Out-standing in their own field....

Original Idea

My initial idea for the photo-book segment of my submission was to illustrate a selection of phobias, the phobias I researched included the fear of balloons, peanut butter and of course less extraordinary phobias such as the phobia of heights and of course spiders, which I would photograph in a clinical fashion in the studio. However, on reviewing my two previous projects that had both been shot in-studio, I decided that I wanted to shoot on location. I struggled to find interesting subjects and despite emailing various people with an interest of taking location portrait photos, I was unable to compile enough images to constitute a photo-book.

I started to research other photographers photo-books online to gain inspiration and observe the interesting subject matter that they had chosen to compile. After watching a David Lynch film a friend of mine mentioned that he had published a photo-book entitled 'David Lynch Snowmen'. The book including 8 photos of snowmen taken in Lynch's hometown of Boise, Idaho in the early 1990s..

Lynch's book demonstrates intriguing imagery and a very personalized and unique subject matter. The snowmen in each of the images represent more than just a pile of snow, constructed together to resembled a figure of a man, the photos represent the unity of family in creating its temporary additional member, the craftsmanship inherent in every human and pushes nostalgia upon us from childhood.

I wanted to document a similar subject matter to Lynch's 'Snowmen', but I didn't want to merely replicate Lynch's book and with a lack of snow I had to find another subject matter.

Scarecrows....

Aims & Objectives

I wanted to create a photo-book that presented a selection of scarecrows, I decided that 20-25 images would be an ideal number for the photo-book as this would give a large enough selection of interesting images without overloading the viewer. I started to research scarecrow festivals that are held in the UK online and I discovered that there was a festival being held in the neighboring villages of Tetford and Salmonby in the Lincolnshire Wolds during the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of May.

Shooting

I shot using a Hasselblad 500c with Kodak 400NC 120 film and also shooting back up digital shots with a Nikon D90. I shot several rolls of film on my first visit using the Hasselblad, and took many digital shots as well. I used a grid on my D90 to replicate the same square composition as the medium format camera in order to keep continuity of format within my photo-book. I had the first rolls of 120 film developed and on return found a unrecognized fault with the shutter release had ruined many of my shots. Although I had enough digital back ups, I decided at last minute to pay another visit to the scarecrow festival with the Hasselblad the following day and attempt to capture another roll of 120. My second attempt was successful and I was able to use my medium format exposures.

Editing

I scanned the negative 120 film and made minor adjustments to them in Photoshop, from the 11 exposures I used 6. The remaining images were shot digitally, altered in photoshop and cropped into the same square composition format as those taken on the Hasselblad. Due to page number restrictions in the book-making software (Cewe) that I used, I had to edit my final images down to a total of 19 with an additional two images, shot at a different location, taking the front and back cover spread and inlay double spread to accompany a title synopsis.

Distribution

The photo-book will serve as a a part of my portfolio as a book and as selected prints in my folder. An online album of the photos taken at the Tetford and Salmonby Scarecrow Fesival is also available online here.

Fashion Student Showcase

Original Idea

As with the Northmen project I felt it was important to demonstrate commercial viability in my portfolio, for example, creating my own briefs that would reflect similar industry briefs. After the success of the Northmen project I looked for other students that would like to collaborate, for both to benefit. I produced a series of posters that were displayed in the Thomas Parker House campus advertising a photo shoot for fashion students...

Aims & Objectives

The main objective of this project was to demonstrate the work of fashion students from the University of Lincoln and the work that they have been producing whilst studying. I wanted to shoot simplistic editorial photographs of models wearing other students fashion garments. Then take the raw files and give them a contemporary makeover by using textures and patterns to create interesting, graphic editorial shots that are commonly found in cutting edge fashion magazines such as Dazed & Confused, i-D and Vice. I gained much inspiration from a photographic art group entitle Mezzety, some examples of the style I wanted to achieve are here:

In producing a set of stylistic images I have added an extra level of diversity to my technical capablities, demonstrating software skills on photoshop and illustrator as pointed out in my overall key objectives. Another important aspect of this photography project was involving other students from the University of Lincoln, which I fulfilled.

Shooting

After being contacted by 5 fashion students who were interested in having their garments photographed I arranged two evening shoots.

I shot using both Nikon D90 & D100 with 18-135mm & 24-85mm lenses. I shot against the infinity curve using the following basic lighting set ups:

(click to enlarge)

(click to enlarge)

And against the black backdrop with a basic ambient single light source set-up:

(click to enlarge)

Shooting in the studio using basic lighting set-ups allowed me to obtain the photos that I needed to create my final manipulated images, as well as giving me a set of crisp clean images that the fashion students I collaborated with could use for their own portfolios, another one of my initial objectives for my project.

Editing

The editing process for this project was far more time-consuming than I had originally estimated. After selecting my chosen images I used illustrator and photoshop to build upon the raw images, creating textures, graphic shapes and adjusting layers to obtain the final result.

Key Objectives for Final Year Projects

It dawned on me that setting my own brief for projects would allow me to decide my own objectives and outcomes for my final year projects. I decided that the following objectives could be incorporated into each or all of my individual projects

Incorporating Other Students Work

I want to be able to incorporate the work of other students into my photographic portfolio for numerous reasons. Firstly, I feel it is important that students within the University environment should be aware of the work that students on other degree programs produce. Secondly, by collaborating with other students I am able to experience the relationship between a photographer and his/her client as would be the case in a professional working environment.

Various Formats/Technical/Software Skills

I wanted to demonstrate a variety of skills in my photography work by employing various formats to produce my final year project work.

• Hasselblad medium format camera with Leaf digital back - Portfolio 'Northmen Posters'

• Hasselblad medium format camera with 120 film - Photo-book 'Out-Standing In Their Own Field'

• Nikon D90 for video functionality - Screen Based 'Institutionalized'

• Nikon D100 for digital stills photography - Northmen Posters, Photo-book, Screen Based, Fashion Showcase.

I also utilized a broad range of technical software skills that I have learnt during my three years at university, using

• Adobe Photoshop across all 4 projects
• Adobe Indesign during layout design for the 'Northmen' posters
• Adobe Illustrator during editing of contemporary fashion shoots.
• Adobe After Effects, Soundbooth and Premiere Pro in creating, editing and mastering 'Institutionalized'.

Studio & Location

2x projects shot in studio - Exhibition & Portfolio

2x projects shot on location - Screen Based & Photo-book

Exploring Various Photographic Areas

Shooting a broad range of photographic styles in my third year projects seemed another positive way of demonstrating adaptability and versatility.

Documentary - Photobook

'Out-Standing In Their Own Field'

Commercial Fashion/Editorial - Exhibition

'Form'

Abstract/Art - Screen Based

'Institutionalized'

Portrait/Editorial/Commercial - Portfolio

'Northmen Posters'

Northmen

Original Idea

I spoke with two of my housemates who are also studying Media Production and specialising in single camera in their third year. They have started working on their short film for semester A entitled 'Northmen'. The film tells the story of five vikings that are stranded in Britain during the viking invasion of Britain. After discovering that the viking forces have left the beaches and retreated back to their homelands the vikings must find shelter and food to survive. Stumbling upon a saxon house they have an altercation with a saxon soldier preparing to fight for his country and his wife, and the results are disastrous. Due to the professional standard that 'Northmen' has been produced we agreed that a collaboration seemed appropriate and I was asked to produce promotional material for the short films release.

Aims & Objective

The main objective for the project was to create 4 posters that would be printed on a large scale (AO & A1) and presented all over the university campuses as well as then further used for DVD duplication and online promotion.

The above images were examples of existing posters I found that were good examples of the low-key basically lit portraits that I wanted to achieve, especially for the two main posters that presented the Viking leader and Saxon soldier.

This was my main consideration during shooting.

Shooting

I decided to gain material from two separate shoots. I wanted to obtain head shots of the main characters within the film. I booked the studio and using the Leaf digital back on a Hasselblad I was able to capture a variety of head shots of the actors in costume.

(click to enlarge)

Using low key lighting and the digital back allowed me to obtain high quality and atmospheric photographs. The quality produced by the Leaf digital backs allowed for further editing possibilities and was important when considering the size that I wanted to print the posters.

For the second shoot I accompanied the production team to their filming location situated in a privately owned section of woodland in Lincolnshire. With a digital SLR I was able to capture a range of shots of the open woodland and also textures that could be used for the posters. I also visited the authentic Saxon house just outside of Lincoln that was the main location in 'Northmen'. Again I took a variety of shots that would be used for the poster designs, DVD sleeves and as production stills for the group.

Editing

I wanted to maintain a professional working practice during the editing process of producing the posters and wanted as much feedback from the group as possible. I produced draft copies of the posters and showed these to members of the crew and asked their opinions. They were pleased with each draft that I produced and I adhered to their specifications, making alterations during the editing process. For example, in choosing the typography for the poster I produced a sheet with several examples of fonts that I then presented to the production group and asked their opinion.

After several edits and drafts I was able to compose the final designs, the crew and I were immensely pleased with the finished posters (presented below, click for enlargement)

Distribution

We arranged to have 14x A1 prints and 6x A0 through a printers based in Birmingham, after collecting the prints they were placed around University to promote an on-campus screening. However, the production team were able to secure a screening at the Odeon in Lincoln, the posters were used to further promote this invite-only screening. The posters were then adapted and made into the DVD sleeve for distribution to film festivals worldwide. Amongst the numerous film festivals entered 'Northmen' has been nominated for Best International Short Film at this years Polar Film Festival (www.polarfilmfestival.org) in Turku, Finland.

You can check out the trailer for Northmen here and production company Urban Apache's future prospects here. Although the films success is entirely down to the production crew that made it, I am proud to have been a major promoter of the film and hope that the posters and promotional material I have produced will continue to serve them well.

INITIAL IDEAS///

After the first introductory lecture to the third year program of study I was able to start researching and developing my own personal ideas. It was explained that the unit would be marked on 4 separate assignments that could be linked thematically or could stand solely as 4 individual assignments. Each project will equal 25% of our overall grade for the year, and thus amount to the entire module. As well as demonstrating our photographic technical competence & creativity, the 4 assignments must also demonstrate presentation skills, crucial to the photographic industry. Each of the 4 assignments must be presented in one of the following method outcomes:

• Exhibition - 25%
• Photo Book - 25%
• Screen Based - 25%
• Portfolio - 25%

Two of these assignments must also demonstrate the convergence of various media forms. For example, for the screen based piece I could include sound clippings that can be played on a loop.

I started to develop my own ideas before presenting them to the group in the following weeks seminar. Although not yet confident of which presentation method I would use for each of my chosen themes, I discussed the following within the seminar.

• Transvestite and drag culture
• The traveling circus
• Influential people of Lincoln
• The Fashion student
• Phobias

Developing the ideas and starting to consider their presentation methods I was able to process the ideas into further proposals which I would discuss in the seminar.

• Transvestite & Drag Culture within Lincoln - Screen-based

After the seminar I gained some positive feedback and was able to process my ideas further into these initial proposals.I decided that the transvestite and drag culture theme could be easily presented as a screen based project. Shooting in the studio, possibly using the large format camera, before & after photographs of the cross dressers in their 'weekend' and 'normal' attire. Presenting these photographs as a screen based application that morphs the images from one photography to another highlighting the transformation from an individual into their alter ego.

• Phobias - Photobook

After finding a few images on the internet of phobia related photography I was intrigued to explore phobias, some common, some not so common. I decided that the ideal presentation method for the phobia project would be the photo-book. I found a large, comprehensive list of phobias that would serve me as a reference tool and allow me to select phobias that I feel I can illustrate creatively and successfully.

http://www.phobialist.com/

© Lara Jade.

• Fashion Student Showcase - Portfolio

As well as considering how I could demonstrate my creativity and skill, I want to create a project that will demonstrate my commercial viability. With this I wanted to carry out a project that I will enjoy and will benefit my personal portfolio and would also benefit others. I want to offer my skills to another student who could make use of them. With this in mind I have decided to focus the portfolio outcome on photographing the work of fashion students from the University. Giving the designer a chance to obtain high quality photos of their work in a studio environment. I have designed a poster to hopefully catch the eye of fashion students, these will be placed around the campuses where the fashion students study and have my contact details as well as a link to some of my own personal work.

http://brainattacks.blogspot.com/2009/10/i-need-fashion-students-with-their-own.html

• Lincolns Influential & Important - Exhibition

My final project would be a series of portraits, shot on hasselblad using medium format film, of the influential, important and characterful people of Lincoln. The people that make Lincoln what it is and somehow bind a community. Each portrait will include a short bio of the individual and will hopefully demonstrate a broad sense of community within Lincoln's city. The project is not in anyway unique or original but again demonstrates persistence and technical ability as well as producing a superb body of work, ideal for exhibition. My uncle and grandfather have both produced very similar exhibitions on several occasions and they have been hugely successful. Lorentz Gullachsens last community based project entitled "Movers & Shakers - faces of changing city" Based around the community of Birmingham city was exhibited for three months in Birmingham city center at the Symphony Hall in 2005. My grandfather Willoughby Gullachsen's last large-scale exhibition entitled "The Brummies" was also an extremely successful exhibition and was exhibited in the Birmingham Central Library in 1994, since the exhibition he has published a book and continued to exhibit his life-long work on a smaller scale due to health and age. It is these two examples that have inspired me to embark on a similar project.

© Copyright. Lorentz Gullachsen.

http://www.gullachsenlife.com/

The theme of The Traveling Circus has been dropped from the four projects but will stay in place as a contingency, should another of the projects not be successful.