of atomic turnover “Every atom in our bodies is replaced over time…our skin sloughs off and becomes dust; the carbon in our breaths becomes the bodies of plants…we become the landscape, and the landscape becomes us, creating our bodies anew over the course of our lives” (Abelman, 2023: p1) I often think of this when I am in a landscape environment. I find it comforting to think that we are all still here in some form or another. A recent novel that I read which stayed with me for some time after I finished it was ‘There are Rivers in the Sky’ by Elif Shafnak. It tells a story that is woven through by the journey of a single raindrop. It is about ‘the politics and preciousness of water’ (guardian: online) and features different characters, spanning history from ancient Mesopotamia and the tale of Gilgamesh, to modern day London. I haven’t looked at water in the same way since.
For this shoot, I again used my digital camera as a tool to practice in place, to settle in and immerse myself in the environment. The intention being to shoot on analogue afterwards. I am finding this is an effective way of working when still getting used to my Mamiya. I lack a bit of confidence with it and so that distracts me from the focus on becoming mindful. I realise that this could raise the question of contradicting myself as it might suggest the images are contrived / pre planned. However, I feel that I become more relaxed if I satisfy that part of my mind which wants some control, therefore I’d argue that conversely makes the process of mindfulness easier.
My most successful image in this series is the wider perspective of the pond itself. With the tree trunk in the centre at the point where the water begins to disappear again on its journey along the valley and eventually back underground, it is evocative of those memories I mention above. As though time itself is being carried along, with water as its vehicle. The colours at this moment were so saturated and almost seemed to be lit up. I like that the trees fill the frame and that there is no sky visible, like the work of Thomas Struth for his ‘New Pictures from Paradise’ series.
This was a shoot in Autumn, late into the evening when it was very bright. I wanted to explore the area and remind myself of some of the key aspects that trigger memories for me. The carved stones are personally evocative as I remember the stone mason who carved them. He lived in a caravan in the woods and made these pieces in place. Carved from the local Cotswold Stone, they have been there for 40 or so years.
The stream that runs through this woodland was a place of great excitement when I was a child. Bathing in it, investigating it and following its route, we lost hours here. I plan to return with my analogue camera to shoot some key areas.
This is the image I selected to use in my lightbox. I like how the leaves form a frame and draw the eye into the tree trunk at the centre. It gives an impression of depth and mystery to the woodland:
Nikon D850 with 105mm fixed lens, 24-70mm wide and 50mm prime.
As Autumn creeps in, the landscape was beginning to change. I paid close attention to the water levels here because they had not recovered after such a long dry summer. It is the first time my step father remembers it being so low for so long. Interestingly, the swan mussels presence indicate good water quality, I would have assumed that the lack of rain might have contributed to its decline but I wonder if with there being no agricultural run off from the hill it has actually given the environment chance to recover. I admit, this is unscientific on my part but it is a passing thought as I watch the water.
I am working in the open space today. I feel quite exposed, as ordinarily I am hidden under the tree canopy but I feel I need to invest time in the other areas of the landscape which I usually pass up. The sky feels heavy with rain and it does come but not enough. I tried to catch it in the pond with lillypads, it only just breaks the surface, seeming to almost evaporate before it arrives. Its still warm.
The wind has picked up a little and I notice the reeds moving back and forth in unison. The red and yellow appears flame like, they are striking against the otherwise green and brown landscape. The same is true of the orange spruce. I don’t know the story of this young tree but it stands as though watching me, its strangely comforting. Its bright colour is bold against the rest of the scene. Most of the water birds are nowhere to be seen, I did spy a small group of ducks under the canopy but they all made their escape as they heard my approach. I liked how they had found a shallow area of rock and shingle just peeking above the water line under the trees, there was also a small patch of light coming through which seemed to illuminate them as they sat. I tried to photograph them but in my clumsy attempt, I disturbed them all.
I experimented with movement, for the orange spruce, I panned the camera slightly to create a painted effect. It feels too contrived though and not in the spirit of mindful practice. I like the movement in the reeds though, they move themselves as I leave a slightly longer exposure. I did spend a good couple of hours here, absorbed in my surroundings and practicing just ‘being’. It feels odd at the moment and I hope that this will change. It is meant to be a ‘practice’ after all.
I took my Nikon out and treated the activity just as a walk rather than a photoshoot. Some of my photographs were banal but I’ve selected a few that I felt had the beginning of something more meaningful. Successes for me are the shots under the tree canopy at the waters edge. I, like many people am drawn to water and this is the place which contains the memories of mid summer when the lake is used for leisure and the teens ‘hang out’ on its banks. The swan is reclaiming its territory here, with everyone now headed home. I have ideas for other projects which centre on this lake. It centres around the summer months when it is very much in use by family and friends. Of course, thats not possible for this final project because it is being carried out over Autumn and Winter, when the landscape takes on a whole new meaning for me. A place of solitude and quiet where I get to lose myself in my own thoughts.
I shot alongside using my analogue camera, the images from that can be seen on the following post. The light was very bright even though late in the day and it was surprisingly tricky to get the balance right.
At this moment I was very much still trying to narrow down my theme and now, writing this up and having developed this further, I am not sure how these may / may not fit. I think that they do tell part of the story of the place itself.
In the first few images of the ‘square lake’ I have concentrated on the aspect of the lake which we use for socialising. My children are there as soon as the temperature climbs in the spring, until the last of the summer warmth. There is a deep connection with this place, when I think about the summers spent here and some essence of each of us remaining, memories are literally contained here and the rope swing in particular symbolises that. I admit to a tinge of sadness when I photographed this, knowing that this is another year of a rapidly disappearing childhood done. I think that may be why I chose to convert the tree and rope swing images in to black and white. I didn’t want the distraction of colour to detract from the memory. The garden hoe was used by the children to ‘grab’ the handle of the rope swing to pull it back in, ready for the next launch. The presence of the swan, peacefully swimming along whilst I photographed, did make me think about how it is probably enjoying the peace and quiet now. The white chair in the background, and also of the yellow boat on the late, as well as the kayak on the shore, is further intended to show where someone once was, enjoying the surroundings.
The next set of images is from the adjacent lake, this is less used as a ‘playground’ as it is close to holiday yurts that my mother and stepfather rent out. Also manmade, these have over the years changed shape as my stepfather digs out channels and creates small island areas for the wildlife. Not one to leave things be, he enjoys creating spaces for all (people, plants and animals alike) which results in an abundant landscape. For these images, I was able to concentrate on smaller details, like the reflections of the trees, plants and the exposed roots. This was taken at a time when Southern areas of the UK had no rain for 45 consecutive days. The impact of this was so clear to me when I took these photos. Areas of the lake were completely dried up and you could walk from one section to another, without getting wet! Even the algae bloom was everywhere this year which you can clearly see on the lake surface. I like the traces of the ducks etc in the water, revealing where they’ve been, which of course would be impossible without the algae.
I think I have some nice photographs but none of them really say anything about what I am trying to create. I do feel some frustration at this stage, I have also photographed using my analogue camera, I am hopeful that the film will be more rewarding as I have taken more time with it, with only 10 frames per roll of film, it commands a slower, more considered approach. I have realised I am almost using my digital camera to document this process.
Lucinda Taylor 