Assignment one - The Non-Familiar
They Said Nothing
The banal and the everyday, we walk past each other never giving acknowledgement, never challenging others. Focused on today's list of to do’s, the here and now. Got to get to work, get the kids to school, pick them up, drop them off, traffic jams, get to work, do the shopping make the dinner, eat, sleep. In a 24/7 world we have no time to look, have we become blind.
They Said Nothing
The banal and the everyday, we walk past each other never giving acknowledgement, never challenging others. Focused on today's list of to do’s, the here and now. Got to get to work, get the kids to school, pick them up, drop them off, traffic jams, get to work, do the shopping make the dinner, eat, sleep. In a 24/7 world we have no time to look, have we become blind.
Thoughts and Research
I am an introvert and this module will test me on global scale. I am happy when I am on the side lines, on the edge of the room, quietly sitting back watching and listening. It takes me a long time to get to know people, I don’t like small talk. I need a purpose, a reason to do something because if there is no real purpose or reason and there is no goal, there is no point. If you are going to do something it is all or nothing.
The idea of stopping a stranger and asking for their photograph fills me with dread, it means making some level of small talks, it means I am not on the side line or the edge of the room, it means I am active, visible, confident and extrovert.
“There is no such thing as a pure ‐ extrovert or a pure introvert. Such a man would be in the lunatic asylum” - Carl Jung
I am I aware that I am capable of extroversion, I work with the general public has a senior healthcare assistant working for the NHS in a clinical setting. I am active, visible, confident, calm, controlled and to a degree extroverted. But in this capacity, there is a purpose, a reason, it must be like this. It has taken 14 years’ experience and to a point the environment fits my introverted needs, often working one to one and in small groups of 3 to 6 people. I know that must sound completely insane.
This module contains not just taking photographs of people unknown to me, assignment 3 is to join/ follow a group which means getting to know them. The obvious route is the path of least resistance, to avoid discomfort and to remain in my comfort zone which is in the shadows. But I want to grow and develop has a photographer and has a person. I realised when I first started this course I needed to actively engage with people and my peers, has a child I never put my hand up, I never answered or asked questions without working on this area it would continue to follow me on this journey.
So I use the forums, the forum live hangouts, all work I produce I put out for online peer critique, I feedback on others work when requested, I have started to attend study visits and have put work up front for face to face, group critique/feedback on two of these visits. Its been difficult and at times terrifying mainly the face to face groups critique because your standing up and talking about your work but certain areas are getting easier. Talking to others and being out there is an important part of working practice and it is something I am very mindful of, so discomfort and practice is in order.
The natural route one approach to the assignment (finding people I didn’t know) was going for a walk around the park which is also part of a nature reserve. The park is a 5-10 minute walk from my house so it falls within my square mile and is an area I have lived in pretty much all of my life, I spent much of my youth kicking about the park.
I decided that I should start off doing something I never do very comfortably, walk around with my camera in my hand for the world to see, so I walked around the park and nature reserve I didn’t ask anyone for their photograph, I just took photos of everything else. When going around the nature reserve I thought about the conservation group, I knew nothing about them and in fact I had never seen them working, I only ever saw traces of them and their work.
I am an introvert and this module will test me on global scale. I am happy when I am on the side lines, on the edge of the room, quietly sitting back watching and listening. It takes me a long time to get to know people, I don’t like small talk. I need a purpose, a reason to do something because if there is no real purpose or reason and there is no goal, there is no point. If you are going to do something it is all or nothing.
The idea of stopping a stranger and asking for their photograph fills me with dread, it means making some level of small talks, it means I am not on the side line or the edge of the room, it means I am active, visible, confident and extrovert.
“There is no such thing as a pure ‐ extrovert or a pure introvert. Such a man would be in the lunatic asylum” - Carl Jung
I am I aware that I am capable of extroversion, I work with the general public has a senior healthcare assistant working for the NHS in a clinical setting. I am active, visible, confident, calm, controlled and to a degree extroverted. But in this capacity, there is a purpose, a reason, it must be like this. It has taken 14 years’ experience and to a point the environment fits my introverted needs, often working one to one and in small groups of 3 to 6 people. I know that must sound completely insane.
This module contains not just taking photographs of people unknown to me, assignment 3 is to join/ follow a group which means getting to know them. The obvious route is the path of least resistance, to avoid discomfort and to remain in my comfort zone which is in the shadows. But I want to grow and develop has a photographer and has a person. I realised when I first started this course I needed to actively engage with people and my peers, has a child I never put my hand up, I never answered or asked questions without working on this area it would continue to follow me on this journey.
So I use the forums, the forum live hangouts, all work I produce I put out for online peer critique, I feedback on others work when requested, I have started to attend study visits and have put work up front for face to face, group critique/feedback on two of these visits. Its been difficult and at times terrifying mainly the face to face groups critique because your standing up and talking about your work but certain areas are getting easier. Talking to others and being out there is an important part of working practice and it is something I am very mindful of, so discomfort and practice is in order.
The natural route one approach to the assignment (finding people I didn’t know) was going for a walk around the park which is also part of a nature reserve. The park is a 5-10 minute walk from my house so it falls within my square mile and is an area I have lived in pretty much all of my life, I spent much of my youth kicking about the park.
I decided that I should start off doing something I never do very comfortably, walk around with my camera in my hand for the world to see, so I walked around the park and nature reserve I didn’t ask anyone for their photograph, I just took photos of everything else. When going around the nature reserve I thought about the conservation group, I knew nothing about them and in fact I had never seen them working, I only ever saw traces of them and their work.
The other thing that struck me was the litter around part of the nature reserve. One area which had be cleared by the group, cut down long grass, bushes, wood and cleaned it up but all the litter was left behind. It seemed odd to invest time and effort in the conservation of this environment only to leave this sun bleached, weathered fading litter. To walk around for an hour with the camera openly welded to my hand wasn’t so bad.
After this walk I realised that I didn’t know anything about conservation group, in fact I didn’t really know anything about my community, maybe I was disengaged, maybe 46 years of familiarity has blinded me to where I really live. Sinfin is in the process of change, both industrial and residential development when did it all happen.
I thought that seeing someone with a camera walking around a park/nature reserve wasn’t necessarily out of place. So I decided to push myself further, I welded the camera to my hand and walked around the estate, on the main road taking photographs of the industrial. It was an eye opener, the scale of it hard to imagine until you walk around it. When did it all happen and where was I, all of a sudden the park and nature reserve seemed to become more important has the development begins to consumes the surrounding area.
I thought that seeing someone with a camera walking around a park/nature reserve wasn’t necessarily out of place. So I decided to push myself further, I welded the camera to my hand and walked around the estate, on the main road taking photographs of the industrial. It was an eye opener, the scale of it hard to imagine until you walk around it. When did it all happen and where was I, all of a sudden the park and nature reserve seemed to become more important has the development begins to consumes the surrounding area.
The place I live was a vast Edgeland, industrial touching residential, existing industrial touching empty space waiting for development touching the park and nature reserve, touching the residential estate. A psychological liminal space I don’t give a shit, I do give a shit, I can’t see and I can see, a time in my life in-between young and old damn I am middle aged. When did this all happen?
The fact that I didn’t know anything about the Conservation group – Friends of Sinfin Moor Park (FOSMP) and didn’t know that much about the industrial and residential development. Maybe it was all out there online and I was ignoring it I started to research.
The more I researched the more I felt disengaged from my community and the place I live, I had hoped it was only me that thought Sinfin was a shit hole, I came across a profile of Sinfin a report looking at the socioeconomic makeup of the community. It was a shock, it seemed it wasn’t just me, it was Sinfin and that maybe my identity conflict wasn’t because I was working class, it was because I am from Sinfin. https://iam1point4.weebly.com/journal/is-it-because-i-am-from-sinfin
The numbers seemed to describe me. In fact the more I looked the more I know nothing, infinity village, infinity park development its size and the impact on the surrounding environment has it consumes the land we have a new incinerator, Sinfin is surrounded by commercial/ industrial sites. The park/ nature reserve is becoming an island.
It seems that natural that I need a purpose and reason to do things that otherwise I would avoid. This conservation group seemed like an opportunity to reengage with the community, to learn about myself, the community, the place I live and to produce photographic work. It seemed to fit the bill.
I decided that need a plan, a proposal some form of direction, I contacted the group explained myself and my idea and we agreed a meeting.
At this stage I hadn’t started approaching strangers asking for their photographs. But I felt that this was a steady progressive learning curve which was gradually getting steeper. I had walked openly with my camera around the park, the estate and now a meeting with the group unknown people. A 10 minute presentation, surely if I can do this, approaching a stranger asking for their photograph must be achievable and no worst than the presentation.
I have kick off the whole unit eyes closed and feet first. Finally had the meeting with the voluntary conservation/ community group, gave a 10 minute talk on what I want to do and why in front of 13 completely strangers and I am definity an outsider. My wife came along for support and to give me feedback on how I fared and I felt I did pretty well, completely nerve racking with a few wobbles in voice and the obvious flushing of skin but I held my own and my wife agreed. The group wasn’t really interested in seeing any photographs but were more focused on my intent, purpose and the benefits it could provide them. I received a very warm welcome, they showed me there photographic records and archive material :smiley: I made a notes of the various jobs and skills people did within the groups, dates on various actives they have and generally observed them and the environment.
I had a idea of what I could potential achieve and I am not so sure, the next 12 months will be very interesting because I don’t know where it is going or what is going to happen. The groups is a very typical church type group or at least my stereotypical idea of one, the dynamics of this committee made me and my wife smile, it is almost like the worlds end. I am not sure if I am out of touch or they are, this group has been running for 10 years, the research I have done over the last few weeks showed there level of involvement within the area, I attend there meeting and the involvement and activity within the area is even more than my research showed. I have had to look hard for this information and they are selling themselves short. They are very passionate about the area and I had to tread carefully, when I said I thought Sinfin was a hole there was almost a sharp intake of breath, it caused a little bit of a stir – this is a local shop :joy: so I had to adjust the tone a little but I explain the reasons why, I held there interest and they became my audience.
Overall I felt welcomed and by the end of the meeting listening to the groups agenda I felt at ease no doubt I will become apart of the group. I was asked back :smile: So if I can stand up in front of 13 people, talk and be the centre of attention, asking for a strangers photograph got to easier :smile:
So I stood on the Park, camera set on a tripod took some test shots of my wife. The park was very quiet and the sun was bright, two problems. I decided that the sun was to much and that I need a space in the shadows there is a path that has trees on both sides. It gave me a more flat and even lighting, but this lowed my chances of seeing anybody approaching and concealed me to a degree.
After 45 minutes and nobody walking by, I decided to call it a day on hanging about.
The fact that I didn’t know anything about the Conservation group – Friends of Sinfin Moor Park (FOSMP) and didn’t know that much about the industrial and residential development. Maybe it was all out there online and I was ignoring it I started to research.
The more I researched the more I felt disengaged from my community and the place I live, I had hoped it was only me that thought Sinfin was a shit hole, I came across a profile of Sinfin a report looking at the socioeconomic makeup of the community. It was a shock, it seemed it wasn’t just me, it was Sinfin and that maybe my identity conflict wasn’t because I was working class, it was because I am from Sinfin. https://iam1point4.weebly.com/journal/is-it-because-i-am-from-sinfin
The numbers seemed to describe me. In fact the more I looked the more I know nothing, infinity village, infinity park development its size and the impact on the surrounding environment has it consumes the land we have a new incinerator, Sinfin is surrounded by commercial/ industrial sites. The park/ nature reserve is becoming an island.
It seems that natural that I need a purpose and reason to do things that otherwise I would avoid. This conservation group seemed like an opportunity to reengage with the community, to learn about myself, the community, the place I live and to produce photographic work. It seemed to fit the bill.
I decided that need a plan, a proposal some form of direction, I contacted the group explained myself and my idea and we agreed a meeting.
At this stage I hadn’t started approaching strangers asking for their photographs. But I felt that this was a steady progressive learning curve which was gradually getting steeper. I had walked openly with my camera around the park, the estate and now a meeting with the group unknown people. A 10 minute presentation, surely if I can do this, approaching a stranger asking for their photograph must be achievable and no worst than the presentation.
I have kick off the whole unit eyes closed and feet first. Finally had the meeting with the voluntary conservation/ community group, gave a 10 minute talk on what I want to do and why in front of 13 completely strangers and I am definity an outsider. My wife came along for support and to give me feedback on how I fared and I felt I did pretty well, completely nerve racking with a few wobbles in voice and the obvious flushing of skin but I held my own and my wife agreed. The group wasn’t really interested in seeing any photographs but were more focused on my intent, purpose and the benefits it could provide them. I received a very warm welcome, they showed me there photographic records and archive material :smiley: I made a notes of the various jobs and skills people did within the groups, dates on various actives they have and generally observed them and the environment.
I had a idea of what I could potential achieve and I am not so sure, the next 12 months will be very interesting because I don’t know where it is going or what is going to happen. The groups is a very typical church type group or at least my stereotypical idea of one, the dynamics of this committee made me and my wife smile, it is almost like the worlds end. I am not sure if I am out of touch or they are, this group has been running for 10 years, the research I have done over the last few weeks showed there level of involvement within the area, I attend there meeting and the involvement and activity within the area is even more than my research showed. I have had to look hard for this information and they are selling themselves short. They are very passionate about the area and I had to tread carefully, when I said I thought Sinfin was a hole there was almost a sharp intake of breath, it caused a little bit of a stir – this is a local shop :joy: so I had to adjust the tone a little but I explain the reasons why, I held there interest and they became my audience.
Overall I felt welcomed and by the end of the meeting listening to the groups agenda I felt at ease no doubt I will become apart of the group. I was asked back :smile: So if I can stand up in front of 13 people, talk and be the centre of attention, asking for a strangers photograph got to easier :smile:
So I stood on the Park, camera set on a tripod took some test shots of my wife. The park was very quiet and the sun was bright, two problems. I decided that the sun was to much and that I need a space in the shadows there is a path that has trees on both sides. It gave me a more flat and even lighting, but this lowed my chances of seeing anybody approaching and concealed me to a degree.
After 45 minutes and nobody walking by, I decided to call it a day on hanging about.
Full Sun
Full Shade
We went to the Parks Café and bumped into John the conservation officer we got talking and he told me about the park, the nature reserve and the area it covers. So much I am unaware of, I still can’t believe that the voluntary group has been running for 10 years. After the initial meeting a few weeks back, I thought about their age, that sense and feeling of the church, of committees it seemed so out of touch. The café/ meeting room even looked like church type community room if that makes any sense and maybe that put people off.
John continued to tell us about the history of the area, but he pointed out an area of the reserve we thought was just waste land left to nature. We parted company and of we went to explore this area it had no paths, there was newly planted trees, a pond and litter. It still makes me smile that this voluntary group are just has blind has me, just in different ways. At the last meeting a litter picking event was going to be organised, when a member exclaimed “but there is no litter, there not going to collect a lot, we all pick the litter up everyday” maybe they do pick litter on a regular basis but much of what I have seen is very old.
John continued to tell us about the history of the area, but he pointed out an area of the reserve we thought was just waste land left to nature. We parted company and of we went to explore this area it had no paths, there was newly planted trees, a pond and litter. It still makes me smile that this voluntary group are just has blind has me, just in different ways. At the last meeting a litter picking event was going to be organised, when a member exclaimed “but there is no litter, there not going to collect a lot, we all pick the litter up everyday” maybe they do pick litter on a regular basis but much of what I have seen is very old.
John
Even though the day wasn't really going to plan, I was always thinking about the composition trying to maintain similar focal lengths, distances from the subject and poses, in order to strengthen the typology of the set, of course I would have had a similar background for John but we had moved. It was all a little deflating.
We finished walking around and ended looping back onto the main road which led us back to the car park. Next to the park is Redwood Juniors, the school I attended many moons ago. Has we got closer, a flash of inspiration and had spotted the bollards, maybe I was going to get my portraits after all.
Final Selection.
Pre-Reflection
Forum feedback
Varied response has always supportive and challenging
It is all very valid.
Tutor Feedback Notes
Next Assignment
Post reflection
I think that positive steps have been made, although approaching people unknown isn’t visually documented it has happened within the background, the presentation to a group of people, speaking to individuals within the group and this is the foundation for the whole unit.
There was a consensus that the litter didn’t really work, this is something that can be easily addressed by removing them. What I could have done in the first instant was to split them and review the two different presentations with the litter and without. This would have helped me in the selection process.
There was a view that maybe it was lacking the presents of people in part or whole and this weakened the work, but people did find the bollards interesting and an alternative approach. This is due to a positive attitude with creative risk and alternative approaches to briefs while accepting that they are subject to failure because the brief has been pushed to far. However the failure is an important process in development of self and working practice.
On the opposite side view that there was a of the lack of people my tutor was engaged by them, and was reading there gaze even though in the knowledge she what they were and that people are programmed to see to a certain way, we look for clues, facial expression ect ect and that this I guess that this is a representation of different children/ people. This was strengthened by the text and that maybe it could be incorporated more directly.
The gaze needs to be considered and how the viewer may interact with or read the work.
I need to find a way to record and collect research on relevant photographers and artist. I think that this will help me later, on not just is this unit but right up to the end of the degree and beyond. Has I begin to find my voice and self, there will be a core of photographers and artist that will be relevant to my own interests, photographic practice and help inform my own work.
I need to pay attention to technical detail – i.e the colour cast that effected the litter. This can be achieved by practice and reading up on this technical element. If I can correctly shoot with the correct white balance but choose to have a colour cast is would be an informed choice that could be clear justify on a technical basis – See I can do it but I used the colour cast because……..
When my tutor asked me how I felt about the work if I remember correctly, I said “Yeah there okay” but maybe that’s because they are mine. Maybe they are too conceptual without context making them weaker. But not all work will work, and this is my growing desire to push hard not just myself but the boundaries of the briefs making them my own.
Not the strongest of starts but it is positive start on which I can build on.
- I have effectively pushed myself out of my comfort zone in approaching the group, which forms the foundation Assignment 3
- The assignment needs to be conceptualised, although I have done research is it not evidenced - if it aint there is hasn't been done.
- I need to research contemporary photography in terms of Edge-lands, environmental portraits, deadpan typological
- It all needs to link into self raised by questions and enquiry
- The assignment is not finished and it just a starting point.
- The consideration to composition and balance of the images is strong - although the white balance shift in the litter images it was decided to leave them alone has it represented movement of time, change from one thing to another.
- It is seems last minute because the written incomplete, think of it has a presentation that happens over time.
- Introversion is a strength but remember not to over think. It does mean a balance not all or nothing, see 7
- Strong willingness to experiment, push the brief and accept it will be prone to failure
Forum feedback
Varied response has always supportive and challenging
- It lacks the people element
- The litter doesn't work it doesn't within the series
- It could be seen has a cop out in terms of taking photographs of people unknown to me
- The bollards could be representative
- What have they see and what would they say?
- Move for improvement
It is all very valid.
Tutor Feedback Notes
- Liked the work
- Likes the way I am writing
- Engaging photos when walking and exploring my area, thinking has I walk, seeing it like a new place
- The litter is not really working within the series but there is a value to them just maybe in a different context/ piece of work. The litter acts like a decoy and shifts the focus away from the bollards
- The viewer makes there own reading of the bollards, what are they thinking, how do they feel. Human nature to read body language and facial expressions the gaze the viewer brings their own baggage
- Liked the short-written work which could be incorporated somehow
- See Wolfgang Tilman and his work which looks at the everyday banal almost alien detached view allowing us to see
- See Eileen Perrier – grace loss of her mother – physical trait – similar people – gap in between teeth
- Portrait Practice shoot engage the subject give space give little direction practice unit it become automatic like driving a car choice of person authentic framing test shoots gaze the reading of the person contact click
- Read Quite - Sue Cain
- Would you Remove the litter and consider text where do they fit if they fit at all
- Write up a little about the bollards
- Consider the portrait element a little more what would I write if they were people
- Consider the gaze
Next Assignment
- Just before email a quick proposal for the assignment - What, Why and How
- Add contact sheets to aid and evidence selection and post edit process
- Submit assignment when it is near completion which allows development of the work
- Focus and Approach
- Set stage and action.
Post reflection
I think that positive steps have been made, although approaching people unknown isn’t visually documented it has happened within the background, the presentation to a group of people, speaking to individuals within the group and this is the foundation for the whole unit.
There was a consensus that the litter didn’t really work, this is something that can be easily addressed by removing them. What I could have done in the first instant was to split them and review the two different presentations with the litter and without. This would have helped me in the selection process.
There was a view that maybe it was lacking the presents of people in part or whole and this weakened the work, but people did find the bollards interesting and an alternative approach. This is due to a positive attitude with creative risk and alternative approaches to briefs while accepting that they are subject to failure because the brief has been pushed to far. However the failure is an important process in development of self and working practice.
On the opposite side view that there was a of the lack of people my tutor was engaged by them, and was reading there gaze even though in the knowledge she what they were and that people are programmed to see to a certain way, we look for clues, facial expression ect ect and that this I guess that this is a representation of different children/ people. This was strengthened by the text and that maybe it could be incorporated more directly.
The gaze needs to be considered and how the viewer may interact with or read the work.
I need to find a way to record and collect research on relevant photographers and artist. I think that this will help me later, on not just is this unit but right up to the end of the degree and beyond. Has I begin to find my voice and self, there will be a core of photographers and artist that will be relevant to my own interests, photographic practice and help inform my own work.
I need to pay attention to technical detail – i.e the colour cast that effected the litter. This can be achieved by practice and reading up on this technical element. If I can correctly shoot with the correct white balance but choose to have a colour cast is would be an informed choice that could be clear justify on a technical basis – See I can do it but I used the colour cast because……..
When my tutor asked me how I felt about the work if I remember correctly, I said “Yeah there okay” but maybe that’s because they are mine. Maybe they are too conceptual without context making them weaker. But not all work will work, and this is my growing desire to push hard not just myself but the boundaries of the briefs making them my own.
Not the strongest of starts but it is positive start on which I can build on.