Project: Lines.

                                                   Horizontal and Vertical lines.

Go out and look for specific examples of lines and photograph them, starting with horizontal and vertical.  Part of the value of this exercise is that it helps you discover appearances and reach some conclusions about how certain design elements come about.  Produce four examples of horizontal and four of vertical lines.  Try to subordinate the content of the picture to the line.

Horizontal Lines:

A great cup of Tea.

Duke street bridge cafe in the heart of Birkenhead docks sells a very good cup of tea, also I believe the breakfasts are the best around, as yet I cannot confirm that, one day maybe!  It's an honest, down to earth, working man's cafe, no frills, no airs and graces, just good grub served with a smile and a friendly word.  When reading my blog you could be forgiven for thinking I'm obsessed with food, it's not true, however taking pictures can be thirsty work and I seem to be drawn to this area of dockland, looking for subject matter for my course

You would think taking photographs of lines would be easy, I did, or at least I did until starting this exercise.  Yes, lines are everywhere  to be seen, white and yellow lines in the road as an example.  So I photographed them, thinking that was what was required for this exercise.

An early attempt at lines.

This photograph is not too bad, it works best in monochrome.  I noticed the lines in the promenade first then  saw the joggers coming so waited for them to come closer before pressing the shutter.  Looking at this image now, the lines are taking the eye out of the picture, which of course is not what was intended.


    Horizontal lines:

This photograph also relies on a line in the road but unlike the one above this has worked much better.  The red line I feel is vital to this image, I've included a copy without the line, for comparison.  The image is helped by the man walking, his jeans, being a similar shade of blue to the car on the left, give balance to the photograph.  This could also be a picture with two points, so would have fitted in the previous assignment.  However as the exercise is about lines, its strength is still the red line in the road.

Something a bit different now, I saw the above in a vehicle breakers yard, close to Birkenhead docks.  As soon as I saw the lines of car doors, all different colours, I felt it fitted perfectly into this exercise.  Although I am drifting away from my theme, the sea, all the photographs have been taken within the area of the Wirral coast.

The line of tyres are hung along the dockside of the West Float, a part of Birkenhead docks.  I feel this photograph fits the criteria for this exercise, but is not very creative.

I saw these people exercising on New Brighton beach, I felt they had a relationship to the wind turbines on the horizon, their movements being very similar to the rotating blades.  This photograph was taken from the promenade, it would have been better had I taken it on the beach, at their level.  Before I could get  down the steps the training session had finished and the line of people broke up.

Vertical lines:

The Light is a new cinema on the sea front at New Brighton, it's part of a large development which I guess the local council are hoping will revitalise this Victorian seaside town.  The early morning light was catching the side of the new building, highlighting the sign and the dark vertical stripe.  The design of this development is in stark contrast to everything else on the seafront, although not obvious from this photograph, the building is almost white so stands out from everything round it.

The Mersey Arms on the corner of Neptune street Birkenhead.

In complete contrast The Mersey Arms could never be described as bright and modern, it has now become a blank canvas for the local graffiti artists.  The Over Lords I must assume are a local gang. Was black the only colour of paint they had?  Or did they intend their art to match the pub's paintwork!  Looking at this image now, it's the graffiti that catches the eye, however when I took the photograph, it was the black pillars that drew my attention.

I saw the reflections in Birkenhead's East Float dock, and thought they might be a good example of  vertical lines.  On the far left can be seen the Anglican cathedral, across the Mersey in Liverpool.  To the right is a building known as the Central Hydraulic Tower, from here the dock gates and lifting bridges were powered.  The last reflection, made by the two dockside cranes completes the picture. I'd like to think the cranes are lined up because the drivers have pride in their job, it has helped this photograph.  There is a diagonal element to the image, which I hadn't noticed until I looked at it on the computer, maybe it would have been better if I'd used it in that exercise.

Me and my shadow.

This is my dog Millie, it was her shadow that caught my eye, I thought of it as a diagonal image but have changed my mind because the vertical lines in the sand seem to be more dominant, so make it suitable for vertical lines.