Sunday 26 July 2009
Photo Essay - selection, part 2
Selection of images for the photo essay project was made on Thursday last - see my earlier post. Interesting discussion with the others on the course on what to include and leave out. Am just wondering whether to show some examples of the "rejects" here. There are several images which I'd like to add to the final sequence (as shown in the previous post) - for example a group of people on mobiles all together, perhaps another mobile user standing outside a public phone box, and certainly a pc/laptop user. I'll look out for these in the next couple of weeks and complete the sequence.
Saturday 25 July 2009
Photo Essay - more
Group review of photo essay progress to date on Wednesday morning last. Am now thinking of this project in terms of "people interacting personal modern technology" rather than "people interacting with modern technology". Some suggestions were offered about further images - such as groups of people (herds ?) all on the phone ...
Added this example from Wednesday afternoon ... but still no "herd" on mobile phone users.
Added this example from Wednesday afternoon ... but still no "herd" on mobile phone users.
Thursday 23 July 2009
Photo Essay - continued
The other day was, in football-speak, a day of two halves. A funny ol'game, photography. The weather forecast was mixed, sunny intervals and showers. It turned out what sun showers there were occurred in the morning with showers in the afternoon.
Spent some time in Trafalgar Square. Lots of people using cameras, phones, camcorders. Took some photos.
Antony Gormley's One & Another project was very much in operation on the otherwise empty 4th plinth. The people change every hour on the hour - I happened to be there at a change over, liked the dynamics, took some photos (more later) and then wandered up to Leicester Square and onto Piccadilly Circus.
At last, an MP3 user.
MP3 users are harder to photograph, they're more subtle.
Then to Canary Wharf, hoping to find some suits doing lunch with their laptops.
No luck, and the weather adds to my woes by raining. Still I manage 1 or 2 images.
Decide to take the long route back to the West End ..... DLR to Stratford (Building site ... 2012 ?) and then Central Line Westbound, exiting at Holborn. Head into the British Museum to get out of the rain, and have a latte. Last picture of the day - a PC user ! Ironic that I have to get into a museum to find this.
Spent some time in Trafalgar Square. Lots of people using cameras, phones, camcorders. Took some photos.
Antony Gormley's One & Another project was very much in operation on the otherwise empty 4th plinth. The people change every hour on the hour - I happened to be there at a change over, liked the dynamics, took some photos (more later) and then wandered up to Leicester Square and onto Piccadilly Circus.
At last, an MP3 user.
MP3 users are harder to photograph, they're more subtle.
Then to Canary Wharf, hoping to find some suits doing lunch with their laptops.
No luck, and the weather adds to my woes by raining. Still I manage 1 or 2 images.
Decide to take the long route back to the West End ..... DLR to Stratford (Building site ... 2012 ?) and then Central Line Westbound, exiting at Holborn. Head into the British Museum to get out of the rain, and have a latte. Last picture of the day - a PC user ! Ironic that I have to get into a museum to find this.
Tuesday 21 July 2009
Next Project - Photo Essay
Today I move on to a new project. Not strictly new, more of a continuation or extension of the "Atmosphere of a Place" project the other day. Here I was mostly photographing people using personal modern technology, in particular mobile phones, digital cameras. On looking back at my selection of shots from that day I included some that had neither phones or cameras. Now I'll not take a photo unless the subject matter has people interacting with modern personal technology - mobiles and cameras as before, and also mp3 players, laptops, pda. Oyster cards ? Possibly. Smart cards seem to be the way for commuters to pay for public transport usage these days. Apart from visitors does anyone pay cash anymore ?
Some more time was spent pleasantly in the Library and then subsequently on the internet looking at photographers work, in particular Anna Fox and her "workstations" (1988). How times change and people with them. In one of her images a young lady (look at the 1980's hairstyle and fashions!) is using a "mobile" phone the size of a brick. And that doesn't even include the battery. I wonder if the mobiles (and laptops) will look so dated in 20 or so years time. I think they will.
Some more time was spent pleasantly in the Library and then subsequently on the internet looking at photographers work, in particular Anna Fox and her "workstations" (1988). How times change and people with them. In one of her images a young lady (look at the 1980's hairstyle and fashions!) is using a "mobile" phone the size of a brick. And that doesn't even include the battery. I wonder if the mobiles (and laptops) will look so dated in 20 or so years time. I think they will.
Sunday 19 July 2009
Atmosphere of a Place
Another day, another project - Atmosphere of a Place.
Where ?
South Bank, London, summertime.
In the 1950's, despite the best efforts of the powers that be, a gray concrete jungle with culture indoors. Would have used monochrome then. Film (remember that ?)
But now, it's the early years of the 21st century, the concrete jungle is in colour and there is activity (culture ?) outside as well as indoors. I shoot digital. I'm not the only one, every other person seems to be using a digital camera. And those that aren't have a mobile instead. I take a walk as far as the Tate and photograph modern life. Even the trees get a hug.
Where ?
South Bank, London, summertime.
In the 1950's, despite the best efforts of the powers that be, a gray concrete jungle with culture indoors. Would have used monochrome then. Film (remember that ?)
But now, it's the early years of the 21st century, the concrete jungle is in colour and there is activity (culture ?) outside as well as indoors. I shoot digital. I'm not the only one, every other person seems to be using a digital camera. And those that aren't have a mobile instead. I take a walk as far as the Tate and photograph modern life. Even the trees get a hug.
family album
our first project was to produce some images for "family album", some images of my family in a personal environment ... a little difficult for me as my family are scattered geographically eg in North America or Ireland and elsewhere in the UK. Instead I look at my "surrogate" family - my fellows from this course .....
.... and my local photographic society
Incidently - dont think its me - I'm not exactly computer illiterate - but the editing software which I'm using now in the blog is crap, hence the positioning of the 2 images above. I'll look the html when I get time and see if I can do better.
Friday 17 July 2009
blogging and other activites.....
I need to get my head around this blogging activity. It's new to me. I had been planning to make daily posts, but as you can see from the dates of the posts, this hasn't happened. It seems so self-indulgent and pretentious. Perhaps this will change in time....
Anyways, another thing I've been getting my head around is this reportage. My photographic education - such as it is (I've done some City and Guilds modules, I've got an LRPS and been through the club circuit) taught me that the technical aspects of a photograph were about as important as the content. So I was somewhat appalled to see the technical quality of some of the images shown to us earlier. What seems to be more important here is intent and emotion .... those touchy feely ideas ...
Anyways, another thing I've been getting my head around is this reportage. My photographic education - such as it is (I've done some City and Guilds modules, I've got an LRPS and been through the club circuit) taught me that the technical aspects of a photograph were about as important as the content. So I was somewhat appalled to see the technical quality of some of the images shown to us earlier. What seems to be more important here is intent and emotion .... those touchy feely ideas ...
Monday 13 July 2009
reportage portraiture
1st day of Reportage portaiture course. It's a photography based course at the London College of Communication in the Elephant & Castle, London.
During the morning we (about 14 of us) were introduced to the concept of the Family Album, and in particular the work of Nan Goldin, Boris Mikalov, Paul Graham and Nicholas Nixon. What does reportage mean to each of us ? A little research in the college library in preparation for the afternoon session - each of us had to choose a photographer/ book and give a short presentation - proved useful. My choice was Robert Doisneau (book - Paris) and in particular the iconic photo - Le baiser de l'hotel de ville (1950).
During the morning we (about 14 of us) were introduced to the concept of the Family Album, and in particular the work of Nan Goldin, Boris Mikalov, Paul Graham and Nicholas Nixon. What does reportage mean to each of us ? A little research in the college library in preparation for the afternoon session - each of us had to choose a photographer/ book and give a short presentation - proved useful. My choice was Robert Doisneau (book - Paris) and in particular the iconic photo - Le baiser de l'hotel de ville (1950).
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