Hello, I’m Gill and I write a photography blog inspired by the landscapes of Suffolk and beyond. Please subscribe to read more of my writing and visit my website to view my images
Back in April I wrote a post about a short project I had undertaken on my local beach, photographing the old metal defences that help protect the fragile crumbling cliffs from erosion by the sea. If you haven’t read this post you can catch up here.
The images that I took for the project were a little different to my usual shots. Instead of wider landscapes I focused on the beauty that I could see in the rusty metal sea defences, in particular the crenellated wall that runs along the length of the beach. Using this as a theme I created a series of detail and abstract images taken with my 70-200mm lens.
Since my first trip to the beach I have returned several times and have now put together a body of work which I have incorporated in a printed zine.
I thought it would be interesting to discuss my ideas behind the project and how I approached putting the zine together.
In my head I had a story about the wall and the beach that I wanted to tell, a story of strength, defiance and decay. Here was a man made structure that had been erected to protect the fragile cliffs, but over time the sea has battered and broken it and left its mark in its scarred surface.
Industrial looking man made structures are not usually my idea of attractive elements to photograph but there is something about this wall and the patterns in its decay that I felt would make an interesting series of images and a good story.
Having processed what I considered to be the best images from my visits I began by creating a collection in Lightroom and arranged the images within it into groups.
I had numerous shots that showed different aspects of the sea wall. Some featured water, some used a shallow depth of field to show the crenelations, some just showed the rust patterns and some contrasted the rusty metal with the old wooden posts that existed next to the wall. I felt that the water was the linking theme so I wanted to start and finish the zine with images that showed the water gushing out of the wall and landing on the beach. In between I wanted to show the effects that the water has had on the structure in the patterns and colours it has created whilst interacting with the metal surface.
The images below show a rough layout for my story.
The screenshot below shows my initial Lightroom catalogue for the project. I started with 36 images.
I chose to limit the size of the zine from the outset and decided on 24 images as my total. This allowed me to give each image its own page within the publication whilst still keeping the zine to a manageable and cost effective size.
This meant getting rid of 12 images from my initial collection. I did this by removing any that I felt were duplicates or that didn’t fit in with the overall colour theme. I then tried to pair up the images, thinking about which would sit well together on opposing pages based on their subject and aesthetic qualities. I wanted each pairing to compliment each other. After much deliberation I was left with my final ordered selection of 24 images.
I used Indesign to lay out my zine, but Photoshop or Affinity Publisher would have been good alternatives. I tried to make sure that the visual flow of each image was orientated towards the centre of the publication and not away from it and that each pair of images was similar in colour. In terms of sequencing my thought process was:
Pick an order which corresponds to my storyline
Create relevant pairings based on aesthetics and colour
Cut out any duplicates or images that don’t fit the colour theme. This meant removing some of my favourites but with a body of work I was looking for overall cohesion and aesthetics rather than keeping individually compelling images.
My next task was to create some words for my zine. I based these around the crenellations in the wall and have include the first paragraph to give you a flavour.
In....Out....In....Out....
The crenellations of the old steel sea defence span the length of the beach forming a seemingly impenetrable barrier. A man made wall with an undulating surface, etched by time and decorated with the patterns of nature. It stands in defiance, facing the sea, guarding the crumbling cliffs behind. Its footings are buried deep within the wet shingle and its imposing structure stretches high into the sky. It affords protection - for now.
I chose the image for the front cover because I felt it encapsulated the whole beach in one frame and this has gone on to be my favourite image from the project.
Two weeks after taking this image I returned to the beach to see if I could improve on its composition. I traversed the length of the wall and couldn’t find this wooden post. As I wandered back, more slowly this time, I found what I was looking for, but to my surprise only the top of the post was visible. In two weeks the sand had risen by over a meter and my original composition was no longer visible. The transient nature of the beach was all too evident.
This is what I love about photography. Nothing is permanent. Even structures that have a rigid presence don’t stay the same. I couldn’t better my original image because it no longer existed, and I may have to wait months for it to reappear - if it ever does.
How to tackle a short project
Find a subject that interests you. This is really important. It needs to spark a passion for you to produce your best work. It also needs to be easily accessible in case you need to return numerous times.
Work out a concept or story that you could tell with your project. This doesn’t need to be complicated. Mine was about the beauty in a rusty metal wall and water was the theme that linked it all together.
Visit your subject or location several times and create a series of images each time. Think about pairing images as you work.
Consider the colours and tones of your collection and make sure all the images have the potential of working well together.
Sequencing is really important. Make sure all your images compliment each other and don’t be afraid to kill your favourites if they don’t fit with the rest.
Think about the visual flow as you are laying our your project. Remember you are looking at the overall collection and not just single images.
Hand printed zines are a great way to display a small number of images but this can get expensive if you are printing larger collections. There are numerous online print on demand publishers who will create zines from your digital artwork. I used Mixam for my zine.
This project has been one of the most enjoyable I have worked on, probably because it is so different from the images that I usually take. I loved looking for and taking the photos, seeking out the compositions and playing with shallow depths of field. The writing was a fun challenge and I felt it really summed up the story I wanted to tell. For a few weeks this project was a lovely distraction from my usual work and I am really pleased with how it turned out.
Kindom of Rust is available as a limited edition of 30 copies, all numbered and signed. If you would like a copy you can purchase one from my website.
Kingdom of Rust is my 4th solo published project, the others are more typical of my landscape work and you can find links to them below:
Grounded - a year of nature connections on Hollesley Marshes, with images taken on my daily walks during the Covid pandemic of 2020.
Rooted - Some wild places have the power to captivate all who visit them, not because they have unrivalled views or superior scenery but because they instil in the visitor a sense of wonder and awe. This book is about one such magical woodland.
At the edge of permanence - Nothing in life or the landscape is permanent.This project contrasts the transient nature of everyday scenes with the landscapes of Coigach in the North West Highlands which comprise some of the oldest rocks in Europe.
I love producing bodies of work and compiling publications to display them, I think it is really satisfying and a great way to get my work in front of other people.
I would love to hear your thoughts on personal projects - have you ever undertaken one or does the idea seem to daunting? Do you think you would benefit from the structure that a project will bring to your photography? What projects from other photographers have inspired you?
Please leave your comments below.
Thank you very much for reading and until next week enjoy your photography.
Gill
I really like your project, Gill, and how you explained the process of making your zine. It has inspired me to try making one myself as it’s a good option to a book for displaying a smaller range of images,
Printing is so key, isn't it ? The photograph on paper and in a bound book is so real and alive in your hands vs. a flickering backlight pixel on a screen... really beautiful work!