Sustainable Prospects: Week 2 Reflection W/C 29th September

A little bit of a disappointing week in some ways but it also had some highlights.

The photographer who I had scheduled a telephone appointment with got called out on a job, but also did not return either of my calls or emails. this was really quite disappointing but it also seems to be becoming a trend which is a little difficult to take. it seemed that this change in attitude came along as soon as I mentioned I was an MA Photography student looking to improve.

I entered a photography competition this week and treated the process like I had been handed a brief.

We-Love-Monuments-2017-photography-competition-rules[957]

The process of researching what I was going to take photographs of and also planning the shoot was hugely exciting and enjoyable. I think I got some really lovely shots too, which made it hugely satisfying.

Holy Jesus Hospital

Holy Jesus Hospital (Rear)

Castle Keep

I was extremely proud of the final shot that I entered into the competition.

Railway Arch South West of Black Gate

The whole process and the subject of the competition made me wonder if I was actually going down the right route with my Final Major Project.

It made me think about the possibility of looking at the heritage of the North East and perhaps including some re-photography.

The reason I am considering the change is that it seems that the topic I have chosen is just so broad and I don’t feel very much like I have a definitive focus this is quite worrying. It was also discussed over the last module that there is nothing really that links my images together, other than they are challenging to test the viewer.

I feel like I need to have a brainstorming session to clarify what it is that I want to achieve with my work.

With regards to the module materials I think it was important to carry out the Let’s Talk Business activity as I used this as part of trying to clarify what I want to do.

This is the response to my challenge below.

Kirsty Logan Photography.

Mission Statement

The aim of my photography is to represent myself ethically and responsibly. Showing respect to the subjects that I am working with but also to anyone else I am working with.

I would like to explore the different ways that individuals can see the same image and what effects this such as the abstraction of using black and white filters can have on the way an image is seen. The plan is to do this using macro/micro photography.

The Product

The product will be a series of images put together in a small exhibition and/or photobook.

It will also include summaries of the different responses of what the images were thought to be, also a revelation of what the image is.

The images will explore the effects of macro/micro photography and the use of a black and white filter can influence the identification of an object.

The Market

The Market for my work would be those interested in micro/macro photography but also those who are interested in either black and white or abstract images.

My audience will begin with social media and then attempt to reach out into a more physical audience.

I read The Optimist article by Olivier Laurent this week – I was inspired by this article and it did remind me that there are choices outside of photography but also while it is a highly competitive occupation there is also compassion.

This week I also signed up for a macro photography course recommended by the RPS and carried out by Amersham Studios. I hope that this will help my should I carry on with this route.

Whilst on the RPS website I looked through the galleries focussing on macro and I was really inspired by the images and have included some links/images below:

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http://www.rps.org/technical/gallery/photo-detail?a={C0A864D6-0E24-489E-91DD-62F80E959B38} 

http://www.rps.org/technical/gallery/photo-detail?a={F8F70D07-0ABD-45C0-AA1D-75140634423B}

Sustainable Prospects: Week 1 Reflection W/C 22nd September 2017

This week was a really interesting week. I attended the Side Photographic Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Side Photographic Gallery Brochure

I really enjoyed the black and white images by Bruce Rae, they captured feeling and emotion in them. Some of the images showed lovely textures left on the metal by the metal workers. Along with the stills there was a film featuring more stills and there was one that was described as a bulbous bow of a ship and it really appealed to be as the shape and texture in the image will also be hugely important in my project too. Sadly this image is only on the film and not available in other formats yet.

This was not only a really interesting experience through looking at the work of professional photographers and appreciating their talent but it also allowed me to meet a lady called Gailen.

Gailen is a Teacher of Photography and also a volunteer at the gallery. I was able to discuss with her the possibility of having my final major project exhibition at the gallery, but she also gave me the contact details of the Head Curator at the gallery. I was also pointed in the direction of the Bridge Project, who loan out dark room facilities ans also the possibility of being able to use the facilities at Newcastle College. I spent approximately half an hour with Gailen but it was extremely beneficial.

This was also the start of the new module, this was not only hugely exciting but also enlightening and inspiring. The chapter from Beyond the Lens I found extremely useful. Encouraging to make the most of the opportunities that we have as students. It was also really positive to have our first tutorial with Krishna. There were some extremely valuable experiences discussed in the session and it was interesting to see what everyone had been doing over the break.

I also made contact with a photographer who seemed really interested in doing a session with me , working on product photography which I feel will be beneficial in helping me to set up my macro shots. I have set up and appointment to speak with them next week, this could be a really interesting and valuable experience.

I still feel that I need to become organised in the way that I work. I have 3 weeks of working away coming up, which will prove a little but challenging especially trying to combine this with my project work.

Reflection W/C 15th September

This week has been the eager anticipation of the new module release!

I have put some serious work into getting organised and putting time into planning some photo shoots and some editing time to enable me to improve on the last module.

One of the points that came up in my feedback is the interdisciplinary aspects of photography and this is something that I have been considering this week.

Interdisciplinary:

“relating to more than one branch of knowledge”

Interdisciplinarity:

“the quality or fact of involving or drawing on two or more branches of knowledge”

This means that the sources or research should perhaps be extended out

• Colour/Art/Seeing
• Ways of seeing/Art/Science/Psychology
• Light (as this will affect colour and how things are seen)/Art/Science

All of the above points fit in with the books that I have been reading my Ernst Gombrich. One of the points that I have pulled out from The Image and The Eye was “the artist ‘teaches us to see'” (Gombrich, Pg.27, 1994). This entwines the art and the science but it also brought to the attention that it was relevant to my project work. I don’t want to teach a person what to see, but I do want to know what they can see and then to tell them what they are seeing.

I have also read a book called Vision and Art: the Biology of Seeing by Margaret Livingstone. This book explained how colour can be seen by individuals differently – (In my WIP on the last module I included colour images). If colour is seen differently I wonder whether I should give every one a level playing field and stick with only the black and white images from my selection.

Having a broader breadth of information to work from can only be beneficial in some ways but I also want to be clear about my aims.

The feedback was also beneficial in having me think about how I want to display my work and I have been planning in the time to work on my photography website and looking at how I can develop it to be more fruitful.

Reflection W/C 8th September

This week I am on holiday – I took the decision not to bring my camera to see if it would reinvigorate me creatively.

I did have my camera-phone with me just in case I was inspired, which was lucky as I was although not project related way. I think I got a little bit of love back for the craft and I am now really looking forward to the start of the next module, and the grades have now been confirmed so I have passed and can move on.

I also  heard back from the photographer who offers mentoring services – I responded with examples of my work and a brief description of what I would be looking for, and I have put in the diary to chase this up in another couple of weeks to see if I hear anything back.

So far it doesn’t feel like I am being very successful on the gaining experience/knowledge front. I think I may need to try a different approach and see what happens from there.

Reflection W/C 1st September

This week has been a little discombobulated! Due to illness I have not been able to focus on my work.

The preliminary results for the Positions and Practice module came through which was a relief in many ways. Although they still need to be externally verified, it means that I have cleared the first hurdle of the journey.

I have begun to question the choice of major project subject. Although the feedback received has been  really useful and I should perhaps give this all time to sink in before making any major decisions.

I am looking to do  a journey covering food to see what kind of macro shots I can get from this it will also give me the opportunity to work with some of the new equipment that I have purchased to see what effects can be achieved.

I am also feeling a little creatively lost at the moment. I have also planned to increase my academic basis particularly in terms of Critical Thinking before getting to the Informing Contexts module – I have an introductory book to read and hope this will assist me in bringing more academic grounding to my work. This should also help me in my major project work.

I read an article on the Craftsy website by a photographer called Ashley Rodriguez called “Get Up Close with Food with Macro Food Photography Tips” I think this is a good start to the beginning of the Food photography journey. The photographs that Ashley used captured some really nice colours and textures. My favourite was of some garlic cloves where it was not immediately identifiable as such – which makes sense when thinking about my project subject matter.

Image by Ashley Rodriguez

 

References:

• https://www.craftsy.com/blog/2015/05/macro-food-photography/ 

Reflection W/C 25th August

This week has been an interesting week and an enjoyable one at the same time.

I attended my local nature reserve and spent a few hours with a group of very experienced Wildlife Photographers. This was a really interesting exercise and more importantly very beneficial. Not only was I able to shadow and watch what they were doing and how they did it, but it was really helpful talking through techniques and tips and listening to the advice that they were giving me.

Whilst this is not the genre of what I am preparing to do for my major project it was really great to get out of my comfort zone and have an experience different to what i have been so heavily focused on in the last few months. It also reminded me that not every shot is going to be the shot and it may take some time to assimilate all of the images that I deem of a high enough standard.

I did take a couple of images staying true to my photographic style.

I have been carrying out google searches as I’d like to include some images of the natural world in one of my journeys, bearing in mind it was made clear to me on the last module to make sure there is a meaning and a thread tying my images together. With this I tried to keep in mind the type of images that could be made into collections.

This week I have also caught up with the reading from Week 12 – Professional Photography; the global landscape explained (The Power of the Personal Project) by Grant Scott.

This was a really great read and I took so much from it, things that I have never considered before, particularly on the section regarding publishing and exhibiting as the areas covered were what i had in mind for my project.

Positions and Practice Week 13 Reflection W/C 18th August

Welcome to Sustainable Prospects!

So close to handing in the assignment the welcome to the next module was both exciting and nerve-wracking.

I worked through the pieces from this week and was even more excited by watching the video.

This week I contacted a photographer I have been following for a while (19/08/2017) who has inspired me for a number of years. He is also a teacher holding workshops and offers a mentoring service. I thought that this would be a really good route, I am waiting to hear back, but hope to have an update in the coming weeks.

I have also brainstormed some other photographers that I have contact with on Instagram and will consider contacting them for assistant work and using the social media route to see if it is any more effective. I find Instagram to be a useful tool for looking at the photographs of other people. Not only do I find it inspiring but I also makes you feel like you are part of a community through the use of hashtags

This week I have also been considering the journeys that I have been wanting to try out for my final major project:

1. My Office – My Work Day
2. Inside the Flowers
3. Chris’s Day.

I was considering looking at food, as we all eat! I thought the textures of different food might be interesting to explore. Perhaps as this is the case food should be included as part of my say and shouldn’t just be limited to my work day.