A client engaged me to do an interesting outdoor project. It was a large infrastructure project that entailed the design and building of a new bridge as well as the re-routing of a creek bed.
My client is known for being good environmental stewards and does a lot of work related to environmental cleanup. In this particular case, the project was being submitted by the city for design awards.
The client wanted to showcase certain aspects of the design, which included showing the extent of the creek realignment; which was substantial. The creek was realigned to make a 90 degree eastward turn, run for approximately 200 metres, make a 90 degree southward turn, run for approximately 500 metres, make another 90 degree turn westward then turn 90 degrees south again after another 200 metre run to continue on its original course.
I decided on early morning to do the project because the warm light of the morning would look good. The more difficult components were to show the extent of the realignment and show how the environment had not been harmed with such a large construction project.
I have a fisheye lens that provides a 180 degree angle of view. Placing myself in about the middle of the first run of the realigned creekbed, this lens gave me a view of both corners of the first run.
I knew from past work with this client that the distorted perspective would not be a problem. They like creative and unconventional imagery.
You can see in the lower middle of the shot some dark shadows. Those are fish. Big ones!
Switching lenses, I moved closer to the edge of the creek and took another shot of the fish swimming in this small eddy. It was autumn and the fish were swimming upstream to spawn. That the fish were (a) back in the creek and (b) able to find their way even with the realignment illustrated that the aquaculture of the creek was not harmed by the project.
The client was happy. The client’s client was happy. And… the project won the design award it was submitted for!
