Assignment 5 Revisited

Having received my tutor’s report, I’ve found that yet again my submission has fallen well below what was expected. So I’ll take everything on board, even though I find some of the comments a bit over the top – like the Goths’ black dress are pervasive and it would have been better if the grass hadn’t been so neatly mown – and I’ll rework the images or replace them as necessary. I feel that a lot of assumptions have been used in the compilation of the report and comments like ‘it lacks subtlety in image making when a practitioner uses ‘easy filters’ to embellish their work’ is at a minimum offensive. Assuming that I’ve been moving around too much I think is unjustified – I went to various locations, but spent significant times at each, waiting for people to arrive. I wanted to show different aspects of the town as well as the different aspects of the Goths – as per my remit! I’ve been left feeling that I’m not up to standard in this level 1 course, so maybe taking it further isn’t a good idea. I’ll see what the assessment yields before moving on – it could be that I do have some merit, despite what my tutor has inferred.
Some of his suggestions I’ve decided not to use – for instance, creating a monochrome presentation, as I feel that the colourfulness of the Goths is so much a part of the weekend that this should be an aspect which is accentuated rather than muted.
So moving on with the assignment:

Welcome to Whitby

Starting on the West side of town, this couple posed for me with the old town as a backdrop. I saw them on different occasions with a different outfit every day! In this version I’ve used Lightroom to selectively increase the exposure in both the subjects’ faces. In all the previous submission I used a degree of HDR, but have not in the majority of this set.

Family Outing

Moving to the East side, I’ve ignored the bistro in the market square (the clothing was too black) and used this image instead. Here the ladies are parading with their prams which contain ‘reborn’ dolls. Entertaining, but a little disquieting (especially when you see the dolls!) Here we get an inkling of the ‘bizarre’ side to the weekend.

Abbey Steps

I’ve again replaced the image for one which portrays only one aspect of the Goths – here we have the traditional Victorian dress with the background slightly blurred due to the depth of field.

The Reaper at Caedmon’s Cross

This version has no filters applied and the cropping isn’t as tight on the cross.
We see here yet another aspect of the weekend – the darker side of the Goths is coming through here!

Steam Punks among the Gravestones

I’ve lightened the faces in this image as suggested and I agree that it works better. We now see a couple who are out to enjoy their weekend as Steam Punks, both with the Victorian dress and both with their ‘gadgetry’.

Victorian in the Abbey

As suggested, I’ve toned down the blue sky in this image and I agree that this improves the image. Here we get an idea of the wealth of some of the Goths – look at the jet and moonstones in her jewellery and the carefully reproduced Victorian Dress (she was also concealing a Nikon D300s below her skirt). This is a weekend to look forward to all year!

Japanese Goth

I’ve replaced the image here, so there’s no issue with green grass. It still shows the willingness of the majority of visitors to have their pictures taken – they’re here to be seen and show what they have!

Steam Punks Descending the Steps

I’ve removed some of the distracting people in this image, but the railings had to stay. When you consider the height of some of the footwear and the depth of some of the makeup it wouldn’t be possible to use the steps without this protection!

Joker on the Quayside

As suggested, I’ve desaturated the background to a degree and also removed one of the distracting people on the quay. It’s almost impossible to segregate people here – the town is really buzzing for this weekend, so it’s necessary to grab what you can when you can. I was pleased to catch these two as I did.
As an aside, it’s worth noting that a number of the ‘over made up’ people need to be holding hands, as their vision is so compromised, so they need to be guided by their partners. In this case, they really are a very close couple!

Fantasy on Golden Lion Bank

I replaced the original image with this one. It still involved a lot of work with cloning, layer masks and field blur, but now we see the detail in the costumes and more light in his face. Here we see two distinct uses of the latex fetish. It’s an entertaining weekend and almost anything goes!

Steam Punk Warrior on Cliff Street

I’ve used layer masks to brighten the warrior and a plug-in to accentuate his face.
This image shows the lengths that some of the visitors go to for their image. He told me that he made it all himself (and it’s very heavy!)

Taking in the Atmosphere on West Cliff

I’ve removed the whale bones and brightened the ladies’ faces as suggested.
This image shows how to relax after a day or two exploring this year’s creations. Here you can look out over the town and the harbour and just let it wash over you. See you next year!

Assignment 5 – People and place on assignment

The brief:

My assignment here is to produce images to be used in the promotion of the Goth Festival in Whitby. The client is the Whitby Tourist Board who wishes to increase the awareness of the festival.

The images will be used in magazine features advertising the festival with the option of using them digitally on websites. They should show how the visiting Goths and locals interact with each other and the town. Aspects of the festivals could show:

· Visitors enjoying the town’s attractions:

o The Abbey, St Mary’s Church, The 199 steps, Piers and amusements, The Beach, Fish and Chips, Cafés, Restaurants and Pubs etc.

o Many of the town’s shops change their shop windows specifically for the Goths and there are shops dedicated to their interests.

· Events:

o The bizarre bazaar, concerts, impromptu dancing, promenading, etc.

· The Goths themselves, including additional props (hearses, weapons etc.)

It must be remembered that this is to promote the event, so the images must be shown in a positive, interesting way and it’s also got to be about Whitby

Planning:

The event takes place on two weekends each year – one in the spring after Easter and one in the autumn, usually around Halloween. I’ll be using the spring event here and hoping for good weather. If the weather is unsuitable I’ll concentrate on the covered visitor attractions, concerts, restaurants etc., but hopefully I’ll be able to photograph the Goths in the haunts they prefer to be seen – The Churchyard, Abbey and piers are favourites.

I’ve obtained permission from the organizers and by the venue management to allow me to photograph in the Spa complex; including the evening concerts if required (I’ll need tickets for the concerts). I need to approach hoteliers, pubs, cafes and specialist shops for their permission, but this can wait until I have a better idea of the weather.

Information on events can be seen on the Whitby Goth Weekend website (http://www.whitbygothweekend.co.uk/) and the weekend programme booklet is available from various specialist shops (I got mine from Pandemonium), so I have a reasonably good grasp on where to be and when.

As I’ll be primarily taking ‘street’ photographs it’ll be better to restrict myself to one camera and one lens, so the D300 with the 18 – 200 mm lens will be my best option. I’ll also take the Manfrotto tripod as it’s lightweight and quick to erect and use. Using 3 frame bracketing will give me the option of HDR for future treatment if required. I’ll use ISO 200 for the majority of photographs, increasing it if necessary for low light conditions. I’ll download images as soon as I get home and service the camera ready for the next day’s shooting. Downloading through Adobe Lightroom gives an advantage of being able to edit the images as they’re transferred so any below standard images can be deleted immediately.

The main days are Saturday and Sunday when the visitors promenade and visit the Bizarre Bazaar venues, but they start arriving before then. I’ll photograph on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, moving around the town to capture activity in different locations. The Goths aren’t noted for their early rising, so shooting from 11.00 a.m until dusk should suffice if the weather’s fine. If the weather is poor I may have to concentrate around the bazaar during the day and get concert tickets for the Saturday and Sunday evenings (their music doesn’t appeal to me, so hopefully I won’t need this option).

Execution:

The forecast for the weekend gave predominantly dry weather, but quite cold. I started on the Friday talking to one of the organisers and the owner of one of the specialist shops, who assured me that the majority of visitors would be happy with the cold conditions – wearing heavy black clothing is a problem if the weather is warm. They assured me that concert tickets were still available if required, so I set out looking for my subjects.

Friday was fairly quiet, which didn’t bode well. I took around 50 images and made the acquaintance of some of the stalwarts, who agreed to have their photographs taken as the weekend progressed.

On Saturday and Sunday the town was packed. The Goths had arrived in force and other visitors were here for the spectacle. It seemed that I wasn’t going to need concert tickets!

It’s easy to get distracted from the job in hand when there is so much subject material around. I took quite a lot of portrait images for use outside the assignment but kept reminding myself of the brief and returned to it to include areas of the town.

Downloading of the images went to plan with around 1000 photographs taken over the two days. I then used Lightroom’s ranking system to determine the best images to use.

It became obvious that I could present the brief in two ways: using the images of the town, or of the Goths as portrait images. I therefore produced two sets of 12 images in the two styles. After printing them I decided that there was too much variation in the portrait photographs and the images which included the town followed the brief better, so these are the ones I used.

I think it’s worth displaying some of the rejected portrait images, to show how much I’ve learned from this course, so the following three images are examples of them, but don’t form part of the assignment:

Blue Hair at St Mary’s

The coloured hair, piercings and contact lenses are often seen in this style.

Alice in Wonderland

A theme is often used by those who just want to dress up!

Japanese Goth

I think this is an example of how the rapport works and an indication of how much I’ve progressed with my portrait photography. Thanks

Now on to the assignment proper:

Welcome to Whitby

Starting on the West side of town, this couple posed for me with the old town as a backdrop. I saw them on different occasions with a different outfit every day!

Market Square

Moving to the East side, the bistro in the market square is the place to be seen on a sunny day.

The Abbey Steps

Climbing the 199 steps to St Mary’s Church and the Abbey is a must. Evidently it’s more difficult if you’re wearing a corset!

The Reaper at Caedmon’s Cross

At the top of the Abbey steps the church yard hosts many different styles of Goth

Steam Punks among the Gravestones

Enjoying the occasion and always happy to be photographed. These people are a real asset to the town.

Victorian in the Abbey

Authentic Victorian dress and jewellery are enjoyed by followers of this style.

Japanese Goth in the Abbey

This event attracts people from all over the world.

Steam Punks Descending the Steps

It’s easier going down the steps! Just remember that the brolly may be loaded!

Joker on the Quayside

As we cross to the West side again, we come across this pair. Such work goes into the dress – the mod rock on his face took his wife hours to work, for one day’s parading. Every year is a different theme for this couple. They really are a treat!

Fantasy on Golden Lion Bank

The cold weather was much appreciated by this punk. His attire which he designed is made from latex, so it would be most uncomfortable on a hot day.

Steam Punk Warrior on Cliff Street

Wearing leather and home produced body armour and weapons of copper and brass, this warrior was struggling up the hill to the West Cliff.

Taking in the Atmosphere on West Cliff

Back to our starting point and time for a rest and take in the view.

The final twelve images are stored in .tif format for printing high resolution, large format images, also high resolution .jpg images (2.5 – 3.5 Mb) suitable for printing in many publications and also lower resolution .jpg images (1.0 – 1.5 Mb suitable for websites. These are all available for the clients to use as they wish. Printed, mounted prints will be presented with the digital files.

I feel that I met the initial brief, but I did wander from it occasionally. Having given myself the brief, it meant that pulling me back into line was easier.

I was pleasantly surprised by the willingness of almost everyone I asked to have their pictures taken and allowed me to direct where and how they should pose. Getting some rapport with the subjects paid dividends, not only for the posing for the images, but when meeting the same people in different costumes over the weekend, so they opened up even more.

I didn’t take into consideration the amount of climbing and walking involved, so there were times when I had to take a rest. I don’t see how I could do anything to get round this (apart from getting myself fitter) because the subjects were in different places and I wanted to portray different aspects of the town anyway – staying in one place and waiting wasn’t an option.

The choice of equipment was good, but I found that by the last day, I wasn’t using my tripod, so in future I’ll probably only use it at specific locations (Abbey, Churchyard etc.) where I’d be planning HDR images. This would make things much easier in the street. I would have found a flashgun useful in the bazaars too, so maybe it’d be worthwhile setting up a central parking place where I could store and collect equipment as the day progresses.

I think that having contingencies was good and that I didn’t go asking for permission in restaurants / hotels etc. before I needed to. It could have caused later problems if I’d approached landlords and then not used them – I may want to use them in the future.

All in all I think it was a good experience, with favourable weather, pleasant people and good conversation. I’ll be doing it again in October / November!

Learning Evaluation

This final assignment has reinforced the value of pre-planning. This planning incorporates the research, obtaining permissions, practice, selection of equipment / venues and post-production techniques. Looking at the work of others was a valuable exercise. I don’t know if it’d be wise to adopt any one of their styles, but hopefully I’ve been influenced by their pros and cons – this could also be classed as part of the planning.
It’s also shown again the value of interacting with the subjects, talking to them as I took their images and leaving in a positive frame of mind (me and the subjects). A satisfying encounter only improves future ones.
The value of having a brief has been highlighted here too. Having the brief made it easy to pull myself back when I was going astray. It’s OK to go astray to a degree, but having a distinct assignment meant that the photography could be brought back on track while still allowing the collection of additional material.
Printing the final images was a good exercise, meaning that I could become comfortable with the selection and rejecting those that didn’t fit in so well.
So all in all it’s been a worthwhile, very enjoyable and rewarding assignment. One that I’ll try to take forward into the rest of my studies.
After the rework I think the evaluation is still valid. I feel that some of my tutor's comments were unjustified and left me feeling angry and demoralised, but the course has been very worthwhile and I've gained a great deal from it. I still believe in myself!

Books and Websites referenced during this section:

Books:

Caruana, Natasha and Fox, Anna. 2012 – ‘Behind The Image’ 1^st edition. Switzerland, AVA publishing SA. ISBN 978-2-940411-66-5

Howarth, Sophie and McLaren, Stephen. 2010 – ‘Street Photography Now’ 1^st edition. UK, Thames & Hudson Ltd. ISBN 978-0-500-28907-5

Websites:

Magnum Photos

http://www.magnumphotos.com/

[Accessed 15^th April – 15^th May]

Thomas Struth

http://thomasstruth25.com/

[Accessed 16^th April]

Richard Avedon

http://www.richardavedon.com

[Accessed 16^th April]

John Angerson

http://www.johnangerson.com/

[Accessed 18^th April]

People and Place On Assignment

There are no additional exercises or projects in this section. The assignment takes up the whole section.

The assignment seems to reinforce the advantage of having a fixed remit, as in the previous assignment. In planning the assignment, I’ll look again at my library and online, to learn from the work of others. I’m planning to use the Whitby Goth Weekend for this assignment, so I hope to get some pointers in this pre-study.

Starting with Caruana, Natashia and Fox, Anna ‘Behind the Image’ – This is an invaluable book which looks into research in photography. This includes: the planning of the project, including the ‘why’ and ‘what’ of the remit, timing, budget etc.; background research, including where to look for it and its value; Practice as research – how and when to shoot for the best results, post production techniques, editing etc.; Compiling the research – how to store the research (blog, sketchbook / workbook etc.); Research and Practice – testing the research (displaying the prints on pin boards etc. to consider the size, colour etc., considering the audience, modifying plans and then the final production. Many of these points will be used in the planning of the project.

Considering the work of other photographers I looked again at ‘Street Photography Now’ by Sophie Howarth and Stephen McLaren. Photographers that stood out for me in this book are:

In Maciej Dakowicz’s series on Cardiff, where he’s looking at the night life around the bars and clubs, he advocates getting involved with the activities and having a couple of drinks to get into the swing. I’m not too sure about that – how far do you go when there’s binge drinking going on? He’s definitely caught the feel of the place with what can only be grab shots using existing lighting, so maybe he’s right. Maybe I should become a Goth for my assignment!

Andrew Z. Glickman is another photographer who becomes one of the people he’s photographing. By becoming one of them he is able to mingle and capture intimate moments without being intrusive. His series ‘Among Strangers Underground’ is very unified, capturing commuters on the subway – he uses existing lighting and typically half-height portraits to produce this unity in his presentation.

Thierry Girard’s images of China are all considered, well composed photographs. He uses a tripod and carefully frames each image to show the message he wants to transmit. While the ‘grab shot’ style of Dakowicz captures the moment, Girard’s methodical approach produces images with more depth while capturing the reality of a place.

Gus Powell’s series ‘Lunch pictures’ captures intimate, sometimes humorous images. He doesn’t get close to the subjects, just observes and takes the opportunities as they arise. This used to be my way of photographing people, but I’ve learned that it’s better to engage and have some rapport with the subject if it’s a portrait or if the subject needs to be in context with the surroundings. Obviously there’s a place for the ‘voyeuristic’ approach, as is shown in Powell’s images, so maybe it’s a matter of finding a happy medium.

Looking online at the work of others who have been on assignments and on my tutor’s recommendation I looked at Magnum Photos ( http://www.magnumphotos.com/ ). Looking initially at the recent essays for an overview of the photographers and skipping through the political / disaster sets which are obviously news assignments, the following essays stand out for me:

The images taken by Steve McCurry in Ethiopia, where he documented the Kara and Surma tribes, show what can be achieved when photographing for a specific assignment. He successfully captured excellent portrait images while also placed tribesmen, women and children in context with their surroundings and ways of life. This photo essay shows real feeling for the people and their environment.

I particularly like the essay by Alex Majoli’s – ‘Postcards from Milan’ which use a distinct style with a restricted palette of monochrome with subjects taken at night using existing pools of light. Here’s a case where an assignment has resulted in a strong set of unified images, so maybe restricting the equipment / lighting etc. would be useful.

Abbas’s ‘Shadows set in stone’, taken in Jerusalem also uses a restricted palette on monochrome and use of harsh shadows to accentuate the images.

Martin Parr’s essay ‘Liberation Day in Guernsey’ is a well captured documentation of the day’s celebrations, which is a welcome light-hearted relief from some of the other more serious essays. I feel that he hasn’t had the depth of feeling shown by Steve McCurry, so his essay comes across as just a photographic record of the day, rather than a collection which gives a sense of ‘life’ and ‘meaning. Looking further at his work, his collection on ‘London Restaurants’ seems to be quite impersonal – he has a few posed images of the staff, while the rest of the images containing people don’t seem to have any interaction with the photographer. I think I’d prefer to have a more personal approach with my assignment.

His street photography in Barcelona and Thailand / Cambodia shows real life and humour in the images. He’s still distant from the people, but he’s caught the feel of the place and how the people interact with it.

The Netherlands. Helmond. Carnival. Collection is nearer what I’d like to produce, where there’s obviously some interaction between the photographer and the subjects, but generally I’d say that his assignments don’t have enough ‘people contact’ for me. I think that getting physically closer to the subjects gets a better image. There’s got to be some ‘getting to know you’ to get the feel of a person / place.

Looking at the portrait photography of Thomas Struth (http://thomasstruth25.com/) I find his style quite ‘bland’ with the subjects looking straight at the camera with predominantly blank expressions. This is not what I’d like to produce. I’d like to have some ‘life’ in my images.

Richard Avedon’s portraits (http://www.richardavedon.com) display a real artist at work. His subjects look alive and with good contact with the photographer. I’d like to be able to emulate his skills.

I accessed John Angerson’s site (http://www.johnangerson.com/) to see the Jesus Army series. This series shows that the photographer has been accepted by the group he’s working with, resulting in the freedom to catch many personal moments which have produced excellent images for his assignment. Using monochrome works well for this series.

Looking back at these studied photographers I’m still left in a quandary about which style to use, but I’ve decided on some general pointers:

· I don’t propose to use monochrome in my assignment – I’m planning to use the Whitby Goth Weekend. The Goths are so colourful and it would be a shame to lose that aspect of it.

· I also think that in general it’s best to engage with the subjects as much as possible – I think it results in more realistic portrayal of the person, even if the momentary, intimate moments may be lost.

· I’ll set myself a reasonably tight brief and be quite restrictive with my equipment, which seems to be an effective way of obtaining a good end result.

With these in mind I’ll start the planning.

Part 5 - People and place on assignment

Back Garden Blossfeldts

Sorry I couldn’t make the study day – just a too far for me I’m afraid. I have, however, had a look in the back garden and come up with a few possibilities for the challenge. They’ve all used a 150 mm / 2.8 Sigma macro lens:

Here’s a daisy treated with Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 with a red filter and simulating Kodak ISO 32 Panatomix X film. Have you spotted the red spider mite?

I used a 4 x close up filter on the front of the macro and used three frame bracketing for this close-up of a kalanchoe (in the conservatory which is nearly in the back garden). I used HDR to bring out the details.

And finally a close up of an astrantia which really is in the back garden – single frame with tone mapping and increased structure.
Don’t you just love macro?