I have a special interest in the Great Lakes region of Africa especially in Rwanda and the DRC. Unfortunately, I have never been able to travel to either country through what I see as a combination of fear and lack of finances. However, I would love to go one day. However, with growing hostilities in the region that day seems to be getting further away with each passing day.
Marcus Bleasdale on the other hand has spent a lot of time photographing in DRC. In the latest issue of National Geographic which features a selection of his wonderful images he says;
"When I first went to the Congo, I realised that a hundred years after Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, nothing had changed. People were still being exploited, only now it was multinational corporations sucking up all the resources, A report in 2004 said that more than 4 million people had died in what is now called Africa's first world war, and I just couldn't believe that no one was talking about this horrific death toll. That enraged me. At one point I was spending eight months a year photographing this war, and yet only a couple of international reporters were covering it from Kinshasa. So I keep bringing back these images because I want to make people as angry as I am. I want them to know the minerals in our mobile phones or computers or cameras are funding violence. How can we make the horror stop? It begins with a photograph."
This special issue of National Geographic celebrates 125 years of the magazine that has always had a strong photographic history. In the section focusing on photography as 'witness' we find Bleasdale's work.
There is no doubt that Bleasdale has invested a great deal of time getting to know his subject often taking risks to achieve this. The result is a series of intimate images that are beautiful even if the subject matter is not. It opens with a black and white image of a child shovelling dirt in the militia run mine in Watsa. The image has an almost surreal quality to it. In the background we can see several other people busy at work however the focus is on the child. We get to see the world through his eyes and the his world is not a very nice place.
Learning to understand your subject better is key to creating better images. When you have researched and spent time with your subjects then you are able to do them justice and tell their story. This is something I have been reading a lot about recently in David Hurn's book On being a photographer.
As we look further into the feature we are introduced to child soldiers. It is very disturbing to see young children armed to the hilt and schooled in conflict. It is even more disturbing to look at their faces. There is no sign of youth just weariness and pain. These children have become both witness and participants in the most outrageous acts of violence. All of this has a price.
Bleasdale has made great use of colour and black and white in these images. This is very different to some of his earlier work based on the region that I have seen which was in black and white. I wonder why he has opted for the use of colour. It may because his images focus on the landscape that is the resources that are being exploited in DRC. The colourful backgrounds provide a beautiful backdrop for many of his subjects. Or maybe it is because it is something that is really current about the message he is portraying. This is happening now and these images are not from the archives. It is interesting that one of the most colourful images is that of a young baby's funeral.
He has also used a wide angle lens for many of the shots which really make you feel like you are in the frame. This I feel gives a sense of presence the viewer would not have felt otherwise.
In the short video The Price of Precious - Video Interview: Marcus Bleasdale on National Geographic's website, Bleasdale talks about the work he has done in the Congo and the reasons why. He talks about putting the child soldier on people's kitchen table or computer screen. He refers to the anger he feels when shooting these type of images and wanting to share that anger or evoke that anger in his viewers. It is only through the photograph that this anger can be conveyed and then we can all demand change.
What can I bring from Bleasdale's work to my own work? I think the main element would be learning more about my subject. This is something I have already begun to do as can be seen in my last assignment. However, to improve my work I need to work harder on this aspect. I think I can also learn a lot from his use of colour. I still find it hard to determine which medium I would or should use for my projects. My leaning however is towards colour. This is something I can continue to work on.
Bleasdale's photographs can be viewed on the National Geographic website The Price of Precious - Photo Gallery
Showing posts with label Photographers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Photographers. Show all posts
Sunday, 6 October 2013
Sunday, 22 September 2013
Photoparley
I am always on the lookout for interesting websites and I came across this one the other day.
Photoparley was set up in 2011 by OCA tutor Sharon Bothroyd. The website discusses photographic art with a number of photographers both established and upcoming. It is always interesting to discover work by contemporary artists/photographers.
The posts are in interview format which makes them more accessible and interesting to read. It includes interviews with Tom Hunter, David Bate and Nicky Bird.
Many of the articles have been re-published on other webzines reaching a wider international audience.
I will definitely be adding this to my blog list.
Photoparley
https://photoparley.wordpress.com
Photoparley was set up in 2011 by OCA tutor Sharon Bothroyd. The website discusses photographic art with a number of photographers both established and upcoming. It is always interesting to discover work by contemporary artists/photographers.
The posts are in interview format which makes them more accessible and interesting to read. It includes interviews with Tom Hunter, David Bate and Nicky Bird.
Many of the articles have been re-published on other webzines reaching a wider international audience.
I will definitely be adding this to my blog list.
Photoparley
https://photoparley.wordpress.com
Wednesday, 11 September 2013
Brits Abroad: photographing expatriats in their new life
There are over 5 million British people living abroad from places like Australia to Spain. We tend to know little about these people do, what they do, why they went there or indeed how long they've lived there.
Photographer Charlie Clift embarked on a project to photograph expats living on the Mediterranean coast for his series Brits Abroad. All images can be viewed on his website.
Clift says of his work, "Immigrants are so often spoken about in terms of statistics or stereotypes. I want people to understand the variety within a group showing how different each person can be." Instead of looking at how the media stereotypically covers immigration is looking at those immigrants living in Britain Clift wanted to "focus on British people themselves who are immigrants themselves in other countries."
This is interesting especially when looking at the work I did myself on immigration for this course. I wanted to explore the lives my ancestors lived in their destination country too. However, we chose to do it in very different ways.
I like his images. They are very colour as are the characters. We are introduced to people who have retired to Spain, those working in the expat industry, fish and chip shop owners, cleaners, artists and writers. This is a diverse group of people with one thing in common - being British.
I like the way in which he has used the subject's place of work for the portrait settings. It enhances their story and establishes an intimacy between the viewer and subject. It makes you think about the life they left behind. Was the grass actually greener on the other side? Have these people integrated into Spanish life? Or are they simply living a British life abroad in the sun?
I like this work especially when thinking about in relation to place. What does this place mean for the subjects of his pictures? It seems to differ from person to person. Is this home? Or will Britain always be seen as home.
I would like to look at working on a project for the Irish that are moving to Britain today. Apparently, about 400 arrive in Britain every week. It would be interesting to tell their stories.
I'm not sure whether Clift is going to look at other countries where expats are living. It would be interesting to see if the level of integration differs from place to place.
Charlie Clift is a editorial and commercial photographer in London.
Photographer Charlie Clift embarked on a project to photograph expats living on the Mediterranean coast for his series Brits Abroad. All images can be viewed on his website.
Clift says of his work, "Immigrants are so often spoken about in terms of statistics or stereotypes. I want people to understand the variety within a group showing how different each person can be." Instead of looking at how the media stereotypically covers immigration is looking at those immigrants living in Britain Clift wanted to "focus on British people themselves who are immigrants themselves in other countries."
This is interesting especially when looking at the work I did myself on immigration for this course. I wanted to explore the lives my ancestors lived in their destination country too. However, we chose to do it in very different ways.
I like his images. They are very colour as are the characters. We are introduced to people who have retired to Spain, those working in the expat industry, fish and chip shop owners, cleaners, artists and writers. This is a diverse group of people with one thing in common - being British.
I like the way in which he has used the subject's place of work for the portrait settings. It enhances their story and establishes an intimacy between the viewer and subject. It makes you think about the life they left behind. Was the grass actually greener on the other side? Have these people integrated into Spanish life? Or are they simply living a British life abroad in the sun?
I like this work especially when thinking about in relation to place. What does this place mean for the subjects of his pictures? It seems to differ from person to person. Is this home? Or will Britain always be seen as home.
I would like to look at working on a project for the Irish that are moving to Britain today. Apparently, about 400 arrive in Britain every week. It would be interesting to tell their stories.
I'm not sure whether Clift is going to look at other countries where expats are living. It would be interesting to see if the level of integration differs from place to place.
Charlie Clift is a editorial and commercial photographer in London.
Thursday, 27 June 2013
Alex Boyd - In the Irish Wilderness
I recently came across the work of photographer Alex Boyd when I saw one of his images of Dun Briste on the BBC website. Dun Briste is a sea stack near where I lived in Ireland. When I was young I would look at the sea stack every day from the windows at the back of the house so it was interesting to see how he photographed it.
Last summer I spent a few evenings on the edge of the cliff shooting the sea stack and cliffs around there. I'm not very good with heights so I was keen to get a shot and get out of there as soon as possible.
The west of Ireland is a wild wilderness. The sea is rough and the fog and mist ever present. This is something that Boyd has captured in his work. I have found his image of Dun Briste pretty fierce. It shows the strength of the sea - it is a force to be reckoned with.
Boyd uses a plate camera complete with darkroom equipment and chemicals which he carries up hills and through bog to produce this series of work. Very different to my shooting conditions. However, the effects he achieves are quite different - in a good way.
I have found his work on an area that I am familiar with very interesting probably more to do with the familiarity. It is strange how I have never seen Dun Briste the way he chose to shoot it but yet I know instinctively where and what it is. I feel that he has very much captured the mood of the place.
For assignment 5 People and Place I am looking to include an image of the Irish coastline as my opening shot. Boyd's work has given me some food for thought particularly in relation to the way I view the place I lived and what it means to me. It has also made me think about how I want to show it to other people.
Last summer I spent a few evenings on the edge of the cliff shooting the sea stack and cliffs around there. I'm not very good with heights so I was keen to get a shot and get out of there as soon as possible.
Dun Briste
My image from last summer
The west of Ireland is a wild wilderness. The sea is rough and the fog and mist ever present. This is something that Boyd has captured in his work. I have found his image of Dun Briste pretty fierce. It shows the strength of the sea - it is a force to be reckoned with.
Boyd uses a plate camera complete with darkroom equipment and chemicals which he carries up hills and through bog to produce this series of work. Very different to my shooting conditions. However, the effects he achieves are quite different - in a good way.
I have found his work on an area that I am familiar with very interesting probably more to do with the familiarity. It is strange how I have never seen Dun Briste the way he chose to shoot it but yet I know instinctively where and what it is. I feel that he has very much captured the mood of the place.
For assignment 5 People and Place I am looking to include an image of the Irish coastline as my opening shot. Boyd's work has given me some food for thought particularly in relation to the way I view the place I lived and what it means to me. It has also made me think about how I want to show it to other people.
Lewis Hine and his images of child labour
I have come across Lewis Hine before but I found it interesting to see his work at the Print Room at the V&A on a recent study visit.
Hine has been called the father of documentary photography for his work that he did on child labour in the US. He shamed the American public into action with his hard hitting images of children, some as young as 7 or 8, working in the mines and factories across the country. The most striking thing about these images is the size of the children operating the big machines and in relation to mining the sheer number of children working in terrible conditions.
Hine set out to assemble evidence of child labour and present to the public at a time when they had shied about from the fact that it existed in the first place. His images show the truth o the reality of child labour in America.
Hine however also celebrated the life of the labourer in his series of images of workers on the Empire State building. These people were to be celebrated for what they were achieving, for the risks they took to their own safety to complete their work.
I found his work on the immigrants at Ellis Island very interesting especially in relation to the work I am doing for my final assignment of this course. Hine put a human face on the problem of immigration. He also had a connection with the immigrants which we can see in his images.
I think what we see in Hine's work is factual photographs with a human touch. We see the emotional alongside the photograph as a document.
Although Hine's work is very different from what I want to achieve with my assignment I have found it interesting to look at the way in which he has tackled the immigration issue. He is looking at the problem at the time it was happening I am looking back at it which gives two very different viewing perspectives.
Hine has been called the father of documentary photography for his work that he did on child labour in the US. He shamed the American public into action with his hard hitting images of children, some as young as 7 or 8, working in the mines and factories across the country. The most striking thing about these images is the size of the children operating the big machines and in relation to mining the sheer number of children working in terrible conditions.
Hine set out to assemble evidence of child labour and present to the public at a time when they had shied about from the fact that it existed in the first place. His images show the truth o the reality of child labour in America.
Hine however also celebrated the life of the labourer in his series of images of workers on the Empire State building. These people were to be celebrated for what they were achieving, for the risks they took to their own safety to complete their work.
I found his work on the immigrants at Ellis Island very interesting especially in relation to the work I am doing for my final assignment of this course. Hine put a human face on the problem of immigration. He also had a connection with the immigrants which we can see in his images.
I think what we see in Hine's work is factual photographs with a human touch. We see the emotional alongside the photograph as a document.
Although Hine's work is very different from what I want to achieve with my assignment I have found it interesting to look at the way in which he has tackled the immigration issue. He is looking at the problem at the time it was happening I am looking back at it which gives two very different viewing perspectives.
Vivian Maier
The latest book I have added to my collection is Vivian Maier: Street Photographer.
I first came across Maier's work a couple of years ago at the London Street Photography Festival. I attended an exhibition of her work that I hadn't planned to go to and I was glad that I did.
We all love a story about someone who achieves success. Whether that is a rags to riches story or the story of an artist whose work is discovered after their death. The latter is the case for Maier. I think the fact that she didn't work as a commercial photographer or seek gratification before she died gave her a freedom to work unhampered.
Maier appears to make the most of her free time from working as a nanny to shooting the streets where she lived. She captures the vibrancy of the city but also the harsh realities of life in her time. This leads to a variety of exciting and interesting subjects. You have children, businessmen, the rich and poor, beggars and busyness of city life. If these are her subjects then young love, loneliness, drunkeness and childhood innocence are the traits of life she captures.
The book contains an interesting set of images from her work. There is an element of humour in her work. There is also a sadness. The book gives a great insight into how Maier saw the world and what truly stirred her emotionally.
Building the railways
As part of my research for the final assignment of this course, I have been looking at the railways and in particular the people who built them. Little is known about these men and their families who lived in terrible conditions and worked in dangerous situations. We tend to read about them being hard workers, big drinkers and prone to violence. They were feared by the townspeople where they showed up. They were viewed with suspicion. They lived on the edge of society.
Although we have few accounts from the navvies themselves about their life we do have the work of a young photographer SWA Newton. Newton photographed the navvies in their workplace and their homes which were often huts or tents at the side of the road.
In his series of images which are published in Railways and Rural Lie, he provides us with an insight into these people's lives. The images are dark and contrasty. They have a raw and grimy feel to them. You can feel the dirt and grit just looking at them.
Their homes are little more than shacks. Their faces drawn. The young men look like they have aged before their time.
What I would like to take from Newton's images is the starkness and the unsentimental feel they have. They present the viewer with what is in front of the photographer no matter how hard those sights may be to look at.
I also like the darkness in the images. There is a sense of foreboding; a sense of doom.You are left in little doubt about the toughness of the subjects and their strength of character.
Although we have few accounts from the navvies themselves about their life we do have the work of a young photographer SWA Newton. Newton photographed the navvies in their workplace and their homes which were often huts or tents at the side of the road.
In his series of images which are published in Railways and Rural Lie, he provides us with an insight into these people's lives. The images are dark and contrasty. They have a raw and grimy feel to them. You can feel the dirt and grit just looking at them.
Their homes are little more than shacks. Their faces drawn. The young men look like they have aged before their time.
What I would like to take from Newton's images is the starkness and the unsentimental feel they have. They present the viewer with what is in front of the photographer no matter how hard those sights may be to look at.
I also like the darkness in the images. There is a sense of foreboding; a sense of doom.You are left in little doubt about the toughness of the subjects and their strength of character.
Tuesday, 26 March 2013
John Darwell
John Darwell is a photographer that my tutor introduced to me. His work reflects his interest in social and industrial change, concern for the environment and issues relating to the depiction of mental health. I find these very different areas to work on but at times it is possible for their paths to converge. For example mental health problems can stem from unemployment as a result of industrial change.
His work Legacy: Inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is an interesting body of work. He captures the sense of place well and I found that I felt very familiar with the place after viewing the images. I think he works the narrative in an interesting way introducing us to the place and the few people that work there. You feel the sense of loneliness and emptiness but also the sense of urgency of the people who evacuated the area. They were given only 24 hours to leave and Darwell gives us an inside into the frenzy of departure that must have ensued.
It also very clear that this area was a place that people called home. I can feel the dreadfulness in the images of having to leave your home and belongings never to return.
It is interesting in this series how informative the images without people are. We learn so much about a person or people by their environment and their personal belongings. I don't think I truly appreciated that until I started looking at Darwell's work.
In his work focusing on industrial Britain or should I say the end of certain aspects of industrial Britain we see that same hopelessness and despondency in his photographs. The people like in Chernobyl are helpless to the fate that awaits them.
I would go to say that his pictures are not pretty but they inform, they tell us about the people that are in. I have identified this as an area for me to focus on - making my pictures more informative - making them speak.
His images are often bleak and bordering on being dark this is especially true of his black and white images. However even in his colour images the colours are slightly saturated.
I found Darwell's work interesting in relation to my preparation for assignment 4. However, his work focuses on a small area or a specific area whereas mine was on a larger scale and therefore harder to maintain the kind of consistency that are in his images. This is something I would like to work on in the future. This would work well for a project on something like Ridley Road market.
His images can be viewed on his website.
His work Legacy: Inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is an interesting body of work. He captures the sense of place well and I found that I felt very familiar with the place after viewing the images. I think he works the narrative in an interesting way introducing us to the place and the few people that work there. You feel the sense of loneliness and emptiness but also the sense of urgency of the people who evacuated the area. They were given only 24 hours to leave and Darwell gives us an inside into the frenzy of departure that must have ensued.
It also very clear that this area was a place that people called home. I can feel the dreadfulness in the images of having to leave your home and belongings never to return.
It is interesting in this series how informative the images without people are. We learn so much about a person or people by their environment and their personal belongings. I don't think I truly appreciated that until I started looking at Darwell's work.
In his work focusing on industrial Britain or should I say the end of certain aspects of industrial Britain we see that same hopelessness and despondency in his photographs. The people like in Chernobyl are helpless to the fate that awaits them.
I would go to say that his pictures are not pretty but they inform, they tell us about the people that are in. I have identified this as an area for me to focus on - making my pictures more informative - making them speak.
His images are often bleak and bordering on being dark this is especially true of his black and white images. However even in his colour images the colours are slightly saturated.
I found Darwell's work interesting in relation to my preparation for assignment 4. However, his work focuses on a small area or a specific area whereas mine was on a larger scale and therefore harder to maintain the kind of consistency that are in his images. This is something I would like to work on in the future. This would work well for a project on something like Ridley Road market.
His images can be viewed on his website.
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
Richard Billingham - Ray's a laugh
In his photobook Ray's a Laugh, we see a collection of images that document the life of his working class parents. His alcoholic dad is the main protagonist in the series and we are invited into his world in all its glory. I like that Billingham has not produced a sentimental view of his parents and their world like many artists would be inclined to so. Instead we are dragged into the harsh world of life in a council high rise and the devastating social effects of alcohol.
Hi captures the world of restricted horizons where the limitations of Ray's opportunities have a consuming affect on the lives of the family. Their is no self-pity in the series it seems that they as a family have accepted their lot and will fight, swear, argue and drink their days away.
The images are of a snapshot style which makes them very accessible for the viewer even if the content isn't. Gerry Badger in his book The Genius of photography refers to them as a real-life equivalent of the Royle Family. I think that is a very apt comparison. However, unlike the Royle Family this is real life and it is a little disturbing to look at this portrait of modern Britain.
I think what impressed me most about this photobook is the fact that it is a very candid view of the family with little or no emotion of sentiment on behalf of the photographer. This is something I would like to take into my work especially when looking at Hackney and where I come from in Ireland. It is very difficult to leave the sentiment behind and portray what is in front of you when it is so close to you. This is something that Billingham has done exceptionally well.
I also like the snapshot approach. I feel that this is something I would like to explore more in my work perhaps on my forthcoming assignment but also in future projects.
Ray's a Laugh images are being exhibited in the West Midlands and I feel it would be interesting to go if I can.
http://www.thepublic.com/exhibitions/rays-laugh-richard-billingham
Thursday, 7 March 2013
Zed Nelson - Hackney - A tale of two cities
While I was doing some research the other day on the Hackney area I came across this project by Zed Nelson - Hackney - A tale of two cities. He focuses on the area of Hackney which he describes as run down and dilapidated and its close proximity to the wealthy City of London. It is an interesting concept but it is one I feel has been done a lot in relation to other cities.
His images focus a lot on wealth/affluence in one of the poorest boroughs in London. I like his portraits of the colourful people that live there that make Hackney. It is one of the most striking things I found about this place - the colours you see everywhere from the green open spaces to the shop fronts and the many markets in the neighbourhood.
However, he also touches on the levels of crime and gang culture in the borough. His image of a scene of a shooting in Hoxton Street is very real for me. For about a year I used to walk past the takeaway where a young girl was shot on my way to and from work. The street was always pretty quiet bar the odd drunk so this was a huge shock to me.
Touching on gang culture his image of three menacing gang members in front of an expensive house shows both the worst and best sides of Hackney. It is still hard to make sense of the affluence in such a run down and poverty stricken area of London.
I like the way in which he embraced the green areas in Hackney. The river Lea runs through the borough and there you can see some of the ugliest sites but with it some of the most beautiful like in his image of the swan in her nest.
This set of images has given me some food for thought in relation to my next assignment. I like the way in which he shows us Hackney through his eyes. My view of the place will be very different from his but I will set out to explore similar themes like the diversity in the area and the beauty to be found in the ugliness around the place. There is a beauty in the neon signs and bright colours and more importantly the people that live there.
His images focus a lot on wealth/affluence in one of the poorest boroughs in London. I like his portraits of the colourful people that live there that make Hackney. It is one of the most striking things I found about this place - the colours you see everywhere from the green open spaces to the shop fronts and the many markets in the neighbourhood.
However, he also touches on the levels of crime and gang culture in the borough. His image of a scene of a shooting in Hoxton Street is very real for me. For about a year I used to walk past the takeaway where a young girl was shot on my way to and from work. The street was always pretty quiet bar the odd drunk so this was a huge shock to me.
Touching on gang culture his image of three menacing gang members in front of an expensive house shows both the worst and best sides of Hackney. It is still hard to make sense of the affluence in such a run down and poverty stricken area of London.
I like the way in which he embraced the green areas in Hackney. The river Lea runs through the borough and there you can see some of the ugliest sites but with it some of the most beautiful like in his image of the swan in her nest.
This set of images has given me some food for thought in relation to my next assignment. I like the way in which he shows us Hackney through his eyes. My view of the place will be very different from his but I will set out to explore similar themes like the diversity in the area and the beauty to be found in the ugliness around the place. There is a beauty in the neon signs and bright colours and more importantly the people that live there.
Monday, 4 March 2013
Tom Hunter talk in Hackney
A last minute cancellation meant that last Saturday I was able to attend the Tom Hunter talk in Hackney organised by the OCA. After initially been told that all places had been booked I was pretty disappointed as this was one of the more interesting events lined up by OCA this year. I have enjoyed the study visits I have attended but there is something special about listening to a photographer talk about their life and work. I feel that this gives you a more intimate connection with their work which in turn becomes more personal to you. I found this when I went to the David Goldblatt talk last year at the Barbican.
The prospect of Tom's talk appealed to me for a number of reasons. My parents emigrated from Ireland and ended up in Hackney in the 1950s. I have grown up listening to my mother talk fondly about the place where they set up their first home, about the hardships they endured and about a time where you made do and were content with your lot even if it wasn't much. The borough was run down (many parts still are) and it was far from the green hills and countryside they left behind.
A number of years ago I started working for the NHS with my first job based in Hackney. Here I was able to see life in all its glory. I found it fascinating, the diversity in the area, the people that lived there in poverty just a stone's throw from the City with all its wealth and architectural feats. The people that worked there from the nurses to market traders and the streetwalkers to the street sweepers.
I like looking at pictures of places I do not know. However I feel that photographs of places you are familiar with have more of an impact on you as the viewer. I suppose it is a little like photographing places. If you shoot in somewhere you are familiar with your images will be very different to a place you do not know.
I think the first thing that struck me about Hunter was that he was a good storyteller. He went through his life from when he took his first image aged 7 in his parents garden to having his work displayed in the National Gallery. He has an interesting story to tell and this we can see in his work. His life appears to be colourful which glosses over the fact that he lived in one of the most run down places in London. Squatting as he pointed out was and still is frowned upon by many. Usually those that feel hard done by about their tax being used to keep these 'squatters' in the life of luxury. However, it seems that Hunter made the most of his life and the opportunities presented to him.
I think what I found particularly interesting was the insight he provided into his work and where he got his ideas and inspirations. He was heavily influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites and the work of Vermeer. This can be seen in his image Woman reading a possession order from Persons Unknown which was based on and looks like a modern day A girl reading a letter by an open window by Vermeer.
Dorothea Lange and her representation of the poor was something that also played an important influence in the way Hunter set out to portray the poor in Hackney. Although they were poor there is a beauty in their surroundings and in themselves.
As a source of inspiration Hunter bought the Hackney Gazette on a regular basis which provided him with a detailed source of information about what was happening in the borough. He explained that he got this idea from Thomas Hardy who used his local paper to source ideas for his novels. His series of images Living in Hell is based on real events and headlines from the Hackney Gazette and they provide interesting if not disturbing images at times. I particularly find the image of the boy fishing in the river Lee with a dead body floating beside him quite hard hitting.
I think from this talk the idea that images as a form of art and as something that is made became quite clear. This is something that I have been reading a lot about lately in Gerry Badger's book on the history of photography. I have started seeing my work as something that is made over a period of time and not just a day out shooting somewhere. I have found that there is more the creative process than simply taking a picture.
I also found it interesting when Hunter spoke about how he takes images of people, how he goes about asking them and how a simple no is seen not as the end of the conversation but as a starting point for negotiation. This is an area that I feel I need to work on a lot more. I feel I have reached the point where my shyness is hindering my ability to take better shots and this in turn is leading to frustration.
For more information on Tom Hunter and to view his images go to his website.
The prospect of Tom's talk appealed to me for a number of reasons. My parents emigrated from Ireland and ended up in Hackney in the 1950s. I have grown up listening to my mother talk fondly about the place where they set up their first home, about the hardships they endured and about a time where you made do and were content with your lot even if it wasn't much. The borough was run down (many parts still are) and it was far from the green hills and countryside they left behind.
A number of years ago I started working for the NHS with my first job based in Hackney. Here I was able to see life in all its glory. I found it fascinating, the diversity in the area, the people that lived there in poverty just a stone's throw from the City with all its wealth and architectural feats. The people that worked there from the nurses to market traders and the streetwalkers to the street sweepers.
I like looking at pictures of places I do not know. However I feel that photographs of places you are familiar with have more of an impact on you as the viewer. I suppose it is a little like photographing places. If you shoot in somewhere you are familiar with your images will be very different to a place you do not know.
I think the first thing that struck me about Hunter was that he was a good storyteller. He went through his life from when he took his first image aged 7 in his parents garden to having his work displayed in the National Gallery. He has an interesting story to tell and this we can see in his work. His life appears to be colourful which glosses over the fact that he lived in one of the most run down places in London. Squatting as he pointed out was and still is frowned upon by many. Usually those that feel hard done by about their tax being used to keep these 'squatters' in the life of luxury. However, it seems that Hunter made the most of his life and the opportunities presented to him.
I think what I found particularly interesting was the insight he provided into his work and where he got his ideas and inspirations. He was heavily influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites and the work of Vermeer. This can be seen in his image Woman reading a possession order from Persons Unknown which was based on and looks like a modern day A girl reading a letter by an open window by Vermeer.
Dorothea Lange and her representation of the poor was something that also played an important influence in the way Hunter set out to portray the poor in Hackney. Although they were poor there is a beauty in their surroundings and in themselves.
As a source of inspiration Hunter bought the Hackney Gazette on a regular basis which provided him with a detailed source of information about what was happening in the borough. He explained that he got this idea from Thomas Hardy who used his local paper to source ideas for his novels. His series of images Living in Hell is based on real events and headlines from the Hackney Gazette and they provide interesting if not disturbing images at times. I particularly find the image of the boy fishing in the river Lee with a dead body floating beside him quite hard hitting.
I think from this talk the idea that images as a form of art and as something that is made became quite clear. This is something that I have been reading a lot about lately in Gerry Badger's book on the history of photography. I have started seeing my work as something that is made over a period of time and not just a day out shooting somewhere. I have found that there is more the creative process than simply taking a picture.
I also found it interesting when Hunter spoke about how he takes images of people, how he goes about asking them and how a simple no is seen not as the end of the conversation but as a starting point for negotiation. This is an area that I feel I need to work on a lot more. I feel I have reached the point where my shyness is hindering my ability to take better shots and this in turn is leading to frustration.
For more information on Tom Hunter and to view his images go to his website.
Friday, 1 March 2013
Looking at the work of Peter Fraser
I have recently been reflecting on the work I did for assignment 3 and the ways in which this could be improved. My tutor mentioned that I might like to look at the work of Peter Fraser especially in relation to a different look at the relationships people have with places.
Fraser is a contemporary fine art photographer. Colour plays a huge role in his work as it does in that of his peers Martin Parr and Paul Graham. His still lifes are found not constructed. His focus is on what he finds, the matter of the world and the status of 'things'. His subjects range from the ordinary which he elevates to the extraordinary. We see the Welsh countryside its sheds and animals. We see everyday household objects like light bulbs and wires and cardboard boxes.
Fraser comes from an engineering background which may go some way to explaining his obsessive focus on what we would term the unusual subjects that appear in his work. In Material 2002 we see an array of metal types and shapes. It is difficult to make out what some of them are at first, it looks like paint and mercury.
After studying photography Fraser worked alongside William Eggleston in the US and it is clear to see the influence the great master of colour had on him. In the 1980s Fraser was working exclusively in colour when many other photographers were still not convinced of its benefits. Of course the exception to this was Martin Parr and Paul Graham who were both strong advocates for the added qualities colour brings to an image.
A City in the Mind is his most recent body of work which is currently being exhibited at the Tate St Ive's. This is his take on London and it is like no other I have seen. I found this especially interesting as I live and photograph in London a lot. In this body of work we do not see any other usual landmarks or places we would expect to see. Instead we are introduced to the London in Fraser's mind. It is allusive and dark world - one we are not familiar with.
The project was inspired by Marco Polo with Fraser setting out to create an imagined 'city in the mind'. What we get is his poetic vision of the city. Its subjects ranges from antiquated models that resemble artefacts from a museum and we also see rather grand subjects like gold chairs and chandeliers which hint at the wonderful palaces the city is home to.
This use of the things that we often overlook to represent the city is intriguing and opens the door to numerous opportunities. I'm not sure how far I will explore this idea of an imagined city or place but it is worth considering for my assignment 4 submission. Unlike Fraser I am probably not 100% happy to work exclusively in this mode but I do believe that some of this type pf work could add more weight and power to a selection of images which aims to inform about a place.
We can see more of Peter Fraser's work on his website and also a video where he discusses the project in more detail.
Peter Fraser - http://www.peterfraser.net/
Video - http://www.peterfraser.net/?p=490
The project was inspired by Marco Polo with Fraser setting out to create an imagined 'city in the mind'. What we get is his poetic vision of the city. Its subjects ranges from antiquated models that resemble artefacts from a museum and we also see rather grand subjects like gold chairs and chandeliers which hint at the wonderful palaces the city is home to.
This use of the things that we often overlook to represent the city is intriguing and opens the door to numerous opportunities. I'm not sure how far I will explore this idea of an imagined city or place but it is worth considering for my assignment 4 submission. Unlike Fraser I am probably not 100% happy to work exclusively in this mode but I do believe that some of this type pf work could add more weight and power to a selection of images which aims to inform about a place.
We can see more of Peter Fraser's work on his website and also a video where he discusses the project in more detail.
Peter Fraser - http://www.peterfraser.net/
Video - http://www.peterfraser.net/?p=490
Thursday, 7 February 2013
Man Ray
I have recently been looking at the work of Man Ray and Surrealism in photography. I have been reading Gerry Badger's book The Genius of Photography which covers the history of photography. I am finding this a good an enlightening read.
This book has opened my eyes to image manipulation and I feel that this is something I am warming to. A year ago I didn't view manipulation as positively. I suppose once you begin to understand something in greater detail you start to appreciate it more.
I won't go into too much detail about Man Ray in this post as I am going to the National Portrait exhibition shortly and I will cover him in more detail in that post. However, I do find the whole idea of illustrating the imagination - the dream world interesting.
The Man Ray exhibition runs from today to 27 May. The BBC has a piece on their news website today which gives a very brief overview.
This book has opened my eyes to image manipulation and I feel that this is something I am warming to. A year ago I didn't view manipulation as positively. I suppose once you begin to understand something in greater detail you start to appreciate it more.
I won't go into too much detail about Man Ray in this post as I am going to the National Portrait exhibition shortly and I will cover him in more detail in that post. However, I do find the whole idea of illustrating the imagination - the dream world interesting.
The Man Ray exhibition runs from today to 27 May. The BBC has a piece on their news website today which gives a very brief overview.
Thursday, 24 January 2013
Thomas Struth - Museum photographs
As part of my research for assignment 3 where the focus was shooting indoor public spaces in London I set about looking for photographers that have worked have carried out extensive work on indoor spaces.
When I started to think about photographing indoors and public spaces, I recalled a visit I made to the Whitechapel Gallery last year to see the work of German photographer Thomas Struth.
Struth has worked in various interiors from museums to places of worship, space stations to industrial factories. An image of the Pantheon in Rome sticks out in my mind where he plays with the sheer size of the building and the people standing to admire it. I find the rich colours in this image very appealing and the first thing that grabbed my attention.
Although his work involved a level of interaction between the people in his shot and the place they occupy I feel that some of his work is relevant to my assignment on building spaces.
After encountering several unsuccessful attempts to produce photographs with visitors in the Pergamon Museum in the 1990s, he decided to stage the event and in turn a series of photographs in various museum spaces. These include the Pantheon series and are among the very few museum photographs where the position of the people has been completely orchestrated by the photographer.
I'm not sure how I feel about this. When I first saw the image of the Pantheon I found it interesting to look at the people to see what they are doing or looking at. You feel cheated in a way to discover that this is not a natural occurring event by one manipulated my the photographer.
His work extends from this into the world of industrialisation and technology where we see the inside of the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Caneveral. I think his images of factory interiors are amazing and lead us to contemplate the complexity of every day products we may take for granted and the complexity involved in producing them. It also works as a milestone to see how we have evolved.
I have planned to shoot some museums for my assignment and unlike Struth I will not be orchestrating any of them. If given the opportunity of doing so I'm not sure how I would feel about it. However, what I will take from his work is the way in which he illustrate space and its uses.
Thomas Struth
Photographs 1978 - 2010
Whitechapel Gallery exhibition information
When I started to think about photographing indoors and public spaces, I recalled a visit I made to the Whitechapel Gallery last year to see the work of German photographer Thomas Struth.
Struth has worked in various interiors from museums to places of worship, space stations to industrial factories. An image of the Pantheon in Rome sticks out in my mind where he plays with the sheer size of the building and the people standing to admire it. I find the rich colours in this image very appealing and the first thing that grabbed my attention.
Although his work involved a level of interaction between the people in his shot and the place they occupy I feel that some of his work is relevant to my assignment on building spaces.
After encountering several unsuccessful attempts to produce photographs with visitors in the Pergamon Museum in the 1990s, he decided to stage the event and in turn a series of photographs in various museum spaces. These include the Pantheon series and are among the very few museum photographs where the position of the people has been completely orchestrated by the photographer.
I'm not sure how I feel about this. When I first saw the image of the Pantheon I found it interesting to look at the people to see what they are doing or looking at. You feel cheated in a way to discover that this is not a natural occurring event by one manipulated my the photographer.
His work extends from this into the world of industrialisation and technology where we see the inside of the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Caneveral. I think his images of factory interiors are amazing and lead us to contemplate the complexity of every day products we may take for granted and the complexity involved in producing them. It also works as a milestone to see how we have evolved.
I have planned to shoot some museums for my assignment and unlike Struth I will not be orchestrating any of them. If given the opportunity of doing so I'm not sure how I would feel about it. However, what I will take from his work is the way in which he illustrate space and its uses.
Thomas Struth
Photographs 1978 - 2010
Whitechapel Gallery exhibition information
Monday, 21 January 2013
An interesting project - Niall McDiarmid
Niall McDiarmid is a commericial photographer based in London who has worked for various magazines and publishers in the UK and America. About 18 months ago he embarked on a personal long term project which he has called 'Crossing Paths' where he photographs the interesting people he meets as he travels around the UK.
I have read about portrait challenges that photographers have done like 100 portraits in 100 days but they have never really appealed to me. Art is something that cannot be forced in my opinion and quality is far more important than quantity. If I were to undertake a challenge of this sort I feel a high percentage of the portraits would not be very interesting and shot just for shootings sake. However, the sort of project McDiarmid is working on is far more interesting as it focuses on the interesting people he meets rather than shooting everyone he meets.
He has set up a dedicated website for his project and I like the variety in the work that is on display. His has a strong use of colour and at times I find this almost daring as he is not afraid to shoot people with brightly coloured backgrounds as in Chapel Street, Woking where he placed his subject - a vicar - in front of a very bright blue wall. Looking at how I tend to set up my portrait shots this is something I would try to avoid. I suppose I am not very confident in working with such strong colours but I can now see how effective they can be.
His use of bright colours adds a welcoming and almost friendly vibe which makes for candid shots. The subjects display varying degrees of interaction with the photographer and they all look happy being photographed which in turn leads to a more genuine portrait where their personality shines through.
In addition, McDiarmid makes great use of the graphical element available to him like lines, shapes and textures as in the image Marine Road East, Morecambe.
I think what I would like to experiment with after looking at McDiarmuid's work is colour in my portraits whilst also paying attention to the backgrounds more.
Tuesday, 27 November 2012
Street photographer David Gibson
I first came across David Gibson a year or so ago when I went on one of his photowalks in the East End of London. His work is full of dark humour and he has very observant presence on the streets. When I look at his pictures I feel that I have walked past many of his humorous moments and have failed to see. His work has taught me that simply seeing is not enough you have to have the vision to see a story unfold and it is your job as a photographer to convey that scene.
He emphasizes the importance of studying the work of other photographers to improve your work saying that he spends more time looking at pictures as opposed to shooting them. This is good advice and is something that I need to do more of if I am to become a better photographer.
Throughout his work you will see one word juxtapositions and visual puns. After walking the streets for many days over the last few weeks I now truly appreciate how special these moments in his work are. They are hard to come by and you have to be ready when they do. It is now with this in mind I am determined to bring my camera with me whenever I leave the house.
It was through looking at Gibson's work that I felt myself move away more from black and white images and to appreciate the diversity offered by colour. I think people tend to write colour off too easily and I can see from his images that those in colour are as good if not better than black and white.
His work can be seen on his website. I particularly like the series Subtitles for Life and Colour Street.
http://www.gibsonstreet.com/
He emphasizes the importance of studying the work of other photographers to improve your work saying that he spends more time looking at pictures as opposed to shooting them. This is good advice and is something that I need to do more of if I am to become a better photographer.
Throughout his work you will see one word juxtapositions and visual puns. After walking the streets for many days over the last few weeks I now truly appreciate how special these moments in his work are. They are hard to come by and you have to be ready when they do. It is now with this in mind I am determined to bring my camera with me whenever I leave the house.
It was through looking at Gibson's work that I felt myself move away more from black and white images and to appreciate the diversity offered by colour. I think people tend to write colour off too easily and I can see from his images that those in colour are as good if not better than black and white.
His work can be seen on his website. I particularly like the series Subtitles for Life and Colour Street.
http://www.gibsonstreet.com/
Monday, 26 November 2012
Neil Libbert
I visited the National Portrait Gallery recently to see the Taylor Wessing exhibition and I discovered that there was a Neil Libbert exhibition on too. I hadn't come across Libbert before but I am really glad I saw his work.
This solo display of photographs by Neil Libbert celebrates his 55 years as a photojournalist and focuses on key works from 1958-1984.
Libbert was born in Salford and studied art before opening his on studio. He started his working life at the Manchester Guardian moving onto the London version in 1961.
His reputation has been built on his reportage and street photography. He is probably best known for his coverage of the Brixton Riots in 1981 and more recently (for me) the bombing of the Admiral Nelson pub in Soho which won him a World Press Photography award.
He still works on assignments for the Guardian but his work mainly focuses on the performing arts now.
The exhibition consists of a series of black and white images which were in the main taken for the Guardian. The subjects are the rich and famous. The opening image is of Jayne Mansfield and TUC leaders (1959) which appeared on the front of the Guardian newspaper. It was taken at the opening of the TUC congress in Blackpool. The image is almost surreal - we see this beautiful woman surrounded by three unattractive old men. The contrast is stark and kind of makes for uncomfortable viewing.
I particularly like his portraits of George Best, Francis Bacon, Edward Burra and Patrick Lichfield. They are very honest and almost blunt showing the characters as they really are.
He also shot a very glamorous and youthful Helen Mirren.
I like his use of light which can be seen especially in his image of Harold Pinter. I also like the way he captures the person in their environment whatever that may be.
I think looking at Libbert's images have given me some food for thought in relation to how I ask my subjects to pose or not to pose. It is clearly evident in his work how important the environment and surroundings are - it tells a story all by itself. I would like to work this more into my images. I feel at the moment my work is not clear or frank. It lacks a true sense of purpose and I feel working on meaning and narrative more will help me find and show meaning in my work.
A collection of Libbert's images from the exhibition can be viewed on the Guardian website.
This solo display of photographs by Neil Libbert celebrates his 55 years as a photojournalist and focuses on key works from 1958-1984.
Libbert was born in Salford and studied art before opening his on studio. He started his working life at the Manchester Guardian moving onto the London version in 1961.
His reputation has been built on his reportage and street photography. He is probably best known for his coverage of the Brixton Riots in 1981 and more recently (for me) the bombing of the Admiral Nelson pub in Soho which won him a World Press Photography award.
He still works on assignments for the Guardian but his work mainly focuses on the performing arts now.
The exhibition consists of a series of black and white images which were in the main taken for the Guardian. The subjects are the rich and famous. The opening image is of Jayne Mansfield and TUC leaders (1959) which appeared on the front of the Guardian newspaper. It was taken at the opening of the TUC congress in Blackpool. The image is almost surreal - we see this beautiful woman surrounded by three unattractive old men. The contrast is stark and kind of makes for uncomfortable viewing.
I particularly like his portraits of George Best, Francis Bacon, Edward Burra and Patrick Lichfield. They are very honest and almost blunt showing the characters as they really are.
He also shot a very glamorous and youthful Helen Mirren.
I like his use of light which can be seen especially in his image of Harold Pinter. I also like the way he captures the person in their environment whatever that may be.
I think looking at Libbert's images have given me some food for thought in relation to how I ask my subjects to pose or not to pose. It is clearly evident in his work how important the environment and surroundings are - it tells a story all by itself. I would like to work this more into my images. I feel at the moment my work is not clear or frank. It lacks a true sense of purpose and I feel working on meaning and narrative more will help me find and show meaning in my work.
A collection of Libbert's images from the exhibition can be viewed on the Guardian website.
Mario Testino: British Royal Portraits
At a recent visit to the National Portrait Gallery I came across this exhibition. Although I am not really a fan of the Royal Family I decided to have a look as I have heard so much about the photographer Mario Testino.
The display consisted of images of Charles and Camilla, William and Kate and Harry. What struck me first about the images was Testino's use of colour and black and white.
The first images are of William and Kate's engagement - one formal and one informal. The colours and crops are interesting in both. In the informal shot the colours are weaker, faded and the focus is soft, and the crop tight. This introduces a level of intimacy to the image and its subjects - an intimacy that you would expect in an engagement shot.
In contrast the more formal shot has strong colours, the crop is not so tight and shows some of the background which appears to be a room in the palace. They look less like young lovers ans more like the married couple they are due to become. It has a stately and official feel to it.
I found the black and white image of Charles and his sons very refreshing, casual and intimate. The image is high key so therefore bright and the pose suggests a close bond - a natural one between a father and his sons. The black and white conversion is also interesting as it suggests timelessness - similar to the bond between father and son.
The official portrait of Charles shows a different side to the future king. The colours and setting are very regal,l he is in military uniform and very serious, contemplative and focused. The image says - I am important, I am a leader.
There are two images of Charles and Camilla one more formal than the other. Again strong colours are used for the formal shot with Testino opting for a soft focus for the informal one.
Testino shot both William and Harry on their 21st birthdays. William's portrait shows him in a tuxedo a young man coming of age. Testino opted for black and white here which I feel adds to the tone and focuses the viewer on the prince and his expression.
In contrast, Harry is shown working on a motorbike on his 21st birthday. We can easily see who is destined to be king and who has the freer life, less weight on his shoulders and the pressures of life as a leader ahead of him. We are given an insight into the playful and daredevil nature of Harry but we are not allowed to see beyond the layer of sophistication for the future king.
Through looking at Mario Testino's work I can see the effect colour, focus and pose has in portraits. I particularly found this display interesting as he worked with four subjects and showed the viewers the different sides to these characters and their relationships to each other. This was something similar to the first assignment on my course - shooting one subject in a number of ways - which is something I found challenging. Moving forward I would like to introduce more of my subject's character into my work and also the relationships which exists between people.
I will also think more about colour and how I can use it to improve my portrait work.
The display consisted of images of Charles and Camilla, William and Kate and Harry. What struck me first about the images was Testino's use of colour and black and white.
The first images are of William and Kate's engagement - one formal and one informal. The colours and crops are interesting in both. In the informal shot the colours are weaker, faded and the focus is soft, and the crop tight. This introduces a level of intimacy to the image and its subjects - an intimacy that you would expect in an engagement shot.
In contrast the more formal shot has strong colours, the crop is not so tight and shows some of the background which appears to be a room in the palace. They look less like young lovers ans more like the married couple they are due to become. It has a stately and official feel to it.
I found the black and white image of Charles and his sons very refreshing, casual and intimate. The image is high key so therefore bright and the pose suggests a close bond - a natural one between a father and his sons. The black and white conversion is also interesting as it suggests timelessness - similar to the bond between father and son.
The official portrait of Charles shows a different side to the future king. The colours and setting are very regal,l he is in military uniform and very serious, contemplative and focused. The image says - I am important, I am a leader.
There are two images of Charles and Camilla one more formal than the other. Again strong colours are used for the formal shot with Testino opting for a soft focus for the informal one.
Testino shot both William and Harry on their 21st birthdays. William's portrait shows him in a tuxedo a young man coming of age. Testino opted for black and white here which I feel adds to the tone and focuses the viewer on the prince and his expression.
In contrast, Harry is shown working on a motorbike on his 21st birthday. We can easily see who is destined to be king and who has the freer life, less weight on his shoulders and the pressures of life as a leader ahead of him. We are given an insight into the playful and daredevil nature of Harry but we are not allowed to see beyond the layer of sophistication for the future king.
Through looking at Mario Testino's work I can see the effect colour, focus and pose has in portraits. I particularly found this display interesting as he worked with four subjects and showed the viewers the different sides to these characters and their relationships to each other. This was something similar to the first assignment on my course - shooting one subject in a number of ways - which is something I found challenging. Moving forward I would like to introduce more of my subject's character into my work and also the relationships which exists between people.
I will also think more about colour and how I can use it to improve my portrait work.
Wednesday, 21 November 2012
The portraits of Thomas Struth
I first came across Thomas Struth last year when I attended his exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery in London.
I don't automatically associate portraits with Struth thinking more of his industrialised shots of factories or his Paradise series, but on a recent visit to the National Portrait Gallery some of his portraits were on display. I believe at least one of these portraits were also on display at the Whitechapel Gallery.
His family portraits consist of The Bernstein Family who were friends of Struth and this portrait was taken in 1990 on the occasion of Mrs Bernstein's birthday. Struth's rule when shooting portraits is that each person should look into the camera and often they should arrange and position themselves for the portrait.
Included in this display too is a portrait of The Smith Family from Fife. In the late 80s Struth was working in Edinburgh when he started to take portraits. This shot is a typical family portrait of the photographer spanning three generations with age as the significant aspect of the relationship between the individuals.
As always his colours are strong and rich, his subjects don't give too much away. Is this because they concentrate too much on looking into the camera? We learn more about his subjects from the way the position themselves in a group to be photographed and the environment they are shot in.
The black and white portrait of The Hirose Family is also included in this display and we can tell a little about this family from the setting - Mr Hirose's study with his collection of African sculpture in the background.
Most recently he shot the Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh for a collection for the National Portrait Gallery for her Diamond Jubilee. However this was no longer on display when I visited but the New Yorker has an interesting article on it.
I don't automatically associate portraits with Struth thinking more of his industrialised shots of factories or his Paradise series, but on a recent visit to the National Portrait Gallery some of his portraits were on display. I believe at least one of these portraits were also on display at the Whitechapel Gallery.
His family portraits consist of The Bernstein Family who were friends of Struth and this portrait was taken in 1990 on the occasion of Mrs Bernstein's birthday. Struth's rule when shooting portraits is that each person should look into the camera and often they should arrange and position themselves for the portrait.
Included in this display too is a portrait of The Smith Family from Fife. In the late 80s Struth was working in Edinburgh when he started to take portraits. This shot is a typical family portrait of the photographer spanning three generations with age as the significant aspect of the relationship between the individuals.
As always his colours are strong and rich, his subjects don't give too much away. Is this because they concentrate too much on looking into the camera? We learn more about his subjects from the way the position themselves in a group to be photographed and the environment they are shot in.
The black and white portrait of The Hirose Family is also included in this display and we can tell a little about this family from the setting - Mr Hirose's study with his collection of African sculpture in the background.
Most recently he shot the Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh for a collection for the National Portrait Gallery for her Diamond Jubilee. However this was no longer on display when I visited but the New Yorker has an interesting article on it.
Friday, 2 November 2012
Spencer Murphy
It was through my tutor's recommendations that I came across Spencer Murphy. Murphy is a British photography who's work has appeared in The Guardian, The Telegraph and Wired to name a few.
Inspired from an early age by Life and National Geographic magazines, Murphy provides us with a unique offering in the world of portrait photography.
His work includes portraits of Peter Crouch , Benedict Cumberbatch and most recently a Guardian Weekend editorial on JK Rowling. However it is his portrait of Mark Rylance that hits you when you pay a visit to his website - a stunning portrait that has been nominated for the Taylor Wessing Prize and is currently on display at the National Portrait Gallery.
Very often his subjects are not looking into the camera, there is very little eye contact with the photographer or indeed anyone as they look to be just staring into space rather than at something or someone in particular. This gives an almost dreamy look to his images - his subjects appear to be lost in their own thoughts, their own preoccupations. It is like we are allowed to see share this intimate moment with them.
This is especially so in his project titled The Abyss Gazes into you where he writes about photographs he has taken where he has 'recognised a reflection of something inside myself - a feeling of both being trapped and floating endlessly in time and space, a mixture of hope and despair, desolation and beauty. The sense, perhaps, of what it is to live a finite life in an infinite universe'.
Expressions are serious, stern almost, they give nothing away. They invite the viewer to wonder what they are seeing, thinking or contemplating doing.
His most recent project where he teamed up Save the Children centred on what poverty meant to children in East London. This Kind of Poverty gives little away too about the children or what they are thinking. They look serious, unhappy and pensive. The words (the childrens) that accompany the images gives us the only insight into their thoughts and feelings.
Throughout his portrait work there is a strong emphasis on the eyes. They are colour enhanced, with strong catchlights and are often open wide and staring.
His images of today's big icons from film, literature and popular culture brings his subjects to a human and familiar level.
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