Patten's rock quarry shoot reflection and contact sheets

These are all the photographs I took on the when I went on a shoot on the 4/11/21.

These images document scrub clearance which was carried out by the trust at pattern's rock quarry. This involved the removal of small trees and scrub all of which was about a thumbs width or less. The removal of these is very important to try and conserve a particular type of habitat, known as limestone meadow. This type of habitat is of particular importance, even on a national scale. The scrub mostly consists of small trees, most of which are birch as well as other woody plants, such as brambles and dogwood. If the trees where allowed to grow then the grass in the meadow would be smothered and die so the habitat would be lost.   

Most of the scrub was burned to dispose of it, although it produces a lot of smoke, it is a very environmentally friendly way to dispose of it, it also produces wood ash and charcoal which can be used as a biological fertilizer. Once the fire had been finished with, it was doused to extinguish it. 

I think that my favorite images from this contact sheet are the ones of of the man walking through the cloud of smoke being created by the bonfire. They feel very cinematic and look like they have been staged, but where made completely by accidentally. I do Quite like the ones at the bottom, the one with the smoke drifting over the quarry pit is very atmospheric and the ones of the man shoveling the stuff onto the bonfire, silhouetted almost black against the white smoke of the fire. 

I quite like the images with the man going up and down the steep face of the quarry and the ones of the man carrying the big faggot of sticks, basically obscuring himself with the sticks and giving the impression of a moving bush. 

I quite like the images with the rock face, in like these in particular because they show the rock face where the quarrymen would have been drilling into the rock face to remove the limestone. 

I quite like the image 0994 through to 1007. these show the concrete pedestal from the stationary steam engine which would have provided power for the quarry. It is one of only a few things in the quarry which remain from the original workings. one of my plans for the photobook is to include these along with an illustration of what the engine would have looked like. 

feedback from the trust 25/11/21

I have looked through all these images. Personally I like the ones with my colleague Nathan emerging from the smoke, very cool. I also like the photos which show the unique landscape of the quarry, particularly the ones which show the quarry face, and the solitary yew tree growing out the steep slope.