14 minute read
Documentary FRPS Panel - Hazel Mason FRPS
A Fellowship project is not thrown together, it is planned, but also allowed to evolve. When working on a project it is important to be openminded and able to adapt, if and when needed
Statement of Intent
Keraniganj Shipyards are situated on the banks of the Buriganga River in Dhaka. Shipbuilders and their families live here.
Much of the work is centered around repair and renovation using reclaimed components from the better-known ship break yards in Bangladesh where vessels at the end of their useful lives are broken down.
Elements are either reused, refurbished, or remade. Panels are beaten by hand before being welded and painted. Propellers are renovated or cast from recycled bronze in underground furnaces before being poured into handmade, single use moulds. This is the largest centre for propeller production in Bangladesh. Skilled work is undertaken without formal qualifications or training, knowledge passed down through the generations.
The environment is harsh. Acrid fumes burn. Oil, metal dust, paint and smoke pervade the yards.
I want to show some of the processes in renovating a vessel, propeller production being at the core.
Simon R Leach FRPS – Chair of the Royal Photographic Society Distinctions, Documentary Genre
One of the most frequent discussions around distinctions perhaps comes under the question; what makes a Fellowship? Whilst some assessors say you know one when you see one, that is not a helpful answer for those at an earlier stage in their exploration of photography.
One answer could be that everything has been considered as a whole. That is certainly true with this submission by Hazel Mason. It is not just a narrative, or technical capability, or even an understanding built up of what is going on with the subject matter - of course these are very important criteria in their own right - but they are also not isolated. In her submission Hazel has brought together all the key elements needed to be successful. It is when you see the submission laid out, mounted and presented in print form, that the thing as a whole has been able to fully achieve its intent.
Planning, forethought, consideration, seeking support and the right opinions, are all important activities for a photographer at this level, beyond the capture and process of images. A Fellowship project is not thrown together, it is planned, but also allowed to evolve. When working on a project it is important to be open-minded and able to adapt, if and when needed.
The quality of light that Hazel found at the location, whether by patience or luck, was worked into her cohesion, then exploited through process and printing to create beautifully crafted images. These grab the attention of the viewer and Hazel is part way there. Holding the viewer’s attention, she gains time to share the narrative. Introduced through the statement of intent, an idea of recycling of huge ships, the atmosphere and aromas, and the lack of training. What is unsaid in words but comes through in the images is the additional, sometimes gut-wrenching lack of health and safety. Boys and young men working with molten metal and sledgehammers in everyday clothing and bare feet. All considered through to the last image and the clear statement on the ships structure. A body of work such as this is not completed by accident and coincidence alone.
This is vision and understanding, clearly the work of one photographer through that use of light and colour palette, again producing that cohesion, that single voice, and to any viewer of this submission it is very clear what Hazel wanted to say.
Two of perhaps the most powerful shots have been carefully placed in the centre of the top and bottom rows. Children, their playground amongst the hulls and debris of the regeneration process, innocents whilst presumably fathers, older brothers and uncles, earn their keep.
So what is a Royal Photographic Society Fellowship? Purpose, direction and framework, not without evolution, but clear demonstration by an individual of their ability to manipulate all the elements of a documentary submission, narrative, vision, understanding, cohesion, technique, presentation, and working them all in conjunction to create one clearly distinctive body of work.
In this submission the Documentary panel clearly recognised this and were very happy to award a Fellowship.
Congratulations Hazel Mason FRPS.
I hope the viewer can go away with some knowledge and awareness of the complexity of the process, and the hard work and skill of the workers who are in arduous conditions. I want the viewer to appreciate the story as a whole narrative but also the story being told within each individual image.
Hazel Mason FRPS - interviewed by Gerry Phillipson LRPS
What led you to want to document this project? What first attracted you to the subject/location?
My husband and I have travelled extensively and spent time in Bangladesh between 2017 and 2023 with a break during Covid. I have been inspired by Sebastian Salgado and Steve McCurry’s work and have seen images of the ship breakyards in Chittagong and Mumbai.
However, I wanted to tell part of the story of the ship recycling process which takes place at Keraniganj, on the banks of the Buriganga river in Dhaka. Ships are made seaworthy through recycling components and then rebuilding. It is one of the largest areas for propeller making.
What was your personal reaction to being in this location?
Fascination, admiration and intrigue in being allowed to watch these skilled labourers building mighty vessels from component parts and skeletons of ships. Having the access, and allowing time, enabled me to witness the process at all stages, helping me to understand the industry taking place on the riverbanks and in small workshops.
Did you find you needed to relate to those working on the site? If so, how did you develop an affinity?
I am a GP and have an interest in people and communication, thus I always try to relate to subjects whom I photograph. I feel it is important that permission and engagement are sought, rather than stealing an image from a distance. My husband and I travel as a couple and so have been able to gain access where larger groups may not have done so. Most importantly for me is the ability to watch, learn and take in the scene before picking up the camera and taking an image. Communication does not necessarily need a common language but can be through a gesture or showing an image. The superb and sensitive series of guides has made things easier.
Camera in hand, were there times when you were regarded with suspicion? Did you ever experience antagonism or feel threatened?
Interest? Yes. Suspicion or antagonism? No. But it is important to be introduced to the subject and if that person does not wish their photograph to be taken it is usually clear and that must be respected. We have never felt threatened in any way, on the contrary, people were accepting and happy to share information.
What technical challenges were you faced with? How were they met?
One of the big challenges was photographing for many hours in the heat and remaining hydrated. There were small workers’ tea stalls but little else in the immediate vicinity and I spent many hours on site on each occasion. The light can be very bright with harsh shadows and bright highlights, so having that understanding of light direction and use of light could be a challenge with exposure and tonal range. The site was active and very busy with the transportation of sheets of metal, use of large machinery, heated furnaces in the ground and rapidly turning propellers - all of which had to be navigated without getting in the way. Both our personal safety, and that of the workers, had to be always considered.
Some of the subjects, for example interiors like images 5, 6 and 8, would work well in black and white. Did you consider showing monochrome work?
I wished to portray life as it is today for these workers and that is in colour. It can be a challenge to ensure cohesion and consistency, and I feel the colour adds to intent and communication. One can see visually what is being portrayed in monochrome but using colour to show the dust and dark smoke, for example, along with the heat of the furnace, adds another dimension for interpretation and awakens the other senses.
Is this a digital or film project? What determined the choice?
This is a digital project shot over several years and visits. Digital allowed the use of variable ISO to help with dark interiors and more challenging light. I was also the able to take a greater number of images. I always feel it is important to try and achieve the composition and decisive moment at the taking stage of an image if possible. It can take time to wait until subjects are interacting with each other or forming a pleasing separation in the composition and this, I feel, adds to a stronger image. This is easier to achieve with digital rather than being constrained by film.
Which photograph from your panel is the most successful for you and gave you most satisfaction?
I do not feel that any image is stronger or more successful than another. I tend to work in projects and bodies of work, and here I wished to create a visual narrative whereby the individual images, although hopefully strong in their own right, needed the other images to fulfil the story. I intended them to work together for this personal project rather than submitting single images for any other purpose. I do have my favourite images, but the narrative was not based on this.
Which photograph in the panel did you find the most difficult to achieve?
The most difficult image to achieve was image 12. The propellers are not cast every day and considerable preparation goes into the point at which the molten bronze is poured into the pre prepared mould. I have only seen them poured twice. It is a quick process to melt the bronze, take it out of the ground and into the workshop whilst it is in liquid form. It requires numerous workers and occurs around the heated furnace and the oil drums. It was a challenge to be in the right place at the right time without being in the way or having the distractions within the composition.
Is there one that got away, the photo you really liked but decided not to include, and if so, why?
Numerous photographs were discarded along the way as they did not add to the story. The one image that I almost included was a substitute for image 3 but it would have sat in position 1, therefore starting the panel. This image was taken with a wide-angle lens at low level close to the boat and of the whole boat. I wanted to show the huge sense of scale, but I felt it could be a risk due to the distortion of lens use that might not appeal to some assessors.
If you could rework the panel, what changes would you now make and why?
I would not wish to rework the panel with the images I have achieved over the numerous visits. I think it is important when submitting a body of work at Fellowship level that one has tried one’s best to achieve that distinctive cohesive standard. There has to be an investment in time and access to produce a body of work for which one can stand back from just before the assessment submission deadline and say “I could not have done this any better”.
Will you develop this project further on a return visit?
Yes. Fellowship is a marker on a longer journey for a project and it’s important that this can continue to be explored. Hopefully we will be back in Bangladesh next year, and return to Keraniganj to further explore the subject in more detail. Repeated visits allow a continued photographic growth in terms of subject matter and understanding of light.
What do you want the viewer to take way from these photographs? What general impression do you want to convey?
I hope the viewer can go away with some knowledge and awareness of the complexity of the process, and the hard work and skill of the workers who are in arduous conditions. I want the viewer to appreciate the story as a whole narrative but also the story being told within each individual image.
Have you had any thoughts about producing a photo book documenting this subject?
Yes, I would be keen to look towards a book documenting a lot more of this industry, its people and their families. I am still working in the NHS and have not been able to devote time to consider how I would do so. It would need considerable thought about the images and perhaps some limited narrative. For me the project is ongoing, hence I currently would not wish this point for a book to mark the finality of the project.
What thoughts would you like to share with those embarked on a submission about understanding what is required for Fellowship?
I am Chair of the Travel panel and previously achieved a Travel fellowship. I feel it is essential in all genres to read the criteria which are clearly set out by the RPS distinctions. Guidelines vary within each genre and the Statement of Intent is there to set out aims and objectives. In each case, having a statement in advance gives a framework for the images and context to the story and, in this case, hopefully “communicates a clear narrative through visual literacy”. This contrasts with the Travel genre which is photography that “gives a sense of place” and so here the images are less about the storyline and more about giving the viewer - who may not know the subject - an idea of what that place is like without words.
One of the most important elements for me is that the Fellowship should be a project for which one has a passion, and the distinction process is a marker on the journey. A clear understanding of light and composition is required along with technical ability, and this was gained by repeated trips to Bangladesh and in particular the shipyards of Keraniganj. I knew in advance exactly what I wanted to photograph and how. Time and access are very important, and I spent many hours on repeated visits in the blistering heat of the shipyards to obtain a very large body of work which then had to be distilled so that each photograph had its place in the narrative.
I very much valued the advice from a current Documentary panel member’s (James Frost FRPS) in the final selection. However, it was important to make that body of work my personal project over which I had ownership and was not otherwise influenced by anyone else. I felt that printing the panel with an appropriate paper choice was paramount as it gave me oversight and control in how my images would be viewed on the assessment day.
