Shoreline

To explore and expand my practice, I bought a relatively cheap waterproof camera to try and capture the shoreline of the sea. I wanted to catch a different perspective, being at a lower level.

I have not tried underwater photography before, and my first experience was enjoyable, even though I was only at the shoreline, but the uncertainly of the outcomes was something I looked forward to, once I had got used to putting the camera in to the water.

The idea came from a watching the film 'Jaws' one evening. I remembered that feeling as a child were I became uncertain of the water, what was lurking beneath me when I was playing in the sea, your head in line with the water, vulnerable and at it's mercy. I grew up on the coast, in the small town I still live in, Broadstairs in Kent. My family always spent each day at the beach during the summer, my grandad had a dingy that he would take my brothers, myself and cousin out in. He always made sure we understood the nature of the sea and coast, making sure we knew how far to go and where not to go. This has left me with a huge respect for the sea and an understanding of it's unpredictability and power, as well as a deep connection to it.

Figures 1-3: Laura Marsh, 2021

Figures 4-6: Laura Marsh, 2021

I love the outcome of these images, I was shooting blind with these, so I had no idea how they would focus or what would be in frame, this gave a sense of unpredictability to the images. I have included both colour and black and white versions, as I am undecided if I will work mainly with black and white images in this module. I want that connection and personal reference to the work, and try and avoid colourful almost picturesque images of the sea hat are widely available of this area.

Figures:

Figures 1-6: Laura Marsh, 2021

References:

Jaws. Directed by Steven Spielberg, Universal Pictures, 1975.