The Water’s Edge by Tony Worobiec FRPS and Eva Worobiec FRPS

Tony Worobiec FRPS and Eva Worobiec FRPS have created a new book as a joint project, which has meant that the new publication will have a broad appeal. For them, it was a pleasurable experience, to be able to share one’s passion with a partner. Eva is an outstanding photographer in her own right and, in fact, they have previously co-authored four other books.

The Water’s Edge

It is the ambition of most landscape photographers to publish a book of their work; it is hard to imagine a more appropriate and permanent means of celebrating one’s photography, so it is hardly surprising that increasing numbers of photographers are selfpublishing, using well-respected printers such as Blurb or Bob Books. Whether you purchase just a single copy or buy several for friends and family, it is the perfect method for collating your much-valued images. Wearing my Distinctions Panel Member hat, it is worth mentioning that the various Panels positively welcome submissions made for an Associateship or a Fellowship in book form. Having recently sat on the Landscape Panel, one of the most memorable submissions was a wonderful book which illustrated some of the otherwise ‘unloved’ structures on the south coast of England; intelligently constructed and wonderfully printed, I’m delighted to report it was a successful application.

ILLUSTRATION: “Albufeira, near Valencia, Spain”. Eva Worobiec.

Often when landscape photographers think about possible subjects for coastal photography, they assume that it should feature open beaches or rocky shorelines, but the coast is vastly more varied than that. It is worth noting that many people make a living working by the coast and this should be considered should you wish to do a project on the theme of “coastal landscape”.

“Albufeira, near Valencia, Spain”. Eva Worobiec.

THE VALUE OF BEING INSTRUCTIONAL.

One might think that self-publishing is a bit selfindulgent, but that rather depends on the intended audience. If it is for you, and for your friends and family, then I can only positively encourage you all to give it a go. I’m sure many of you are fortunate enough to be invited to present lectures to clubs and photographic organisations and, of course, these are the perfect venues to sell copies of your books. Publications can, however, serve a wider function, and most are valued because they are also ‘instructional’. Much as a reading audience might enjoy your fabulous photography, at some point they will ask a perfectly valid question; “what do I get out of this”? The overwhelming majority of serious photographers buy books because they want to learn. By sharing your experiences in this way, your publication will prove of even greater value. Even simple information such as where the photograph was taken is of interest to the reader.

ILLUSTRATION: “Horseman on Dunraven Beach, South Wales”. Tony Worobiec.

In order to capture a beach when it is at its most reflective, aim to get there about two hours after the tide has started to recede. Any earlier and there will be too little beach, however much later, and the water will begin to seep into the sand, thus losing its reflective qualities.

“Horseman on Dunraven Beach, South Wales”. Tony Worobiec.

THE VALUE OF WORKING ON A JOINT PROJECT.

My recent publication, “The Water’s Edge”, is a joint project shared with my wife Eva. In my experience, this has many virtues. Whilst it is of course always a pleasure being able to share one’s passion with a partner, my main reason for inviting Eva is that she is an outstanding photographer in her own right. In fact we have previously (and very successfully) co-authored four other books, and so I know that working with her will positively broaden the book’s appeal. Just think of it logically; by sharing the book with a photographer one greatly admires, not only are you widening the pool of images you can use, but the input of ideas is also greatly increased.

ILLUSTRATION: ”Eastbourne Pier in the rain.” Eva Worobiec.

When taking this shot, Eva and I were virtually standing shoulder to shoulder; however her sense of timing proved much better than mine. Whilst I was entranced by the reflective qualities of the rain, she also kept her eye on the cloud formation and, as a consequence, got the better shot. This isn’t untypical.

”Eastbourne Pier in the rain.” Eva Worobiec.

CHOICE OF SUBJECT.

So why the choice of the British coast? Eva and I are keen travellers and our work is frequently associated with our numerous trips to the USA; in fact three of our previous publications feature road trips we have made in America, so it would be easy to assume that we have little time for photographing locations here in the UK. In truth, we have been enthusiastically photographing the British coast ever since we both started our photography almost 40 years ago. It is only recently however, that we fully appreciated just how special and unique the British coast really is; it is its variation we find so fascinating. We live not far from Swanage in Dorset, which is a typical, lively seaside resort and yet, just a few miles to the east, we have the port of Poole which has a certain industrialised element to it. By way of contrast, if we travel just a few miles west, we find ourselves in the Purbecks, home to Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove and Kimmeridge Bay. When we considered other parts of the British coast, we realised that this exciting variation exists elsewhere. Fortunately, the UK is a moderately small island, so most of us can get to a coastal location relatively easily; it is worth considering that within the UK, Burton-on-Trent is the furthest point from the sea, and even then, you are only 70 miles away.

ILLUSTRATION: “Clavell Pier, Kimmeridge”. Tony Worobiec.

It is wonderful having this beautiful location virtually on my doorstep, but many of you, especially those who live near the coast, will have similarly impressive places you can visit on a regular basis. Whilst at first glance this might look like a natural formation, it was in fact constructed in the 19th century as a staging post for small boats shipping Portland stone to London. Over a period of time the rocks have become beautifully eroded.

“Clavell Pier, Kimmeridge”. Tony Worobiec

BREAKING THE BOOK INTO IDENTIFIABLE THEMES.

When planning this book, we realised that there was little value just lumping together our favourite photographs; it was important that it was meaningfully structured. Each chapter is dedicated to a particular aspect of coastal photography; for example, the first explores several of the splendid headlands that are a feature of many areas along the coast, which we then contrast with the numerous empty beaches that are a draw to so many visitors to the British shoreline. An aspect of the British coast which could so easily be overlooked are the many lighthouses. Wearing my RPS panel-member hat once again, it does occur to me that, should you wish to submit a portfolio for a potential ‘A’ or ‘F’, your submission would appear far more cohesive if it concentrated on a particular feature of the coast, such as rocky headlands or lighthouses, rather than present a more comprehensive view of the coast.

ILLUSTRATION: “Lighthouse, Burnham, Somerset”. Eva Worobiec.

Once you begin to do your research, you will come to appreciate that there are quite a few interesting lighthouses scattered along the British coast, making it a potentially interesting and accessible theme. Whilst this has become a ‘honey-pot’ location in recent years, you cannot help but admire Eva’s wonderful sense of composition.

“Lighthouse, Burnham, Somerset”. Eva Worobiec.

WEATHER: WONDERFULLY REFLECTED BY A COASTAL LOCATION.

Something we have both come to appreciate is that the coast is the ideal location for featuring interesting weather. Looking out to sea, generally we are in a position to see an uninterrupted view of the horizon; therefore weather plays an important role in our photography. Unlike most other landscape genres, the coast can accommodate just about any weather conditions. Whether you are experiencing a becalmed period of weather, or a raging storm, there will always be suitable coastal locations you can visit that make best use of the conditions. I would go further and suggest that weather is the major determining factor, with regard to which part of the coast I choose to visit on any given day.

ILLUSTRATION: “Groynes, Sandsend, Yorkshire.” Tony Worobiec.

It would be easy to assume that it was the line of groynes that caught my attention, but what initially stopped me in my tracks was that awesome sky. In order to ensure that the movement of the water chimed with the character of the clouds, I purposefully used a shutter speed of 1/4 of a second. INDULGE MINIMALISM.

“Groynes, Sandsend, Yorkshire.” Tony Worobiec

I have long had a passion for minimalism and photographing the coast positively encourages this genre of photography. In order to succeed, it is important to assess the remaining visual elements. Try to identify simple relationships regarding colour, tone, texture, line and rhythm. It is important that you are able to establish a simple visual balance using one or several of these key visual elements. What makes so many of our coastal settings worthy photographic locations is that they are so wonderfully nuanced and understated.

ILLUSTRATION: “Isolated barrier Brixham, Devon”. Eva Worobiec.

This is one of my favourite images from the book and, not surprisingly, a lovely print of this image occupies a prominent position in our living room. We were introduced to this interesting pool by fellow photographer Sue Brown FRPS, joining her this time on a quiet late afternoon. By purposefully using a ‘big-stopper’, Eva has been able to eradicate any hint of texture in the water and thus present the viewer with a very minimalist interpretation of this deserted lido.

“Isolated barrier Brixham, Devon”. Eva Worobiec