Assignment 2 – Collecting

LEARNING LOG

Introduction

BRIEF:

Create a series of between 6 and10 photographs from one of the following options, or a subject of your own choosing:

• Crowds
• Views
• Heads

Each of the 3 subjects were equally exciting at first glance for me.  My thoughts ranged from studio shots, to rolling hills and concert crowds all of which were possible for me to achieve. Firstly I decided to look for inspiration by doing some research. I also made a mind map documenting the pros and cons of each area to aid me in coming to my final decision.

RESEARCH:

Robert Doisneau

Born 1912; died 1994; Doisneau was a French photographer. After leaving School and training he became a camera assistant to Andre Vigneau^** before branching out on his own in 1939. He is known for his photojournalistic approach rather than as a street photographer. I have tried to explain below why I do not see him as a classic street photographer.

Many of his images show separate groups of people, each of them doing different things within the frame. He appears not to pose most of his subjects but watch and wait until the moment is right. To me street photography is much more sporadic, taken without as much thought as is required when waiting for the right moment. Images are often taken at a wider angle and therefore less intrusive. Doisneau either uses a long-range lens or takes his images at a closer proximity to the subject. If the latter is so his subjects must be aware of his presence yet this does not show in his images.

You can get a sense of this from the following images:

http://www.robert-doisneau.com/en/portfolios/457,bistrots.htm

http://www.robert-doisneau.com/en/portfolios/2310,publicite.htm

http://www.robert-doisneau.com/en/portfolios/1817,cirque.htm

The following article is interesting, giving foresight into Doisneau and his trademark style. Within the article Doisneau is quoted as saying “To see is sometimes to improvise a little theater and wait for the actors. Who am I waiting for? I don’t know. I wait nonetheless.”

http://www.loeildelaphotographie.com/2015/02/12/book/27223/robert-doisneau-youth-1912-1939

^** a very famous photographer, draughtsman and sculptor, although it seems Doisneau’s fame superseded that of his teacher. I have unable to find little more information on Vigneau other than that referenced to Diosneau.

Garry Winogrand

When I first started to research Garry Winogrand I was surprised to learn that many of his images were developed after his death. Winogrand was born in Bronx, New York City in 1928. In 1951 he attended a photojournalism class in New York and went on to be a freelance photojournalist and advertising photographer in the 50’s and 60’s. He showed street photography in its purest form. His images were about life. People did not know he was photographing them, they were taken quickly with his pre focused Leica, and because of this he got candid, personal shots that showed peoples personality and emotions. He once said ‘When I’m photographing I don’t see a picture, I see faces’. This is definitely illustrated in his work; if you look through his archives it is rare to see a Winogrand image without a face of one form or another being within the frame.

In the 1970’s Winogrand turned to teaching, where he remained until his sudden death at the age of 56 in 1984. He left behind him thousands of unprocessed/undeveloped rolls of film and contact sheets many of which have been printed posthumously.

http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/exhibitions/2014/winogrand.html

Lisette Model

Lisette Model born Nov 1901 was one off 2 photographers born to a Jewish Austrian-Italian father and French Catholic mother. She was educated in Vienna and the Paris. It was her sister Olga that taught her the basics of film development and processing. Lisette is known for street photography however her style is less conventional, leaning towards portraiture and close-up cropped images of the unordinary. She became a magazine photographer contributing to the likes of Harper’s Bazaar, Look & Ladies’ Home Journal. Model moved on to teaching at San Francisco’s Institute of Fine Art and then at the New School for Social Research in New York until her death in 1983.

http://www.cybermuse.gallery.ca/cybermuse/showcases/model/index_e.jsp

THOUGHTS

After the research I thought I knew what direction I would be taking but drawing a mind map helped reinforce my decision. I was particularly drawn to Doisneau and his watch and wait style. If I were to choose Views I could not see what benefit watching and waiting would be; a landscape view does not offer much in the way of diversity when shooting. Usually landscapes are shot at a wide angle and anything that could add interest e.g. people; vehicles or wildlife would be of an insignificant size and/or detail to tell any story. If I were to choose Heads I would have taken studio based fashion/hair images which would have been posed shots, eliminating the suspense of waiting for the right moment, therefore, of all the categories Crowds was the one that worked best with Doisneau’s style.

Exercise 1.4 – Frame

Brief

Take a good number of shots composing each shot within a single section of the viewfinder grid. Don’t bother about the rest of the frame! Use any combination of grid sections, subject and viewpoint you choose.

My initial approach was completely on the wrong track. I read the brief to mean take a number of shots of the same subject moving it within different sections of the viewfinder. It wasn’t until I after much deliberation, many ill composed shots of my fruit bowl and looking at how my fellow students had approached the exercise did I realise my mistake.

My camera does not give a grid through the viewfinder, only through live view however all images take through live view have a vertical line either side when replaying. I wasn’t in a position to put the memory card into my PC and see if this came through after upload. In live view the grid split into 9 sections, which was simple enough to emulate without the visible grid through the viewfinder. I have found an image of the grid I adopted and given that as an example below.

The weather today was mild with a clear sky; having broken a lens yesterday I was left with a 50mm prime lens and a 100mm-300mm telefocus lens to go with my Canon 6D. I kept the camera on the automatic setting as suggested and decided to make my first ever visit to the local regenerated canal.

My contact sheet below is set out as per the grid above:

Each image and their camera settings are below:

ISO320 300mm f/6.3 1/250sec

Focal point: Daisy – Top Left

 

ISO100 50mm f/9.0 1/400 sec

Focal point: Thistle – Top Middle

ISO100 135mm f/5.6 1/125 sec

Focal point: Bird House – Top Right

ISO100 50mm f/9.0 1/500 sec

Focal point: Supermarket – Middle Left

ISO100 50mm f/6.3 1/250 sec

Focal point: Bridge arch – Middle Middle

ISO100 300mm f/6.3 1/400 sec

Focal point: Heron – Middle Right

ISO400 300mm f/5.6 1/250 sec

Focal point: Leaf – Bottom Left

ISO100 50mm f/5.0 1/125 sec

Focal point: Boat – Bottom Middle

ISO100 142mm f/7.1 1/200 sec

Focal point: Sign – Bottom Right

Reflection/Observations

Overall I am happy with the way the images work together. Because it is clear to see the relationship between the subjects the images work individually, as pairs or in a composition of any number of images.

Reviewing the images, on some occasions it is clear to see the intended focal point but on others there could be more than one option e.g. image B3: I have chosen the bird house in the top right of the image as the focal point however it could equally be the yellow bush which covers the entire left of the image. The same could be said for B5; used on this occasion as a central focal point within the grid but it could have been composed to show the foot path in the bottom right of the viewfinder. This exercise has definitely taught me to appreciate what else you can encompass within an image when you have a focal point in mind, be it by choice or inadvertently and if the latter to be more aware.

Research – Cropping and Framing

I am asked in my workbook to note down what I understand by the terms ‘cropping’ and ‘framing’ before checking Walker Evans’ American Photographs (1938) to see if I am right.  My interpretation is below.

Cropping

Post camera editing of an image within a software package (e.g Photoshop/Lightroom) to create one or more others from the master image by selecting specific areas of interest. The image selected within the crop boundaries will be enlarged to fit the image size unless specified otherwise.

Framing

The positioning of the subject within the camera as seen through the lens. This includes composition of the image taking into consideration the rule of thirds. To frame within a frame is another option for example viewing a subject through a hole in the hedgerow but including the hedge within the image providing a window [frame] adding definition and interest to the finished image.

I will now research Walker Evans’ American Photographs (1938) to see if I am right and post the outcome later.

Outcome

I wasn’t able to source a copy of American Photography by Walker Evans, I have however found an except from it within the link below. There was no definition within it of cropping and framing therefore I have researched this online and have provided some results below:

http://www.moma.org/momaorg/shared/pdfs/docs/publication_pdf/3158/Walker%20Evans%20PREVIEW2.pdf?1374519526http://www.moma.org/momaorg/shared/pdfs/docs/publication_pdf/3158/Walker%20Evans%20PREVIEW2.pdf?1374519526

Cropping refers to the removal of the outer parts of an image to improve framing, accentuate subject matter or change aspect ratio. Depending on the application, this may be performed on a physical photograph, artwork or film footage, or achieved digitally using image editing software. The term is common to the film, broadcasting, photographic, graphic design and printing industries. (Wikipedia.org)

In visual arts and particularly cinematography, framing is the presentation of visual elements in an image, especially the placement of the subject in relation to other objects. Framing can make an image more aesthetically pleasing and keep the viewer’s focus on the framed object(s). It can also be used as a repoussoir, to direct attention back into the scene. It can add depth to an image, and can add interest to the picture when the frame is thematically related to the object being framed. (Wikipedia.org)

Exercise 1.3 (2) – Line

Take a number of shots using lines to flatten the pictorial space. To avoid the effects of perspective, the sensor/film plane should be parallel to the subject and you may like to try a high viewpoint (i.e looking down). Modern architecture offers strong lines and dynamic diagonals and zooming in can help create simpler, more abstract compositions.

Review your shots from both parts of Exercise 1.3. How do the different lines relate to the frame? There’s an important difference from the point exercised: a line can leave the frame. For perpendicular lines this doesn’t seem to disrupt the composition too much, but for perspective lines the eye travels quickly along the diagonal and straight out of the picture. It feels uncomfortable because the eye seems to have no way back into the picture except the point that is started from. So for photographs containing strong perspective lines or ‘leading lines’, it is important that they lead somewhere within the frame.

These three pictures show lines within an image that simply lead the eye from top to bottom or side to side but very little depth of field.

The first image is a paneled door; I took the shot at an angle parallel to the vertical panels of wood that made up the door. The eye is not drawn anywhere other than from top to bottom and off the page, along one line rather than seeking the whole image. It is a very flat image and does not offer a sense of any depth of field.

Image No 2 is very much the same as image 1. These house bricks, as with the door are taken at an angle parallel to the surface. The difference with this is there are vertical and horizontal lines for the eye to follow however neither gives the viewer a sense that there is any depth involved.

Image No 3 is taken of a ceramic floor from above. Here again you can see the flatness of the image emphasized by vertical and horizontal lines. The lack of diagonal lines leading to a point of interest makes the image flat without depth of field.

Exercise 1.3 (1) Line

Brief.

Take a number of shots using lines to create a sense of depth. Shooting with a wide-angle lens (zooming out) strengthens a diagonal line by giving it more length within the frame. The effect is dramatically accentuated if you choose a viewpoint close to the line.

1. Leading lines will draw the viewer’s eye to the focal point of an image. I took this image in landscape mode in an attempt to show that you do not need to take an image in portrait mode in order to get a deep depth of field. I was kneeling in order to fill the front of the frame with the path. In doing so the path appears to slope at either edge giving a rounded look to the path and leaning trees. The focal point is the fence at the end of the grass-clearing central to the image.

2. I can see two set of lines in this image; firstly I am drawn to follow the curvature of the trees that creates the pathway and my eye settles on the walkers at the far end of the trees. The 2nd set of lines is the horizontal shadows produced by the sun emerging on this cloudy day. The light in this image gives a sense of warmth compared to the image below.

3. Taken further down the track I opted to take a landscape shot of the view to give a sense of breadth and depth of field. Darker in contrast to the portrait image above because the sun had gone the scene is colder.

4. I wanted to show that leading lines do not need to narrow into obscurity in order show depth of field. I think I’ve done that in this image as we have a diagonal line from the front of the image that bends horizontally to the left. For me the focal point is the diving bridge framed by the lake edge and the first pillar, but for others is may be the people framed within the central square created with the pillars from the shelter.

Exercise 1.2 Point

1. Take 2 to 3 photographs in which a single point is placed in different parts of the frame. (A ‘point’ should be small in relationship to the frame; if it’s too large it becomes a shape.)

How can you evaluate the pictures?  How do you know whether you’ve got it right or not?  Is there a right place and a wrong place for the point? For the sake of argument, let’s say that the right place shouldn’t be too obvious and that the point should clear and easy to see.  As there’s now a ‘logic’ to it, you can evaluate your composition according to the logic of the point.

As you look at the pictures you might find that you’re also evaluating the position of the point by its relationship to the frame.

I have taken a long time to work this exercise out and am still not sure whether I have got it right or wrong?  What I do know is it has provoked me to think about the way I see an image through my lens in order to make an informed decision on the frame I am going to settle for.

I found myself practising framing images whilst driving, using my windscreen to frame the image and using my photographic memory to analyse how many points I had visualised.  To be a point within the image the item was small and distant e.g. a person, animal, a bush/tree, swing, aeroplane, etc it is true, the more I approached the object the more it became a shape.

I chose to take my photographs from above the village of Aldbourne which sits on the Wiltshire/Berkshire border approx 8 miles from Swindon.  All images were taken with my Canon 6D set to auto as required for this exercise.  A small amount of editing has been done with Adobe Lightroom to brighten the colours slightly as it was a dull, misty afternoon.

Image 1 – Point: Communications mast to left of image.

Image 2 – Point: Communications mast to right of image.

Image 3 – Point: Communications mast in centre of image.

As the mast is the only object above the horizon line the eye is drawn to rest at this point aided in images 1 & 2 by the slope of the hill at the forefront of the image.  The mid ground tends to blur into insignificance. The eye is not so easily drawn to the point in image 3, the sloping ground at the forefront of the image fights the mast for my attention.

2. Take a number of images in which a point is placed in relationship to the frame.

Can you find any place where the point is not in relationship to the frame? If it’s in relationship to the frame you can place a point in any part of the picture and the picture is balanced.

You could think about the two parts of this exercise in a different way, as ‘test pictures’ versus ‘real pictures’. The only purpose for the test pictures is the exercise: you can analyse them according to the criteria and get the expected answer.  But ‘real’ pictures are not so easy to analyse.  What are the criteria for ‘relationship’?

As you review your photographs, observe the way your eye ‘scans’ the surface of the image.  Note how:

• A point attracts attention out of proportion to its size
• the eye looks for connections between two points
• placing a point close to the edge seems to animate both the point and the frame

Print out two or three of your point photographs and trace the route your eye takes over the surface with a pencil.  Then try the same with a selection of photographs from newspapers or magazines.  You should notice that each photograph seems to have its own tempo.  Add the traced photographs to your learning log together with brief observations.

Image 1 – The middle field is the main point of focus in this image but to get to this point the eye follows the zig -zag lines lent by the natural fall of land.

Image 2 – Out of the latter 3 images this one follows the rule both thirds better than the other 2.  There is a clear foreground, mid-ground and background.  However the eye is drawn from the front to the house within the mid-ground and then over to the cluster of trees outlining the field on the left.

Image 3 – Nothing much going on in this image, the eye follows the zig-zag formation of the land but leads to the open space of the sky.  There is nothing of interest within the frame.

As suggested I also looked at some magazines and to see how my eye scanned images.  Having not been involved in the framing and shooting of the images they were fresh me.  They are both taken from an edition of Practical Photography.

Spiral Staircase – this one is easy, the subject of the image already has its own leading lines in the form of the banister.  The eye is drawn from the bottom left upwards and inwards to the smallest point of the image.

Boats – With the detail of the image central to the frame the eye tends to attract to combine the mid ground detail and background detail together.

Impromptu Learning Opportunity – William Henry Fox Talbot/Platinum Printing

Fox Talbot Museum – Platinum Exhibition by Studio 31

I was recently invited to a private viewing of the new exhibition to take place in the upper gallery at the Fox Talbot Museum located at the home of William Henry Fox Talbot, Lacock Abbey, Lacock in Wiltshire. The exhibition titled Platinum is open until 12 July 2015.

The exhibition title refers to the medium in which the images are printed. Developed in 1873 by William Willis Jr (1841-1923) platinum printing is a contact printing process. Negatives are produced to the required size and placed in contact with sensitized paper (paper coated with a mixture of ferric oxalate and potassium chloroplatinate) and then exposed to sunlight to gain a faint image. After exposure the image developed in a warn solution of potassium oxalate.

The finished image is one of platinum embedded into paper fibres. This gives a broad tonal range, which doesn’t fade and is thought to last for thousands of years.

There is a short video demonstrating the platinum printing process at http://www.platinumprinting.co.uk under The Platinum Print.

More information regarding Studio 31 the printers behind the images at the Fox Talbot Museum can be found by visiting http://www.31-studio.com . The exhibition features images from renowned photographers such as Alvin Langdon Coburn, Jacques Henri Lartigue, David Bailey & Bryan Adams

Whilst visiting the exhibition I took the opportunity to see the photographic history provided by William Henry Fox Talbot. Fox Talbot was born February 1800 but he did not take up residence in Lacock Abbey until 1832 after marrying Constance Mundy. Whilst on honeymoon in he designed a machine that used light sensitive paper. Upon returning to Lacock he developed three primary elements to photography – developing fixing and printing. Exposing photographic paper to light produced an image that required a lengthy exposure, but by accident he discovered there was an image after short exposure that could be fixed with a chemical solution.

Exercise 1.1 The Instrument

Exercise 1.1 Take three or four exposures of the same scene. Don’t change anything on the camera and keep the framing the same. Switching my camera to auto is not something I have done for a while and strangely I feel I am cheating in doing so. For the purpose of the exercise though I appreciate the need for this. I remembered one wet afternoon over the Christmas holidays where I spent a considerable amount of time photographing a hanging candle votive, changing the aperture, ISO and shutter speed up and down per shot to see the different effects the artificially produced light from the flame had on the images. I have reproduced those images today; the difference between today and my previous attempt was my camera was set on Auto, I set the shot up using my tripod placed on the dining room table so I could shoot from above, rather than side on hand-held. I hope I have been able to show the movement of the artificial light (flame) and the natural light.

Candle Light 1

Histogram 1 for Candle Light 1

Histogram 2 for Candle Light 1

Candle Light 2

Histogram 1 for Candle Light 2

Histogram 2 for Candle Light 2

Candle Light 3

Histogram 1 for Candle Light 3

Histogram 2 for Candle Light 3

Candle Light 4

Histogram 1 for Candle Light 4

Histogram 2 for Candle Light 4

Histograms and how to read them Histograms can be found on most modern DSLR cameras. A histogram is a digital graph like image that displays the number of tones from darkest: black, to brightest: white. Dark tones are indicated on the left hand side of the graph moving though the mid tones to the light tones on the right hand side. There are two options on my Canon 6D that I can find for displaying histograms; both of these are shown above. Whilst researching most histograms are shown as a combined graph of brightness and RGB. (as below).

Example of Histogram

Enabling histogram on your camera allows you to see how the image is being exposed as you shoot, providing you with the opportunity to adjust the settings as you go. You may want to consider adjusting the exposure if any of the histogram data is touching either edge. When the data touches the left hand side this indicates that a portion of your image is black and detail is lost. When the data is touching the right hand side this indicates that a portion of the image is white and again the detail is lost. To make a dark image brighter dial in a positive exposure or to make a bright image darker dial in a negative exposure, alternatively if shooting in Manual adjust the ISO, shutter speed and/or f-stop. Please follow these links for more information on histograms and how to read them:

Cheat Sheet for Reading Histograms

A Photographer’s Guide to Understanding Histograms

Assignment One ‘Square Mile’

LEARNING LOG

My Square Mile assignment will be focused on the area immediately around my home but I found myself remembering characters & places from my childhood that I will never again have the opportunity to photographically document; the ‘characters’ are no longer alive or merely not the same many years on, places of beauty are not as aesthetically pleasing and buildings have been long replaced.  If only we could turn back time!  I found the quote below particularly poignant:

 “In our earliest years we know a patch of ground in a detail we will never know anywhere again – site of discovery and putting names to things – people and places – working with difference and similitude – favourite places, places to avoid – neighbours and their habits, gestures and stories – textures, smells – also of play, imagination, experiment – finding the best location for doing things – creating wolds under our own control, fantasy landscapes”  (Professor Mike Pearson)

Mapping

The first hurdle I faced with mapping 1 Sq mile from home is that an Ordnance Survey Map in paper/book format is not something we own in this household.   With a little bit of patience and help from the internet the area I am to become more familiar with was established!

approximate 1 Sq Mile around SN3 3TQ

Next I turn my thoughts to a spider map; This is definitely an evolving item of reference.  I started with the title, then branched off some of the thought processes I’d had so far on how to get started, including where I would go to get my images and what I expected to get from each area.  I will get to the images in a moment but upon return the spider map was updated and extended dependent on what I was able to or unable to capture but that I’d had firm ideas for.

Spider Map of thoughts/ideas

Photowalk 1 – 31/1/15

Saturday 31/1/15 was the day I had planned to get out and about and start taking images and find a common theme/track I wanted to follow with this assignment. I want my images to fit together, rather than be completely random shots.  The weather was typically english – wet!  It even threw a light layer of snow into the mix but luckily the rain was melting that.  Nevertheless armed with my list, the train timetable, tripod and obviously my camera off I set to the railway bridge.  That done I pass 1 of 2 local lakes where I spotted geese grazing as if sheep, and then continue to the local hospital where they have an interesting iron statue. This was also the first opportunity I had to use my new Canon 6D outside.  My aim was to show a depth of field where the forefront is pin sharp yet the background is blurred; that is known as a shallow depth of field.    I put my camera on manual, chose my focal point on the viewfinder, set the ISO & aperture quite high and started from there, moving up & down a notch at a time to get different results.   Here, see for yourself:

Thoughts

I decided that this week I would step away from the camera!  The images from my first photowalk weren’t working together in the way I had envisioned.

Camera down I decided to put my time to good use and attempt to plan a route through the first assignment.  Talking to other students on the OCA Photography Facebook page really helped to give me clear and concise direction.  I’d already started a spider map but as an extension to this devised a “To Do” list (below):

1. Re-read Brief. – Read and highlight important parts.  It seems the only way to do ‘this’ for me is to break it down step by step, if I look at the whole picture it becomes too scary!
2. Research practitioners listed. – most practitioners have been researched; some of the links provided gave better levels of information than others but were a great starting point.  Artists like Gawain Barnard, Tina Barney, Tom Hunter and Jodie Taylor were the ones that most inspired me and I plan to incorporate their style into my own photography in future assignments where possible.  I had thought I would walk the streets at dusk taking photos from the outside in; the homeowner’s lights exposing their lives to the world. Not sure if I am brave enough for this yet!   The greatest inspiration for my own set of images has come from Jodie Taylor, a fellow student who’s blog I have seen.  
3. Read Exercises. – I’ve now have some ideas on how to execute the exercises and am looking forward to starting them.
4. Photowalk 2 – Only after doing all of the above would I plan to go out again.

Photowalk 2 – 07/02/15

Not satisfied with my images from Photowalk 1 and having been inspired by Jodie Taylor’s work I was ready to go out again.  Focusing my efforts on Shaftesbury Lake and the adjacent adventure park I set out to see what I could find.  Ideally I would encounter some human activity since including people amongst this environment would provide a story to my feature.  Instead I was faced with a dull cold day and little in the way of human activity.  I did however find wildlife and rubbish!  Maybe something was starting to take shape?

Photowalk 3 – 8/02/15

Yesterday was a more successful day with what I hoped are a couple of edits starting to develop.  I am thinking about either focusing on the abandoned items or the wildlife, at this point edging slightly towards “Abandoned”.  There are a few more areas I want to capture and decide to go out again with my Canon 1000D this time and 18-135mm lens in order to capture some wider angled shots.

Research

Tom Hunter

tomhunter.org

Tom Hunter the Hackney, East End photographer is an artist who immediately stood out for me. His extensive biography and list of achievements and awards are a true credit to his work. Born in 1965 this talented guy is only 5 years older than myself; to have achieved so much in what seems such a short space of time is incredible.

In his Persons Unknown collection he is inviting people to look at his life from the outside, a kind of through the looking glass effect. This collection and my recent research into the legal restrictions of photography (members of the public and the media do not need a permit to film or photograph in public places) has inspired me to produce a body of work along the same lines; I can stand in the street and photograph inside a home.  But this will be reserved for a future project.

I also looked at “The Ghetto” street; Hunter produced a 3D model of Ellingfort Road, the street in which he once lived. This model now has permanent residence at the Museum of London.

Gawain Barnard

gawainbarnard.com

Gawain Barnard’s “Journey by Train” images show a mixture of skill and either impeccable timing or sheer good luck. All taken as a passenger from the inside window of a train traveling at varying speeds, framing and capturing his subjects.   I get the impression that the train was moving whilst all the images were being exposed therefore consideration was given to the shutter speed in order to show some subjects with movement and others with none.

Tina Barney

http://www.gallery339.com/html/artistresults.asp?artist=49

This American born photographer is best know for working close to home by choosing family and friends as her subjects. Her images, in my opinion, are documentary, documenting family life from the outside. Her work although similar to Tom Hunter’s differs in that her subjects are from a more opulent background. Her family became accustomed to her shooting them; she tells David Corey* in an interview for BOMB Magazine (see link) that she “reached a point in her life where she realized how precious certain things were to her and decided she had to record them”. Shooting pictures of them is her the equivalent of a diary.

*David Corey is a freelance writer and critic who lives in New York. His recent work on the photographer WEEGEE has appeared in Talking Pictures (Lookout/Chronicle), Newsday, and at the International Center for Photography. He is the author, with photographer David Levinthal, of Small Wonder, which will be published by Smithsonian in 1995. He also teaches comparative literature and film at Brooklyn College.

Jodie Taylor

http://jodietaylorlog.moonfruit.com

Having researched several photographers Jodie Taylor’s work titled Memories of Childhood inspired me the most and my work in this assignment, I feel, is nearest to the style of hers than any of the others. To me Jodie’s pictures say “council estate”. Although her images appear to be captured in an area akin to a council estate Jodie has found by framing her images well she is able to distract the viewer from the less aesthetically aspects of the images other photographers researched focused mainly on people. Jodie returned to her childhood area and chose to shoot on 35mm film as she felt this medium best fit the era she was trying to depict.   Her images are not what you would call “classically beautiful” but are framed well; and in being so she was able to distract the viewer from the rundown nature of the content.

Final Images

1. Pillar of the Community

Taken in a deserted community centre less than 150m away from my house this area was once a hive of activity.  The arrival of a larger supermarket chain across the road has seen its demise with only a betting shop, newsagent and take away remaining, all due to close themselves within the next few weeks.  I was attracted to the scene by the bike that looked like it had been abandoned just as the shops had.

2. Pedal Power

A close-up shot of image 1.  The title of this photo was arrived at as it was dumped outside a betting shop which led to a play on words of Paddy Power!  I like the shadows and emptiness of this image yet the diagonal line through the middle right of the image adds interest and draws the eye across the image.

3. Not the Centre of Attention

The buildings to the right are due to be demolished and redeveloped very soon.  Although rundown the buildings are fairly modern judged on the standards of others throughout the town.  I was drawn to capture this image to show how the buildings and pillars narrow towards the centre providing a depth of field to the image.

4. Feline Friend

After leaving the deserted shopping centre I turned the corner to the carpark next door and as predicted it was similarly empty, except I spotted some fly-tipping in the corner next to the recycling centre.  On approach I disturbed this little beauty (I will call it a her for reference).  She immediately befriended me weaving through my legs and gave me a sense that she too had been abandoned here.  It took several attempts to capture her since she wouldn’t leave my side.  I had to walk her back to the sofa, then run away and turn quickly to get the shot before she ran back to me.

5. Cat Shelter

My cat friend appears to find some respite within these sofa’s.  I am pleased with this image, I like to think it tells the story of her keeping watch.  It was hard to leave her behind but I now know she is fed by the local residential home.  I am sure she would have followed me had it not been for the arrival of a family disposing of their recycling.

6. For Recycling

7. Take me to the Tip

Moving away from the carpark and shopping centre I walked further into the housing estate to discover this rotting trailer.  My humorous side is wondering if the owners put the orange recycling box inside in anticipation that the bin men would assume it is all for the recycling plant?  No – in reality it is never that easy!

8. Travelling Den

Over the other side of the estate near the lake and park I find a barrage of abandoned shopping trollies.  The kids are enjoying having the means in which to collect their junk to build dens.  Parked at the bottom of a tree and pushed over to unload is this image saying ‘tree house in the making’?

9. This Trolley Can’t Swim

10. Morrison’s Special

Leaving the potential den I walk further towards the lake.  Approaching the weir I spot more trollies.  My story is developing into trolley-gate!

11. Goose Game

At this point I thought the football was stranded on the weeds in the lake.  One of the geese looks keen to play a game!  The reflections were made clearer by the layer of ice which run under the surface of the water.  I have many more reflection images which can be found in the contact sheets above.

12. Freeze Frame

I like the clarity in the reflection of the football in the water on this image, yet the remainder of the reflection is out of focus.  In this close up image it’s easier to see the ice layer under the water which is acting as a mirror for the ball.  This fits into my abandoned story as it was out of reach from the edge of the lake.

Review

Once I had decided what I wanted to photograph the hardest part of this project for me was how to put it all together for submission. I have deliberated over the format and content for many hours, avoiding getting down to it with the excuse that I need to do more research. To be honest no amount of research will every get you over the nerves of submitting your first assignment. In the end I decided to do it in my own style and await feedback from my tutor that I can then learn from for future work.

My submitted assignment can be found here.

Introduction

Hi….  I am 44 years old and live in Swindon, Wiltshire.  I am married with 2 boys aged 14 & 11 and work as a Secretarial Manager for the local NHS hospital.

My interest in photography started when I was young and spent many hours watching my father in his home built darkroom. I have always felt more comfortable behind the camera but things never really took off for me until I got my 1st DSLR 4 years ago.  I now class myself as a hobbyist photographer but am at the point in my life where I want a change of direction.

I joined a local photography club and have taken images from a broad spectrum of genres however portraiture seems to have filled my last year, mainly because I wanted to learn studio techniques, however street photography fascinates me hugely.

I have decided to do the BA (HONS) Photography degree to improve my photography.  I have received lots of positive feedback about my images over time but always feel I am just getting by by the seat of my pants – I want to gain more knowledge and understanding and aim put my degree to some use in a future career in Medical Photography.