The 2024 project is about a stretch of the River Mersey from Stockport to Parrswood, Ive done a description blog here. I’m feeling really positive about my photography at the moment so even though I only had a limited amount of time I did want to get out yesterday. I guess the main idea of this years project is that it is local and I can drop onto working on it very quickly.
So yesterday I set off to scout out the Stockport Town Centre end of the river. I ended up having to park on the Aurora Business Park as the whole area around the town centre is full of double yellow lines. Anyway, it’s easy to walk along the riverside towards the town centre and it did help with getting my steps in. I decided this first scout would be images all taken on my iPhone15ProMax, even though I had my camera in my backpack. These images all add to the section of the project that I’m calling Bridges, Industry and Graffitti. All separate elements of the project.
Both ends of the section of the river are bounded by a bridge, and there are bridges all along the section, so it seems fitting that bridges features as a chapter, if you will. The image above essentially has two bridges within it, the motorway bridge (you can see the under side of it) and also the bridge next to what used to be the Woolpack Pub. I thought the fence might help as a leading line, but I dont really think this works. I’ll have another look at this in the coming weeks and months.
The above image shows the bridge at the eastern end of my section of the river. You can also see the Stockport Viaduct in this image, along with a cheery picker and assorted workmen. There is a lot going on in this image, which is fine but maybe some nice light is required.
This bridge is the footbridge that leads over the river, effectively from Aurora Business Park to the opposite bank and the Kingsreach Business Park. This is an image taken with my iPhone. I do like the various reflections in the puddles but they aren’t big enough to be any real addition to the image. My trope will allow me to get the symmetry of this sorted but I will need some good light and maybe someone walking over the bridge to add to the effect.
This particular section of the river has lots of old and new buildings that are essentially for industrial use. The reflection caught my eye, as I stood on the bridge, along with the water level indicator on the left side of the building. There really will need to be lots more work on this section of the project. The scenes are very messy and ill need to look carefully to get an image or two that best reflects this section of the project.
For those of you who have clicked the link at the start of this blog post will have scene that I took a couple of images of graffiti from another section of the river. I’m stood with my back to the river when I took this image. the subway goes under the M60. To be honest this is not the best part of Stockport and I didn’t linger, I took the image and moved on quickly. This is a crop in from the original scene, but I think this works well. Is this art or is it an eyesore? That really is a matter of opinion but it certainly adds something to what otherwise would be a bland concrete underpass. I think there is something in this composition and ill be back here with the full kit and tripod to get a better composition.
All these images are taken on my iPhone 15 Pro Max.