Slow Photography #58 Lunenburg: The Prettiest Town in the World

PRETTIEST TOWN IN THE WORLD

On the southwest shore of Nova Scotia, in maritime Canada, there is a town of wooden ships, red buildings, and iron men: Lunenburg. A thriving world heritage site, its tall ships and eye-catching scenery are ideal for slow photography. 

Once the busiest shipbuilding town in the world, Lunenburg is “the prettiest town in Canada,” people say. We went to Lunenburg to practice a relaxed, unhurried form of travel photography. I call it Slow Photography.

When we try to make interesting travel images, it helps to make images with thought, rather than to rush the process or try to "get everything in."

First, find a subject that you want to explore in depth. Then, wait for good light or return to your subject in great light. Next, ask three questions to help you compose, and to find a central idea for your image.

 

ASK THREE QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU COMPOSE

ONE:  “How can I change my approach?”

When you photograph, ask yourself: “How can I change my approach or beliefs to make this photo even stronger?”  The question is a thoughtful tool to increase your flexibility when you travel.  Question One gets us moving if you in a rut where we see “the same old pictures” even in new places.

Picture this first question as a triangle within a circle.  All your past habits for making images are represented by the triangle.  Surrounding the three points of the triangle, the circle has more area.

This expanded area holds those fresh, risky images that you could take.  We’re not talking about lenses, close-ups, or specific skills here. We’re talking about the inner photographer creating novel, self-expanding imagery. Posing Question One lets you slow down and think about each subject on its own. Here is an example.  

Lashing the Anchor, Picton Castle, Lunenburg

Photographing a tall ship, of a crew member in action when I saw him lashing the anchor.

The barque Picton Castle (a tall ship built in Selby, England, in 1928) arrived in the port of Lunenburg that day.  Asking Question 1 prompted me to walk over to the dock where this shipmate was tying a manila line to secure the ship's anchor.  While I've made photos from a distance to get the entire vessel in the frame, Question One prompted me to get closer for a portrait of the crew member at work. We talked.

During our conversation, I thought about the composition. The ship’s port anchor had an eye-grabbing shape; its arrow-like form made a compelling foreground.  When I asked myself how I might shift my approach, the thought process led me to use his moves to secure the anchor as the photo story. 

Photographing from below was also a change, as I tend not to do this for portraiture. Overall, the idea of the photograph, Lashing the Anchor, was to suggest the spirit of a ship, rather than identify a specific place. 

One key to improving your travel imagery lies with your attitude at the time you’re photographing.  When you ask questions before you photograph, you can break the habits that constrain your work.  Your images will have more variety and spontaneity.

QUESTION TWO: "What If...?"

It's helpful to ask “What would happen if I did . . ?”. In Lunenburg, I wondered “What would happen if I looked around the next street corner before I stop for the day?” I was about to call it a day when I walked past one of the town's red buildings. The prettiest town in the world has many such red edifices due to a tradition of painting them so sailors can see them in heavy fog and avoid going aground.

Earlier that day, I'd walked past the Fisheries Museum, shown in the photo below. Its red-colored exterior was attractive, so I returned once again, and waited.

Levels of Red, Lunenburg Fisheries Museum.

A parked red car next to a red motorcycle caught my eye as I was strolling past the museum on a fourth visit. I imagined an image I had never seen before, asking “What would happen if I waited to photograph until a red car drove by?” 

QUESTION THREE: "CAN I SIMPLIFY?"

Making our images simpler and more direct is always a challenge. To begin, just ask yourself “How can I simplify my approach, equipment, or picture?”  When we routinely carry too much, complicate our schedules, or over-think our photos, this question can be a useful tool.

In the scene above with the boots as planters, the idea is to convey a sense of place. The photograph almost makes you wonder what you would be seeing if you sat on that bench.  

Bottom Line: when you ask questions, you create photographic opportunities. Your questions will help you seek out and create images that surpass what you’ve done before.  Best of all, asking three questions will challenge the assumptions you make as you photograph.  Your curiosity will even lead to fresh ideas for your work. For better travel photographs, ask and you shall receive.

Thanks for your visit and comments. Jim