Sandwich trip

The other day I went to a small town called Sandwich that is in the Kent coast.

The reason for this trip was because Sandwich is a very traditional looking town, it has a lot of old buildings and has an impression of being quintessentially English. So I thought that this type of town and with the aesthetic it offers would suit the needs of the project. I was trying to concentrate on taking images that show that sense of englishness or gave a sense of harmony within the world. This was to help to construct the narrative of everything that is traditionally english is beautiful.

I chose the day that I photographed Sandwich because the weather forecast said it would be bright and sunny, which would help to create that bright, shiny and glowing aesthetic. Usually I prefer shooting on grey or overcast days as I feel it is more realistic and easier as no strong highlights are created. Plus I also find brightly lit images tacky, predictable and unimaginative, they follow an aesthetic of beauty rather than substance. But as I am after images that have more beauty than substance then strong light would be useful.

I also used my digital SLR as I find that digital cameras have a cleaner aesthetic than film, film tends to be more organic and subtle whereas digital is cleaner and sharper. Plus it would also make editing the images easier and including them in the portfolio easier as well.

I feel that the trip was partially successful. I did get some images that appear to be romanticised and fit the narrative of “beautiful but shallow” but the majority of images seem to be ordinary. I think I am finding that my authorship tends to be towards more “dark and moody” imagery, that to do the exact opposite doesn't come naturally. I think it’s also because I don’t find images that promote a beautified or romanticised imagery inspiring so I tend to overlook them.

Saying that though, there are 7 images that I have used with creating the prototype, but I’m glad it’s just a prototype and not the finished article! The images are all somewhat beautified, they’ve all been edited in photoshop to increase that impression of being a fraction unrealistic. I seem to of concentrated on producing images that try to depict, as William Blake would say, “a green and pleasant land” and by having a nice bright sunny day, supports that notion.

But overall I am glad that I went. I think I can see the project developing in the direction of seeking out traditional towns and villages in Kent to photograph, as they provide the subject matter closest to what I am trying to promote. They have the essence of traditional England, where there is a small ancient church, a village green and a local pub, where there is never any trouble and the only hint of scandal is a pint of milk being on display past its sell by date…