Photographer Study 2: Martin Parr

This photograph shows a group of people sat on the beach wall. It also shows the children having fun, whilst the adults/ parents are either sat bored (like the woman in the centre) or looking after the younger children (the woman in red playing in the water and the woman in the grey, holding the toddler back).

The genre of the photograph is social repatuage. this is because the image does not show a big event, but the actual happenings at this british beach.

This photograph is made too show the drudgery adults face to take young children too the beach and ensure there well being. It also shows the sacrifice of happiness by the adult to ensure their children have fond memories of the beach.

The purpose of this photograph would be an exhibition piece. This is because he is a photographic artist.
 Elements used in his work include; Rule of thirds and contrasting colours. This helps to make the photograph more interesting because their is no clear focus of the image in the middle/ centre of the image. This may make the viewer more interested in the image overall more interesting and may encourage them subliminally to think of a meaning to the photograph.

Another technique he uses in this his work is juxtaposition, this could have been done to show meaning in his words. This is because the seashore is often associated with happiness and relaxation, whereas the photograph shows the location to be stressful. This is especially true for the adults in this scene as they all look exasperated.  This may cause the viewer to be able to relate to the photograph and may invoke a response within them.

A quote from the artist that inspired me was "As we travel around Britain, I am convinced most of us cannot really appreciate what we are seeing. We take too much for granted, because it is all so familiar." 
This  inspired me because of the truth that rings in this quote. This is because we (as in the majority) only see the beauty in a place that is unfamiliar because it is new whereas with the things we see everyday (a cup of tea for instance) we are desensitised too the beauty and craftsmanship in it.

One critic, Photo critic Colin Jacobson describes Parr as a "gratuitously cruel social critic who has made large amounts of money by sneering at the foibles and pretensions of other people."

This makes me think that the critic prefers more traditional seaside photography. This may be because of the utopian (perfect) image it projects of the british seaside. An alternative reason why Colin Jacobson may not like Martin Parr's work is that we are told that the best place to be in the summer is the beach and the fact that his photography is breaking this and showing it in a dystopian (as being dirty and squaller).

This relates to identity because it (the beach) is a key part of britishness and helps to create a profile of those who live in the United Kingdom. This is because stereotypically the British people are sad and stuck up people who have nothing too look forward to except the yearly trip too the seaside.

The use of Juxtaposition in this photo has inspired me too emulate this but in a more subtle way and with a different theme.  This is because it will help to give my photos a depth and meaning that hopefully will be conveyed to the viewer.

Photographer study 1: Duncan Philpott

An Example of Duncan's Work:







Duncan Philpot is a photographer who specialises in action/adventure photography. His main focus in this in Photojournalism (that is often used editorially or for commercial use).  His work is best known for shooting bike races and other adventurous things as is shown above.

This is an interesting example of Duncan's work because it has a deep depth of perception and it follows the rule of thirds quite well. This is because the focus of the image is not straight in the centre (like a conventional photograph) and this makes it more interesting. Also this image captures movement, without making the image blurry which shows skill as there is only a small time frame in order to get the shot. The furrow that acts as the bike course also acts like leading lines in the photo, which guides the audience too see what you want them to see in a set order, much like a story teller but in an image.

The genre of this photo is Photojournalism and sports photography. This is shown by the bike being slightly out of focus which shows movement.

The purpose of this photograph could be an exhibition piece or a gallery/display piece. This is because he is a photographic artist and the photo generates interest in the audience and is a high quality piece.

The meaning of his work is to show energy and speed in a photo and to make the image aesthetically pleasing and to show the difficulty to do both the photography and the sport he is portraying.

Duncan Philpott Notes From when he came in

Duncan Philpott- Photographer:
Is an action/adventure photographer.
Photographer- Photojournalism, Editorial (magazine/website), commercial (advertisement), Personal (Instagram), Paperwork (from shoots).
Working from the brief- make sure you understand the brief to get what they want (the client).
Location and planning:
Local knowledge, To make it easier to know where to shoot and that makes good photograph.
using google maps, To help see the area without having to go there.
Scouting the light position, To find the different light sources that effect the photo/image.
Shooting schedule, Finding the people to shoot and taking the photos.
Organising the images to make them easier to find after the shot.
Using different lenses to manipulate the background in the photo.
can interpret the brief and don't be scared to stray slightly as it could work out for the best.
Photography life:
Travel, because it can be taken abroad (as part of the brief).
If you are working for multiple companies that they do their own travel budget/ expenses.
You can have many different jobs, that may be annual, if known (about 3 times) you are more likely to get jobs.
Downsides:
You will get hurt (get travel insurance).
No job security
No fixed income,
Long Hours
Downtime:
Paperwork done- Chasing for payment
Writing proposals- for companies to draft job and make own work.
Personal projects- Better understanding of your craft.
Collaboration/Networking- to help get a job, going to events, instagram, talking face-face and blogging.

Minimum Target grade

My Minimum target grade is a Merit

LO1: Feedback

LO1: Photographic Elements

LO1 Photography Genres

Photojournalism:

Photojournalism is photography taken in order to publish for a news story. This is often done for publications used online, on Television or in newspapers.​Examples of photojournalists are;  Ron Haviv, Dorethea Lange and Phillip Jones Griffith.

Social Reportage: This type of photography is also known as documentary photography, it often shows both modern and historical events and is typically done by professionals. It is often used in documentaries.Examples of Social Reportage photographers are;

Portrait:Portrait photography is taken to showcase a person's face. It is often used to depict emotions of a group or individual. This is often done for commercial use or for a specific client.Examples of Portrait Photographers are;

Landscape:Landscape Photography is capturing images of a space (often outside). This is often used to illustrate different environments/landscapes.Examples of Landscape photography are;

Still Life:Still life photography is to take images of inanimate objects, arranged in a certain way. Still life photography is often used in publications and advertisement.Examples of Still Life photographers are;

Night photography:Night photography  is done to take images at night. This can be difficult at the lack of light, which can be combatted by using  artificial light and long exposure times (for the camera). This is often used for online use, advertisement and publications (mainly astronomy).Examples of night Photographers are;

Studio/ Fashion:Studio/ Fashion photography is done to take image of clothing/ other fashionable things in high quality and in excruciating detail. This type of photography is often used online, in magazine publications and most often for advertising.Examples of Studio/ Fashion photographers are;

Street:Street photography is often taken spontaneously and features random people and is not planned out (in terms of where everyone is standing). Street photography doesn't necessarily have to be a street or urban area to fit into this genre. This is often used in art exhibitions or in portfolios

. An example of a Street photographer is Martin Elkort.

Sport: 

Sports photography is taking images of parts of a game of sports. This type of photography often shows action, so it isn't always the clearest image. This type of photography is often seen in sports advertisement and publications (sports flyers).

Examples of Sports photographers are;

LO1 Task 1

Photography: What is it?

To me photography is capturing a moment on film (or in pixels... grrr  modern tech)

 and preserving it into history. This moment could be happy or it could be tragic but no

matter the emotion it is kept for years and treasured for all times.

What constitutes a good photograph?

·           To me, a good photograph has an interesting layout. This is because it makes the viewer

·           think about what they are seeing and the picture may invoke different emotions in each

·           individual.​

·           Also, a good photograph needs to be unique and reflect the interests of the photographer.

·            This is because if the photographer isn't interested in what they are doing, their images seem to be less interesting.​

·           Finally, a good photograph may not have any of the things often described.

·           This is because not all great shots are planned and may just be a rare moment where everything is right and a flawless image is captured.​

   ​

   Character, like a photograph, develops in darkness- Yousuf Karsh