Alternative lifestyles - research

During my mini project I decided to research the different ways people live and the ones that 'normal people' will find 'weird'. During this research I discovered a photographer called Laura Pannack who captures people who live in a naturist commun. I like the tone used in these images and how they are not ashamed of how they live.

Tutorial notes - Martin Pearson

Shoot - John Briggs 'welcome to my shed'

Martin has given us a mini project where by we research two to three artists and produce a mini portfolio of four images, I have linked my to my current project where I am following on from my project about 'Three rivers caravan park' however my last series of images where about the place rather than the people. These images are taken of one the residents John Briggs, he has become one of my friends while doing this project and I often go to visit him. 

Johns wife is in a care home as she suffers from Alzheimer's, he confided in me on this particular visit that his wife no longer remembers him and he feels he is going the same way. I picked to photograph him because I feel I want to tell him story and the background as to why he chose 'Three rivers' as his last home.

Interview to follow.

The residents - 8 Months Later

Research

Research - Daniel Meadows

UCAS fair - Manchester

Today we went to Manchester to check out all the University stalls and talk to lecturers and current students. While we were there I spoke to a student at Leeds college of art, University of Westminster and University of Hertfordshire. I am undecided to whether I want to attend university and after going there today I decided it isn't the place for me.

Sean Dower - Visiting lecture

Sean Dower I found was very inspirational, he works in all aspects of the art industry and he explained to us how he achieved all the things in his life so far, so I gained a wider idea of how much work you need to put in to get to where you want to be. I liked his videos 'hot music' and 'no room in hell'.

Cedar Lewisohn - visiting lecture

Today we had a visiting lecture from Cedar Lewisohn who is an artist and curator based in London, he worked for the Tate for 6 years between 2005 - 2011 as part of a fellowship. Although the work he has produced over these years was interesting he wasn't particularly inspirationally to me, he didn't explain how he got to where he was today he just explained the work he had done, I was more interested to how he got the fellowship and how he worked towards his goals. Later on in the day I had a one on one tutorial with him and I found that he didn't really have much encouragement on my project or advise on where to take it next.

Second Shoot 'BIG' project

THREE RIVERS CARAVAN PARK 

This photograph is of the large family function room in the left side of the bar the interior is the same as it was when first built, even the furniture. 

           These are the bar and lounge doors, I like the reflection of the light on the door.

These are the wood cabins that some of the all year round residents live in. 

Tutorial

After discussing my ideas with Shaun I decided to go out on another shoot but this time shoot my images on film- 35mm black and white film.

First Shoot explained.....

This was my first shoot for my 'BIG  project', I decided to photograph the clubhouse/bar of Three Rivers caravan park to show the age of the place for example the carpets and the chairs have not changed since the opening of the clubhouse in 1982. I like these photographs because of the tones I decided to shoot it like this because it portrays the depressing feel that the bar holds. The residents that live on site are retired and have hardly any family that live close by, they enjoy the small community that the site holds. My next plan is to shoot the caravans themselves.  

more from shoot

First Shoot

Just a thought....

Sat here researching I have decided what my message of 'The residents' will be....(every documentary photograph needs a story)  because these people live there and have done for a considerable number of years they often get called 'gypsies' which is by no means fair because the name 'gypsies' comes with bad connotations from the media, I am going to try and so that these people are just innocent people who happen to live in a caravan/static home.

I am going to do this by researching Donovan Wylie who photographed travellers and produced my favourite book losing ground, and I am going to compare to the lives these people live.

Iain McKell also did a traveller series called 'The New Gypsies' I  am going to also research this.

Tutorial 10/10/12

Today we had our tutorial with Shaun McAllister and because my idea for my pathway project is quite extensive I have already started putting together my research and expanding my ideas. I currently work in a caravan park/country club. It opened in 1982 and someo of the residents that first moved in that year still live there to this day, It was opened by a man called Harold Cowburn who unfortunalty passed away at the beginning of this year (2012) therefore all these residents believe the place to be going downhill. The residents constantly complain to me about the lack of care by the new owner and her lack of know how about running a successful happy holiday camp.

My main influence for this is my favourite photographer of all time called Daniel Meadows he is a Welsh photographer and his all his work to me is fantastic he gets accross a message to his audience, but his work that has influenced me on this occassion is called 'Butlins-by the sea 72' this is where in the summer of 1972 he went and spent the best part of 6 weeks photographing and getting to know the sort of people that went to these sorts of holiday camps. I first saw this work when me and a friend went to the exhibition at bradford media musuem last year.


http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/c7d767d8-d469-11e0-a42b-00144feab49a.html#axzz28tpDuOPG

Brief research

I have been researching into previous charity photography campaigns and I have found one for the Children's Hospital in Sheffield, where three photographers came together to hold an exhibition at the hospitals 'Long gallery' this campaign was called 'You're not alone' and was aimed to make children and parents feel safer by showing other people go threw the same things on a day to day basis. 

http://lahf.org.uk/“you’re-not-alone”-children’s-hospital-sheffield-–-until-june

CNW - Idea

After looking at the campaign before the start of the Paralympics I have come up with an idea for this brief, my aim to show a strength in everyone like in the Paralympic photograph because they are portraying there physical and mental strength and self motivation rather than focussing on their disability being their downfall they have used this as a strength.

Child Action North West - Brief

Today we got our first brief and I am very excited to begin it, we have to represent families and friendships in the North West in an inspiring and uplifting way. When people think of Blackburn they are very critical of the 'scumbags' that live here but as a matter of fact people who live in this area and work very hard to keep there families together while holding down a full time job or even with a disability meaning they have to work a lot harder, they deserve more credit.

I am currently researching the background of the organisation so I can get an understanding of the sort of help they provide and to whom.

 http://www.canw.org.uk/site/

Fourth Roundabout

Yesterday we had the best news of the course so far, that we were stopping roundabouts and it was our final day, we did screen printing we had a photograph in last week for, despite Kim thinking we didn't enjoy I thought it was good because it is a different way for us to display our photographs in a unique way, it was just a shame my photograph had too many grey tones for it to work in this particular printing.