Monday, 29 April 2013
Assignment 5: Tutor Feedback.
I have now received my feedback for assignment 5 and I am very happy with the comments that my tutor has given me. I thoroughly enjoyed this assignment and I can only assume that this is evident through my work as the feedback is some of the best that I have had.
Here is the feedback report from my tutor;
"Overall Comments
Amanda, this is a strong assignment to finish the module with and I’m so glad you got the press-pass as I think this has opened up a whole new area and experience to yourself as well as your photography. Working within this professional environment can only be a good thing and shows just what is possible when it comes to making your own opportunities in a competitive market.
Your research is informative and shows you have good knowledge of the subject, this is important as in the freelance world this knowledge helps to form your market for your images. Gig photography is high volume work that really tests the photographers’ skills due to the time constraints, lighting and general working conditions, it does need a high level of constant concentration although through experience this becomes more instinctive.
The write up of the whole experience is excellent, your overall approach and technical aspects cannot be faulted, and although I am sure you know why a high level camera is worth investing in, you have shown just what is possible with a basic camera and a couple of lenses. Your first edit of the images shows a good range of shots and I can see why you have chosen the ones to sit within the parameter of a magazine layout, but I do think some of the other shots work better within the context of this assignment brief.
Feedback on Assignment
I don’t think the prints really do your images justice, the images on your blog come across better and I would put that down to the fact that the prints are machine ones rather than hand ones, the low lighting and colour casts can cause problems with the way the machine reads them. The finished spread with your chosen final images works well, and I would tend to use this as your part of your assessment submission rather than the prints. It wouldn’t cost too much to get it printed out at A3 and would also explain why you have used certain images.
The two images of the drummers are the weakest of the shots and I would possibly think about replacing these, I know shots of drummers are difficult with limited access and I think because of the distance between the camera and the subject the quality is a bit lacking. For me, the atmospheric shot with the red background and guitarist in silhouette would work better, and with a bit of selective cropped the similar shot with the blue filtered light could also work. Rather than use the magazine brief, use what you already have and think of it as a portfolio page where only the strongest images should be used.
The shot of the keyboard player in The Defiled is an excellent shot, the angle of the image is quite dynamic and you have also managed to capture one of his band-mates in the shot as well. Also I think good images of keyboard players are pretty rare as usually it’s the singer or guitarist who gets all the attention!
The image of the singer of Ghost also works well and we can get a good sense of the theatrical nature of their show especially with the landscape shot that shows more of their stage set-up. The shot of the guitarists, Stitch D, Joe Duplantier and Christian Andreu are all excellent because here we can see how you working with the light, especially the last one here of Andreu as one of the spots has caught his face to add a nice detail.
I liked the shot of the Nameless Ghoul as it seems to fit in with the stage name, the graduated blue to green light in the background works well with the stark and monochromatic anonymous identity. The final shot of the guy from Revoker has quite a warm feeling to it, the orange/red light fits well with the overall style of shot and again shows how you have got the best out of the lighting conditions.
Learning Log/Blog
This has come together very well, it informs not just your work but also the reader too, from the photographers who’s work you have looked at through to your research for each project. I enjoyed your insight into Andrew Kendall especially and you may want to think about writing for the OCA blog from a student’s perspective, they are always after interesting blog posts about photography so it may be worth putting a pitch in!
Your learning log/blog is a substantial piece of work in it’s own right so your assessment submission should bear that in mind, if you can send some decent prints in that would be great, these need to be A4 / 8x 10s with a thick white border (for ease of handling) and should be clearly marked with all the usual information. With the assessment you have to remember that each assessor has around 30 minutes to look at your work, so for example if you are last in the queue for the day then the assessor maybe a little jaded and if your work is difficult to look through, you may be marked down.
There are one or two grey areas in the submission guidelines so if you have any questions/queries please get in touch. There has been a big improvement in your work since the third assignment and I think this is reflected by the standard of imagery which has been well informed through your research, I can only encourage you to continue to work in this way through the rest of the modules and obtain your degree as I am sure you have the ability to find your own niche within photography."
I can honestly say that I am particularly content with all remarks made by my tutor although there is one suggestion that I will respond to.
As my tutor pointed out, the weakest images are those of the drummers. I do feel that they work well under the title of the brief and as such, fit in well in the mock up magazine spread. However, the shot that my tutor suggested, with the silhouette in the red lighting of Revoker's Bassist Shane, is a much better shot and would be an easy alternative to include instead of the image of Jack Pritchard, Revoker's drummer. I have decided not to amend the images in the final submission though and this is purely down to the brief. I think although the other is a better shot, it gives anonymity to the artist and the ' magazine reader' may get confused as to who the image is of. However, if the event had been a Revoker gig as opposed to an event with multiple big name bands, I would have made no hesitation to include the shot into the final selection.
Wednesday, 17 April 2013
ASSIGNMENT 5: PEOPLE AND PLACE ON ASSIGNMENT
Initial Thoughts:
I wanted to go back to what I love for this assignment and include an aspect of gig photography. I have a gig coming up which would be a prime candidate as an event to cover, the Jagermeister Music Tour 2013 where I am attending the Bristol leg in March. The tour features bands such as The Defiled, Gojira and is headlined by Ghost, with the opening act of this date being Revoker.
At this initial point, my first issue is whether they would allow my to have a photo pass to this event. The gig is quite popular and will be attended by actual press photographers so I am not sure if they would allow an unaccredited student photographer to cover the gig. I have previously tried to gain photo passes for larger events and have been turned down so my first task is to apply and hope that I am accepted. This will make the process a lot easier for me to get the type of shots that I would need, with the quality that I would need. I am not sure that I will be able to capture the necessary shots or quality of shots with my compact camera and from the crowd.
Brief: To produce a selection of images for a rock magazine to accompany a live review of the Bristol leg of the Jagermeister Music Tour 2013.
Research:
I have seen many a rock music magazine over the past few years, I even interned for a music website. When looking at gig reviews in said magazines/websites, the photos that accompany the written review are pretty stereotypical and what you would expect as someone who had never seen one. The majority are of the artists, predominantly the lead singer, performing on stage, with/without their instruments, in various poses. There are also occasionally group shots/overview of the entire stage whether from the pit if possible or from the back of the room as well as the odd crowd shot, especially if there is interaction between the artists and crowd and maybe a shot of the front row from the pit. The photographer will try to capture all angles of the gig to be able to successfully capture the atmosphere in the shots.
This review of Download Festival 2012 by NME Magazine, with shots taken by Tom Martin, is a great selection of images with which to start my research. There are plenty of stereotypical performance shots included but as this is a festival coverage, there are shots of the bands that are not on stage, as well as images taken throughout the festival site including festival goers and the site in general to get a good coverage of the whole event.
I have also been looking through a few old copies of Kerrang! magazine to have a look at the general coverage shots that they have of individual gigs as opposed to that of a huge event like Download Festival, which is covered in the above link. I have decided to scan in the magazine reviews instead of trying to link to the websites, as the layouts are different and I will be basing my assignment on a print review.
(please excuse the quality of the images as they are scanned in).
Two reviews here of Slayer and Limp Bizkit headline shows. Both have a page each and five main images which include shots of the support acts as well.
This review is a double page spread of a You Me At Six gig, including shots of the support acts and a shot of the setlist.
These are two double page reviews of a slightly larger event, Slam Dunk Festival. We have a lot more images trying to include shots of all bands over different stages.
Like I said, there are a lot of the same 'type' of image as I explained first off. Almost all shots are performance based with the occasional crowd shot thrown in. These give me a good insight into the type of images that would be appropriate for magazine coverage of a gig.
Planning:
I have been extremely lucky and have been granted a photo pass for the Jagermeister Music Tour 2013, Bristol event. When I announced this news to my tutor with reference to this assignment, he questioned the access that I would have with it while advising me on the type of photographic approach I could take with my coverage.
At this point, I really do not know what type of access I will have. There has been a comment that I may be meeting up with Jagermeisters' resident photographer Mark Latham to discuss details before the gig but this has not been confirmed. I am assuming that I will find out more on this on the day.
I am aware of the usual '3 song no flash' ruling while photographing gigs so I'm assuming this event will be no different and as far as I know, the standard access is in the photo pit in front of the stage only. The other thing that I am aware of is that I should always be aware of other photographers in the pit, not to hog one position and to move about as careful and discreet as possible.
Equipment Planning:
This is where I'm completely unsure which lens to use. I don't have a lot of equipment and only have my basic entry level Canon 1000D but I don't think that this will cause me any trouble to shoot with. My tutor mentioned in his notes to take two camera bodies, one with a telephoto lens and one with a wide angle lens. Unfortunately I only have the one camera at the moment so this is not an option for me. I have, at present, 3 lenses;
There are four bands playing so I will aim to get as many images in the 3 song time limit for each artist as is possible. I would like to attempt to get some crowd shots too, whether they be of fans at the front or shots of the stage from the crowd/back of the room. Altogether with the performance shots, thee should give a good overall indication of the event's coverage, showing the event from all angles.
Undertaking the Assignment:
This was an amazing opportunity and as petrified as I was, I am so grateful for the whole experience. I really did love it after the initial nerves had passed.
Firstly, I did have very basic access. The pass entitled me to use the photo pit for the first three songs of each artist without using flash, as expected, as then we had to vacate the pit until the next act came on. Unfortunately, but again as expected, I did not have any backstage access or access to artists and I didnt get to meet up with Mark Latham either, which was a shame. Although I did get to say hello in the pit. This solidified the fact that the event coverage for the "magazine review" would be limited to performance and crowd shots.
Secondly, the pit was extremely narrow and had 3-4 other photographers in there with me, as well as three event security, so I can see how my research has paid off noting that you need to be wary of space and others in a limited space. I found it relatively easy to manoevre about, squeezing around the other bodies, making sure not to 'hog' one position for too long and to be aware of other photographers and not to get in their shots. All this alongside actually trying to capture the desired images does require an awful lot of concentration and has given me a new respect for people who do this day in day out.
Photography wise the shooting was successful but frustrating at times. I decided to go for the fixed 50mm F1.8 lens for the first act, choosing the brighter lens over the focal length. I found the brightness great but really struggled with the focal length being so close to the stage. It was great for shots of the drummer, who is predominantly at the back of the stage but for the upfront members I could only really manage head and shoulders shots. Which is great but when trying to get a full length shot or a shot with the guitars in frame, I had to take shots from the side so that it was further away, as opposed to being directly in front of the artist, which doesn't give the same final result. The other position that I tried was to squat down to attempt to get more in the frame, however for the most part this was unsuccessful and always had the amps, situated at the front of the stage, taking up the bottom of the frame.
After leaving the pit for the first act, I decided to switch to the 18-55mm F3.5 lens, as I was now more knowledgeable with which focal length would work. I got to the rear of the arena and used this lens to take my first back of the crowd stage shot, only to be jumped on by security who told me that the photo pass only allows you to use your camera IN the photo pit and that I wasn't to use it anywhere else in the arena throughout the night! That put an abrupt end to anymore crowd/stage from crowd shots that I was planning which made me hugely disappointed. Luckily I had managed to get that first couple!
The second lens was great for focal length but started to struggle with the F3.5 aperture. I struggled to shoot the second act as the stage lighting was ridiculously dark throughout the first three songs, focusing on red and orange lights with a bit of green thrown in. Even with an auto shutter speed/aperture setting and a 1600 ISO, I was very aware while shooting the final three acts of motion blurring in my shots.
The last act I found a lot easier to shoot. I was very grateful for a wider angle as the stage was now clear of a lot of the previous acts stage gear and I was able to get a few full stage shots, albeit from a side angle. Also, the final two acts introduced blue and white lighting during their sets which meant my lens was grateful for the extra brightness in the lighting and taking the shots became slightly easier.
All in all, a very educational experience!
Post Shooting:
After uploading the images, I could immediately see the differences in the lenses. The 50mm F1.8 images were a lot clearer under the red and orange lights but there were very few full length shots to work with.
The second act with the bad lighting and the F3.5 lens produced the smallest amount of useable shots, which was really disappointing. The images that were useable did not appear to be as clear as the ones from the first lens had been. The blue and white lighting during the last two acts also made a vast difference to the quality of the images and how clear the result. I still had a lot of images with motion blur, sometimes the shot was still workable, but there was definitely a bigger final selection for the final two acts than for the first two.
In my attempt to create a magazine mock up of how the images might look in a double page review spread, I have used the above example of the 'Slam Dunk Festival' review as a template to set the images out. I found an important issue here was deciding which images I wanted to include and which I could bypass.
These are the final images that I considered selected and edited:
It would be silly to use all the images as a few are very similar, some are more 'arty' than usable in this context and it's just not essential to use them all. The task is to filter the ones that can be used for the purpose of the review and then compare the final ones.
I aimed to use 2-3 images of each band. One of the lead singer was a must but I want to include other members as well, but it would have to come down to the most atmospheric and interesting photos in relation to the event.
I'm really liking all these shots and maybe I can see a pattern in the type of shots that I like to take through these three images. But saying that, these are examples of the kind of images that I don't feel would be appropriate for a review magazine. These give me a more relaxed feel as opposed to the actual energetic and loud atmosphere of the event itself. These images can be immediately cast aside from inclusion in the article.
These two images are examples of images that I am disappointed I cannot use in the final selection. Both are great overall shots however motion blurring has caused the shots to look blurred and unclear. I think that the image to the right is slightly out of focus too which is a real shame.
I wanted to go back to what I love for this assignment and include an aspect of gig photography. I have a gig coming up which would be a prime candidate as an event to cover, the Jagermeister Music Tour 2013 where I am attending the Bristol leg in March. The tour features bands such as The Defiled, Gojira and is headlined by Ghost, with the opening act of this date being Revoker.
At this initial point, my first issue is whether they would allow my to have a photo pass to this event. The gig is quite popular and will be attended by actual press photographers so I am not sure if they would allow an unaccredited student photographer to cover the gig. I have previously tried to gain photo passes for larger events and have been turned down so my first task is to apply and hope that I am accepted. This will make the process a lot easier for me to get the type of shots that I would need, with the quality that I would need. I am not sure that I will be able to capture the necessary shots or quality of shots with my compact camera and from the crowd.
Brief: To produce a selection of images for a rock magazine to accompany a live review of the Bristol leg of the Jagermeister Music Tour 2013.
Research:
I have seen many a rock music magazine over the past few years, I even interned for a music website. When looking at gig reviews in said magazines/websites, the photos that accompany the written review are pretty stereotypical and what you would expect as someone who had never seen one. The majority are of the artists, predominantly the lead singer, performing on stage, with/without their instruments, in various poses. There are also occasionally group shots/overview of the entire stage whether from the pit if possible or from the back of the room as well as the odd crowd shot, especially if there is interaction between the artists and crowd and maybe a shot of the front row from the pit. The photographer will try to capture all angles of the gig to be able to successfully capture the atmosphere in the shots.
This review of Download Festival 2012 by NME Magazine, with shots taken by Tom Martin, is a great selection of images with which to start my research. There are plenty of stereotypical performance shots included but as this is a festival coverage, there are shots of the bands that are not on stage, as well as images taken throughout the festival site including festival goers and the site in general to get a good coverage of the whole event.
I have also been looking through a few old copies of Kerrang! magazine to have a look at the general coverage shots that they have of individual gigs as opposed to that of a huge event like Download Festival, which is covered in the above link. I have decided to scan in the magazine reviews instead of trying to link to the websites, as the layouts are different and I will be basing my assignment on a print review.
(please excuse the quality of the images as they are scanned in).
 |
| Kerrang! Magazine Issue Num 1418, June 09 2012 |
Two reviews here of Slayer and Limp Bizkit headline shows. Both have a page each and five main images which include shots of the support acts as well.
 |
| Kerrang! Magazine Issue num 1410, April 14 2012 |
This review is a double page spread of a You Me At Six gig, including shots of the support acts and a shot of the setlist.
 |
| Both above images from Kerrang! Magazine Issue num 1418, June 09 2012 |
These are two double page reviews of a slightly larger event, Slam Dunk Festival. We have a lot more images trying to include shots of all bands over different stages.
Like I said, there are a lot of the same 'type' of image as I explained first off. Almost all shots are performance based with the occasional crowd shot thrown in. These give me a good insight into the type of images that would be appropriate for magazine coverage of a gig.
Planning:
I have been extremely lucky and have been granted a photo pass for the Jagermeister Music Tour 2013, Bristol event. When I announced this news to my tutor with reference to this assignment, he questioned the access that I would have with it while advising me on the type of photographic approach I could take with my coverage.
At this point, I really do not know what type of access I will have. There has been a comment that I may be meeting up with Jagermeisters' resident photographer Mark Latham to discuss details before the gig but this has not been confirmed. I am assuming that I will find out more on this on the day.
I am aware of the usual '3 song no flash' ruling while photographing gigs so I'm assuming this event will be no different and as far as I know, the standard access is in the photo pit in front of the stage only. The other thing that I am aware of is that I should always be aware of other photographers in the pit, not to hog one position and to move about as careful and discreet as possible.
Equipment Planning:
This is where I'm completely unsure which lens to use. I don't have a lot of equipment and only have my basic entry level Canon 1000D but I don't think that this will cause me any trouble to shoot with. My tutor mentioned in his notes to take two camera bodies, one with a telephoto lens and one with a wide angle lens. Unfortunately I only have the one camera at the moment so this is not an option for me. I have, at present, 3 lenses;
- a 28 - 90mm F4.5
- an 18 - 55mm F3.5 and
- a 50mm fixed lens F1.8.
There are four bands playing so I will aim to get as many images in the 3 song time limit for each artist as is possible. I would like to attempt to get some crowd shots too, whether they be of fans at the front or shots of the stage from the crowd/back of the room. Altogether with the performance shots, thee should give a good overall indication of the event's coverage, showing the event from all angles.
Undertaking the Assignment:
This was an amazing opportunity and as petrified as I was, I am so grateful for the whole experience. I really did love it after the initial nerves had passed.
Firstly, I did have very basic access. The pass entitled me to use the photo pit for the first three songs of each artist without using flash, as expected, as then we had to vacate the pit until the next act came on. Unfortunately, but again as expected, I did not have any backstage access or access to artists and I didnt get to meet up with Mark Latham either, which was a shame. Although I did get to say hello in the pit. This solidified the fact that the event coverage for the "magazine review" would be limited to performance and crowd shots.
Secondly, the pit was extremely narrow and had 3-4 other photographers in there with me, as well as three event security, so I can see how my research has paid off noting that you need to be wary of space and others in a limited space. I found it relatively easy to manoevre about, squeezing around the other bodies, making sure not to 'hog' one position for too long and to be aware of other photographers and not to get in their shots. All this alongside actually trying to capture the desired images does require an awful lot of concentration and has given me a new respect for people who do this day in day out.
Photography wise the shooting was successful but frustrating at times. I decided to go for the fixed 50mm F1.8 lens for the first act, choosing the brighter lens over the focal length. I found the brightness great but really struggled with the focal length being so close to the stage. It was great for shots of the drummer, who is predominantly at the back of the stage but for the upfront members I could only really manage head and shoulders shots. Which is great but when trying to get a full length shot or a shot with the guitars in frame, I had to take shots from the side so that it was further away, as opposed to being directly in front of the artist, which doesn't give the same final result. The other position that I tried was to squat down to attempt to get more in the frame, however for the most part this was unsuccessful and always had the amps, situated at the front of the stage, taking up the bottom of the frame.
After leaving the pit for the first act, I decided to switch to the 18-55mm F3.5 lens, as I was now more knowledgeable with which focal length would work. I got to the rear of the arena and used this lens to take my first back of the crowd stage shot, only to be jumped on by security who told me that the photo pass only allows you to use your camera IN the photo pit and that I wasn't to use it anywhere else in the arena throughout the night! That put an abrupt end to anymore crowd/stage from crowd shots that I was planning which made me hugely disappointed. Luckily I had managed to get that first couple!
The second lens was great for focal length but started to struggle with the F3.5 aperture. I struggled to shoot the second act as the stage lighting was ridiculously dark throughout the first three songs, focusing on red and orange lights with a bit of green thrown in. Even with an auto shutter speed/aperture setting and a 1600 ISO, I was very aware while shooting the final three acts of motion blurring in my shots.
The last act I found a lot easier to shoot. I was very grateful for a wider angle as the stage was now clear of a lot of the previous acts stage gear and I was able to get a few full stage shots, albeit from a side angle. Also, the final two acts introduced blue and white lighting during their sets which meant my lens was grateful for the extra brightness in the lighting and taking the shots became slightly easier.
All in all, a very educational experience!
Post Shooting:
After uploading the images, I could immediately see the differences in the lenses. The 50mm F1.8 images were a lot clearer under the red and orange lights but there were very few full length shots to work with.
The second act with the bad lighting and the F3.5 lens produced the smallest amount of useable shots, which was really disappointing. The images that were useable did not appear to be as clear as the ones from the first lens had been. The blue and white lighting during the last two acts also made a vast difference to the quality of the images and how clear the result. I still had a lot of images with motion blur, sometimes the shot was still workable, but there was definitely a bigger final selection for the final two acts than for the first two.
In my attempt to create a magazine mock up of how the images might look in a double page review spread, I have used the above example of the 'Slam Dunk Festival' review as a template to set the images out. I found an important issue here was deciding which images I wanted to include and which I could bypass.
These are the final images that I considered selected and edited:
 |
| there are 2 copies of each edited image saved here |
I aimed to use 2-3 images of each band. One of the lead singer was a must but I want to include other members as well, but it would have to come down to the most atmospheric and interesting photos in relation to the event.
- Similar images
These two images are the same really, just different camera angle and focal length. Whereas they are both usable, I prefer the closer focal length as we can see more detail in the artists mask and outfit.
These three images of Gojira frontman, Joe Duplaniter, although slightly different, are all usable but only one is necessary. The first, left, is in bright lighting but I feel the contrast between the light and dark areas takes focus away and too much shadow is cast. The image below is off to the side and I feel it better to use a front shot as opposed to a side one.
- Artsy Shots.
I'm really liking all these shots and maybe I can see a pattern in the type of shots that I like to take through these three images. But saying that, these are examples of the kind of images that I don't feel would be appropriate for a review magazine. These give me a more relaxed feel as opposed to the actual energetic and loud atmosphere of the event itself. These images can be immediately cast aside from inclusion in the article.
- Blurring.
Magazine Mock-Up
After making my final choices in regards to the images to use, here is the mock up of the photo review with blank white boxes for spacing of where the written part of the review could be included;
Final Selection of images:
After making my final choices in regards to the images to use, here is the mock up of the photo review with blank white boxes for spacing of where the written part of the review could be included;
 |
| Rock magazine coverage mock up |
Final Selection of images:
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| The AVD - The Defiled |
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| Needles - The Defiled |
 |
| Papa Emeritus II - Ghost |
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| Stitch D - The Defiled |
 |
| Nameless Ghoul - Ghost |
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| Ghost |
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| Joe Duplantier - Gojira |
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| Christian Andreu - Gojira |
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| Jack Pritchard - Revoker |
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| Jamie Mathias - Revoker |
Monday, 1 April 2013
Adam Wicinski.
Thanks to the wonder of the internet and a certain social networking site, I have today stumbled across a great photographer, Adam Wicinski. From what I can gather, from his facebook page, he is a Polish photographer but the website listed on his page is not working so I cannot find out much more about him unfortunately.
My first reaction to Wicinski's work is that it is very similar to my own. Plenty of landscape and nature shots with a very 'Michael Kenna' style to them. Mostly black and white images too with dramatic tones and plenty of detail. It was no surprise to see under his 'likes' the Micheal Kenna page! It is very easy to compare Wicinski with Kenna and it is obvious Kenna is very inspirational to him. Wicinski captures similar misty landscapes, dramatic skies, still water reflections as Kenna predominantly uses but without the exotic landscapes that Kenna captures.
This is the first Wicinski image that I saw and it reminded me exactly of this image of Kenna's. The images are strikingly similar highlighting the inspiration Kenna is to Wicinski. I have also taken a similar image but with slight differences to the two images mentioned above:
Wicinski's work with reflections is also very 'reflective' of a lot of Kenna's images, like this image of Kenna's, which shows Kenna's fantastic ability to capture such a still and calm water. This makes the water appear like a giant mirror.
Kenna is one of the first photographers that I started to pay attention to and even today I am still inspired by his work. More recently I took this image of the second severn crossing here in Wales and it could be seen by others to compare to Kenna's image from his website's San Fransisco collection.
I love the clarity and beauty of Kenna's images and I hope one day to be able to be able to produce such striking images, although I know that time and patience to get that perfect shot are huge factors for that kind of work.
The similarity between the work of Wicinski and myself is noticeable. Wicinski's images are landscapes with the inclusion, on occasion, of a lone solitary figure. He has many images of pathways among trees, like this example of pathway, which whenever I produce images or see images like these, it always makes me inquisitive. Where does the path lead? Does it symbolise the future? Or the past?
But like I have mentioned, I take a lot of these images too, so maybe there is a lot of the same questions through my images.
I hope that people viewing my work will see these pathways as positive and a gateway to the next chapter of my work.
My first reaction to Wicinski's work is that it is very similar to my own. Plenty of landscape and nature shots with a very 'Michael Kenna' style to them. Mostly black and white images too with dramatic tones and plenty of detail. It was no surprise to see under his 'likes' the Micheal Kenna page! It is very easy to compare Wicinski with Kenna and it is obvious Kenna is very inspirational to him. Wicinski captures similar misty landscapes, dramatic skies, still water reflections as Kenna predominantly uses but without the exotic landscapes that Kenna captures.
This is the first Wicinski image that I saw and it reminded me exactly of this image of Kenna's. The images are strikingly similar highlighting the inspiration Kenna is to Wicinski. I have also taken a similar image but with slight differences to the two images mentioned above:
 |
| My own work - 2009 |
Wicinski's work with reflections is also very 'reflective' of a lot of Kenna's images, like this image of Kenna's, which shows Kenna's fantastic ability to capture such a still and calm water. This makes the water appear like a giant mirror.
Kenna is one of the first photographers that I started to pay attention to and even today I am still inspired by his work. More recently I took this image of the second severn crossing here in Wales and it could be seen by others to compare to Kenna's image from his website's San Fransisco collection.
 |
| My own work - 2012 |
I love the clarity and beauty of Kenna's images and I hope one day to be able to be able to produce such striking images, although I know that time and patience to get that perfect shot are huge factors for that kind of work.
The similarity between the work of Wicinski and myself is noticeable. Wicinski's images are landscapes with the inclusion, on occasion, of a lone solitary figure. He has many images of pathways among trees, like this example of pathway, which whenever I produce images or see images like these, it always makes me inquisitive. Where does the path lead? Does it symbolise the future? Or the past?
But like I have mentioned, I take a lot of these images too, so maybe there is a lot of the same questions through my images.
 |
| My own work - 2012 |
Assignment 4: Tutor Feedback.
Here is the latest feedback from my tutor regarding my assignment 4 submission;
"Overall Comments
Amanda, I think your thorough research has set you up well for this assignment and underlines the importance of pinning down your own work within a particular context. The holiday brochures are very cleverly put together and although they follow a certain ‘model’, the sunshine, blue skies and sea, beaches and people enjoying themselves all contribute to making the holidays very enticing.
Choosing Porthcawl is a good idea, (I remember going there a couple of times on holiday as a child) and taking the shots out of season gives a different feeling to the images. Out of season holiday resorts are always quite interesting, they are a lot quieter than the summer months and there is a kind of melancholic atmosphere as everyone waits for the warmer months and the tourists to arrive.
Assessment Potential
I understand your aim is to go for the Photography Degree and that you plan to submit your work for assessment at the end of this course. From the work you have shown in this assignment, providing you commit yourself to the course, I believe you have the potential to succeed at assessment. In order to meet all the assessment criteria, there are certain areas you will need to focus on, which I will outline in my feedback.
Feedback on Assignment
All but one of your final selection of images contains parts of the beach and sea, there are some variations in the other shots and possibly the edited needs a little more thought? It depends on how you want the images to balance out, for example the first two shots in the finished sequence show a good view of the sea front and the form of the buildings with the second shot showing a view out to sea and the lighthouse; these two work together well as the viewer gets a good sense of the two opposing views that the photographer is showing.
The following image of the couple on the bench looking out at sea works well as a contemplative image, although I am never too fond of shots that show the backs of people as, and at the risk of generalizing, it usually highlights a lack of the confidence on the photographers part. Why not ask the couple if you can take a shot of them, I know approaching strangers and asking to take their photo isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but should be considered nonetheless. In a similar way I think the shot of the surfers would have worked much better if you had got a lot closer and approached them and asked to take a shot or two. A couple of full length portraits with the sea in the background could have worked really well. The viewer wants to see the people, backs of them or small figures in the distance lack any kind of identity and as such alienates the viewer a little.
The snap shot of the passers-by looking at the dog is the only shot in your final selection where we can see people a lot more closely, it is one of those moments that causes us to glance up and take note of, but there is nothing to dwell on. Yes the shot shows people smiling and passing the time of day enjoying the sun, but I’m not sure how well it fits in with the rest of the sequence. I think if you could have possibly laid out the images in a mock magazine spread this may have helped with the editing process. Some of the images that you didn’t use in the final selection could have been used if this was the case; the shot of the souvenir shop could have worked and although Coney Beach is closed the shot does have that ‘out of season’ feel that I mentioned earlier.
The final image of the holiday homes / caravans close to the beach shows a different location of the town and through this the viewer, if they haven’t visited Porthcawl before, starts to get a sense of the variation of the town and the visitors it attracts. Overall the images seem to be trying to show too much and as such are a good set of ‘reccy’ photographs that would work in this context providing enough information for a continuation of the project at some point. The process of particular photographic projects such as this start at point A and often end up at point Z, it would be a difficult assignment for any photographer to produce a series of images that shows a particular town in one day.
Learning Log/Blog
I’m glad you found Ricky Adam’s work interesting, I have been in touch with a couple of times for a little interview I did for the OCA blog and he is a very helpful and approachable person. Its great to see you looking at other work and I enjoyed the Isaac Ferry images and reading your thoughts on his work. If you don’t mind I would like to use your blog as an example to some of my other students as it is a good example of what to include and how to go about it!
Suggested reading/viewing/pointers for the next assignment
We’ve already discussed your idea for the final assignment and I think all your research work into other photographers should really help with how you want to approach the shoot. I’m not sure what limitations you will have, I know that some bands will only let photographers take shots during the first 15 minutes of the set for example or if you have access to back stage. Looking through any of the music magazines should give you a good idea of the kind of images that editors like to use, or you may have your own personal take on how the images should work, this is fine and I think your experience of taking shots at live shows previously should put you in good stead for the assignment. Also, if you haven’t already, it might be good to get some group shots/portraits of the bands, I think these kind of shots can work well when used next to a dynamic live action image."
I said in my closing statement of this assignment that my only worry would be if I have chosen the best images for the final selection and from this feedback, i can see that this was, pretty much, the only negative factor of this feedback.
I will address some of the pointers that my tutor has mentioned now.
Firstly, I agree with his mention of getting a different feel to a place when images are taken out of season. I always find places eerily quiet in comparison to the hustle and bustle of Porthcawl in the summer months and I think subconsciously I was hoping to capture the quieter more relaxing 'watching the day go by' atmosphere that you will experience in the winter months. I will re think and post my amended final selection at the end of this review.
My tutor pointed out about the image of the couple looking out to sea. He sees this as the photographers lack of confidence to approach the people to capture their faces. This was not the case in this instance. My purpose was to 'capture the sense of place' of Porthcawl and this image is something that you will see almost every time you visit. The benches are close to the railings, I'm assuming so that people are not encouraged to walk in front of the benches while walking along the promenade. This would give the people sat on these benches a little privacy and personal space to enjoy the view. These benches are almost always taken up whether it be cold or gloriously hot weather and so it was an important factor for me to capture. The fact that I have taken an image of the back of the couple is because it shows a small insight into a personal moment that they are sharing, sat cuddled on the bench together, gazing out to see. This image wouldn't work in the context that I have explained it here if the pair were posing and smiling for the camera. We wouldn't have been able to share in their romantic, peaceful moment at the beach.
I completely agree though with the comment on the image of the surfers. As in one of the research photos for this assignment, I could've copied the same idea ad had the full length portrait of the surfers with the sea in the background and it would've worked a lot better. But my idea with the last two points was that we had been learning in this past 'project' about making people anonymous, single small figures and balancing figures and space so it was my interpretation that we were to incorporate this learning into this assignment. Either way, this idea would've worked really well. I did, however, capture another image shortly after I submitted this assignment to my tutor and feel that this new shot would make a nice substitution for the surfer image that I originally had;
"Overall Comments
Amanda, I think your thorough research has set you up well for this assignment and underlines the importance of pinning down your own work within a particular context. The holiday brochures are very cleverly put together and although they follow a certain ‘model’, the sunshine, blue skies and sea, beaches and people enjoying themselves all contribute to making the holidays very enticing.
Choosing Porthcawl is a good idea, (I remember going there a couple of times on holiday as a child) and taking the shots out of season gives a different feeling to the images. Out of season holiday resorts are always quite interesting, they are a lot quieter than the summer months and there is a kind of melancholic atmosphere as everyone waits for the warmer months and the tourists to arrive.
Assessment Potential
I understand your aim is to go for the Photography Degree and that you plan to submit your work for assessment at the end of this course. From the work you have shown in this assignment, providing you commit yourself to the course, I believe you have the potential to succeed at assessment. In order to meet all the assessment criteria, there are certain areas you will need to focus on, which I will outline in my feedback.
Feedback on Assignment
All but one of your final selection of images contains parts of the beach and sea, there are some variations in the other shots and possibly the edited needs a little more thought? It depends on how you want the images to balance out, for example the first two shots in the finished sequence show a good view of the sea front and the form of the buildings with the second shot showing a view out to sea and the lighthouse; these two work together well as the viewer gets a good sense of the two opposing views that the photographer is showing.
The following image of the couple on the bench looking out at sea works well as a contemplative image, although I am never too fond of shots that show the backs of people as, and at the risk of generalizing, it usually highlights a lack of the confidence on the photographers part. Why not ask the couple if you can take a shot of them, I know approaching strangers and asking to take their photo isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but should be considered nonetheless. In a similar way I think the shot of the surfers would have worked much better if you had got a lot closer and approached them and asked to take a shot or two. A couple of full length portraits with the sea in the background could have worked really well. The viewer wants to see the people, backs of them or small figures in the distance lack any kind of identity and as such alienates the viewer a little.
The snap shot of the passers-by looking at the dog is the only shot in your final selection where we can see people a lot more closely, it is one of those moments that causes us to glance up and take note of, but there is nothing to dwell on. Yes the shot shows people smiling and passing the time of day enjoying the sun, but I’m not sure how well it fits in with the rest of the sequence. I think if you could have possibly laid out the images in a mock magazine spread this may have helped with the editing process. Some of the images that you didn’t use in the final selection could have been used if this was the case; the shot of the souvenir shop could have worked and although Coney Beach is closed the shot does have that ‘out of season’ feel that I mentioned earlier.
The final image of the holiday homes / caravans close to the beach shows a different location of the town and through this the viewer, if they haven’t visited Porthcawl before, starts to get a sense of the variation of the town and the visitors it attracts. Overall the images seem to be trying to show too much and as such are a good set of ‘reccy’ photographs that would work in this context providing enough information for a continuation of the project at some point. The process of particular photographic projects such as this start at point A and often end up at point Z, it would be a difficult assignment for any photographer to produce a series of images that shows a particular town in one day.
Learning Log/Blog
I’m glad you found Ricky Adam’s work interesting, I have been in touch with a couple of times for a little interview I did for the OCA blog and he is a very helpful and approachable person. Its great to see you looking at other work and I enjoyed the Isaac Ferry images and reading your thoughts on his work. If you don’t mind I would like to use your blog as an example to some of my other students as it is a good example of what to include and how to go about it!
Suggested reading/viewing/pointers for the next assignment
We’ve already discussed your idea for the final assignment and I think all your research work into other photographers should really help with how you want to approach the shoot. I’m not sure what limitations you will have, I know that some bands will only let photographers take shots during the first 15 minutes of the set for example or if you have access to back stage. Looking through any of the music magazines should give you a good idea of the kind of images that editors like to use, or you may have your own personal take on how the images should work, this is fine and I think your experience of taking shots at live shows previously should put you in good stead for the assignment. Also, if you haven’t already, it might be good to get some group shots/portraits of the bands, I think these kind of shots can work well when used next to a dynamic live action image."
I said in my closing statement of this assignment that my only worry would be if I have chosen the best images for the final selection and from this feedback, i can see that this was, pretty much, the only negative factor of this feedback.
I will address some of the pointers that my tutor has mentioned now.
Firstly, I agree with his mention of getting a different feel to a place when images are taken out of season. I always find places eerily quiet in comparison to the hustle and bustle of Porthcawl in the summer months and I think subconsciously I was hoping to capture the quieter more relaxing 'watching the day go by' atmosphere that you will experience in the winter months. I will re think and post my amended final selection at the end of this review.
My tutor pointed out about the image of the couple looking out to sea. He sees this as the photographers lack of confidence to approach the people to capture their faces. This was not the case in this instance. My purpose was to 'capture the sense of place' of Porthcawl and this image is something that you will see almost every time you visit. The benches are close to the railings, I'm assuming so that people are not encouraged to walk in front of the benches while walking along the promenade. This would give the people sat on these benches a little privacy and personal space to enjoy the view. These benches are almost always taken up whether it be cold or gloriously hot weather and so it was an important factor for me to capture. The fact that I have taken an image of the back of the couple is because it shows a small insight into a personal moment that they are sharing, sat cuddled on the bench together, gazing out to see. This image wouldn't work in the context that I have explained it here if the pair were posing and smiling for the camera. We wouldn't have been able to share in their romantic, peaceful moment at the beach.
I completely agree though with the comment on the image of the surfers. As in one of the research photos for this assignment, I could've copied the same idea ad had the full length portrait of the surfers with the sea in the background and it would've worked a lot better. But my idea with the last two points was that we had been learning in this past 'project' about making people anonymous, single small figures and balancing figures and space so it was my interpretation that we were to incorporate this learning into this assignment. Either way, this idea would've worked really well. I did, however, capture another image shortly after I submitted this assignment to my tutor and feel that this new shot would make a nice substitution for the surfer image that I originally had;
The last point that my tutor remarked on was the image of the elderly couple walking along the sea front. I can see how he would think it doesn't fit in with the sequence but this is exactly what you will see on a visit to Porthcawl and I thought it important to include in this collection. It shows that, even though out of season, Porthcawl is still visited and enjoyed by many who will just come here to walk along the front, have a coffee or walk their dogs.
So after re-thinking my final selection, I will now add my amended final choices;
Andrew Kendall.
" Kendall is a Digital Media Lecturer at the London institute and currently works as a music photographer for music publications such as NME" - www.andrewkendall.com/
Looking at his new site, linked above, his talent shows itself in the simple yet striking full screen images of big name artists, shown on a simple website set solely on highlighting the images. Impressive is not the word. Then I came across Kendall's news tab and realised that I have seen his work on so many occasions without even knowing who he was. I attend Download Festival annually and from this news feed have seen that Kendall is a big part of the photography team at this festival, I have seen his photos on numerous occasions and am really glad to now put a face to a very professional and well known name!
The link from the previous posts article led me here, although this may possibly be an old site of Kendalls. Perusing through his gallery of work on this site only, you can see his dedication and talent through the vast amount of gig's and concerts he's photographed. Kendall is great at capturing the atmosphere is the gig he is shooting, changing his compositions to reflect the mood of the show/artists. The quality of each image is impressive as well at the various types of gigs considering the terrible lighting conditions I am sure he is faced with at each one.
I particularly his images from Gallows, 27/12/06. As with Adam, I really can feel like I am at this gig. The band themselves appear to be on a small stage so I'm assuming this is a somewhat small venue which is great for this kind of photography. The atmosphere of the gig is contained within such a small space and the band get to physically interact with the crowd which Kendall had captured here really well. I think these images connect well with the music itself.
Punk music is loud, fast and edgey and Gallows are a very distinctive band. Kendall, as well as Adam, reflect this musical genre very clearly through the images they shoot at these types of gigs.I also really like the inclusion of the crowds in these scenarios as it enhances the madness of the atmosphere created at the gig. You can read off the band and crowds faces the type of music that is being played without hearing it for yourself.
Last year I briefly undertook an internship with an alternative music website and covered an american hardcore band for them called The Chariot. The performance was unlike anything I have ever experienced before but their fans, obviously, were purely dedicated to them. The venue was small with a small stage area, however as with the bands covered by photographers such as Kendall, Adam and Freidman, the atmosphere was electric and wild, with the artists interacting with the crowd as much as possible throughout the set.
Back to Kendall, and in comparison to the madness of the Gallows gig, I like the shots Kendall took of Panic! at the disco 22/04/06. This band are a lot more mellow, more of a pop rock genre, and you can immediately see the difference in the performance 'vibe'. Kendall focusses on clear shots of the band themselves and keeping the collection black and white, which I always find makes the images a lot more relaxed. He also includes as the last photo, more than likely in sequence of the show, a wide angle shot from the back of the crowd, creating more of a silhouette image with the lighting and the smoke. A very effective technique that I am determined to attempt one day.
I am really happy that I stumbled across Andrew Kendall's work. Like I said, I have seen his images on so many occasions and so I am grateful to be able to appreciate his work ad talent now,knowing exactly who he is.
Looking at his new site, linked above, his talent shows itself in the simple yet striking full screen images of big name artists, shown on a simple website set solely on highlighting the images. Impressive is not the word. Then I came across Kendall's news tab and realised that I have seen his work on so many occasions without even knowing who he was. I attend Download Festival annually and from this news feed have seen that Kendall is a big part of the photography team at this festival, I have seen his photos on numerous occasions and am really glad to now put a face to a very professional and well known name!
The link from the previous posts article led me here, although this may possibly be an old site of Kendalls. Perusing through his gallery of work on this site only, you can see his dedication and talent through the vast amount of gig's and concerts he's photographed. Kendall is great at capturing the atmosphere is the gig he is shooting, changing his compositions to reflect the mood of the show/artists. The quality of each image is impressive as well at the various types of gigs considering the terrible lighting conditions I am sure he is faced with at each one.
I particularly his images from Gallows, 27/12/06. As with Adam, I really can feel like I am at this gig. The band themselves appear to be on a small stage so I'm assuming this is a somewhat small venue which is great for this kind of photography. The atmosphere of the gig is contained within such a small space and the band get to physically interact with the crowd which Kendall had captured here really well. I think these images connect well with the music itself.
Punk music is loud, fast and edgey and Gallows are a very distinctive band. Kendall, as well as Adam, reflect this musical genre very clearly through the images they shoot at these types of gigs.I also really like the inclusion of the crowds in these scenarios as it enhances the madness of the atmosphere created at the gig. You can read off the band and crowds faces the type of music that is being played without hearing it for yourself.
Last year I briefly undertook an internship with an alternative music website and covered an american hardcore band for them called The Chariot. The performance was unlike anything I have ever experienced before but their fans, obviously, were purely dedicated to them. The venue was small with a small stage area, however as with the bands covered by photographers such as Kendall, Adam and Freidman, the atmosphere was electric and wild, with the artists interacting with the crowd as much as possible throughout the set.
 |
| My own image of The Chariot - Cardiff 2011 |
Back to Kendall, and in comparison to the madness of the Gallows gig, I like the shots Kendall took of Panic! at the disco 22/04/06. This band are a lot more mellow, more of a pop rock genre, and you can immediately see the difference in the performance 'vibe'. Kendall focusses on clear shots of the band themselves and keeping the collection black and white, which I always find makes the images a lot more relaxed. He also includes as the last photo, more than likely in sequence of the show, a wide angle shot from the back of the crowd, creating more of a silhouette image with the lighting and the smoke. A very effective technique that I am determined to attempt one day.
I am really happy that I stumbled across Andrew Kendall's work. Like I said, I have seen his images on so many occasions and so I am grateful to be able to appreciate his work ad talent now,knowing exactly who he is.
Gig Photography.
As some research for my final assignment, which at the moment I am planning to incorporate music photography, and also for some personal tips, I have just read an interesting article on the Pixiq website entitled 'How to: concert photography' by Haje Jan Kamps. The full article can be read here.
Pretty obvious stuff and common sense but some good basic pointers for someone who is only just starting out with gig photography. I would love to have read this when I started but it's pointers you actually pick up when you have been doing it a while. I especially liked the paragraph regarding the equipment, as I never know the best lens to use in this situation. Obviously, and as stated in the article, brightness is better for the terrible lighting conditions you can be faced with, but I never thought to take a more wide angled lens before. This refers back to my post about Isaac ferry, where I explained that I've never thought to attempt ome shots from the back of the room before. I'm partial to my Canon 28 - 90 mm f4.5 lens which is great for the kind of gigs I shoot with it at the moment but I do really need to invest in a lens with more brightness I think to fully embrace the shots more. Also, high ISO due to this factor has an overall effect on the final images so it's really in my best interest to get a good bright lens.
The closing paragraph of the article is an inspiration post linking to a music photographer called Andrew Kendall. This is another photographer I am going to have a look at.
Pretty obvious stuff and common sense but some good basic pointers for someone who is only just starting out with gig photography. I would love to have read this when I started but it's pointers you actually pick up when you have been doing it a while. I especially liked the paragraph regarding the equipment, as I never know the best lens to use in this situation. Obviously, and as stated in the article, brightness is better for the terrible lighting conditions you can be faced with, but I never thought to take a more wide angled lens before. This refers back to my post about Isaac ferry, where I explained that I've never thought to attempt ome shots from the back of the room before. I'm partial to my Canon 28 - 90 mm f4.5 lens which is great for the kind of gigs I shoot with it at the moment but I do really need to invest in a lens with more brightness I think to fully embrace the shots more. Also, high ISO due to this factor has an overall effect on the final images so it's really in my best interest to get a good bright lens.
The closing paragraph of the article is an inspiration post linking to a music photographer called Andrew Kendall. This is another photographer I am going to have a look at.
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