A Dozen Eggs - Exhibition Launch

I'm absolutely delighted to announce that after an intense day of setting-up on Monday, my exhibition for A Dozen Eggs opened to the public yesterday at Bank Street Arts gallery in Sheffield. I'm really pleased with the result (and will post a few images of the exhibition after the Private View, scheduled for tomorrow evening).

Elizabeth Underwood (from UnderwoodWorks) has done a marvellous job with the PR, getting features into the Sheffield Telegraph and the Big Issue in the North, as well as onto various websites, such as Arts Council England, Ephotozine, Sheffield Town Talk, and Sheffield's official Tourist Information site. I owe her a debt of gratitude and I hope for some positive reviews after the show.

Jose Navarro, from the Open College of the Arts, is going to be hosting a student visit day within my exhibition, based upon family photography, on 24th November, which I hope lots of people will attend and get the opportunity to comment on my images.

I've already started work on 2 projects that have stemmed from A Dozen Eggs. The first is a collaboration with my mother, who is now in a care home in Salford, exploring aspects of memory and meaning within possessions, and the second is an extension of the family photography album, exploring  the lives of the children (and grandchildren) from those depicted within A Dozen Eggs, thereby creating a visual (and fluid) family tree. I shall post images as the projects develop.

A Dozen Eggs - Image Update - Margaret

Margaret is 'Egg Number 6' within the Major Project. This photo-shoot was arranged for the Friday morning before the children went back to school. In discussion with Margaret, we decided that the Friday morning offered two possibilities: (1) because she was off work, it would allow me to photograph her daily life (which, in essence, is looking after the house and children), and (2) it was a 'special' moment for her, as her son (Alex - who was due to attend secondary school the next week) was going to try on his school uniform for the first time. I took a variety of shots (in a close-up, reportage style), but the shot below was my favourite, capturing not only the wonderful relationship she has with her son, but also her great sense of fun.

A Dozen Eggs - Image Update - Angela

This was an interesting shoot in that it was very spontaneous; it had not been pre-arranged, but I had my camera with me because I was taking my Mother out for the day at a National Trust garden and I wanted to get some shots of her. Angela decided that she would come along, which I was extremely pleased about as I thought it would be nice to spend some time together (and get some shots of her as well). Angela does amateur dramatics, and therefore plays to the camera a lot; in fact, trying to get her to be completely herself whilst a camera is around is quite difficult. Although I captured a few 'candid' shots (which could only be captured if she really didn't realise I was lining up a shot), I like the image below because of the texture and detail within the image. It is posed (naturally - by Angela - as opposed to any intervention on my part), but this is all part of Angela's character, which I was pleased to document.

A Dozen Eggs - Image Update - Graham

To represent Graham (Egg Number 3) within the Major Project, we decided that rather than any specific 'moment', it should be more of a general portrait session. Graham leads a simple, almost 'introvertive' lifestyle; when he is not working as a fork-lift truck driver, he is found in 'his chair' watching TV or reading a classic car magazine. His main hobby (aside from reading about classic cars or watching F1) is fixing bicycles, which he does from his shed, or on the bench, in the back garden. Other members of the family, when asked how to sum up Graham, have all said, "sitting in his chair, putting the world to rights". This seemed the logical perspective for this shoot. The image below represents Graham as everybody knows him. The image is full of texture and detail, and (as Roland Barthes comments) has a series of punctums for members of the family viewing it - from the graduation picture, to the photograph of the dog, to the yellow plate on the bookshelf - details of familiar items, bought and gifted by others who are the focus of this project.

A Dozen Eggs - Image Update - Self-Portrait

This has been, by far, the most difficult part of my project. How to represent oneself! I have discussed this in detail within my written logbook, so I won't dwell too much on it here, but self-representation is a very difficult thing to do. As well as challenges with the shooting itself, there are a myriad of decisions that need to be taken into consideration, mainly in terms of how I fit into this project successfully. I am, by its very nature, the only one of the 'eggs' that has made a conscious decision to create an album representing myself to others, and the decision of 'intimacy' and 'how much to reveal about myself' is a consciously slow and purposeful act. It is something I will be working on over the next few months. I have included a couple of shots below as a starter. These represent precious moments that I have at home - playing with the dog and enjoying a coffee on a Sunday morning - simple pleasures that are rare in my life because my work keeps me away from home for 5 out of 7 days.

A Dozen Eggs - Image Update - Mother

I recently shot some images of my Mother, for my major OCA project - A Dozen Eggs. Whilst the images will not be going into the final project itself, one image will be used for the 'cover' of the project (as a representation of 'Mother Hen'). I have chosen the following shot, which was a candid shot taken in the grounds of Speke Hall in Liverpool:

My ideas for representation of the project (which may well change) is currently as follows:

1. A large eggbox (for a dozen eggs) will be used as the 'case' for the images. This will have the project title (etc) (as well as the image of my Mother, shown above) on the top of the box.

2. Each sibling (egg) will be represented by five images chosen from a selection of images shot to represent a specific 'moment' in the individual's life.

3. Each sibling will write a short account of the images, which will be included as an introduction to their 'section'.

4. The images will be contained within a small folder - the likes of those given by street-side photo-labs. This represents the 'snapshot' nature of the family album. Each folder will contain 6 'eggs'.

5. The images will be developed as 4"x6" prints (as per the 'family snapshot' of old). These will be C-Type Metallic prints, published for this project as a 'one-off Portfolio Edition'.

In addition to my Mother, I have shot the images for myself as well as 2 brothers (Godfrey and Steven) and 1 sister (Linda). Over the next few days I am planning a further 2 shoots, with 6 more to follow over the next couple of months.

OCA - Advanced Course Update

I started my final course with the OCA a few months ago (Level 3 Advanced), but it’s been a struggle to keep up my electronic journal via this blog. I am living away from home at the moment (working away during the week) and have had no internet connectivity so I’ve reverted back to old methods and decided to keep a hand-written logbook instead. What I intend to do is try and complement this with regular (as much as possible) electronic updates that can provide some relevant links to exhibitions and the like.

However, I have also been keeping a visual learning log, which I have been adding to weekly and which is now rather extensive. Within this I have five sections: (1) Critical Text Studies; (2) Critical Photographer Studies; (3) Influential Imagery Specific to my Project; (4) Further Influential Imagery; (5) Photographic Essay. For the imagery sections, I have appended notes relating to what I think of the work and how it has helped to refine and develop my project (or future photographic/visual ideas).

As far as my photography (from a practical perspective) is concerned, I have only done 2 major shoots over recent months (which I shall post some examples in my next instalment). This has focused on my Mother (who will only feature on the cover of my project) and a self-portrait study (which was particularly challenging, considering the reportage style that I have developed over the past couple of years). However, I have an extensive shoot planned for this weekend, which will allow me to put my first assignment submission in. The subsequent submissions should then flow relatively quickly, as I have a planned series of shoots over the next couple of months. This will allow the practical side of my course to ‘catch-up’ with the academic side, so that my aim of a Spring 2011 finish will be back on the cards.

David Perlmutter

I have been busy reading 2 superb books on the subject of photography in warfare, in preparation for my final course with the OCA. Both books are by David Perlmutter, the head of political communication at the Manship School of Mass Communication, Lousiana State University. The first is called, "Photojournalism And Foreign Policy: Framing Icons Of Outrage In International Crises" and the second is entitled, "Visions Of War: Picturing Warfare From The Stone Age To The Cyber Age". Both books have given me a really good grounding in the 'history' of warfare as viewed both through the photographic lens and through 'pre-photographic' imagery, providing some thought-provoking ideas on how to look at my own work. As I look deeper into my own vision of warfare through photography - especially through the 'eyes of the soldier' - I intend to provide my own insights into this fascinating subject.

Future Focus

Not one to sit still for too long (having just recently completed my first Level 3 course with the OCA), I'm busily researching the focus for my final OCA Course (Photography 3: Advanced), which I intend to start in May 2010. I have a huge interest in Photography & International Conflict and have found a superb project being run through the University College of Dublin's (UCD) Clinton Institute for American Studies on this exact subject. My intention is to research into the area (from both a primary and secondary perspective), prior to undertaking a prolonged practical project that I intend to culminate in an exhibition (and, of course, the extended 'Learning Log' requirement for the course). I am still working on the fineties of the practical project, and will be discussing this with my tutor once I enrol in May. I am really looking forward to it - the completion of the course will (if everything goes well) award me with my degree in Creative Arts, something I've been working towards for a long time, and a qualification which I am not only extremely proud of, but one which I hope will lead me in new directions.

My current work is very demanding (but also equally rewarding) and this, along with a Masters degree in HRD & Performance Mgt (which I am currently studying with the Centre for Labour Market Studies in Leicester - due for completion in 2011) have made the job of studying for the Creative Arts degree a huge challenge, but it is going in the right direction (albeit with some late nights and early mornings). My long-term goal is to study for a PhD (hopefully with the UCD) in Photography and both work and lecture in the area of Photography and Social/International Conflict. I have a real focus (and passion) for this goal, and will keep on working hard until I achieve it.

The UCD site is superb as a research tool, and many of the links I have added to this Forum. The recorded interviews with Photo Editors and key photographers in the documentary field within the 'Imaging Famine' link are especially valuable and provide a great source for debate and thought. As I narrow my focus towards a 'solid' research topic, I will keep updating this forum with my ideas and thoughts (if nothing more than to keep a track of my 'developments').

OCA - Assignment Five (and Final Submission) Feedback

My tutor’s comments were, once again, well received and have helped to finalise the images for my exhibition. The OCA’s ‘Submission Advice’ does not allude to sending the actual exhibition images for assessment; however, were there that requirement, I would utilise the advice given, in that:

1. I would change Image 11 to ensure that the landscape format was adhered to, to ensure that the ‘middle’ images between the ‘bookends’ of each line followed a strict visual pattern. For Example:

Instead of:

2. I would ensure that all images were ‘tweaked’ (in terms of utilising ‘dodging’ and ‘burning’ where appropriate to maximise the images impact).

3. I would present the images as outlined in my Assignment 5 feedback – A3 is certainly the minimum image size that I would like to present for this work.

It is important to note that the restrained use of blur within the first 2 lines of the exhibition (as noted by my tutor) was a conscious decision on my part. I wanted to align the images with the poetry, leading to an eventual ‘explosion’ of camouflage in the final line, accompanied with the words ‘slipping and sliding’ to describe a scene awash with ambiguity. All of the images for the exhibition can be viewed on my 'flickr' webpage.

Overall, I feel extremely pleased with the results for the exhibition. I still feel it is a work in progress, and with a future trip to Afghanistan planned within my work, I feel this will be an opportunity to further develop this body of work.

OCA - Assignment Three Feedback

I'm feeling a touch guilty in that it has been about 2 months since I have updated my blog (rather remiss of me). It's not that I haven't been doing any work - more to the contrary, I have been slaving away at my 'day job' in addition to completing a major essay for my masters degree and finalising the work for assignment 3 of my OCA course. Now that I have written that down I feel 'cleansed' - it's rather cathartic this blogging process!

Anyway, I received the feedback a few days ago for my OCA assignment and was (once again) delighted with the positive comments. It always helps to spurn me onto my next 'installment' and as time is getting quite precious at the moment, it was a boost I really needed. This particular assignment was really hard work as it involved not only taking photographs, but also an in-depth essay (of which I concentrated on the work of Martin Parr) and a theoretical study. I must say that whilst I enjoyed the challenge of writing about the creative process and investigating the work of prominent photographers, I was incredibly glad to 'get it out of the way' so that I could use my time to complete my photographic project. Ultimately, it is taking photographs that fires me up, not just talking about them.

Upon the advice of my tutor (and based upon the thoughts that I was having anyway), I have decided to refine my major project even further. The project had started out as a very 'open-ended' study of workers, which was later refined to focus upon workers in uniform. I have taken this a stage further to now concentrate specifically on those wearing camouflage uniform (or DPM - Disrupted Pattern Material - as the military define it). At the moment I will be concentrating on the British DPM uniform, but it leads to an idea for the future exploring the different DPM patterns worn by different nations (and the reasons behind the various constructions/patterns). Aside from the day-to-day wearing of the uniform, I want to concentrate on particular situations where it is mandated (and necessary) that the DPM uniform is worn. I have already taken images of the RAF Regiment on Pre-Deployment Training for Afghanistan and of the Royal Gurkha Regiment (see image above) during their 'downtime' on Operations in Kandahar (the latter of which will be submitted as part of Assignment 4). I will be taking some images of airmen training on a fitness assault course (which will form the second part of the Assignment 4 submission), and I intend to do some photographic studies of snipers training 'in the field' and of medics training for Afghanistan. There are some real challenges ahead, but the continued focus of the study has really helped to define its boundaries and has helped me to concentrate my efforts further.

OCA Major Project - New Focus

After all the reading I have been doing of late, I have been reflecting upon the focus of my Major Project for my OCA course. At the start of my course, when I first introduced the idea of doing my project on 'Workers', my tutor said that I may need to refine it, and he was undoubtedly right. This has been reiterated in the advice I received during my portfolio review, and was a major theme coming out of David Hurn's book - the need to be specific, with strong subject matter.

I have, therefore, refined my project to specifically focus on workers in uniform, particularly those that give of themselves for the greater good of others, such as in the Armed Services, the Fire Service and the NHS. Through the images I want to explore the work they do, and the conditions they find themselves in at times - sometimes cramped, cold and uncomfortable and at other times dangerous and/or immensely stressful. I have already started the project with a look at the RAF Regiment training for a deployment to Afghanistan, and also a brief glimpse into the lives of the Royal Gurkha Regiment in Kandahar. These images will form the basis of my next assignment, which will be followed up with work on Fire Fighters, Nurses and the Lifeboat Service.

An example image from this project is shown above, depicting a young airman (19 years old) trying to operate in the back of an armoured vehicle, during an Exercise in which the team were training to patrol against the ever-present threat of suicide bombers in Afghanistan.

OCA - Assignment Two Feedback

I received my Assignment Two feedback recently and was overjoyed with the response from my tutor, especially as I had really gone out on a limb with my approach to some of the assignment work. There were some really useful comments given, which I always welcome as it forces me to think about my work more critically and pushes me into new areas of development.

I was really pleased that my tutor liked the 'Walks With My Human' (a working title) series of images, depicting the local environment from the viewpoint of my dog. Since the initial assignment work, I have taken this series much further. It has manifested into an investigation into the impact that we have on our environment, both from a 'litter' perspective, and how we interact with the wildlife in terms of control (or not) and countryside management. My dog's sense of smell has brought so many issues to my attention (for example, the amount of litter that is dropped; fly-tipping; how and where animals are culled) and I have tried to depict this within the images that I have taken. I have also spoken to local farmers and country residents on the impact of litter within the countryside and about land management, to put the images into perspective. I intend to do some formal interviews and collate the images into a book and a soundslide show, although this project is long-term (I envisage doing it over 12 months to cover all seasons and compare the effects throughout the year).

I have begun to think of my work in 'deeper' terms; that is, what is the picture actually trying to achieve. I want to tell stories through my images, and to help open up further issues. I have several projects on the go at the moment (aside from my studies) and I have a major project idea that I intend to follow for my final course with the OCA later in the year (Level 3 Photography - Advanced - leading to a BA in Creative Arts); a documentary project looking at the 'Frontline' of poverty and struggle within Britain. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as important as they are for our soldiers, airmen and sailors in terms of attention and the respect they deserve, has often distracted people from the problems that are sat on their own doorsteps - as Martin Parr said to me last year after I posed a question to him at a college talk, '...you don't have to travel to a warzone to be at the Frontline...' He couldn't be more right.