Exercise 1.5: Visualising Assignment Six: Transitions

The aim of this exercise is to read ahead and understand the requirements for Assignment Six, as follows:

"Produce a series of images that responds to the idea of ‘transitions’ within the landscape. Work on this assignment throughout the course. Record the changes that a part of the landscape undergoes over an extended period of time. You may want to revisit a very specific view or you may choose to explore a particular part of the landscape more intuitively. You may wish to photograph at very specific intervals (monthly, weekly, or even daily) or your routine may develop by other means. The quantity of work that you submit will depend on your particular strategy. When completed, the assignment should address the notion that the landscape is an evolving, dynamic system. You may wish to confirm, question or subvert this assertion."

The advice on Exercise 1.5 is as follows:

"...you’ll need to choose a location or specific view that you’ll revisit throughout the duration of this course. Choose somewhere that is easily accessible and practical within the confines of the assignment brief. We recommend that you pick a location that’s somewhere near to where you live or work."

I have two choices. My preferred option is to use images taken while walking Offa's Dyke Path. This seems to be compatible with the concept of "exploring a particular part of the landscape more intuitively"; transitions may be viewed both as the transition of the dyke and the associated path through the different landscapes of hills, woods, mountains, fields and streams, and seasonally. It is not close to home or work but I shall almost certainly be visiting it throughout the year and commenced the walk last October partly with this course in mind.

Walking with two friends, I have so far covered 51 miles from Chepstow to Hay-on-Wye. Images are on my Flickr page; I shall edit these down to more manageable album size when completing the Assignment. 

The exercise suggests a Plan B. For this, I have selected the local Garden of Remembrance, the aim being to take images from the same place at different times of the year and see how the space develops. This is a 'green site; for the remembrance of loved ones so the site transitions seasonally as flowers and trees grow and shed leaves, and also in terms of the burial plots. 

I have had some difficulty finding the optimal site from which to take images. Finally selected the one below:

This works reasonably on two levels - the transitioning of the vegetation as trees bud and flowers grow; and of the burial sites themselves, as they mature and more are added.

I made sure the positioning of the camera could be replicated by taking an image of the tripod's position and settings. I used the camera's GPS settings but even in these days of super accurate measurement it is doubtful whether the coordinates will be precise enough for this purpose. The camera is a Canon EOS 7d Mark II with EF-S 10-24mm lens attached. EXIF data are stored: f10, shutter speed 1/125, ISO 100.

I prefer the Offa's Dyke option but I think this works as aback up option and shall continue to take periodic images.