Gulls

 

Gulls inhabit most areas of Britain but they are synonymous with the coast. They take advantage of the tall buildings in our coastal cities using them as cliff-tops, nesting on roofs and high ledges.

Modern 24hour cities are filled with light and during the short summer nights, in the breeding season, the gulls are stimulated to fly throughout the dark hours. At night they are unnoticed from street level as they circle the roofs acting as sentries, protecting their nests. Illuminated by the city lights and the occasional use of photographic flash, these long exposure photographs, taken from the rooftops of Liverpool, reveal the trails and patterns of their flight.

It is a truism that photography can reveal more than can be seen with the naked eye, these photographs fully exploit the unique qualities of the medium. The city appears as a colourful empty stage set, the only visible activity is the trace of the gulls reeling above the buildings. The sky reflects the strong colours of the city lights with the deep orange being caused by the ubiquitous sodium light and through the clouds stars as just specks of light can be seen.

The work is being exhibited in the HLC Social Space, 9 Abercromby Square, University of Liverpool until January 2014.

A more extensive gallery is viewable here.