Shipbuilding on the River Clyde

Years ago a photographer explained to me his process of “know your boxes”, ie, know what projects you’re working on over time, and when you’re out and about photographing, know which boxes you can add images to. The ‘boxes’ being the print boxes for your various photographic projects.

We all have a few projects on the go. It’s easy to start a project, harder to finish one, and so the boxes are on the shelf, and every now and then we get another image to add to the box. And, as I think it was the great American photographer Lee Friedlander who said, when the lid doesn’t go on the box anymore it is time to look inside and see what the work amounts to, does it make a project?

I’ve photographed in Glasgow and River Clyde shipyards many times over the years, going back to the 1990’s and ship launches in Kvaerner Govan, and as such, photographs of shipbuilding on the River Clyde has become a box in my archive.

Earlier this week I had a day assignment for a PR company client, photographing in the Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow, Scotland. It’s always great when a client offers you assignment work knowing you have an interest in the project being photographed, and such it was with this job.

In Ferguson Marine two days ago a 100-tonne bow unit was being lifted by almighty big crane and swung round into position to be affixed to the front of Hull 802. A big lift, a big healthy and safety operation ensued to make sure all the weights and measures, cranes and chains were secure. Photographing operations of this scale takes patience, waiting while all the relevant safety checks take place, and then it was a go! And up it came, slowly, 100-tonnes of metal being lifted and righted into position, thens swung slowly and at some height, and then into position, where true to Clydebuilt engineering skills, it of course fitted perfectly…

These accompanying photographs take you through the movement, and now make up a valuable addition to my box of photographs of shipbuilding on the River Clyde.

I did publish a zine a few years back of the same name, Shipbuilding on the River Clyde, via Café Royal Books, but alas it has sold out. But, if the subject matter interests you there are prints available of the above images, and also of this iconic photograph of the PS Waverley passing Kvaerner Govan shipyard in 1993.

Many thanks, Jeremy