When I started my A level in photography, it was always my intention to continue to degree level and hopefully develop a career within photography. I was aware that photography takes many forms and I hoped that over time I would show an aptitude in one genre or another.
Before we even picked up a camera, we were presented with the history of photography, exploring each genre with examples from the masters. For me, it was social documentary that drew me like a magnet. It isn't difficult to see why. Here we have photography in its most noble form, a genre that can expose suffering and exploitation and ultimately, has the power to evoke change. It is little wonder that Trinity are inundated with requests from students (see my previous blog), as the most obvious example of human suffering in the UK would be the homeless.
People often ask what I hope to do with my degree when I leave University, and my answer is never my ultimate ambition, social documentary. I find myself reluctant to say the words aloud, as it seem an unrealistic dream. After all, most people assume that I am going to do wedding photography. To be honest, if I do manage to earn a living (by photography of any means) it will be to fund my pursuits in the social documentary field.
Social documentary is something that takes time and money to do well. I know that my own efforts will have to start small, and might actually never progress further than that. If my fellow students and I were to have a reality check, many of us will never see our work published. Photography is a market saturated with both professionals and amateurs. To my mind, your best chance of success is if you are shooting something you love, something you believe in. What I am just getting my head around is that it isn't enough to produce an accomplished image, it has to have other elements as well. We are told that we should be thinking of fresh, exciting, contemporary ways of seeing, but I can't see that this can be applied to all aspects of social documentary. How can you give a contemporary feel to famine stricken Africa? Perhaps it is something we need to find an answer to in a world where phrases such as "compassion fatigue" exist. I have heard it said that social documentary has had its day, and I suppose it is true that we are now more aware of what is going on in the world, that there are now other mediums with perhaps even greater power to expose suffering and exploitation. For me though, photography will always have the edge, you can't turn it off, it has a physical, personal presence.
When you consider the above , a career in social documentary seems more unlikely than ever! By my next blog I will hopefully have received Image Makers, Image Takers, providing an insight into those that have succeeded in this elite genre.
Friday 23 March 2012
Friday 16 March 2012
Trinity Winchester
What a difference a day can make! Only yesterday I was feeling like a dinosaur and today I realise that age can be a benefit after all!
I am on the onset of starting my second semester project and I have never been so excited or had such high expectations. As I have stated before, my genre of choice is social documentary, and has been since I was first introduced to the "pinnacle of photography" during my A Level. Two years ago I naively wanted my first assignment to be a huge issue based project, looking at the "invisible" members of our society, those we pretend not to see. My intended list included the elderly, obese, disabled and the homeless. I was told that this would not be allowed, for reasons of exploitation, safety and my own novice skills! The thought of exploiting a vulnerable person, of taking an image for my own benefit, was reason enough for me to steer clear of such a sensitive issue. Instead I tacked other, smaller topics, more personally relevant.
My ongoing studio project is looking at the current economic climate through still life. I have long felt that our society's obsession with possessions would lead to disaster, and believe we are now paying the price for satisfying our ambition to own all we desire through mounting credit. We all claim to be feeling "the pinch" to a greater or lesser extent. Cuts to child tax credits and child benefit for example, have affected both the middle classes and those on benefits. The part of our society that remains largely unaffected are the homeless, for they had little to begin with. I began to combine my aspirations to document the homeless with my thoughts on possessions.
It is this that lead me to contacting Trinity Winchester, a charity that provides practical and emotional support for the homeless and vulnerably housed in Hampshire. It really is a remarkable place. They provide the essentials such as daytime shelter, food, clothing, washing facilities, as well as counselling and learning services, to those we are living on the streets, in hostels, emergency shelters and those whose accommodation issues are precarious. These are people in crisis, people who have lost all that we hold dear.
My intention was to produce a photobook, one page with their own personal stories, the other page an image of their possesions. A reminder to those of us who surround ourselves with the latest gadgets, phones, ipads, 3d televisions, that there are members of society for whom all they own can be carried in a bag. I really didn't expect to be given permission to shoot at the shelter, but I thought it was worth mentioning that I was a mature student and the theme for my project. I was invited in for a meeting, bringing samples of my work and an example of what I wanted to produce. I was told that they get requests by students every week, but she felt that I appeared sensible with a firm idea of what I wanted to achieve. The CEO had been approached and I would be the first student to be given permission to shoot at the shelter. I am reminded once again that with age comes life experiance, and this is fundamental when relating to people. I look at the world differently than I did in my youth, with more compassion and empathy. I am seriously delighted and looking forward to my first visit next Tuesday. I only hope that my abilities are enough to do the subject justice.
I am on the onset of starting my second semester project and I have never been so excited or had such high expectations. As I have stated before, my genre of choice is social documentary, and has been since I was first introduced to the "pinnacle of photography" during my A Level. Two years ago I naively wanted my first assignment to be a huge issue based project, looking at the "invisible" members of our society, those we pretend not to see. My intended list included the elderly, obese, disabled and the homeless. I was told that this would not be allowed, for reasons of exploitation, safety and my own novice skills! The thought of exploiting a vulnerable person, of taking an image for my own benefit, was reason enough for me to steer clear of such a sensitive issue. Instead I tacked other, smaller topics, more personally relevant.
My ongoing studio project is looking at the current economic climate through still life. I have long felt that our society's obsession with possessions would lead to disaster, and believe we are now paying the price for satisfying our ambition to own all we desire through mounting credit. We all claim to be feeling "the pinch" to a greater or lesser extent. Cuts to child tax credits and child benefit for example, have affected both the middle classes and those on benefits. The part of our society that remains largely unaffected are the homeless, for they had little to begin with. I began to combine my aspirations to document the homeless with my thoughts on possessions.
It is this that lead me to contacting Trinity Winchester, a charity that provides practical and emotional support for the homeless and vulnerably housed in Hampshire. It really is a remarkable place. They provide the essentials such as daytime shelter, food, clothing, washing facilities, as well as counselling and learning services, to those we are living on the streets, in hostels, emergency shelters and those whose accommodation issues are precarious. These are people in crisis, people who have lost all that we hold dear.
My intention was to produce a photobook, one page with their own personal stories, the other page an image of their possesions. A reminder to those of us who surround ourselves with the latest gadgets, phones, ipads, 3d televisions, that there are members of society for whom all they own can be carried in a bag. I really didn't expect to be given permission to shoot at the shelter, but I thought it was worth mentioning that I was a mature student and the theme for my project. I was invited in for a meeting, bringing samples of my work and an example of what I wanted to produce. I was told that they get requests by students every week, but she felt that I appeared sensible with a firm idea of what I wanted to achieve. The CEO had been approached and I would be the first student to be given permission to shoot at the shelter. I am reminded once again that with age comes life experiance, and this is fundamental when relating to people. I look at the world differently than I did in my youth, with more compassion and empathy. I am seriously delighted and looking forward to my first visit next Tuesday. I only hope that my abilities are enough to do the subject justice.
Thursday 15 March 2012
Elephant in the Room
Yesterday I attempted my first unsupervised studio shoot and it confirmed my worst fears. To say that I am intimidated by studio is putting it mildly. I have always favoured location shooting but know that I must conquer studio if I want to achieve my ultimate goal of editorial and still life. To date, we have had the expertise of our lecturer to light our images, but I have always suspected that I was not picking up as much as my fellow students. At 42 I am twice the age of the majority of my peers, but it hasn't been something that has worried me unduly. To be honest, having a greater wealth of life experiences to influence and draw upon, has been of huge benefit. I was always aware that my age would not give me the luxury of slowly building up a career and reputation; that to reach my potential I will have to work much harder. The element that I had overlooked was how much slower I would be at grasping technology. I have used computers, internet, etc. all of my working life and I enjoy learning about and using the new developments in technology. In my youth I used to be scornful of my middle aged colleagues who "didn't like change", couldn't see that progression was to be embraced. The position that I now find myself in, is not that I don't want to understand and utilise, but that I am so much slower. I feel that the others have comprehended and moved on while I am still standing still. The frustration is at times overwhelming. I have never been one to suffer fools and now I feel like a fool myself. I like to work hard, at a consistent pace, but find myself hindered by my own inabilities. I am in constant need of the help of others which slows me down to a snails pace! I love using analogue because of how organic the whole process is, but am I kidding myself? Is the real reason because I am in control, that I know what I am doing. I spent a reasonable amount of money on a digital SLR, which a year later, I still have no real idea how to use all its functions. I look at the manual (which is like War and Peace) and I just do not have the enthusiasm of my younger students. The pressure of constant assignments almost seem too great to take the time to stop and learn! Perhaps today is just a bad day, but I wanted to include it in my blog as a reminder of the difficulties and challenges I have faced, faced and hopefully overcome!
Monday 12 March 2012
Life after University
As a first year degree student, trying to earn a living in my chosen field of photography seems a lifetime away. One of our current modules, Professional Development, forces you to imagine the reality of forging a career in this very competitive industry. Unlike the majority of vocational degrees, the competition seems almost endless. You wouldn't consider yourself a nurse without a nursing degree, but just about everyone considers themselves a photographer to one extent or another. People are often surprised that I am doing a degree in photography and I am constantly justifying how I will be spending the next three years "learning how to press a button"!
I am a mature student with a young family, so the sacrifices of study effects the whole family. As a result, I feel under even more pressure to make real use of my degree and make the sacrifices worthwhile. I was interested to see how a recent graduate, with similar personal circumstances, had fared.
Rachael Lowndes, left Surrey University with a First and a prestigious AOP student award, having won the Judges Choice for the above image. It is hard to imagine a better footing from which to launch your career. From our conversations, I found her advice and experience to be really insightful and her area of interest is akin to my own, documentary/editorial. Rachael tells of a "chicken and egg" situation when seeking commissions, "Editors want to see a proven track record before they trust you but without that first job you can't give them proof" Again, documentary takes time and funding to do it well, and securing funding is difficult without an established reputation. It really is a case of perseverance, keeping momentum, and building up a decent and diverse portfolio to show potential clients.
It is vital that you do not become despondent if you don't hear back after the initial contact, remain in touch and keep forwarding on new work. Hopefully your persistence will pay dividends and an editor will be prepared to take a chance on an unknown rather than the tried and tested. It is important to be self motivated and have belief in your own abilities; these pictures editors would not even be opening their doors if Rachael wasn't an interesting and accomplished photographer.
Rachael feels that it is her Almshouse project that differentiates her and has opened doors. This photobook is the end result of a university project on the residents of "The Hospital of the Blessed Trinity" in Guildford. It is an almshouse which provides housing for the elderly with limited means, allowing the residents to "live independently but within a sociable and supportive communal environment". Personally, I am constantly disappointed and ashamed at how our society disregards the elderly. As a result we miss out on the wonderful contribution they still have to make, the life experiences that we know nothing about and will soon be lost forever. I find these images beautifully poetic, providing a real insight into the lives of her subjects. Rachael has captured all elements, the beautiful architecture of the Jacobean Grade 1 Listed building in which they live, compassionate portraits of the residents and still lives of the their surroundings and possessions. It is a wonderful tribute to a slower pace of life, a life winding down. Rachael uses this book as a calling card, another useful tip that I will definitely use if I manage to produce something as effectual as Almshouse.
I wish Rachael every success in her future career. I look forward to seeing her own photobook in the bookshops in the not too distant future!
I am a mature student with a young family, so the sacrifices of study effects the whole family. As a result, I feel under even more pressure to make real use of my degree and make the sacrifices worthwhile. I was interested to see how a recent graduate, with similar personal circumstances, had fared.
Rachael Lowndes, left Surrey University with a First and a prestigious AOP student award, having won the Judges Choice for the above image. It is hard to imagine a better footing from which to launch your career. From our conversations, I found her advice and experience to be really insightful and her area of interest is akin to my own, documentary/editorial. Rachael tells of a "chicken and egg" situation when seeking commissions, "Editors want to see a proven track record before they trust you but without that first job you can't give them proof" Again, documentary takes time and funding to do it well, and securing funding is difficult without an established reputation. It really is a case of perseverance, keeping momentum, and building up a decent and diverse portfolio to show potential clients.
It is vital that you do not become despondent if you don't hear back after the initial contact, remain in touch and keep forwarding on new work. Hopefully your persistence will pay dividends and an editor will be prepared to take a chance on an unknown rather than the tried and tested. It is important to be self motivated and have belief in your own abilities; these pictures editors would not even be opening their doors if Rachael wasn't an interesting and accomplished photographer.
Rachael feels that it is her Almshouse project that differentiates her and has opened doors. This photobook is the end result of a university project on the residents of "The Hospital of the Blessed Trinity" in Guildford. It is an almshouse which provides housing for the elderly with limited means, allowing the residents to "live independently but within a sociable and supportive communal environment". Personally, I am constantly disappointed and ashamed at how our society disregards the elderly. As a result we miss out on the wonderful contribution they still have to make, the life experiences that we know nothing about and will soon be lost forever. I find these images beautifully poetic, providing a real insight into the lives of her subjects. Rachael has captured all elements, the beautiful architecture of the Jacobean Grade 1 Listed building in which they live, compassionate portraits of the residents and still lives of the their surroundings and possessions. It is a wonderful tribute to a slower pace of life, a life winding down. Rachael uses this book as a calling card, another useful tip that I will definitely use if I manage to produce something as effectual as Almshouse.
I wish Rachael every success in her future career. I look forward to seeing her own photobook in the bookshops in the not too distant future!
Monday 5 March 2012
Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year
When I saw the signs for a photography exhibition in Basingstoke I was delighted to find an opportunity to explore photography on my own doorstep, but I have to admit to being slightly disappointed when I discovered that it was wildlife photography. Don't get me wrong, I love animals and nature as much next person, but it wouldn't be my genre of choice. I knew that the exhibition had excellent credentials, co-owned by the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine and sponsored by Veolia Environnement. My visit to the Willis Museum reiterated what I already knew, do not make decisions based on assumptions, you could be missing out on something significant!
I have never attempted wildlife photography myself, not because I find the subject matter uninspiring, but for more practical reasons. I am a student of photography, not the finished article, but a work in progress. Therefore, the thought of photographing an ever moving object who cannot understand art direction, is rather daunting! The other reason is because these are animals that have been photographed hundreds of times by more proficient photographers. How could I find a new angle, a fresh contemporary perspective? If all I was achieving is another, less accomplished representation of the same subject, what would be the purpose?
Many of the images I found at the Willis Museum were what I would expect from such a prestigious competition, creative, magnificent examples of the splendour of nature. As I have neither opportunity nor finances to access many of these animals, they can only inspire me to a point. However, there were two aspects of the exhibition that were very much unexpected.
I imagine wildlife photography to be similar to wildlife documentary with respect to the mindset required to spend hours, even days, waiting for the perfect opportunity. It is a waiting game that would not appeal to all photographers, requiring more than an interest in your subject matter, but a life's pursuit. This was reiterated to me by the first "surprising aspect" of the exhibition, the youth entries. Pictured above is the winning entry from the 10 Years and Under category, "Alien" by Hui Yu Kim from Malaysia. When you see it in the flesh it is absolutely breathtaking, the macro lens revealing every minute detail, tone and texture. To think that this image was taken by a young child, using equipment such as extension tubes, tripod and reflectors, is remarkable. To me it shows that wildlife photographers are somehow born to it, it is not taught but inspired from within.
The other surprise for me was the images taken by Daniel Beltra, winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Wildlife Photojournalist of the Year. The photojournalist award is given for a memorable story told in six images. Beltra's images capture the leaking BP wellhead, Deepwater Horizon, as it leaked 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.
I spent 12 years working in the Marine Reinsurance Market where such environmental disaster were considered only for their financial implications. To have spent years looking at the millions being settled for pollution claims seems somehow removed from the sight I saw before me. I knew that these claims represented a tragedy for the environment, knew that the money was going to counter the terrible effects of such spills, but had only seen it from a facts and figures viewpoint. To visually see the effects is an altogether different experience. The reaction of the chemical dispersants with the oil produced the most amazing colours, almost beautiful. The aerial photographs which show large sections of the ocean alight is truly powerful, illustrating how immense the task ahead will be. When presented with "Still Life In Oil" you are left in no doubt that this is an horrific event that Beltra is capturing, not simply a work of art.
I didn't expect to be able to personally relate to the exhibition, so to have my own perceptions of wildlife photography challenged was both refreshing and a reminder that photography is a journey that I have only just begun. If you have the opportunity to view this exhibition at The Natural History Museum before is finishes on the 11th of March, I would definitely recommend it.
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