1. Newcastle Central Station
The first building I’m using for this assignment is Newcastle Central Station. This is a Grade 1 listed building on the East Coast railway line. This showpiece was opened by Queen Victoria on 29th August 1850. It has a neoclassical frontage and three arched spans over the train shed. These arches set the style for many railway stations across the country. The long spans over the curved platforms provide excellent lead-ins for photography.
It was designed by John Dobson, in conjunction with Robert Stephenson (designer of the High Level Bridge) for the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway (YN&BR) and the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway (N&CR) which were later combined with the North Eastern Railway (NER). It was modified in the late 1970’s, to include the Tyne and Wear Metro station.
There are 12 platforms. It was obviously designed with the use of steam trains in mind, hence the very high roofs. It obviously works just as well for modern trains with the added advantage of the attractive arches and stanchions. Station shops and kiosks add to its user friendliness.
Photography is only allowed by prior arrangement and the use of tripod and / or flash is not allowed. A photography pass is needed to go through the barriers and access the platforms. The barriers and permits are new additions since my last photography session in 2007.
For this shoot I’m using a Nikon D200 camera with a Sigma 10 – 20 mm lens, and a Nikon D300s camera with a Nikkor 18 – 200 lens. Aperture priority and centre weighted average metering. I’ll use 3 frames bracketing with one stop under / over exposure to give me the option of using HDR if required – I subsequently used it on each of the selected images.
There was broken cloud cover which provided a diffused light – ideal for this location.
Main Concourse facing South West.
D200, ISO – 200, 10 mm focal length (15 mm EFL), f/4
This is the view that greets us as we enter the station. Although it’s almost midday, the sunlight is entering at a very low angle which creates pleasing shadows on the roof to our right. One of the arched spans is clearly seen here and the wide concourse helps make the navigation through the station very easy.
I used HDR techniques to bring out the detail across the image.
Platform 4
D200, ISO – 200, 12 mm focal length (17 mm EFL), f/4.2
This platform is dedicated to long distance trains, starting from Newcastle station – this one is bound for Southampton. I again used HDR on this image as there was such a high range from the lightness of the sky and the darkness of the train – HDR allowed a good compromise of shadow detail without highlight clipping.
This image shows two of the arches and a suggestion of the curved platform. I like the circular seating arrangements round the stanchions too.
Arched Bridges
D300s, ISO – 200, 50 mm focal length (75 mm EFL), f/4.8
This view of the footbridges over the tracks shows a merging of old and new – the original designed centre rail with its moulded section contrasts with the safety glass barriers to each side. The ornate painted beams contrast with the modern information signs while the rust stains on the paintwork testify to the original steel joists behind the cladding.
I like the lines in this image – the curved humps and the straight horizontals with the verticals in the centre and sides.
Platform 3 Access Ramp
D300s, ISO – 200, 20 mm focal length (30 mm EFL), f/4
Again, it’s the lines that draw me to this image, curves in the roof and the platform and converging perspective lines of the roof and lights lead the eye to the platform. The angle of the diffused sunlight accentuates the curve on the roof while the artificial lights produce a warm look to the view.
I think this series of images shows the station in the way it was designed – a showpiece with elegance and warmth that helps to make railway travel a pleasure – and still form follows function!
I used HDR techniques for this venue, to compensate for the varying light conditions. It would have been much easier had a tripod been allowed, but I utilized railings, lampposts etc. as a steady for the camera instead. It wasn’t practical to use long exposures, so the wide apertures caused a relatively short depth of field. Using wider angled lenses increased the depth of field while maintaining fairly fast shutter speeds. In hindsight I could have increased the ISO, but that brings in the noise aspect.
2. Discovery Museum
My second venue is again in Newcastle – This time the Discovery Museum.
The building in which the Discovery Museum exists started life as the ‘Blandford House’, the former Co-operative Wholesale Society Headquarters for the Northern Region. Built in 1899, it had been the main distribution centre for over 100 co-operative stores across the region and contained extensive warehouse space and offices. The museum relocated here in 1978 having outgrown its temporary pavilion. When it was conceived, it was the only science museum outside London and celebrates the inventors and artisans of the North East.
The original building comprised a courtyard contained by warehouse / offices on three sides. The courtyard was covered and a new entrance hall built at the original ‘open’ end. The covered courtyard is now the main hall and houses the ‘Turbinia’ – the first steam turbine propelled vessel. The warehouses to the side, which originally held individual artisan workshops, are now display areas / café / study rooms. The top floor has the ‘Grand Hall’ which is available for various events ranging from weddings to examinations. The basement houses the archives, offices, freezers etc. – not normally available to the public.
I arranged with the Learning Officer to photograph within the building and was treated to a guided tour of the facility, seeing places which would not be on show to the general public. This was only available during a very quiet period, so I was unable to show people in the areas. I again used the D200 with the 10 – 20 mm lens and the D300s with the 18 – 200 mm lens. I was allowed to use the tripod here, but no flash. I used 3 frames bracketing with one stop under / over exposure to give me the option of using HDR if required and to give me some leeway in the difficult lighting conditions.
The first image is of the main hall, taken from the top floor.
The Main Hall
D200, ISO – 200, 10 mm focal length (15 mm EFL), f/4
This wide angled view shows the covered courtyard, facing South.
On the East side the windows of what was the original courtyard wall can be seen. The 2nd floor houses the café. Both the lower floors have display areas and the ground floor has study rooms and offices.
The West side has display areas on all floors with the entrance, information and shop on the ground floor.
I used HDR for this image.
Display Area
D200, ISO – 200, 10 mm focal length (15 mm EFL), f/22, 10 sec
The entrance to one of the display areas on the West side – this one showing examples of various engines invented and produced in the area. The doorway is an original from the time of the co-operative building and would have been a way through from one workshop to another. There are steel doors on each side of the wall, moving on steel runners. Above can be seen the beams of the gantry crane.
There are many of these display areas, of different sizes and applications. Many of the exhibits are ‘hands on’ to encourage visitors to try them out. Other areas are set out to portray scenes from various eras and different aspects of life in the North East.
I used one stop over exposure to capture this image.
Directors’ Offices
D200, ISO – 200, 10 mm focal length (15 mm EFL), f/22
On the ground floor is the original directors’ suite. This is not usually available to public view. This Art Deco suite is Grade 1 listed and must be maintained in its original condition. I like the uniformity and squareness of this suite. Note the original ceiling lights and the ornate ceiling frescos. Even the flooring is maintained as original. The offices themselves are used as such, but this corridor demands special care.
HDR was used to overcome the difficult lighting conditions.
The Great Hall
D200, ISO – 200, 10 mm focal length (15 mm EFL), f/22
This is another Grade 1 listed area. Again, it’s not on general display as part of the museum, but can be used with prior agreement.
It was set out for an examination, but the snowflakes hanging from the beams indicate a much lighter use in the not too distant past. The ornate beams and Art Deco lights are testament to the way the workers at the co-operative were valued and looked after. Out of shot is a minstrels’ gallery where players would provide music for the dances here.
I used HDR in this image too, to bring out the shadow details while avoiding excessive highlight clipping. The wide angle has caused some distortion, particularly with the horizontals on the far wall, but I think it still works to show the magnificence of the room.
I think the change of use of the building, from the Co-operative Wholesale Society Headquarters to the Discovery Museum, has been done really effectively. Many of the original parts of the interior have been retained and the museum now operates within a carefully preserved part of Newcastle’s history. The displays have been carefully and sympathetically put together and are constantly being changed (two display areas were undergoing significant redesign while I was photographing). It’s an entertaining and interesting museum.
I consider myself very lucky to have been given such an in depth tour of the building. It’s been difficult to select only four images for this assignment. There are so many more interesting features which I couldn’t show here, but I think I’ve chosen the main ones (for me anyway). I’ve learned a great deal about the place, but also about taking photographs inside buildings – in particular, the use of bracketing to compensate for the changes in lighting conditions where over or underexposed images may work better or HDR techniques can be used. Long exposure noise reduction is also a useful feature when using small apertures.
3. Morrison’s Supermarket - Scarborough
The third venue is a local supermarket. This store was purpose built and first opened in 1994 and went through an extensive refit in October 2012. It’s a busy store with around 30,000 customers per week, rising to 37,000 during the summer months.
Having gained permission to photograph within the sales area (I think the manager was pleased to let his ‘new’ store be seen), I decided that the best combination was the D300s on a tripod, with the 10 – 20 mm lens, using 3-frame one stop bracketing, in aperture priority and using the existing lighting.
The emphasis had been put on openness with the refit and that’s what I sought to show.
Fruit and Vegetables
ISO 200, 10 mm (15 mm EFL), f/4
This new fresh vegetable display is the first thing to be seen when entering the store. The vegetables are stored over ice and the vapour is carried over them using compressed air. This keeps the produce much fresher for longer. The wide angle takes in the majority of the display while giving an impression of the openness and size of the store.
Fishmonger
ISO 200, 18 mm (27 mm EFL), f/14
Here’s another view of the fruit and vegetable section, from part of the fishmonger’s stall. I decreased the size of the aperture to increase the depth of field then adjusted the image during the HDR processing to bring out the detail. I again used a relatively wide angled lens, framing so that the fishmonger’s stall was a significant part of the image while showing that there’s a large area still to be seen.
Delicatessen
ISO 200, 20 mm (30 mm EFL), f/5.6
I took this image to show how the ‘openness’ of the store was being portrayed. The assistants can be seen preparing their produce (as can the bakers in their bakery and the butchers in their shop etc.). Also the children can feel at home here. The very warm colours of the store make it look as though I’ve got the white balance wrong, but this is really how it is, otherwise I’d have changed it! The area with the fluorescent lights looks cooler, but still the colours of the décor are warm.
Checkout
ISO 200, 10 mm (15 mm EFL), f/4
There has to be a fast checkout, so I took this image to show the line that’s available. There are lots of people moving through these tills and even on a run up top Christmas the queues at the checkouts are kept to a minimum. The difference in lighting can be seen here again, as the warmth of the shopping area gives way to the daylight and cooler lighting as customers prepare to leave. I straightened the image in Photoshop, using transform > perspective.
The turnover of this store testifies to the success of its presentation and I think the images show why – it’s clean, fresh and open with a sense of wellbeing. The displays are good and there’s an excellent range of products. Put that with competitive pricing (especially in Yorkshire) and you’re on a winner! We collected a couple of bottles of half price Black label Champagne for Christmas while we were there (too much for a Yorkshireman to resist).
In this venue the use of the wide angle lens with HDR proved to be a winner. These complex lighting situations really lend themselves to the use of HDR. In hindsight I could have used a higher ISO to allow faster shutter speeds at smaller apertures, but I think the end results are reasonable.
4. Ruswarp Livestock Mart
The fourth building I’ve used is a Sheep pen auction shed at Ruswarp Mart.
The Ruswarp Livestock Mart is the most remote mart in Yorkshire and has been at this location since the 1880’s when it was started as a farmer owned market. It has been run by local agents Richardson and Smith from the 1920’s. At that time it was conducted completely in the open air. In the 1950’s, when TB testing of cattle was started, the main building with the auction ring was erected. The sheds over the outdoor pens were built to protect the buyers, sellers and auctioneers from the elements. Originally the mart was primarily a cattle market with the area being a prime dairy producer. Over recent years, the dairy business has declined due to commercial pressures, so that now the main livestock traded are sheep, many of which are farmed in the North Yorkshire Moors. Much of the beef cattle are sold direct from the farms on contract, with only occasional stock sales at Ruswarp.
There are three livestock pen sheds – one with steel gates and pens to herd cattle as well as sheep and two for smaller livestock (pigs, goats and sheep) which have wooden gates and pens. For this assignment I’m concentrating on only one of these sheds.
There are two types of sale here – stock sales, where the livestock is sold to go to other farms; and fat sales, where the livestock is destined for the abattoir. On the day I went to photograph the event, it was the Christmas show and fat sale.
For this venue I decided to use the D300s with the 18 – 200 VR lens, as I intended to show the interaction between farmers / butchers / auctioneers during the event. I used only natural daylight and varied the ISO as required to allow reasonably fast shutter speeds. The camera was set for 3-frame one stop bracketing in aperture priority. The bracketed images were to give some leeway in the different lighting conditions.
To illustrate how the building functions I decided to show stages through the sale process as follows:
Waiting for the Buyers
ISO-200, 18 mm (27 mm EFL), f/22, 1/8 sec.
With the sheep settled into the pens and buyers still to arrive, all is calm, so longer exposure times were possible. This image shows two of the four rows of pens and the registry office for the sellers. The walkway above the pens is for the use of the auctioneers when they conduct the auction. The sellers wait for the results of the judging (champions will demand a higher selling price).
This image was originally underexposed by one stop. I amended the exposure, structure and shadows / highlights in Photoshop to bring out the details in the shadow areas while controlling the highlights.
Assessing the stock
ISO-200, 170 mm (255 mm EFL), f/5.6, 1/160 sec.
A butcher assesses the muscle on the rump of a lamb while waiting for the auction to start. He’s more interested what it’ll look like when it’s skinned, not what the fleece looks like. Farmers look on with interest wondering whether their stock will make the mark.
The Auction
ISO-800, 18 mm (27 mm EFL), f/4, 1/250 sec.
The auctioneer directs the sale from the raised walkway, while his assistant keeps control of the paperwork.
I used a wider angle for this image as I wanted to capture the livestock as well as the sale activity while showing the working parts of the building. I increased the ISO to allow faster shutter speed. This was an under exposed image which I amended in Photoshop. In hindsight I could have used a smaller aperture with a slightly slower shutter speed, but I think this image shows how the building functions.
The evolution of this market has created a building which obviously works very well. The movement of stock and buyers / sellers through the mart runs like a well-oiled machine.
I’ve learned that I still need to concentrate more on the camera settings. Altering the ISO worked well, but I could have improved things by using smaller apertures sometimes.
I’ve also learned to use a smaller selection of cameras / lenses during this type of photography. A single camera / lens and a tripod are so much easier to handle than a bag with additional equipment. Shots can often be missed while changing cameras / lenses and working in a confined space means that I could be in other peoples’ way.
5. The butchers’
At the livestock market I spoke to one of the butchers who agreed to let me photograph a pen of lambs which he bought there after they’d arrived at his shop, which is where I picked them up again.
It’s been a family business for 5 generations, supplying the region’s top restaurants as well as us lucky locals from this shop. The present owner has been running it for 30 years.
The butcher’s comprises of three distinct areas – the refrigerator, the butcher room and the shop. I decided to take one image of each, to show their function. Using the D200 and D300s, with the 10 - 20 mm and 18 – 200 mm lenses on a tripod and with only existing artificial lighting, I produced the following images:
The refrigerator
D200, ISO-500, 10 mm (15 mm EFL), f/13.
The skinned carcasses hang for 4 days approx. before being butchered. The skins are often given to the slaughterman as part of his fee. While there is nobody shown in this image, it’s obvious that they have been there and the function of the room is clear.
With the fluorescent tubes being the only source of light here and with significant shadows being created by the beams and carcasses, I decided to use HDR from 3 bracketed images. Some perspective straightening and colour compensation was also done in Photoshop.
The 10 mm lens was very useful in this confined space. I increased the ISO to allow faster shutter speeds for this area.
The butchers’ room
D200, ISO-500, 10 mm (15 mm EFL), f/13, 1/40 sec.
Next to the refrigerator is the butchers’ room. There may be up to four butchers working in here at busy periods. Here the carcasses are cut into meal sized portions as required by the shop.
The noise reduction of the D200 isn’t as good as the D300s. There was significant noise in the dark areas of the scene, so I opted to use this single underexposed image rather than HDR. I used colour and perspective correction and noise reduction in Photoshop.
As a butcher’s room it functions well, but I’d prefer some better lighting conditions if I were working here. A window would make it a much more enjoyable place to work.
The Butcher’s Shop
D300s ISO-500, 18 mm (27 mm EFL), f/16, 1/10 sec.
The fresh meat counter of the shop, where the prepared meat is displayed and sold contains cuts from the lambs. This shows how the way shop functions, with the display and the counter to sell their products. It also shows the decoration and presentation of the shop, which is always at the highest level – it’s a renowned butchers with acclaimed patrons (that’s Prince Charles in the framed photograph).
I opted to use a single image instead of HDR due to the movement of the assistants.
This is only one of the displays in the shop. There are also the cooked meats (including award winning pies), fruit and vegetables and delicatessen. I’ve used Photoshop photomerge to create this panorama with enhancement using Nik HDR Efex Pro 2:
The butchers’ shop functions very well, as a high class supplier of meats, vegetables and accompaniments. It’s been a family business for 5 generations, supplying the region’s restaurants as well as us lucky locals from this shop.
In this venue the value of talking to people has been reinforced. Keeping some banter going allows an easy interaction and allows greater movement around smaller areas. People are happy to accommodate the camera equipment if they’re at ease.
6. The Baltic
It’s back to Gateshead for the final venue of this assignment. The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts is located on the South bank of the Tyne, adjacent to the Millenium Bridge and The Sage Gateshead. It was originally a flour mill, built for Rank Hovis to a 1930’s design, completed in 1950. It was further extended in 1957 to incorporate an animals feed mill, but closed down in 1981. In 1991 the contract for changing its use from flour mill into a centre for art was awarded and after lengthy planning and investment of £50m, the Baltic Centre was opened in July 2002.
Of the original building only the North and South walls remain, with 6 stories and 3 mezzanines built between. It has four galleries and two flexible exhibition areas, artists’ studios, and cinema / lecture hall. A two storey structure housing the café, shop and entrance hall was added.
It’s had a rocky publicity record since opening, but after several changes of director now seems to be doing well. Last year it hosted the Turner Prize which attracted 149,000 visitors – more than any other Turner Prize venue.
Photography is allowed anywhere in the building with a student’s card. No flash is permitted and there seems to be some vagueness about the use of a tripod (I’m afraid some of the floor assistants tend to be a bit power-crazy – but nothing that the Yorkshire School of Charm couldn’t handle!)
With the same two cameras / lens combinations and tripod I gained my photography permit and produced the following images:
Level 4 Exhibition Space
D200 ISO-200, 11 mm (16 mm EFL), f/4.2
Looking down from the Level 5 viewing box an excellent overview of the Level 4 exhibition space shows the scale of each floor. The display is part of the exhibition by Jim Shaw (which I’ll be visiting again as part of a study visit).
The lighting here is excellent for the display of art works but can cause highlight clipping in photographs. For that reason I used HDR techniques for this image. There is some distortion due to the lens at this height, but I think it’s acceptable for the view.
Level 3 Exhibition Space
D200 ISO-200, 10 mm (15 mm EFL), f/22.
Taken from the entrance to one of the installations, this isn’t really a feature of the building – more a feature of what can be done within the building, as all these walls and spaces are moveable and can be repositioned wherever the exhibition requires. I took this image to use the doorway as a frame for the bigger space, deliberately positioning myself off-centre to create the perspective lines of the frame.
I used HDR again, due to the high range of tones in the image and wanting to avoid both highlight and shadows clipping.
The Stairwell
D200 ISO-200, 11 mm (16 mm EFL), f/22.
I like what they’ve done with this stairwell. Placing mirrors at the top and bottom have created stairs that go on forever. The aluminium stair treads and chequer plate add to this surreal effect. Looking down can be quite disconcerting! I know it’s not one of the main features of the function of building, but it is a feature none-the-less. This is the view looking down from level 5.
I positioned the camera a far out as I dared on the tripod boom and used a remote trigger to shoot 3 bracketed images which I used with HDR to produce this result.
The Entrance Hall
D300s, ISO-500, 32 mm (48 mm EFL), f/16.
The polished aluminium ceiling tiles are so effective when the lights are on, so I took this as I was leaving. It didn’t have the same impact when I entered from the daylight.
Another HDR created image, this time with the stairs positioned centrally for effect.
Trying to determine the best images to show the function of this building has not been easy. It’s so tempting to concentrate on the exhibitions rather than the building itself. The external building is very attractive too. Also the situation on the Gateshead Quays adds to its appeal. If I were trying to illustrate the building itself, I’d have started with these, but that’s not part of the remit.
It’s been a more challenging assignment than I’d anticipated, but one I’ve enjoyed and gained a lot of satisfaction from.
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