Mark Power in an English photographer born in Harpenden, England 1959. He is a Professor of Photography in The Faculty of Arts and Architecture at the University of Brighton. Power embarked on creating The Shipping Forecast between the years of 1992 and 1996. This project involved travelling to and photographing all 31 areas covered by the Shipping Forecast broadcast on BBC Radio 4. I like that this work is very specific and structured so Power knows exactly where he is going to be making his photographs. This particular project was published as a book and was a touring exhibition across the UK and France. Power drove around in a car for the entire project taking inspiration of works from Tony Ray-Jones.
Mark Power [1959 – present]Tony Ray-Jones
Tony Ray-Jones was an English photographer who inspired Power. He died in 1972 at only age 30. Ray-Jones was a documentary photographer who took interest in photographing the way of the British and wanted to delve into this more in depth. He wanted to look at his own society in a new way by using irony, compassion, nostalgia and humour. He became hugely influential on the development of British documentary photography from the 1970s through to the present.
“My aim is to communicate something of the spirit and the mentality of the English, their habits and their way of life, the ironies that exist in the way they do things, partly through their traditions and partly through the nature of their environment and their mentality.” – Tony Ray-Jones
I particularly like this photograph with the small boy lung down on the beach seemingly tired. It looks as if he is fiddling with the sand instead of playing with the digger toy next to him. The spectator is able to see that this young boy is getting tired and just wants to chill out so he decided to lye on the sand and just wait for his parents to come and get him to go home. I like this image because it is simple. The subject is what the spectators eyes will be drawn to straight away as he is the only object around other than the sand and the background beach houses. This image is from the series The Shipping Forecast and mainly based on the beaches of each weather forecast location covered by BBC Radio 4.
Another image that I like is the one above because it really is a candid action shot. It brings in some nostalgia for me of when I was younger and when my parents used to have to lift me up from the waves coming for me when I was too small to stand against them myself. I really like this image as it does bring back some funny memories with my family. It is an image that I think a lot, if not everyone, can relate to at some point or other in their lives. It is such a simple image but holds so many memories and good times. The subjects in this image don’t necessarily matter, it is more about what they are doing and what the image is bringing to the spectator. The wave looks so huge compared to the little boy who would defiantly been taken under by it yet it in comparison to the woman holding him the wave doesn’t seem so big, it looks a lot smaller and less intimidating. The wave does look very powerful in this image and that it could knock the both of them down. I also like the woman in the background who doesn’t look phased at all by the wave as she just seems to be walking straight through it. This image shows many different emotions with the small boy looking scared/worried and the woman in the background looking chilled out and not bothered. This image reminds me of all the times as a young child that I would overdramatise everything and that most things seemed like a big deal whereas now they become meaningless and are not to be dwelled on. That comes with age and maturity but I love that this image shows that, in a way. This is a great documentation of families on the beach and how usually people are. The woman doesn’t have her bikini strap on obviously she has been trying to tan and not get a paler line along her back from the straps when her son/possibly brother asked her to play in the water with him. The young boy is wearing armbands, learning how to swim and he also has goggles. This images makes me think of how when you were young you didn’t really care about anything, in the way you looked or the way people saw you but as you get older you tend to care a whole lot more about your image. I do really like this image as there is a lot going on and the spectator is able to access memories just by looking at this particular image.
Tom Wood is a British community photographer. He was worked on photographing the working class in Liverpool for many years. Originally Wood was trained as a painter at the conceptually orientated Leicester Polytechic from 1973-1976. He first explored lens-based media through extensive viewing of experimental films. Wood’s approach to photography is more fluid than other current conventions of post-Conceptual photography and photojournalism. Wood works will colour negative film and has done so since 1976, using bother black and white and colour in different locations. This is interesting as a lot more photographers are going back to using film cameras instead of digital ones, especially documentary photographers in order to make the more real and raw images possible. Wood is currently working as a part time lecturer in photography at Coleg Llandrillo in north Wales and is 64 years old.
I find the Men/Women series very interesting as it is a collaboration of all of Wood’s work and simply separated into two books, one filled with the images of men and the other of women. I find this concept interesting as to why he would separate the two by gender as a way of possibly showing the difference and the divisions within the two genders. I think that this would have been the easiest division for Wood to make as he made his photographs in the UK back when there weren’t many different people in cultures or religions etc. He basically made photographs of British people getting on with their everyday lives. I think that this is a really good way to document different communities and by going round photographing in the same place a lot of the time he is getting familiar with the people that live around there making them a lot more comfortable with him being around them and making candid and staged photographs with him.
For some reason this image stood out for me and I love the way it looks. The two women are posing for the camera as they sit on the bonnet of their car. The pair are covering in makeup, wearing fake tan and wearing heels and massive earrings. I don’t have a particular reason for liking these images accept for the fact that it interests me and that there is a lot going on in it. The position of the two women is perfect and the facial expression almost suggests that they have a sassy attitude, they seem to enjoy posing for the camera. I like this image as well because of the entire background, the fashion and the way people were back when this photo was taken is completely different to how people are now. I just find that there is a lot going on in this image and spectators will have plenty to look at and interpret for themselves what they think is going on and who the subjects are. I like that this images shows older people in the background sitting on benches just enjoying the view compared to nowadays where so many people are constantly on their phones and laptops that they forget to look outside and just take a moment to relax without having to worry about their electronic devices.
I like the collection of Wood’s work as it is just great documentation of life in Britain from years ago and the community surrounding those people. I like to see this to compare and contrast my own community and how it may differ from these ones and how things have changed and how people are a lot different now. Even though these photos aren’t from too long ago, so much has changed and developed that we have become different beings.
Another image that I really like is the one above of a group of teenage boys. I find it interesting to see the on trend fashion back when this image was taken and how nowadays people are bringing this back as more of a vintage or retro look. I enjoy seeing these documentary images as it shows the kind of people living in that community and I can relate this to people I see now in my own community. This photo also reminds me a lot of the film Stand By Me with a bunch of boys who look similar to these ones and go on an adventure. The subjects are unconventional in that they are unlikely models but they seem to all look very good in front of the camera in the way that they are conveying the story. They look like a bunch of boys who were just hanging out in their local community when Wood approached them and asked to make a photograph of them. They’re just normal young boys having fun within their community and hanging out together, sharing their experiences. I think that I would like to explore more in depth the different teenage communities within our society and what they actually do in local places instead of seeing the negative things that minorities of teenagers do broadcast on the news and in newspapers. I like Wood’s work and find it very interesting and just great documentation of Britain in the past.
Over half term I plan to take photographs for the theme of family of my mum in her different working environments, by taking photographs of her through out the day from when she wakes up getting ready for work to her working without interfering, taking photos of the buildings/ houses she works in from different angles, people she interacts with and objects and interesting belonging’s within the buildings. I’m aiming to photograph 3 different locations during this period. My mum works part time in wealthy households during the day and occasionally receives shifts at an old people’s care home and at night she works at the Town Hall.
Divola is a contemporary American photographer, born 1949. He often takes landscape photographs in different areas of community and looking at the edge between the abstract and the specific. Divola doesn’t tend to use people in his images and will make photographs of the landscape that surrounds them instead. I like the idea of this as it shows the environments that are surrounding us that we can often ignore or not notice but when it becomes the subject matter we are able to completely focus in on the environment around us and share that environment with others. I find Divola’s concept interesting as through is images spectators are able to see different communities environments and are able to compare the differences with their own environment. This would also make some interesting documentary photographs as it is showing how we leave within modern day society.
Something that I noticed in some of Divola’s photographs is that he makes images of the abandoned places within our community, the places that seem to have been forgotten and disregarded. I find this very interesting as it shows the more negative side of our community and how we are humans will just leave things to rot instead of actually trying to resurrect it and help make it better. I think that I will be able to respond these images in different locations around Jersey and think it will be a fun shoot to do as it is something we are all aware of but tend to ignore for no particular reason. I think that Divola’s work is quite unique for documentary photography in that he doesn’t use people to tell the story, the environment speaks for itself. His work is very abstract and to the point. I like that he doesn’t need to use any people to tell his story and that each of his images work as stand alone ones. They can come across as quite hard hitting with the state of the place he is in looks. Each images looks as if people have come in and destructively ruined this environment which shows the kind of people that are living within that community.
This particular image really interests me as it looks like a beach house with a beautiful view of the ocean and the sunset. I find that this image is beautifully lit as well as looking brutally destroyed. I enjoy looking at this image because of the background sunset. This photograph stood out to me initially because of the sunset but then I looked closer and saw all of the windows have been smashed with glass covering the floor and an old-fashioned suitcase sits open on the ground. This makes me intrigued as I wonder what went on in this environment and who could have possibly done this. One theory I have is that it was the ocean that thrashed against the glass breaking it as the glass is on the inside of the house. Another theory is that people came in and decided to wreck the place. I wonder why there is a suitcase there and that maybe someone living there just left it behind. There is so much going on in this image allowing the spectator to look around as if they are in the room and looking at the environment surrounding them. This image is part of the series called ‘Three Acts’. They are unique to any other documentary photos I’ve seen before and stand out to me as they the photos are not ones spectators would usually expect to see. This image is taken from the series photographed in a condemned neighbourhood bought by an airport to serve as a noise buffer for new runways. The buildings are all destroyed and Divola decided to make images as evidence of violent entries by vandals by shattering windows as well as doors torn from their hinges. After watching some videos of Divola I discovered that he was the one actually vandalising these houses and adding colour by using graffiti which is becoming a popular art nowadays.
“Once seen, the work of John Divola is not easily forgotten.” – David Campany
After watching the video above I had a closer look at Divola’s photographic art work and found that a lot of it I could relate to performance photography and the work of Tom Pope and John Baldessari capturing something midair and throwing things around and just capturing it. I also found out that Divola could only shoot those images at certain times of the day so that he could get the right lighting and that he would always revisit the same places and keep on going back to them adding different works of graffiti each time as well as noticing other vandals workings. I found this video very useful and interesting to find out more about Divola’s personal opinion and the message he was trying to get across. I enjoy looking at his work and think that if I was to respond to this I would more likely just visit certain places and photograph them every so often and not touch them to make it more authentic and not to vandalise any of these places any further.
Jonas Bendikson is another photographer who explores the theme of Community in this work. Like Soth, he is also a Magnum Photographer.
Bendiksen was born in Norway in 1977. Passionate about photography from a young age, Bendiksen gained a one year internship at Magnum Photos’ London Office. His tasked ranged from; mundane tasks such as making tea + coffee, and paging letters; to returning prints and slides to their right places in the archive. Enriched and inspired by this experience which he described as “the best education I could have asked for”, Bendikson decided from that point to dedicate the rest of his life to become a photographer.
After this experience, Bendiksen travelled to Russia, documenting the transition of the Russian people after the collapse of Communism and the USSR 10 years before. He ended up spending several years there, resulting in a body of work that went to make his first book, “Satellites – Photographers from the Fringes of the former Soviet Union”, published in 2006. This series brought Bendiksen extensive critical acclaim.
Bendiksen experiences in Russia profoundly influenced his style and identity as a photographer. The vast majority of work throughout Bendiksen’s career has been related the theme of community, both through the publication of photo-books, as well as through photo-journalistic assignment for organisations such as GEO magazine, Newsweek, Goldman Sach and National Geographic. Dedicated and passionate about mastering his work, Bendiksen explores the communities he photographs in great detail, getting to know the people he works with closely and personally, enabling him to gain trust and build up an extensive body of images which can then go to make his photo-books and assignments. This means that Bendikseen often will spend a number of years on a specific photographic project or assignment, visiting the place a number of times.
Bendisken is a Magnum Photographer, joining the organisation in 2004. Magnum is consdiered one of the most influential and pretistiious photographic agencies, and is run exsucisively by it’s members
Here is a list of awards and grants that Bendiksen has achieved over the course of his career.
2014 Pictures of the Year, Last of the First skiers 2013 Pictures of the Year, Russian Summer edit
2011 Norwegian State Artist’s Grant
2009 Fotografiprisen
2008 Telenor International Culture Prize
2008 National Geographic Photography Grant 2007 ASME National Magazine Award
2007 Freedom of Expression Foundation Grant
2007 Award of Excellence, Pictures of the Year International 2005 Open Society Institute, Distribution Grant
2005 Alicia Patterson Fellowship
2005 2nd Prize, Daily Life Stories, World Press Photo Competition
2005 Award of Excellence, Pictures of the Year International
2004 New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship
2004 Norwegian Art’s Council Grant
2003 Infinity Award, Young Photographer of the Year, International Center of Photography
2003 1st Prize, Picture of the Year International Awards 2001 World Press Photo Masterclass
2001 Nikon/Sunday Times Magazine Ian Parry Memorial Award 2001 Photo District News “30 under 30” Selected Exhibitions: 2014 Open for Business (Group show), National Media Museum,
Selected Exhibitions
2014 Open for Business (Group show), National Media Museum, UK
2013 Unintended Journeys (Group show), Smithsonian Natural History Museum Washington
2011 Bangladesh – On the Frontline of Climate Change, Perpignan, France
2008-12 The Places We Live Nobel Peace Center, Oslo; CO Berlin; National Building Museum, USA; CECZ, Amsterdam; Perspektivet Museum, Tromsø
2006-12 Satellites Jewish Historical Museum, Amsterdam; PM Gallery, London; Visa pour l’image, Perpignan; Fotoencuentros, Murcia
2008 Access to Life (Group show) The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington; Stenersenmuseet, Oslo; United Nations, New York, Asahi Mullion, Tokyo
Books
2008 The Places We Live, Aperture, USA (7 languages)
This image explores the region of Niagara in the cold winter period, depicting a barren, urban landscape. This image very much connects to the themes of isolation and loneliness, due to features such as; the dull skyline, unsaturated colour, malnourished trees and spacious composition. This image arguably serves as a metaphor for the troubles and difficulties of relationships that Soth is attempting to convey within the narrative. When viewing this image, I immediate associate the image as raw and revealing. In juxtaposition with some of Soth’s previous images in the series, this is one of a much darker mood. The inclusion of images such as this in the narrative require the viewer to reflect on what they have previously witnessed in the story line. This photograph is very anti-climactic and forces a much calmer emotional response from the viewer in contrast to the exciting lively scrap-book layout, and hard-hitting portraits of some of the couples. This type of landscape shot is the polar opposite of some of Soth’s dramatic landscape shots of Niagara Falls, therefore establishes a completely different mood and response from the viewer.
This image by Soth is a large family portrait taken at a wedding, entitled ‘The Flexs’. The portrait is composed in a very traditional manner; a basic background; the subjects staring directly into the camera; and the subjects are looking at the camera in a neutral manner, with some of the younger children glimpsing a smile. Composition is a key component that Soth has considered when making this image, and it is clear that Soth has intervened with the arrangement of the subjects, directing them the stand in a straight, up-right position. The balanced composition makes for a visually inviting photograph that displays a sense of warmth. The mood within this image is very positive and upbeat, and the use of soft lighting, excitement apparent on the subjects facial expressions (in particular the children), creates the mood of anticipations. In terms of context, I gain the sense from how the subjects present themselves that they are clearly a very happy family looking forward to a momentous occasion, it is therefore a ‘happy’ photograph.
The photograph, entitled ‘Tricia and Curtis’, shows the young couple lying on the grass, staring directly up into the camera. This image displays a very romantic theme which the young woman resting gently onto the torso of the man. The backdrop of the grass adds to the romantic sense of the image and invites the viewer in with a great sense of warmth. Lighting serves as an important part of this image. Soth uses front, soft lighting. Again, this is done to establish the romantic mood that Soth is attempting to convey.
This is clearly a very raw and emotional image. The fact that the man has his top, helps to portray the young couple in a very intimate and personal manner. The man being topless symbolizes that through this image, that the young couple’s relationship and exposed, and in a sense hints at its vulnerability. I find this image is very effective because Soth has deliberately used lighting and composition to create a certain mood. It is also very honest and revealing which works well in helping to build up a sense of narrative.
This image is a dramatic landscape shot of Niagara Falls. It is a traditional landscape style, and clearly has taken influence from landscape photographers such as Ansel Adams and Edward Weston. The classic style that the photograph has been composed, with a large format camera, slow-shutter speed, tripod and large aperture: creates an image which fits into the genre of formalism. Subsequently the image strongly links to the theme of romanticism, and the intention of this image is to reflect the Soth’s own emotional response to such a visually stunning location. It terms of aiding the narrative, this photograph helps both to document the location, as well as serving as a metaphor which connects to themes of emotion and beauty, therefore reflecting the theme of love which the narrative is based on.
Such an image is a good example of how Soth uses carefully thought composition as a means of shaping the narrative.
To further analyze the theme of Family, I will be doing a photo-shoot over the half-term.
The setting:
I’ll be photographing at my extended family’s house. Their family home is quite large and also contains an upstairs space for lodgers. They recently moved into it and are still in the process of refurbishing the whole interior. This create’s a very hectic and certainly unorganized environment. I’ll be photographing both inside and outside of the home.
Relationships:
My male cousin and his wife live there with their four year old daughter. Also, my cousin is currently in the process of divorcing his wife. Consequently, the mood in the house is quite low and gloomy. Additionally, his parents live there too, who are my godparent’s. Finally, they have a small dog as a pet.
Themes that appear:
Faith – Essentially there is a separation between the region’s in the house. Whilst the two adult women have recently transferred mentally into practicing Christians, whilst the men have remained as Catholics.
Addiction – For instance alcoholism and a need for Tabaco in cigarettes.
Time frame:
I’m going to spend a large amount of hours on this certain subject. I would like to capture moments in the afternoon through to dusk. This is because, at this time, everyone tends to be at home. Also, normally other family member’s come and visit which adds to the family environment and commotion.
Approach:
Most of the picture that I’ll be taking will be non-staged. This is because I want to capture my family in their natural environment and not alter their emotional or physical state’s by telling them how to pose. I want the images to be very pure in telling the truth and show how the people interact with each other. I’ll use my camera as a witness and simply record the moments that they create.
Alternatively, I’ll also be taking some staged pictures. For instance, I’d like to create some portraits of a single individuals. I believe that it’s better to use a staged approach in these contexts, specially because it becomes hard to create an interesting shot of someone that isn’t positioned in an intriguing way.
I’ll also be shooting my family’s interactions with the dog and the dog on it’s own.
Shots:
First I’ll begin by taking a extreme long shot of the whole house accompanied with neighboring houses in the background. This will establish the scene for the viewers. Then i’ll go a bit closer and photograph solely their house.
Once inside, I’ll be photographing with may different shooting styles for instance: extreme long shots, long shots, medium shot, medium close-up, close-up, extreme close-up, over the shoulder, singles, 2-shots, 3 shots + and more. Angles can create dramatic effects so I’ll try views from: above, below, eye-level, etc.
Style:
For the majority of the pictures, I’ll be capturing them in a professional manner and make sure that the compositional elements are well balanced. This includes uses the correct focus and assuring that the balancing elements are right. Also, creating a good rule of thirds.
However, for some I’ll just be relaxing and taking an amateur approach. So if I see something I like, I’ll quickly take a shot, without thinking too much about it. It won’t matter if there’s blurring or bad angles, as long as the meaning is still processed.
Attempting to learn more about Phillip Toledano online proved difficult, Toledano has little information on him specifically and what I found useful was a quote from his website –
“I was born in 1968 in London, to a French Moroccan mother and an American father.
I have a BA in English literature. My art education came from my father, who was a full time artist.
It would be fair to say that I learned by osmosis.
I consider myself a conceptual artist: Everything starts with an idea, and the idea determines the execution.
Consequently, my work varies in medium, from photography to installation, sculpture and painting. The themes of my work are primarily socio-political, although lately I’ve strayed into the deeply personal.”
When Phil Toledano was six, his sister died. His family never talked of her again. But when his parents died, they left a box of her belongings. He therefore made a photography book called “When i was 6” – he was 6 when she died and he tried to remember memories of her he has and also things he was interested in in that period of his life. When his parents died, Toledano discovered a case in the back of their wardrobe. It was full of Claudia’s belongings, and of pictures they had taken of her.
“When I saw the pictures, she seemed so grown up, and that was so shocking to me,” he says. “She was a real person. I guess it’s easy to think you’ve lost a baby than you’ve lost a person.”
A year elapsed between his discovery of Claudia’s belongings and finding the strength to begin When I Was Six. “It was almost hilariously miserable,” he says. “I’d take a picture, then I’d start crying. I’d go to sleep and then wake up, take some more pictures, and start crying again. It was just so exhausting, on a molecular level.”
Some of the images i find extremely interesting, also the idea that these belongings of a sister toledano has very little rememberance of intrigues me. Finding this box caused him to make a photo book of her belongings, here are some of the images from the book thati find the most interesting.
I love the way these images have been taken and presented aswell. A typical presentation would be just flat on a table and taken from a birds eye view. Toledano changed this and made the images of the objects interesting aswell, by using natural lights to create contrasting shadows and propping the objects up aswell as piling things up to increased perceived quantity but letting the eye only see the most interesting one. However the contrasting and strong natural light with created shadows makes the images look moody and mysterious, this I feel sets a great theme for the book.
A community is a social unit of any size that shares common values. Although embodied or face-to-face communities are usually small, larger or more extended communities such as a national community, international community and virtual community are also studied. The main realistic meaning of a community is a group of people who connect well together socially, mentally or sometimes economically. Examples of communities are: clubs, such as swimming, hockey, religious community, friendship etc.
This topic interests me the most as I feel like I can relate to this theme as I am part of two communities, one with my dancing and one with my close group of friends. I do everything with my friends and I put my full trust in them as I tell them everything, so to capture beautiful images of them is exciting, and I want to base my project around them. I am going to take my disposable camera with me when we go out together just in case a good opportunities comes up, I have my camera to take a picture. This continuous shooting relates to documentary photography as the photos will be over a long period of time, summer to winter, recording specific events etc. I am going to base mostly all my projects around using a disposable camera as I love the effect they have when printed and it makes it more unique to me as they aren’t used often. They present past tense with the vintage type style that they are printed with but then represent present tense as the document is in present tense. I also have a vintage camera which is similar to a disposable camera as it requires film, I love the old fashioned tinge it has the photographs, so I am going to experiment with both cameras and see which result is better. However, I do want to have some well focused photographs so when I go to England at Christmas with all my family I will take some with a professional camera and some with a disposable. I feel like not every photograph can be taken with a disposable as some need definition with clear focused parts and blurred backgrounds to make an effective picture.
Janet Delaney documented San Francisco during the 70’s and 80’s time period. It captures the evolving city, a pivotal time in San Francisco when hundreds of homes were being replaced into more modern constructions. The entire city was changing, communities and neighborhoods were forced to adapt. Delaney says living in South Market crucial to the success of the project. She said she wanted to ‘keep a close eye on things as they were changing.’ But also because she wanted to feel a sense of ownership. The photographs Delaney took of the neighbourhood are barely recognisable compared to the landscape of it today with it’s chain stores and fancy apartments.
This is an interesting article on South Market: http://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/south-of-market
Lauren Greenfield- Fast Forward- growing up in the shadow of Hollywood
Lauren Greenfield created a project focused on the youth culture of Los Angeles, it looks at the themes of money, appearances, celebrities and materialistic possessions. It compared the lives of children from the Westside private schools and the graffiti gangs and party crews of East L.A. I particularly like the electric colours featured in these images also the angles at which they have been taken. They appear as though they are casual which makes you feel as though the photographer is apart of the community. It feels like Greenfield is part of both of the groups because she is able to get so close amongst the action. When photographing communities I think it’s important to become part of one. Without that connection or insider’s knowledge and perspective you cannot fully explore the life style, values and happenings of a specific community.
![Mark Power [1959 - present]](https://hautlieucreative.co.uk/photo16a2/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/10/Ouside-In-A-Magnum-Photo-Showcase-Mark-Power-Portrait-3-1024x681.jpg)
