Assignment 4 - tutor feedback

Here are my tutor's comments on this assignment. I'm pleased with how my images have come across here and these comments have given me as they say 'food for thought'. My responses are in italics.

Overall Comments

Good searching research and reflection on a variety of artists. This is building your photographic and visual vocabulary. Continue to explore in this way to enhance your own development.

The blog has evidence of much research and reflection although as you are now at the stage of completing a number of assignments it is becoming a little more difficult to navigate.

You have demonstrated a good technical approach in the capture of light and colour and your work on this is a real strength. The prints are of a good quality and have translated very well from digital (some areas could be further refined see notes below).

The work presented has a clean and professional look and hangs together coherently, some of the images are very strong and it has the potential to provide an alternative sense of place.

Feedback on assignment

Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Quality of Outcome, Demonstration of Creativity

Your exploration is considered and thoughtful. You have really engaged in this technical and creative practice looking to produce work suited for the intended outcome of an article of the atmosphere of a road and giving a sense of the place.

You demonstrate good control of the lighting, and the whole body of work has a feel of the complex nature of the area you explored. The images you have taken exhibit these points well and it can be seen that you have the combination of an observers but outsiders eye. The references and research into a variety of photographers practice has been informative here, the look at Arnold Newman’s sketches was interesting. The ‘Gursky’ approach you explored was good practice and charming your way onto balconies helped provide a view that was more interesting!

P981 The print is well exposed and there is very good detail in the shadow and highlights. The shadow creeping across the road and the single person with the colourful and varied shop fronts is engaging. The two similar toned cars do also work, as the shops get to stand out.

P979 This print has warm tones although the white areas and some of the skin tones of the man in the white t-shirt have been blown out a little. I can see this would have been a difficult place to light. I wonder if a little more attention to detail could have been useful here, the half open curtain suggests more but the wriggly thing in the middle of the frame is distracting (what is that?) It is a really interesting place that has much potential, it was good to see you were able to photograph people.

P984  This image as an introduction to the Albert Road area is visually interesting. I like your exploration and discussion of the image being used horizontal or vertical but I do agree with you that the horizontal image works much better. The print here is sharp and although you have a good exposure with detail in the buildings and the sky it does look a little blue? As you were in the shadow this has made the image appear a little blue.

P978  Some good energy in this image, the people make this more interesting and you want to know what the little boy has found. Although as you say this is an image captured on the shadowy side it is well exposed and not too blue. In an instance like this it is good to take many images to get all the figures in the right place, it is difficult to do as you are taking it without directing the models but the lady in the image is a little blocked and to see more of her would add to the idea of the place being of interest for all.

I think this was a case of lack of nerve in getting too close and tipping off the subjects that I was there...I did take a number of images but from more or less the same angle so they came up with the same result...Agree that it would have been more interesting to have seen more of the woman. 

P997 I feel this image is really successful as it is bright and colourful as well as being visually very interesting. The movement of the wind blowing the dress on the model adds to the energy. This is your strongest image of the set.
I feel this is the image of the course for me!!

P980 This was a nice capture of some people although it doesn’t seem as aesthetic as the previous image, it does have that human touch. 

I would suggest there is a lot of dead space in the image as the brown wall between the people is quite dominant.  In a publication this might not be such a good use of space.

Interested in this comment of dead space...that hadn't occurred to me re an image for this kind of publication..in advertising ,yes ...

P977 The bright patchwork figure in the central foreground really attracts the eye. This tight crop is quite brave but also simplifies the image and you get a real sense of what is going on without having to have it obviously portrayed. Bright crisp print, the contrast because of the bright sun has meant a little of the detail in the dark areas of the clothing is lost which might mean a publication of this would not do it justice.

I did wonder about the usefulness of having a square image for a publication but was carried away by the concept of cropping in close and being pleased with the result...not a practical approach if shooting for publication!

P976  Good spotting of these two characters. I really like the strange combinations. The print does though appear quite blue? 
I know this was a` quite spontaneous shot but moving a little more left would perhaps have helped to frame the pair and also give more of an indication of the different heights of the people.

My idea here was to contrast the very ordinariness of the road with this curious, unusual sight. Agree that a left move would have given an opportunity to frame the pair better but I wonder if my original idea would still be achieved? 

Your reflection of the work achieved is useful and recognizing that taking images for an intended outcome is a different process as you have to take into consideration the formats and telling the story with single images. There is always a tension when producing work for an identified outcome, in some ways it gives you a direction but it can sometimes feel as though some creativity is lost. I would suggest it is more about the photographer working with some discipline and often if you are lucky enough to get a commission the reason you are chosen is because of your way of working so this is the negotiation that needs to be undertaken to bring about satisfaction for both parties.

I wonder if a development of the work could be to consider titles for the images? You could caption them, depending on the publication style or have more challenging titles.
I did wonder whether I should have captioned the images... 

Also to consider, most publication tend to prefer either vertical or horizontal regular format images as this fits best with the text. When you produce square images it can impede the placement of text.

Pointers for the next assignment

Do read around your approaches to continue to develop your theoretical stance. Consider looking at the history and development of documentary/ editorial practice in photography and where it stands in contemporary photography.

I think this work could be considered for publication rather than left as an exercise, do some further research into suitable publications? 
I've been thinking about this suggestion and I'm having some difficulty thinking what kind of publication would be interested. I can see that a tourist website or publication wanting to attract visitors to the area might use them. Perhaps an article on the state of the local 'high street' thriving or otherwise...captions for this kind of approach would probably need to be more prosaic. That said, I'll have a go at some captioning...

A more practical query is one focusing on subject permission...can you offer images such as these for publication if you don't have the subjects permission or names?The answer here is a no..so I need to sort out a permission form that I can use on assignment..