A Photo Book.......at Last!

At long last I've produced a Photo Book, which is intended to compliment the images and prints for my major project portfolio, using explanatory text to place the images in context. Without the multimedia presentation and this photo book, I have to accept that the assessors might struggle to find a link between the images in the first section (people feeding birds) and the second section, where a mixture of wildlife and documentary genres are used to discuss environmental issues. The photo book will, of course, also be a lasting record of the year that I spent working on the project and who knows? I may even sell a few copies in due course.

A page from my first photo book

I found the production of the book relatively easy. The time-consuming step was preparing the text and images in a Word document, ready for transfer. Using the Blurb interface it took me a morning to download and work out how to use the "Bookwright" software, upload my text and images and then send the resultant file off for printing. I made a few mistakes along the way, most obviously not filling all the space on the front cover with my chosen image, but I was reasonably satisfied with the outcome.

The book arrived after about 10 days. Some of the images had printed rather dark and I noticed one or two defects in the images that had been missed when I looked at the corresponding prints. One image, which was additional to the portfolio images (all of which were included in the book) hadn't printed at all well and was clearly unsuitable for publication. However, overall I was satisfied with the outcome.

My tutor had kindly agreed to look at the book and came up with several suggestions for improvements, mostly to do with the design of the book. He also recommended changing the front cover image. After 35 years of writing science reports my writing style lacks a certain flair and my lack of subjectivity and anecdote in the text was also noted. The visual impact of the text was described as "rather childlike".

My tutor's comments were very helpful. I have spent the last couple of days revising the photo book, replacing some images, removing others and adding a couple of new ones. I have cut down significantly on the amount of text, but I'm afraid that my objective, scientific style of writing will not change overnight - however, I hope that my passion for wildlife and the environment shines through in the text. I will upload the text and images shortly, make many of the recommended changes to the design of the book and send the resultant file off for the printing of my second (and last, for this project) photo book.

Revising the photo book and looking at potential replacement images allowed me to make a final decision regarding which images and prints to include in my final "assessment" portfolio. I had hoped to get the opportunity to photograph Cornwall's very aggressive herring gulls on a recent holiday in St Ives, but on the only day that I would have had any free time (it was a family holiday!) I was ill. Now I am out of time for practical photography and I will use the remaining weeks (when not on holiday) to prepare for assessment submission in September. 

Story Board for Assignment 5

I have produced story boards for the two sets of images (12 each) that I submitted for Assignment 5. The first story board, for section 1 ("what wild birds do for us: feeding the birds") of the Major Project, is shown below.

Following my tutor's suggestion I will remove Image 7 (too similar to Image 6) from the final portfolio. I will not actively seek replacements for any of the other images, which I am reasonably happy with, but will replace one or more if, by chance, I am able to photograph something "better" or more relevant. It should be noted that the ages of the participants in this story board increase steadily in going from Image 1 to Image 10, which is why the images have been placed in this order.

The images for the second story board, for section 2 ("what we do for wild birds") of the Major Project, is shown below.

The images in this section are more varied and highlight the direct and indirect effects of man's actions on our wild birds. There is an environmental message behind these images and it will be necessary to view the multimedia presentation and/or read the accompanying photo book to appreciate fully the story and message that the the images in this section convey. I am committed to replacing Images 22 and 24, which lack the quality necessary for the portfolio (see my last update) and will remove Image 18, following my tutor's advice. It is possible that I will replace one or two of the other, later images before finalising the portfolio by the middle of July 2015.

Assignment 5: Tutor Feedback on Major Project Work and Future Plans

My tutor’s response to my submission for Assignment 5 was largely positive and I feel that I am finally on the right track, with not too much work left to do before submission for assessment in September 2015.

Image / print portfolio.

By splitting the portfolio images into two sections, relating to “what wild birds do for us” and “what we do for wild birds” I have produced a portfolio that “now has a more editorial feel to it. You are observing, categorising and capturing the responses of individuals or the content and atmosphere of various scenes with a view to explaining how it fits in the grand scheme of our relationship with birds”.

He commented on the new images that I had produced since my submission for Assignment 4, noting that (new) image 6 was very similar in content to (old) image 7 (robins and starlings feeding from the hand, respectively): do I need both? This is a fair point: I will remove image 7 from the portfolio, whilst retaining it in both the book and multimedia presentations for the assessment submission (see below).

He noted that image 18 (bird food, feeders etc. in a shop) had “not got anything of the editorial about it”. I half expected this response: the image is very different from the others in the portfolio, although the point of including it is that it provides a clear link between the building of new housing estates and the use of bird food, nesting boxes etc. in the gardens of our (new) houses. Nevertheless I will remove this image from the portfolio (making two sets of 11 images/prints), whilst retaining it in the book and multimedia presentations.

There were quality problems with images 22 (peregrine falcon on cathedral spire: bird too small in the frame) and 24 (bittern: lacks sharpness as an A4 print and unsuitable for A3). I had only chosen these subjects a few weeks earlier and had hoped to have produced better images in time for submission of the assignment work: I was aware of their shortcomings. Both will be replaced, along (potentially) with one or two of the other, later images, with “better” photographs showing similar content, for the portfolio, multimedia and book presentations.

Multimedia

My tutor commented that “this is a strong part of your final submission” and that although “the presentation isn’t slick and quick” it “has got insight and substance”. Also, “it does show the depth of your feeling regarding the environment and the subject which you have treated with respect and a good level of subject knowledge and technical expertise shows through”. He noted that “one or two of the images need a little sharpening”. This may be because I reduced the sizes of the images somewhat in order to reduce the overall size of the multimedia presentation (which was still a hefty 312Mb). In future I will use full size JPEG images for the multimedia.

Book

My tutor noted that “the addition of a book will form a strong circle of presentation for you with this set of work”, but warned that its aesthetic presentation (use of facing pages, white space, text etc.) should add to the images in an accountable way. Also, “…we can look at a page for as long as we wish to so stronger images are better”. The images in the multimedia “may form more of a narrative when used in bursts, as opposed to dwelling [on them] so the formats are not the same”.

Learning Log

My tutor commented that “the learning log [my blog] is well kept and supportive of the development of the project”. However, I should continue to maintain it noting the additions / recommended inclusions that he had mentioned, relating to the major project.

Future Plans

Portfolio Images

My work on the first section of the portfolio (images 1-12, or 1-11 as they will become) is essentially complete, as is my work on the first half of the second section (images 13-19, or 12-17 as they will become after I remove current images 7 and 18 from the Assignment 5 portfolio). I am still looking for stronger images to complete the portfolio – in particular, I must replace images 22 and 24 and the main focus of my work in the next few weeks will be to finalise the image portfolio by getting out and about on the streets. If I have the good fortune to produce “better” examples to replace earlier images so much the better, but I will not be actively seeking these. I am keen to retain a “peregrine” image in the portfolio set and have decided to wait until urban peregrines have fledged (late June –early July) before looking for a replacement for image 22. The final image portfolio may differ slightly in content from what I currently have: allowances for potential changes have been predicted in the text for my book.

Portfolio Prints

In addition to providing the portfolio as A4 prints on Permajet “glossy” paper, using Epson inks, I sent some A4 examples of images 4 and 20, printed on a variety of Hahnemuhle test papers, to my tutor, asking for comments. Commenting on the print quality, he noted that “the images are printed to a very good quality [on the Permajet paper]. Using standard (Permajet) paper with Epson inks is in no way unacceptable for the finished portfolio should you wish to use it….the images produced on it are “half way house” – they don’t make the bad things worse but, perhaps, they don’t make the good things better”. Commenting on the test images he noted that in general images were better resolved on the Permajet paper, probably because my Epson printer is not set up to get the best out of the Hahnemuhle paper. The bottom line was that the choice of papers is a very personal choice and “…the decision has to be yours at this level”. Given this feedback, I will look at getting one or two images commercially printed at A3 size, using a small selection of “standard” and Hahnemuhle papers, before I make a final choice. I will also check whether Permajet print commercially at A3 size using their own papers (which I like) or whether they supply paper to other commercial printers. This has now become a key element of my work, which I will concentrate on. I will write up progress in my logbook / blog.

Multimedia Presentation

I am reasonably happy with the multimedia presentation as it stands. I will need to replace certain images as the portfolio changes (see above) and I will look to make the overall presentation more crisp and “snappy”, perhaps by replacing, leaving out and/or shortening some of the video clips. I will continue to look to produce instructive video clips for potential use in this presentation. I will put the final presentation together a few weeks before submission.

Book

Whilst noting my tutor’s comments I feel that I am close to getting the desired format and presentation style together for the book. As soon as the image portfolio has been finalised I will get a small “prototype” book produced commercially: my tutor has kindly volunteered to comment on this book. Following acting on his and other peoples’ comments I will produce a final version, for submission for assessment.

Story Board

I will shortly produce a simple story board of Assignment 5 images 1 – 24 for incorporation in my logbook and blog.

Final Comments

The way ahead is now clear. The most urgent need is to finalise the image portfolio, because until I have done this I cannot produce a portfolio book, complete my multimedia presentation or get my portfolio printed to A3 size. I have allowed myself 4 weeks from today (10 June) to do this, following which I will get a prototype photo book produced. Concurrently I will continue to get some A3 test prints produced on various papers and make a decision on which papers to use by the middle of July. Holidays (one week in July, two weeks in August, one week in September) will intervene later, so I will need to get as much work as I can (and all the practical work) completed by the middle of July. Progress updates will be provided in my logbook / blog.

On Influences and Inspiration, Part 2 (May 2015)

Incorporating reviews of the following exhibitions:

“Unofficial War Artist” (Peter Kennard, Imperial War Museum, London)

“Freedom of Assembly” (Theaster Gates, White Cube Gallery, London)

(Both visited on 16 May 2015)

In Part 1 I discussed how I derive inspiration for my photographic work from many different areas of the art world, how the paintings of Salvador Dali have influenced and inspired me far more than the work of any photographer, living or dead, and how the aesthetic appeal (a very subjective value) of any work of art plays a part in influencing my photographic output. I have always struggled to elucidate how the work of artists seen in exhibitions, books and films has influenced my own work or state of mind. This document provides a practical example, concerning a recent visit to two very different exhibitions on the same afternoon, which influenced my thinking and may provide me with material for future photographic work.

“Unofficial War Artist” (Peter Kennard)

Peter Kennard has, for nearly 40 years, been a strong and vocal pacifist voice. His work (Image 1 is a typical example) uses photomontage to denounce war and call for nuclear disarmament. His montages have appeared regularly on banners, fly posters and t-shirts at Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Amnesty International events. Student demonstrations have featured his work, as have many “left of centre” publications, including “The Guardian”.

Image 1: “Protect and Survive” (Peter Kennard)

Kennard’s work could not afford to be too subtle. It had to be consumed and understood by the general public, members of whom could then appreciate and use his art work to express their feelings. The work shown in Image 1 was produced shortly after the British Government’s public information booklet, “Protect and Survive” (1980), suggesting measures to be taken in the event of an imminent nuclear war, had been published. The meaning is obvious. Arguably Kennard’s most famous montage, a “reproduction” of Constable’s “The Hay Wain”, in which the hay has been replaced by cruise missiles (made at the time of the Greenham Common protests) is represented here. Another more recent “Photoshop” montage, in which Tony Blair is taking a “selfie” at the time of the Iraq War, with a background of oil well fireballs and explosions, is not here but can be seen in publicity material about the event. Amongst his most poignant material is the “Decoration” series of mixed media (a mixture of digital printing and oil paint) canvases displaying war medals with frayed ribbons, each “medal” displaying unpalatable aspects of the Iraq war such as the number of kills by an American sniper unit (see Image 2).

Image 2: “Decoration” (Peter Kennard)

I have long held a fascination for photomontage work and Kennard’s is some of the best. His motifs are hard-hitting and, in many cases, imbued with a pleasing aesthetic quality which somehow seems to contradict the dirty businesses of war and the nuclear arms race. Furthermore, he was doing this work long before the advent of digital made it that much easier to manipulate and falsify images. In the final room, Kennard pulls many of his works together with a series of numerical facts (e.g. the explosive power of the nuclear weapons carried on each of the four British Trident submarines is equal to 320 Hiroshima bombs). I congratulate the Imperial War Museum, of all places, on bravely putting on this exhibition of Pacifist art.

Influence and Inspiration

This exhibition was “right up my street” for three reasons. Firstly, I love the idea of producing photo-montage (and photo-collage) work that has intent and purpose. I’ve dabbled in this work in the past and it was a pleasure to see the work of a master craftsman of the genre. Perhaps the art of Peter Kennard will be a significant influence on my work in the future.

Secondly, Kennard’s use of statistics to back up his montages and further demonstrate the futility of war relates to my current major project work and the views I hold about how and why man is damaging the environment. Perhaps he is too forceful, perhaps he is preaching to the converted but the use of statistics to back up his arguments, whilst it may not be art, is certainly effective. The sad fact is that the vast majority of us will agree with his anti-war sentiments, but we can do nothing about it. The few politicians who do have the power to change things may well also agree in private with his sentiments but will also do nothing to change the current status quo, such as unilaterally getting rid of nuclear weapons. The same is true with my views about the environment, but I have a voice and Kennard shows me one way in which I can use it.

Thirdly, Kennard’s work is full of ideas and imagination. I was particularly impressed by his use of a magnifying glass to explore cause (the image in the glass) and effect (the linked image surrounding it) or, as in Image 3, to contrast wealth with poverty (“the richest 85 people in the world own the same amount of wealth as the poorest half of humanity, 3,500,000,000 people). Can I use this type of concept in my future work? I believe that I can.

Image 3 (Peter Kennard)

I found this exhibition to be both influential and inspirational. The very act of writing this review has further cemented the ideas contained within – I hope that I can return to those ideas in the future.

“Freedom of Assembly” (Theaster Gates)

Trained as a potter and an urban planner, Theaster Gates has been making a name for himself on the (poor) south side of Chicago by buying or otherwise procuring abandoned or run-down properties, renovating them and using them as community centres. He uses his art works to fund his projects and has established quite a reputation within the art world.

I was tempted to this exhibition by my partner, for whom Gates’ work holds greater resonance. The new work on display here features sculptures in various media, elements obtained from a hardware store, sections of flooring from a school gymnasium (with a series of markings depicting the various sports that were played on the floor) and a series of tar paintings, using materials that his father would have employed in his job as a roofer, before he retired and handed over his materials to Gates.

I found that Gates’ individual works generally lacked appeal and their combination was somewhat discordant. Some of the tar paintings provided a sombre atmosphere and the sections of gymnasium floor worked well as “discovered” abstract art objects, but the sculptures left me cold and uninterested. However, all was not lost. Unusually for an art exhibition, photography was allowed. Whilst the works themselves held little photographic interest I became fascinated by the way in which they interacted, both with their surroundings and with exhibition visitors, in the main gallery of the “White Cube”. I also photographed some close up details of the tar paintings, trying to create art from art.

Interaction between the Exhibits and the Gallery

Images 4 and 5 demonstrate aspects of the interaction between Gates’ exhibits and the gallery space. In Image 4 one of his tar paintings runs into the gallery wall, whilst in image 5 a sculpture and a tar painting are shown against the plain white background of the gallery walls and the gallery floor.

Image 4 (Theaster Gates / White Cube)

Image 5 (Theaster Gates / White Cube)

Interactions between the Exhibits and People

Images 6 and 7 are a couple of the many photographs that I took of the interactions of people with the exhibits. Here, the images are less “Deadpan” and more “Tableau” than Images 4 and 5. They could be left or added to in order to create a narrative.

Image 6 (Theaster Gates / White Cube)

Image 7 (Theaster Gates / White Cube)

Art Detail

Image 8 depicts a detail from one of Gates’ tar paintings

Image 8 (Theaster Gates / White Cube)

Influence and Inspiration

In this exhibition I was influenced not by the exhibits but by the way that they interacted with their surroundings. With its plain, bright, white rooms and lack of distracting décor, the White Cube is an excellent venue for displaying art, particularly when it is not just attached to the walls of the exhibition rooms. Here, the freedom to photograph anything and everything allowed me to experiment and create images with a range of styles: my favourites are the (to my eyes) interesting tableaux.

I am interested in (un-posed) street photography and the tableaux may inspire me to do some more work in this genre, perhaps concentrating on onlookers interacting with an outdoor statue or sculpture. If I can combine this work with on-going projects (such as “feeding the birds”, which is essentially street photography) then so much the better.

Is there a link between the two exhibitions?

In their own, very different ways both exhibitions provided me with ideas and inspiration which, by recording my critique of the work, I can recall and perhaps incorporate in my own work. Sometimes there is an obvious link between exhibitions of the work of different photographers, but here I struggle. Perhaps I could use a tableau such as Image 7 and, using “Photoshop”, replace the tar painting with a mirror or a window (related to the Kennard magnifying glass: see Image 3), with a view that connects in some way to the rest of the image. Alternatively I could create my own tableau, incorporating people, a white wall and a connected “exhibit” in the form of a picture, mirror or window.

Conclusions

Exhibitions, books, films and magazines all have an influence, to a greater or lesser extent, on my thought processes and on the art that I produce. Sometimes it is difficult to quantify that influence, as I have tried to do in this review. Inspiration largely depends on state of mind. Sitting at my computer I invariably struggle to find inspiration from any source. However vising an exhibition, in different and possibly new surroundings, can provide a setting from which ideas and inspiration can flow. If the featured art resonates with what I am trying to do in my own work it can have a significant influence. Memory then plays an important part, so by writing down my thoughts relating to the exhibition (or book, or magazine, or film) work, as I am doing here, I can return to sources of inspiration and use them again, at a time when they may be required.

Logbook Exhibition Visit: Deutsche Börse Photography Prize, 2015 (Photographers' Gallery, London, 18 April 2015)

The prestigious annual Deutsche Börse Photography Prize is awarded to a living photographer, of any nationality, for a specific body of published or exhibited work “that has significantly contributed to photography”, in this case between October 2013 and November 2014. The award contributes to photography what the Turner prize does for art: candidates with a conceptual and/or experimental approach to their work tend to be favoured and often their work crosses into other genres.

This year’s artists ranged from the unknown (Nikolai Bakharev) to the well-known (Viviane Sassen) and, as is usually the case, covered a wide range of styles and genres. What follows is a brief overview of the work of each of the four artists that was exhibited at the gallery, together with my thoughts about their work. I should stress that, as a relative newcomer to conceptual photographic art, my opinions are to some extent based on a naïve assessment of my enjoyment of each artist’s work.

Nikolai Bakharev (Image 1)

Image 1: Nikolai Bakharev

The Russian photographer Nikolai Bakharev was nominated for his work: “Relationship”, which was exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 2013. His well-composed monochrome portraits of couples, families, friends and lovers at leisure on or near Russian beaches are, taken at face value, disarmingly straightforward. Their significance is that they were taken at a time (the late 1980s and early 1990s) when only official state photographers were allowed to take photographs. At beach resorts families or individuals would queue to have their photographs taken in state booths, with formal poses. Bakharov’s photographs, taken clandestinely, provided a more intimate atmosphere for staged and informal portraits, giving a rare glimpse of the Russians genuinely at leisure.

The purpose of Bakharev’s work (to raise money in order to support his personal work) and the purpose of the exhibition (to provide rare insight into the way of life of Russians at leisure at a time when this type of photography was prohibited by the state) are both clear. Additionally, the informality of the photographs, which sometimes appear to be completely unposed, the settings and the compositions produce a feeling that the viewer is looking at film stills. I enjoyed viewing Bakharov’s work.

Zanele Muholi (Image 2)

Image 2: Zanele Muholi

South African photographer Zanele Muholi was nominated for her publication “Faces and Phases 2006-2014”. Her monochrome portraits of gay and lesbian black South Africans are, as with Bakharev’s work, straightforward yet connected by a dark undercurrent – in this case the persecution (often violent) and alienation of this section of society. Muholi, who describes herself as a “visual activist”, combines the images with the personal stories of her subjects. The result is a harrowing tale of homophobia, violence, “curative rape” and murder.

As is so often the case nowadays, the power of this portfolio comes not so much from the images themselves, but from the story line that links them. Histories of violence, “curative rape” and murder highlight the personal tales of the sitters, all of whom come from the Gay and Lesbian community in post-apartheid South Africa where, as in so many African countries, this group is still persecuted. Muholi is making a political statement, seeking to draw attention to an often hidden crime, through her photography. The portraits themselves are well executed and presented, mainly in low key (perhaps appropriate for the subject matter) and with strong contrast. Should the message be an important consideration when judging a body of photographic work, particularly when the message comes more from the text accompanying the images than from the images themselves? The judges will decide. I was informed by this work, but it was not the most striking from a photographic point of view.

Viviane Sassen (Image 3)

Image 3 : Viviane Sassen

Dutch fashion photographer Viviane Sassen was nominated for her Rotterdam exhibition “Umbra”. As the title suggests, the work is all about shadows (both literal and metaphorical) and combines photography with installations, sound and video. This is by far the most experimental of the four works and, as such, is far less easy to interpret. Even within the photographic part of the work several genres are covered and there appears to be no obvious connecting link, other than “shadow”, between the many sections of this work.

In contrast to Muholi’s work, Sassen’s appears to be very much “art for art’s sake”. There seems to be little connection between the various exhibits, some of which (in particular the video of two floating arms with their projected shadows that accompanies a poem by Maria Barnas, apparently rendering the poem in sign language) I enjoyed. The work is full of originality (particularly in her use of mirrors), but it was too vague and too abstract for my own tastes. I therefore assume that this will be the winner!

Michael Subotzky and Patrick Waterhouse (Image 4)

Image 4: Michael Subotzky and Patrick Waterhouse

Subotzky and Waterhouse spent six years producing this monumental portrait of the huge, 54 storey Ponte City building in Johannesburg. Built to house aspiring middle class whites during the apartheid era, the building has undergone several changes. After a failed regeneration attempt it now houses locals and immigrant workers from across Africa. The work was published as a book (“Ponte City” – Steidl and Walther, 2014) and copies of the book were available here for perusal together with hundreds of photographs, many held in light box “towers”, representing views of and from every apartment in the building.

It is obvious that a huge amount of work went into this project, probably far more than for the other works combined. I enjoyed the two dimensional arrays of views from every apartment window and of every apartment interior, stacked in huge light boxes, which formed intricate patterns, as well as some of the more panoramic views taken from both within and outside the building (see for example Image 4). Photographs of found and/or discarded items from within (often abandoned) apartments add to the rich tapestry of a huge building that nevertheless remains a microcosm of South African life and society. If I have a criticism of this work it is that too much is packed into too small a space. Nevertheless the work combines some outstanding photography and clever, aesthetically pleasing display mechanisms with profound social documentary that is, however, never “in your face”. As such, this would definitely get my vote for the prize.

Final Thoughts

The Deutsche Börse award is not themed by purpose, genre or type. It must therefore be incredibly hard to select a winner. Sassen’s work undoubtedly would take the prize for photographic art, whilst Subotzky and Waterhouse would win for ambition, volume of work and the best individual photograph(s). Muholi’s work would win for documentary strength and impact (although the photographs only supplement the story), whilst Bakharev’s images are the most intimate and engaging. Overall, the themes of this year’s finalists were much easier to follow than is generally the case. I look forward to finding out who wins.

How did the exhibition inform my own work? With the exception of Sassen, the works were built around very clear documentary themes, something that appeals to me as a scientist turned photographer. I have discovered that it is very hard to construct a body of photographic work which does not have a clear goal in mind and the work also has to reflect my own personal interests, hopes and fears. The exhibits by Muholi, Subotzky and Waterhouse gave me insights into how to construct that body of work. However, the artistic freedom of Sassen’s work (in particular the use of video and mirrors) provided far more creative ideas. Would it be possible to harness some of this type of creativity and employ it in work having a strong personal, documentary theme? This must surely be my ultimate challenge!

Exhibition Visit: Sony World Photography Awards (Somerset House, London, 25 April and 6 May 2015)

This year the world’s largest photography competition attracted an amazing 173,000 entries from 171 countries. As in previous years the professional competition required photographers to submit up to ten images in one of thirteen categories, as a series that consistently and compellingly told a visual story, whilst the open competition required amateurs and professionals to submit single images in ten categories. National awards (awarded by 54 local juries) honoured the best single image taken by a photographer from each country that had been entered into the open competition. The Sony “Outstanding Contribution to Photography” award for 2015 was awarded to the veteran American photographer Elliott Erwitt and an exhibition of his work was on display.

The discerning eye may have noticed that this exhibition, which was housed in the East and West wings of Somerset House, was visited twice. This was not intentional, but reflects the fact that when we first visited the exhibition, on a Saturday, we had to queue for 75 minutes to gain access, which didn’t leave us enough time to visit both wings. Such a lengthy wait indicates two things: the exhibition was exceptionally popular and the venue is not large enough to house an exhibition of this type – Sony please note!

Professional Categories

The portfolios produced by the professional photographers were clearly of most relevance to my own portfolio work. What were the stories behind the portfolios and how effectively were they portrayed? The stories seemed largely to fall into two categories: original takes on world disasters and tragedies and intimate family stories. In the former category came the overall winner of the “Iris d’Or”, John Moore (USA) with his picture story of how Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, was overwhelmed by the Ebola epidemic. Moore almost takes on the identity of a war reporter, his photographs focusing on the trauma and grief of victims’ relatives as well as the breakdown of law and order within the city. I understand that Moore’s work, which is both intelligently composed and harrowing, was important in alerting the world to the unfolding tragedy in Liberia. As such, it had a purpose. Without this purpose I would have been inclined to criticise his output as voyeurism, taking advantage of others’ misery.

Two portfolios concentrate on another disaster, the collapse of the garment factory in Savar, Bangladesh, taking the lives of over 1,000 people. Rahul Talukder (Bangladesh; 1^st place in the “Conceptual” category) photographed posters of “the missing”, attached to a nearby wall. The posters had been degraded by exposure to the sun and rain. The faces of loved ones were slowly being eroded, just as hope for their survival was also fading (Image 1). I found this work quite moving; a final reminder that each face represented an individual, lost in the tragedy. The work of the Italian Annalisa Natali Murri (3^rd place “Contemporary Issues”), produced a year after the tragedy, superimposes the faces of survivors onto pictures of their surroundings in Savar. Whilst the resultant monochrome double exposures are eye-catching and clever I do wonder about the value of this work as a piece of investigative photo-journalism. The survivors talk about the profound effect that the disaster has had on their lives, but has talking about this and allowing themselves to be photographed been of any benefit to them, or does all the benefit lie with the photographer? Of course it is not the job of the Sony judges to review portfolios on the grounds of moral integrity. Nevertheless, this is one of several examples within the exhibition of work by foreign photojournalists producing features relating to war, disasters, poverty and crime in countries that are far less well off than their own. Should we commend them for their bravery in visiting potentially dangerous areas or criticise them for boosting their own credentials by capitalising on the unhappiness of others? I guess that, since they are professionals who may have had little or no choice in choosing their assignments, I should give them the benefit of the doubt.

Image 1 (Rahul Talukder)

To be honest, the “family stories” portfolios (such as Dovile Dagiene’s images of her children playing with sticks: 2^nd place, “Lifestyle”) left me cold. There were some fine individual images within the sets, but I took nothing from the portfolios themselves. However, I’m not a family man….

I was disappointed, but not surprised, to see very little work relating to the environment or the natural world. However our own Simon Norfolk’s work, illustrating the retreat of glaciers caused by global warming by inserting “fire lines” along their former fronts (Image 2), makes a powerful point simply and dramatically.

Image 2 (Simon Norfolk)

Finally, I must mention the beautifully simple concept that won Donald Weber (Canada) first prize in the “Still Life” category. The simple images of home-made Molotov Cocktails, produced by “EuroMaiden” protestors during the riots in Kiev, Ukraine, are set against an identical, plain background (Image 3) and tell a poignant story.

Image 3 (Donald Weber)

Open Competition

As always, the most imaginative and aesthetically pleasing images could be found in the Open Competition. Wilson Lee’s winning entry in the “Smile” competition (Image 4) is a typical example.

Image 4 (Wilson Lee)

Zoltan Toth’s futuristic composition (Image 5) won the Hungarian national prize and was shortlisted for the “Enhanced” competition, whilst Marcus Bayer’s shortlisted composition (Image 6) was one of several stunning photographs in the “Architecture” section.

Image 5 (Zoltan Toth)

Image 6 (Marcus Bayer)

This exhibition would benefit from being held in much less cramped and confined surroundings than the East and West Wings of Somerset House.

Now that I have spent almost a year putting together my Major Project portfolio of images, study of the professional competition entries certainly gave me further insight into how to create, design and produce a portfolio of images on a given theme - this may at least be of use for future work! In particular, the success of certain portfolios such as those produced by Rahul Talukder and Donald Weber (above) emphasises the importance of planning a portfolio around a simple but powerful concept or idea, a lesson that I have learnt over the last 18 months.

The winning and shortlisted images in the Open competition (the latter best viewed in the book of the exhibition) provided me with much pleasure and also suggested some ideas for future photographic work and study.

On Influences and Inspiration: Part 1 (May 2015)

Whilst progressing through my course work it has regularly been suggested, both by the OCA manuals and successive tutors, that I should note down and discuss, in my logbook / blog, the books and exhibitions that have influenced me and shaped my photographic practice….and why they have had that effect. Indeed, the current course notes suggest that for Assignment 3 (the critical review) I should research and write about “…..the life and work of a photographer or photographic theme that has influenced you or had an impact on the way you work”. I have always had problems doing this, and as a consequence my logbook has fallen short as a document that clearly denotes the journey that I am taking through the world of photographic art. This document attempts to analyse why I have difficulty finding and expressing influences in my photographic work and from where and why I can derive the inspiration to progress. In part two, I will give a typical practical example, concerning a recent visit to two very different exhibitions on the same afternoon that influenced my thinking and might provide me with material for future photographic work.

I am sure that most professional photographers and practitioners of photographic art would, if asked, be able to provide the names of other photographers past and present, who have been important and influential in their development. However, I cannot in all honesty name a single one. I wrote about the contemporary photojournalists Daniel Beltra and Edward Stirton in my Assignment 3 essay and they have certainly had an influence on my current OCA project work, but whether that influence is lasting remains to be seen. I studied the work of Fay Godwin for my OCA Level 2 “Landscape” course and her work has certainly influenced the way that I look at landscapes, but I do very little landscape photography nowadays. My major interest has always been in natural history photography, a genre that is out of step with photographic art (see my essay) and which is often connected to aesthetics. Most, but not all practitioners in this field are largely concerned with the aesthetics of their imagery, since they need to promote their work to the general public in order to make a living by selling it. Whilst some photographers, such as Bence Mate, Paul Nicklen and Stefano Unterthiner produce distinctive, imaginative work that stands out from the pack, it is the aesthetics and imagination that are linked to individual images (produced by people that I may have never heard of) that tend to influence and inspire me when I visit exhibitions such as “Wildlife Photographer of the Year”.

So, what of the influences of modernist and postmodernist photographers? It should be clear from what I have written so far that, for me, the initial appeal of any photograph or set of photographs is aesthetic. Sadly, I find little aesthetic appeal in the works of postmodernist and current fine (conceptual) art photographers. However, closer study of their work and the ideas behind it produces a greater affinity with certain practitioners, such as Cindy Sherman (“Untitled Film Stills”: see Image below) and Jeff Wall (staged tableau). Both photographers produce work that is both aesthetically pleasing and contains narrative and/or (implied) action - this requires interpretation by the viewer, and I enjoy trying to solve puzzles! Some social documentary work, by photographers such as William Klein, also appeals to me. However, I cannot claim that my practice has been significantly influenced by any of these photographers, although it may be in the future.

Cindy Sherman: "Untitled #48"

So, is the lack of an obvious photographic “mentor” a liability? I decided to broaden my search for influences to take in the entire art world. Here there are, I believe, influences on my work. I have always been attracted to the work of the Surrealist painters and, in particular, Salvador Dali. As is the case with many great artists in different fields there is much to disapprove of in Dali the man. He was an extrovert and a showman, a man of dubious politics and low morals who sought to publicise and commercially exploit his talents wherever possible. He also happened to be a supreme draughtsman with a totally original and creative mind, who produced work, the likes of which has never been seen before or since. It is true that his work polarises opinions (my partner hates it), but for me Dali’s work is very special. Why do I find Dali’s work inspirational and how has it influenced me as a photographer? Perhaps some of the answers lie in Dali’s most famous painting, “The Persistence of Memory" (image below).

Salvador Dali: "The Persistence of Memory"

The first thing to strike me about this work is the lovely Catalan landscape, illuminated in soft colours by the setting sun. The aesthetic appeal of the scene is, for me, strong and immediate. The addition of the three “melted” watches, one hanging over the branch of a dead olive tree, one flopping over the edge of an architectural block and the third lying on an amorphous, sleeping creature on the ground (actually known to be a type of self-portrait from Dali’s earlier works) adds an element of mystery which demands that the viewer should spend time contemplating the meaning of the painting. Does it, as Dali comments, disrupt conventional notions of reality and the universe by exploiting moments of extreme irrational intuition? Or was it inspired (as Dali again comments) by the remains of a very strong Camembert cheese? Either way, this painting inspires me because it contains three key elements in huge doses: aesthetic appeal, the ability to enthral by virtue of the nature of its content and finally the narrative within the painting, which challenges the viewer to look more deeply to appreciate its meaning.

I enjoy viewing the works of many other artists: imaginary landscapes and scenes of festivals by Flemish painters, the landscapes of Poussin and the variety of works (particularly his later work) by Goya. However, it is the virtuosity and visual appeal of Dali’s work that stands out above the others for me, work which reached a zenith in his amazing “trompe-l’oeil”, “The Metamorphosis of Narcissus” (below).

Salvador Dali: "The Metamorphosis of Narcissus"

Has Dali’s work influenced or inspired my photography? It has, because although I cannot construct his dream-like images in front of the camera I can, at least, produce distorted images of subjects by photographing their reflections in water, glass and other media. An example is a reflection of a large building in London’s Regents Canal (Image 4).

Reflections in Regent's Canal

Whereas Image 4 appeals to me on an aesthetic level and requires a certain amount of study in order to be interpreted it doesn’t, either in its own right or combined with other images, contain any narrative but is primarily an abstract. Could I use reflections in water, glass or other media that produce an image or a series of images that do contain a narrative? This should be possible, but I would need to seek inspiration from another source and then link the two together to produce a suitable concept for a project. This would represent a further step in my artistic development: to absorb ideas and inspiration from different sources and then link them together to generate another, novel idea that could be developed into a photographic project.

In summary, I currently derive inspiration for my photographic work from many different sections of the art world. Aesthetic appeal continues to play a big part in my own work. Given that I see no reason to avoid trying to produce images having aesthetic appeal I need to develop an approach that underlies this appeal with narrative and that also makes a statement. I have tried to do this during the current course (in particular with the major project) and will continue to do so in the future.

In the second part I will try to show how I can use exhibition visits to spark ideas and inspiration for future work.