Monday, 12 December 2011
ENVIRONMENT: City Shoot Photos
I took three films to Canterbury with me and processed them all today. I was glad to see that some of my favorite set ups came out well, however some of the photos were badly exposed and I was annoyed to find that with a few, when printing, I couldn't really save them. I am unsure on whether to include them in my final images as I really love the photos themselves, but the print will never be to the best standard.. I will be printing again soon so I hope that the other negatives will prove to be a bit more successful!
Sunday, 4 December 2011
ENVIRONMENT: City Shoot
I went to Canterbury for my City shoot today. Canterbury is famous for it's Cathedral, so I thought it would be a great place to take my photos. It's also one of my favorite cities to visit, purely for the architecture!
I headed straight for the Cathedral when I arrived and immediately regretted it, even mid week the Cathedral is overflowing with visitors, I was pushed and shoved until I decided to venture down a side road and see what I could find. As I was walking down this road I noticed that over the wall lining the road was the top of Canterbury cathedral, I thought it looked so regal towering over the rest of the city, so I set up my camera and started taking photos. I'm really looking forward to processing my films from today as I really liked the set ups I created, and the fact that I wasn't taking the obvious photos, but stepping back and going from a different angle or view point.
I headed straight for the Cathedral when I arrived and immediately regretted it, even mid week the Cathedral is overflowing with visitors, I was pushed and shoved until I decided to venture down a side road and see what I could find. As I was walking down this road I noticed that over the wall lining the road was the top of Canterbury cathedral, I thought it looked so regal towering over the rest of the city, so I set up my camera and started taking photos. I'm really looking forward to processing my films from today as I really liked the set ups I created, and the fact that I wasn't taking the obvious photos, but stepping back and going from a different angle or view point.
Saturday, 3 December 2011
BODY: My Sitter
The person I have decided to take a portrait of for my project is also a UCA student called Emily, studying Fashion Promotion. I decided to ask Emily to sit for me because of the way she came across to me, she seemed bubbly, careless, exciting and fun. I thought this would be interesting with my concept, and whether she thought the way people saw her changed much from the person she believed she was, or at least wanted to see herself as.
I met with her and told her about my ideas and concept for the project. Emily seemed interested in what I was planning for the shoot, but she also seemed a little nervous about the amount of freedom I planned to give her! When I asked Emily how she thought other people saw her she said that she thought other people saw her as wacky, weird or strange. I wondered if by that she meant slightly unapproachable?
I asked Emily to style herself completely for the shoot, as I said I didn't want to influence her decisions at all. I told her to make sure anything she wore was something she loved and felt comfortable and that it was important that the whole shoot was about her being happy with what was happening; from what she wore to how she posed in the photos.
I met with her and told her about my ideas and concept for the project. Emily seemed interested in what I was planning for the shoot, but she also seemed a little nervous about the amount of freedom I planned to give her! When I asked Emily how she thought other people saw her she said that she thought other people saw her as wacky, weird or strange. I wondered if by that she meant slightly unapproachable?
I asked Emily to style herself completely for the shoot, as I said I didn't want to influence her decisions at all. I told her to make sure anything she wore was something she loved and felt comfortable and that it was important that the whole shoot was about her being happy with what was happening; from what she wore to how she posed in the photos.
Sunday, 27 November 2011
ENVIRONMENT: City Concept Ideas and Visual References
At the beginning of this project I asked myself; What makes a city? It's buildings, it's architecture, it's sights.
When people visit cities, they go to see it's sights. People travel to New York to see the Empire State and Paris for the Eiffel Tower. So, I thought regardless of what city I go to, to take photos, I want to take photos of the buildings that make up the city. And maybe the sights people go to see.
Alvin Langdon Coburnn.
When people visit cities, they go to see it's sights. People travel to New York to see the Empire State and Paris for the Eiffel Tower. So, I thought regardless of what city I go to, to take photos, I want to take photos of the buildings that make up the city. And maybe the sights people go to see.
I have been looking at lots of photographers for this project in order to gain some more inspiration for my concept. A lot of which we were shown in a recent lecture. Photographers like;
Alvin Langdon Coburnn.
Alfred Stieglitz.
I have also been really interested in Charles Marville's photography. I like the contrast in his photos, for some reason I think the print of his photos have a strong atmosphere of the city.
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Deconstructing Environmental Photographers: Flatiron Building
The Flatiron Building, in New York has a strong architectural history and because of this the photos people have taken of it over the years express a lot of emotion and respect. When the building was first built it was one of the tallest buildings in New York. The following images were all captured in the space of 50 years, between 1903 and 1938. Most, if not all of these particular recordings of The Flatiron Building show it as a grand, overpowering spectacle, focusing on the photo taken by Walter Gropius in 1928 anyone can see how impressive he has made the building look. He has positioned the camera in such a place that shows the building imposing down onto the city below. The camera position could be seen as either a positive or negative representation of the building, but I feel that as the building is framed by the white out sky and the angle at which it has been shot shows Gropius's positive reaction to the noble building.
The photograph taken by Edward Steichen in 1905 shows a very opposite regard for the building, I feel. He has engrossed the building within the silhouetted branches of the surrounding trees. This creates a negative atmosphere to the photograph and looks as though he is trying to cover the building. I think that Steichen was frustrated by the building and how imposing it was.
The way Walker Evans has shot his photograph of the Flatiron Building is at a very interesting angle, framing the building within the walls of others. The three photos taken by Berenice Abbott, Walker Evans and Walter Gropius a similar in the way that they show the sky with little importance as it as no detail in it, I think this shows the positive responses these three photographers have towards the Flatiron Building.
The last two images created by Alfred Stieglitz and Alvin Langdon Coburn both frames the building within trees; the photograph by Alfred Stieglitz looks as though it has been taken on a winter morning and although the building is in the background that fact the trees and branches are dulled out by the snow and frost means that looking beyond them is easy, showing their insignificance and allows one to focus on the detail of the building. Coburn's photo looks as though it has been shot in a similar position in the city to Steichen's picture, this photo has a lot more context to it and shows how the city works around the building. The images has a lot on contrast in it a like to the image Evans took and the complete opposite of how Gropius for example has styled his photo. Berenice Abbott's photo is the most emotionally detached for me, it is a document of the building rather than the artists expressed opinion of the building.
I have found from studying these six images that there has obviously been a wide range of responses to the building. When something so influential on the Manhattan skyline is built there is bound to be some division in opinions. These photos show this well, from where the photographer has positioned their camera to the lighting conditions, everything the photographer has chosen to do in order to create their image reflects a strong sense of purpose and emotion behind each photograph.
Edward Steichen, The Flatiron 1905
Alfred Stieglitz, The Flatiron 1903
Alvin Langdon Coburn, The Flatiron Building 1911
Walter Gropius, The Flatiron Building 1928
Walker Evans, Flatiron Building seen from bellow 1928
Berenice Abbott, The Flatiron Building 1938
The photograph taken by Edward Steichen in 1905 shows a very opposite regard for the building, I feel. He has engrossed the building within the silhouetted branches of the surrounding trees. This creates a negative atmosphere to the photograph and looks as though he is trying to cover the building. I think that Steichen was frustrated by the building and how imposing it was.
The way Walker Evans has shot his photograph of the Flatiron Building is at a very interesting angle, framing the building within the walls of others. The three photos taken by Berenice Abbott, Walker Evans and Walter Gropius a similar in the way that they show the sky with little importance as it as no detail in it, I think this shows the positive responses these three photographers have towards the Flatiron Building.
The last two images created by Alfred Stieglitz and Alvin Langdon Coburn both frames the building within trees; the photograph by Alfred Stieglitz looks as though it has been taken on a winter morning and although the building is in the background that fact the trees and branches are dulled out by the snow and frost means that looking beyond them is easy, showing their insignificance and allows one to focus on the detail of the building. Coburn's photo looks as though it has been shot in a similar position in the city to Steichen's picture, this photo has a lot more context to it and shows how the city works around the building. The images has a lot on contrast in it a like to the image Evans took and the complete opposite of how Gropius for example has styled his photo. Berenice Abbott's photo is the most emotionally detached for me, it is a document of the building rather than the artists expressed opinion of the building.
I have found from studying these six images that there has obviously been a wide range of responses to the building. When something so influential on the Manhattan skyline is built there is bound to be some division in opinions. These photos show this well, from where the photographer has positioned their camera to the lighting conditions, everything the photographer has chosen to do in order to create their image reflects a strong sense of purpose and emotion behind each photograph.
Edward Steichen, The Flatiron 1905
Alfred Stieglitz, The Flatiron 1903
Alvin Langdon Coburn, The Flatiron Building 1911
Walter Gropius, The Flatiron Building 1928
Walker Evans, Flatiron Building seen from bellow 1928
Berenice Abbott, The Flatiron Building 1938
Saturday, 19 November 2011
BODY: Visual Research
I have looked at lots of photographers for during the research for visual referencing for my body project.
HENDRICK KRESTENS
HENDRICK KRESTENS
The reason I like Kresten as a visual reference is not only because of the personal connection he has with the sitter but the incredible connection he has created between us the audience and his daughter. The focus in his photos are wonderful and I aspire to be able to create the same intense connection in my photos.
I have also been looking at Toby Glanville and in particular one of his series called Actual Life. Looking through these images I could automatically sense the realism of them, and how simply 'true' they were to the people in them.
I have also been looking at Toby Glanville and in particular one of his series called Actual Life. Looking through these images I could automatically sense the realism of them, and how simply 'true' they were to the people in them.
TOBY GLANVILLE
Begdebury, 2000
Thursday, 17 November 2011
BODY: Concept
I have been really excited about this project, and with ideas about my concept, as the area of photography that interests me most is portraiture, beauty photography etc.
My idea for this project is focused upon the idea of how personal portraits actually are, and whether a photo taken by one person of another can ever be an true and accurate representation this person in the photograph.
My thought is to take myself as the photographer out of the equation and act just as the person taking the photo, I want to have as little input into the composition, directing etc as possible and ask the sitter to take charge and show me how they want to be represented.
Another aspect to my concept is the idea of each person having two parts to them; One, the person they see themselves as and Two, the person they think other people see them as, and the idea that these two 'people' and personalities making up one person.
My idea for this project is focused upon the idea of how personal portraits actually are, and whether a photo taken by one person of another can ever be an true and accurate representation this person in the photograph.
My thought is to take myself as the photographer out of the equation and act just as the person taking the photo, I want to have as little input into the composition, directing etc as possible and ask the sitter to take charge and show me how they want to be represented.
Another aspect to my concept is the idea of each person having two parts to them; One, the person they see themselves as and Two, the person they think other people see them as, and the idea that these two 'people' and personalities making up one person.
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