151MC – Assignment 2 Progress.

Just a short entry on my progression for our video presentation for assignment 2. I have some footage to work with, an interview with my granddad, I formally addressed him by his surname for the purposes of this interview because this video presentation isn’t a personal thing its to do with tackling loneliness within the elderly, my granddads story was a perfect one to fit into my presentation though as it was to do with the loss of his wife (my nan) and how it made him feel. All I need to do is edit this, but I will once I have more footage. I also intend to have a combination of live footage, audio and still images within my video as I got the idea from Ed Kashi’s short documentary ‘Friends for Life’.

– I found this video to be very powerful, and it links well with my assignment 1 and 2. It was very sad, but has a mix of emotions, reminds me of what happened with my nan. It engages the viewers emotions. I personally found it hard to watch but it didn’t mean it didn’t inspire me as it actually did, I feel that its thought provoking things like that that engages a viewer more as its relatable. So thats why I want to include an interview with someone who has that experience an elderly person who has lost their spouse.

All I need to do now, is do an audio recording of me and some of the research and statistics I want to include and an interview whether it be in person or a phone call with one of the charities helping to try and tackle loneliness. I have emailed 2 charities but haven’t had much luck in responses.

So at some point soon I am going to call Age UK coventry and see what they say or even pop into their branch (offices) in town. 024 76 231 999 – this is the number I need to call. Also I am going to see if I can try and talk to a nurse at the hospital who has worked with elderly people to see their opinion on the matter.

151MC – Presentation Consideration – Assignment 1 Progression

Looking into Nan Goldin’s work I wanted to see how she presented hers so that I can get an idea of how I will present mine in my photo book.

http://www.aperture.org/shop/books/nan-goldin-the-ballad-of-sexual-dependency-book
Looking at this website, its about her book ‘The Ballad of Sexual Dependancy’ my focus was the presentation of the book, and from what I have read she uses a lot of high and radiant colour within her prints, making them vibrant, its like it draws the viewer in. That sense of voyeurism, forcing the viewer to look upon and flash drawing them in.

– These images are high quality remastered scans of the transparencies Goldin took and when I look at the presentation of the book I notice that it isn’t structured as some photos are on a adjacent to each other and some are on there own. I actually really like this as its not roganised like a family album/scrapook and I think this is something I wish to do! Nan Goldin has been quite influential on my project!

151MC – The Chimera and Composites

Our views on composites: How you create an image (piece it together), the elements added to an image. The ideas that come together to create an image.
Pablo Picasso – Commissioned to do a portrait of a mans wife. http://www.tate.org.uk/art/images/work/T/T05/T05010_9.jpg – flat representation of something that is 3 dimensional.
Peter Kennard

– Why does this image work? – http://padlet.com/wall/d4j7ob3j1w (on this website we all typed in how we felt about the Peter Kennard photograph of Tony Blair and why it works.
I said strong message – strong political message, it looks like he’s proud of this explosion, like he’s proud of creating a war. He is taking a ‘Selfie’. The we read an understand things keep changing, its good to keep thinking about that temporary language and finding new ways of combining ideas and ways of working.

Chimaera
Myth – Ancient Mythology (Greek)
– Stories depicted in images, idea of combination and creating something new through elements.

Daniel Lee – The Manimals Series 1993

– Humans taking on the form of animals, photoshop work, a lot of editing. Looked at signs for the Chinese New Year and found people that fit with that animal and into that sign. Looking back to a concept (Chimaera and Chinese heritage) that has been around for a long time and make it futuristic. Standard Portrait look. This is a Chimaera.

Meg Cranston 1996 – medical approach to constructing images. The average height, weight, breast size etc and created a female that is completely average according to statistics. Stylistic template of a medical image.

Margi Geerlinks – Crafting Humanity 2001 – she was looking into the future and the breakthroughs that could happen. The idea of creating human life. Symbolic in a sense that the subjects are being sewn, in a sense as if its something normal.

We did another padlet thing. This time we were look into what the image reminded us of.
On the image Dorothea 2001 – Loretta Lux.

– I said the German Aryan Race.
Surrealist connection. You can see its not real, the idea of subconscious, Manifestation coming into a physical form. Doll like. Digitally the image has been layered onto a painting, she used to be a painter and layered the image onto a painted background. She references painting a lot. Images take about 2 months to create. Collectors commission this photographer to create portraits for there children (as a lot of people like their children being photographed in this way, big market).

Idea of the uncanny – the opposite of what is familiar. Freudian concept of instance where something can be familiar but foreign at the same time, resulting in the feeling of being uncomfortable or feeling strange.

Watched a short film called The Sandman (fits with the idea of the uncanny)- Music reminds me of Alfred Hitchcock’s Presents. This is a bit like Frankenstein, how to build a woman. Eery music, silent film. Surrealist. Really liked this video, familiar techniques in making us feel uncomfortable.

Surrealists used the idea of the Uncanny.
Hans Bellmer 1935 – would make child like dolls and show them in tortured like states, we embed the bizarre scenarios and why his mind created these images. Using that idea of what we are familiar too. Paintings.
Oliviero Toscani – photos – difficult to see whether its been manipulated as anorexia is something that is common nowadays. Fashion model who died in 2010. Photographer has lots of campaigns, controversial work.
Barbara Kruger 1987 – photomontages – typology within her images to give strong message, links back to appropriation, I also mentioned her in an earlier blogpost.

Chris Dorley-Brown – A project involving 2000 citizens, creating a virtual community.
http://www.haverhill2000.com/haverhill/pages/infomain.html

My Reflection
This was quite an interesting concept, and I think composites in an artists term is a way of selecting elements to create something new, the composition of an image. I really liked how surrealism fits into this a lot as I love surrealism! The video The Sandman really interested me, it reminded me of Alfred Hitchcock and that idea of voyeurism. I really liked Daniel Lee’s series The manimals, I thought this was a really unique concept and the manipulation skills are very good, must of took a while to match the skin tones and chose the right person to match with the animal, I like this idea and at some point would like to try and create something like this!

151MC – Sketchbook Task E

This task fits with our lecture on Chimaera and Composites and the idea of merging something together, like how an image pieces together. So for this task we had t take picture of our class and create a portrait, it was up to us how many people we chose and how we interpreted our portrait. I chose to take 3 girls, Natasha Hancock, Bronte Cordes and Taren Kaur Bilkhu and chose parts of them that I wanted to include within my image.
Taren was my base, I used Brontes Glasses and Natasha’s hair. I am not going to lie though there was no reasoning behind this, no specific reason in why I chose these people or the parts I did, I just did what I thought looked right as I wan’t keen on this task and didn’t see how it would benefit my current project for assignments 1 and 2.

– This is my end result. I used the quick selection tool to select parts of the people and then copy and paste them onto the photograph of Taren, I then changed the opacity to see what I was rubbing away and then merged all the layers to create this image. I do see the link between this and composites though and choosing elements to create an image in a new way.

151MC – Further Research – Chris Harrison.

On a trip to The National Media Museum I went to see an exhibition called ‘Copper Horses’ by a photographer called Chris Harrison. This series was to document identify and class, the British Industry. It also I think was a way of showing Harrison’s respect and relationship between his dad and how it ha changed over the years as he used to believe his dad was an adventurer but then as he grew up he realised that his dad was working hard to making a living for his family. This exhibition is what gave me my idea for my project as I thought it was a nice way to pay homage to someone you love and I really like when projects are personal as I feel you can create some very strong and powerful images.
(info from: http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/planavisit/exhibitions/copperhorses/about.aspx)

Watching this video from the National Media Museums website really shows how much respect this photographer has for his dad! He even states about this knowledge his has that someone else hasn’t and again that links with that personal aspect I have been talking about. Another thing I have noticed with this series is how i fits to the industrial age really and its links to class.

– Images like this is a form of appropriation and a way of sowing something thats personal or has relevance to a person as its a personal artefact and I feel a great way to document someone. Also this image really fits in well with the industrial age. I want to photograph some of my granddads personal artefacts so taht I can show his interests and things that are dear to him and this was a perfect example for me to look at.

– I also loved these images at the end of the exhibition as it shows the well deserved break his dad finally deserves and again I feel that disregard to the camera just shows the relationship between the photographer and the subject and how close they really are that there isn’t that intrusion. Again a link to Nan Goldin here.

These images are similar to what I wish to produce but the difference for me is that my focus isn’t on industry, my focus will be my granddad and looking at his achievements and how he carries on with life even after the death of his wife (my nanny). Chris Harrison was a very good photographer to look into as like Nan Goldin there is that intimacy within these images due to the fact that it is a personal project.

151MC – Assignment 1 Test Shoot.

Over this weekend I have been following my granddad round with my camera, documenting some of his daily activities. I have also been lucky enough to be able to see his wedding album which will be a perfect artefact to fit in with my project, I have taken some photographs of it but plan to scan in some of the images too. This is a good way to show my granddads greatest achievements in life and give that sense of time acknowledgement.

When doing this shoot I referred back to my research into Julian Germain! His images fit perfectly into my project.

– With this image you can clearly see the link of this to Julian Germain’s from my earlier blog post. I really like this image as it shows that my granddad isn’t incapable or disabled from doing things, it really does show what I want and thats how he can move on from hardships. The image is natural and shows something my granddad likes to do every day and that is drive, my presence in the car wasn’t a distraction and thats due to that closeness that I have with my granddad and it really proves why I am the best person to do this rather then an outsider. Again my influences from Nan Goldin had me with this and I believe she was a very good person to look into as she photographed the daily routines and events in her friends lives.

– Here is my appropriation of a family portrait that hangs in the main room of my granddads house. This is a clear acknowledgement if time and shows what my granddad holds dear and one of the biggest achievements in his life. I have kept my framing quite open as I didn’t want to scan this image in I wanted to photograph that it hangs pride of place in the front room! I really like this image as it was also from a very happy point in my Nan and Granddad’s life.

These are not all of my images, I have more but this is a selection of my test shoot and I plan to start taking images everyday to make sure that I can keep documenting my granddad.

151MC – Research – How to help with loneliness.

As I am researching into loneliness and its affects I thought it would also be good to look into ways it can be helped especially as thats what charities are trying to do, combat loneliness and tackle the issue.

I have come across a website with a brief insight of how you can help with loneliness:
– Connect or reconnect with friends and family – staying in contact with loved ones can prevent loneliness and isolation. If your family don’t live nearby, technology can help you stay in touch
– Get out and about – regular outings for social functions, exercise, visiting friends, doing shopping, or simply going to public places can help
– Get involved in your community – Try a new (or old) hobby, join a club, enrol in study, or learn a new skill. Try looking online, at your local TAFE/Community College, library or community centre for things in your area that might be interesting to you
– Volunteer – helping others is a great way to help yourself feel more connected
Consider getting a pet –pets are wonderful companions and can provide comfort and support during times of stress, ill-health or isolation
– Get support – If loneliness and social isolation are causing you distress, you should discuss your concerns with a GP, counsellor or a trusted person

( info from: https://www.lifeline.org.au/Get-Help/Facts—Information/Loneliness)

The NHS also has an article on there website to help combat loneliness and how a regular person like me or you could help. It also gives a list of charities that help tackles these issues:
– Age UK – Aims to improve later life for everyone through our information and advice, services, campaigns, products, training and research.
– Community Network
– Contact the Elderly
– Friends of the Elderly
– Indépendant Age – A charity that gives support and advice for elderly people, offering volunteering positions and a free advice line to help tackle loneliness.
– Royal Volunteering Services
– The Silver Line

(info from: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/women60-plus/Pages/How-to-help-a-lonely-older-person.aspx)

I have emailed both Age UK and Independent age to see about getting a phone interview about their views on loneliness, how they tackle the issues etc. I just await for a response now.

Through research though and an already done interview with my granddad on the loss of his wife, I have found about pets being in a sense a form of therapy for loneliness. I am looking into an article that looks into the relationship between and owner and its companion and their affects on our well being. It has said how research has proven that an animal companion (pet) can help with loneliness or bereavement and how it can help lower stress levels and maintain a regular daily routine.
(info from: http://www.susanreedtherapy.com/articles/petsandloneliness.htm)
And in this article here researchers have proven how having a cat or a dog can help reduce blood pressure better then an Inhibitor.
(info from: http://stress.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=stress&cdn=health&tm=15&f=10&tt=2&bt=5&bts=45&zu=http%3A//www.newswise.com/articles/view/16068/)
I have also read how having a pet can offer love and companionship, and how it can reduce stress due to social isolation. It even mentioned about one study where visits from dogs in a care home was better then a human visiting.
(info from: http://stress.about.com/od/lowstresslifestyle/a/petsandstress.htm)
This information has been very helpful as it helps me look more into how loneliness can be tackled and therapies that can help, it also links with the interview from my granddad (which I will upload once I have edited it).

151MC – Research into Loneliness

Loneliness

Loneliness is an emotion, a physical feeling and thought, I have now realised that my topic for assignment 2 has links into psychology. Loneliness a universal human emotion, there is no single common cause for this feeling. A common definition would be a state of solitude but loneliness is a state of mind which causes people to feel empty, alone or unwanted. One of the causes of loneliness can be the death of someone significant in a person’s life can also lead to feelings of loneliness. Loneliness can also be a symptom of a psychological disorder such as depression. I have purposely looked into that reason as it links with my subtopic for assignment 2.

It can have consequences on a persons physical and mental health, some of the symptoms could be:
– Depression and suicide
– Cardiovascular disease and stroke
– Increased stress levels
– Decreased memory and learning
– Antisocial behaviour
– Poor decision-making
– Alcoholism and drug abuse
– The progression of Alzheimer’s disease
– Altered brain function

(info from – http://psychology.about.com/od/psychotherapy/a/loneliness.htm)

I have found an interview on channel 4’s website that links to loneliness, it was lead by the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
http://bcove.me/5hmf2zmb
– He is saying how we have failed as a society to recognise this issue and he gave some statistics, there are 400,000 people in care homes but double that number are the people who have suffered with loneliness, 800,000 people, 46% are 80+ have said they feel lonely some of the time or often. He also brings up the health implications within loneliness and compares it to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Worse then obesity as it increases the risk of heart disease due to stress levels. If anything this short video confers the information I have selected from the website at the top, and its statistics like this that I want to address within my video presentation.

http://janderson99.hubpages.com/hub/Can-you-Really-Die-of-a-Broken-Heart
Can you Really Die of a Broken Heart
Looking into this article online, I found it really fits with my research as I needed to find something that was concrete about the affect of a loss of a loved one in elderly people and how it connects or brings on loneliness. Studies have shown that the death of a loved one can release stress hormones that can trigger a response to the functioning of the heart.
Psychological effects of broken heart syndrome may include:
– Depression
– Constant or frequent crying
– Thoughts of suicide
– Feelings of emptiness
– The so-called “thousand yard stare” (a military term, used to decribe to battle-weary soldiers. Under extreme stress, the gaze may become distant, unfocused and emotionless, indicating a detachment from reality).

I also would like to look into charities that help with loneliness and how we can help battle it! So I have contacted Age UK Coventry to see who I could talk to about getting an interview to do with loneliness.

‘Our vision

To see a fair, inclusive, respectful and supportive society in which each older person leads a good quality, fulfilling, enjoyable and fun filled life, and in their later years is supported to live independently, safely and comfortably at home for as long as they wish.’
– Taken from their website, this is their intentions and is something I wish to interview them about as I would like their thoughts on loneliness and the impacts of a loss of a loved one and how it can be stopped.

I also plan to do an interview with my granddad and his thoughts of recently losing my grandmother and how it has affected him and made him feel. I will also try and get an interview at a hospital with a nurse to see what they notice within an elderly person who seems vulnerable to loneliness.

Photo book Feedback – And Research into Julian Germain

Nan Goldin – The Other Side
– This was the photo book I looked into.
It was suggested to me to look through the lecture notes from picbod, our lecture matt is sending me the notes, so I will look through this and do a later blog post on it soon! I have also been told to look into photographers Philip Toledano, Elinor Carucci and Chris Harrison (I already planned to look into him as he was what gave me the inspiration for my assignment when I saw his exhibition Copper Horses at the National Media museum.)
I have also been told to think of how she layout her book and how she wants her work to be seen.

Julian Germain
I was told to look into a series of his work called:
– ‘For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness’
This project took Germain over 8 years of photographing, comparing this to mine, I obviously do not have that time freedom, and I am planning to archive my granddads life and my best way to do that is through shooting him in the present day now and scanning in old letters, photographing old photos etc. this was a project based on an elderly man called Charles Snelling.
‘I met Charles Albert Lucien Snelling on a Saturday in April, 1992. He lived in a typical two up two down terraced house amongst many other two up two down terraced houses… It was yellow and orange. In that respect it was totally different from every other house on the street…. ….Charlie was a simple, gentle, man. He loved flowers and the names of flowers. He loved colour and surrounded himself with colour. He loved his wife. Without ever trying or intending to, he showed me that the most important things in life cost nothing at all. He was my antidote to modern living.’ Julian Germain, from the book ‘For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness’, SteidlMack, 2005.
This series gives an idea of what Charles held dear, also gives a sense of loss and memory (His wife). He has also included albums that this man has, which gives acknowledgement of time but also ownership and this fits in very well with what I am trying to do, and to be honest is a very good representation of what I want to do! I am very grateful for Matt and Amy showing me Julian Germain! Photographing an album or in my case photographs gives that sense of personality and shows a form of documentation, it is a form of appropriatuon but I feel that is what makes this series so strong as it gives that sense of reality and really shows how much Charles cares for his wife! But also that there are these hardships that elderly people go through as it does represent loss and loneliness but it doesn’t make them weak they are still happy. His work is very positive which fits quite well with mine as that is what I am after!

(info from http://www.juliangermain.com/projects/foreveryminute.php)

– I absolutely love this photograph! It is quite comical and really shows how he isn’t what a typical stereotype of an elderly person would be, he is carrying on and getting on with every day life like a person my age would, and I love that! Also this really reminds me of my granddad as my granddad loves his car and is very good at giving me lifts. I like the use of natural lighting too and the disregard for the camera, you can tell this image is natural and is documenting this mans life.

– This is a scan of one of Charles photo albums and it has pictures of his wife, this is very personal and shows his closeness and fondness for his wife. It is a personal artefact and also shows acknowledgement of a time period. This is something I am considering, a form of appropriation but it is my own way of archiving my granddads life but it also shows homage to him, celebrating his achievements!

I have loved looking through Germains work and am feeling very motivated! I plan to start making images very soon, and looking through old artefacts with my grandad, I will start taking photos of him every day!

I feel my project has now developed to archiving my granddads life with and without my nan (past and present day)….

New Cameras

Links with digital opportunities.

The Decisive Moment
Henri Cartier-Bresson – when you chose to take a picture that is the creative moment.
Photography is separated from a painting because it is a way of freezing time which is something scientists were looking into. A camera is an accurate record of this.
“Photography is the act of witness’
The decisive moment – the key point becomes the iconic image.
Photographers – Sam Shaw, Eddie Adams, Joe Rosenthal
Bresson said ‘You can’t correct it (a photograph), if you have to correct it, its the next picture.’
During in the industrial age these quotes help true.
Eadweard Muybridge – The Horse in Motion
Dr Harold Edgerton – Science and art, photograph was a tool for him. Looking into that decisive moment.
We can now consider the amateur vs professional because we now have the access to these cameras, where as in Edgerton’s time he had to make the cameras, not everyone had access to the technology.

Digital Advances
With raw files you can question Bressons previous quote because if it is underexposed you can edit it.
We can correct the mistakes after.

Lytro Camera
Challenges the making of images and the decisive moment.
Light field captures all the light within the image, you don’t have to worry about exposure. It has an 8x optical zoom and an instant shutter release.
Once plugged into a computer you can manipulate anything within an image, changing what you focused, refocus after the image has been taking. This camera questions the fundamentals of photography.
This changes the relationship between viewer, subject and photographer. (refer bad to horizons lecture) – it adjusts this relationship because it gives the viewer the chance to manipulate the images. Adresses the balance.
Flickr now accepts this.
Negative impact:
Dictates that we shoot images that work for the medium.
Changes the relationship between photographer and viewer.
Viewer is able to allow their horizon to shape the picture.
How does this translate to print?
Whether these are images that only live online and if it changes there worth.

The Red Camera
The ‘Every Moment’
5x resolution of a Canon 5D.
Used to make films – like The Hobbit, Transformers, Robocop.
Cinephotogrpahy – marks an evolutionary approach to photography. Takes a high resolution motion capture. Takes good quality images from within a film at a high resolution.
This is something I am interested in as in college I looked into film stills, I have never taken part within this (tried it) but it is something I am interested in as I am a big fan of films. However I do think it is different from photography and doesn’t need a photographer.

Cameras like these make us question the decisive moment as we can chose the event afterwards.
Sports photography is a good example of this is we could argue that it could be done via video, however a problem with this is that you can’t chose where the camera is or where the moment will take place. Weegee is a great example of capturing the moment and being at the right time and the right place.
Speed, Access
Image maker – Image Curator

Elinor Carucci – ‘I love the limitation of the information you get. I love the mystery of one frame 9about photography)’
the photographer becomes the curator.

Google Steetview
Occupies a different sort of time-space.
We have no knowledge of when the street view images were taken, making it interesting and challenging your emotions because it makes you question it.
‘non-moment’
Very film like.
Aaron Hobson – Street view images with the google icons removed – challenges whether they are his images, re-approriations, or goggles street view images.
Michael Wolf – streeview images with the mouse left in and pixels can be seen. He’s referencing google street view, paying homage and not hiding the fact that its from street view. He is becoming a curator.
With these images I personally don’t like them, I am not a big fan of appropriation but I do see that there is art behind it and how it links with the decisive moment and how it it is a way of curating someone else’s work and paying homage to it. It is like a form of flattery.
Paolo Patrizi
Travis Shaffer’s – work with google earth – Eleven Mega Churches.

Henri Cartier-Bresson – ‘Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important.’

My Reflection
This lecture was rally interesting, it was interesting to see how this links into digital natives and really questions the power relationship between photographer and viewer. It is digital advances that is making photography more accessible and easier for amateur photographers and its cameras like the Lytro that is making it easier for them, this camera is also the camera that could question the power relationship between the viewer and photographer and it literally gives them the power to change the image after it has been taken. I believe it is things like this though that separates the amateur from the professional as its that dedication to time that shows creativeness as its what makes us critical as we are choosey with our frames. We are the curators, David Bailey – ‘Photography is more about money now but then so are most things.’this is how its seen but to me photography is not something that can be purchased its what you can create! I do not think it is the death of the decisive moment, I think this makes professional photographers strive all the more to create the decisive moment and to me this something that is needed within things like documentary photography. Looking into google street view links back to our lecture on appropriation, as it is a form of recreation, taking an image from google earth or street view and then turning it into something new, a different way to use this technology and turn it into a new art form! I am personally not a big fan of this though.

‘Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important.’ – Henri Cartier-Bresson.
– I loved this quote! As I really agree with it, I feel you could have the best camera in the world, the most technologically advanced one compared to someone with maybe a film camera or a cheap DSLR but if you cannot creatively think what you want from your surroundings then you have nothing, an image with no creativity or concept. That is what separates the amateur from the professional, creativeness.