Christmas Plan

Shoot 1 – My first idea will take place next week when I’m in Birmingham with my family taking a set of images telling a story. These images will range from some Sally Mann style images with my cousins from images of my Nan and Poppa and hopefully some achieve images from their house.

Shoot 2 – I am going to carry on making images from my personal study from the picture story I created at Government House because I didn’t study this topic in much depth so want to pursue this idea to make it better. I am going to  try and get more involved with what the Governor does on a day to day basis and take images of him lounging around in the house and when at work in the office. I also need to focus on my dads part in the house and what his job entails. I want to try and involve every member of staff in this story so the audience can easily grasp an over view of what it is like inside Government House.

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Hierarchy

How has the experience of Archisle changed the way I think about my personal study?

Over the last term, I have managed to gain a wide variety of skills which contribute to archive research,  extraction, development and documentation. The creative pathways scheme has gained me vital competences in a creative  media, and has allowed me to feel confident in a workplace which is surrounded by these demands. Gareth Syvret and Karen Biddlecombe have helped me consistently to discover a new perception and insight into my personal study. Me and Karen extracted work from the archive which dated back to the post-war era, then with help from Gareth, we went through the images to see how it collaborated and linked with my project. This gave my project a new window into understanding the depth and relevance of me moving house.

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The first image we came across on the Archive’s computer system. When typing in the name of the house ‘Le Petit Fort’, we managed to come across this extraordinary image which was taken right in front of the house. This image made me think of how far this house has come since the war / post war era, and made me feel empathy towards the tragic and horrifying events which occurred around my house and within the proximity. Gareth and Karen have given me inspiration to explore this is greater depth, and can do this using montage, and merge in Photoshop, possibly to create this image of development and sentiment.

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As a final response, Gareth suggested that it was a good idea to place all the archival material we collected as a chronicle, for the viewer to understand the idea of a process, a space of time and a development, some of the key aspects I wished to consider in my project.

This is an example of how we pieced the final images together:

After this experience, I asked myself a few questions:

How has this experience changed my perception of the Archive? 

When entering this process, I knew little about what the Archive does, and how it works towards the achievements Gareth and Karen co-ordinate. I realised soon after that my own perception of the archive was far from correct.  There are various key aspects to the ‘Archive’ such as the archive itself, with images dating back over hundreds of decades. Sections of this can be used for the demands of Archeologists, Planning commissions, the Jersey Government, botanists, the environmental departments and many more to help with the development of their own investigations and relevance to history. The Library is also used thoroughly for archive extraction and exploration, with facilities like computers which link to the Archives database, which allows people to search using key words material they wish to extract. During my experience with the archive, I was lucky enough to discover some of these key aspects which are encapsulated within the Archive, I have learnt allot during this process.

What do you think when you hear the work ‘Archive’? 

When I hear the word ‘Archive’ I instantly hear the words

” records /  annuals / chronicles / registers /  accounts / papers / documents /  rolls / dossiers / files /  deeds /  ledgers /  history /  information / evidence /  documentation / paperwork / formal muniments.”

The oxford definition for ‘Archive’ is:

“a collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people”

The repetition of the word ‘history’ and ‘historic’ elaborates the vast relation to family, architecture and other aspects of society which has been developed over the many years of archival information which is stored at the Societe Jersiaise. Archive has been very relevant towards my project, my key theme ‘family’ has encouraged me to find features which relate to my life changing experience when moving house.

How will these skills be useful to you in a creative / non- creative workplace? 

I feel very much so that I have developed various skills in the creative workplace by the extraction, exploration and editorial processes of images and text presented by the Archive. Gareth and Karen have given me allot of support in the beginning weeks of this process, which then slowly got handed over to me. I was given tasks to do independently, allowing me to feel good about the outcomes I was achieving. Doing simple jobs like printing and filling also made me feel apart of their work force. Developing images in Photoshop, re-sizing and editing gained me skills with the editorial processes which are vital when depicting a certain hypothesis within an image.As well as developing creative skills, I feel I have developed major ‘soft skills’ in the workplace, which would be vital in any work-related area. I feel allot more confident with handling images and media, and genuinely confident to chat and talk to Gareth and Karen. I felt having a good relationship between the two of them incised me to communicate with them better. I felt the privileges of having a responsibility in the workplace made me feel motivated towards my goals of my project, and I became willing to succeed in Archival research and handling of materials. Punctually, turning up to a job encourages you to be more independent, and I felt as this process came along I gained more and more enthusiasm towards my want to succeed as a willing and passionate intern, as I saw the goals I wanted to achieve.

Would you recommend the Archisle contemporary photography programme to other people? Why? 

I would defiantly recommend this programme to anybody who is passionate about archival research and history. I feel it’s an amazing experience which I have gained so many important skills from. Gareth and Karen have been amazing role models in the work place, and they’ve inspired me to “make a mark” on history, encouraging me to think outside the box with my project relating my documentations to real life circumstances. I would of never felt confident working in a creative or non-creatove media without the help and commitment they have done for me, as their provision and time for my contribution has never been so beneficial. I am so grateful for the time and effort they have done for me, and they skills I have gained will help me incredibly in years to come when I pursue a career in any field of work.

 

EVALUATION

Throughout this project of faith, family and community i have found it quite hard to produce images of my mum who i have being taking images of her for, i was taking these images of her mental health issues. I found this a hard thing to take images of as when my mum is upset it is quite difficult for me to try and interfere and take photographs of her, as i feel i am invading her privacy and she does not want me to take them of her. What i learned from this is that it is quite hard to photograph something which is so personal, to myself but also to my mum as it can become quite upsetting when questioning anxiety and panic attacks, as i think it is hard to capture something that someone is feeling on the inside. If i was to do this project again i think that i could improve my photos by taking images of things that my mum is afraid of, or gets anxious about, as i think this would be a good thing to look at, However i do think it is very difficult as it is a very personal matter. 

Personal Study

For my personal study I am going to move away from the focus of Government House and focus more on my family and my family’s achieve. When I am away next week, I want to capture images of my family in England as I have a lot more family over there and as my Nan is fallen very ill I want to capture some images of her especially for remembrance. I have a couple younger cousins and a couple my age so it’ll be nice to capture some images of them together. I have gotten inspiration from Sally Mann from her photography of her children. I personally love her style of photographing, as I want to capture some unique images using a black and white effect to make them look more dark and grungy. My younger cousin, Dylan, has white blonde curly hair which is quite wild, this will be interesting to play with as it could look really effective in the outcomes.

I will take pictures from our small road trip also because we’re going on the overnight boat and taking our car to drive up to Birmingham. This will be my sister’s last week with us before she goes travelling for 6-8 months, so I want to capture some nice images of her before she leaves. We’re driving up to the airport before we drive down to the ferry terminal so it will be an emotional journey as I am very close with my sister and don’t want to see her go. I also imagine my mum will be crying at the airport so I would like to take some images of that moment too. I am really hoping my images will portray both happy yet sad emotions throughout my picture story as that is my expected outcome and I find those stories the most effective.

Sally Mann photography.

Christmas half term

For my personal study I am going to continue on with my the project I am working on at the moment that links in with the theme of family about my mother’s worth ethic, because I find this project interesting and I still have more to develop. To do this I am going to visit another two different locations from the previous photo shoot.  I don’t have access to the care home my mum works at so I will photograph her working starting in the morning when shes getting ready and in her working environment at private houses, keeping to the same photographic style of keeping her face ‘hidden’, then at night when she comes back from work. I will also include pictures of both inside and outside of the house and any interesting objects. If I have the opportunity I will also photograph any one who my mum interacts with. If I have enough time I may also revisit some locations to take more photographs and hopefully improve and build upon on what I have already done in my previous photo shoots.

Milton Rogovin – A Woman’s Work

http://www.mitchellkphotos.com/work.html – MitchellKanashkevich

W. Eugene Smith – Country doctor/ Nurse Midwife

Lewis Hine 1920 – https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/hine-photos/

Migrant mother

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W. Eugene Smith – country doctor
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Mitchell Kanashkevich
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Lewis Hine 1920
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Milton Rogovin – A woman’s work

Christmas Task: Germain vs. Toropstov

Task for Christmas Holidays on Tracking Sheet

Plan a photo-shoot and make a set of images that respond to your chosen pairing of artists and your essay.
a) Upload shoot, process and select best 3 images

b) Show experimentation with images using Lightroom/Photoshop appropriate to your intentions.

c) Evaluate and present images on the blog.

My Plan to this Response

In my essay I looked at the similarities and differences between the work of Michelle Sank and Yury Toropstov. After discussing with Mr. Toft about the context and  style of my project he advised me that the work of Michelle Sank would not be helpful or relevant to study further. He explained that because Michelle Sank is very direct and impersonal in her photographic style, my own project exploring the absense of my Granddad in my Grandma’s life does not reflect this distant style which Sank evokes. Instead he advised me to consider the work of Julipan Germain, filing the place of Sank. This change was recommended because Germain, in constrast to Sank, photographs from a much more personal and subjective approach. In the ‘Faith, Family and Community’ task I briefly explored Germain’s photographic book ‘For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness’. This study explores the life of an elderly man who lives alone having lost his wife. Immediately, I can detect similarities with the type of project I am doing.

I will therefore re-visit the work of Germain, completing research tasks and photographic responses in order to aid the basis of my ‘Personal Study’.

We both agreed that Yury’s work was however relevant to my theme because he photographs from an insider perspective, exploring retrospective themes with a historical basis. I have already looked at the work of Toropstov earlier on in the year, through his project  ‘Deleted Scene’ whereby he explores the theme of his father, who died when Yury was one. This will be the centre point for my study on Yury as it has direct relevance to my own project, a retrospective study of my Grandfather, who died over 30 years ago.

Then, during the Christmas Holidays I will make some new photographic responses whereby I consciously try to evoke the style of both Germain and Toropstov. This task will be a good context of which I can base and inspire responses for my upcoming ‘Personal Study’.

The task I have set myself will be a one-two week task and will be make the study of my essay relevant to my project. It will be a good theme to explore through the beginning of our new coursework project ‘Personal Study’. I will give me to incentive to continue making photographic responses, as well as being a good way to reflect and evaluate my pre-existing work.

These are the tasks I will complete.

  • Blog post on what I will do during personal study (continuation of existing project)
  • Artist Reference on Yury Toropstov and Julian Germain
  • Blog Post comparing Germain and Toropstov’s style (with specific examples)
  • Comparing my work with Germain and Toropstov
  • 2 – 3 photo shoots over Christmas holidays
  • Evaluate new responses in relation to Germain and Toropstov – 2 bog posts
  • Evaluation of overall project

 

YURY TOROPSTOV

Yury’s photographic style cannot be defined as formal photography nor can it be defined as vernacular photography. It encompasses a ‘grey-area’ of work which although formal in terms of composition, nevertheless incorporates a less fanatical approach to form and composition, as some of his images, although not perfect in terms of arrangement, re still visually strong because of the mood in which they express, done through Toropstov’s use of lighting and through expresses certain symbols/metaphors.

Yury’s style is relevant to the personal nature of my theme, and by incorporating his subjective nature into my own style I will hopefully be able to convey a strong body of emotionally charged work into my final photographic response at the end of the personal study project. Also, Yury’s work will be good to reflect on for a lot of non-portrait images, as I have noticed plays quite a big part to the nature of his work.

Yury also likes to make links to archival images which is of further relevance to the historical relevance which my project has.

 

Deleted Scene

 

Fairyland

The House of Baba Yaga

 

JULIAN GERMAIN

Although a vernacular photographer, Germain has a very formal and considered approach to this style. In contrast to the work of iconic vernacular photographer Richard Billingham, who takes extreme vernacular shots – acting on instinct and relying deliberately on accidents within the shot, Germain does not however and maintains complete control throughout, carefully composing and designing his photographs. Germain’s photographs are therefore a lot more subtle than the traditional vernacular style, and furthermore have a sense of order and structure to them.

A key aspects of Germain’s photographic style is his ability to tell stories through his images. For example in ‘For every minute of anger you loose sixty seconds of happiness’, Germain uses the symbolism of a flower to make a connection with the deceased wife of the main subject of the story. Germain’s use of such symbols and metaphors highlight his thoughtful and considered approach to storytelling.

This considered approach to vernacular photography is something which interests me and I will attempt to replicate this style as I continue to photograph for my ‘Personal Study’.

 

For every minute of anger you loose sixty seconds of happiness

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The Face of the Century

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Generations

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Generations

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Generations

FAMILY SHOOT – WEDDING/ EXTRA SHOOT

I took these images at a wedding that i was at. I took these images as it was my Aunt that was getting married and this was a family and friends occasion which i thought tied into this project. I took some of these images of the bride and groom but also of the setting to show how beautiful the location was. I took some detailed images of the bridesmaids hair which i thought would work well in a picture story as a detailed shot. 

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Bride and groom with ring boy and bridesmaid

I took this image which is of the family. This is a traditional family shoot that i took, however i think that it is good to have at least one or two traditional wedding images. This image was taken at the reception which was at The Radison and i think that this is a beautiful family portrait. 

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For this photograph that i took of the bride, i took it from behind so that you can see the detail of the back of her dress, this is so it shows how beautiful it is. I think that the lighting in this image could be improved as the bride is in a shadow and there are streaks of light coming through the windows to the left of her. I think that this image shows the idea of family, as this is my Aunt on her wedding day interacting with all of her friends and family. IMG_8816

This is one of the images that i took in the night time of the wedding, i did not use the flash for this image as i liked how the lighting looked in this image. I think that the different blues, purples and pinks in the image make this image very ‘cool’ and unique. In this image the bride and groom and the bridesmaid who is their daughter having their first dance on the dance floor, i captured this family moment which i think this image is very warming. 

Personal study specification

Chance, change  and challenge 

At first when I was introduced to this project I found it hard to understand the concept and the meaning behind Tom Pope’s work as there was no explanation and most of his videos were in silent of him doing a repetitive performance. However after the day at the Societe where Tom explained what he was trying to achieve,I got a better understanding of the idea of pushing boundaries and his videos made more sense to me. I also liked that we were working with a photographer making our work more practical which is something we haven’t done before.  I found this project interesting because it was something I hadn’t given much thought to or questioned before. I also like the fact that we were working with the archive and got to explore Jersey’s history, before this I wasn’t aware of the archives existences.  I think it was  challenging to think outside the box however the more the more you think about it the easier it becomes. In France I was able to do most of the ideas that I had planned to do and I was pleased with the outcomes.

Family, faith and community 

At the beginning of this project when we were first introduced to documentary photography, I thought that it was a powerful form of communication. I enjoyed looking at ethics within documentary because I think it is a interesting and a subjective topic which allowed me to think deeper, although I didn’t find any right or wrong answers I was able to develop my opinion. I also like that we were able to draw on real life situations such as the Vietnam war which documentary had a big influence on, this also gave me a better understanding. I also learned about the sub genres within documentary such as photojournalism and street photography which is something I hadn’t done before.

At the beginning of this project we started looking at the theme of family. I enjoyed exploring this theme both taking photographs and researching other family photographers. I found that I connected with this theme more than the others although I think it’s more personal than the other two themes. When I first started photographing my family I felt that I was making them vulnerable and opening them up to be judged, however after a few photo shoots this ‘feeling’ faded. I started to explore the theme of community through research and a photo shoot however, I struggled with deciding what and who to photograph. Due to the lack of time I didn’t get to explore the theme of faith, which is something that I would have liked to do as most of my family is religious.

Overall I enjoyed this module and I am going to carry on with the theme of family for my personal study by photographing my mum in her working environment.

Mini Essay

To what extent has Martin Parr incorporated the concept of ‘islandness’ in his work and in doing so how has he influenced the likes of those who nominated him.

‘Islandness’ is a shared sense that transcends the traditions of local island cultures. The concept is reinforced by being surrounded by bodies of water which illicit feelings of closeness to the natural environment. It is a metaphysical consciousness derived from experiences of isolation. ‘Islandness’ is a term which can be interpreted in a multiple of varied ways, for example, each photographer in this project has created their own perception of the idea. Ultimately, it links communities together forming a mini society and network.

This unique collection of artists have produced their individual portfolios of work which have explored the complexity and rarity of the term. I especially want to highlight the connections between certain photographers which have gained influence and passion from one another.

My own experiences of ‘islandness’ have been grounded in the morals and values of Jersey, Channel Islands.  The idea combines vulnerability and resilience. I think it is significant when considering the theme of Jersey and how you can represent the island and create art from it. Naturally, my research began into the Archisle where I could explore the talents of Martin Parr and the work he produced of the island. The Societe Jersiaise Photographic Archive introduced in 2011, The Jersey Contemporary Photography Programme. The main goal of the scheme was to promote contemporary photography through a continuation of exhibitions and education links. The island itself has attracted millions of tourists and fellow artists as it is known for its natural beauty. The island’s identity evokes a sense of pride and enthusiasm for the project.

‘Island arts engage with the land and the sea and the community. They address the large questions of existence, but they do it within a context of shore-bounded particularity.’- Peter Hay

Focusing more on my intention, Martin Parr was commissioned in 2013 by the Archisle to photograph Liberation Day in Jersey. It is significant that of such a high esteemed photographer, Parr decided to indeed take notice of our small island and beautifully captured the light and importance of the day. In my opinion, Parr’s distinct style represented the happiness and joy of the day. However, his work also included the more solace and memorial moments of the day’s proceedings. With the world constantly being flooded with media, Parr offers a sanctuary of his unique perception of the world. His work tends to be exaggerated, the colours tend to be garish and the angles are normally strange. However, amongst the humour, Parr produces entertaining and insightful images which translate to our way of life. We can almost recognise ourselves in his art work, especially with the theme of ‘islandness’. When looking at Parr’s work and considering my hypothesis I think Parr’s photographs capture this concept exceptionally well (even if this had not been initially intended). This ‘feeling’ has been photographed in the light of Liberation Day, it exemplifies this particular meaningful and important day carefully and accessibly. I think it represents the islanders resistance and perseverance even at the most difficult and tragic of times.

With regards to the links between the photographers in the project, Martin Parr is an influential and inspiring artist who’s work has been and is an in depth observation of our personal identities and values we hold in society. The work he produces is innovative, intriguing and contemporary, strongly reflecting the way we act and our inner natures.

In conclusion, ‘islandness’ is much more than a concept, it is a feeling, an emotion, a community. Therefore, it has the potential to be photographed and interpreted in many different ways. The term has layers, which each artist in the project has stripped away and identified their own version of what ‘islandness’ is. Quintessence is a benchmark of the five years of the Archisle Programme. It is a success of contemporary photography and shows the work of native islanders and welcomed visitors. The project enables inspired artists to shed light on the shifting society of today and produce art for public enjoyment.