”This brief asks you to respond to the idea of places and spaces and is more open to interpretation than the previous portrait and still life assessments. This means you should be making full use of your blogs in order to argue the case for the approach you have taken to interpreting the themes laid out in the brief document.”

 

To inspire my work I was going to undertake I took a look at my old photography blog pages and picked out pictures I had taken, which made me feel good when I looked back at them and gave me a sense of nostalgia about the place or the time in which it was taken. I did this because currently living in Lincoln, I haven’t quiet found that magical feeling of ‘Home’, even with items that remind me of my old home town. I think for me, ‘Home’ isn’t about where I am but the feelings a place gives me, and why it makes me feel ‘at home’. Is it because my family were present at the time? it is because I like the architectural design of those buildings? or is it the memories I link with those places.

 

These two pictures above were taken in an old fashioned brewery farm, just outside of New Forrest. This was a family trip which is why I think I hold an emotional connection with these photographs. You could also say it is because its an ‘old style’ brewery, which is purposely built to give people nostalgic feelings about what used to be, which could be why I felt this way.

 

 

These two photographs were also taken on the same Family trip along ‘Lucy Hill’ in New Forrest. Firstly the family connection is there because my sister is called Lucy and its the singular reason we decided to explore this part of the forrest. The other reason is because these photographs where taken whilst my family and I were trying to spot a pack of deer, we had seen them from a far but we were trying to get closer. Deers are my favourite animal so this was especially exiting and a fairy tale like experience for me. I had never seen one as close up as I did that day. When I got close enough to take the photograph, I was too much in awe to break eye contact with the lovely animal, and as soon as I blinked the deer bounced off into the long overgrown. It was only a second long experience but it is one that means so much to me.

 

These 3 photographs above were taken at ‘Downton Abbey’ (Highercler Castle). I visited the Castle and its ground with my parents which again makes this place special to me. I think I enjoyed this place the most because I could see the excitement in my mums eyes when she arrived. ‘ITS JUST LIKE ON TELLY!!” I too was exited by the place, but because I knew how many cast and crew members had been there, it was a real life FILM SHOOT and I was in the same place (AS DAME JUDY DENCH). I also liked the Castle because it is such a gorgeous building, inside and out, with lovely spacious grounds to accompany it.

 

These three photographs were again taken on a family holiday. But I in particular liked these because they ‘feel’ like NYC, the fairy tale which NYC is. I remember watching Matilda on broadway and staying in the Broadway hotel and hugging a giant teddy with a ‘I <3 NYC’ Tshirt on him. I remember the bellhop carrying our luggage and ordering room service. I remember getting on the tube and my sister having a brief encounter of romance. I remember feeding the squirrels in times park and me and my sister singing. Everything about this trip was incredible and an experience close to my heart. When I look at these pictures of NYC that I took, I remember what I felt behind the camera at that moment in time.

 

This picture is taken at ‘Rosie Muggles’ in York, England. This is my favourite shop of all time. Its a shop made for princesses filled with lovely hand sewn dress and garments, shoes, bags and teddies! My favourite room scent is from here called ‘Fairy Dust’, which makes it even more special to me.

 

RESEARCH

Andy Lock – Orchard Park

Andy went to Orchard Park in Hull to one of the buildings of flats that had been emptied, in the plan to be knocked down. I am from Hull and can confirm there are attest 5 empty blocks of flats in that area, some with burnt outsides and floors hanging off. Its really  interesting for me to see these pictures because I’ve been past this building on a bus almost everyday for 2 years and never got to see inside them. Ive never even been close to them on foot because you don’t get off in that area if you’re a girl by yourself, its a threatening area and one of the worst in hull for crime.

I love the editing of these pictures. The green for me just exaggerates how ‘mouldy’ and left to rot the flat buildings were. The lighting from the window casts over them like the little hope left for the place and the rest of the building is dark. The shadows outlines on the floor gives an impression that will soon fade just like the memories of its former self. I think looking at run down exterior is interesting because you don’t actually know what you’ll come across and the state it will be in.

ED RUSCHA – 26 Gasoline Stations 

The photographs are of petrol stations, along the highway between Ruscha’s home in Los Angeles and his parent’s house in Oklahoma City. http://www.tate.org.uk/about/projects/transforming-artist-books/summaries/edward-ruscha-twentysix-gasoline-stations-1963

 

I like this work because it shows a journey, form his old home to his new home. All the stations look different because of the angles. the contrast of the images look great too, more eye catching.

 

 

 

ADAM BURTON

Photographers of Landscape. I love the colours on these, they don’t really look like earth. They are edited but it looks nice and like a fairytale. He’s obviously thought about what time to shoot for the best lighting. 

 

 

Over all I think its clear i’m a major sucker for fairytale places and feeling’s that only last for a little while but behind all of these photographs is a perfectly happy me, and all of these places made me feel almost like a princess. For me, it is hard to complete this brief in Lincoln because I haven’t felt that nostalgia, excitement or perfect happiness any where I have visited so far. Basically, this brief is a perfect excuse for an adventure.

These are some pieces I have taken of around Lincoln.

 

 

 

 

”You are required to produce three portraits experimenting with lighting, composition, form and pose. One Self Portrait One Portrait of a family member or friend One Portrait of a Stranger The images do not need to be thematically or conceptually linked. Your images can be environmental (subject situated within a broader context) or more classically formal (isolated subject where the attention is primarily on the presence of the sitter) ”

Previous portraits I have taken below.

 

 

My sister in her most comfortable habitat, Horses and Fields. I took these pictures when my sister was on a high of life. I like them as they are not posed and look natural.

A busker in York who was a beautiful singer. She looked so comfortable and happy to be performing.

The below photographs are the edited versions of the group photography session in the studios. I am really happy with these pictures because the moment was right and they all went well and to plan.

 

I edited the above to to make the red stand out and the black to be more black. I think they show dynamic contrast. Although the top was is completely fake mourning I still think it looks like a good image. The second is particulary ‘fun’ for me as I’m staring back at the other Amy. I called it ‘the two Amy’s’.

I especially like these pictures of Bob because he was making me laugh at the time of taking them. He is such a character and was loving the limelight. He pose to an outsider would look serious, but to me it makes me burst out laughing because of how ironic he was being at the time. He was performing for the camera. I wish I had cropped the images so the line on the horizon wasn’t there.

 

These pictures have very extreme lighting, but I don’t like them because the set up looks too serious and not playful. Maybe if the background was lighter or the boys were in costume or even more colour it would lighten up the frame.

I took this photography in the first few weeks of attending university. I like this photo because it includes one of my closest friends at university, and I remember looking at the view myself and thinking it was impressive. However, the photograph still feels set up to me and that why I don’t like it fully.

 

PHOTOGRAPHERS OF INFLUENCE 

MJ Scott 

I particularly liked his work because he captures Candid street photography which captures aspects of personality. Short and sweet but with a bit of a punch. I like the grainy black and white effect because it makes the facial features on the person stand out. I’m going to try capture some one in the same way as he has. I will take it open myself to find cheeky characters.

 

Elliott Steel

I liked these photographs because of their framing and depth of field. These photographs are of strangers who I think look interesting or quirky. They are all well lit and nicely framed but I just think they look slightly boring. If they people he took pictures of didn’t look original, these pictures would lack even more life.

=

 

Its noticeable that the bapove all have glasses. I know this could be because its sunny, but its not hot because people are wearing rain coats. I think he could have chosen these above people to catch reflections or make it seem un-personal. 

The only girl without frames on that I thought still looked interesting. I also liked how her and the guy below’s coat almost matched. 

 

Jerry Miller

I like this work on dance portraits because of the interesting angles, dancer is central, the contrasting lights or colours of the background and the ‘venue/location’ of the backgrounds.

I like the flowing costumes the girls are wearing on this shoot because it shows their previous movement, or that the movement will carry on and its not at the end. The bottom one feels slightly more posed because there is no movement to the picture, This is a bit like the second one. I like the pink against the grunge background, and the white against the green which purifies nature.

 

Lídia Vives

Paint and Art.

 

I particularly like these images because they are fun and colourful. The art evolved with the is unique, and almost vogue like. The backgrounds are dark and have no detail apart from a gradient. I really like her gormless expression because she’s obviously worked hard on the concept, but she doesn’t like interested.

 

VERUSCHKA TRANSFIGURATIONS

 

I this is the next level of art compared to Lidia. However I don’t really see them as photography but more as fine art. The thing that makes these pictures good is the concept and the painting, not the way the pictures framed or the lighting etc. Its the fact as well they are known as her works of art but the actual photographer Truzsch is given little credit, which outlines he is not the author of these pieces, she is an an artist. Also think that if she did them as a protest about humans being one with nature or industries it would be more of a political interesting stance for me.

My photography of strangers in so called ‘Stealth Mode.’ I didn’t like this way of taking pictures, it felt like I was breaking the law just taking peoples pictures. And it was super awkward when you got spotted.

 

At the Christmas Market, I preferred asking people to pose, it gives the image more of a story for me because I actually interacted with these people. I also love christmas so when I look back at these images it makes me happy, and because of memories made on that night.

 

(this was Stealth Mode,I didn’t like it and only took one).

 

 – SELF –

These were heavily influenced by Lidia Vives. I started off with just black paint and added more and more layers and colours as I went on. For me, this was a really personal experience and it took courage to be so nude but I was also covered by paint at the same time. Painting yourself as if you’re the art work on show actually feels quite liberating and it gave me confidence to pose however I wanted to, I think its the most confident I have felt in my life so its nice to look back on the photographs. If i could do it differently I would have a better background so I didn’t have to make post production a longer process. 

PORTRAIT

You are tasked with creating three original images using pre-existing objects. These objects must not already belong to you, they can be discovered on the street or countryside, borrowed or traded. Your object(s) need to be given a new lease of life and context beyond the one in which they were discovered (unless it’s truly exceptional!) this is most likely to mean relocating them to an environment where you have full control over your lighting and staging. Your workshops will help to inform you of the techniques and methods you could employ here. You may shoot individual objects or create compositions formed from multiple items, as seen in the image to the left. It is possible to shoot on location in the same manner, put please do be aware of issues around obstruction, trip hazards or defacing private or public property, all of which are, naturally, discouraged.

 

Unedited Images.

 

Edited Images

 

 

I really liked the style of editing to bring the lights out more and add a lot more saturation to the colours. I think it looks better than the original because they appear a lot more dynamic and the colours are very eye catching.

PHOTOGRAPHERS OF RESEACH

DANIEL FRENCH (Sellmann)

 

I really like Daniels work because its crips and clear. I think the way he lights the objects in his pictures is incredible and it makes the objects look more rounded and less flat. The juxtaposition of the teddy holding against the whisky is shocking for the audience to see because they are not items you would associate with each other. Also the four elements are represented through the same means, which links them all together which I think is a really cleaver way of saying we need all of them to survive.

 

Lafugue Logos

I love the macro detail in these pictures. I like the light orbs or circles of confusion.

They make the piece more 3D and give the viewer more to look at.

I also like the fact the background is dark and the light gradients displayed in them.

 

Shihya Kowatari

 

These are very similar to the ones above.

I like these because of the same features.

I think I might like to try something with nature for my projects and have ‘circles of confusion’ in the background.

I really like the brighter colours.

I like these still life photographs because of the contrast and the colour of them.

The lights in the background give the photo depth of field which I think makes the images more interesting to look at.

I also like that they are very macro close up and makes the items appear delicate.

William Eggleston 

He look these pictures as three different projects. I like them because he just took the picture of how they were when he saw them, and I think this makes the photography more real to and audience when it does look like it has been predestined before the shot was taken. I thin its also nice to see ordinary day in normal conditions.

My first idea was to take pictures of items that mean something to people, and do a juxtaposition triptych of items that don’t look important but have a meaning to that person.

 

I didn’t really like these images but it gave me time to get used to my camera. When I gained feedback I was also told that the background of the red brick was too much for people. I just think they look to plain and I don’t like that.

I took to the charity shops of Lincoln to find interesting objects to photograph. I found a pig, two birds and a frog all made out of different materials which I think would create an interesting triptych. I liked this because it stuck to the theme of nature, and I was able to make an effect like the circles of confusion.

 

 

I also went to the christmas markets and took some still life pictures of the christmas items. I choose to photograph ones that reminded me of my childhood.

 

 

FINAL SUBMISSION

 

 

BRIEF

”You are charged with the goal of appropriating and liberating media images that already exist within the public domain and recontextualising, transforming or re-coding them, to create a series of images with new readings and intentions. Images that include, but are not limited to – billboards, magazine advertisements, screen grabs, product photographs, photographic shop displays etc.. Techniques of appropriations could include, but again, are not limited to – cropping and reframing, colourisation, overpainting, collage, montage and retouching.”

 

RESEARCH

”In the early 1980s Richard Prince began to exhibit examples from his Cowboys in which he rephotographed Marlboro cigarette ads, cropping out all text and framing them like fine art. In doing so he had identified a rich symbol in American culture that embodied adventure, self-reliance, and rugged individuality.” https://www.guggenheim.org/arts-curriculum/topic/cowboys

I think that this idea is well executed. It shows how main stream the packaging normally is and how using a different picture and changing the text can show conventions more conventional to a film poster etc. I also like that he did it to have a ‘positive’ effect because he’s identifying the american culture with good things. However this could lead people to encourage them to smoke, which I view as negative.

Recently the John Lewis 2016 Christmas advert was released. Less than a day later a video was uploaded to the internet which had manipulated the footage to do with the current affairs of the American presidential election. This changed the meaning of the family text to politics. Its was made for a comedic affect and mocked the people in power as well as the elect’s. I think meme culture is growing bigger as there are ways that are simple and reachable for any man with a computer, to be able to easy manipulate any media text (even if its a really bad crop, cut or manipulation. As long as it gets the point across its accepted). The artist also inflicted his opinion of the members, Obamas seen as the loving, caring persons. Hillary as the little girl, younger more naive. Trump the guys who spoils their christmas fun, and he’s literally the insert for a dog.