The first thing that interested me was the direction created by the posts. From the broad metal platform, two lines extend towards the end of the pier. The arrangement offered a natural structure for the photograph, drawing my attention from the foreground into the distance.
At high tide, much of the walkway was beneath the water. The posts remained visible, marking a route that could no longer be clearly followed. I was drawn to this contrast between the certainty of the structure and the uncertainty of what lay ahead.
I composed the photograph around its central alignment, allowing the arrangement to remain slightly uneven. The posts establish a strong sense of order, while the rope and fishing notices introduce smaller details that interrupt its regularity.
The foreground is clearly defined. The metal grating, posts and rope retain their texture and form. Further into the image, these details gradually diminish. The long exposure smooths the water, while the softened horizon makes the separation between sea and sky less distinct.
The rope continues to attract my attention. Its pale strands stand out against the dark grating, and its irregular shape contrasts with the straight lines surrounding it. It suggests human activity, although nothing in the photograph tells us who left it there or why.
The fishing notices offer something more definite. They refer to the practical use of the pier, with information specific to the time the photograph was made. I wanted them to remain visible, preserving something of the ordinary character of the place.
When making the photograph, I was primarily concerned with alignment, balance and the changing visibility of the walkway. I was also aware of the contrast between the physical details close to me and the softer forms beyond.
Only through returning to the image did I begin to consider other associations. The pier provides a way towards the water, yet here its purpose seems temporarily interrupted. It suggests movement, although nothing is moving through the scene. Ideas of departure and uncertainty emerged from those observations rather than from a meaning I had decided upon beforehand.
The title Passage reflects that relationship. There is a clear direction through the photograph, but no equally clear sense of where it leads.
What interests me now is the distance between the familiar purpose of the pier and the way it appears in the photograph. Its structure is clear, its direction unmistakable. Where that direction leads is less certain.
Passage is available as a Open Edition fine art print, produced using archival pigment inks on Hahnemühle paper.