People and Place – Overall Reflection

I have thoroughly enjoyed this unit of work and whilst it has challenged me at times, I feel that I have learned a lot about photography and about the way I approach it.  As a portrait photographer I assumed that I would find People and Place an exciting but fairly easy unit to work through as the subject would be already familiar to me but I was quite wrong about the latter!  When taking portraits for paying customers they have an idea what they would like from the shoot before I even switch on the camera, with a little guidance from me on how to achieve this we get some good results and are both happy.  This balance changes when I am the one who has an end result in mind though, I found it much harder to direct a subject to achieve the end result that I wanted and good results were much harder to come by.

The section I found the most difficult was definitely Assignment 3 – Buildings in Use.  I am so used to photographing people for work and either details, or landscapes for my daily photographs, that to find an angle (figuratively) to capture buildings did not come easily.  It became easier once I had done some research into what architectural photography is and I realised it did not have to be technical and could be very attractive.  The next issue I faced was the realisation that whilst the buildings I had chosen were each beautiful in their way, they became less so when broken down into small pieces to photograph.  Their flaws became more evident and things not noticed when looking at them (for example; pipework, ugly modern ducting, marks on walls) became obvious when photographed.

I feel I have grown a great deal in confidence throughout this unit, not only in how I direct a model but in how I approach photographing everyday life – street photography.  If, for instance, I had approached street photography as an assignment subject early on in the course I don’t believe I would have made the images I did.  Working through, learning about photographing people and gaining confidence by practicing has really helped me to be more confident about photographing a subject I love – people!

One of the main things I need to work on moving forward is the way that I analyse my work.  My tutor pointed out a couple of times that I was often more descriptive than analytical when writing up my assignments.  I am not entirely sure how to correct this although I think that having a clear idea of what I was hoping to achieve, explaining why a certain image is right for the brief and being able to explain if and how an image has worked as well as I planned are all things I should be doing.  At his suggestion I am currently reading Criticising Photographs A Guide to Understanding Images by Terry Barrett to help with this.

Assignment 5 – People and Place on Assignment – Revisions

I was really pleased with my tutor’s feedback for this assignment but he did suggest a few alterations and so I have made some amendments.

One of the points he mentioned several times was about composition and how a few moments to consider this before pressing the shutter would often make the image better.  By taking your time you could reconsider the angle to get a better shot or ensure that there are few distractions in the frame, for example, the litter bins.  One of the things I have found with street photography though, is that you rarely have time to recompose an image before the moment is gone.  Street photography is about spontaneity and capturing real life, it is about interesting images of ordinary people not about perfectly composed photographs.  Though I can see that having a bin prominent in a photograph is quite an unattractive distraction, it is also part of life.  Where there are benches, you will find bins.  It makes sense!  When you are out and about and stop for a snack and a rest then you will need somewhere to leave your rubbish.  Though unsightly, bins, rubbish and other distractions are a part of the minutae of everyday life and are just what street photographers are trying to capture.

 

This image has not been altered or changed.

1/80 F5 ISO 100 @58mm

 

This image has not been altered or changed.

1/250 F10 ISO 2000 @105mm

 

As suggested by my tutor, I have used a tighter crop on this image to eliminate the litter bin to the left of the frame.  When looking at the photograph through someone else’s eyes I can see that it doesn’t add anything to the image other than to balance the couple out but by cropping a little from the top and bottom of the image too, it still remains well balanced.

Original

1/250 F9 ISO 320 @82mm

Cropped

1/250 F9 ISO 320 @82mm

 

Again, with this image my tutor felt the bin was a distraction but he thought the expression on the subject’s face was great.  This was one of my favourite shots of the set for this reason so I have decided to keep it, though I have tried to clone out the rubbish in the bin in the hopes it will cause less of a distraction.  I briefly considered cloning the entire bin out of the photograph but I am loathe to edit an image that much and don’t think there is enough to work with in the background.

Original

1/125 F4 ISO 100@105mm

Edited

1/125 F4 ISO 100@105mm

This image has not been altered or changed.

1/50 F4 ISO 100 @45mm

 

My tutor pointed out to me that the verticals in this image are way off, I feel a little daft for not having noticed this!  I seem to have been concentrating more on the man and child than the background.  He also suggested I consider a stronger, closer crop from just behind the snoozing man’s head.  I have tried to follow this advice and feel the image works much better now and the man and child have more impact now they are more dominant in the frame.

Original

1/125 F4 ISO 125 @105mm

Cropped

1/125 F4 ISO 125 @105mm

 

In the following image my tutor didn’t like the way the person to the left of the frame was partially cropped out of the frame and so I tightened the crop to remove him.  This then left the image seeming a little unbalanced to me as the man in the centre clutching his shopping bag is the central anchor to the image and by changing the crop, he is no longer central.

Because I like the general framing of this image and the curved bench the people are sitting on I decided to do a little editing work and moved the man and boy on the right of the frame over a little so the image felt balanced again.  It is important to check carefully when editing an image in this way as even the tiniest detail missed could make the splicing obvious.

Original

1/80 F4.5 ISO 100 @67mm

First Crop

1/80 F4.5 ISO 100 @67mm

Final Image

1/80 F4.5 ISO 100 @67mm

 

My tutor suggested that I look again at the next 4 shots of the assignment and try to find better variations to engage the viewer – action, activity or something unusual about the subject.  Whilst I feel that 3 of these images are not as strong as others in the set, I have decided to keep the first of these, two youngsters sat together and engrossed in their phones, included as I feel it has a lot to say about how society is today.  They are sat close and their poses mirror each other, there is a real feeling of togetherness about them and yet they are locked in separate worlds by the small screens in their hands.  My tutor is right that this is a common sight nowadays and whilst it IS sad, it is also a part of life now for so many people.

This image has not been altered or changed.

1/50 F4 ISO 640 @58mm

 

I liked the original image of this lady huddled on the bench talking on her phone but could see that the original image did not have as much impact as it could.  I decided to change it for a shot of the same woman but taken from a different angle and with a tighter crop.

Original

1/100 F4 ISO 200 @105mm

Replacement

1/125 F4 ISO 200 @105mm

The following images have been omitted upon my tutor’s suggestion. He felt that the repetition of location and the lack of anything unique happening in the photographs made them not fit as well with the rest of the set.

Omitted

1/125 F4 ISO 125 @105mm

1/125 F4 ISO 125 @105mm

To replace the images removed I have chosen 2 different images instead.

This group of boys gathered around the benches illustrate how the use of benches can radiate into the space beyond the actual bench itself.

1/250 F9 ISO 100 @95mm

 

I chose this image partly because of the resigned look on the couples’ faces and partly because I like the contrast between the stillness of people sat on the benches and the milling crowds in the far background.

1/100 F4 ISO 250 @92mm

 

This image has not been altered or changed.

1/60 F5 ISO 100 @32mm

Assignment 4 – A Sense of Place – Revisions

Whilst my tutor’s feedback on this assignment was quite complimentary, he did have some pointers and advice which I felt needed to be acted upon.

He mentioned that some of the images don’t engage the viewer as much as they could and that too often I photographed the backs of people.  Another point was that some of my images were a bit too similar and it made them seem repetitive.  He suggested I cut down the number of images taken on the platform as although they offer variations on the theme, there are other approaches which could have added more visual variety.  The same thing was mentioned about the images with the ‘Mind the Gap’ sign.

I found it difficult to choose between the images I liked the most for this assignment and had made the conscious decision to choose images which were similar in some way.  My thinking behind this was that if I was taking photographs for a publication then they may like the idea of one of my images but not so much the photograph itself.  By offering two or three images which had similarities I felt I was making the images more accessible by the imaginary publisher.

My tutor liked the first image and felt was a good wide-angle ‘establisher’ for the set though he did comment that the shadowy figures in the left foreground would have balanced the image better if they had been more substantial.  Despite this I decided to keep this photograph in the set because I think it gives a good sense of the atmosphere of the station and the space.

 

This image has not been altered or changed.

2s F22 ISO 200 @24mm

My tutor didn’t feel that this image worked as well as it could, the man in the orange coat makes a good anchor for the image but he is too close to the edge of the frame for it to be truly effective and the staircase cutting across the corner ‘feels out of place’.  I did try to crop the photograph down to remove the staircase but as this put the man in the orange even closer to the edge, I didn’t feel this worked well.

Original (omitted)

2s F22 ISO 100 @24mm

 

I had included seven photographs taken on the platform and my tutor suggested that although they were all variations on the theme, it would probably be a good idea to cut this down to three.  To help choose he thought it would be a good idea to select images where there is a distinct feature or some evidence of action to engage the viewer.

The first platform image I decided to keep was this one showing the feet of commuters as they were about to disembark from the train.  Not only do I feel this has a good suggestion of action but the people on the train and the platform nicely frame the iconic ‘MIND THE GAP’ signage.

 

This image has not been altered or changed.

1/40 F4 ISO 2000 @40mm

 

I chose this next image again for its iconic signage, this time it is the London Underground sign with the station name Liverpool Street on it.  The thing I like most about this photograph is the sense of permanence the sign portrays in comparison to the transient nature of the passengers.  The slow shutter speed used gives the people both anonymity and a feeling that they are passing through so quickly they’re almost not there at all.

This image has not been altered or changed.

0.65s F22 ISO 400 @35mm

 

The final platform image I have chosen to keep is of a man waiting patiently on the platform whilst a train rushes past.  With the man being in focus and the moving train not I feel this image works well with the previous one.  To me it suggests that the trains are even less permanent in the stations than the people are, they certainly spend less time there, stopping only briefly to collect passengers before continuing their rattling journey through the underground veins of London.

I have decided to change the crop of this image to portrait to bring the lone passenger closer to the viewer and, because the other platform shots are also landscape, to add variety to the set.

Original

1/40 F4 ISO 500 @35mm

Replacement

1/40 F4 ISO 500 @35mm

I have omitted the following four platform images from this assignment as although I felt the composition was strong in them, they show much less of the humanity of the passengers and tell us nothing different about the way they interact with the space.

Omitted

1/50 F4 ISO 5000 @55m

1/100 F4 ISO 5000 @85mm

1/30 F4 ISO 2000 @35mm

1/125 F4 ISO 2000 @105mm

 

This image has not been altered or changed.

1/40 F4 ISO 640 @24mm

 

I have removed the next image from the set as my tutor did not feel it added much additional information.  I originally chose this photograph because I loved the way the woman’s red coat stood out in comparison to the stark, stainless steel escalator but I realise upon reflection that without anything else for context, this escalator could be in anywhere. It would have worked far better with this set if there had been something to show location, for example, an underground sign.

Original (omitted)

1/80 F4 ISO 2500 @75mm

 

I included 2 shots of the interior of a train in my original submission, the first my tutor said provided a good impression of space and function but had an out of focus backpack in the foreground and little to engage the viewer.  The second is a hand holding a rail and he was not sure what this brought to the set.  With these photographs I was trying to give an idea how the people interact with the space inside the trains as I think this goes hand-in-hand with how they behave on the stations themselves.  I can see that the backpack does provide some distraction but I like the way the image shows all the people sat together and yet all very definitely alone.  In the second shot, with the hand on the rail, I was trying to bring the viewer into the photograph, imagine that is your hand, that you are on the train, how would you interact with your surroundings?

I decided to keep the first image as I feel it provides an insight into the people who use the tube, even on a mid-day, off-peak journey, and how whilst they are all together in a small area, they still maintain their own personal space and don’t interact with each other at all.

With my tutor’s comments about the distracting backpack and the lack of anything to engage the viewer, I decided to crop the image considerably into landscape.  This eliminates most of the backpack and brings the passengers very much into the foreground of the photograph.  With less of the train interior taking up the frame, the people become much more the focus of the image.

Original

1/30 F4 ISO 640 @24mm

Cropped

1/30 F4 ISO 640 @24mm

I decided to omit this image based on my tutor’s feedback.

1/30 F4 ISO 1000 @40mm

This image has not been altered or changed.

1/40 F4 ISO 2500 @28mm

 

This image has not been altered or changed.

2s F10 ISO 100 @24mm

 

The brief for this assignment was to produce 6 printable images and at least twice that amount to choose from, I submitted slightly more than required at 15 images but with the images I felt I needed to remove, based on my tutor’s feedback, I now have considerably less than this.  His suggestion was to show some of the architectural features or equipment around the station instead of so many photographs of the platforms themselves.

With this in mind, these are my replacement images.

1/30 F4 ISO 2500 @40mm

I chose this picture as not only does it show the busker who stands between the platforms singing and playing (and being largely ignored by commuters on the station) but it also shows off the bright, clean architecture of the station, the patterned floor tiles and a noticeboard showing where the trains are going.  Though there are very few commuters here, due to the train only just arriving, the emptiness enables us to see the above-mentioned features with ease.

 

1/6 F22 ISO 500 @65mm

For this image I used a slow shutter speed to illustrate the static nature of the ticket barriers in comparison to the transient behaviour of the passengers as they pass through.  It is clear to see, when looking through a camera lens, that this is a very well used area.  The grime on the terminals and the leaflets on the sides are often not noticeable when you pass through, it is only when you stop to really look that you see.

 

1/50 F4 ISO 500 @45mm

I have also added this alternative image of the ticket barriers but from a different angle.  There is some blurring of the passengers and yet the ticket officer (in the blue t-shirt) is crisp and static – this suggests she is almost as much of a permanent fixture as the ticket barriers themselves.  As it is taken at a wider angle than the previous barrier shot and so takes in the various maps and signs you find in a train station – and a large number of McDonald’s adverts!

 

1 sec F22 ISO 200 @55mm

This photograph was taken with a very slow shutter speed of a whole second which has given the impression that the crowd are moving very fast, almost like a time-lapse video recording of the station.  Above the flowing crowds sits the board which tells the commuters when their trains will be arriving and departing.  Though not technically perfect, due to the glow of the writing on the board, I feel this photograph shows the spirit of Liverpool Street Station perfectly.  It shows the modern features, the stunning columns supporting the high glass roof, the original brickwork of the old part of the building and the passengers who bring life to this place.

Assignment 5 – People and Place, On Assignment – Tutor Feedback

I am very pleased with the feedback for this assignment, I put a lot of work and a lot of myself into this set of images so for someone else to see worth in them is great.  It has been very interesting for me to see how this project has developed from the original seed of an idea into a full blown set of images.

My tutor has mentioned the cropping in some of the images could be tighter and others could do with a little straightening and this is something I will look at before submitting for formal assessment.  The bins in some of the photographs act as a distraction and this is something I was aware of both in shooting the images and in post production.  My tutor suggested that a few extra seconds to take these things into consideration would make for a better image but I feel with street photography that those seconds would lose you the moment and the expressions and therefore the photograph.  I wonder if these background distractions are some of the reason why street photographers most often shoot in black and white?  Taking an image in black and white (or converting to monochrome) does cut down on a lot of background distraction which would be more evident in a colour image.

Although I tried to be more analytical with this assignment I still don’t think I quite managed it, my tutor has said I need to concentrate less on the descriptive and more on my intent and how I feel about the income.  Again, this is something that is tricky with street photography as it is a more spontaneous art than, say, portraiture or architectural photography.  My intent with each session of shooting was simply to capture interesting images of people about their everyday lives.  It would have been completely impossible to plan ahead which kind of images I wanted to take as I didn’t know what I would find each time I ventured out with my camera.

I will certainly be taking a good look through the photographs I submitted, alongside the feedback my tutor has given, to see if I can improve the assignment – though some he has suggested I cut out are actually my favourites.  Photography, as with any art, is subjective.

On a final note, my tutor has mentioned in my feedback that I have yet to update my blog with the coursework for this unit.  I would like to point out that this unit was comprised entirely of the assignment and its preparation, there is no coursework for it.  The course book simply says “The special element of this final part is the assignment itself.”.

 

Overall Comments

Congratulations on completing the course, I hope it has been an enjoyable and stimulating experience and a good foundation for the following OCA courses that will lead to your degree.  You’ve made good progress in your work, developing your approach to research and how that impacts and influences your won practical work as with this final assignment.  You have engaged well, creatively and technically throughout the course in all assignments and projects, developing ideas from areas of personal interest.  In support of this, your critical and reflective commentaries offered an insight into your understanding of the medium and working methods.

For this final assignment, you ‘adopted’ a client, The Bench Project, and produced a set of twelve images, uploaded to your Blog and sent to me by email, with accompanying text.

 Feedback on assignment and supporting work

Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Quality of Outcome, Demonstration of Creativity

On Assignment

This set of twelve images explores the idea of social space looking at the way people use public benches in public places.  You chose a range of street furniture (in two towns) and captured a real variation in the subject matter with people at rest, in conversation, watching the world go by, underlining the value of these spaces in the community and reflecting the findings of tour primary research source – The Bench Project.

The first shot with the two women laughing, your favourite, captures the friendship and intimacy of their friendship. There is also a feeling of separation with the third character to the left of frame. Although you mention the flowers and graffiti in the background, they don’t really figure as context in the shot. The large bag with the Iron Man Festive Greetings graphic sets the period.  A longer lens and shallower depth of field would have helped further define the subject perhaps.

I think the young man is looking right at you, a kind of defiant ‘are you taking a photograph of me?’ look – but good that you can get close to your subject and capture the scene you want. There’s a good balance to the composition with the older woman and her leaflets to the right.

Take a look at the composition of the following shot and ask yourself if the litter bin to the right of frame adds to context. A tighter crop of the two people on the bench might be a better option.

The portrait frame and slightly longer lens of the next shot, allows you to compose in a different way from the end of the bench.  Again the rubbish bin is a major distraction and a camera position to the left would have eliminated this.  It’s not always easy to take these things into consideration, but just an extra ten seconds to look around the frame through the viewfinder can help.  Great expression on the subject.

A good variation and string composition of the two young men taking their lunch – a bit of motion blur here, but that adds to the energy and action in the shot.

One thing you need to ensure in all your shots is that they are level.  In this image of the sleeping man you can see the angle is way off from the verticals in the background.  You might also consider a stronger, closer crop here from just behind the man’s head.

Shame about the cropping of the subject to the left of frame in this next image; one of those moments where you need to take a little bit longer to get the best composition.  With an image like this, there might be three or four possible shots from cropping – take a look at the possibilities.   With your comments, try to avoid describing what we can already see (or barely see) in the photograph and focus on your intent and the outcome.

I think you might look again at the following four shots; the kids on their phones, oblivious to the world, a common sight nowadays (sadly), the dog walker (you use the same bench as a previous shot), the bowed young woman immersed in conversation and the family group (in medium wide shot – same bench as previous image). Try to find better variations and images that will engage the viewer – action, activity or something unusual about the subject.

The final shot works well – bit of motion blur again – it captures the season, the weather, the moment of sharing a makeshift lunch in the middle of the festive shopping spree, and of course the matching trainers – so many couples dress alike..  Check that the image is level.

I would take a look at shots 6-9 and see if you can find better variations and more engaging subject matter.

Your choice to convert to black and white to further unify the subject matter and reduce some of the background distraction in such a busy setting works very well.

Coursework

Some good specific background work for the assignment.  You have yet to update your Blog with exercises from the final part of the course.

Research

Good research for this project – from the primary source The Bench Project – to the additional material that you have posted in your Blog – John Feist, Kotenko etc.  What you still need to consider and apply is the influence and impact of this research on your own work –  did it make you consider or reconsider an approach to the subject matter?

Learning Logs or Blogs/Critical essays

Context

You have yet to update your Blog with exercises from the final part of the course.

Suggested reading/viewing Context

Before you submit for assessment, take a look at the work of your peers and how they have structured their Blogs; read through their submissions to see how they relate research to practice.

Pointers for the Next Assignment

Now is the time to discuss any plans you are making for submission for assessment.  Have you had an opportunity to review your assignment work following my feedback and make any revisions (I can see you have carried out revisions for A2)?  You are also required to submit a selection of work from your Blog so you need to make sure it’s up to date, especially the research sections, which for this last project was very strong.

Assignment 3 – Buildings in Use – Revisions

After receiving my tutor’s feedback on this assignment, I took another look at the photographs I submitted and made some changes based on this.

The first three shots were of Gainsborough’s House, the childhood home of the artist Thomas Gainsborough, which is now a museum.

My tutor commented that whilst two of the images provided a good idea of the ‘home as a museum’, he could not tell how I was trying to visualise the function of the room in the first shot I took.  I chose this picture originally because I liked the composition and the balance of light and dark in the room.  I felt it showed reasonably well what the room may have looked like when the artist was resident and therefore created a contrast with the second photograph which shows the house more clearly in its capacity as a museum.  Although I agree in some ways with my tutor I have decided to leave this image in the set as it contrasts well with the room shown in the second photograph.

Gainsborough’s House
1/30 F4 ISO 800 @24mm

 

This photograph has not been altered or changed.

Gainsborough’s House
1/30 F4 ISO 1000 @24mm

 

This photograph has not been altered or changed though comments were made, using this image as an example, in my feedback that often my analysis of an image is more descriptive than analytical so this is something I need to work on.

Gainsborough’s House
1/30 F4 ISO 640 @24mm

 

The next building I studied was St Peter’s church and whilst my tutor thought that the first shot showed clearly how the old building was being used he was not so sure the other two photographs were good choices.

This photograph has not been altered or changed.

St Peter’s Church
1/30 F4 ISO 200 @28mm

 

My tutor commented that he was not sure what I was trying to show with the photograph of the carved screens and I feel that perhaps I could have explained this better in my initial analysis.  By photographing the intricate carvings and the stained-glass windows seen in the background, I was trying to show the wealth that the parish must have had in order to have been able to afford such an opulent church.  Whilst it does not show anything of the current use of the church, it does give an insight into its past as a busy, spiritual hub in the town and shows some of the intricate architecture off.  As my tutor did not feel this added anything to the set of photographs I decided to remove it from the assignment.

I chose to replace it with a photograph taken of the outside of the church as it sits proudly in the centre of the town.  I feel that the people and billboards outside, and the statue of Thomas Gainsborough leaning into the frame from the right, help to show that it is a busy and important part of the town.

Omitted

St Peter’s Church
1/60 F4 ISO 3200 @73mm

Replacement

St Peter’s Church
1/640 F18 ISO 100 @24mm

The final photograph I submitted of St Peter’s was my favourite of the assignment, despite its darkness.  My tutor commented that it was “too dark to see anything except the windows and the light on the floor” although this was a deliberate choice by me.  Rather than showing off the beautiful architecture of the church, I was trying to portray the feeling of calm and spirituality which lingers in this place of worship.  When I took this image, I had also taken some others at different exposures so I have decided to substitute the dark photograph with another, much lighter one.  Though I do not like this image as much personally, I do feel that with the cleanly swept floors and beautiful light it still shows the peace I was trying to portray in the original image whilst also showcasing the fantastic interior of the building.

Original

St Peter’s Church
1/100 F5.6 ISO 100 @24mm

Replacement

St Peter’s Church
1/50 F5.6 ISO 3200 @24mm

 

The third building I photographed was the Quay Theatre which, was originally used as a granary.  My tutor had some positive comments to make on the first and fourth images of the set which he felt showed well the way that the old building had been successfully renovated and reinvented for a contemporary use.

He commented that the first image could have been improved if there were some people sat at the tables outside though I feel that the empty tables and umbrellas show the use of the space without the added distraction of people.  With this in mind I decided not to change this image.

The Quay Theatre
1/125 F5 ISO 100 @67mm

 

The second image in this set was of a hall with photographs on the wall and my tutor felt that the shallow depth of field and focal plane gave the viewer very little information.  With this image I was trying to show the original brickwork and beams and how they contrasted with the modern frames on the wall filled with show posters and news clippings.  In my feedback my tutor states that ‘this image doesn’t work at all’ so although I like the composition of this image I have taken on board my tutor’s comments and decided to remove it from the assignment.

Omitted

The Quay Theatre
1/40 F4 ISO 2500 @45mm

 

The third image was of a room on the top floor which is currently used as a ‘pop-up’ restaurant on a Friday and Saturday evening.  My tutor commented that the room would feel more ‘in use’ if there were diners and on reflection I agree with this.  Though the tables and chairs are set out in a fashion that suggests dining, the tables are not set and so the room looks almost abandoned.  As I am unable take photographs of the room whilst in use, it is a very small space and it would make the diners feel uncomfortable, I have decided to replace this photograph with an image taken in the first floor bar.   The image works better to show the use of the room because there are people and their belongings in it.  It has a busy feel to it , but as the patrons of the bar are mostly relaxing with their pints, friends and newspapers, their turned backs make sure the room remains the main focus of the photograph.

Original

The Quay Theatre
1/30 F4 ISO 1000 @24mm

Replacement

The Quay Theatre
1/40 F4 ISO 2500 @32mm

 

This shot has not been altered or changed.

The Quay Theatre
1/30 F4 ISO 5000 @24mm

 

The next building I photographed was The Mill Hotel which, as the name suggests, is an old flour mill which has been converted into a hotel.

My tutor did not particularly like the first shot as he thought it would have been better composed if taken vertically to show the architecture and to omit the half-sofa to the left of the frame.  I re-shot the image to correspond with his advice and although there is a chair and table in the foreground of this shot, which could not be helped unless I rearranged the hotel foyer, it now shows the old beams around the doorway as well as lots more old wooden frames going down the corridor.  The new image is also straighter and better shows the contrast between the old floor and beams and the more modern wallpaper.

Original

The Mill Hotel
1/40 F4 ISO 1000 @28mm

Replacement

The Mill Hotel
1/30 F4 ISO 1000 @24mm

My tutor thought the second shot in this set, of the waterwheel, worked well although the exposure was a little compromised to cover the dark and light areas.  I agree with this and was initially unsure whether to submit this image because of it.  Due to the amount of light coming into the room behind the wheel, which has floor-to-ceiling windows, it is difficult to get a shot which manages to expose both the wheel and the background correctly.  It is not helped that the waterwheel itself is encased in watermarked glass, this adds extra glare to the image, particularly where the light behind is brightest.

As I very much like the composition of this image, and my tutor agreed, I have decided to keep it included in this set despite the fact it is not perfectly exposed.  I have used a cloning tool to remove some of the window glare near the top of the image and a dodge tool to try and tone down the brightness in the background.

Original

The Mill Hotel
1/60 F4 ISO 800 @80mm

Edited

The Mill Hotel
1/60 F4 IsO 800 @80mm

 

There was no individual comment about the last photograph in this set but the feedback suggests that my tutor only really liked the waterwheel image.  Still, I feel the image is nicely composed and like the way the flowers and pepper shaker are the main focus of the image but they also draw you in to look at the room beyond.  Though the depth of field is fairly shallow, the viewer can see enough to know there are several tables and chairs in the room and the items on the table in the foreground, particularly the pepper, suggest the use.  Whilst I would have preferred this shot to have been taken with fully set tables and people dining, I was not given permission for this as the hotel felt that the guests would not like it.

The Mill Hotel
1/60 F4 ISO 1000 @60mm

 

The final building I chose was the old Corn Exchange, which is now a library.  My tutor thought this building showed how buildings can be converted for contemporary use well, especially the second shot showing the new mezzanine levels behind the old stone pillars.

He did comment, however, that the cropped image of the exterior did not work particularly well as it needed something more to communicate the conversion better.  I had originally framed the exterior of the building very closely as I was trying to show the impressive architecture and not include the modern day road signs and traffic which stand in the way of getting a clear shot of the entire frontage.  Upon reflection I can see that the third shot shows part of the original carvings and design so this shot isn’t needed to show similar.  With this in mind, I re-shot the image to take in more of the frontage and show how it intermingles with the modern-day town.

Original

Sudbury Library
1/160 F8 ISO 100 @47mm

Replacement

Sudbury Library
1/250 F9 ISO 100 @47mm

 

This image has not been altered or changed

Sudbury Library
1/50 F5 ISO 100 @24mm

This image has not been altered or changed.

Sudbury Library
1/160 F5 ISO 100 @180mm

 

As well as the altering of some of my images for this assignment, my tutor mentioned that I need to try to be more analytical and less descriptive in my reflections about each image.  From his comments, I think this means that I need to try and explain more fully what I was trying to portray with each image and how well I have achieved that.

Assignment 5 – People and Place on Assignment – Behind the Images

Of all the shots of people smoking that I captured, this one is by far my favourite.  The genuine laughter on the faces of the two women to the right lights up their faces through the cigarette smoke which encircles them and whilst the other lady doesn’t seem to know them, they are linked by their common habit.  Behind the women we can see some unseasonal flowers which are trying to brighten up a very urban area.

The young man on the bench is tidy and fashionable with his designer clothing and shopping bag and he is looking almost defiantly at me as he searches in his pocket for something to light the cigarette hanging from his mouth.  His neat and well put together appearance contrasts interestingly with the woman to his left who looks slightly dishevelled in her odd assortment of clothes as she tries to hand out what look like religious leaflets to disinterested passersby.

This couple have stopped on the bench to enjoy their hot drinks and have clearly spotted someone they know to talk to.  They are an interesting looking pair with clothes that don’t match (the man’s smart shoes and trousers are in stark juxtaposition to his stripy socks and warm, plaid coat) but friendly faces and smiles.  The man appears to have the froth of his drink on his top lip and seems less engrossed in the conversation than his companion but they sit with an ease which suggests this is a regular pastime for them.  One of the things mentioned in The Bench Project was that benches allowed people who would usually not go far to venture out as they would have somewhere to rest before continuing or returning home.  I think this photograph illustrates this well.

This bench, at the bottom of the Market Hill, is the last bench on the way out of town and this man looks as though he’s hoping its his last stop on a shopping trip.  He has a collection of bags next to him but with no drink, food or cigarette I would guess he is either waiting for a fellow shopper or to be collected by someone.  I love the expression on his face as he leans on the back of the bench watching me as I photograph him but I can’t decide if he is annoyed or indifferent.

These two have perched on this bench for a quick snack and from their lack of bags I deduce they are either waiting for someone or are at the beginning of their shopping trip.  Their poses are almost identical and they share a laugh as they are eating, whether because they have spotted me squaring them up in my viewfinder I’m not sure but the man to the right definitely knows he is being photographed.  The benches here are arranged differently to the standard ones in my town meaning people can share a seat with strangers and still feel separate but they also allow friends to converse together.  The ground in this larger town looks cleaner and better maintained than that in my town suggesting more affluence, probably due to more shops and therefore more income.

If these shots had not been taken for a ‘client’ then this one would be entitled ‘Sleeping on the Job’.  This bench circles what used to be a fountain but is now a little oasis of plants and bushes and is in the centre of a square filled with shops.  The man’s reclined position and crossed feet and arms would suggest to me that he was sleeping even if his eyes had been open and I love the way the small boy, presumably in his care, is looking quizzically at him.  He doesn’t appear to be sitting with anyone else which makes me wonder why he is resting his eyes on the bench instead of minding his young charge!

I chose a longer crop for this photograph to show the people and the bench without too much of the shopping centre taking up the top of the frame as it added nothing to the image.  This picture illustrates several of the uses a bench may have in a town centre as we see people eating, resting (presumably waiting, a common theme with the men using benches in this pre-Christmas period!) and talking on the phone.  On closer inspection of the picture I can see that the man on the phone has a cigarette lighter in his hand which he is fidgeting with as he talks.  His shoes appear to be taped up on the toes and underneath, perhaps he is short on money?  Perhaps he wishes he was smoking but with children around doesn’t feel he should?  Each of these people are from different walks of life but have been brought together by their occupation of this bench.  The bench does not care whether they are rich or poor, young or old and has accommodated them all the same.

This young couple appear to be ignoring each other as they are both engrossed in their mobile phones but their body language shows them to be close.  The posture of each mirrors the other and they lean in towards each other with their feet touching.  More and more I see young people using their smartphones in place of actual conversation and I wonder if these two are communicating electronically rather than in person?  I almost used the photograph taken after this one for the assignment as the girl had raised her eyes from her phone to glance at me and my camera but I liked the strange, quiet intimacy of this image.

In this image, a group of youths, a handful of years younger than those engrossed in their phones, sit on their bikes and scooter around the bench.  Though they are not sat upon the bench, they are still clearly using it as a gathering place.  Perhaps it is the proximity of the ever-present bins for their rubbish?  Or just a good place to tell a friend you’ll be?  I think this shot illustrates how the use of a bench area radiates beyond the actual bench itself.

 

This girl has stopped at the bench to take or make a phonecall and she huddles into herself, presumably to give a sense of privacy but also perhaps to keep herself warm.  I have noticed that generally when lone pedestrians sit on a bench they will chose to sit either at one end or the other so that there is room for others to use the bench.  This girl, however, has sat directly in the middle with her large bag by her side as if to suggest to passersby that she doesn’t want to share and they should keep on walking by.

This couple are looking resigned as they perch on the bench in the busy street, with no filled bags, their shopping is clearly still ahead of them to do.   She has stopped for a cigarette and he looks less than patient at her need to stop for this habit.  Perhaps they are speaking, I am not sure, but to me their shopping trip appears to be as much a necessity as the break to quench her nicotine thirst.

The final image in my set is this pair, in their matching trainers, who are sharing a bite to eat, presumably at the end of their shopping trip.  Benches are not always used for sitting on, in this case the couple have rested their bags on the bench to keep them off the damp ground whilst they have something to eat before heading home.

Assignment 5 – People and Place on Assignment – Brief and Reflection

The Breif

We require 8-12 images of members of the public using benches in one or two rural towns to contrast and compare with those taken in London which we have already used in our Bench Project. The images must show a variety of people using benches, they can be alone or in groups but we would like them to have an organic ‘street photography’ feel about them.

We require the images to be monochrome and not over processed. We will own all rights to use the images as we choose within our project, cropping them if necessary. This includes our website, printed reports and any other related publications.

Planning

I set about planning these images by choosing both my own town and another slightly busier one nearby to take my photographs.  I planned to take several trips out and to wander between the local benches to try and capture a variety of people using them.  I felt that staking out one bench at a time would not capture enough variety and that people may feel uncomfortable approaching the street furniture and sitting down if there was someone with a camera watching them.  I know my own town well and am aware which benches are regularly in use and which ones are quieter at this time of year.  As I know the larger town less well I decided to go on a market day to ensure there would be plenty of shoppers to photograph.

Reflection

I thoroughly enjoyed this assignment and feel that my confidence as a ‘street photographer’ has really grown.  I feel that I have met the brief which I originally wrote well and that my images show the diversity of people who use and benefit from the placement of benches in a small town centre.

I tried to vary the angle, orientation and focus of my photographs and to show not only different kinds of people using the benches but also different ways of using them.  This I feel I managed well, particularly given the time of year, as I have captured people of a wide range of ages sitting, eating, resting, smoking, sleeping, courting, talking and even using the bench as a workspace and place to put bags.  The range of photographs all tell their own stories about the people in them and even when the location is the same, the tale is not.

I definitely think that my decision to convert all the images into black and white was the right one as the photographs have a gritty feel to them which makes it clear that the area is not a particularly affluent one.  I hope that next time I step out onto the streets to photograph people I am brave enough to shoot in Monochrome, however, as I feel it would have made these images stronger.  Shooting directly in black and white can give the images a more organic feel though I am pleased with the conversions on my images.

I was very lucky on my outings out that I encountered so many interesting people sitting on the benches and although I was noticed on several occasions, I was not challenged.

The biggest difficulty with this project, other than finding a ‘client’ to brief me, was the weather.  I knew before starting out that the weather could hinder the project, both rain and cold are an issue at this time of year as well as the freezing fog which settled over the town for a few days.  Overall I was lucky with the temperature and weather though and there were only a couple of days where it was either too wet to get out or so cold that nobody was lingering long enough to sit.

A problem I had not anticipated was how much clutter there is in a town, particularly when the market is on!  Lots of the images I took had so much going on in the background that even in black and white it distracted from the people in the foreground.  It was not just market paraphernalia either – vans parked out on the pavement, storage containers and fruit boxes stacked near the benches, bits and pieces from the pet stall laid out on the path – cars and vans driving past or parked behind my subject were also distracting and at times, if I’d taken several shots, I had to choose between a good expression or a clear background.  The litter bins in the photographs irritate me somewhat too as they are all full but this, I guess, is a sign of a busy area and it is important that seated areas have somewhere for rubbish to go.  Better that than thrown on the ground.

 

Assignment 5 – People and Place on Assignment

1/80 F5 ISO 100 @58mm

1/250 F10 ISO 2000 @105mm

1/250 F9 ISO 320 @82mm

1/125 F4 ISO 100@105mm

1/50 F4 ISO 100 @45mm

1/125 F4 ISO 125 @105mm

1/80 F4.5 ISO 100 @67mm

1/50 F4 ISO 640 @58mm

1/250 F9 ISO 100 @95mm

1/125 F4 ISO 100 @105mm

1/100 F4 ISO 250 @92mm

1/60 F5 ISO 100 @32mm

 

 

The Client Briefing

Further to my reading about The Young Foundation’s Bench Project I have decided to use them as a client for my assignment.  On the blog about the bench project their latest post is celebrating the fact that they have been given ‘follow-on funding’ to develop their findings.  Whilst they will be concentrating on inclusion and wellbeing in open spaces, particularly with refugees in mind, I thought I could use my artistic licence to suggest they wish to concentrate instead on the use of benches in smaller and more rural areas.  Without a doubt the findings of their original project are still valid in country towns, though on a much smaller scale, and the availability of somewhere free and in the middle of things to sit is just as important.

I would say that whilst the general area in which I live is a fairly well-off place, the town itself and the surrounding estates have a high number of people who are lower income earners or unemployed and there are a large number of elderly people.  The benches here enable older people to shop for themselves and take a rest if they tire, they give parents somewhere to stop with hungry or tired children for a snack during a shopping trip, they give people with no better place to go a place to be.

With this in mind, the brief for my assignment is as follows;

We require 8-12 images of members of the public using benches in one or two rural towns to contrast and compare with those taken in London which we have already used in our Bench Project.  The images must show a variety of people using benches, they can be alone or in groups but we would like them to have an organic ‘street photography’ feel about them.

We require the images to be monochrome and not over processed.  We will own all rights to use the images as we choose within our project, cropping them if necessary.  This includes our website, printed reports and any other related publications.

 

References:

http://the-bench-project.weebly.com

The Bench Project

The Young Foundation is a group which, in their words, “is working to create a more equal and just society, where each individual can be fulfilled in their own terms. We work with the public and private sectors and civil society to empower people to lead happier and more meaningful lives.”.  The group was founded originally when the Institute for Community Studies (set up by entrepreneur Michael Young in 1954) was merged with the Mutual Aid Centre in 2005.  It is the creator of over 60 organisations, most with their roots in academic research, social innovation and education, including The Open University.

The Bench Project looks, as its name suggests, at the benches in 3 areas in London focussing on the people who use them and what the benches mean to them.  The tagline for the report is Benches for everyone.  Solitude in public, sociability for free.  The point of the project is to prove that benches are an important part of society and they should not be removed from public areas or replaced with deliberately uncomfortable seating which discourages people from sitting for long periods of time.

At the beginning of the article is a ‘Manifesto for the Good Bench’ with 6 points which lists some of the benefits of benches before going into further detail about each as the report continues.

The first point is a simple one.  A bench is valued because it is public, egalitarian and free.  Anyone can use it, it doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, there is no dress code, you can stop for a moment or for hours, sit in solitude or in company.  The bench doesn’t care what walk of life you come from or for how long you sit, it is there for you.

The next point made is that bench space allows people to loosely belong within the flow of city life.  This is particularly important for people such as migrants, carers or the elderly, who may otherwise feel isolated, as they can sit and watch people pass by and feel a part of their community.  This is especially true of benches placed in busy areas such as parks which people can walk through.  An example given regularly throughout the report is a large group of Nepali women who do not speak English.  They meet daily on the benches in General Gordon Square.  This gathering not only provides them with a meeting place large enough to accommodate them in large numbers but it enables them to people watch and get to know the other people in their locality despite not sharing the same language.

Next the report points out that benches help to support healthy routines for people as they allow them to spend longer outside.  This is most true, I feel, for the elderly and the disabled who, without somewhere to sit and rest or sit and watch, may not be able to venture out far from their homes.  Spending time outside is not only good for physical health but mental health also and time spent on a bench watching the world go by can help alleviate loneliness and (bringing us back to the previous point) give a sense of belonging.

Point 4 tells us that benches are an important social resource as they are a flexible place to spend time at no cost to the user.  Often they are used in the daytime by people and groups who may find it difficult to gather elsewhere.  A home may be too crowded and a cafe too expensive, as well as having restrictions on how long people may sit.  A bench, on the other hand, is free and you are welcome to sit for as long as you wish.  The report mentions that a high number of those who spend long periods of time in 2 of the open spaces they were studying were those who were out of work.  They take along a beer and socialise with friends on the benches rather than in the pubs which may be expensive or, as mentioned in the report, closed down.

The next section mentions the design of benches stating that both the comfort and accessibility of them are basic requirements.  The benches in General Gordon Square are formed from granite and are often criticised for causing “cold bums’ in extended sitters, some of the Nepali ladies will use food packaging or newspapers to help reduce the chill.  In some locations benches are made to be less comfortable to discourage people from spending long stretches of time on them, mainly young people and drinkers whose behaviour could be viewed as antisocial.

Accessibility is important too for a good bench, if they are situated near, or on the way to, shops they will get a lot of traffic and the same is true if placed in a park or open space, particularly if there are other facilities such as play equipment and toilets nearby.  Carers are a group who will often use benches in a park area, it can be somewhere to connect with others or just clear the mind whilst their charges play on the equipment or run in the open space, an arrangement that works well for both parties.

The last point made in the report is that people need to feel safe whilst relaxing and highly visible and frequently used spaces can do this.  Although all 3 of the sites used to provide evidence for the report were identified as places for drinking alcohol or low level drug dealing, the participants of the study rarely mentioned any feeling of fear or annoyance at others.  It is clear that although these kinds of behaviour are seen as antisocial, they do not make others using the open spaces feel threatened.  The fact that these benches are situated in areas used by a large amount of people has much to do with this, that and the presence of park wardens and CCTV cameras!  But it is the movement of people which really makes these places feel safe, there will always be someone passing by or sitting and watching others from their seat on the bench.

In conclusion, benches are seen as a necessity for the health of the city, they provide space for people of all ages and from all social situations to relax, to be outside and to connect with other human beings even if it is just to share a smile or a quick “hello” as they pass.

References:

Click to access The-Bench-Project_single-pages.pdf