Assignment 4

For assignment four I needed to produce six images of a specific area with an aim of showing the character of the place and of the people who live there with visual variety. Along with my six final chosen images, I also needed at least twice this number of good, publishable images from which to make the final selection.

My chosen area was the Bailgate, Castle Hill and Steep Hill, the area directly surrounding Lincoln Cathedral, one of he oldest and most important areas in the city of Lincoln. Bailgate leads onto Castle Hill, the medieval space which forms the setting across which the Cathedral and Castle face each other, dating from 1072 and 1068. The character of this area is a key tourist destination in Lincoln and the East Midlands region. Castle Hill is a key public square in the city. Around Castle Hill the buildings are taller than most of the character area, often three to four storeys high, and provide a good sense of enclosure to the square. Bailgate and Steep Hill has a mix of residential and commercial uses continuing a long tradition of these uses since the medieval era if not before. 18th and 19th century houses and shops on former medieval plots along Bailgte and Steep Hill form a key part of the townscape. 

As part of the assignment, I considered shooting the whole assignment at night due to the inspiration from Todd Hido, after visiting an exhibition of his houses at night along with reading his book 'Todd Hido on Landscapes, Interiors and the nude'. After much deliberating as to whether to include daytime with night time, and trying to decided which to include in the final selection, I decided to combine equal numbers of night time with daytime as  way of balancing the set.  

Image 1 - Canon 70D, sigma 17-70 lens
ISO320, 19mm, f/8.0 1/80

Image 1: This area at the bottom of steep hill shows the wider space often used for a craft market. These buskers were more than happy to have their picture taken. I took several pictures of them, some of which were included in my set from which to select my final six. I'd used this part of this area for images many times before so  knowing that if I changed my position and composition the image would include the cathedral and the part of the cobbles that opened out to include the attractive houses and adding further interest to the image behind them. I turned myself around to the side of the buskers in order for them to be to the side of the image so that I could get the cathedral into shot, which works quite well as the viewer first looks at the buskers then up the cobbles toward the cathedral.

Image 2 - Canon 70D, sigma 17-70 lens
ISO320, 25mm, f/11 1/80

Image 2 - The title of Steep Hill isn't given lightly, it's really steep! This image, where I have varied the angle, is an attempt to demonstrate the steepness of the hill, I took if from sitting on the kerb stones, which helped steady the camera on my elbow/leg. I would have liked to catch the expression of an tired individual but from the angle I'd chosen, people had their head down ready for the ascent, I considered positioning myself further up the hill to catch this desired expression, but the angle of the hill would have been less obvious I felt.

Image 3 - Canon 70D, sigma 17-70 lens
ISO320, 17mm, f/5.6 1/66

Image 3 - Castle Hill & Square, an area used for regular events such as the farmers markets, craft markets, the famous Christmas market and various events throughout the year. This is also one of the iconic scenes often seen on promotional material, not usually with the farmers market, which is why I included it. This image displays a regular event in Lincoln, attended by local people in addition to visitors. The image it taken using a wide angle lens to capture the size of this area, with the eye being drawn through the archway toward the Cathedral.

Image 4 - Canon 70D, sigma 17-70 lens
ISO200, 17mm, f/2.8, 8 sec

Image 4 - The first of my night time images was taken around the back of the cathedral just as the cafe was closing, while the staff moped the floors and prepared for the next day, I took this image of the light cascading shadows across the pathway along with the light from the sodium flood lights throwing shadows through the stone arches. The feeling I get when looking at this image is, what's going on through the window? what are the people doing inside?, I want to go up to the window and peep through. The intention behind this image is 'behind the scenes', when the tourists have gone, the warm welcome of the cafe lights, drawing people in to a corner of the Cathedral and a view not usually seen.

Image 5 - Canon 70D, sigma 17-70 lens
ISO200, 17mm, f/2.8 1/4 

Image 5 - The image creates a feeling of mystery, the mist swirling round the rooftop while the inhabitants are tucked up inside, possibly watching tv not knowing about the misty magic floating around the roof. The viewer is also directed to the house to the left of the mystery house, I always wonder if, when people live near each other, do they know each other at all? My aim behind this image was to show a feeling of someone coming home out of the cold and fog, to a cosey home within the gaze of the majestic cathedral, people going about their daily lives long after the tourists have gone home. 

Image 6 - Canon 70D, sigma 17-70 lens
ISO200, 19mm, f/2.8 1/15

Image 6 - This Christmas tree is positioned directly outside the front of the Cathedral, within view of the residents who live in the magical area that sits in the shadow of this huge building. The little cards seen around the base of the tree are notes from local people in memorial to lost loved ones, placed there in a ceremony every year. The fog gives the area around the tree an enveloping softness which emphasises the emotion behind the image.