Assignment 3: Buildings in use

This assignment calls for 5 or 6 sets of 2 to 4 images showing how a building or space is used and can include people or not. I found I had more than 6 potential locations and wanted to attempt a variety to include both with and without people and indoor/outdoor. So I have opted to produce the maximum of 6 complete sets of 4 images each, giving a total of 24 images.

This assignment has taken a longer period than the previous two assignments to gather the candidate images and with a few false starts. For example I wanted to include a local Victorian bandstand (featured earlier in Exercise 18) but have never seen a band playing in it, the actual usage tends to be limited to night-time teenagers drinking “Buckfast”, so this location was rejected. An old derelict church was also in my original thinking. Strangely it is adjacent to a more recent church which is in use, when the original church was outgrown it was simply abandoned and a new one built. I explored various approaches to show usage of the old church which has tended graves and to try and show the two churches juxtaposed. Ultimately I ended up with some interesting shots but not ones that demonstrated use very well so this set were also rejected.

The final choices (then shown below with the first image from each set and notes) were:

1. St Michael's Church (very grand, indoor / without people)
2. Stanley Mills visitor attraction (industrial indoor, to consider sign-age and displays)
3. Cairnpapple (a henge with both outdoor / indoor contrasting features)
4. Scottish National Equestrian Centre (indoor, with people)
5. Broxburn Parish Church (indoor, with people)
6. Crinan Canal and locks (outdoor navigational feature, with people)

Set 1 – St Michael's Church, Linlithgow

From OCA P and P Assignment 3

Research: St. Michael's Church dates to the 15th century, the most complete surviving example of a large late medieval 'burgh kirk' in Scotland. Sited adjacent to the Royal Palace of Linlithgow, birth place of Mary Queen of Scots.
Read more at http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/linlithgow/stmichaels/index.html and
http://www.stmichaelsparish.org.uk/

Image notes: This set does not show people but attempts to imply the usage from the strength of the architectural features and artefacts to be seen within. Image 1 sets the scene, showing the spectacular aisle carpet (which they don't allow to be walked on) leading up to a mix of stained and plain glass windows, finally leading the eye to the vaulted ceiling. Image 2 shows detail from one of the stained glass windows at the side of the church, a technically more challenging shot requiring a suitable position of the sun to give the back-lighting and care with the exposure to hold the colour detail in the glass (this image of the stained glass was submitted to the SWPP monthly members' competition and was awarded a Silver in the Architectural Interior category). Image 3 shows a bible on a stand on the dais, the cross shaped bookmark is an unmistakable piece of Christian symbolism. The pews can be scene in the background but a vignette has been applied to keep the bible pages as the focus of the image. Finally image 4 shows an area not normally seen by the public with the colourful robes hanging up and a cross included on the wall behind.

Set 2 – Stanley Mills, Perthshire

From OCA P and P Assignment 3

Research: Stanley Mills is an industrial 18th-century water mill complex beside the River Tay, now run by Historic Scotland as a visitor attraction.
Read more at http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyresults/propertyoverview.htm?PropID=PL_273&PropName=Stanley%20Mills

Image notes: This set places the original use of the building as secondary and instead takes the idea of the mill now being a visitor attraction, considering aspects of sign-age and display. Image 1 shows a rather appealing sign that clearly tells you that you are looking at the “Spinning Room” with a 3D display of where that is in the complex while the left side of the image shows the actual room itself, now devoid of the original machinery. The doors in Image 2 caught my attention as I liked the contrast between the original sliding metal door and and the modern fire door that had now been additionally installed. Image 3 shows an “Education Room” off one of the stair ways and roped off. Image 4 shows somebody watching one of the modern display units, hopefully an acceptable use of somebodies back.

Set 3 – Cairnpapple, Lothians

From OCA P and P Assignment 3

Research: Cairnpapple Hill is considered one of the most important prehistoric sites on mainland Scotland. At about 310m or just over 1000ft in height the hill offers one of the best viewpoints in central Scotland, extending from Arran in the west to Bass Rock in the east. For over 5000 years this has been a special place, and evidence of this has been on view following excavation in 1947 & 1948.
Read more at http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/torphichen/cairnpapplehill/index.html

Image notes: This set combines views above ground (with people and in presented in colour) with views below ground (without people and presented in black and white). Image 1 is a wide angle view showing a tourist (complete with camera) heading towards the steps to the top of the mound. Image 2, also wide angle, shows tourists reading an information panel and taking in the view at the top with the entrance and ladder into the main graves. Image 3 shows one of the graves and image 4 shows the underground enclosure with access ladder on the left (both taken using a flash unit).

Set 4 – Scottish National Equestrian Centre (SNEC), Lothians

From OCA P and P Assignment 3

Research: The Scottish National Equestrian Centre is a new state of the art venue for all equestrian sports and activities in Scotland. The SNEC boasts facilities including 80m x 40m international 400 seater arena, 60m x 25m warm up arena, 110m x 80m Outdoor turf arena, a 6 furlong all-weather gallops, BE cross country course.
Read more at http://www.snec.co.uk/home.aspx

Image notes: This set was from my first visit to SNEC, to photograph an event for the Almond Riding Club. Image 1 shows activity around the the warm up area with both horses and riders. Ideally the point of focus would have been the person on the right but is closer to the bottle. Image 2 shows an Arab gelding getting a little skittish and being controlled by his owner. Image 3 shows a line up in the Hunter class, the riders give some feeling of scale and with the roof included to show the arena area. Image 4 is a set of spectators that, rather than use the regular seating, have improvised with a viewpoint by sitting on a training device.

(See more from the Almond Riding Club at SNEC Event on my main blog.)

Set 5 – Boys' Brigade Event at Broxburn Parish Church

From OCA P and P Assignment 3

Research: Broxburn Parish Church is one of several churches in Broxburn, extended with a large church hall, connected to the main church building, it makes an ideal venue for community events.
Read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broxburn,_West_Lothian

Image notes: This set was taken at the 2010 Ceremony for Queen's Badge and Duke of Edinburgh Award Certificate presentations, hosted by the West Lothian Battalion of the East Lowland Area of The Boys' Brigade. The church presented low lighting conditions and so these shots were taken at 1600 ISO. Image 1 shows a view from the front looking back at all the pews full of people and showing a stained glass feature above a galleried area. Image 2 shows Boys' Brigade members with their 'colours'. Image 3 shows Mr John Swinney, MSP (my first time photographing a politician), who had been making the presentations, with a senior member of the Boys' Brigade leading the singing and with words shown on a large wall mounted display screen. Image 4 was the chaplain leading the service. I found I needed to choose my moments carefully for these shots so that the microphone didn't encroach into the face area.

(See more from the Boys' Brigade Event on my main blog.)

Set 6 – Crinan Canal, Lock basin and sea locks

From OCA P and P Assignment 3

Research: The Crinan Canal starts at Ardrishaig on Loch Fyne, and ends nine miles away at Crinan on the Sound of Jura. It was designed to provide a quick link between the west coast and islands at one end and the Clyde Estuary at the other, and so avoid the long voyage around the south end of the Kintyre Peninsula.
Read more at http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/crinan/crinancanal/index.html

Image notes: There is a huge amount of activity around the locks most days through the summer. The activity includes locals, tourists, walkers, photographers, sailors and British Waterways Board (BWB) staff. This set follows one yacht, Sevarda, selected at random as it progresses through the last two locks of the Crinan Canal and out to sea. Image 1 shows the two yacht crew on deck while the lock gates open under the control of a BWB staff member (operating control panel, to right) and a couple of tourists spectate (standing either side of the lock gates). Image 2 shows the yacht emerging from the lock gates into the basin, VIC 32, a rare steam puffer,can be seen in steam in the background. Image 3 shows the yacht having just entered the final lock. A BWB person prepares to operate the lock (standing at blue control panel, to right). There are several passers by and a coffee shop can be seen in the background. Image 4 contrasts the heights as the yacht descends in the lock, below the level of the basin behind.

And see the whole set (view / slideshow):

OCA P and P Assignment 3