The Loch is calm and the reeds of Cill Chriosd stand proud. The water is still and the Cuillin range and puffs of cumulus provide strong reflections. As I sit on the edge of the Loch my mind wanders to my early career as a police photographer. The jagged reflections of the mountains provide a menacing backdrop to an otherwise tranquil scene. On the one hand, I am feeling calm, as I take in the nature surrounding the Loch, but this is punctuated by flashes of images from my early career.
After feedback I have changed the words to:
The Loch is calm,
The reeds of Cill Chriosd stand proud,
The water is still,
The Cuillin range and cumulus give strong reflections.
At the edge of the Loch my mind wanders to an early career,
The jagged reflections of the mountains extend a menacing backdrop,
I am feeling calm, absorbing the nature of the Loch,
Broken by flashes of forensic images.
I am happy to return to the Loch and light shines on the reeds providing stark shadows in the shallow waters. The circular patterns are mesmerising as my eyes dart around the viewfinder to frame of the image. Working like this was part of my training as a police photographer and my thoughts turn to some of the images in my head that I rarely allow myself to recall or talk about.
It is a grey day but I am buoyant about focusing my work on reflections of small clumps of reeds. I work quickly and meticulously to the brief I have set myself, just like I did as a police photographer, making sure everything is in the frame and I haven’t missed anything. The Loch is moving slowly providing some interesting shapes and ripples in the reflections. My tranquility at being back at the Loch is complete with no ghosts haunting me in my work today.
I have spent a lot of time today amongst the reeds wading through the springy grass and boggy soil of the water’s edge. I love the contrast of light and dark in the reeds and their nodding heads illuminated by the late autumn sun. Time moves quickly as I take close ups and wider landscape shots from my viewpoint. I have successfully sat on the box that holds my memories of my days as a police photographer and life is good.
The waters of the Loch are full of energy this morning. As it is a dull day the reflections are strong and very striking creating all sorts of abstract patterns. The Loch has taken on a frenzied personality quite different to other days when I have visited. It reminds me of the speed and energy with which I had to work as a police photographer.
The reeds and water are moving frantically this morning. The wind is gusting across the Loch and the reeds are being forced to move in the direction of the wind towards the north. I choose a slow shutter speed so I can give a sense of the movement I am witnessing. I have no time to dwell on my ghosts today.
Do let me know your thoughts . . .
Feedback has suggested I consider writing an essay about my images at the start of a book rather than attempting to add words to each image.
lovely images, particularly the second. Words don’t come easy!
I agree words don’t come easy. I have amended my post with a revised set of words for the first image.
Is the intention for each picture to have its own set of words and for the images to stand individually, or for the text to form a short essay with a series of pictures to accompany it? Taken in one go, there are too many repetitions – we get the point that you were a Police photographer and that this involved being fast, including everything, etc.
Personally, I prefer the idea of an essay with a series of images to accompany it. I suspect that your Skye work might lead to a photobook as much as to individual images, in which case the essay perhaps needs to be a more substantial piece of prose written as an integrated whole.
Just my 2 ha’p’th.
Cheers, Graham
Very helpful comments. At this stage the intention is to add words to each image as part of my Work in Progress Portfolio. I agree that there are too many repetitions. I also agree that I should only allude to my early career and only briefly. I think the suggestion about a Forward about my work would be a great idea for the book which I think is likely to form part of my Final Major Project output.