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Ripples

20/3/2011

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Picture
Woolwich Arsenal, London, UK
Civic space and architecture is constantly evolving and changing. This is very evident in London’s East End. 

Traditionally an area for the working classes, the last 30 years have seen great change with the area being regenerated and gentrified. Many new buildings celebrating the maritime past sit beside old warehouses that have been converted to flats, retail space or public buildings. 

Public art has been incorporated into the regeneration, and generally ties the area to its historical past. While visiting Woolwich Arsenal, some steps caught my eye. 

Sitting on the river banks of the Thames, Woolwich Arsenal’s past is deeply connected with the manufacturing of armaments, ammunition proofing and explosives research for the British armed forces. The history dates back to the 1670s. 

Although the steps serve a very practical purpose, I saw the rippling affect of the Thames in them. Sitting along a pathway running beside the Thames, they were like the riverbank, warn over time by the shifting, tidal waters. 

The fluidity of the river really represented the stories and history of the area. The stories ebbing and flowing as time passed with fortunes waxing and waning as many times as there are moons to take the tide in and out. 

I had been photographing the area in black and white, mainly due to the historical buildings in the area, and the steps lent themselves well to this. The viewer can feel and smell the river and history in the textured stones and concrete as they ebb and flow from side to side. 

The steps are a reminder of how fluid the human existence, and experience, is. 

The above image is available to buy as a print. For more information, please click here.

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The Stairs to Somewhere

27/2/2011

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Picture
Greenwich Park, London, UK
Greenwich is one of my favourite parts of London. With its naval and royal history, along with the Georgian architecture, it has an old world charm that, not only draws many tourists, but lends itself quite well to photography. 

I find myself drawn back to Greenwich more times than I can count, and see new angles and pictures each time I go. Even familiar haunts, like the University or the market, can be cast in new light, depending on the time of day and the time of year. 

A few years ago, I happened to be walking in Greenwich Park in December, with my camera. I was struck how the sun was playing with the bare trees, and casting long winter shadows. 

I couldn’t resist taking photos. This time, however, I took colour photos rather than black and white, even with the long shadows. The reason? The clear, blue sky and the green grass contrasted nicely with each other, and with the shadows. To saturate the images even more, I used FujiFilm Velvia 50 with a polarizer filter. 

There are a few photos I am very happy with. One of them was stairs leading up a hill. The shadows are more subtle than the other photos, but still there, and the trees in the background give a hint of nature. 

The photo hints at something, leaving much to the imagination. The stairs imply some effort, and a certain amount of mobility, to climb. They could have led anywhere, or nowhere. 

The journey could be short, or infinite. Where would the stairs take me? Does it matter? I wonder what I would find along the way …

The above image is available to buy as a print. For more information, please click here.

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    Author

    Heather Martin is a London based photographer who specialises in architectural, event and B&W film photography.

    For more info, please to the About page.

    **Heather Martin owns the copyright to all the photographs and text within this blog, unless otherwise stated.

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