Beyond the Lens
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • Website
  • Prints
  • Bookshop
  • Social Media

In a Rural Setting

7/10/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
East Sussex, England, UK
Recently, a group of my friends and I hiked from Polegate to Buxted in Sussex, England. Along the way we, passed by the Long Man of Wilmington, a chalk figure carved in a hill in Wilmington, East Sussex. 

While it was fabulous to see the Long Man and an amazing countryside, what struck was the architecture that we passed along the way. The thatched room homes, the stone churches and the cottages that have been turned into desirable places to live. 

Many of these buildings were tucked away in the countryside in small sleepy villages that hark back to a very different era. In a way, time seemed to march on at a different pace in these little villages. 

The architecture is influenced by its setting insofar what materials were available, and is very different from what is found in larger cities. It also reflects the small communities that emerged over the centuries, and the buildings have a character of their own. 

There is a somewhat romantic feel of yesteryear in these villages and buildings. However, I am sure that maintaining these buildings today does involved quite a lot of work, and money. 

Living in a city, I felt fortunate for having been able to see these rural buildings on the hike. It made a change from what I am used to!

Picture
East Sussex, England, UK
0 Comments

Ships Ahoy!

6/8/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Hastings, East Sussex, England
There is something about the seaside that I really enjoy. Being near the ocean is something special. It can be bracing, and calm – sometimes all at once. It can be a gateway or fortified. Some make a living by the sea, while others have lost their lives. 

I visited Hastings for the first time last Saturday. I have been to other seaside towns like Dover and Folkestone in the past. I have enjoyed the all, and I enjoyed seeing the fisherman’s boats in Hastings. It reminded of times gone past where many coastal towns depended on fisherman for their livelihoods. 

The circular walk I did near Hastings gave wonderful views of the city itself as well as the town. The countryside and the views were dramatic. 

Walking back through the town to the train station – via a chippie – I took some photos of the fisherman’s boats and the buildings related to fishing. It was nice to see that they were still maintained. With the decline of the fisheries, it is very easy to lose this heritage. 

Picture
Hastings, East Sussex, England
0 Comments

Vernacular Architecture

7/8/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture
Oast house, Kent / Sussex border, UK
Recently, I was on a rambling walk along the Kent and Sussex border. This is a beautiful, and at times rugged, part of the country. Being a city-based photographer, I enjoy getting out of the city and seeing different parts of the country, and different styles of buildings and architecture. 

One of the famous types of buildings in the area, particularly in Kent, is the oast house or hop kiln, which is a building designed for kilning (drying) hops as part of the brewing process. Many redundant oasts have been converted into houses - which was the case of the oast house we passed early on in our walk.

The earliest surviving oasts date back to the 1750s. Early oast houses were simply adapted barns. By the early 19th century, the distinctive circular buildings with conical roofs had been developed in response to the increased demand for beer. In early in the 20th century, square oast houses appeared as they were found to be easier to build. In the 1930s, the cowls were replaced by louvred openings as electric fans and diesel oil ovens were employed. 

This is the first time I was able to photograph an oast, even if it was converted in home. Although hops are today dried industrially, I am glad that the unique architecture of the oast houses is not entirely lost. Brewing beer has become part of the cultural fabric of the UK, and its influence on the local architecture in Kent and parts of Sussex is distinctive. 

Architecture says a lot about local industry, way of life and the communities in a particular area. While these change over time, adapting some of the former buildings for modern can keep history alive, and the distinctive feel of an area. 

0 Comments

Peacefulness

3/4/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture
South East England, UK
Rambling has allowed me to appreciate the countryside in South East England; and gives me an opportunity not only to enjoy things at a slower pace but to take photos of nature. 

As a Londoner, I find it very easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of city life. Much of my photography reflects my urban life and the city I live in. 

On a lovely spring day yesterday, with the sun peering through the clouds, thirteen of us began an eight mile walk near the Surry, West Sussex and Hampshire borders, starting from a pub not far from Haslemere. My camera was firmly in my hand, ready to take photos.

Much of the walk was through fields, which we shared with sheep, and in forests - with the last part of it through Petworth Park, which is owned by the National Trust. There was lightness in the air and the new shoots of spring coming through. I was spoiled for shots. 

What really struck me was the peacefulness of the walk. Even with the sheep, as well as other ramblers we came across, I really had a sense of being in and with nature. 

What was very striking was the peacefulness of the nature. I had a deep sense of the natural disasters that happened in Japan recently, and of the uprisings in the Middle East. While nature can be idyllic, beautiful and peaceful, it can also be brutal and dramatic.

I tried to capture this sense of peace, as well as the shoots of new growth, in my photos. Capturing the mood isn’t always easy, and can be greatly affected by light as much as surroundings. 

I cherish the ramblers group I am a part of. It allows me to get out of London and see parts of England that I may not have otherwise have seen, or take photos of. 

0 Comments

Something Completely Different

12/9/2010

1 Comment

 
Picture
South Downs, Sussex
Recently, I joined some ramblers and walked over the South Downs in Sussex, South East England. It is a beautiful part of the country, and I wasn’t without a camera.

Being a city dweller, it’s probably not a surprise that the focus of much of my photography is city based. However, I did find the opportunity to take photos in a rural setting a welcome break from what I would normally photograph.

Being taken out of my ‘natural’ environment can push my photography in ways I wouldn’t have expected. It can present challenges I wouldn’t normally find in a city space.

But how?

Many of the photographic principles remain the same. Make sure the light is behind you; using the one-third / two-thirds rule when setting up a shot; shutter speed and ISO level; objects in focus; etc.

With a different subject matter, though, the photographer is freed from the usual constraints of familiar territory – busy streets; light behind buildings; etc. Buildings and concrete where replaced by hills, fields, cattle, country lanes and the odd building. Getting different angles of the landscape can mean walking miles, rather than street blocks.

While it can be easy to make the rural setting idyllic and fit into my own stereotypes and notions of what it should be, I found myself photographing it in an honest way.

Being in a different environment can also make you look at your own work in a different way. It can challenge you in how you frame things; it can push your creativity in unexpected ways.

You may notice things that you wouldn’t notice before. Even in cities, there is an interaction between the concrete and nature. I am always amazed that nature creeps in and finds places to grow in the cracks and crevices of a city, outside of the designated park area.

Developing and style and specialising in an area of expertise isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, the downside is a photographer may become a bit stagnant and repeat what is tried and tested. Trying new techniques or even photographing what you wouldn’t normally can be insightful, even if it’s not successful. It’s a learning process.

A couple of years ago, I went to an Annie Leibovitz exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Anne is best known for her portraits of the famous. However, in the exhibition, she had a few photos of the Grand Canyon, which surprised me and challenged my expectation of her. They may not have been her strongest work, but I do respect her for trying something different, and having the courage to show the rest of us.

Pushing your creative boundaries can be very insightful, even when it’s not the most successful work you may do.

To view my photos of the South Downs in Sussex.

1 Comment

    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.

    Archives

    August 2016
    May 2016
    December 2015
    August 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010

    Categories

    All
    Annie Leibovitz
    Anton Hammerl
    Architecture
    Art
    Art Deco
    Autumn
    Barcelona
    Bath
    Battersea
    Beckenham
    Birmingham
    Book
    Borough Market
    Brick Lane
    British Museum
    Brixton
    B&W
    Byland Abbey
    Canada
    Canary Wharf
    Castle Howard
    Cathedral
    Celebrity
    Cemetary
    Channel 4
    Charing Cross
    Christmas
    Church
    City
    Clapham
    Colour
    Copyright
    Covent Garden
    Crystal Palace
    Daniel Libeskind
    Death
    Diana
    Digital
    Dover
    Dover Castle
    Dulwich Wood
    Edinburgh
    Edinburgh Castle
    Eltham Palace
    England
    Euston Station
    Exhibition
    Film
    Fisheye
    Folkestone
    Foster And Partners
    Fujifilm
    Games
    Gaudi
    Gothic
    Graffiti
    Greenwich
    Hampshire
    Hastings
    Hertfordshire
    Home
    Hoxton
    Ilford Film
    Iphone
    Isle Of Dogs
    Joseph Paxton
    Journey
    Katharina Fritsch
    Kent
    Kodak
    Law
    Light
    Lip
    Liverpool
    Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral
    Lomography
    London
    London 2012
    London Bridge
    London Eye
    London Underground
    Lothian
    Mallorca
    Marketing
    Modern
    More London
    Motif
    Museum
    Museum Of Civilization
    Museum Of London
    Nathan Coley
    National Sports Centre
    Nature
    Niagara Falls
    Olympics
    Online
    Open House London
    Oscar Wilde
    Ottawa
    Paparazzi
    Photojournalism
    Photo Manipulation
    Police
    Power
    Privacy
    Project
    Public Places
    Quakers
    Quebec
    Railway Stations
    Ramblers
    Reflection
    Renzo Piano
    Riots
    River Thames
    Royal Arsenal
    Royal Liver Building
    Royal Ontario Museum
    Rural
    Salisbury Cathedral
    Scotland
    Seo
    Shadow
    Shepherds Bush
    Side Streets
    Sir Giles Gilbert Scott
    Snow
    Somerset
    South Bank
    South Downs
    Spain
    Spirituality
    Sports
    Spring
    Stairs
    St James
    Stonehenge
    St Pancras Station
    Street Art
    Street Photography
    Summer
    Sunflower
    Surrey
    Sussex
    Sydenham Hill Wood
    Technology
    Terrorism
    Texture
    Thames
    The Crystal Palace
    The Shard
    Tim Hetherington
    Toronto
    Tower Bridge
    Train
    Transport
    Uk
    Urban
    Valentine
    Velvia
    Viaduct
    Walter Aubrey Thomas
    Wapping
    War
    Water
    Waterloo
    Weather
    Westfield Shopping Centre
    Westminster
    William Pye
    Wiltshire
    Winter
    Winter Solstice
    Woodbrooke
    Woolwich
    York
    York Minster
    Yorkshire

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.