Assignment 3: Buildings in Use – the plan

Assignment 3: Buildings in Use – the plan

I’ve been lucky enough to spend a lot of this summer visit a variety of places in England, mainly in Cornwall, Sussex, London and the Yorkshire dales. Some of the places, I knew I would visit beforehand so was prepared in what I wanted to photograph, whereas others were happy surprises. I was a little unsure which photographers to research in order to prepare for this assignment so I started with look through the book, ‘Masters of Photography’ by Reuel Golden, using the Internet to delve further.

‘Le Bateau Mouche’ by Willy Ronis shows a couple relaxing on a boat as they sail past iconic landmark, the Eiffel Tower; the man’s pose reminiscent of a cruise down the river, watching the world go by, the woman’s not so much. Ronis shows another couple taking advantage of their high vantage point from a tall building, taking in the view of the Paris cityscape.

I decided to browse some indoor street photography, using Getty Images website in a bid to steer towards good quality images. Most of the images, shown below struck me, as the interaction between people and place feels natural and fitting to the space; I loved the natural interaction between fishmonger and customer. The cinema image doesn’t feel natural at all but I was drawn to the use of light and colour, fitting with the activity of watching a film.

So, the assignment asks for two to four images of five or six buildings; so far I’ve got it whittled down to about ten images each of twelve different buildings. Sometimes I wonder why having a lot of options doesn’t make it easier…

My options are:

·       A museum

·       An outdoor artist’s haven

·       A private living room

·       An art gallery on a boat

·       A café

·       A shipping container bar & pizzeria

·       A market hall café

·       A wedding reception venue

·       A railway station

·       A mobile phone/computer store

·       A rented holiday cottage

·       A ‘glamping’ safari tent

·       An open air theatre

Actually, writing this list has helped me to see that there are some slight overlaps in subject matter; two private family spaces, a few eateries and a couple of public places of interest. I do feel though that the museum and the art gallery are so different that the contrast would enhance my assignment. Next step – colour code!

Now that’s made it easier – now to choose my favourite space from each colour:

·       A museum

·       An outdoor artist’s haven

·       An open air theatre

·       A ‘glamping’ safari tent

·       A market hall restaurant

·       A mobile phone/computer store

Well what do you know, I have my six venues – happy days! Now to whittle down the photos! J