Assignment Three - Monochrome - Execution

Shooting and selection

Well, on the day that I was able to get to Felixstowe, I was blessed with a stunning sky.  I really couldn't have been any luckier!  Dark clouds and bright light is my favourite landscape combo!  I set my camera to default to half a stop under to make the most of the sky and also to avoid highlights from the bright flashes of light (in between rain).  I got there around midday and spent the afternoon walking around trying to retrace my childhood steps.  During the drive up, I felt a little anxious - It's around 28 years since my grandfather passed away and my grandmother moved away from the area about a year later.  So I wondered if the whole thing would be emotionally overwhelming, or would I find that the town was not as I remembered and feel disappointed or even let down?

What actually happened was the complete opposite.  Felixstowe has suffered a degree of modernisation, i.e. Tesco, Costa etc, but it still has the same look and feel as before.  Quaint, old, English seaside town and it is not run down or under invested like other coastal locations.   In fact, there was evidence of restoration and investment.  I was able to find the places I looked for, was surprised how small the town and the places I visited seemed (which is also obvious as I was small before!) and it was an experience of happy memories.  Visiting my grandparents homes in particular, was a bit strange, particularly the second one 43 Brook Lane (as I was older then); I was expecting to feel a sense of loss, but in fact they were empty shells, the character of my grandparents had gone, new characters in place.  But in a good way, not an upsetting way; just that time had moved on.  This raises questions then about whether experience and attachment are attributed to people rather than place (which in a way contradicts my commentary on Hayden). 

I took every lens, filter, tripod and piece of equipment that I have with me.  I did not want to get caught out by not having the right piece with me if I wanted to use it. And I carried it around all day, so by the end of the day I had backache, neck ache and foot ache (new shoes).  And, in the end, I only used my wide-angle lens, as is often the case when I am prepared!  I don't know why this happened, but I just wanted to shoot in wide-angle; perhaps because the sky was so amazing that day.  I also didn't want to try any long-exposure shots on the day, although the sky was perfect for that.  The whole day became about the moment of rediscovery - it wasn't about art in the end.  I wanted to record that moment as it was, without interfering with it.  So although my original intention had been to represent child-like halycon high key type shots with tons of atmosphere, in the moment I actually wanted it to be factual in the end.

My only regret was that I crammed it all in to one afternoon.  I should have taken the weekend off and stayed there a bit longer.  But, overall, I consider the experiment a success; it hasn't altered my previous memories, more that new ones have been laid down, as I remember this trip as an isolated event.  And I came away feeling that it would be a really nice place to live!

The execution itself was great - I got enough to meet the assignment requirements (5-10); my only problem now was how to narrow it down.  Here is my shortlist (unprocessed apart from straightening) - 15 in total:

The stars indicate my initial selection for a shorter list.  I decided to omit 4772, as this was not taken of a specific place that I had wanted to find.  The cinema and junction of the road was something I had forgotten but then remembered when I found it.  4857 is of the ice cream shop that I had remembered, but I don't think that this is a great photo - the lighting was not very good at the time of shooting.  And actually I missed the shot; I should have photographed the old people's day centre next door - I used to think that I would end up there one day!  And lastly 4891, which is taken in the place that Justin Minns took his winning shot for LPOTY and from where the original idea for this assignment came.  Although this was not a memory that I had, the groynes were in fact new, replacing wooden structures, that I think I now recollect, I would like to have included this in the sequence, but I don't think the execution was very strong and certainly not up to the same standard as Minns!  This left two more to eliminate. 

The next image I chose to leave out was 4774 taken inside the former Mayflower Chinese restaurant.  This was a tough decision, particularly as the original paintings and fish tank were still there (probably different fish) and it was quite a vivid part of my memory bank, but the image doesn't work in black and white and also being empty has a sense of sadness about it that is inconsistent with my previous visits.

The final choice was between 4799 and 4893.  4799 works well in colour, but in black and white the geometric shapes also stand out.  4893 shows a storm in the distance, but this is not unique to Felixstowe - I see storms everywhere so to include this one would have been a subjective decision based on the drama of the storm and not of my memories of Felixstowe.  In the end I stuck with the beach huts as this is such a strong component of my overall previous visits there.

Initial Processing

So, with my short short list of ten photographs:

The next stage was to look at the exposure, contrast, sharpening and to see if straightforward monochrome conversion was sufficient or if I needed to adjust the the colours prior to conversion.  As always, this process began in View NX2 being the easiest system for editing.

• 4738: exposure excellent, mono conversion works fine, no colour adjustment required, slight increase in contrast added
• 4775: shot 1/2 stop under - restored to average in processing, converted to mono, but seems that blue needs darkening and red needs lightening; image reserved for treatment in Capture NX2
• 4799: shot 1/2 stop under - exposure then adjusted to another half under (darkened the sky), increased contrast, converted to mono
• 4812: considered cropping out foreground to letter box shape, but like leading lines of floor towards dodgems (need to ensure preserved in mono); exposure - background sky is blown out, but I like this - adds a sense of dream/weirdness to the scene - exposure shot 1/2 stop under, but in fact scene afforded another 1/2 stop under without losing leading lines - really like the dynamic contrast
• 4816: shot 1/2 stop under - resulting image is under exposed - but nice strong colours!  Exposure adjusted to a net 1/2 stop over exposed, and contrast added.  This worked well in colour, but not in b&w - the whites were too blown, so I restored the exposure to average and removed the contrast.
• 4828: shot 1/2 stop under - restored to average in processing, converted to mono, and added lots of contrast.  I really wanted the barrier to stand out. 
• 4842: I really liked this image in colour.  Again 1/2 stop under, I considered bringing back the lost detail, but I think the dark adds a sense of mystery.  Question is would it work in b&w?  In mono it was just a bit too dark, so I restored the exposure to average.  I did check if 1/2 stop over would work, but that brought out too much detail in the carpets etc, so I left the exposure at average.
• 4853: I found that in mono, this was overexposed in parts - there was not enough dynamic range, so I converted to a net 1 stop under and added back some brightness.  The seagull in the top left-hand corner is distracting (the other one is ok), so this will need treatment in elements to remove that.
• 4871: very badly exposed!  The light had changed and I hadn't checked to move my default setting.  I changed this to a net half a stop over, which brought back some of the lost detail, but couldn't go any further due to the white.  This image needs some treatment to darken the blue, and lighten the green; image reserved for treatment in Capture NX2.
•  4901: exposure shot at average (had now changed my default setting) works great in mono - no other adjustments were required except a tiny amount of contrast.

So, here is the short short list now, with most of the editing done, two images that need colour adjustment in Nikon capture and one that requires seagull removal in Elements:

Elements:

I removed the left hand seagull in 4853 using the spot healing brush:

Nikon Capture:

4755: using the colour control points, I saturated the sky and desaturated the brick and hedges:

This made such a difference (my use of Capture is really hit and miss, so was pleasantly surprised!), that I decided I needed to check all the images again using this process, including the other one ear-marked for this treatment: 4871.  (4799, 4812 4828, 4842 and 4901 didn't need this).  I did notice though that you have to be careful with this process - it can add noise.

Elements:

The final stage was to convert all the images into JPEGs and double check them all in Elements for blemishes using the spot healing brush.  I also sharpened each image sightly.

Finally, I had a JPEG for each shot ready for final presentation.

The only other decision remaining was how to present this work.  This work will have three audiences at least: my OCA tutor and the assessors, members of my family, and also the Crossing Lines group I belong to that gave me so many helpful tips.  I decided to create a slideshow so that I could add text and also make it easy to display.

Prix Pictet - Consumption

I participated on the study visit yesterday to the Prix Pictet - Consumption exhibition at the Victoria and Albert museum.  I had been bowled over by the previous one (Power) so was really excited to be able to make this one too.  The best thing about these visits is the opportunity to meet and interact with tutors and other students.

This cycle however (the fifth) wasn't as striking or impactful overall as the fourth.  I found elements of it amazing (which I will elaborate on further down) but also there were sections that I didn't feel were as compelling including the Laureate, Michael Schmidt, who also sadly died yesterday.

My notes below set out the order in which I viewed the exhibition.

Adam Bartos - Yard Sale

This is the first portfolio you see as you walk through the door, and I could really relate to this.  Uncomplicated context - quite simply a visual representation of clutter and stuff that can be accumulated and then has to be got rid of.  It reminded me of having car boot sales when moving house!  One picture I really liked was "Ernie & Mattress"; this has echoes of the end of a childhood with the familiar face of the Sesame Street character and the small single mattress, plus a few other toys.  For me this image really conveys the idea of ongoing consumption through the passage of life.

Ernie & Mattress (c) Adam Bartos

Hong Hao - My Things

I loved this - it was visually striking and unconventional in approach. To paraphrase the artist's statement, Hao scanned everyday objects over a period of 12 years to create a collection of artifacts that he then assembled into huge single images.  What is immediately striking about these images is that they are 2D - you see a flat surface.  It's as if they were laid out on a glass coffee table and photographed from underneath.  What's also intriguing, is how he decided the composition during the assemblage process?

Book – Keeping of 2007 A (c) Hong Hao

For instance, in "Book - Keeping of 2007 A", there is a definite composition; all there are two sets of books in opposing corners, small thing in the middle that draw your eye in, red (which has meaning in Chinese culture) in a few but not many places, tickets and CDs all together; so despite the immediate feeling of chaos, when you look closely it's actually very ordered.  You could also look at this portfolio for hours and always see something new.  Its colourful, geometric - and as one of the other students (Dave Hins) said, like a tetris game where all the shapes are neatly stacked.  And all of the objects seem to have a valid purpose.  Yes, there are about consumption, but not necessarily bad consumption - these are about information (books, CDs, business cards).

In contrast, "My Things No 1" is very chaotic.   You see rubbish, decaying food, the underside of fridge magnets - waste in other words.  And what is the inclusion of the hand about?

My Things No 1 (c) Hong Hao

The third image on display from this portfolio, "Bottom No 4", is very "beige".....  It shows the underside of everyday technology objects and packaging.  Not colourful, nor geometic, still ordered, does it have less impact?  Is this supposed to represent items we don't even notice?

Bottom No 4 (c) Hong Hao

For me, this collection was the most successful of all the portfolios on the consumption theme.  It really brought home how much stuff we have in our lives, and how much we throw away, how much we don't need, or even how much we do need!  It's a pity the whole portfolio wasn't on display, I would liked to have seen it, and I would dare to suggest that Hao should have been the Laureate!

Motoyuki Daifu - Project Family

This collection was very surprising!  This is not how I imagine life in Japan!  This portfolio shows chaos, lack of order, lack of discipline, extreme clutter, poor kitchen hygiene - all the opposites to my perception of Japanese culture.  Of course space is an issue in Japan, but even so, this is more reflective of how students live, not families!  In this portfolio, there is a polar relationship between the tiny space this family occupies, and the amount of stuff they have: two extremes that have collided.  Very interesting!

Abraham Oghobase - Untitled

This portfolio depicts guerrilla classifieds - brought about by the lack of space for advertising (due to every available surface being taken).  The photographer interacts with the pictures to demonstrate their lack of effectiveness.  Interesting, but not sure I like it.  I haven't been to Nigeria, but I used to live in Senegal and space is a problem there.  But if I had wanted to make a statement about consumption, I would have highlighted the rubbish tips (and children playing/animals feeding on them), people living in makeshift housing, chaotic and disordered architecture, the nouveau riche elements, rubbish in the streets, people living in the streets (antithesis of consumption?), and the enormous food supplies (surprising in a country with little resources).

Juan Fernando Herran - Escalas

There were some interesting images in this portfolio and particularly when compared with Project Family above.  This series is about people living underground or on the margins of society - due to the lack of space.  Shot in Medellin in Colombia, you really get a sense of this lack of space.  I was particularly interested in the image "Own Place".  Immediately struck by the clarity and light of the image (which you would not expect for an underground shot?) and the converging lines composition which is very effective, this is just amazing that someone should live here, with so little, and also keep it so clean - look at the brush in the bottom left-hand corner!!  This is the complete opposite to the Japanese family above, who perhaps were not financially compromised and who had too much stuff for their space and were not able to keep their space clean.  Also looking at this image, you see gaps in the roof - what happens when it rains?  Interestingly, the starburst effect of the light, is almost an import of the sun (assume narrow aperture?) - it's a proper underground world.

Own Place (c) Juan Fenando Herran

Laurie Simmons

When I saw this at the exhibition, I didn't know if Simmons was male or female, which raised a lot of obvious questions in my head.....I have since looked at the Prix Pictet website and know that she is female.  This is a surprising portfolio in many ways, and apart from the obvious quality of the photography, which is stunning, and that it made me remember the TAOP Assignment 4 exercise, I really enjoyed the challenges and intellectual arguments it raises.  The questions I initially asked, were about gender and sexual orientation.  I got the bit about loneliness in a crowded society (like social media?) - not having real relationships, but I wanted to know if the photographer had done this as an artistic experiment, or was he/she living vicariously through the doll?  On reading the Artist's Statement, I'm not sure what the answer to that is!

Other questions that I asked was does the Doll represent the air-brushed idealized female form, the source of great unhappiness in modern society, and how is this different to a child that has a pretend tea-party with all her toys?  Surely this is just the next step, the adult form, of an imaginary friend?

The photographer seems to claim that the Doll took on a consumerist personality of her own, without a thought for the waste she was creating - is this not Simmons projecting her own feelings on the subject through the Doll?  The masses of jewellery and shoes in a lot of people's life, the sugar obesity epidemic, there are some strong themes running through this series.

Rineke Dijkstra - Almerisa

This portfolio didn't work for me.  For a start it's about the survival of a refugee and successful integration into a new society, as the subject moves through her life cycle.  I'm not clear how this relates to the theme of consumption, unless it's about consumption being a feature of western life as a whole....and unfortunately I don't find the photography here very interesting either.  Sorry.

Michael Schmidt - Lebensmittel (Winner - Laureate)

An impressive collection of very simple images representing the food processing chain, from source to final article.  They look good presented as a tableau, and you get the idea of mass and quantity, and he challenges the thinking by simplifying and perhaps demystifying the photographic process, but sadly I didn't enjoy this portfolio as much as some of the others.

Boris Mikhailov - Tea, Coffee & Cappuccio

Interesting.  The small format makes you look hard, but being long-sighted, this was a challenge!  Obvious themes of globalization and Starbucksisation!  Cheap and plentiful commodities - everything can be bought these days.  BUT - if I submitted photographs for an OCA assignment that had blown out skies, the wrong white balance, wonky angles (beyond dramatic diagonal shots) they'd be sent back!!  I liked the inclusion of the cheap plastic tartan laundry bags though - we have so much stuff you need loads of luggage to store it in!

Mishka Henner - Beef and Oil

Well, firstly - WOW!  But secondly - who is the photographer?  If these are satellite photos, surely Henner is not the artist?  Or have I missed something?  But - visually stunning and almost abstract representations of landscapes scarred by the human desire for two commodities, beef and oil.  But this series is not just about human consumption, it's also about cattle consumption - the feeders where the spend the last period of their lives fattening up (and presumably the moral/ethical arguments abou that).

In Kern River Oil Field,  you see amazing detail.  And the more you look, the more you see.  From a distance a stunning abstract, but up close a complex web of intricate details.  In Cornado Feeders, again a beautiful abstract and an object (not sure what it is) that resembles a cattle heart? 

Allan Sekula - Fish Story

I don't know if I liked this series or not.  Interesting - yes, visually pleasing - not sure, does it work as a portfolio about consumption - yes definitely - there are some very strong themes in this portfolio with the container ships and salvage yards.  I did like B4 - Koreatown, but more as a stand alone, for the drama, mood, angles, and atmosphere!

B4 - Koreatown (c) Allan Sekula

All in all - a very interesting exhibition and experience.  The clear winner for me is Hong Hao, which has got me thinking about undertaking a similar exercise - maybe artifacts collected on a journey, for example, or all the items you use in just one day?

Elena Chernyshova

I recently saw a post on Facebook by Lens Culture (an organisation which promotes emerging talent in photography) about Elena Chernyshova and her work about the city of Norilsk in Northern Russia.  Norilsk is a mining town, plunged into darkness for most of the year.  Chernyshova has put together a documentary project which investigates human adaptation to extreme climate, environmental disaster and isolation.  She captures the unique living conditions of the people of Norilsk, providing a unique perspective on many aspects of their lives, from the environmental hazards, coping with endless daylight in summer to no daylight in winter, growing vegetables, how children get exercise, unfinished building works and so on.  This is a truly compelling piece of work which provides an emotive insight into the challenge of life in Norilsk. 

There are 45 photographs in the series, each of course pieces of art in their own right, but the body of the collection together with the narrative that I think makes this piece of work so successful.  You really get the feeling of what life there must be like.  And the colours, processing etc - stunning!

One image that really stands out for me is Slide 9 showing a metal worker breathing through a gas filter.  That really brings home the suffering and dedication of these people to earning a living in an environment where there probably aren't many choices.

The learning message for me here is about knowing your subject.  All to often, I go somewhere on a daytrip expecting to come home with earth shattering photography..... this was obviously a project put together over a long period of time, and by building relationships with the subjects.  Slide 13, showing a person suffering from lung disease, is a great example of the intimacy that Chernyshova achieves.

Sony World Photography Awards 2014

I stopped by the Sony World Photography Awards at Somerset House this week; an amazing and eclectic collection of talent.  And lots in quantity!

There were six photographers that really stood out for me (from the prints).

Alejandro Cegarra - Tower of David an amazing perspective on what is essentially dreadful social housing / squat residence; I felt these images had a strong theme of prison/incarceration running through them, but at the same time, a sense of freedom.  Very striking and beautiful photography and relevant to my own exploration of monochrome in the course work, with clean lines and strong graphics.

Michael Nichols - Short Happy Life of a Serengeti Lion - I'd seen his images before in National Geographic and at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition - and am always happy to see them again.   I even have a fridge magnet of one of his lions!  The image below, really works for me. Apart from the complicated grouping and variety of facial expressions, the face of the lioness on the right-hand side resting on the back of another, is just amazing.  She looks sooooo happy and relaxed!  And the clarity, lucidity, sky colour, texture - are all fabulous - and it looks like he was so close!

The Short Happy Life of a Serengeti Lion (c) Michael Nichols

Wolfgang Weinhardt - Samsara - just astonishing.  I wondered if it had been manufactured as the perspective is so vertical, but reading the text it obviously hadn't.  Really like the minimal colour palette - wish I'd been able to take something like this for the pattern exercise in TAOP!

Chen Li - Rain in an Ancient Town - stunning - amazing use of light and atmosphere.  And how amazing that people actually cross like this - is it a river or flooded street/valley?  Really like the way the lines converge into the mountains and the storm - looks a bit Lake District!

Hairul Azizi Harun - (untitled - Malaysia) - funny - a lot going on in this picture.  I love the fact that the woman chucking the water out of the window isn't looking at what she's doing.

Gert Van Den Bosch - Cold Pony - I've seen these ponies in Iceland and they look like they are freezing.  Van Den Bosch has really captured a sense of isolation and cold for this poor creature!


Next year, I will go on a Saturday rather than after work - there was so much to see and I didn't have enough time to really take it all in.  Such a variety of themes and perspectives - a truly stunning collection.

Don McCullin - A film by Jacqui Morris and David Morris 2012

I think this is the most powerful documentary of a photographer I have ever seen.  It tells the story of how photojournalist McCullin has documented many wars during his career, with sensitivity, integrity and reality.  What is amazing is trying to get your head around what it must feel like to be grappling with a manual camera, manual metering, composition, etc whilst in a heightened state of panic and shock and whilst on some occasions being shot at.  How do you keep the camera still when people are dropping dead around you?

Many of the photographs portrayed in the film are harrowing, haunting, and shocking.  On a factual level I learned a lot from watching this, but on a photographic level I think I understood even more what personal voice means.  In McCullin's case he shot absolute atrocities of war, some things unthinkable (although persisting today), yet in each case he has captured the essence of suffering, the pain and anguish of the subjects, and the dignity with which he treated them.  I was not surprised to learn that on many occasions he put his camera down to help people.

The film finished by showing McCullin outdoors shooting landscapes, with his original camera, as a cathartic process.  Haunted by what he has seen and experienced, he wishes to create new memories, and I would certainly like to see more of this work.

What have I learned that I can apply?  Well it's not to immerse myself into a war situation, that's for sure, but it is to immerse myself in what I am shooting.  To look for the soul of what I am shooting, to capture what are the overwhelming sensations, and to do that with dignity and honesty.\

BBC Wildlife Magazine - January 2014 Volume 32 Number 1

Well I finally got around to writing about the January 2014 cover photo of BBC Wildlife Magazine featuring the Scottish Wildcat taken by Laurie Campbell:

(c) BBC Wildlife January 2014 Volume 32 Number 1

The expression on the cat's face is one I've seen in my own cats - surprise, indignation, concentration, focus.  A beautiful creature and sadly scarce, the Highland Tiger is now the subject of conservation projects.  This was worth a mention on my ongoing research into personal voice.  In this case, the photographer did not attempt to make the animal look sweet and cuddly or similar to a domestic cat, but instead cat it in action, probably stalking, and captured the very essence of the creature's survival.

Life Framer Exhibition April 2014

I went to the Life Framer exhibition for Edition One showcase in April this year.  The exhibition featured a stunning entry receiving an Honorable Mention by fellow Crossing Lines member Raki Nikahetiya showing Tower Bridge in the fog, so it was great to see this hanging having discussed this ethereal perspective at Crossing Lines.  Seeing work in public by people I've met or know gives me a lot of hope and inspiration that I might be up there one day!

This was the first time I'd seen or heard of Life Framer, so it was interesting to see an amateur platform that I might be able to get involved in one day (if it continues).  The past year had seen a different aspect of "Life" each month, and this exhibition was a retrospective of the winners and a selection of the honorary mentions.  Of course, the quality of the entries was amazing and some very interesting subject matters, but the curation of the exhibition was strange.  The entries were mounted over four walls, but it was not clear if they were grouped by theme. In addition, for the Honorable Mentions, it was not clear which theme they had entered.  Moreover, the entries were not marked by photographer or title, you had to refer to the guide for the photographer, and then go to the internet to find the title of the image and background about the photographer.  That was disappointing.

Typically with exhibitions, I note an image that has made a difference to me, either from its wow factor, shown me something new, expanded my knowledge or added to my repertoire of influences.  In this case, it was "The Tartan Army" by Sven Loach.  I hadn't seen any of Loach's work before, and this picture really stood out.  It shows Scottish supporters before a friendly at Trafalgar Square.  Apart from the obvious humour, it's a clearly well constructed example of street photography/journalism.  Central composition, with horizontal layers, the comical subject matter replicated by a play on words with Nelson's column, the chaos above and below the base (chaos before the match), and only a couple of people are looking at the lens (and they look confused!).  Very funny.