Reflection on Place and People

I have enjoyed this  third OCA photography course. What drew me to 'People and Place' was the opportunity to explore people and places, space, buildings and activity from the photographer's perspective. And I was certainly not disappointed.  

I feel that I have learnt more about myself as a photographer. Over the course, I've had to challenge my wariness of photographing people that I did not know whether in the street or more formally such as for my last assignment. This wariness came from a concern that my technical skills would not deliver but also from a previous aggressive response to taking street images locally.

Initial research into how others tackled street photography and practice, looking at the work and watching videos of famous street photographers talk about their practice  has moved me on here and I feel more in control and comfortable. I've been able to practise creating a rapport with subjects with positive results and this has increased my confidence. 

Research has played a really strong, valuable  part in my work both in carrying out exercises but also in thinking about, planning and carrying out assignments. And it will continue to do so being both invaluable to developing my ideas and 'voice' and extremely enjoyable (whether in book form, online or out and about looking at exhibitions).
I also feel that I am getting better at working to deadlines and in selecting and editing images and interestingly have found myself taking far more notes as I read, research or view the work of others than on previous courses.

So I think it fair to say that this course has taught me a great deal. It has opened my eyes as to how approach a project to deliver a 'story'  within the discipline of a set timescale and  how to approach the people within the project.I have been able to use my interpersonal skills, build  on and develop technical skills and develop more confidence in tackling subjects featuring people in a variety of places and activities. And it has whetted my appetite for more!

Assignment 5 - response to tutor feedback (a second look).

A second look ... the client's presentation

I've had another look at how my images might be presented to the client following my tutor's feedback: 

 'You have a number of strong images here and they are all a celebration of the space. I would though suggest you return to your brief and think about the message you want to convey. The detail of the areas, which show the trace of artistic practice, work really well. When you have too many images of the artists themselves it does lend itself to being more of a feature piece about them. A good way to bring this around would be to describe them as ‘case studies’ of the use of spaces similar to the one being proposed. That would make them really valid and useful.'

'Consider also how this would be presented. You have included some captions but 
maybe some more words would make this really work. You seem to have done such 
a lot of research and have an understanding of the development this would seem a
natural progression! '

So I have reworked my notes for the tutor accompanying the images into notes for the clients:

HOT WALLS PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES

CLIENT: HOT WALLS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

Introduction

Hot Walls is a development project to transform largely–disused arches in the Hot Walls area of Old Portsmouth. The Hot Walls, as the arches are known, were used as artillery barracks and soldiers quarters in the 1850s. The site has a real sense of place and communal heritage and good potential for redefining the area as a public space and cultural destination.

The proposal to convert the Hot Walls arches into active use i.e. studios and a ‘brasserie’ type offer has not been met with favour by some local residents who have vehemently argued the need to respect the history of the structure. In taking images for this assignment, I have been mindful of this local response and the images selected reflect the essence of the client’s brief.

Client’s brief

A selection of twelve colour photographic images to:

• capture the historic distinctiveness of the Hot Walls area of Old   Portsmouth 
•  help achieve a  better understanding amongst the local community of what the projected transformation could achieve for the area, its residents and visitors  
• provide an insight of what the space can offer those working in the creative industries that are looking locally for usable and affordable space to rent.

All the photographs are suitable for print and online use (website, online blog etc.). The selection is based on the fact that the pictures needed to tell a story to support minimum text which will be describing the 'offer' not what the picture is necessarily conveying. 

These images are, in a sense, ‘case studies’ of the use of spaces similar to the Hot Walls proposal. They show a sense of place and demonstrate range of creative activities and businesses that could be sensitively accommodated within an arch environment.

A Sense of Place…                This image of the Hot Walls arches captures the historic distinctiveness of the                 area establishing  a good sense of place for the development’s visual                 promotion. It shows the actual arches to be developed; the open aspect of the                 frontage and the nearby historic Round Tower in the background. The statue                of immigrants in the forefront is a reference to Portsmouth’s past.    P1015

                    
                    P1015 also provides a clean background to accommodate text / logo etc.

And Purpose… Reinforcing the development proposal of studio space for artists, P1022 and P1028 can be enlarged to provide a dominant theme setting image. Both images feature Jeremy Glaize , an artist at work in ‘The Arches’, Southampton. P1022 echoes the concept of creating new studios. It also offers some clear space for text within the area of the canvas.

     

P1028  Jeremy Glaize

P1022

 

Creative activity This project is about providing much needed local and affordable studio space. These images of young artists, Agata Wojcieszkiewicz and Jeremy Glaize at work in small creative spaces can be used both to represent and target the potential local market for the Hot Walls studios.

P1017 Agata Wojcieszkiewicz

P1019

P1023 Jeremy Glaize

P1027 An eye catching and intriguing piece of art being created here by   Andy Doig at work in his Neon Studio in Brighton. The footprint of the studio is  about the same as the proposed artist studios and can be used to show the  kind of creative endeavour that would work well at Hot Walls.   P1027   Peter Doig    Arch space- studio and gallery use How can arch space be used creatively, sensitively and be commercially effective? What will interest and attract the artist, the visitor, the gallery owner ? These images were all shot within different converted arches.   P1018 P1018 offers  a visual contrast to the artists in action in P1023 and P1017..an example of more the medium than artist. The anonymity of the artist focuses our attention on the intense  use of artistic space here.  P1026 P1026 offers a different tack  showing as it does the corner of a studio cubicle in an artist 'cooperative' in the Kings Road arches in Brighton...a visually interesting, arresting  and attractive example of artistic working space.   P1016 P1016 shows how artistic working space can be combined with the artist’s  gallery of work. A hint of the artist’s presence in the studio area revealing this to be a working viable studio…   P1020 P1020  An example of the retail offer of a gallery within an arch environment… Café culture potential An alternative to the artist’s impression …an interior shot illustrating what can be done with a relatively small archway… P1010 In P1010 the warm colour of the brickwork fits well with the heritage aspect of the Hot Walls studios project. The angle of the image suggests a contemporary café culture feel within a brickwork interior.