Imperial Shipyard
On the 7th of September 2024, I took part in a photowalk with Mateusz Wąs. Here are my shots.
A while ago, I registered as a participant of the ŚwiatłoSiła 2024 photography festival in Gdańsk. Among optional activities, there were photowalks with some well-known Polish photographers. I picked Mateusz Wąs as my guide to the Imperial Shipyard. Not that I disliked the other photographers; quite the contrary. I'd love to meet them. But I had to pick one.
Now, the shipyard itself is a place I've visited multiple times. It's a popular leisure area with a few exhibitions and many opportunities to fill one's tummy. I was interested in going out with the camera, meeting people and having fun.
Part of the photowalk was a challenge. The participants were given a task to produce five themed photos. The themes were:
- earth and/or the colour green,
- fire and/or the colour red,
- water and/or the colour blue,
- air and/or the colour white,
- people and/or the colour orange.
It was a unique challenge for me because wherever we went or looked, there were always a dozen pairs of eyes scanning the same area, looking for compositions. It wasn't easy to come up with something unique.
Earth/Green
Incorporating the colour green is easy in the shipyard. The majority of the cranes are painted green. Grass and foliage are also obvious choices that satisfy the theme. There are vines, ivy and hops everywhere. I could probably find some green cargo containers or machinery pieces.
I wasn't entirely satisfied with my captures incorporating the colour green, and I wasn't sure how to represent the earth. This was a challenging one.
My photos featuring the colour green
Fire/Red
I was sure I couldn't find any actual fire in the shipyard. The only references to fire I came across were extinguishers, sprinkler buttons, fire alarms, fire exit signs and a scrapped car with a flame paint job.
The colour red was more prominent, though mostly in the form of warning signs, extinguishers, buttons and levers. I didn't find them appealing as photography subjects.
My photos featuring the colour red or a depiction of fire
Water/Blue
This was by far the most obvious one. The shipyard lies at the banks of the Motława river so there were plenty of opportunities to photograph water. It was more difficult to do so creatively and uniquely.
The colour blue was also omnipresent. From signs to gates to ship hulls to the sky, it was difficult not to have any in my shots. And yet, most photos were too dull to be considered any good.
My photos featuring water and/or the colour blue
Air/White
This one was by far the most problematic. Photographing anything related to air is somewhat difficult. I thought about fans and air conditioning machines but I didn't manage to take any appealing photos.
The colour white was also surprisingly difficult to come by. Most of the buildings in the shipyard are made from red brick. Fences, gates and any other architectural paraphernalia were rarely painted white.
My photos featuring the colour white.
People/Orange
Finally, the theme I feared the most. I wouldn't say I like photographing people and didn't fancy doing it for the sake of the challenge. It's just not my thing. Funnily enough, I wore an orange t-shirt myself so I was the subject of some of the other participants' photographs.
The colour orange seemed somewhat scarce at first glance but wasn't at all difficult to spot. I found a few cars, cargo containers and even a building (not to mention the omnipresent orange-red bricks).
My people/orange photos
Final Thoughts
The shipyard is an interesting place to visit, with or without a camera. I can't even count the number of times I've been there, and half of them were to take photos. This particular photowalk was exciting thanks to the challenge. While I didn't win, I had a lot of fun. That's what matters the most.
