Studio in the woods 2013
Architectural photographers tend to work alone generally, there are exceptions but we’re a funny bunch and don’t generally collaborate with other photographers. So for this recent project it was a real pleasure to work and collaborate with my good friend Jim Stephenson (or Brighton Jim as I call him) to shoot a series stills and record some video footage of series of temporary pavilions or installations set in a beautiful landscape. This was part of Studio in the woods summer event, which is now in its seventh year. It was originally started by Piers Taylor of Invisible Studio who I worked with back in 2001 in Bath. This year it was run by Studio Weave and they were able to secure some public land to use in Stanton Park just outside of Swindon for the first time. Rather than try and describe it myself here’s the description from the project website.
Now in its seventh year, Studio in the Woods is a five-day outdoor summer workshop led by a group of award-winning architects and engineers aimed at architectural students, practicing architects and a wider audience with an interest in sculpture, landscape and the direct experience of making and building with materials to hand.
Studio in the Woods is an ongoing educational programme promoting the exchange of architectural knowledge and skills through experimentation and direct experience.
The practices leading the workshops were Studio Weave; Invisible Studio; Gianni Botsford Architects; Fielden Clegg Bradley Studios and Erect Architecture.
Jim and I were able to record the series of five completed installations around the forest on a beautiful scorching hot summers day. We shared the tasks of shooting stills and video, each coming up with ideas and critiquing the proposed shots. We quickly picked up a method of working and by the end of the day had the collaboration down to a fine art. The collaboration continued into the editing of the video and stills and I feel we both got a huge amount out of the day. It’s great to work with someone else creative and would love to do it again. More people should try it!
All content in this post is © Andy Matthews and Jim Stephenson.
And here’s a few of my favourite shots from the day which I’m really pleased with.
