Introduction
This document details:
a) my approach to assignment 6
b) my assignment images
c) my key learning’s
My
photography practice website can be found here: http://www.warrenjonesphotography.com/
Assignment 6 – Transitions
Produce a series of images that
responds to the idea of ‘transitions’ within the landscape. Work on this
assignment throughout the course. Record the changes that a part of the
landscape undergoes over an extended period of time. You may want to revisit a
very specific view or you may choose to explore a particular part of the
landscape more intuitively.
You may wish to photograph at
very specific intervals (monthly, weekly, or even daily) or your routine may
develop by other means. The quantity of work that you submit will depend on
your particular strategy.When completed, the assignment
should address the notion that the landscape is an evolving, dynamic system.
You may wish to confirm, question or subvert this assertion.Your assignment should be
accompanied with a reflective commentary (minimum 300 words) on how your
project developed and how or whether it has affected your ideas around
landscape.
My Approach to Assignment 6
This assignment was unusual in the fact it was initiated in terms
of planning before other assignments. It initially puzzled me, worried me in
terms of how I get my tripod in exactly the same position including the
mounting of the camera etc for my chosen study. When I reflected on my previous
Level 1 courses I realised how silly this was since it’s the content of the
images and the creative thoughts behind it. My initial thoughts were to select
a picturesque location and take an image from the same position during each of
the four seasons selecting a day within each season that reflected the seasons
expected weather and look.
I suspect I was influenced by the course images for assignment 6
where in reality this idea should be used as a stepping stone to move to another
idea rather than being re-exampled. A Google of other students work for
assignment 6 suggested the “Four Seasons” landscape a popular idea. I decided,
as I have begun to evolve more during the Landscape module, that I should
evolve initial ideas of my own. I think these then contain much more of myself
in the development and the end result and also become something, depending on
your success in meeting the initial visualisation, a finished product that’s more
personal. My back-up set of images were the 4 seasons taken at Symonds Yat, a
local tourist spot. These images were then used for Exercise 5.5 Create a Slideshow:
Purposely my landscape images were taken in
portrait as I wanted to create more depth in the image.
My occupation as an IT consultant requires me
to work away from home in different locations around the UK. As a result I
spend a large amount of time living in hotels, a feeling of being boxed in
within a small room that will never feel like home. During the time of the year
where nights are much darker / working late most evenings I often found myself
going back to my room in dark. Looking out the window of my room during the
dark evenings made my room feel my smaller and my seclusion more exaggerated.
For this set of images I was working at
Heathrow Airport and these set of images are taken from a hotel room I stayed
in which was at the approximate mid-point of the runway. There are 2 runways at
Heathrow and they alternate the landing and take-off from each and the direct
of landing and take-off and landing. It’s surprising how quick the fascination
of these events can quickly wane when witnessed so many times a day, in
contrast to the annual holiday and excitement when at an airport.
The images are taken over the course of months
starting from January. The window of my room was almost the frame for me to
look out of and escape from using my eyes and mind. Reaching my room in later
months as the evenings grew lighter my spirits felt lifted and felt I was no
longer completely constrained within the walls of my room
In my initial research I found the images on this
web-site called “Inside Looking Out” in significant contrast to the non-picturesque
images from my hotel window:
https://www.pinterest.com/carolpie/inside-looking-out/
TUTOR FEEDBACK
Firstly thank your Tutor for the very valuable conversaion and discussion about my assignment, photography in general and the approach to my work. This was very interesting and will help me as I progress going forward. I have amended my personal statement and amended my images. I believe the prints I submitted for printing which were sent direct to my tutor were NOT saved by me in the sRGB colour space. I have had discussion with printers and they have helped me
I have amended my final image below following discussion with my tutor and have now also amended the text accompanying each image as suggested
Assignment Images
Image 1 – 12/1/2016
During Darker nights I feel more isolated and constrained
Image 2 – 16/5/2016
With lighter nights I feel less trapped
Image 3 – 12/7/2016
My mood is much lightened as the nights get lighter
Image 4 – 02/08/2016
As the dark nights approach, my gloom returns
I've amended the commentary associated with each image. I had originally intended to give an explanation about the image but my tutor is right, let the viewer find the narrative with just a small subtle hint from myself
I have also reprinted the images and applied the small subtle text as part of the image
Reflective Commentary
The images were taken using a camera and a gorilla pod and with
the use of a chair back to get the lens as close to the window as possible in
the attempt to eliminate its presence from the final image. A timer was used to
reduce camera shake. I’m rarely in the same room each week but always facing
the airport.
I did experiment with the lighting in the room to best allow the
room size to be visible in the reflected image in the initial images.
Interestingly in my research I found it very difficult to
contextualise my work, there appeared to relatively nothing – no doubt there is
something but not that I could find.
I note almost a year after my images were originally taken there
has been some recent articles around what are called “coffin cubicles”. The
National Geographic last month (7/2017) ran an article by Susan Stacke titled “Life
Inside Hong Kong’s ‘Coffin Cubicles”
I’ve used a few of the images in my assignment to reflect the size
of my room and in contrast to these people I expect my hotel room is a palace.
The window in my room I talk about is somewhat of luxury for the people living
in these rooms who have none.
The person in the space is eating baked beans and I wonder if the
photographer is doing this to example their poverty in both the room they live
in and the food they eat. The photographer Benny Lam must be at the head of the
bed, likely the entrance to the room, further demonstrates the confined space.
In this image Lam gives an alternative view to the size of the
rooms. I wonder in this instance how the picture may have been taken, perhaps
remotely using a gorilla pod or something similar.
I’m pleased that I chose the subject of isolation within a hotel room
as it is something that impacts me a lot. This in turn results in images that
are meaningful to me. I hope that for someone who has experienced working away
from home, short or long term when looking at these images and reading the
introductory and image commentary can relate to the feelings I have tried to
express. However the article I refer to above and the images of the coffin
rooms has put my feelings into perspective and perhaps I should feel privileged
I want I have in comparison.
Landscape Module Reflections
I've enjoyed the landscape module and it’s moved me far away from what I
had originally deemed the genre to be and has opened my mind much more. As a result
I do have a number of plans for some future long term landscape projects which
I will pursue as part of my own photographic practice. I love the word practice
as it’s certainly what I'm doing though it’s scary if you think about this as a
patient at a medical practice.
I'm struggling to be able to fully realise my thoughts in images I
create but I feel the gap may be slightly smaller than when I started and I am
accepting of this. I continue to strive toward
having them meet one day. On the plus side it’s given me so much to think about
and explore outside of this course. That thought actually brings me joy because
whilst as a degree it may give something scholarly in terms of achievement my
actual ambition is to want my photography and my development to continue both
alongside and after when I complete it and this to be a stepping stone to
achieving it.
I think for the first time initially as part of Assignment 5 but
certainly at Assignment 6 I have produced an assignment that feels very
personal and I think for the first time can say I have produced a set of images
that feel part of me or I feel part of them. I don’t think this means I have
finally found my artistic voice but I do think I’m starting to communicate and
this pleases me.
