Millennium Images

I have completed my images for the Millennium brief given to me. I am pleased with the images I have produced but if there is anything that I would do anything differently it would be planned better in advance. I felt at times that I didn't know why I was taking some photographs and felt that they were great images but they didn't fit with the range. This annoyed me and I hated having to not put in work I liked because I didn't plan it well enough in advance. Next time I will find my focus on what I want to take images of and why so I can plan and execute in time what I want to photograph.

I have also finished my artist statement which I found to be a different approach to normally writing about my own work. Im not used to writing in third person and I certainly learned a lot from researching and carrying out an artist statement. It made me think differently and find out new ideas about my own work that I may not have realized before hand. I feel artist statements work really well in portraying your work in a small amount of words and you can really express yourself and thoughts about your own work.

Bradford Trip

I recently visited the National Media Museum in Bradford which I found to be very interesting. When I arrived I wasn't quite sure what the tour would be like, whether we would be aloud near old images or not. We were first shown the archives of the Herald newspaper and every photograph that had been in the paper would have been stored in that cupboard. We also got to see a very large collection of cameras that dating right back to Fox Talbot all the way up to your dslr's of today. After this we got to see some of the first daguerreotypes which i felt was a very special piece of photography to see as I may never get to see any photography like that again. I felt very privileged to have been able to be so up close with such old and priceless pieces of history. It was very interesting being in a building and throughout a day seeing the growth of photography through the ages. It is truly remarkable what photography has achieved. 

In the afternoon we had a talk with photographer Simon Roberts who in my opinion was brilliant. He gave a little introduction about his background and how he became a photographer. He then went on to talk about his two big projects 'Motherland' and 'We English'. He talked very passionately about his work not so much of the process he took to take them but why he was photographing there and the reason behind his images. I thought he was very funny and confident in his own work. I could see his love of photography through his talk and interaction with the group. It was a very pleasing talk to be a part of and I because of the small group that was there it made it feel personal. I learnt a lot from the day, I don't think ill take a photograph or granted in the future as It may have a use in the future. 

Millennium Images and The Commercial Model

I have decided to do black and white landscapes for the Millennium Images brief. At first I was going to produce portraits as I didn't think that Millennium used a lot of landscapes but after researching the company and having Giacomo Furlanetto come and talk to us I realized that they did like to use landscape photography and so I have decided not to just do your stereotypical landscape work but instead black and white. I've chosen this because I haven't produced black and white landscapes before so it will be a whole new process when it comes to editing the final images. I have produced about  dozen images so far for the project and I'm happy with the process and the images. 

I presented my Commercial Model project to Ian last week and I was happy with the reaction I got from both Ian and my class mates. My first four images I felt were the strongest as I knew exactly what I wanted to produce and how I was going to go about doing that. With the last two I struggled a little bit, I wasn't able to get a female model willing to pose and so I had to ask my girlfriend which she was hesitant about at first. After a little time in front of the camera she began to get used to the process and I started getting the images I wanted. With the first two shoots I used a Canon 5D Mark II whereas I used my own Nikon D80 on the last shoot. I felt I couldn't create the same tonal range that I had in the previous images. If I was to do anything differently I would make sure I could find a model in time that is willing to pose and I would use the equipment that I knew would get the results I desire.

London - Freerange and Printspace 12th Nov 09

The space which Freerange is held is a great space to hold a gallery of work. I think that it would be very beneficial to everyone. My only doubt is the cost and I think that I would find it a struggle to come up with the money that would be needed to go ahead with the gallery.

Printspace was a great experience. As soon as you walk through the doors you feel welcome. We were shown around the whole building and got a guided tour of how all the printers and re touchers work. After we were shown around and were given a talk about different papers, inks and mounts we were able to print off one image each on 16x8 matte. Printspace left a lasting impression on me and I think I would use them again as they are cheap and create great image quality.

This is the image that I decided to print.

Website and Crits

When I started thinking about what type of website I was going to have I knew straight away I wanted some clean and sharp. I didn't want fancy graphics or animations, just something simple easy to use and visually nice to look at. I've created mock ups for my homepage and about page which I am very happy with so far. They still need some work doing to them, but I'm happy with the direction I am taking with them. I have used white backgrounds with a black font. I am going to use my own name as website name rather than having images or photography at the end of it. I plan on having a shop area within the site where the person viewing the site can go and purchase prints if they wish. I still need to have a word with Ian on how to go about putting that part of my page together and what t's and c's I will need to put in place. 

Recently my class was told that we will be doing weekly crits and reviews which I think is a great idea, especially with helping our writing if I go on to top up to a BA Hons degree. There was also a discussion about a trip to London which I found a bit frustrating. A few people were annoyed that the trip would be on a Thursday and that they have to work. The trip isn't until the 12th November and I felt that it is sufficient time to get the time off work. The journey to London would be very helpful and interesting if nothing else.

Flickr and Websites

I recently became a Flickr Pro user after seeing what the site has done for some people. A friend of mine was asked to show is his work in a gallery after someone viewed his work on the site. I'm happy with what I've been able to do and with the groups I am able to join on the site. People are keen to comment on work and point out the pro's and con's with photographs which always helps improve my photography. 

Every Tuesday in college we are designing our own websites which I found very confusing at first. I have been  contemplating paying a professional web designer to do the site for me but I would still like to know how to create a site so I know for future preference. I have tried searching for any site names that are similar to my own name and none of which I found which is good if I decide to use any of the names I've come up with so far.

Second Year Begins

Second year has just begun and the work is flooding in. I've been set several different briefs, some of which I think will turn out well. Our timetable has changed and on Wednesday we now have lectures from Ian Shipley in the morning and in the afternoon we have guest speakers coming in to talk to us, such as Steve Schofield, Simon Roberts, Vanley Burke, Martin Parr and Laura Pannack. 

This year I want to broaden my portfolio, so instead of having landscapes I'm going to photograph people and see what different images I can create. After the first week back I had already completed two portrait shoots that will go with the briefs I have been given. Anton Corbijn has been a big influence on the type of portrait images I'm producing. I find his style of imagery to be very influential on pop culture and artists. The images I produced from the two shoots I completed I was very happy with considering I have never shot any portraiture before. I used the Canon EOS 5D Mark l and Canon EOS 5D Mark ll both of which I used a 24-70mm and 50mm prime lenses. Last year was a big learning curve for me as I found my work not to be as technically good as I wanted them to be and after using the Mark l and Mark ll I was very pleased with the detail and crispness of the shots, as this was the outcome I was wanting to produce.

Fill in Flash

After practicing using fill in flash with Ian yesterday, it has really got me in the mood to take some natural portraits using the fill in flash. I'm hoping to loan out one of the flash guns from college to use when I do the West Highland Way next month. I want my images to be excellent quality and I feel the use of a fill in flash should help the images stand out more. The flash guns in the college are only Canon and I have a Nikon D80 so need to use the flash which may not be the best suited to my gear but it will have to do for now. I had ago with the flash in college to see what its like and straight away I can see an improvement in the sharpness of the images compared to my other portraits I have taken in the past. I can't wait to get out and have a proper go and see what I can produce.

Portraits

I was at Ian's studio this morning showing him my portfolio that I recently put together. The feedback I got from him was good in the sense that I can now go and improve on the way I take the images. I've found that my weakness is the sharpness if the images, and he was showing me different ways that I can improve on this. I als0 asked him on how I can take better portrait images. So he showed me a few different ways to make portraits look better with some fill in flash. I really like having this time with Ian as I dont get it in the college. 

Customer Publishing, Wed 6th May 09

Harriet visited the class yesterday to have a look at my final images that I chose. I was expecting her to hate them to be honest, so I was suprised to hear her say she liked them. They weren't the best quality of images and I believe this is due to my camera not being able to produce better images. I was generally happy with the feedback I received. I don't think the brief was laid out very well as she was expecting more of a story with the images. I feel that it was left a bit to open. My brief was landscapes and architexture and the images I produced were landscapes and architexture some landscapes with architexture in them. I just feel that she forgot the brief she gave us and didn't realise what area we chose to cover.

I also had another chat with Chris about the quality of my images and how I can keep creating better work. we got chatting about using film and seeing if that can help and investing in some new equipment. I would love to learn how to use film but I feel a little worried about using it incase I'm rubbish at it. That's my main worry. In the mean time I'm concentrating on my assignments and my walk which is now getting closer. Really excited, I just want to get out and start recording our trip! Its going to be an adventure! Can't wait!

Marketing Presentation 29th April, 2009

Thats my group just finished our marketing presentation which was in front of the ND students and staff. I was a little nervous before I started, not entirely sure about what I was going to say but when it came to me I actually found it quite easy and the words just came out without any stuttering. I was very happy with the way the presentation went considering we only had a couple of days to prepare. 

Wednesday 29th April, 2009

I'm just about to go into the lecture theatre to present a powerpoint on ways of marketing a landscape photography business. I don't think we have had enough time to prepare for the presentation. Computers in the class have crashed and lost us time which hasn't helped. 

Only a month to go before I begin walking the West Highland Way. Really looking forward to the walk. Really want to get interesting images. I believe that my work is better now than before I started the course and I hope that comes across in images.

I recently watched Ross Kemps documentary in Afghanistan which really opened my eyes. He follows British soldiers in Afghanistan while on tour and gets stuck right in the middle of some of the fiercest battles seen in the country. The program really shocked me. It got me thinking that maybe I would someday like to go to a war zone and photograph and document whats happening in these places to show the rest of the world. Wether I would actually do it, I don't know at this point. It's something I would seriously consider.

West Highland Way

I've planned to travel up to Scotland on the 5th of June to walk The West Highland Way. The route starts in Milgavie north of Glasgow and travels 96 miles north and finishes in Fort William. It will take me through the lowlands of Scotland up through the highlands. The main areas are Loch Lomand and Glencoe. My best friend will also be joining me, who will then write about the trip. I want to document the trip with my camera and turn it into a book for myself. If I get good enough images I will send some low res pictures to walking publishers and see if I can get published. The images will really have to stand out from the rest that are taken as its a well documented walk, its the most popular walking route in Scotland and walked by over 50,000 people every year, I really will need to create special pictures. We have set ourselves 6 days to complete the walk 5 of which we will be walking and the the sixth to climb Ben Nevis when we reach Fort William.

Filters and Intellectual Property Rights

I've been wanting to shoot longer exposures for landscapes but haven't had any filters to help with keeping the sky from burning out. I bought myself a Cokin filter set in order to help me do this. I got a ND Grad filter to keep the sky in contrast with the whole image. I haven't yet had the chance to use it but hope to when I get back up to Scotland next week. 

Ian Shipley came into the class to talk to us about intellectual property rights and copyright. The talk was surprisingly very interesting and opened my mind up to the possibilities of not copyrighting your work and what the consequences are. I'm quite disapointed with networking sites like Facebook after reading thier terms and conditions. 

Focus On Image

I went to focus on image at the Birmingham NEC a few weeks ago. I really enjoyed myself. I got to see what new gear was coming out. I also got to see a Scottish landscape photographer called Duncan Mckewan who I later e-mailed after going onto his website. He had images of my grandparents home on the Isle of Harris. I also got the  two Travel Photographer Of The Year books for £20 which made my day really. I'm now planning on entering this years competition. 

Yesterday we went to the Format 09 Festival in Derby. We had a really interesting talk with Steve Harris and Mel Bles who travelled across America photographing all the scenes from there favorite 70's movies. Really enjoyed this talk because they were so enthusiastic about the whole trip and that came through in their talk.

New Term

I have just started the new term at uni and I have been given a couple new projects. I have to produce commercial images for a hotel companys range spa treatments. I'm not aloud to use photoshop in anyway so the images have to be of the highest quality when taken! Im looking forward to this assignment because ive never attempted anything like this before. Its all new to me and will be interested to see how well i get on with it.

I have also been given a competition to enter into to. Its a Fujifilm prize that allows the winner to have their image put on the front of Rachel Carsons book Silent spring. The image has to be taken on Fujifilm professional film. I find this interesting because the book is about the damage of chemicals to the enviroment.  I found this funny when i heard about this because last year i used to spray newly planted trees with chemicals to keep them living. So i think i can bring something personal to this assignment.