Connecting essay 1

This is an image taken by Bernd and Hilla Becher what is shown in my photographer research. I really find the "barn" style of building really interesting. The main aspect of this image much like all the images above which I think stands out is the composition of this image because it is clear that they did not go to this building quickly take a picture and then walk away, it appears to be carefully framed. This would have been with a tripod- thus showing me when I come to shooting this project, I need to carefully frame the aspect I want to frame, make sure it is neat with the lines appearing to be parallel to each other. This way I believe it makes a much more interesting and intriguing image for my audience to look at. Even though as already mentioned my camera would be unable to frame a building like this especially where I am focusing my project on as all the housing are very close together, I wouldn't be able to go back far enough

This is an image in which I have taken myself. The main aspect of this image what I find interesting is the state it is in. I have never actually seen this open which leads me to believe it is empty and has been for many years now. As you can see at the top of the building their is a crucifix, implying this is a place of worship, a very small church, yet perhaps due to a lack of funding it was unable to continue opening. Furthermore, this building is very much forgotten about in Waltham Abbey, many people do not even know that it is there which I find quite interesting in itself. Another aspect to this image which I find intriguing is the composition- I have captured a clear amount between each side between the edge of the frame and the building. I find the building itself quite interesting because if there was a lack of a Christian symbol I wouldn't have thought this to be related to a church. When I first saw this building I originally was lead to believe it was a shed, until obviously I saw the cross. 

I believe that these two image connect really well. This therefore shows how Bernd and Hilla helped influence the work of this project. Firstly, the key connection between these two images it the building which is in the frame. They both appear to have a "barn-like" appearance, even though neither of these are actually a barn. Additionally, as the image of Bernd and Hilla was part of my research I already had in my mind the composition in which I wanted to try and recreate and I believe these images strongly connect in terms of the composition. For example, even though the image I shot is of a much smaller building, the structure of space around the building in the frame is very similar to the spacing around the frame. Even though Bernd and Hilla's piece is in black and white and this verision of this image is not, when I edited this image in black and white, it was so similar to the image above. Although I wanted to present my image in colour in this particular post because I wanted to show how even though these images do connect, I wanted to have may own influence on the work as well.

Computer Experiments

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Physical Experiments

For this project, I didn't want to do too many physical experiments because from previous experimentation I do not think they work as well as other experiments such as computer experiments. However, I did have an idea for my Old VS new shoots. In order to create this I printed out the new and old images which I took/ gathered and ripped them up together and placed them together to make a new image with components of both images- almost making a collage/ joiner. At first I was going to use glue to stick them down together, although I thought this would have looked too neat, I wanted a messy finish, so therefore used sellotape on the edges, again, I didn't do this neatly so before I put the sellotape on I stuck it on things to make it a bit dirtier and then I didn't stick it down flat so it gave it a more older effect. As a whole I am really happy with these experiments I hope to recreate them in my exam because I believe they are a good way of displaying the change. For example, the first one of the church shows the difference of location through time due to the conditions it faced during the war and the second image shows in change in terms of technology such as transportation-cars.

Exam Proposal

Exam proposal a2photo from FernDisney

Shoot 7- Work Record

Plans for this shoot:
My aim and plan for this shoot is to capture a series of images capturing the fronts of shops. The reason behind me choosing this as a shoot is because I believe it connects really well with this topic. As the shops in Waltham Abbey are most small unknown shops in old listed buildings I think they will be really interesting to capture. Therefore my main aim to to capture this and keep in mind the composition of photographers such as Andreas Gursky- Thus showing the key influence Gursky has had across this project. There are also a few other photographers which have helped influenced different ideas for this shoot. For example the image shown here is present in my research log by photographer Nigel Henderson.


What I actually achieved;

Personally, I find this image is my strongest image within this shoot. As a whole I am really happy with the outcome of this image because of the positioning and composition I have captured. When capturing this image, I was standing there for a little while before taking these images because I didn't want people within this image. This is because even though I do think images look good with subjects, I wanted this image to purely focus on the post office. This is because I believe there is lots of posters and signs up and this isn't a plain looking shop wall. My main aim of focusing on the composition is really clear and successful in this image because I captured the post box as central as I could. I didn't use a tripod for this shoot so when I re-shoot for my exam shoot, I will definitely use a tripod because this will mean I can focus more on the framing rather than worrying about holding it. The white sections of this image is quite over exposed however, I still like this effect because I believe this helps link with the lighting work of photographers such as Bernd and Hilla and always Gursky. 

At first sight people may think that this image is distorted in the way of a fish eye lens effect, however this is the reason why I thought I should talk about this within my work record because it is not that my camera focal length was wide, but because of the state of the building. This building as the audience might guess much like the other buildings in this shoot, is really old and in time is has slowly become "wonky" but not only this but the row of shop bends backwards around a bend adding to the effect of it being distorted. I do think this is a successful image in terms of showing old buildings. However, I do believe when I come to my shop front shoot for my exam, I will take the photo just of the shop rather than the alley next to it, this is because this way my audiences focus isn't lost on wondering what is down the alley. I do believe that if this image was just of the shop alone, it would have a very similar effect to the image which I have used in my plans for this shoot from my research log.

When I shot my shoot 6 shoot, I captured an image of the door of this cafe, because I find the outside of this cafe really beautiful as it looks like it belongs to a cottage small town. However, I do believe as mentioned about on my shoot 6 work record, that this is my weakest image within this shoot because firstly, my focal length is much wider than it should be creating a fish eye distortion which straight away I do not like. Further more, there is shadowing from the shop next door as this is sort of down an alley so it faces the wrong way to the sun. A way to improve this image would have been to maybe go back later on in my shoot so the sun had moved stopping the shadow, but also the use of a tripod would have been much more successful because when you look at the kerb in the foreground, you can see how this image is not at all straight.

What I am doing next:

My next shoots will take place within my exam. Therefore I will be taking all the experimental tasks I have done from this shoot into my exam shoots in order to create the best outcome for manufactured structures series of images. In regards for shoot 7, I believe the main outcome I can take from this will be that I must use a tripod within my exam because other wise my shop shoot might not be as "sharp" and "neat" as I want them to be.