Reflections on Bath
I am a local photographer based in Bath. Towards the end of 2024 I self-published a photobook entitled: The City of Bath – Enduring Structures and Transient Lives. Wandering through the streets of Georgian buildings has inspired me to take photographs. My photobook presents a series of images of Bath’s architecture that seek to find new angles, reinvent some of the classic photographs and to animate shots in the present day.
The traditional genre of architectural photography does not usually include people. The main exception being to include a small number of human figures in the periphery of the frame to provide sense of scale (much like an architect’s drawing). While including a number of pure architectural shots in my photobook, I was very keen to develop my approach and to photograph both the architecture and the people who live, work and socialise in the city of Bath. It occurs to me that architecture does not serve any purpose without people, so why exclude people from architectural photography?
When researching the concept for the photobook, I began to experiment with long exposure and (in particular) multiple exposure photography. These techniques allowed me to show Bath’s historical architecture with clarity and also to blend people into the frame. This approach depicts people as ethereal, transient forms against the backdrop of these enduring structures. By presenting people in a transient state, we underscore the idea that people are simply fleeting guardians of the splendid buildings of Bath. I was particularly pleased, when discussing some initial examples of my transient style photography with a friend, who commented that the “transient figures breathe a sense of life into the architecture”.
Within the photobook, I have included a section of photographs using reflections as a fascinating way to observe and capture the fleeting nature of people passing through the city of Bath. I found that this approach complemented the multi-exposure approach described above and also created a surreal, multi-layered, painterly perspective. Reflections were captured using a variety of surfaces that included glass, paintwork and water. The resulting semi-abstract images foster a sense of mystery that is designed to stimulate the imagination of the viewer and to also invite the viewer to look at the familiar with fresh eyes.
Photographs record a slice of time and serve to document tomorrow’s history. To further contemplate the passage of time and humanity’s transient condition, I have included a chapter of ‘then and now’ photographs taken around the city. While the architectural structures endure, it is interesting to observe the vintage photographs within this chapter and to see how the modes of transportation, dress styles, human behaviour and population density etc. have dramatically evolved over the last 150 years or so.
My photobook is intended to celebrate Bath’s well-preserved classical architecture. However, just like all cities across the UK, Bath has its issues and challenges. I felt the need to create a photobook with some thought-provoking content to offer a balanced perspective.
This photobook has been generated in the hope of demonstrating to future generations, that the incumbent guardians of Bath’s architectural heritage (those living in the present day), have successfully balanced ongoing urban development pressures with a sensible and appropriate approach to conservation and sustainability.
The photobook The City of Bath – Enduring Structures and Transient Lives by Paul J Gooch is available from pauljgooch.com. It is also available at the following locations in Bath: Topping & Company Booksellers in York Street and le fou de bassan in Green Street.
