Assignments
OCA Photography Two: Documentary barry511915 Assignment Two
(Photography 2 Assignment 2
Documentary
In preparation…
Revisit Chapters 4 and 5 in
Creative Photography: Context and Narrative.
The brief Produce eight images that, individually, have a narrative and convey a specific idea. You needn’t limit yourself to your immediate surroundings as you did in the previous assignment. Rather than focusing on a theme or activity, work on a concept. The more abstract the idea, the better. Abstract concepts name ideas, feelings, qualities or characteristics that are not directly perceived by the senses, e.g. hope, love, exploitation, sadness, freedom and greed. You can do this assignment in B&W or colour. Discuss with your tutor, which medium is most appropriate for your chosen concept. Provide a short commentary (200 words) explaining your ethos and rationale along with your images.
Delivery For this assignment, you need to publish a blog page. Thumbnails should link to high-resolution
Images. If you haven’t done this before, liaise with your tutor regarding the technical aspects of keeping a blog.) (https://www.oca-student.com/sites/default/files/oca-content/course-pdfs/ph2_documentary_260313.pdf) (Accessed 8/01/2018)
The images below are to represent freedom they are just to celebrate the freedom we have now and hopefully even more in the future.
What does freedom mean it means being free to do the things I want to do without affecting others. However, it also involves equal opportunities to pursue a better life.
Freedom
I started off with just the idea of freedom and went on from there. I did not have any particular theme in mind each Image was shot on individual bases. I found it quite challenging to think of Images that weren’t the run of the mill. I have viewed images under the heading of freedom for ideas and found a lot of them are a bit predictable. I have taken inspiration from Jeff Wall’s Idea of Cinema photography. The egg shot evolved, working on different things and approaches for the Image. As Wall says, you start with an idea and work at it, and it becomes something else, with these two images I wanted to get images that are telling a story as well as a statement of freedom. The nail image l can tell different stories depending on the heading. While I was making the nail Image, I thought it looked much better without the sand, but with the sand, the story was deeper it added more connotations to the Image.
The visual communication in each of the Images is freedom, the thread of freedom runs through each image. Each image tells a different story of freedom the first Image we can see the Runner but also the couple sat on the bench free to relax were and when they chose, the road sweeper hard at work free to earn a living. The shops also show freedoms that could be restricted if we did not have the freedom to do what we want. The betting shop shows that people are free to spend their money as they chose.
In the constructed image of the chicks freed from the egg is only implied. The viewer will need to work out what is going on. Gregory Crewdson’s Images, he would have started with the Idea and as he uses a lot of actors that give feedback on various aspects of the production. He changes it working at it until he was delighted with the Image and just like Wall, said you start with an idea, and it turns in to something else.
Visual punctuation
The size and shape of the Images do have a relevance to the overall presentation. Some images dictate the size or least the orientation of the picture.
The Images below show Freedoms we sometimes take for granted
Freedom Images
After a tutor telephone chat, I have now added a critique below each Image, giving my thoughts and the reasons behind the Images.
Freedom Runner Manchester
When I first came across the runners, I thought to myself these will make some good images for this assignment, and the photos are ok. Viewing it now after some time has passed, I ask myself what is, the image saying is it really sending a message of freedom or is it just a striking image, after all, it not every day you find someone leaping off a lamp post.
On reflection
The image is unusual, and I think it does represent a sense of freedom
Free To Splash
This Image is in contrast as to how
This was when I made the Image of the water skier jumping off the ramp and the sailing boats, I thought to my self you don’t get much freer than that even if confined the Manchester ship canal. The image was quite challenging as the speed varied, and he would fall over before or just after the ramp, the wind was biting.
I made several Images of varied success, I have chosen this one of the water skier being in the air but also for the boats on the left forming a nice triangle, the building in the background mimicking the height of the Hilton building. In the distance, the moody skies and the golden tree on the left contrasting the unfinished building on the right.
The shot below was almost black and white with only a hint of colour, so I desaturated it. I know it looks a little out of place mixed in with the colour Images, but I like the image, so I have left it in.
As Free as a bird
I just like the image above and although it is a little cliche, it does represent freedom not only the person rowing but also the bird is a metaphor for freedom.
Free To Grow
This is a constructed shot and is meant to represent freedom from the nest and the egg, as you can see the footprints show the mother’s footprints going to and from the nest and then eventually the smaller prints of the chick finally leaving the nest, a metaphor for freedom.
Free from Stress
With this image, I tried to look further into the possible meaning of an image that on the first view, is not realised. I feel this images as several metaphorical implications and works well as freedom image.
Free to go where you want
This image is meant to be a bit of tong and cheek images it could have been taken by a dad or the driving instructor, but in reality, it was set up and made by me to represent freedom to travel. It is a real image that is to say she had just passed her driving test. I suppose it as a metaphorical implication of more freedom we have as we get older.
Free To Rome
Each step we make as we get older is a step towards more freedom until we reach the age where we are free to make our own choices and the responsibility that comes with that, as in the image above.
Singing in the rain
This image was the first thoughts of a metaphorical image. I originally wanted the model to be walking down a long main road. The weather was against us, so I opted for this quiet road a the side of the reservoir I was lucky enough to be treated to the rainbow witch in its self is a metaphor for freedom.
Assignment Two Contact sheet of just some of the Images taken I shot too many to include them all these were picked at random.
2.Barry-Senior.docAssi2Report (1)
Reflection
I found this assignment a little challenging to visualise my first thoughts were to use the Idea of behaviour and although I was initially enthusiastic after a day of taking images in the centre of Manchester I have decided against it. My primary concern was that it seemed a little negative, as the more interesting behaviours were bad. Also, the people that were demonstrating these behaviours were people that were a lot less fortunate than me. I felt a little guilty showing these people at there worst when they needed help, and I wasn’t giving any, and although I probably had enough Images to make the assignment work, I decided against it. I started a new assignment around the Idea of freedom. I discussed the Idea with my Daughter, and she seemed enthusiastic. I had seen a picture of a broken egg on the net, and I thought I could put a different twist on it and make a shot that represented freedom, so I made the egg shot. I had to work out how I could show the chicken free from its shell as I didn’t have a live chicken, I have achieved this by showing the footprints.
The little girl shot is my granddaughter. I was thinking of possible shots that would represent freedom I remembered a line in the film the Wolf of wall street. DiCaprio said to Jonah Hill, what will you do if your children are retarded, he was in a relationship with his sister, he said he would take them to the woods and let them run free, go free.
Jeff Wall says he gets a lot of his Ideas from reading; I got my Idea from a film. I tried to visualise images that would represent freedom without stating the obvious I found this relatively tricky to do as the obvious just keeps spring to mind, the slave breaking his changes, the birds flying, a horse running in a field, and so on. I have tried to be individual taking my own ideas and turning them into Images that represent freedom, I think some are more successful in the message than others, but I do believe they all have at least a thread of freedom running through them.
While working on this assignment, I have visited the Tate gallery in Hull and at the same time, the Hip Photography Festival. I found these visits very informative and would like to go on more, but I don’t seem to be able to see anything going on in Manchester or even within 100 miles, but I will keep looking. The study visit to Hull was excellent and related to this assignment as I have mentioned in study and research. It is only because of the freedoms we had and worked for over the years that photographers can go about there profession. If I am sincere, I think my original idea would have been more reliable as an assignment more interesting than the one I have chosen. The problem was the people I decided to shoot the homeless, I didn’t mind taking their picture but how I was going to use them was a problem for me, I just didn’t think it was fair. While shooting the homeless, I did feel a sense of achievement that I had got some good or at least reasonable Images, they were REAL. I was pleased with myself, but when I thought about it, I realised I was a bit selfish. If I were putting them to better use, I would have been happy to use them. My freedom pictures are weak they lack punch and to me are at best average, I can’t really say why this is apart from the contrast I feel between the two Ideas. With the Homeless Images, some were powerful Images, and now I think I should have been selfishly used them instead but at the same time pleased I didn’t. I now realise that the freedom Images are ok they are just different from the real-life Images of the homeless and you can’t really compare the two sets.
Below is a contact sheet for the Images from my first idea of Behaviour which I decided against.
Free Runners contact sheet Just a few of the shots taken.
The Image below I edited.
Edited Images
OCA Photography Two: Documentary barry511915 Assignment One
The Market Hall
What I have chosen for this assignment is Stalybridge Market hall, I have fond memories of the market Hall mainly because my mum used to take me shopping there. I can remember getting lost in the market after hiding from my mum, having a milkshake from the café.
Inside the Market Hall on the left-hand side looking west where the Butchers shops and outside on the south wall where the cattle railings for guiding the sheep and cows to the butchers, but not in use for years before my time. Outside the market there were market stalls and a row of shops facing, one was an ice cream parlour called Fairclough’s, very famous in the surrounding area.
As there was a beer festival being held in the old market hall, I thought it would be a good idea to use this opportunity and the market hall as the topic for my assignment.
The brief asked us to use only one focal length, so I decided to use my 50mm lens no chance of forgetting and moving the focal length or any chance of the lenses creeping.
The Old Market Hall is now used for other things.
Above added after feedback to show more of the story as to what was going on.
Above Selling the beer
Bill, above” What do you think of the market hall” The building is ok but they have ruined the town we used to have a thriving town and a good market it’s just not the same.
Dave, above ” What do you think of the market hall” “It’s a nice building but I think they could do more with it it’s just not used enough.”
Kerry, above ” What do you think of the market hall” “It’s a shame the market has gone but what can you do if nobody usees it, the beer festival is good though.”
Shela, above” What do you think of the market hall””I don’t really know much about it I am not from around here I am from Stockport we are here for the beer festival.”
Jackeline, above” What do you think of the market hall”” I like the market Hall it’s a lovely building it’s a shame it’s not a market anymore, but everybody shops online now don’t they. We are here just for the beer festival, can I have a copy of my photo.”
The group above ” what do you think of the market” it’s a nice building, but we are just here for the beer.”
Kertesz would take shots from the sidelines to show the, what he called the Human thing.
Later Above, added after feedback
Contact sheet below added after feedback
Tutor report assignment one in green.
Reflection
For some reason, I felt I little apprehensive about going to the Market Hall with the beer festival on, but I thought without the event the market all on its own would be a bit dull. After arriving there and taking my first few pictures I realised the market on its own even with the beer festival wasn’t going to be enough, so I had a quick rethink. I decided to ask the people a question and record their answers. When I first arrived at the Market, it was raining on and off, and to my disappointment, there were only one or two people there apart from the staff. I took one or two shots I got despondent and went home, thinking back I am not sure if it was despondency or apathy that sent me home, after overcoming my initial doubts two or three hours later I decided to give it another go.
Andre Kertesz, his known for his street photography some time ago while watching a YouTube documentary ( www.youtube.com/watch?v=10U_eI34kEI) about his life I remember him saying is all about the human, not just the people but everything about them the shadows everything human. Out of all the photographers, I have research for some reason Kertesz remains at the forefront of my mind. I think it’s because of this BBC YouTube documentary, as well as assignments I have done about Kertesz. Like Kertesz, I didn’t need to go far to start my assignment just down the road to the Market and just has Kertesz said it was the people that saved the day for me on this assignment but time will tell. When I arrived back at the Market the people had arrived in some force this I hadn’t expected, they were having a good time in the hall drinking, and I have to say I did feel a bit out of place. Next time I won’t take my car, so I can join in and probably do a better job. I decided to hover around outside picking people off as they went in or out plus it was a lot less noisy outside I got the shots I thought I needed and went home but with the niggling feeling that I should have stayed or even gone back later. On viewing my shots I realised that I could have done a better job and got more shots to work with, but as Kertesz said he made many, many, mistakes and learned. In my defence, though it was a one-off event and I couldn’t go back the next day. It is a little difficult asking people for there picture it feels like asking a girl out for the first time you are apprehensive about the response you will get, I got around it with a smile and an explanation of what I was doing, and everyone was happy to have there picture taken.
Reflecting after the feedback from Chris, my tutor.
When I was going about this assignment, it was if I knew what Chris my tutor was going to say and I think, subconsciously, I could have been aiming for a poor assignment rather than something better. It’s only a feeling I have now after reading the feedback that I find myself agreeing with what Chris is saying I think I must have told myself to stop doubting myself knowing that it wasn’t quite right. Because I was doing an assignment about the Old Market hall somehow, I lost focus the beer festival was on. I wanted to take more shots of the festival, but the thing in the back of my mind told me it is supposed to be about the market hall, so, unfortunately, I didn’t link the two even though the festival was being held in the hall. Chris has pointed out that it would have been a much better assignment if I had taken more shots of the people enjoying themselves and the items surrounding them in the hall, telling the story of the Market Hall as a place for the town to use as opposed to the history of the Market Hall. For my next assignment, I will do it critique it redo it get it critique and revise if necessary I want to learn from this assignment and try not to make the same mistakes or at least less of them. I will make the changes to the assignment Chris as suggested and hopefully take on board what he as said for the next assignment.
Images below removed after feedback they were originally the first and last.
OCA Photography Two. barry511915 