Object Project Idea

For my Object Project I have decided that the context is going to be Consumerism and how we live in a society that wants materialistic things rather than needing them.

The idea I have is to photograph designer logos on different items such as bags and boxes. Plus I shall research various articles about how this obsession can affect people’s lives.

Portrait Project Part 6

Finally, I have managed to do my ‘Portrait’ shoot after being delayed by the original sitter. Adele, our librarian, kindly stepped in for me at the last moment which enables me finally to start.

The following is a list of equipment that I used for my shoot:

4 poly boards

Bronica medium format camera

135 lens

2 large soft boxes

2 shallow disks

2 light packs

Shooting at F8

Black and white film

ISO 160

Sync cord/light meter

1 library book/iphone

White background

4 lights

First I set up four poly boards which I arranged into two corners using shallow discs on two lights which faced the poly boards. After pulling the background down, I decided that I wanted to achieve the effect of a soft lit atmosphere as I felt that would create an impression which would reflect the friendly, approachable and helpful image we have of someone who works in the community library. Therefore, I positioned two lights facing into the corners of the poly board.. I also positioned two soft boxes in front of Adele so that they were facing her. This cancelled out any shadows and made her more illuminated. Before Adele went into position, I used the light meter to make the exposure correct.

For this shoot, I was using a medium format Bronica camera on aperture F8. My film was a Black and White  ISO160. I used the 80 lens first of all, but that kept showing the edges of the back drop so Colin suggested I use a 120 or 135 for a longer lens. I chose the 135 and this worked for me.

As my theme was ‘the library in the age of technology’ I took some shots of Adele holding a library book and some with her holding her iPhone. I then took some of her holding both together to represent people choosing the internet over the library.

On the whole, I am very happy with my images and I particularly like the way lighting worked. Also, the idea of a book in one hand and the iPhone in the other worked really well within the title of the project.

However, I feel that I could have improved my images if I had not been so anxious because my original model had not shown up. I would have been more relaxed about the shoot.

I now intend to contact my sitter at Rochester library to ask if we can arrange a mutual time so that I can go in and take some shots of her in her working environment.

Portrait Project Part 5

The shoot didn’t happen again! 

This is starting to turn into a disaster. I am going to rebook the studio for next week and work out how I am going to get around this. This is really worrying now.

Portrait Project Part 4

I have left messages with people in Rochester library for my sitter to contact me as they can’t give me her contact number. She has not rung. I am beginning to worry that my deadline is coming up and, through no fault of my own, my shoot is just not happening.

I have now booked the studio for this Thursday in the hope that my sitter will contact me (I have rung the library again to check they took my number down correctly).

Portrait Project Part 3

I have contacted the lady who said she would sit for me again (this is now the 3^rd week) asking if Friday is suitable, but she is in London on this day and has a week’s leave the following week. However, she has given me the name of another colleague who is willing to help. So I will contact her.

Portrait Project Part 2

Various phone calls have now been made by me to the employee of Rochester library to try to agree on a time that is convenient to us both.

However, this is becoming very difficult. The first week I wanted to shoot, she could not do as she was setting up a class in the library. Then, as she is only available for short periods as she works part-time, unfortunately, these times are clashing with my lectures and workshops. 

Portrait Project Part 1

For this project, I have to go into the community to find someone to photograph in their work environment and then invite them back to the university to shoot them in the studio.

I have decided to go with the theme of ‘the library in the age of technology’ and have made contact with the local library in Rochester to ask if one of their employees would be interested in taking part in this project. I made a phone call to the library to get the relevant details of someone I needed to speak to, and then made contact with him. He has now got back to me with the name of a colleague that is willing to take part in this.

Research for Environment Project

Now I have made three attempts at photographing my chosen subject, my next step is to look for more photographers shoot abandoned buildings, and churches in particular. This will hopefully give me more inspiration for my next attempt.

Third Attempt at Environment Project

My third shoot was in brighter weather than last time, so maybe this helped as there was improvement again.

Some were still out of focus, so I need to concentrate on this aspect next time. This building, which once stood so majestically in the town, now looks sad, dejected and unloved. 

Second Attempt at my Environment Project Photographs

My second attempt was better, but still not as good as I wanted it to be. Again I used the light meter before each shot and I tried to take the tower from the perspective of a low angle that Rob Cartwright uses sometimes in his work. I wanted to try to play up to the natural character of the building being an old, abandoned church.

Unfortunately, some shots were still not in focus but there was a definite improvement on the first shoot. As the weather was quite gloomy too, I thought if I shot my next photos on a brighter day this might improve the result. 

Environment Project Research

I have been researching different photographers and their techniques. I came across a photographer called Rob Cartwright whose work appealed to me because he photographs some of his subjects from a long angle perspective. This give the illusion being sinister looking. I felt that this would work well for the shots I am taking of the tower of church I am working on. It might enhance the image of being old, abandoned and derelict. 

The Results of my First Attempt at my Environment Project

After loading a colour ISO 160 film into the Bronica camera, I set off for St Lawrence’s church in Brentford. I was slightly disappointed to find two rows of security fencing around it, but the first one was easy to access and the fencing was wide enough to point the camera through the bars. 

Using the light meter I set up the camera for the best shots. Each time I changed angles, I used the light meter again to check for the best settings. 

However, I was not happy with the result once I developed the film. The exposure was wrong and many of the shots were not in focus. Although, I did feel that the angles I had chosen to take were good and I knew what I wanted to improve on next time.

My Chosen Subject for my Environment Project

I’ve chosen St Lawrence’s Church in Brentford, Middlesex as my environment project. My concept is how the environment looks when nature overtakes derelict places. This building was amongst the earliest structures in Brentford and has remained virtually unchanged since. The church is full of history dating back to the 15^th century and many valuable artefacts have been removed and stored in museums since its closure in 1961. It is now on the English Heritage At Risk Register. According to Duncan Walker on the Brentford Dock Residents website:

“It embodies the spirit of hundreds of years of Brentford’s past, but sadly now, its fabric is being left to rot.”

St Lawrence’s has been a Grade II listed building since 1991. There have been many plans for it over the years, but none have ever happened. When it is eventually restored, it is set to stand amongst riverside apartments, trendy restaurants and shopping malls. The surrounding apartments are largely bought by professional couples and, according to the Brentford Residents Association, they are hoping that the church will be turned into a fitness centre. 

Meanwhile, while the arguments between the developers and the community carry on, the church remains untouched. Shrubs are growing wild, ivy is covering walls, doors and tombstones and most shocking of all is the two trees bursting through the brickwork a metre or so down from the roof.

“Jessie and the Deer”- 1985

I chose to look at “Jessie and the Deer” photographed by Sally Mann in 1985. This image stood out for me the most because of its shocking content. The picture shows a very young girl dressed in a ballerina costume holding a wand as she stands happily next to a dead deer that has had its throat cut. The deer in this image is lying dead in the back of a truck with its head hanging over the edge, the dangling head hanging next to a bucket of blood that we assume has dripped out from the slit.

When you look at this image you feel slightly uncomfortable, as you’d think these two things shouldn't be together. Something so innocent and happy next to something so horrific and gory puts you in a strange position because you don’t know how you should feel about it. When you look at the little girl you can see that it doesn't faze her and that she is comfortable and relaxed to be around this dead animal.  The outfit she is photographed in doesn't seem to be the sort of clothes a person would wear in this sort of environment. Sally Mann is known to produce disturbing photographs with children in them in scenes where you wouldn't usually see a child in.

You could argue that this photograph represents or symbolizes a loss of innocence, as the expression on the child’s face shows no sense of fear or sadness for this poor animal. The eyes of the deer are blank and absent much like this little girl's sympathy for the deer.

Further Environment Research

My visit to the Northern Heights Line at Finsbury Park proved to be disappointing. I walked along the disused track, which has been converted to a nature reserve, until I came to the former Crouch End station. Although the platforms were clearly visible, there was only a muddy path running between them where the track had once been. I felt that without the track, it looked more like the nature reserve it had become and not the disused railway line that I was hoping for.

In the work of the photographer I had researched, Joel Sternfeld, his work entitled ‘The High Line’ clearly showed the railway tracks still in place. This allows the image to be viewed as intended, whereas if I had taken the abandoned Crouch End station, the viewer would have seen an area of nature reserve with a built-up concrete structure that, if you had not known what you were looking at, would not have portrayed the image I was hoping for.

Still working with the theme of abandoned/disused railways, I researched various websites including:

www.derelictlondon.co.uk

www.underground-history.co.uk

www.abandonedstations.org.uk

www.urban75.org

www.disused-stations.org.uk

The reduction of route network and restructuring of the railways were referred to in the Beeching Cuts.  Two reports written by Dr Richard Beeching in 1963 and 1965 identified 2,363 stations and 5,000 miles of railway line for closure because of increasing competition of road transport. Protests saved some of the lines and stations, but mass closure happened which left stations and tracks to decay, which left me thinking there must be a suitable one to photograph.

The online sites showed many interesting areas of some of these stations. However, further research into the ones that I felt might make really good photographs, again proved disappointing. A lot of the images online had been taken a few years ago and redevelopment had started on some, so much of the remains had been demolished. It seemed that the ones that had not had worked started on them yet, had the tracks removed either for health and safety reasons or just for the fact they would have been stolen and sold for scrap. Another setback was that it would have been impossible for me to gain access into a part of the old station to get the images I required.

Whilst doing my research, the Derelict London site was divided into categories and Cemeteries and Churches caught my eye. There were plenty of images that I thought could fit into my theme of abandoned/derelict places, but again as with the railway photos, lots had been taken a few years ago and were now demolished. However, I have narrowed my choice down to two that are suitable.

St Dunstan in the East is two walls remaining of a church near Tower Hill in London dating back to 1382. This church was partially destroyed by the Great Fire of London, rebuilt by Christopher Wren and reduced to a shell in the Blitz. All that remained was the tower and the steeple. It was decided not to rebuild the church again, but the two remaining walls have beautiful architecture. However, my research into this made me realise that this does not come under my abandoned/derelict theme as the area has been converted into a walled garden by the local authority. Shrubs and flowers grow through the windows and around a paved seating area where people can escape the hustle and bustle of city life. As this is constantly maintained, this will not fit my criteria.

St Lawrence’s Church in Brentford, Middlesex looks just the same now as on the site. So that is where my research has taken me. I am still going with the abandoned/disused theme, but applying it to a church rather than a station. The concept is how nature evolves when places are left derelict and abandoned.

My next step is to find a photographer who takes similar images and look at these. David Spero takes photographs of derelict or abandoned buildings that have been converted to churches. But what I shall take is the more traditional-looking church. I shall also research issues that architecture that is out of character with the area brings. I know there are lots of places in London where contrasting buildings sit together, so I shall look up some of these images.