Create a series of images that convey the experience of being human in a social, cultural or personal context
I want to explore and document the human condition which encompasses the experiences of a person. These experiences can be broken down into: social issues, such as unemployment, inequality and poverty. Cultural issues, for example sexism or loss of communities and personal issues.
Below I have created a mind map of different issues that I could begin to photograph:
Below I have created a mind map of different issues that I could begin to photograph:
Economic Downturn
Since the economic recession high streets have been hit hard due to the fall in consumption, causing shops to close down all over the country. I wanted to photograph closed down shop fronts, as I think this would portray the extent of the issue. When deciding where to go and photograph I was trying to think of poorer areas that had lots of empty and closed shops. However, I was then walking down my local high street, which is perceived to be in a middle class area, when I noticed that there was lots of shut down shops. This just shows the extent of the problem, as all areas have been affected by the recession. I then went out and photographed the fronts of all the closed down shops to find that there were a total of 10 just on my local high street. |
James Clark
James Clark created a body of work called Downturn, where he looked at how the British landscape had been changed by the ongoing economic turmoil and this closely relates to the work that I did on closed down shops. Over a period of a few months he went round photographing buildings, objects and places that have become derelict due to the current financial hardship. Here are a few of his photographs below:
The Economic Divide in Society
I wanted to explore the economic divide in society, as this is an ongoing issue all over the world as inequality increases. This is occurring as the rich in society are prospering as they can take advantage of processes such as globalisation, where as the poor suffer.
I therefore started with the two extremes in society. I went into central London where I photographed the homeless and then I visited Buckingham Palace in order to capture royalty. The photographs convey the stark contrast between the two, from living on the streets to living in luxury.
I then developed this further and took photographs of two different council estates in London, as well as a plot of prefabricated homes, and then compared this with extravagant buildings in affluent parts of central London (contact sheets are below).
Below are my selected edited photos. I decided to edit all the images the same, making them all black and white. I think this works well as it creates a similarity throughout the series of pictures, which then allows the differences to stand out further.
I therefore started with the two extremes in society. I went into central London where I photographed the homeless and then I visited Buckingham Palace in order to capture royalty. The photographs convey the stark contrast between the two, from living on the streets to living in luxury.
I then developed this further and took photographs of two different council estates in London, as well as a plot of prefabricated homes, and then compared this with extravagant buildings in affluent parts of central London (contact sheets are below).
Below are my selected edited photos. I decided to edit all the images the same, making them all black and white. I think this works well as it creates a similarity throughout the series of pictures, which then allows the differences to stand out further.
Overpopulation/Urbanisation
As the global population reached 7 billion in October 2011, it can be argued that overpopulation is the worlds worst and most striking issue and therefore there are many ways in which it can be presented. Before going out to take my own photographs I therefore looked at other photographers work in order to explore the different ways in which I could photograph overpopulation. Below is a visual mind map of ideas:
I first wanted to experiment with light painting and so I went to the bridge over the north circular when it was dark. I set up a tripod and took photographs of the cars using a very slow shutter speed of "4 - "13. This created streams of white and red light from the cars.
I think the photographs do convey overpopulation due to the continuous lines and they also represent urbanisation, as the photographs shows a city landscape and the lights and cars create an urban feel. Furthermore, the lights show fast moving transport and this could reflect the movement from rural to urban areas. However, I think that the issue might be portrayed better if I just take photographs of a very busy, traffic filled road or I could carry on using a slow shutter speed but photograph crowds instead. |
I wanted to explore different ways to present the issues of overpopulation and urbanisation. I went into central London and took photographs in Oxford Street and in the London Underground. I carried on using the technique of a slow shutter speed as I think it effectively shows the massive swarm of people. I think the photographs on the escalators work well as there is a good sense of balance due to the symmetry of the escalator. I also like it because it portrays the mass movement of people. I like the picture on the street, however it didn't work as well due to the bright daylight. The photographs were mainly over-exposed as it was too bright. Also I went on a Monday morning and so central London wasn't busy enough, therefore in the image below I have had to layer three photographs on top of each other. I like this idea and therefore I might go back into London one evening when it is more busy. My contact sheets and the edited images are below:
Photoshop: For a few of the images I digitally manipulated them in photoshop in order to create a more busy photograph. For example with the image below I first layered two photographs on top of each other that were taken from exactly the same point. The original image didn't have many people on the right hand escalator as you can see in the picture below. I therefore lowered the opacity of the second image and flipped it, this created a blur of people on the other side of the escalator as well (see second picture below). Finally I used the smudge tool in order to create more of a blur over the people at the top of the escalator (see final picture below).
Development Ideas:
To develop the my photography of urbanisation I could go around London and take photographs of the urban landscape. For example buildings, developments and transport. This was a photograph I took in the Underground which I think is effective due to the florescent lights and reflective metal which help to convey the urban landscape. Another idea I had is to photograph buildings and then digitally manipulate them to show the mass scale of the urban development and overpopulation. The photograph to the left I created on photoshop just by copying and pasting a section of a building. Alternatively I could also photograph the skyline. |
If I want to develop the issue of overpopulation further I could go to a very busy location that was large crowds and take pictures which I could then edit with a radial blur, as I have done in the photo on the left. However I think it would be more effective if the photographs were taken from a high angle. |
Marcus Lyon
Marcus Lyon is a British artist, born in 1965, who's work is exhibited all over the world. He studied Political Science at Leeds University and then went on to read Leadership at Harvard Business School and then Performance Measurement at the Kennedy School of Government. He first worked for Amnesty International in Latin American and this is how he became interested in issues such as urbanisation and development. Lyon created a body of work called 'BRICS', which refers to the worlds rapidly developing, urban giants: Brazil, Russia, India, China. His piece of work looked at the rapid growth of cities, as the majority of population growth is concentrated in cities.
This image is from Marcus Lyon's body of work called BRICS, it was taken in Santa Teresa, Rio De Janeiro in 2008. All of the images where shot from helicopters and other high vantage points, in this image the high angle enhances the scale of the buildings. He then makes montages from individual frames to make the final composite images. This makes the photograph appear even more dense and busy, which helps to convey the themes of urbanisation and overpopulation. In this image all the buildings are a similar size and shape, creating a uniform sea of architecture. Lyon creates a sophisticated and interesting link between his images and the issues that he is trying to portray, the techniques he uses help to present the theme; for example, the whole frame is filled and this helps convey the large scale of the urban environment.
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city landscape
Barcelona has a population of 1..6 million people, although it is still far from a mega-city, it is the city with the 11th highest population population in Europe. While I was there I took the photographs below of the crowded city landscape, I thought it would be an effective way to present the issue of urbanisation and overpopulation. I cropped the images to create a full and busy panorama image. This creates a more crowded and overpopulated feel as there is no negative space. The square geometry of the buildings creates a repetitive feel which also makes the image appear more compact. I think the photos work well, although if I wanted to enhance them even more I could digitally manipulate them to make them appear more dense. The images may also look better if they were more zoomed in so that you could see the detail in the landscape. If I decide to develop this further I could photograph the London landscape.
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industry
While in Barcelona I came across lots of heavy industry, such as shipping, manufacturing and energy. Industries such as these contribute greatly to fossil fuel emissions and thus are one driver of climate change. I therefore thought that it may be interesting to photograph. In addition to this they also represent industrial urbanisation and consumerism. I like the photographs of the container ships on the dock in Barcelona, as their repetitive square shape helps to convey the scale of them. Their different tones also create a visually interesting section of shapes. I think the other photographs of industry also work well, as they contain lots of lines and shapes of different shades which creates a busy and complex image. I think this idea has the potential to create some very interesting photographs, however living in London, it may be difficult to access industrial plants or docks such as these. Therefore, I may not be able to develop this idea any further. Although, I could go and take pictures of building sites, as they will similar geometric pictures and could also present urbanisation and overpopulation. The photographs of the container ships also link to another body of Marcus Lyon's work.
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urban DEGRADATION
Spain's unemployment is at 25%, and there are increasing social, economic and political tensions. This has resulted in urban degradation, as buildings become dilapidated and graffiti spreads over the city. I went around Barcelona and photographed the urban landscape. I mainly photographed ruined or defaced buildings, as they effectively convey the urban degradation in the city. I then edited the photographs to make them all black and white, as the black and white tones help to highlight the different textures. For example, in the first photograph below the darker tones on the walls show where the plaster has been eroded. Removing the colours from the images takes away the vibrance and thus makes them appear more run-down, and this works well. However, to make the series of images more specific, I could have focused on one aspect of the city, for example housing. To further this idea I could go to areas of London where there is urban degradation, for example the housing along the North Circular.
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markel redondo
He studied photography at the University of Bolton and then did an MA in Photojournalism. He mainly focuses on Social and Environmental issues and has photographed for clients such as Greenpeace, WWF and The British Council. One body of work that Redondo completed looked at the Economic Crisis in Spain, as he is originally from Spain he took great interest in the recession, where in some cities there was 40% unemployment and there were an estimated 1..2 million empty houses. Below are three images from this series, they all highlight the desolation and urban decline that came from the economic crisis. His work relates to the photographs that I took while in Spain, as we both looked at how the economic situation had affected the landscape.
LOCATION IDEAS FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT:
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james wakefield
James Wakefield gained a photography degree from Manchester Metropolitan University. He has looked as aesthetic based photography when considering Urban Decay in the surrounding landscape. He said that 'as cities have grown and economies developed, some areas have suffered. The result is nature fighting back to reclaim land that was once taken from it'. He looked at the dilapidation of the environment and I have therefore included him in my work as I want to explore the same theme. Below are three images from his series Urban Decay:
adapted brief: 'create a series of images that display the decaying urban environment'
After looking at James Wakefields work I travelled to Pontoon Docks in East London in order to photograph the Millennium Mill (an old, abandoned building) and other dilapidated and decaying buildings. I managed to get good shots, however I was unable to go beyond the fence of the mill and so I could not get close shots or any photographs of the inside to the building as there was security. Furthermore, the other warehouses I wanted to visited were being used a filming sets and so I was unable to photograph them. I edited the pictures I took in black and white, in order to draw attention to the decay. The photographs of the abandoned Mill are my favourite , as I like the different tones that are created from the peeling walls and smashed windows. However, I don't feel as though I was able to get a great enough range of pictures in terms of angles and content. |
Mathew Merrett
Mathew Merrett is a fine art photographer that has spent many years exploring Urban Decay. He said that his aim is "to bring an unusual perspective and awareness to the things that most people wouldn't give a second glance to". He looks at areas where life once existed but has has now left, leaving behind the surroundings and allowing them to decay, He captures various buildings before they are demolished or redeveloped. He uses a high contrast and saturation in his images, and this is something I want to try out, as I think using colour may also be effective.
Originally I edited my images in black and white. However, after seeing Mathew Merretts work of Urban Decay which uses high contrast colours I experimented with editing some images in colour. My favourite photograph is the close up of the Mill, I think it works best in colour as there are green and yellow tones that could be brought out. I think it is most effective where there are a few bright colours that can be enhanced. However, ultimately I prefer the black and white images, although the contrast in theses photographs is effective. Therefore I might experiment with HDR photography to try and create the best possible image.
hdr
I think it may be more effective if I used HDR, as it would create a more dramatic image and I have therefore looked at various tutorials.
I am going to use a tripod and take the same photograph three times using three different exposures: underexposed (-2), correct exposure (0) and overexposed (+2). I will then edit these photographs together in photoshop to create a HDR image.
I am going to use a tripod and take the same photograph three times using three different exposures: underexposed (-2), correct exposure (0) and overexposed (+2). I will then edit these photographs together in photoshop to create a HDR image.
Above is a step by step guide to how I edited my photographs:
1) Merge a HDR image in photoshop and select the images you want to merge
2) Adjust the HDR settings to suit your photograph, for example the gamma, exposure, detail and highlighting
3) I made the image black and white, altering the tones of different colours
4) I edited the brightness and contrast of the image
5) You can then adjust the levels
1) Merge a HDR image in photoshop and select the images you want to merge
2) Adjust the HDR settings to suit your photograph, for example the gamma, exposure, detail and highlighting
3) I made the image black and white, altering the tones of different colours
4) I edited the brightness and contrast of the image
5) You can then adjust the levels
I like the effect of HDR photography and therefore I might experiment with it some more. However, I think I need to find a location that can provide me with a wider range of pictures. Therefore I might visit the Haygate Estate and also try and find some more abandoned places, possibly around the docklands.
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I visited Waterloo where there is a tunnel that is a designated graffiti spot. I thought this would be another interesting way to present decay as graffiti is often associated with urban degradation. Below are my edited images. I do like them as I think the high saturation and busyness of them creates an interesting image. The florescent lighting also provided a different light source which helped to illuminate the images, creating highlights and also making them appear more urban. However, I think that the theme of urban degradation is better presented through buildings and declining landscapes, therefore I won't develop this idea further.
Very close to my local area, near Turnpike Lane, I managed to find a large area of land that is disused and therefore there were various abandoned buildings located there. The plot of land actually belongs to Sainsbury's, although it is yet to be developed. I took photographs of the waste land, an old industrial looking building, inside a warehouse/storage building, inside what appeared to be an old prefabricated office building and two other buildings.
The pictures below are the selected edits from inside the various buildings. I like the images from inside the office block as there was a lot of waste furniture, debris and other goods and this created a more interesting image. However, I was only taking photographs through an open window and therefore I couldn't get a great range of images. Although I could gain access to the inside of the building and so it may be worth going back to explore inside, then I would be able to get more close ups which may be interesting. The photographs from the storage building present a more empty image, as they show wide abandoned rooms. The image of the changing/bathroom is also interesting as everything is still in tact, such as the lockers and benches, and this creates an eeriness around the abandonment. I edited the photographs in black and white as I think it helps portray the abandonment.
The following images where all taken within a closed off, unused waste land in which there was one building. I quite like the photographs of the building as they all show lots of various textures which help to present the decay. The image of the open space is also quite effective as it shows the vast, abandoned area. I have edited all the photograph with a low saturation, I think this works well as it takes the vibrance and life out of the images, making them appear more ruined.
This last set of edited images are all of the old, period building:
yves marchand & romain meffre
Yves Merchand and Romain Meffre produced a book called 'The Ruins Of Detroit', it was the result of a five-year collaboration that started in 2005. Neither of the photographers have any formal training but they have been working together since 2002.. Their photographs from Detroit are disturbing as they capture the decay in an almost apocalyptic way, but they are also powerful as they are a testament to the destructive cost of American capitalism. Detroit, despite being a major American city, has suffered over the past generation due to the economic downturn. Decay is preset all over the city and has become a natural part of the landscape. Merchand and Meffre documented this disintegration, and they said that "Ruins are the visible symbols and landmarks of our societies and their changes, small pieces of history in suspension". They captured both the inside and outside of abandoned and decayed buildings and their work is very relevant to what I am looking at. In central image below they have physically manipulated the photograph by pasting it onto a piece of material and then peeling bits off. I think this is particularly effective as it physically represents the degredation. I may therefore experiment with different ways to do this.
I went back to the derelict buildings in order to collect some waste material from the surrounding site. I picked up old pieces of wood and ceiling tiles etc. that I can use to physically manipulate my photographs. I also took some more photographs which can be seen below. My previous photographs were of the surroundings and so this time I mainly focused in on different things, rather than looking at the buildings as a whole. I also went inside the abandoned office block so I could get different photographs of the inside.
Cornelia parker
Cornelia Parker is an English sculptor and installation artist. She did her BFA at Wolverhampton Polytechnic and then went to to do an MFA at Reading University. Her work below was a series of installations called 'Cold Dark Matter'. She collected material from destroyed buildings, for example a shed or church and then suspended the remaining objects. She used everyday objects and then transformed them into compelling installations that provoked different thoughts. I have taken inspiration from her work, as I think it would be very effective to use my collected materials in the final presentation of my images.
physical photographic manipulations
I experimented with different physical manipulations in order to physically decay the image. For this one I printed off the photograph onto normal paper and then got around four pieces of brown tape and stuck them onto the image. I then left them a while a ripped them off, this took off a little bit of the photo, creating the white patches, I then repeated this three times. I think this method was quite effective as it made it appear naturally worn. To create this effect I stuck the image onto an old piece of wood that I collected from the site where the photograph was taken. I then used a wet nail brush and gently scrubbed over the image. This caused parts of the image to come away, revealing the wood texture beneath. I think this technique was very successful as it creates a more interesting and naturally decayed image. As the wood is painted a light grey it complements the black and white image, but I think it may also work well if there was a brighter colour behind. The only downside is that when scrubbing the image you take away some of its detail. |
To create this effect I took the printed photograph and then dripped nail varnish onto it. The image was printed on normal paper and so this didn't really have any effect. Therefore I then scrunched it up a few times while it was still wet. This wore away parts of the picture where it has creased and made it appear quite decayed. I think this was somewhat effective, although it did crease the image quite a lot and to made it harder to see. I therefore held it up to a window to photograph it, as it made the image a lot brighter. Here I glued the image onto an old, rusty saw that I also found at the site where the photo was taken. I then used a sharp object to start to rip away parts of the image, this then revealed the rusty saw beneath. I really like the colour and texture from the saw. However, I don't think this method was effective, as it doesn't look natural and it also doesn't compliment the image. I think it would look better if I just used the saw to stick images onto, rather than rip away parts of the photo. I think it may have worked better with a more appropriate image as well. |
William Eckersley & Alexander Shields
These two photographers created a project called 'Left London', where they looked at the abandonded buildings throughout London that reveal an otherwise hidden side of the city. They took over twenty thousand photographs consisting of both interior and exterior shots, creating a unique book that illistrates urban decay and abandonment. All of their photographs are edited in colour but with a low saturation that helps portray the desolation and degredation. Their work is very relevant to mine, I particularly like their interior shots, some of which you can see below. I think I may revisit the docklands to try and find buildings that are like this.
After looking at the body of work 'Left London', I wanted to take more photographs of decaying urban landscapes and so I went to an abandoned paint factory near Totteridge and Whetstone. It provided the perfect landscape to capture as there were lots of different rooms, colours and textures.
Below are my chosen edited photos, I desaturated the colour in all of the images to create a more abandoned look. I think it works better than black and white, as it creates lots of different tones.
I like the photographs I took, however I wanted to create some panorama images, as then you are able to get a view of the whole area. which creates a more interesting image. Below is a step by step guide as to how I created the panorama:
For my final piece I think I want to have a picture of both the exterior and interior of a decayed and derelict building. I will then display them using old pieces of wood that I found at the sites, although I am still not sure exactly how my final composition will be. I have lots of good interior panorama shots and so I need some of the outside of a building. I therefore went back to the Millennium Mill in the Docklands, as it is visually the most interesting derelict building I have been too. I took photographs from a range of angles to get the best possible view of the building. I also took a tripod and created some HDR images. |
The following images were not HDR, but I have edited them all in black and white in order to concentrate attention on the physical decay, and created a high contrast in order to give a more dramatic appearance. I also used the dodge and burn tools in order to highlight the sky.
HDR Images:
I actually prefer the non-HDR images. This is because often due to the position I was in, the sun was behind the building, and in the HDR images this creates a white line around the mill due to the over exposure. Also the other photographs are more crisp and clear which I think helps bring out the decay.
mock design
I have come up with two ways in which I could display the abandoned Mill. Firstly, I collected a very think piece of wood, which I could make into a make-shift frame for the image. Alternatively, I also have two broken tiles which I could stick the images onto the back of. I think the tiles may work better, although there is cement left on the tiles and they are ribbed, therefore it may be difficult to stick the pictures to them.
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For my final piece I want to display the derelict panorama images on a piece of wood that I found at the site. I have cut the piece of wood into smaller pieces so that I can spread the panorama across the different pieces. This will create a slightly disjointed look, although they will all be connected through the image. I might display one on the front and another on the back of the wood. I could then physically manipulate the images if I wanted to, as I am going to print them onto normal paper. |
I liked the panoramas that I created above, however, I thought it could be displayed more effectively. Therefore I then hung them which worked much better:
To improve the panoramas I experimented with image transferring. I used transfer paint and stuck the images onto the pieces of wood, I then peeled off the top layer of paper using water and this revealed the images below. However, I don't think it was that effective because the colour and detail was lost. It could have been preserved with varnish, although this may not have helped much. |
I thought it may work better if I stuck the images onto the wood and then distressed them with water and glue, peeling off bits of the image. This way you would still get the detail and colour. The colour was slightly greenish but this was due to the printer. I think the result of these was much better, the combination of glue and water created a more definite finish, while using just water created a more faded effect.
pat white
Pat White is a young photographer who is still studying Graphic Design at America University in Washington. These photographs below are two I selected from his series where he creates liquid emulsions on watercolour paper. White only uses manual cameras and then processes his work in a dark room. The printing onto the textured paper, in combination with the rough edges helps to exacerbate the emotions from the photograph. The images consist of urban areas that have become decayed and vandalised, and the roughness of the technique emphasises this. This is the effect that I am hoping to create with my final pieces.
For my final piece I wanted to use different pieces of wood, as the other pieces I used previously had been sawed and therefore looked too neat. I went back to the site and collected pieces of wood that are more appropriate. I then printed off my images onto normal paper and stuck them onto the wood and concrete. The using water and a brush I rubbed away the edges and little sections of the images to create a worn effect.
After initially looking at the work of Sebastiao Salgado and Steve McCurry in my Curatorship project, I settled on photographing the issue of urban degradation and decay. I explored a whole range of areas across London, seeking out places that had the best dilapidated buildings that were also visually interesting. After much experimentation and exploration I created two final pieces. I chose two final locations, the Millenium Mills and an abandoned paint factory, as they were different from each other but both equally interesting. Through this I was able to present both interior and exterior urban decay. I also discovered the best way to present these images in order to enhance the degradation, and chose to present them on old materials that were sourced from the locations and then further decay the images physically. I think the final pieces successfully convey the issue I was exploring in an unusual and creative way.