Michael Marten – Sea Change

1. Research a photo-book and describe the story it is communicating  with reference to subject-matter, genre and approach to image-making.

This photobook focuses on comparing the difference between the tide being in and out in coastal areas. The story it tells is about how a landscape can change in the space of 6 hours, and how landforms can be cut off by the tide.

2. Who is the photographer? Why did he/she make it? (intentions/ reasons) Who is it for? (audience) How was it received? (any press, reviews, awards, legacy etc.)

Since 2003 Michael Marten has travelled to different parts of the British coast to photograph identical views at high and low tide, six or eighteen hours apart. His beautiful and surprising photographs reveal how the twice daily rhythm of ebb and flood can dramatically transform the landscape. One aspect of what makes these photographs so compelling is the fascination of comparing each pair of pictures, spotting what has or hasn’t changed. The contrasting views play with our sense of depth and perspective, and show how subjective is our perception of landscape. The result is a substantial document capturing the variety of the British coastline, a portrait of the maritime landscape that makes visible in a dramatic new way the ebb and flow of tidal waters.

3. Deconstruct the narrative, concept and design of the book and apply theory above when considering:

• Book in hand: how does it feel? Smell, sniff the paper.

The book feels sturdy and doesn’t really smell of anything.

• Paper and ink: use of different paper/ textures/ colour or B&W or both.

The pages are made of card which makes it seem more professional. The photos are all in colour.

• Format, size and orientation: portraiture/ landscape/ square/ A5, A4, A3 / number of pages.

The paper size is A4, and the orientation is landscape. There are 125 pages

• Binding, soft/hard cover. image wrap/dust jacket. saddle stitch/swiss binding/ Japanese stab-binding/ leperello

The book is hard cover

Title: literal or poetic / relevant or intriguing.

In my opinion the title of the photobook, “Sea Change” can be interpreted as both literal and poetic because the photos show the sea changing, but there is a poetic style to the title aswell.

• Narrative: what is the story/ subject-matter. How is it told?

The story is about how the tide can change the landscape of a beach in a few hours