Welcome! This page will be used document the progress of the entirety of project 2 - My Culture!
Phase 1 - Pre-Production
02/02/2021 - I have reread the brief and considered what it is asking of me
02/02/2021 - Whilst exploring how I could potentially respond to the brief, I came across a website I have found helpful. http://subcultureslist.com
02/02/2021 - I have created a survey on 'SurveyMonkey' and I will be distributing the link.
02/02/2021 - Project management styles have been considered, and I have worked out which style best suits me.
03/02/2021 - I am using a website I have found (https://simplicable.com/new/media) to consider different types of media I could use to respond to the brief.
04/02/2021 - I am creating a hand drawn mind map listing potential forms of response in photography.
04/02/2021 - I have browsed for images to add to pages on my blog. I have also cropped these to make them a uniform size, and I have listed the source of the image.
05/02/2021 - I created and completed the 'Forms of Response in Photography' page.
08/02/2021 - Scanned all paperwork and uploaded it to blog.
09/02/2021 - Made a digital copy of my long term project plan and uploaded a link above my action plans.
09/02/2021 - I bought and began reading a book about digital photography skills. "Collins - Complete Photography Projects"
10/02/2021 - I made a PowerPoint to re-establish my knowledge regarding the composure of a photograph. Click here to view.
26/02/2021 - Lately, the photographs I have taken in manual have been turning out somewhat underexposed despite appearing perfect on the camera screen. I decided to recap my knowledge of using manual on a DSLR. I watched this video (youtube.com) which explained that there was a light meter for this purpose; I didn't know this or never really payed it any attention before.
02/03/2021 - I've spent time this morning considering different cultures and subcultures from my mind map. There are 7 I'm currently considering:
Drinking culture, consumer culture, cancel culture, skateboarding culture, graffiti culture, punk culture, skinhead culture and hip-hop culture.
So far, I have researched where I could potentially find punks to photograph, which has proven rather difficult especially with no concerts or anything right now. I have, however found a bar down in Nottingham called the 'Foreman's Bar.' The problem is it is still unlikely I will see any hardcore punks there unless a band is on which again, is problematic due to lockdown restrictions.
I also looked at this page to see how other photographers had captured punk rock. Click here to view.
05/03/2021 - Over the last two weeks or so I have been contemplating upgrading my camera. Therefore, I have inadvertently learned quite a lot about camera specs, what makes a good camera, trade-offs between different cameras, mirrorless vs DSLR and which camera is right for your desired purpose.
05/03/2021 - A few of the ideas I am considering so far include:
A series of photographs in the form of CD album covers that represent particular music subcultures.
A photobook expressing how teens consume alcohol as drinking culture is such a big part of youth culture.
A magazine centred around youth related subcultures such as skateboarders, BMX-ers, scooter riders etc.
12/03/2021 - I spent some time reading an article on ways to get into the film industry. Click here to view. I mainly read it to explore various avenues before I typed up my career action plan.
19/03/2021 - I am continuing to develop my photographer research. I am hoping to find an obscure portrait photographer that I'd like to add to my PowerPoint. This morning I have looked at Jordan Matter, Joel Robinson, Alex Stoddard, David Engledow, Natsumi Hayashi, Aneta Ivanova, Michele Clement, Paul Stevenson, and countless other photographs I was interested in but couldn't trace back to a photographer or gallery. There is a photograph I have put below that I particularly like, but it was taken anonymously by a reader of wired magazine.
I do also like the work of Joel Robinson. It is not a serious consideration, but it's something to bear in mind.
I eventually found a photographer via fineartamerica.com whose name is Claudio Montegriffo. Click here to view.
22/03/2021 - Today I finished typing up my page on Claudio Montegriffo and uploaded my photographer research to my blog. Click here to view.
In the afternoon, I created a Pinterest board on Punks and different ideas on how I could potentially photograph them. I have uploaded this page to my blog. It can be seen here.
I am also researching the laws on photographing anyone under the age of 18 due to the fact that the necessary age demographic for this brief is 13 - 19, so the chances are I will be photographing minors, even if they are age 17.
23/03/2021 - Today I have created my weekly action plan, and I have added a Pinterest board on the topic of skateboarding culture and my thoughts on it. Click here to view.
24/03/2021 - I typed up my three different ideas on how I could respond to the brief. Click here to view.
I also went to greenhead park to take photographs of the skateboard park as part of my location recce.
07/04/2021 - Because I am looking at doing some portrait photography, I have been considering different ways you can make your photography more abstract and interesting. A particular technique I have been investigating is light drawing.
Although I have done light drawing several times before, I have never done it in portrait photography. My main concern about this was that I would be working with a lower shutter speed so I am able to draw with the light. However, this could make my subject more blurry if they don't stand perfectly still for 8 - 15 seconds.
08/04/2021 - I have been drawing ideas for my photoshoot. I looked back at the PowerPoint I created on rules of photography composition for ideas on how to make my photography more interesting. This PowerPoint can be seen here. When considering how to photograph symmetry and asymmetry, I was short on ideas. After researching the topic for a little while, however, I came across a photographer called Julia Wolkenstein who photographs symmetrical portraiture, which creates some strange yet intriguing photographs. Click here to view a page on the topic. I may use her style to influence some of my own photography. I am also considering merging two faces together in a similar fashion to achieve asymmetry.
16/04/2021 - I've spoken to Jon about retrieving some other equipment and materials for the studio. These include:
Gel light filters - To change the colour of my lighting for my slow shutter speed photography.
Gobos - These will also be used to create the shadows similar to that of Claudio Montegriffo
Projector - Also a potential idea to crate patterns on people.
2 stands - To hold my stencils and light filters in front of the studio lights.
A black backdrop - The colour I want my background to be for all my studio photography.
17/04/2021 - All of my materials for the photography studio are ready to go.
20/04/2021 - I completed my risk assessment for Greenhead park and my location recce for greenhead park.
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Pre - Production Summary
I have read, broken down and understood the brief. I have made mind maps and explored youth culture to generate ideas on how to respond to the brief. Different forms of media have been considered and I chose photography. Different forms of photography were considered; I chose to make a photobook. I made a long term plan which would hopefully allow me to meet the criteria in every element. I looked at how professionals work and what their procedures are, emulating this in my own work. I have explored rules of composition and other features necessary for photography. All my ideas have been documented along the way, and ideas I have stuck with have been shown evolving into my finished idea. All my research has been added to my blog along with what I've learner and how I will implement it in my work.
I have created storyboards for all my potential ideas and researched photographers relevant to cultures I was exploring at the time. Refined my choice of these photographers and explained which elements of relevant photographers I will take inspiration from.
I have had model release forms signed, typed up risk assessments and done recces for the locations I finally settled on.
For further expansion on what has been summarised here, check above.
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Phase 2 - Production
21/04/2021 - After seeing the weather thus far today, I have realised it is not the sunny weather I was hoping for in regards to my photoshoot later today. My plan is to use the gray clouds and dismal weather to create a sense of mise en scene that epitomises what skateboarding culture is in Britain.
During today's photoshoot, I managed to get some photographs of both my models before one was called away from the photoshoot. I did however continue photographing my other model. I also managed to get some photographs of some other skateboarders who were there and willing to have their photographs taken. The unedited RAW files can be viewed here.
22/04/2021 - Whilst doing some research on ways to format your portfolio for B1, I came across this physical portfolio which I really liked as an idea for how I could create my photo book. Click here to view.
I also used the studio between 4:30pm and 6:00pm after lesson to do some experimentation with the materials I'd prepared. The results can be seen here.
23/04/2021 - The day of my studio shoot. On the day, it took a total of three hours to set up. All my light photography photos have been taken but I didn't get time to do any shadow photography. I will be booking the studio again for the abstract shadow photography. Click here to view photographs.
06/05/2021 - After taking a break from B2 to work on my B1 unit, I spent my Thursday morning typing up my risk assessment, printing model releases and creating materials to use in photography studio Thursday afternoon I created some black and white simplistic patterns using photoshop, then took some more advanced ones off free stock websites such as Pexels. The results of this photoshoot can be seen here.
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Production Summary
I have managed, set up and photographed all three photoshoots that I planned for. I have prepared my own materials for these photoshoots and I have borrowed materials form college.
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Phase 3 - Post-Production
07/05/2021-17/05/2021 - I haven't been posting on my blog as regularly as usual as there is not much to comment on. In this time I have Lightroom edited and Photoshop edited all my photographs from my Greenhead photoshoot. The process and results can be seen here.
18/05/2021 - I have finished all of my abstract shadow photography editing which was actually only Lightroom edits as Photoshop editing was not necessary. All photographs used the same settings and environment and so I could also copy my Lightroom settings from one photograph to the next (with tweaking on certain photographs, meaning the entire process only took about an hour. The process and results can be seen here.
In addition, I began editing my low shutter speed light photography. I decided to try and edit in the light drawing on one of the photographs which I had not done light drawing in. I was unsure of the best way to approach this so I watched this YouTube video.
19/05/2021 - I continue to edit my low shutter speed light photography. The 4 photographs that I have selected where the light is drawn into the photograph at the time have been edited.
20/05/2021 - I have now finished editing my low shutter speed light photography where the light is drawn onto the photograph. This marks the end of all my photo editing.
21/05/2021 - Today I have spent my time uploading all work onto my blog and writing up about my editing process. The page about my editing process can be seen here.
22/05/2021 - I researched into the process of bookmaking and what equipment I will need for the process. The first video I watched detailed how to bind the pages of a book together to make a text block. Click here to view. The second video I watched was how to make a hardback cover for your book and how to fit it to your text block. Click here to view.
24/05/2021 - After making a list of everything I need for my bookmaking process, I went to 'The Range'to pick up what I need. Whilst they had the things I needed for bookbinding, they didn't have the things I needed for making my hardback cover.
In addition, I have also researched which book sizes are best for photo books displaying 4:6 photographs.
25/05/2021 - Today I have arranged all of my photographs in the order I want them to be displayed. I then worked out which order I need them to be printed in as I am binding my book as a text block. I then reorganised them in this format.
Also, I went to 'Calder Graphics' to pick up the materials that I could not get from 'The Range.' This included some stiff board to make my hardback with, royal blue paper to make the cover with, and bright red paper to make my inside lining with. I also purchased a bone folder.
26/05/2021 - My book took three attempts to print. On the first attempt I realised that I had forgotten to add in my title pages for each collection. As I had chosen to format my book as a text block, I had to reorder all of my pages. On the second attempt I realised that my book had been printed on 150 gram instead of 220 gram, and so I had to print it again.
Once my book had been printed, I measured and marked out where I wanted to bind my signatures together and made my holes using a seam ripper. I then bound my book together and used two layers of PVA glue to strengthen the spine.
27/05/2021 - Upon finding that the PVA glue on my spine had set, I began to craft my hardback cover. Once all my board and paper was measured out, I initially used PVA glue to stick my board to my paper. However, after I realised how long it would take to dry, I decided to use spray mount instead. I then stuck my inside lining to the cover and used spray mount to stick the back page of my text block to the cover. Finally, using a glue gun I stuck the spine of my text block to the cover.
I also cut out a stencil of my logo which I made for B1 so I can spray paint the logo onto the front of my book.
28/05/2021 - Using some rolled up masking tape, I stuck down the parts of my logo which were separate to the main stencil. I then covered the rest of my book in newspaper. After the white spray paint had dried, I used a sharpie to colour in the dot on the J.
Now by photo book is finished, I have also filmed the book and sped it up in premiere pro. This can be seen here.
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