Made a start with my subjects

1.3.2011

Well, I've made a start and got two sets of pictures under my belt; an artist friend - Moya, a friend who let me practice on her, 

At work in her studio

But I prefer this one of her full face. My tutor, CliveW, told me when I did the first assignment People Aware, that it was important to show people in their own environment as it gave you an impression of them and their lives. But I prefer this one of Moya,

And the curator of the local museum, Mary, came in early last Sunday so that I could take her picture.  Again, I like this one of her,

Giving me 'the look'

but, bearing in mind my tutor's comments from a previous assignment, will probably use this one in my final portfolio:

1.4.2011: Changed my mind about the Curator picture and have decided to use the one below:

Is it straight?

I'll need to manipulate it as it's heavily influenced by the fluorescenting in the stairwell. Never mind, easily corrected using Photoshop.

Two down, eight to go as I assume you aim for about 8 - 10 subjects and choose the best!

Characters inLyme

Here's a list of the people of Lyme that I have decided to ask if they would allow me to photograph them in their natural environment:

1. Michaela Ellis, Town Mayor (F)
2. Moya Paul, Artist (completed)
3. Mary Godwin,Museum Curator (completed)
4. Valerie Handley, shop assistant (completed)
5. Grahame Forshaw, harbour master (started)
6. Name (?) Best fish and chip shop owner (M)
7. Colin Dawes, Fossil hunter (M)
8. Adrian Grey, Stone Balancer (M)
9. John Marriage, Photographer (M)
10. Name (?) Potter, Town Mill (M)
11. Barbara Austin, local town councillor (F)
12. Michael Wood, Student (started)

Good old iphone!

Where's the phone, better start ringing round?

Trawling for new ideas

8 Feb 2011

I was trawling through OCA student blogs this morning for inspiration and read a student's reading list which included photo mags. I've always liked looking through magazines for new ideas for pictures so followed the link to Photo Pro magazine. Whilst I can't afford to  take out subscriptions or buy the latest offerings, it's always interesting to look at what 'new' photographers are doing. It often seems that young photographers are out to shock and thrill so I was keen to see what Patrick Fraser, a 'new kid on the block' could offer. He's not so new as he a wide portfolio of images on his website. It was fascinating to see his different styles with different age groups and how he managed to extract the idiosyncrasies of individual personalities. As my next assignment (People & Place assignment 5, on assignment) will feature a variety of local characters in the town where I now live, I was very keen to see how he portrayed a wide age range of people showing their individual strengths.

Fired with enthusiasm!

Having appealed for help with regard to a subject for assignment 5, emails have been flying thick and fast between my tutor and me as to how to proceed. CliveW seems to have the bit between his teeth as to subject when I commented on my preferred genre.  Next thing I know is that CliveW suggested I take portraits of local people in their own environments.  Then he developed it further, see below an extract from his last email:

"I think your project is going to be an excellent summation of the course for you and when I woke up this morning, thinking about it, I was reminded of a book a friend of mine did. In it he asked  the people to write their own manifestos and it occurred to me that you could ask your people to write something. Perhaps a paragraph about Lyme; how they came to be there or how they feel about living there.  I think that’s something you could expand into an interesting book project, a picture per page with a small block of subject authored text underneath."
 

Talk about firing me with enthusiasm, I can't wait to get started now and have already fired off 2 emails to 'friends' to get started.  I only hope I can live up to Clive's expectations!

Ideas for Assignment 5

I've been conducting an extensive email conversation ranging far and wide with my tutor, CliveW, about the difficulty of finding a suitable subject for assignment 5. This is where you have to choose your own topic within the confines of the whole people and place theme. Whilst you will have seen from my earlier posts, I thought it would give me extra points to change the location of 'place' in the eyes of my tutor, not so. CliveW suggests that I stay with what I know, ie, Lyme Regis. My only problem with this is that I and what seems like the whole world has photographed the town to death. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find new and original pictures. 

As part of one email I pointed out that my true love is portraiture, and how there is a dearth of opportunities, both formal and informal, in this whole area to continue this genre. I live in a very small cottage which we managed to squeeze into only by dint of shedding 40 years of accumlated detrius to local charity shops, eb** and the local tip. No room for a studio there. Not to be out done, and I admire CliveW for his wide-ranging  ideas, we have come up with the suggestion of photographing local people in their own environment. This means, of course, having the bottle to go up and ask if I can take pictures of those subjects that I feel are interesting enough to include in my portfolio.

Once I sat down to think through who I could approach, the ideas started flowing as there are a goodly number of characters in the town. I include the local harbour master, town mayoress (with or without her consort husband) who works in the local Boots part time, local fishermen, the museum curator, gig rowers, shop owners/assistants, local artists, the list is endless.  Now will come the problem of sorting through and finding the best. I'm quite excited now, better get on with it as the ideas have started flowing!