RPHC4001 The Object and Body - (The Worker's Environment Shoot)

The Shoot in the Worker's Environment

The second part of this project is where I shot the librarian in her work environment. I decided not to use artificial light as there is a lot of daylight in the library. I took along a medium format Bronica and a tripod.

Although I didn’t want my model to pose too much as it was meant to be her working naturally in her environment, I did ask her to look straight into the camera while she was between the aisles. For some poses she had books in her hands.

Looking at the results of my shoot, I feel they have come out well as the light was perfect. However, if I was to do this again, I would try to make sure that the background came out better. I feel it is too green.

For the final research part of the project, I took my questionnaire along to a community library and the manager answered my questions.

Now that both parts of this project have been completed, I feel happy with my results, especially as I had to improvise with my model and location.

Overall, I felt my research supported my concept in that it made me realise how important props were to allow the viewer to understand the image. Even simple props can achieve this effect. I could improve next time by researching photographs which were related more to what I had chosen focus on.

I chose my final images for the reasons that the studio shot showed the meaning of my concept by the props my model was holding. The library shot was chosen as I felt the exposure was good, and as the subject was closer to the camera it seemed to work better. She also had books in her hand which added to the understanding of being in a library environment.

I feel I have kept up with my studies all through this task. I have done lots of research which helped me decide how I wanted my final shots to look.

I feel the biggest challenge for me on this task was contacting someone in the community and arranging for them to take part in this project. It was made more stressful in that, through no fault of my own, it didn’t come off. Luckily Adele in the uni library stepped in for me.I had no idea I was going to be let down as my original contacts were very enthusiastic. Next time, I should ensure the volunteer is committed and be more confident about pinning them down to a time.

RPHC4001 The Object and The Body - Part 2 Still Life - Photo Shoot

The Shoot

The Object shoot took place on Friday 29^th November. First, I had to get the studio set up.

I decided to use mirrors to produce a distorted image of the bags and boxes. This was to create the illusion of how people can get a distorted view in their minds of having to have expensive designer products.

To get this effect, I had to bend the mirror board into a tube. Next, I hung the bags on thread and suspend them on a rod so that they looked as though they were floating in the middle of the tube. Then I placed two honeycomb lights to see which position would work best.

Next, I took a few practice shots on a digital camera to see what effect I would get. Two black poly boards were set up on the side so no other light could reflect on it.

When I found the best direction to shoot in, I set up the Horseman camera.  Then I did a practice shot to test that the focus and the aperture were right, after which I processed it and scanned the negative into the computer. I decided it was too dark so I changed the settings to make it lighter.

My research supports my concept as I looked at artists who were trying to make a point about consumerism. I found media reports which told of consumers who had got their obsession out of control.

I looked at photographers who reflected or distorted images which gave me ideas for how to portray the distorted images in the minds of these particular consumers.

Next time to improve my research, I could devise a questionnaire, take it to a shopping centre with designer shops and ask consumers about their shopping habits.

The images I chose were because they were more in focus which made the logos clearer.

My visual choices translate my ideas well as I wanted to create the illusion of how people can get a distorted view in their minds of having to have designer products and the mirror boards distorted my image.

I managed my studies well, even though the project was running alongside the Portrait project.  I spent a lot of time researching media articles, comments from consumers, artists and photographers.

I need to reflect that I should have thought a bit more about the props I needed for this shoot as it ended up being a bit stressful.

RPHC4001 The Object and The Body - Part 2 Still Life

For the second part of the Body and Object brief, I chose to focus on Consumerism so I made the issue What People Want, Rather Than What People Need.

I began my research by reading media articles and consumer opinions. Through my research, I could see that we live in a society where designer wear is very often associated with social status. Life can be seen by some as being all about status and fitting into different categories. However, while this is fine for people who can afford it, many are drawn into this culture who can’t afford it.

I looked at artists who work portrays anti-consumerism. I particularly liked these two.

We live in a very materialistic society. Many people would openly admit to being a ‘label snob’. The media constantly reinforces brand names, logos and labels. They are a huge part of our culture. Magazines openly flaunt images of models wearing the latest designer outfits sending out the subconscious message that if we don’t wear the same brand or outfit by the same designer as the model we are nobody. You will only look good if you have the latest ‘must have’ handbag.

Magazines are generally 50% advertising and 50% editorial content, with advertisers placing advertisements where their products have the best chance to be seen. We see their products as being hip, chic and stylish leading us to believe that we are what we wear.

Professor Helga Dittmar of Sussex University’s social psychology unit says: Buyers do not only consume the actual goods advertised, but also their symbolic meanings – successful, happy, attractive, glamorous – thus moving closer to the ideal identity portrayed by media models. It not only presents unrealistic images which pose a problem for many people, producing self-doubt, but it also presents the supposed solution: buy the product and it will get them closer to these ideals. Immense profits are to be made from people’s misguided search for identity and happiness through consumption.’

In a study in Evolution and Human Behaviour, it was found that labels act as a status-boosting talisman. They showed a picture of a man with a luxury logo such as Lacoste and a picture of a man with the logo digitally removed. The man with the logo was judged to be wealthier and of higher status.

Designer wear is very often associated with social status and life can be seen by some as being all about status and fitting into different categories.

Another factor may be that an expensive item is better quality and even hand-made.  However, this is not always the case. Whilst the fabric and stitching is often superior to the high street chains, many items are still mass produced in factories. Calvin Klein is a good example of this. The majority of their ready-to-wear clothing is manufactured in Korea.

This message is fine for the consumer who can afford to spend on luxury items. Unfortunately, there are people who are drawn into this that do not have the means to finance this type of lifestyle but cannot stop themselves from buying into this culture. They find themselves in a downward spiral of debt and with no way out. Easy access to credit can be too tempting for some, with no thought that they can’t actually afford to pay off the debt. Quite often this sends the consumer into depression, buying more designer goods to cheer themselves up about bringing about a vicious circle. 

The urge to ‘wear designer’ can be so strong that the consumer may not even like the piece they are buying, but will buy it as it carries the designer logo.

The CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, Kevin Roberts, says we are 80% emotion and 20% rational. This is reinforced in an article in www.swns.com dated 20 May 2013 which reports of a fashion-obsessed mother has spent £20,000 on designer clothes for her 8 year old son. Another report in www.mirror.co.uk  dated 21 June 2012 tells of the mother who sometimes goes without food so she can buy the latest designer outfit for her toddler.

In these cases, there can sometimes be psychological problems going back to childhood. It could be that they were the only one amongst their peers to not have the latest trainers, clothes etc. Perhaps they were teased about the lack of brands and labels, making them grow up determined their own children would not ‘suffer’ in the way they did.

However, buying designer labels is not all bad. There is no doubt that items bought within limits of personal budget can affect how you feel. The material and cut and of an item can do wonders for self esteem. On occasions where you want to look ‘a bit special’ a designer outfit can make all the difference.

As Coco Chanel once said: “Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.”

Through the research I undertook, it led me to think how I could convey my still life shoot to portray this ‘frenzy’ of designer must-haves. I researched photographers such as Andre Kertesz who distort their images. Although his work distorts images of bodies, I thought I could apply his concept to my images. 

I also looked at photographs of reflected images and realised that this could be the way to create my frenzy of designer brands.  I came up with the idea that by using reflection around the designer bags and boxes that were available to me I could distort the image, therefore creating the illusion of being more than there were.

 I particularly like these images by Randy Scott Slavin. Even though they were distortions, I liked that they were circular.

RPHC4001 Body and Object Project - Part 1 The Body (Studio Shoot)

The brief for the first part of the Body and Object project was to photograph someone in the community in their work environment and then invite them into the university and take photographs of them in the studio.

I began my research by looking for photographers who photograph workers in their environment. Song Chao’s series ‘Miners’ appealed to me as the workers are shown unwashed and in their working clothes. The viewer can see immediately what Chao was trying to show.

The impact that photographing a body can achieve will vary according to the context, as shown in the work of Carl Warner. His images portray the body looking like a landscape.

Therefore, representing my subject appropriately to allow the viewer to understand the image was going to be crucial.

I decided to use the local library as my focus for a worker from the community and make my concept How and if Libraries are Affected in the Age of Technology.

I devised a short questionnaire so I could get the answers to this matter. The manager from my local library completed it. The results are recorded below.

Library Questionnaire

Completed by Stella Hawkins – Chiswick Library on 15.01.2014

1. Do you feel that the numbers of people using the library has fallen in recent years?

No. Actually usage has risen in London and elsewhere.

2. If so, do you think this might be because more people have access to the internet?

N/A

3. If not, what do you think it is about the library that people want to come to it rather than research information on line or buy their own books?

Many people (approx 20%) have no internet access at home. People also use libraries if they need information but don’t know how to research it themselves. Families tend to see libraries as a gateway to literacy for their children. Also, with the contraction of other govt services, many people use libraries for advice on benefits, money, job seeking, local facilities and health. Libraries are also developing as social/community spaces, with activities such as book clubs. Many libraries also offer add on services such as training course, events and small cafes.

4. Your website tells us how many books were borrowed last year, but has the number of books borrowed fallen since E-readers became popular?

Not noticeably.

5. Are people using the library for other reasons than just borrowing books?

Yes, see answer 3.

6. Do more people come to use the library for research reasons rather than to borrow fiction?

No, fiction remains our highest used stock area. However, free internet access means people do research using print media or online.

7. Have you made the library more community-friendly because it was felt that it would be made better use of?

Yes, see answer 3.

8. Do you think that if a town has a uni, this affects the numbers using the library as they will use the uni library?

No, as the stock profiles of public libraries and  uni libraries are completely different. Also, access to public libraries is free to anyone.

9. If the numbers of users has declined, is it enough to put the library at risk of closure, bearing in mind local authorities are cutting back on services wherever they can?

Not in this borough.

The choice of appropriate props would be vital to my issue and what I was trying to portray.

The importance of props can also be seen in the work of Steven Karl Metzer. His images entitled ‘Workers’ contain props that allow the viewer to understand the image.

The Studio Portrait Shoot

As we tend to think of people who work in the community as friendly and approachable, I wanted my image to reflect this. I thought if I used a soft-lit, but bright lighting, this would help create this impression.

Equipment used:

Bronica medium format camera

135 lens

Black and white film ISO 160

Shooting at F8

White background

4 lights

4 poly boards

2 large soft boxes

2 shallow discs

2 light packs

Sync cord/light meter

1 library book/iPhone

I used the 80 lens first of all, but that kept showing the edges of the back drop so I experimented with the 120 and 135 for a longer lens.

The Process

Step 1. I set up four poly boards, arranged into two corners.

Step 2. After pulling down the white background, I positioned two lights with shallow discs on to face into the corners of the poly board to achieve the soft lighting effect.

Step 3. I also positioned two soft boxes in front of my model so that they were facing her. This cancelled out any shadows and made her more illuminated.

Step 4. I used the light meter to make the exposure correct before my model went into position.

As my theme was ‘the library in the age of technology’ I took some shots of my model 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.

I felt my choice of props, although simple, were perfect to represent clearly what I was trying to say. I also felt that by using a soft-lit atmosphere this helped to create an impression of the friendly, approachable, helpful image we have of an individual who works in the local community.

I am happy with my images, but I do feel they could have been improved if I had not been so anxious because my original sitter had failed to show up and I had to improvise at the last minute. 

Component 2- Waste

Initial Ideas for the Waste Project

Clothing from Recycled Material

• ·        Research photographers of this type of idea/purpose
• ·        Research ideas for clothes made from recycled materials
• ·        Research why recycled clothes are being made – what point is being made
• ·        Research issues on waste – how much per year, how landfill sites are overflowing with waste, how long does waste take to decay?
• ·        What will the effects of the above be on the environment?
• ·        Think of materials that could be used
• ·        Think how they could be used
• ·        Work out best way of constructing clothes
• ·        Sketch draft ideas
• ·        Collect together materials I decide to use
• ·        Think about colours that will achieve maximum impact
• ·        Work out how to connect materials
• ·        Think about the strength of the outfit as it must be robust enough to be worn
• ·        Accessorise using further recycled materials
• ·        Ask someone to model outfit so I can take photographs

Evaluation of Peer Assessment

On the 13^th December I presented my Environment project to the second and third years to gain some constructive criticism.

The general feeling was not to be too worried about staying completely within the concept. I could expand my ideas a bit more. They told me how to improve the way my work looks and they also gave me advice about improving my printing, making my borders more central and other things to consider such as how to plan my work more effectively.

I found their comments useful and will try to use their advice to improve my work next time.