Shipshape

As many of you will already know, particularly those who follow my Instagram feed, The Lifeboat Station Project has been a fair while in the thinking and planning.

The main reason, you see, is that my mission ahead is not as straight forward as it could be.

In the modern era, I could quite easily have grabbed a digital camera, captured the images on a cluster of memory cards and then sat in front of a computer for weeks prettying them all up.

However, you’ll also know by now that I’m not making this extraordinary body of work like that at all. I’m making the photographs on 10×12″ glass, just as the Victorians used to.

So, I’ve had to take great care in many ways — from liaising with the RNLI to ensure that they’re happy to receive Neena at every station to working out methods of safely transporting so much glass whilst on the road.

It’s a logistical puzzle and, do you know, it’s not just the prospect of making the photographs that I enjoy; it’s the challenge of solving that puzzle, of working out the best way to execute it and bring it to life.

As I write, the project is indeed doing just that; it’s coming to life and starting to look rather shipshape.

Next month, I set off on the inaugural trip covering eight stations in Norfolk and Suffolk.

The itinerary is subject to change but currently looks like this:

• Southwold: Monday 12th January 2015
• Lowestoft: Tuesday 13th January 2015
• Great Yarmouth & Gorleston: Wednesday 14th January 2015
• Happisburgh: Thursday 15th January 2015
• Cromer: Saturday 17th January 2015
• Sheringham: Sunday 18th January 2015
• Wells: Monday 19th January 2015
• Hunstanton: Tuesday 20th January 2015

Tracking the Project…

You can track our progress ‘live’ by following the Instagram, Facebook and Twitter feeds — check out the links down the left hand side of this page.

Remember, there’s a project Newsletter now too:

Signup in time to receive Issue No.2 by clicking here

I’ve also introduced two new ways for you to be a part of the project and offer you opportunities to help it make it happen:

1. Become a Friend of the Project…

The Lifeboat Station Project will document the entire network of RNLI stations around the British Isles. Also, it is set to be an enormous fundraiser for the RNLI, the charity that saves lives at sea for our island nation.

Making such a special body of work is a huge undertaking — you can be a part of it.

If you’d like to become a Friend of the Project simply make a donation to help keep the collodion flowing and Neena rolling…

As a thank you, your name will be listed on a special page in the beautifully finished book of the Lifeboat Station Project.

Click here to learn more

2. Invest in The Project…

In addition to becoming a Friend of the Project, there is now an early opportunity to invest in the The Lifeboat Station Project.

With so many logistics to consider over a three to five year period, I am currently seeking investment from interested parties to help me get the project underway and, of course, complete it.

Read more by clicking here or simply drop me a line to discuss things further.

Season’s Greetings…

All-in-all, this huge mission is coming together nicely.

Thank you so much for your early enthusiasm and support; by reading this third blog post, you’re with me on this journey right from the very start.

Please remember to spread the word by using the buttons below — I’d really appreciate if you share these pages among your friends, family and colleagues.

In the meantime, I trust that you’ve had a merry Christmas and I’d like to wish you all a happy 2015.

Maybe I’ll see you on our coastline soon…?