Madeleine Lenagh FRPS

Statement of Intent

When I moved to a home very near the coast in 2021, it wasn’t a surprise to find myself on the beach with my camera at all hours. I’ve always loved the sea. And the Dutch coast, with its flat sandy beaches and moderate waves, may hold little interest to some landscape photographers accustomed to wilder shores, but for me, they are an endless source of fascination.

I was inspired by the many, swiftly changing, faces of the sea, as they reflect my own changeable moods. I also wanted my images to express that you can find beauty in ordinary things close to home if you slow down and start paying attention.

As I collected images along the coast, creating a portrait of an everchanging landscape, I decided to share my feelings with others in a tangible form. And so, the book was born.

Book images

Click on the image below to see some of the images from the book.

Supporting Evidence

A photography book tells a story through images. My book tells the story of the changing moods of the sea, as they mirror my own inner landscape. This played a role in both the making of the photographs and the selection and sequencing of the images.

Sometimes my forays to the beach with my camera were planned (according to tide tables and weather forecasts), but more often spontaneous. I usually didn’t know what to expect, so I stayed open and receptive to the way the landscape resonated with my emotions, thoughts, and memories. This is what determined when and how I pressed the shutter. And the deeper I connected to what I saw, the better I was able to express the feelings that it gave me.

Creating expressive – impressionistic even - images seemed to be a perfect fit for the theme of the book. I didn't confine my style to a single technique (ICM for example) but chose the technique to match what I was seeing and feeling in the moment.

The sea displays the rhythm of the moving tides and the ebb and flow of the waves. I wanted the book to express this rhythm in the narrative, so this was an important ingredient for the image selection and sequencing. The process evolved quite organically, and with the help of friend and landscape photographer Theo Bosboom, a loose structure emerged that is somewhat reminiscent of the structure of a symphony, with an introduction, a slow, calm movement, a crescendo, and a conclusion.

This structure is supported by empty pages, which form a resting point, and lyrical fragments of text. The texts are meant to emphasize feelings and thoughts that cannot be expressed by the images alone. Sometimes the texts mark the transition to a different mood.

The sequencing of the images, which alternates between groups of full bleed spreads where the viewer can immerse themselves in the feeling, and pairs of images on opposite pages that allow more distance, also reflects the movements of ebb and flow.

Following the musical rhythm of the sea and paying tribute to its resonance with my own inner landscape, I offer the viewer an opportunity to explore and connect with the many faces of the Dutch seashore.