Keywords for my project:

Photoshoot Ideas:

• Take some self portraits so I can start exploring what parts of me and my culture I feel comfortable sharing and what I can capture/portray through my images. These photos will be in my room so I can start my project in a comfortable environment before I delve off elsewhere in future photoshoots. I’m mainly going to be experimenting with colour, props and lighting to see what I feel would work best with my theme
• Take some images outside in some locations where I know my parents have taken photos before as I’d like to take images in places that are/have been significant to us. I’m not keen on recreating the images identically as it would be difficult with my parents’ work schedules, however, I may attempt to recreate some of the images with myself instead
• Take some images near/at some Portuguese cafes/shops in order to show some of the day to day life of the community rather than have a bunch of photos of myself. I think this would add some life to the project, making it more interesting
• Taking some environmental/documentary photos both at home and at my mum’s work as it would give me some raw images that would make my project feel more real and intimate, especially as the project wouldn’t be entirely made up of posed images
• Taking some photos of my family’s passports as well due to the fact mine is different due to the fact that mine is British which would show a contrast between us
• Possibly take images in English households and compare the different cultures?
• Blurry, windy, dark images on the beach? More abstract images outside
• Journal entries in Portuguese? Family albums/older images? Possibly compare life in Madeira to life in Jersey
• Maybe start at the airport? then La Plage, red park, etc etc then follow it down to now? Set it up like a map or something similar?
• Maybe some photos of my parent’s hands/arms? Representing how a lot of migrant communities tend to work hard at the jobs natives may not want? Maybe juxtapose this with a quote about ‘stealing jobs’? Either that or a tired face?

Some images that link to my ideas:

Vasantha Yogananthan is a French photographer whose most notable work is a photographic retelling of the Sanskrit Epic, The Ramayana, Yogananthan choosing to publish his work in 7 books corresponding to the 7 books that make up the original tale. With previous experience as a painter, he shoots his images using film (alternating between staged and natural compositions), and then has them hand painted to fit into his chosen colour scheme. Yogananthan shows how visible aspects of The Ramayana is in everyday life in South Asia, and going on trips to India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka in order to authentically portray the culture he is depicting.

This is one of Yogananthan’s images from the first chapter of his long-term photobook retelling of The Ramayana, it depicts a man crouching by a misty river where there is no sign of the horizon. The colours are mostly muted, contrasting the yellow of the main figure’s yellow jacket, standing out from the empty grey fog surrounding it. This blank grey sky is a result of Yogananthan’s conscious decision as this image would have been taken on monochrome film and then hand tinted to create the desired mood he was looking for, an air of mystery and potential as this photo is a part of the first chapter of The Ramayana, introducing the audience to the fantastical story. Yogananthan creates visual interest by drawing attention to the texture of the rocks at the bottom of the image, as well as including the figure’s reflection in the water. There is a lot of seemingly empty space at the top of the image, making the figure appear small and insignificant while also making them centred creating a contrasting sense of importance. As there is not much in the image to focus on, the audience begins to question the meaning of the man and the strange environment he is in, allowing Yogananthan to introduce his text of a retelling of The Ramayana. The provides context for the viewer while still leaving aspects up for interpretation.

https://www.a-myth-of-two-souls.com/early-times/

“I am a multidisciplinary artist living on stolen land. My work is driven by personal relations, most often in the photographic practice. My collaborators are often linked by a shared commonality of resistance to capitalist ideals and authority – those who fiercely challenge cultural normative behaviours, practices and expectations through their actions and identities.”

“The spine of British skateboarding magazine ‘Sidewalk Surfer’, Issue 24, March ’98, reads ‘SKATEBOARDING IS FAR BETTER THAN ANYTHING MAGAZINE’. One would be hard pressed to find a skateboarder who would disagree. The words – ‘Skateboarding is better than sex’ – more than once have been uttered to me at a skate park, or dropped in a philosophical discussion of life between skateboarders.”

“Skateboarding is powerful enough to change one’s vision of the world – concrete is no longer simply a building material, a bench is no longer just for sitting, and stairs and accompanying handrails are no longer simply devices to aid one in descending or ascending from one level to another. The urban world is a massive and intricate playground to be explored, full of potential.”

Inspiration

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Locations

Gorey, St Catharine’s, Noirmont

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My aim is to use a tripod and long exposure/ shutter speed to get a calm still image where the sky meets the water over the horizon, Similar to how Shiroshi Sugimoto works. I will be experimenting with different times of day and weather conditions.

What I used for reference –

Research –

• Martin Parr is a British documentary photographer and photojournalist.
• His work consists of taking a intimate and anthropological look on modern life, this can be seen in his projects where he has documented the wealth and social classis of England and the Western world.
• Since 1994, Parr has been a memeber of Magnum photos, where he has been able to publish 40 solo photobooks ans be featured in up to 0 exhibitions worldwide such as in London, 2002.
• In 2014, the Martin Parr foundation was also founded and registered as a charity in 2015 where Parr’s archive is found, holding his collection of British and other photographer Irish Photography, and a gallery.

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3 Key quotes –

1. “In this set of photographs Parr used flash and an underwater camera to create eerie scenarios of snowflakes and driving rain,”

I have chosen to use this quote because I think that it successfully describes the technique which Martin Parr uses within his photography to create his photos. This shows the simplicity of the technique and how easy it can be to make the weather look more extreme, creating that eerie feeling of this weather which seems as if you can’t escape it, than it already does through the use of flash photography and using an underwater camera to give the photos a distorted view within them.

2. “the feeling of claustrophobia experienced towards the end of it.”

I have chosen to use this quote because it represents how in Parr’s work he wanted to capture this feeling of claustrophobia which is created through the use of flash and underwater lens in his photography. Therefore this effect enhances that feeling of isolation as this type of weather which he explores within his photography can be linked into ties where people are unable to go out and see friends/family due to bad weather conditions and how this can make others feel.

3. “it was a reassertion of independence and a declaration that, from now on, photography was to be a solitary occupation.”

I have chosen to use this quote because I agree with how it states that photography can be seen as a solitary occupation because many photographers work is done by themselves, where they go out and produce sets of photos on a specific theme which they have thought of and wanted to create by themselves and avoid influence or plagiarism from other photographers. I also agree with how the quote states that it is a independence declaration which adds a level of freedom to being a photographer, and in a way Martin Parr’s work can be seen as the beginning of the movement of independence and representing photography as a solitary occupation which people do alone as it can be refreshing and calming.

Image analysis –

For this image which I have selected to use for my image analysis, is called “Three kinds of summer” which is a photo taken by Martin Parr apart of his ‘Bad Weather’ project. This photo shows how the techniques which have been used and described in the quote above that states “Parr used flash and an underwater camera to create eerie scenarios of snowflakes and driving rain,” and I think that this technique has been successfully used throughout his work. This is because it gives the photo this effect that the weather is almost unbearable to be in as the rain has been transformed through the use of the underwater camera to look heavier and as if the raindrops are bigger. The other focus point of this photograph is how the lady who is seen to be further back in the photograph does not have a coat on, which can suggest that the weather was unpredictable and unexpected as she put up an umbrella in a rush but doesn’t have a coat, therefore this successfully sows how Parr captures the theme of ‘Bad Weather’ throughout his work as he shows how terrible and unpredictable it can be.

A crown dependency is territory that is self-governing under the authority/supervision of the British Crown meaning they have their own legal systems, legislative assemblies etc however are not a part of the UK. There are multiple Crown dependency’s in the modern day such as Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.

Jersey first became self-governing in 1204 after King John lost the Battle of Rouen against the French King Philippe-Auguste. At the time, the Channel islands were expected to have aligned themselves with France, however they decided to side with King John instead as it would grant them the right to be governed by their own laws, create the Jersey Royal Court [by allowing Jersey to choose their 12 best men to sit alongside the Bailiff] and a warden [which later became Governor] who was appointed by the King to organise the Island’s defence.

I went to my mum’s part time job and decided to photograph certain areas around the building that I thought would look interesting with my projects topic. I took these images on my phone as I wanted to take some test shots before bringing my camera to take better quality images as it would allow me to take quick photos and start thinking of some compositions along with some lighting issues that I could have [due to how dark the building can get] so next time I’ll be prepared to take better quality images with little to no issues.

Contact Sheets:

I didn’t take too many photos as I was aiming to see what was achievable with the limited/dim lighting which led to some basic compositions that I could later improve when I go back with my camera to reshoot the location. I tried to photograph areas that I thought would make interesting photos so that I would waste less time scouting interesting photos and more time photographing next time I return.

Best Shots: Post-editing

I think my mock images look really interesting already, especially due to the different types of lighting I’ve managed to achieve with a limited source. When I go back to take new images on my camera, I’m going to try and get more perspectives and take my time to make sure my images are in focus so I get a bigger selection of images that I can use in different ways throughout my project especially as I now have a better idea of what I can achieve and how my images will link together.

Josh Nice is a London based photographer who bases his work as a film-focused photographer who’s printed and self-published a number of zines, often depicting his friends and community in black and white images. Josh creates many different photo-zines and releases them on his website for sale.

Josh shoots all his photos on film and when he shoots a body of work he prints it out in his darkroom to then turn his photos into a project such as a photo-zine, photo book or some sort of print project. Nice states that, “My work interprets the theme of ‘print’s not dead’ very strongly because I ALWAYS turn my work into print. I love the tangibility of my work and love holding it in my hands.”

Josh Nice won a prize and earned a publish in a magazine after submitting his ‘Prints not Dead’ project zine.

“I love physically holding photos or something that I’ve created, looking at your photos in a publication is way more satisfying than looking at them on a computer screen” – Josh Nice

https://www.joshnice.com/shop

London-based skateboarder and photographer Josh Nice first met the Bordeux-based Perdu skate crew in 2015 whilst they were in London checking out Southbank’s skate spot, a shared love of skateboarding smoothed over the language barrier cracks and an instant friendship formed.

Nice’s latest trek with the French skate crew took him to Berlin for a week. Camera in hand, the photographer documented the group as they rolled around the German capital, hitting up hidden skate spots and exploring the city’s renowned architecture. These candid, black and white images come together to form Nice’s latest zine, titled Berliner Perdu.

History of postmodernism

Postmodernism derived from modernism, around the 1960s, as a nihilistic response to modernism, criticising all its ideology and values.

Modernism was a global movement in society and culture, originating in the 1940s evolving through to the 1960s. It sought a new alignment with the experience and values of modern life, by focusing on industrialisation, urbanisation, new technologies and war. It was a rejection of history, conservative values and institutions that were thought to be oppressive and inefficient. It was believed they should be replaced by rational values and institutions. Artists such as Pablo Picasso and Georgia O’Keeffe build on the ideology by creating original artworks that best reflected the realities and hopes of modern societies. This often included innovation and experimentation with form, a tendency to abstraction and emphasis on materials, techniques and processes.

Postmodernism is an objection to modernism influenced by disenchantment brought on by the Second World War and failure of Liberal, Capitalism and Stalinism to deliver the promise of wealth and freedom. “It’s an attitude of scepticism and irony towards rejection of grand narratives, ideology and universalism, criticises objective notions of reason, human nature, social progress, absolute truth and objective reality” – Jordan Peterson. It’s based on the reason that we categorise to marginalise; in order to obtain political and economic power. The collapse of tradition ultimately lead to a societal breakdown where meaning was difficult to discern, and the questioning of the humankind’s place in the universe. Individuals, therefore, ceased to believe in the one unique meaning of art and literature and alternately believed in deriving their own meanings. Artists such as Cindy Sherman and Andy Warhol deliberately used traditional styles, recycling, parody, irony and collaboration amongst many other techniques in order to portray that individual experience and the interpretation of our experience was more concrete than abstract principles, embracing the complex and contradictory layers of meaning.

Image analysis

This is a black and white self portrait of Cindy Sherman in New York, USA, 1978. The main focal point of this photograph is the shot of Sherman framing her head to shoulders. Her expression is rather one of disgust aimed at someone off scene. In the background we can see blurred office buildings. The artist started an Untitled Film Series in 1977, in her apartment using her own interior for setting scenes. The collection presents us with images of generic female film characters. Shareman liked to play with the idea of recording fiction with fiction, by playing a character of a character. This plays on the idea of irony, one of the postmodernist ideologies. In this particular photograph she plays the character of a young professional girl, in smart clothing on her first day in the city. This strikes a resemblance to the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s with the core message of the film; trying to make a new identity and exploring one’s femininity. In her interviews Sherman explains, “I’m trying to erase myself more than identify myself or reveal myself. That’s a big, confusing thing that people have with my work: they think I’m trying to reveal these secret fantasies or something. It’s really about obliterating myself within these characters.”

PICTORIALISM

time period :

1880-1920s

Key characteristics/ conventions :

Photography wasn’t being taken seriously as an art form as it originally derived from the need to document science, as a result artists started mimicking paintings through their photography to add on an artistic element.

Artists associated:

• Clarence H. White
• John Everett Millais
• JMW Turner

Key works:

Methods/ techniques/ processes:

Vaseline on lense, madrk room image manipulation, scratching and marking print.

REALISM / STRAIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

Time period:

1904 – 1930s

Key characteristics/ conventions :

Attempts to depict a scene or subject sharply, in detail, just like the camera sees it without post manipulation.

Artists associated:

• Ansel Adams
• Edward Weston
• Bernice Abbott

Key works:

Methods/ techniques/ processes:

Producing sharp images without manipulation.

MODERNISM

Time period:

1840 – 1960s

Key characteristics/ conventions :

focused on industrialisation and new issues rather than victorian values, producing original abstract or surreal images.

Artists associated:

• Claude Cahun
• Pablo Picasso
• Georgia O’Keefe

Key works:

Methods/ techniques/ processes:

Photomontage, experimentation, abstraction.

POST-MODERNISM

Time period:

1960s – 1970s

Key characteristics/ conventions :

Reaction and criticism to values and ideas of modernism, sceptism, irony, phylosohical creteques of the concept of universal truths and objective reality.

Artists associated:

• William Eggleston
• Yasumasa Morimura
• Cindy Sherman

Key works:

Methods/ techniques/ processes:

Deliberate use of traditional styles, recycling work, parody, collaboration and many other.