ASSIGNMENT 4: A SENSE OF PLACE

Brief: 

To compose a collection of 12 images for an in depth travel publication with 6 good, publishable images as the final selection.


Research Ideas:

My first thoughts when considering this assignment was to research the type of style a travel publication would have in regards to its images and content. After using Google to have a look at some online travel publications, I came across a website called Budget Travel. I spent a good while perusing the articles and came across some that I would set as a base for the type of images that I would need to achieve for this assignment. This article gave me an insight into some more suburban-esque type shots if I was to go for a town or city overview.

I really liked the layout of the shots on this article on Arizona.

These images seemed like more of travel publication adverts on a place but still I'm assuming the same image overview of the places would apply.

Budget travel.com website screen shot

I found this feature all about Treasured Islands and really liked the layout and types of images that this feature has produced. My content would not nearly be as exotic and interesting as this type of article, however the sense and atmosphere of the place is to be captured at my location, the same as it has been here.

I looked at another website, CNTraveler.com, just as a bit more research and to compare the above images with a different publication. Traveler website's feature on Corsica is another in-depth feature capturing the essence of a place through interesting images, regardless of rural or urban setting.

Planning:

My first instinct when reading this assignment was to do it at my hometown, Bridgend. It was a place I know extremely well, having lived here all my life, with convenient access to be able to shoot as and when needed. I searched Bridgend on google to see an outsiders view on how the town is perceived. Typical stuff really, full of the towns history, achievements and notable people who have hailed from here (Wikipedia/Bridgend), it would be a worthy subject for such an assignment. But as a local, Bridgend isn't as great as it is cracked up to be. The history of the town and the area is probably the most interesting part of the story and even though this could make an interesting 'travel feature' on this area, it's not one that I think I could do justice.
Bridgend is now unfortunate to walk around in my personal experience. The centre is full of pound, phone and kebab shops and a homely town centre could not be further away. Whereas I know I could use this as a feature in itself also, the brief is to create a collection suitable for a travel publication and judging by what I have seen in the research above, this is not the kind of feature that a travel publication would want.

I changed my outlook and decided, as I am only a ten minute drive to the coast, I would use the little seaside town of Porthcawl for my shots.

"Porthcawl is a holiday resort in South Wales and is home to a large static caravan park known as Trecco Bay. It has an extensive promenade and several beaches..." - Wikipedia/Porthcawl.

This quote is Porthcawl to a tee. Whether you are a visitor or a local, Porthcawl is seen as this same, somewhat tourist tacky, seaside town.

"Whether you prefer the thrills of the funfair, a quiet walk along the promenade or a lazy day sunning yourself on one of our fine beaches, Porthcawl can provide for all of your requirements" - welcometoporthcawl.co.uk/

A different site, yet a similar quote. The promenade and beaches are a huge factor and some of the main features of Porthcawl. These are things that I have to capture to get a sense of place here. The overall ambiance of Porthcawl is exactly what it says above. Even as a local, it is seen as a relaxing seaside town, popular with anyone who just wants to have a relaxing day out at the beach. On a sunny bank holiday you will see flocks of people trying to get into Porthcawl, with queues of traffic filing into the town to enjoy a day on one of the beaches, going wild at the funfair or enjoying a walk and an ice cream on the promenade. And Porthcawl caters for everyone  for these purposes. Even in the winter and colder months, if the sun is out, Porthcawl is still buzzing with locals enjoying the town to make the most of the weather.
I will admit, Porthcawl itself holds that 'tacky' sense that most seaside resorts have. Dated decor with bargain stalls and shops, selling buckets and spades and sticks of rock but I think this just adds to overall essence of the town.

I have given myself some good examples of the sense of place and I now have to see if I can capture them to images.

Publishable Images:

I have split my images into 6 pairs, so to choose one from each pair as the final shot.

 These two images are both showing landmarks of Porthcawl, as I thought this a good place to start. The Lighthouse and the Grand Pavilion are both individual to Porthcawl and I liked both these shots for different reasons.
The Lighthouse shot not only shows off the lighthouse and the fishermen that you can normally see fishing here on a nice day, but also shows the extensive yet beautiful coastline in the distance.
The Grand Pavilion is another landmark and is still used for many pantos and shows as well as for private events. I really liked this image showing not only the pavilion but also the signpost also showing other attractions that Porthcawl has to offer. In addition, I like how the chipped and faded paint, on both the signpost and the Pavilion, shows that Porthcawl is a bit dated and could use a bit of an overhaul to bring it up to date and seem a bit more classy instead of tacky. But in spite of all of these factors, I feel this image is too busy and more a tourism shot that a travel feature image.

These two images are too similar to use both in the feature but pretty much show the same activity. The promenade is another big draw for Porthcawl, with tourists and locals alike flocking to stroll the length of the town and take in the beautiful scenery. This image (left) shows more that it is a promenade with the beach to the other side of the railings and the people using the promenade.

 This image (right) focuses more on the activity and the sense of the place by the people that are using it and what they are using it for. I like that this image brings together a few aspects. It shows an elderly couple taking a stroll as well as people enjoying a cuppa, even though they are all wrapped up cos it's so cold. It even shows the little seafront coffee 'shop', there specifically to provide for people enjoying the promenade. I much prefer to include the image of the activity instead of just focusing on the place itself.

 Again, two very similar images highlighting the pass times that people carry out here and incorporating the beaches into the feature as well. You will mostly find locals carrying out these activities along the beach but not exclusively. I like this image of the surfers. Coney Beach is notorious for surfers, as is Rest Bay further down the coast and it's good to include images that show Porthcawl is popular as a holiday resort but also as a local scene too.

I like the dog walking image as well though. Dogs are not allowed on the beach in the summer months so in the winter months, people make the most of allowing their dogs on the beaches, kind of like a holiday for the dogs. I like how the sun is behind the people in this image too, to emphasize them being anonymous. However, I prefer the surfers image because surfers use the beach throughout the year and it is an activity which requires the beach.

I wanted to include a few more images of the people who use Porthcawl. The image on the left is more of a contrast shot, showing that Porthcawl does have a high street and is used by locals going about their every day business as well as people enjoying the beaches and seafront. I liked that this image shows the shops within a pedestrianized street and also how busy it actually is, without actually seeing any of the beach and seafront, as though disconnecting from them.

This is a more relaxed shot, again emphasizing that people visit the beach just to enjoy the views and quality time together. Most of the benches along the seafront will be filled with such a variety of people and I thought this image focused on this. I like that this image portrays Porthcawl as a bit of a getaway where this couple could just come to be alone, and the composition is great for making it seem that they are the only people there. It sets a slightly different ambiance.

As stated in the quotes above, Porthcawl is known for its seafront and that it is home to a large caravan park. I felt that I needed to address these factors and tried to 'show them off' if you like.
This image is purely to show the caravans of the holiday park lining the beach.

This image has been left as more of a wider angle image to try to show a good portion of the promenade and the beach immediately in front.
As these images are both general overviews of the town, I felt these should both be included in the final selection as opposed to choosing one or the other.

These two images are more 'touristy', to confirm

that Porthcawl is in fact a proper seaside resort, complete with funfair and souvenir shops. These again highlight the 'tacky' side of the town but proves that Porthcawl does embrace this factor. I couldn't decide if these images were necessary in the final selection, purely as they are more 'touristy' so I decided to leave them both out.




Disgarded Images:

These two images also made the final cut of my initial selection but I decided to leave them both out of the final 12 images. The image to the left shows the museum entrance and contrasts the 'tacky' side of Porthcawl that I have highlighted. This proves that Porthcawl does have a historical factor that I haven't shown but in regards to the assignment, it's not a very interesting photograph to a viewer. But it could be used depending on the nature of the overall article.
The image on the right would be perfect for any type of publication as it shows the beauty of the towns beaches but I didn't feel it needed in the final 12 images of this assignment.



Final Selection:

Closing Review:

I wasn't quite sure how the images would turn out when I first started to undertake this assignment but looking back at the images now, I think any viewer would get a good sense of the atmosphere of Porthcawl as well as admire it's beauty. Personally, I think I have succeeded well in capturing the sense of place by visual images of the town itself and the people who use it and what they use it for. I am happy that all my shots are exterior and questioned whether I should've included some indoor shots too, like the interior of the Pavilion, or inside the entertainment complex in the caravan park but I decided against it in the end, mostly due to time constraints and availability. Had I not had a final result in mind, I definitely would've taken a much larger selection of photos and maybe explored more of a tourist approach. I also would've contained my selection to just beach photos as well I think. But I can see how this course is having a positive effect on my photography as there was a time that I would've been very uncomfortable shooting so openly and including the general public but now I am able to do that with a lot more ease. Am I happy with my final 12 images? Yes. Am I happy with the final selection of 6 images? I think so. Not in the sense that I am not confident of the images themselves but more to do with whether I have chosen the best six of the twelve. I will let you be the judge.