The object/ Body Presentation

The Object 

The concept revolving around the idea of the brief was to look at an issue that concerned me so I decided to look at addiction. Due to personal reasons I wanted to portray the idea of medical addiction. I would do this by using tablets and replicating behaviour of someone close to me. I was concerned with the amount of medication this person consumed and it will only ever increase which saddens me. However I will photograph this through the use of replicating how the medication is stored.

Influences 

Taddeo Gaddi

The above painting by Taddeo Gaddi  from the eighteenth Century allows me to start understanding how to organise and construct my own Still life. This image in particular inspired me due to my mum keeping her tablets in a cupboard  where plates are also kept objects that I would like to include in my still life. I thought this image would allow me to build upon different references I could use when creating my photograph. 

Francisco de Zurbaran 

The layout again is what drew my attention to this image. This sixteenth century painter has clearer allowed structure to be a huge part of this painting by the three clears objects. I wanted to portray the idea of structure clearly in my photography as structure is a huge part of my mums life and the way in which she takes her tablets is very structured. 

Gareth McConnell

McConnell's work is being used a visual reference to what subjects I would like to be in focus. Due to the medication being stored on shelf amongst other objects such as cups and plates I want to incorporate those elements into my project as this adds character and doesn't portray level of normality to the viewer this isn't an everyday occurance. In my photograph I will have the medication in focus as this is the focal point of the photograph and have the plates in the background as this isn't the focus but I want them to still be visually seen as it adds a sense of character.

Test Shoot 1

I wanted to start off the development of my photographs by first off portraying how structured the medicine take is through the use of four separate piles I also wanted to portray the vast amount of tablets my mother consumes in one day. I feel photograph one portrays the idea better out of the two however I do not feel this is how I want the photographs or the addiction to be viewed as.

Photo shoot 2 

I felt that the use of a shallow depth of field works well with this body of work and will work well for my final outcome. The use of the shallow depth of field will draw the viewers eye onto the detail of the medication and will allow the viewer to understand the amount of medication which my mother consumes

Final Photograph.

In evaluation to the creation of this project and body of work I have found great inspiration from painters and how to arrange my work in order to portray a certain narrative. The work of McConnell also helped me in order to make correct lighting choices and the style of depth of field I wanted in my work. I am over whelmed by the end result of this project and I feel I took this project as far as I could have. If I could have re-shot the image I would have made the camera positioning a tiny bit higher so it doesn't look like were looking up at the tablets as I don't want the viewer to feel that these tablets are mightier as there not there addictive. 

The Body

The concept revolving around the brief was to find someone unknown to you and photograph them. I decided that I wanted to photograph an element of uniform found in society. I wanted to photograph someone in which their job came with a prop something to help the viewer relate to. I decided that I would photograph a cafeteria worker I wanted to portray elements of her personality through the use of her uniform. 

Irving Penn

I am particularly fond of this image and the manner in which the model comes across and portrays his personality to the viewer. The character is perceived as a fireman hence the uniform  but his personality comes across as a soft but dominating character we see this through the way in which he holds the axe. I am fond of the lighting in this image the lighting appears to be all natural something which I will not be able to gain but I do like the tones which appear in this image something which I aim to create in my own work.

Cornell Capa

Capa has created an amazing piece of photography  I like the way in which he has used objects to create his narrative to the viewer, we normally feel a story through the use of the eyes but I feel the use of the bare feet screwed up tells us a lot about the emotion of these characters. I am inspired by his work as it will help me to understand how the placement of objects help us in order to create a narrative and allow the viewer to understand the story the photographer is trying to reveal.

Rembrandt Lighting 

After a studio workshop I had attended I had realised that the style of lighting I wanted portrayed in my portrait was in a similar way to that of Rembrandt and what he had used on his paintings. I wanted to use soft lights as I don't want the fact to be blocked out I want detail to be portrayed throughout the face. 

Richard Avedon

Avedon has used similar techniques to that of the Rembrandt style paintings. I am particularly inspired by the portrait of Sir Paul McCartney I feel his portrait is much more subtle than the other three, his portrait is how I want mine to be viewed as an identified as subtle but with some harsh tonnage I want the face to show detail and grip the viewer. 

Test Shoot 

I decided that for my final outcome I would do a test shoot in order to achieve the correct f stop and exposure. I wanted to make sure that the lighting was correct and that everything was set up in order to portray what my aim was at the beginning of the project.

Contact Sheet towards Final Outcome 

The above two images are contact sheets of my Photo shoot for my final outcome I wanted to keep on shooting for two rolls of film in order to achieve the best result and gain insight into the personality of this uniformed worker.

Final Outcome

In evaluation I have come to realise that however there is not harsh tones or complete visible resemblance with the Rembrandt paintings I feel my photograph shows a subtle version. I am really pleased with this image I feel it portrays what I wanted to achieve. It shows an insight into the cafeteria workers character. 

If i shot this image again I would do a few things slightly different I wouldn't use such a shallow depth of fied of f.5.6 I would use around f.8 -11 so the object is in slight focus.I would also want the model to feel at slight ease in front of the camera and show more character than what was shown.

Environment Presentation

The City 

My aim for the City project was to look at the concept of Suburbia and how to portray the idea to society. I want to focus on the elements that create the Suburbia, looking at how controlled and perfect the suburbs is. Its  perceived as very structured everything is perfect the white picket fence the grass in the front garden surrounding the house and so on. I have started this project by looking at various artists who look at suburbia but the photography I want to create will show suburbia as  perfect that is seen through various eyes.








Influences 

Todd Hido

Hido portrays suburbia through the use of an iconic picket fence which is a reference point to this theme of photography.  This photograph has a feel of toy town as if this isn't a real location the use of lights being on in this image allows one to understand that people do actually live here there is life inside.

Bill Owen 

Owen's uses a different perspective to the other artists I have looked at his work comes across as if this has been shot from a CCTV camera this is due to the aerial view and the use of black and white photography I feel this photograph demonstrates to the viewer the idea of suburbia and how ordered and controlled the lives of these peoples are. This image to me represents the view of a caravan park all the roads link in to one it doesn't feel like a community it feels like the people are alone there's no sense of interaction.

Christopher Ballantyne

I decided to look at Ballantyne's work as I feel it replicates what we all think about the idea of Suburbia and new housing complexes which keep being built. Humane live next to each other but they still have never felt more alone there is no sense of interaction everybody is alone in this style of the world. There's no sense of community found in this style of housing does it feel like a home or is it a shell sheltering them from the world. Do the type of people who live in this housing  spend enough time at home to get to know the people there surrounding by is it just a pit stop in their day.

Tom Hunter 

Hunter's work to me portrays a sense of community by the use of doors being left open the people feel safe in their community. What I have learnt from studying the above artists is that the use of lights in houses portrays a sense of Life which allows the viewer to enter the imagery and understand what the artist it trying to imply about suburbia.

Test Shoot 

The above photographs were taken locally at Chatham Maritime and the housing complex which is located there. I felt that the location had no sense of emotion I didn't see anyone it was like a ghost town. I found that everything at this location was controlled there was no sense of freedom. 

Contact Sheets towards Final Outcome 

                                     

After my first test shot I decided that I wanted to focus on something in particular about the idea surrounding Suburbia. I felt that the use of the Door depicts something about the building you are about to enter. So I decided for my final outcome I would create a series of images from doors and the use of colours helps the viewer to depict what the character of inside is like.

Final Photographs 

From this project I feel I have created a body of work which reflects my ideas which have been presented through the support of research and test shoots which have enabled me to carry on with my creative study. I have enjoyed very much creating this body of work I feel that this project has enabled me to understand the theme underlining Suburbia and how to represent it. If I could have taken these images again I would have created them so they were all shot at the same angle. This series of work showed me and helped me to understand how to colour correct in the darkroom and how important colour correction is. My least favourite image is photograph one I don't think the door is extremely attractive but also the other door bring more character to the image they display a narrative. 

Pastiche 

Thomas Struth

This photograph was captured in Aldgate, London. I have tried to the best of my ability to re-interpret the original image by Thomas Struth. I found it hard to find the best location as in the city of London it is hard to find a location where no people are presented but I felt my image resembles some what with Struth's.   

The Landscape 

My concept surrounding the brief is looking at the idea of controlled nature. I want to create a series of photographs which portray the idea surrounding controlled nature. I will look at various artists work and the inspiration I find from there work will help me to understand how I can portray the issue of forced nature. Ideas that I have in my head is looking at private gardens the use of fences will help to portray the idea of controlled only the elite allowed in. Also, the use of Allotments found in the suburbs portrays a similar idea of controlled nature people are assigned a certain amount of space there's no freedom.

Influences 

Eva Strenham

Eva Strenham is a photographer that I have come across her work portrays an idea that I wanted to peruse the idea of the en caged. The use of the trees and flowers being in the foreground gives us the viewer a sense that she is a by passer looking in on the controlled landscape surrounding the town houses found in central London. 

John Davies 

Davies presents the idea of allotments through out his photograph even through we do not see the in depth detail of the allotments we can tell by the layout of the fences that there is nature in this area being controlled and confined into a small amount of room. The use of fences in this image presents us with the reality that fences portray confinement and they only allows us to view the image a certain way. 

Martin Parr

Martin Parr presents us here with the idea that nature can be controlled in any forms. The most iconic format being found around the home in the layout of the garden. Parr seems to want the viewer to understand how nature can be confined and why we do this its for our own pleasure or to portray something to the world or passes by about ourselves.  

Joel Sternfield 

Joel sternfield portrays nature in the city through the use of nature being free the overgrown train tracks allows us to believe that nature can still have its own course in the city. However, I do not agree with this I believe that only if its hidden can it do what it pleases to. We use nature to portray something to the public is nature a way of portraying how happy we are. 

Test Shoot 

I started off this project by creating black and white film photographs of my surroundings found in Maidstone I wanted to start this project by understanding and familiarising myself with a new location and the best way I thought I could do this is through the use of photography. I found some back streets which showed me the opposite nature can be left free if it not in the way of anyone not bothering anyone this however the majority of the time is not allowed to be done. I decided to move on and started to look at controlled nature and in particular nature found in the city, city gardens for town houses I liked the idea I set out to create but the outcome didn't fit the view. I felt I needed to be in the garden to portray this idea. I couldn't gain access so I decided to move on for one last time and look into Allotments  and how confined the nature is to a certain spot of land. I felt I could really take this idea somewhere. 

Final Photographs 

My final outcome looks at different ideas of controlled nature it looks at the confined nature of the garden and how perfect it has to look in order to portray something about the person living inside. The use of the allotments showing confinement of each plot. Lastly, the use of soil being confined to one spot.

In evaluation to this project I have found out various ways in which nature can be confined to and the purpose of it for our pleasure. I have come to realise the stages I needed to overcome in order to find out what I wanted to create photography on. Once finding out what I want to create I realised that I has so many options and what did I want to photograph. I liked the idea of taking photographs of houses alongside various peoples gardens but I felt this was crossing too much into the city project so I decided to focus on Allotments and what they do for society they give gardens to the inner city livers. 

From this project I have come to understand that a lot of thought is needed to go into the development stage of my work. On analysis I know that this isn't my strongest series of work but I do understand that this body of work reviews the idea of confined nature found in society and my environment. 

Pastiche 

Robert Adams 

The above image is my Pastiche of Robert Adams on signal hill. I enjoyed capturing this image and the development stage of its end result. Even though this image does not replicate Adams's image completely this image gives the viewer an insight an understanding of the environment I am surrounded by.