Evaluation for Blog (LO5)

Upon reflection of my finished Blog I have worked through the proses of creating a photographic exhibition for the Millennium Galleries in Sheffield. I did this by researching other photographers and using this research to inspire my final theme.

During this project I studied Social Reportage photography based on the everyday happenings in a more rural England during the second world war. I chose this subject because this time era holds a real grasp on me and I find this particular era very Interesting. You could say I am stuck in a bit of a time warp.  The interesting aspects of this photography is the variance in image quality at the time (some images I found were very grainy, whereas others were clear and very comparable to images taken with digital photography) and the different light levels that can be seen more clearly in monochrome than if shown in colour.  Another thing I found interesting was the challenge of making a digital photograph look like that taken on an analogue camera.

I recorded the things I did during my research, planning, the results of my shoot and steps I have taken during editing on my blog. During my project I focused on the 'paperwork'/ planning first before going all out and focusing on nothing but the photography and editing before evaluating the final pieces. I did this so I had more time to take more specific shots without feeling overwhelmed by planning.  In my photographs I focused on the models (if there were any) or I focused on trying to capture the emotions in the room I was photographing. Whilst taking the photos I didn't choose specific compositions as I wanted to have a spontaneous shoot, with a more natural feel. I did this because during the time more of my favourite images I saw were/ Looked like they had been a spontaneous shot/  were not rigidly controlled.  I also did this so I had more variance in appearance and more photographs.

I have represented the scene of my photographs as authentically as I could (whilst using a digital camera). I did this by using authentic costumes and authentic furniture when possible. I showed the scene of my photographs as being calm but with a tension there (as was to bee seen during the second world war. I didn't change what was seen in the Images apart from cutting out a date/time stamp that showed in some shots  (unintentionally ) to preserve the vintage/authentic appearance. I altered the appearance of my images with Photoshop to change the coloured image to either monochrome or sepia tint. I did this to give me more control of the image and so I could better mimic the appearance of a analogue image taken in that time. My images are realistic, The changes made on Photoshop allowed me to make the images more realistic to the time I wanted to emulate.

In my research I looked at the following Photographer; Martin Parr, Christina Garcia Rodero and Duncan Philpott. I looked at these photographers because they all showed some form of realism in their photographs. I studied these photographers because they all had an interesting quality that I wanted to imitate in my work. With Martin Parr I wanted to emulate the spontaneous quality/ nature that his work seems to embody but the subject of the photographs, like motorbikes were to modern for the subject I had chosen. Christina Garcia Rodero's work was the most Interesting to me. This is because of her use of monochrome photography that seemed to pick up on the small details of a scene and make them seem more significant. This differs from my photography because she focused mainly on ceremonies in a community whereas I focused on the everyday life and things people did ~(overall her work was the biggest Inspiration to me). Martin Parrs work was interesting because it showed a juxtaposition in his photography that I found Interesting and refreshing (as most other photographers show an idealised world). I was inspired to do this in my work but as I was taking photos in this way I didn't think that the images came out very well so I didn't include them in my final ten.

I didn't use very many photographic techniques in my photo as my work was very spontaneous and I didn't want to have to miss a good shot by overanalysing what techniques I would have to put in a photo, I just went with what I thought looked good.  Many Experiments I tried were unsuccessful, like when I was playing with ISO and shutter speed I was unable to get the affect I desired in my photographs (they were unusable)  so I stuck with using the Auto settings on my camera. The lighting I used during my shoots was purely sunlight and using nets and curtains to control it whilst inside and whilst outside I looked for the right opportunity for a good photo. I used a deep depth of field so that everything was in focus, I did this because I preferred the effect to those images that had a short depth of field.

My final Photography fits the brief of Identity and the ethos of the Millennium Galleries because it shows the past and shows it in a respectful light that allows people to share stories about that era, either personal memories or memories of others they know, this links with the ethos of the Millennium Galleries. My photography fits with the theme of Identity because I think that the images sum up the feeling and emotions that were high during the war and allowed a glimpse into the world of a bygone era. My Intentions for my photographs were to show the peaceful exterior of the world with a slight tension which permeated everything they did in order to keep high spirits in such terrible times and how people had to pull together to survive during the war.

The process of creating a gallery showing using photographs has inspired me to use analogue photography more (as I had originally intended to mix in with digital photography but was unable to get the film in time) because it is more hands on and I like the overall effect of the development process rather than try and replicate it on a computer. 

Things that went well in this project was the authenticity I was able to create in the photos, Thanks to Photoshop and the ability I gave me to manipulate the final appearance of the images (in both sepia tone and in monochrome). If I were to do this again, I would try and take more shots with the models in more precise poses to emulate more photography types that were present in the 1940's. In the future I will try and combine both analogue and digital photography in a way that I had originally envisioned.

Evaluation for final Photos (LO5)

I will be evaluating my final image that follow the theme (as stated in the brief) of Identity. My theme for Identity was my 'Vintage world'. This links with the theme of Identity because it shows the identity of people who both lived during the second world war and those who follow the vintage style/ subculture. I chose to use this theme as apart of social reportage photography, based on the 1940's. My images link with the Identity of the Millennium Gallery as said on their website                 "Our vision is providing inspirational museums and galleries where people can reflect upon the past, question the present and imagine the future.Our mission is to connect with our visitors, share stories about Sheffield and the wider world, and care for the city’s collections", this links with my photographs because it shows the past and allows people to reminisce and tell stories of this time and experiences they may have had or have known people to have during the war.

Whilst taking my photographs, I sought to capture the Identity of everyday people in the 1940's (world war two) and show the models in an everyday but authentic light to what would have been seen in everyday life in more rural England. Whilst selecting my final ten images I looked for the most interesting images with the most meaning behind them. I also looked at which images looked the most authentic to the era, even though they were taken on a digital camera and edited on Adobe Photoshop and the Final thing that I used in selecting my final ten images is that the images looked nice in a relaxed and not overly modelled way. I decided on this to link to the genre Social reportage and to make the audience feel at ease and as if hey can understand what I am trying to capture in my images.

My images incorporate work from other photographers like Martin Parr and Christina Garcia Rodero . My photos incorporate the works of Martin Parr by the simple spontaneous nature of his work (especially when taking photos of motorbikes) and the lack of control of the outcome of the shot. Although I had the ability to take more control of the shots taken and their outcome I decided against it as it would make the models seem more stiff and less natural/ authentic in action. The difference between my images and those of Martin Parr is that his are in colour and based on the modern sports worlds and mine are in monochrome/sepia tint and based on the past.

My images has some similarities to works by Christina Garcia Rodero. This is because of the image being in monochrome and the more traditional vibe that I get from some of her work. My favourite things about her work is the variation of the types of people she photographs and how natural her models/ subjects looked in the photographs. Her photographs Inspired me most out of the two photographers I researched that I am mentioning here

Both photographers have influenced my images by the spontaneous appearance of the shoots and they inspired me to look deeper into the meaning I want to convey in my images and how editing really enhances my photography, no matter how minor the editing may be. By looking at multiple photographers I have been able to stick with my initial theme, whilst altering the appearance slightly to better represent the identity of my chosen era and so the images better follow the brief. I didn't change my theme based on these photographers I studied/ Researched, but I did change the way I looked at the photos and the way I took my own images.

The range of lighting that I used when taking my photographs was dictated/ created solely by the natural sunlight or the changing of blinds/ nets/ curtains to alter the light whilst indoors. Whilst taking photographs outdoors I didn't/ couldn't manipulate the light levels as I took my photos quite spontaneously. I chose the viewpoint of my images to be from an outwards perspective, to try and make the audience feel that they could be apart of that scene shown in the image. I didn't really so any purposeful framing in my photos, except for the one that shows the inside of the wash house. Any other framing you may see in my photographs were simply coincidental.  Neither of my photographers really use other objects in their images as frames to the works.

After taking my photographs I used editing on adobe Photoshop to turn the images to either Monochrome or Sepia Tint. I did this on Photoshop rather than using the camera setting that enabled me to do this because it gave me more control over the final appearance (I could pic out details in images that would more than likely be lost). I dis this editing to emulate those of the era (world war two).  I edited my photos to match the time era to portray everyday life in a more rural England and to show a glimpse of the brief moments of calmness in the country even though war was always imminent and the threat of bombs were a constant worry. The main meaning that I would like to show my audience is the identity of people who lived in the war and the feeling of normality of life for them. I would also like to show the unwavering of the human spirit even when the odds seem to be stacked against them.

Things that went well with my photography is that the majority of my images do look very authentic to the time era and I am very pleased with the way they turned out and I am confident that I can put the underlining meaning of the photographs to my targeted audience (people who enjoy history/ heritage and who enjoy going to art galleries). Originally I planned to use both analogue and digital photography to create my final 10 images to show/ compare one set of Images to another. I was unable to do this as the film I required for my Kodak Instamatic 50 camera was unable to get to me in time to be used in this project. In the future I plan on using the film and camera to take more images in this style and compare them to the digital images I created to see the difference in appearance and quality of the images. If I were to do this again I would try and be more confident in posing/ positioning my models so that I have more control over the shoot although I do like how the final images turned out.

Overall, my final 10 photographs connote the unwavering human spirit and the strength in the doing the tasks of the everyday . My photos denote the everyday happenings and places you would see in the ore rural setting in the 1940's during world war 2.

 

Editing My Final 10 Photographs (LO4)

This shows the process of editing my photographs on Photoshop:

Presenting my Photographs

I will be presenting my Images Digitally by a reel. I chose to do this so that I could show my images in multiple places at one time. This is because the cost to do this is minimal (if at any cost at all because you can get free software) and it can be shown in multiple places at a given time.


I have also considered presenting  my images in a gallery setting (shown via Photoshop).  This is because it enables us to see the work in a professional setting. The Timeframe of doing something like this would be 2-3 Months of showing.  This is practical because It enables me to show my work in an actual paper form and not just digitally. Also it makes the work seem more valuable to would be buyers in an art gallery, thus creating revenue. On the other hand displaying my work in an art gallery would make it less accessible to the wider audience also the cost of presenting the images in this way would be far greater (around £250 for frames alone) whereas the slideshow is free.

                                                                                

The photograph reel (above):

Gallery Image 1 (below):

Gallery Image 2

Edited Photographs (LO4)

Photo Name/Title: Farmer Barnes with a Toy
Date photograph taken: Sunday 20th March 2016
Time of day: Mid-Day

This fits the brief because the main theme for the film was identity and i feel that this image represents the identity of people in the second world war.
Meaning of photo: The older members of a community remember the effects of the 1st world war and are weary of how soon another world war will affect the younger generation.
My intention of this photograph was to show the worry and sadness during the 2nd world war. I chose to use the toy as a symbol of the previous war and a sign of childish hope.
I edited this photograph by simply changing it to black and white/ monochrome.
This image was chosen because although it looks simple at a first glance, when it is looked at more thoroughly, you can find an underlying power.
If I were to improve this image I would have tried to get more of my models face to convey his emotions more clearly.


















Photo Name/Title: ARP Playing the Pianola... Again
Date photograph taken: Sunday 21st February
Time of day: Mid-Day

This fits the brief because the main theme for the film was identity and i feel that this image represents the identity of people in the second world war.
The meaning behind this photograph is that music was used to bring people together and that the pianola was important to peoples lives.
The intentions for this photograph was to show the more musical side to the wartime identity.
I edited this image by turning it to monochrome.
This image was chosen because of the relaxed posture the ARP Warden had whilst playing the pianola.
If I were to do this image again I would try and see how the image would look whilst being taken from a different angle (an over the shoulder shot).


















Photo Name/Title: We need more of Grandmas Ginger Beer.
Date photograph taken: Sunday 20th March 2016
Time of day: Mid-Day

This fits the brief because the main theme was identity and i feel that this image shows identity for the everyday person living in ww2 and the hardships that come with war.
The meaning behind this photo is that people tended to be more self sufficient and made more things at home from scratch.This image is meant to show the work and love used to make something from scratch to consume.
My intentions in this photograph were to show the love and hardships that people endured.
I edited this photo to sepia tint so that it looked older but had more dimension than monochrome.
I chose this image because the unusual bottles and hand written note made this image look sweet and seems to emulate the rose-tinted way that people see this era.
If I were to do this again, i would have more bottles or I would have shown more of what is in the background.





















Photo Name/Title: Its wash day again.
Date photograph taken: Sunday 20th March 2016
Time of day: Mid-Day

This fits the brief because the main theme was identity and i feel that this image shows identity for the everyday person living in ww2 and the hardships that come with war.
The meaning of this photo was to show the drudgery that happens with everyday life and to show that even though there is a war, you have to keep going on.
My intentions for this photograph was to be able to show through the wash house to see what was inside.
I edited this image by changing it to monochrome.
This image was chosen because of the 'Tidy clutter' within the wash house and the door frame shows framing.
If I were to take this photograph again I would make sure the camera was straight and I would show the entire doorframe for maximum impact.
















Photo Name/Title: More tea warden?
Date photograph taken: Sunday 20th March 2016
Time of day: Mid-Day

This fits the brief because the main theme for the photography was identity and i feel that this image represents the identity of people in the second world war.
The meaning of this photo is to show the way people in the war had to work together more to work things out/ to get things done.
My intentions for this photograph is to create a happy feeling within the viewer at the simplicity of the image.
This image was edited my making it monochrome.
This image was chosen because of the simplicity of the initial photograph but the deeper hidden meanings behind the scene is so profound (civility, friendship and responsibility).





















Photo Name/Title: Not another air raid.
Date photograph taken: Sunday 20th March 2016
Time of day: Mid-Day

This fits the brief because the main theme for the film was identity and i feel that this image represents the identity of people in the second world war.
The meaning of this photograph was to show the final warnings for an air raid that had to happen in order to keep people safe without the use of electricity.
My intentions for this image as to show strength of people and the communities built in wartime.
i edited this photograph by changing it to sepia tome.
This image was chosen because of the realism it creates to the viewer.
If I were to do this again I would have made the sepia slightly darker.


















Photo Name/Title: Baby in the gas mask.
Date photograph taken: Sunday 21st February
Time of day: Mid-Day

This fits the brief because the main theme was identity and i feel that this image shows identity for the everyday person living in ww2 and the hardships that come with war.
The meaning behind this photograph is the lengths people went in the war to keep children safe.
I Edited this Image by changing it to sepia tones to make the image look more authentic to the era.
This image was chosen because it has a baby in a gas mask in it and the composition of the image is interesting.
If I were to take this again, I would zoom more into the baby's face in the gas mask.

















Photo Name/Title: Kitchens Just been cleaned.
Date photograph taken: Sunday 20th March 2016
Time of day: Mid-Day

This fits the brief because the main theme was identity and i feel that this image shows identity for the everyday person living in ww2 and the hardships that come with war.
The meaning of this photo was to show the basic kitchen design that was heavily prevalent in this era.
My Intentions for this image was to show the rapid modernisation in kitchens today in comparison to back then.
I edited this image by simply changing it to monochrome
This image was chosen because I felt that this image best showed the Identity of the people in this era.
If I were to take this image again I would zoom into the objects more to give more clarity to the image














Photo Name/Title: More milk to go to the City.
Date photograph taken: Sunday 20th March 2016
Time of day: Mid-Day

This fits the brief because the main theme for the film was identity and i feel that this image represents the identity of people who lived and worked on the farm. It also shows the hardships in the war.
The meaning of this photograph is the massive amounts of extra food and labour required to feed Britain after there was block aid. This shows Milk being taken to the cities from the countryside.
I edited this image by changing half of the image to sepia tint and the other half of the photograph to monochrome to see how it looked.
This image was chosen because of the unusual angle and it looked interesting to me.
If I was to do this again I would include more of the background to give the milk floats more context.


















Photo Name/Title: Sitting in the Parlour.
Date photograph taken: Sunday 20th March 2016
Time of day: Mid-Day

This fits the brief because the main theme for the film was identity and i feel that this image represents the identity of people in the second world war.
My intentions for this image was to show the small amounts of calm that did happen in the war and to show the parlour with someone in it (which was a treat in itself).
I edited this image by changing it to sepia tones.
This image was chosen because of the relaxed but slightly tense pose the model was in, which shows the ill at ease feeling that people had in the war
If I were to take this again I would have asked the model to take off her Lanyard to make the image more realistic to the time.

Bibliography/References

Website for Gallery setting Photoshop work:  http://benedyca.com/photogallery.html on 13th May 2016

Website about pros and cons of Analogue Photography: http://petapixel.com/2015/05/26/film-vs-digital-a-comparison-of-the-advantages-and-disadvantages/
 on 18th December 2015

Analogue vs Digital Photography:  http://photography.about.com/od/filmvsdigital/a/FilmVsDigital.htm on 18th December 2015.

Christina Garcia Rodrego Photo: www.pintrest.co.uk

 Info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristina_Garc%C3%ADa_Rodero on date above

Martin Parr Photo: http://121clicks.com/inspirations/martin-parr-inspiration-from-masters-of-photography on 23rd October 2015

Info: http://www.martinparr.com/ on date above

Duncan Phillpot Photo: http://www.vitalmtb.com/features/Brycelands-Big-Bad-Banger-Bonanza-Photos-of-Ratboy,823?mobile=false on 22nd October 2015

Info: http://duncanphilpott.com/ on date above

images I will be editing

The 10 Images I will be editing are:


1: SUNP0010.JPG

Edits for this photo:
Cutting-To cut out the date/time stamp
Change to monochrome- for historical authenticity











2:SUNP0004.JPG
Edits for this photo:
Change to sepia for a more historical authenticity and change in colour












3:SUMP0022.JPG


Edits for this photo:
Change to monochrome- for a more historical authenticity

4:SUMP0016.JPG


Edits for this photo:
Change to sepia- for a more historical authenticity and more use of colour

5:SUNP0008.JPG


Edits for this photo:
Change to monochrome- for a more historical authenticity

6:SUNP0025.JPG

Edits for this photo:
Change to sepia- for a more historical authenticity and more colour

Rotate the Image to portrait

7:SUNP0005.JPG


Edits for this photo:
Change to sepia- for a more historical authenticity and more colour

8:SUNP0001.JPG

Edits for this photo:
Change to monochrome- for a more historical authenticity

9:SUNP0012.JPG


Edits for this photo:
Change half to sepia- for a more historical authenticity and more colour. Its playful

Crop- Crop out the date/time stamp.

10: SUMP0015.JPG


Edits for this photo:
Change to monochrome- for a more historical authenticity

Rotate image to portrait