Tutor feedback Assignment 5 Narrative

April 2013

This assignment asked me to illustrate a story for a magazine and was one which captured my imagination. I was lucky enough to be able to attend preseason testing with British Superbikes which I enjoy, and having thought about the emerging stories in the sport, I decided there would be enough material to make my story work.

 

“Once again this was a successful and interesting assignment submission[ ….]your enthusiasm for this area really comes through in the imagery and annotation.”

“The assignment contains everything an editor would expect to see really with some of the images working really well and made so much more interesting due to the full access you have managed to negotiate”

 

I was pleased my tutor liked my first establishing image. I had thought hard about which one to use, as I appreciated that I had to get the tone of the story right. I was interested to note my tutor’s comment on the action shots, because I find it repetitive taking them! I think people expect to see a few action shots of bikes out on track and so I have learnt how to take them to the best of my ability with the kit available to me, but I find the people the most interesting.

 

I was interested to note that one of my photographs I hadn’t selected because I didn’t think it fitted into the story quite as well as some of the others, was “a great shot in terms of positioning the subject and the stance etc.” I liked this photograph too and thought it unfortunate that I couldn’t make it fit.

 

Follow up work from Assignment 4

 

• To look at the work of Muller, Germain, King, Billingham.

I visited the Hallwood Library at Nottingham University to read Billingham’s book. The others I researched on line as I was unable to find them locally. Book review for the other 3 books completed. (See Tutor feedback Assignment 4)

 

• Include Harvard referencing.

I am continuing to use the Harvard referencing system and took on board comments  to make my referencing easier for myself.

 

Follow up work from Assignment 5

 

Preparation for assessment. Form completed and about to be sent off for July assessment. Will be speaking to my tutor to discuss what to include for submission.

Tutor feedback Assignment 4:Applying lighting techniques

April 2013
I was really pleased to receive such positive feedback for this assignment. I had doubts about this assignment after I had submitted it because I began to think about other lighting I could have used.

My tutor “thought this was a really strong submission overall and think you will have benefitted from the technical activities required here. I was impressed with your use of both flash and tungsten lighting”. 

Follow up work from assignment 3

• Looked at the work of Penn / Weston / Knight
• Started to develop a critical opinion about other photographers work and trying to link it into my practice.
• Made blog navigable
• Included a page on photographic exhibitions

Assignment
My tutor thought my subject of a teasel was a good choice of subject as it has significant visual interest. I had wondered whether it was too simple. I had included my research into my accompanying notes which I think was helpful. I was interested to note that my tutor thought my images had a medical or forensic look to them.

I am pleased that I am now able to comment on an image and turn it from a photograph into words. It has taken some practice and hopefully I can build on this.

Some suggested follow up work is to look at the conflict in recent contemporary debate between  monochrome and colour.

“You have demonstrated an excellent control of different lighting.”  Some advice offered from my tutor is to sync flash at 1/60^th of a second in future and use my aperture to correct exposure.

I gathered another teasel and experimented to improve my original photo.

Form (Photographic lighting)(Original is small photo)

F22 1/6 secs ISO100 105mm flash

1/60 F16 ISO100 24mm flash

 

I think the retaken photo looks more true to life. My original looked very stiff and artificial as if the lighting was too harsh. With the retaken photo, the flash was synched with the camera as above, but only for 1/60th of a second. I think less light has improved the photo. An aperture of F16 gave a good depth of field and clarity to the teasel. This photo was to show form (3D) of an image.

 

F22 1/200 ISO100 105mm flash

1/60 F4 ISO100 45mm flash

Once again, the retaken photo looks more true to life than my original. I decided to use F4 which made the leaf structures stand out and the head blurred. As I had to take this picture in complete darkness so that the background remains black, F4 being a wider aperture let more light into the camera. I discovered that with this photo compared to my original, the flash was on for longer and I had to be careful where I aimed the snoot to stop the shiny surface of the velvet from being visible. I noted the shadow detail which fell onto the head and thought that gave extra definition and interest to the photo.

Although I had completed the exercises in the course material on colour temperature, it had not occurred to me to include it in my assignment. This will be remedied.

Learning Logs/Critical essays

• Easier to navigate my blog with the use of labels and pages.
• Try to attend one of the OCA study days near to where I live
• Referencing  - surname and date of publication after the citation in parenthesis i.e. (Knight, 2002) and include full bibliographic entry
• If many editors have been involved with the publication of one book, name the first and replace the rest with ‘et al’ i.e (F. Hunter et al, 2007)

Suggested reading/viewing

• Germain, Julian.2005: For Every Minute You Are Angry You Lose Sixty Seconds Of Happiness. Steidl MACK. Gottingen. Germany ISBN-3: 86521-077-5
• Muller, Wolgang.2003: Karat - Sky Over St Petersburg. Nazraeli Press. Tucson USA ISBN-3: 932809-40-8
• King, Stephen.2009: Lewis’s Fifth Floor – A Department Story. Liverpool University Press. Liverpool UK ISBN: 978-1-84631-246-5
• Billingham, Richard.2000: Ray’s a Laugh. Scalo. Berlin. Germany ISBN-3: 908247-37-3

Follow Up Work
Look at the texts above if possible in a University Library with an Arts and Media Faculty.


24th April 2013

Follow up work from Assignment 4 included visiting a local academic library to look at a selection of books in preparation for Assignment 5.

• Germain, Julian.2005: For Every Minute You Are Angry You Lose Sixty Seconds Of Happiness. Steidl MACK. Gottingen. Germany
• Muller, Wolfgang.2003: Karat - Sky Over St Petersburg. Nazraeli Press. Tucson USA
• King, Stephen.2009: Lewis’s Fifth Floor – A Department Story. Liverpool University Press. Liverpool UK
• Billingham, Richard.2000: Ray’s a Laugh. Scalo. Berlin. Germany

Having accessed the online catalogues for Nottingham, Derby and Lincoln Universities, I found a copy of one of the books in Nottingham. I was able to go as a visitor and read the book in the library.

Billingham, Richard.2000: Ray’s a Laugh. Scalo. Berlin. Germany

The scene is set with very few words – a blurb explains “This book is about my close family. My father Raymond is a chronic alcoholic. He doesn’t like going outside and mostly drinks homebrew. My mother Elizabeth hardly drinks but she does smoke a lot. She likes pets and things that are decorative. They married in 1970 and I was born soon after. My younger brother Jason was taken into care when he was 11 but is now back with Ray and Liz again. Recently he became a father. Ray says Jason is unruly. Jason says Ray’s a laugh but doesn’t want to be like him.” http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/billingham-untitled-p11756/text-summary

What I liked about this book was the way Billingham communicated ordinary family life as a social documentary in such a way that I could associate with it. His use of colour and the way objects and pets just appeared in the photographs instead of being set up added to the meaning of the photographs. It made me reflect back on my own experiences of photography inside peoples houses, from the hurriedly moving away anything which may appear in the frame to give a clear background, to parents moving elderly relatives outside before taking their photos because there was less clutter, and the light was brighter and more natural. The difference between the re-organised photo’s I have experienced and Billington’s was the formality of the occasion and lack of spontaneity. I think Billington captured relaxed poses. I also think his artistic nature came through when composing his photographs and compiling his images in his book. He knew his subjects well and was able to anticipate for example, that Ray would fall on the floor or have a fight with Liz.

I noticed that Billingham included a couple of establishing images at the beginning of his photobook. I think they worked well at the beginning because they set the scene. I was aware that this was an estate and what the outside of the house looked like before exploring life inside their house.

I particularly liked the action image of the pets waiting to eat the peas and carrots which had just fallen on to the dirty floor. The expression on the pets faces was like it happened often. It reminded me of what Cartier-Bresson (1999) describes as the decisive moment.

I thought a couple of the portraits were different. The photograph of Jason sat at the table looking at his cigarettes (taken through the net curtain) I thought was an interesting idea – as if looking in on a different world. I liked Liz in her colourful dress doing her jigsaw; the jigsaw picked out the same colours as her dress. The plain brown background gave enough of a contrast to make both stand out. I had not thought of using colour in this way. The portraits showed the emotion in the faces and what was/had just happened e.g falls, fighting, making up, laughing, sitting with nothing to focus on. By including the rooms in the environmental portraits, I think the reader sees the subject (person) in intimate places such as the toilet or bedroom which gives a more detailed insight into the life of the family. The close up of Jason eating his no frills yoghurt standing up gives an insight into the poverty of the family.

As an overall photobook, I was struck by the fact that it did not matter that a photograph spread across two pages didn’t have a natural break across the page join. Having read some reviews, I understand that the cover photograph was taken through the fish tank, which I thought made sense.

The use of what Billingham describes as cheap film created grainy photographs and in this setting I like the effect. I noticed that Billingham used different perspectives – e.g Liz’s slippers taken at floor level and a photo taken above Ray looking at him across the bed. Using different perspectives helped to keep me the reader interested. For assignment 5 (Applying the techniques of illustration and narrative), I included photos which fell into the main 4 types required for a photostory – establishing images, action photos, portraits and close ups. I included a couple of different view points- an aerial view and a low position.

What I learnt from looking at this book is that my photographs still fall within the safe zone, and I try to create order. I need to experiment with pushing my boundaries further.

Bibliography
Henri Cartier - Bresson, The Mind’s eye, Aperture Foundation, New York, 1999

Book reviews

Germain, Julian.2005: For Every Minute You Are Angry You Lose Sixty Seconds Of Happiness. Steidl MACK. Gottingen. Germany

'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 http://www.mackbooks.co.uk/books/16-For-every-minute-you-are-angry-you-lose-sixty-seconds-of-happiness.html

What struck me about his book was initially the cover; a flowery fabric cover which looked like a photograph album. I thought it was interesting that the book should include a mix of portraits taken by Germain and include original photos that Charles Snelling had taken and that it worked well as a concept.

http://www.juliangermain.com/projects/foreveryminute.php

Julian Germain includes some of his images from his book on his website.The four images I particularly liked were of Snelling sat on the beach eating icecream, sat outside his greenhouse, walking through the trees and a head and shoulders portrait against the wallpaper. I thought Germain's use of colour was carefully considered - and I was able to look at his photos with an appreciation of this having worked through colour exercises for assignment 3. I thought his photos blended well with Snelling's because the colours were harmonious.

The difference I noticed between Germain and Billingham's two books in terms of styles of photography was that Germain's were clear and clutter free. I thought his photographs were planned rather than spontaneous. I still felt I was looking into someone's life. I questioned whether I preferred one over the other and if I did, whether it was for any particular reason.

Muller, Wolfgang.2003: Karat - Sky Over St Petersburg. Nazraeli Press. Tucson USA

http://www.theglobalist.com/StoryId.aspx?StoryId=4510

Muller photographed children (usually orphans) who ran away to escape abuse or left home. The children live on the rooftops and in attics in St. Petersburg old town. Some of the children are addicted to "karat" which is an addictive substance in shoe polish. Some of the children work as prostitutes in order to survive.

http://www.wmueller-photography.de/flash.html

I thought Muller's photos told a story. His environmental portraits really gave me an understanding of the area in which the children live. His portraits showed life as it was for the children, with cramped, overcrowded living conditions, and children sniffing substances e.g karat or smoking cigarettes. I particularly liked his rooftop portraits of the children because it captured a sense of the dangers faced by them which was part of their normal life. This is similar in style to some of the work I had seen exhibited at the Format festival in Derby this year.

King, Stephen.2009: Lewis’s Fifth Floor – A Department Story. Liverpool University Press. Liverpool UK

http://www.stephenkingphotography.co.uk/portfolio/?c=35

I enjoyed this collection of photographs taken by Stephen King of the derelict 5th floor of a department store in Liverpool. I thought the photograph of the collection of display dummies with two real people was good, and the abandoned children's toys along with the various fixtures and fittings gave an idea of what used to be sold on this floor. In my opinion, the lighting seemed to be in keeping with the style of the photographs.

In all, as a collection of photo stories, I thought they were all very different from one another and I am glad I have had the opportunity to look at them. It has given me an insight into photo narratives longer that just one day.

Tutor feedback Assignment 3:Colours

January 2013
I was please to receive constructive and positive comments for this assignment. I became a bit lost in the colour exercises work and had to focus hard to bring it all back together.

“Once again an interesting range of work has been completed here, with some images working better than others. On the whole it was a very strong submission though Nicola.”

Follow up work from assignment 2 had been to look at work from Parr, Eggleston and Shore. Because the colours of Shore’s work really stood out to me, I was able to think about desaturating one of my images.

I thought a beneficial point made was to try and make my viewpoint stand out including commenting on why certain photographers have chosen to work in such a way, whether I think it works well or not and how my work relates to this. So when desaturating an image, I should have related it back to the first colour photographers and the advantages I have in that I can choose whether I desaturate an image because I think it looks more visually appealing to me.(April 2103 I have tried to do this in subsequent assignments.)  

Assignment Feedback
My tutor thought that “this was a really impressive assignment submission Nicola, which was very methodically and comprehensively compiled.” My tutor thought my observation of the imagery used and attention to set detail worked. The accompanying sketches supported the photograph and I had included detail to help me learn from the exercise as much as anything.

Learning Logs/Critical essays

• Include in my text my own thoughts and opinions about the work I am researching and how this relates to my work. The turning point for my being able to express my thoughts more fluently was after I visited an exhibition where there was nothing written about the photographer or photograph. It was difficult to understand some works and an explanation would have been helpful. I started to think much more about how I communicate what is in my head.
• Use of navigation to sort out my blog. I looked at other students blogs to see what I liked and how I could make it work using Blogger. I added 3 pages to  it – test shots, photographic exhibitions and my reading list. By adding labels to all my posts it made it much easier for me to navigate and meant that I could post pages in the order I completed the exercises rather than chronologically.

 Suggested reading/viewing

• Penn, I.2001:Still Life. London. Thames & Hudson. ISBN-13: 978-0500542484
• Weston, E.1999: Edward Weston (Photographic Study). London. Taschen ISBN-13: 978-3822871805
• Knight, N.2004: Flora. Schirmer / Mosel Verlag GM ISBN-13: 978-3888149146

 Follow Up Work

• Look at the above works

I read reviews for Weston and Knight. I liked the look of the photographs in Knights book because they were different. The only downside is that the book is written in German, but the patterns he used were thought provoking.  I had previously bought a book on Weston and Knight’s inspired me so I added this to my collection of books. I researched Penn on the internet as his books were out of print.

Tutor feedback Assignment 2:Elements of design

January 2012 and revisited when working on assignments

I was pleased with the positive and constructive comments from my tutor feedback for my second assignment. I had looked at all the previous recommendations and actioned them effectively which was evident from the comments written. 

“This was a good second assignment submission for you Nicola with some strong individual images included with a thematic approach adopted to the work.”  

My tutor thought I was beginning to ‘see’ more now and I certainly found it useful completing all the exercises and working through the assignment. It gave me an understanding of the terminology used and began to build up my photographic vocabulary.

Assignment Feedback
As a collection of still life photographs of raw food materials, I was encouraged to be informed that they worked well together. I had produced some good images, and where I had not been entirely satisfied, I had reflected on how I could improve the situation.

Where I could benefit from more technical knowledge is with the lighting. I am really looking forward to starting these exercises and learning about light. 

I took on board the comments relating to the vinegar bottle. My dilemma at the time was whether the label needed to clearly visible or whether the brand name is seen as advertising. I think it would be better to see the name. (April 2013 Technically I can now achieve this because I can light the subject and use a long exposure and tripod. At the time I was reliant on natural lighting where possible. I would now also be able to use a snoot on a flash to control the colours of the oranges and lemon.) 

I have updated my assignment to include the dictionary reference in the bibliography.

Learning from last tutor feedback 

• Blog developing well and covers OCA / Photographic related matters. Developing a physical ‘workbook’ – somewhere you can gather thoughts / ideas / research / literature (April 2013 - Developed a section on Test Shots on my blog to record abandoned assignment ideas. This worked better for me as a focus.)
• Researched Henri Cartier-Bresson 

 Suggested reading/viewing

• Parr, M.2004:Think of England. London. Phaidon Press Ltd. ISBN-13: 978 - 0714844541
• Eggleston, W.2002: William Eggleston’s Guide. New York. MOMA Press ISBN-13: 978-087070378
• Shore, S.2004: Uncommon Places. London. Thames & HudsonISBN-13: 978-0500542873

Follow Up Work

• Continue looking at composition
• Look at work from the three photographers listed above.
• Look at the Magnum Photo Agency [http://www.magnumphotos.com] to understand what it is all about.
• Look at still life work of Edward Weston or Irving Penn

I have continued to look at composition. I sat in a bookshop reading photography books by Shore (Steven Shore, Uncommon places, The complete works, Aperture, New York, 2004) as my local libraries did not have books by them. I then researched the photographers on line to look at more images. I looked at the magnum photo website and joined the facebook site to remind me to look at works periodically.I bought a book about Edward Weston because his work appealed to me.(Manfred Heiting, Edward Weston, Taschen, GmbH, 2001).(April 2013- I found this book very useful for assignment 4) I researched Irving Penn’s work on line.

Tutor feedback Assignment 1:Contrasts TAOP1

My response to tutor feedback Assignment 1:Contrasts TAOP1

June 2011 revisited for each assignment

I was pleased to receive such encouraging and constructive feedback because I had been concerned as to whether my work was at the right level for the course.

“This was an excellent first series of images and a great way to start your first module. You have taken some really positive first steps on your way to successfully completing this module and the work submitted here shows both variety and attention to detail.”

I submitted work which I had not used in the exercises, but had carried a list of contrasts required with me to look at when I was out with my camera. Once I had a few, I sat down and planned what the rest should be to fit in with them. Looking back, I can see that as my work developed over the course, I found that planning was key to achieving what I wanted.

I had had my assignment photos printed and sent them off, following the instructions in the course material. One of the comments from my tutor was to embed the subsequent assignment photos into a word document. I  used this method for subsequent assignments and found it worked much better because the accompanying notes and background were all in one place.

Feedback on assignment
Comments I received from my tutor showed me that I had a basic understanding of composition and had selected some interesting pairs. My tutor thought that some of my contrasting comparisons had worked better than others, and I felt this was justified. Smooth could have been mistaken for sharp, and I see that perhaps it could. As I am a theatre nurse, I saw a set of instruments and looked at the texture as being smooth, rather than the tips being seen as sharp. It is certainly something to bear in mind for the future.  I  have a reflective approach to my blog which helps to evaluate why something has worked or not worked.  

Learning points for future reference

• Include references into my blog and write more academically.
• Develop creativity
• More followers needed for my blog. My blog is on the OCA website and out in the public domain. It is read by people because viewing numbers go up.
• Keep a ‘physical’ journal or sketchbook, to note down ideas and research 
• Keep one blog strictly for this module – I removed links to other work.

 Suggested reading/viewing

• Cartier-Bresson, H.2004:The Mind’s Eye.1^st Ed. New York. Aperture Publishing ISBN-13: 978-0893818753
• Cartier-Bresson, H.2006: Europeans. London. Thames & Hudson ISBN-13: 978-0500281222

Follow Up Work
To look at the work of Cartier-Bresson.  I purchased “The mind’s eye” and enjoyed reading this book. The “decisive moment” made sense to me, as all too often I have seen people taking pictures for the sake of it without any real thought behind it. One of the learning points I took from a study day I had previously attended before I started the course was a discussion around being minimalistic with the amount of photos taken of a subject, because it makes one work harder with the thought process and composition.  I found it useful to re-read Cartier-Bresson’s book in preparation for assignment 5.

Assignment 5 Applying the techniques of illustration and narration

March 2013
This assignment brings together all the work throughout this course (The Art of Photography 1) and looks at illustrating and narrating a story. I chose a subject which interests me and that I could learn and show a greater understanding of than I have previously been able to.  

I enjoy the noise, atmosphere and tension which goes with motorcycle racing and have always thought that my end photos ought to be more interesting than just bikes out on track. I follow a couple of websites related to the British Super Bike (BSB) championship www.londonbikers.com and http://www.britishsuperbike.com These sites have photographers who take a different angle on photographing a race meeting and have given me ideas and inspiration on how to undertake this project. BSB have their own media team taking photos, conducting interviews and capturing the racing for the television. These photographers have full access to the pits and trackside. They tend to concentrate on the action and main events; they do not follow one particular rider or team and do not tell a narrative story. 

I looked at featured articles in  motorbike and mountain bike more to give me an idea of space required to fill and insert photos. I decided to keep an A4 format like these magazines to create a magazine article with my photo story. I considered a target audience that include people interested in motorbikes such as Ride readers or local motorcycle groups. I considered the style of photos needed for the article should be conventional with a few creative pictures to keep people interested. I thought if it was too creative, it would be difficult to link it with the narrative.  

I had the opportunity to attend the pre-season testing day at Donington Park in March 2013. I purposely chose to tell a story about pre-season testing because there are several photo opportunities available and preseason testing in the UK was hitting the headlines following a rule change from the organisers.  I reflected back over photo opportunities available at a practice, qualifying and race day and wondered how it would differ. I expected the day to be similar to a practice day with people busy in garages, fewer spectators, less hospitality for teams, no trade stands or refreshments, no brolly dollies and no pace car. By making a detailed plan and narrowing down the content on the day when I saw exactly what the potential was, I was able to put together a relevant picture story. As I knew where one of my weaknesses would be, I took a portable device to view my photos half way through the day and enable me to take different photos if necessary.

 My full list of potential photo opportunities included:

• Testing on track – single / group of bikes / different positions and angles
• Pits – fans queuing for pit walk / autograph hunters / aerial view of spectators? / close up of riders / mechanic and bike / brolly dollies / press and media / pit board / timing
• Lorries – hospitality / Pirelli / helmet workshop
• Spectators
• Meaningful messages - red lights / flags
• Action – crash / rider looking frustrated / van picking up crashed bike / debris on track
• Marshals – working / resting
• Facial expressions – happy, frustrated, concentrating, relaxed
• Bike parts lying around
• Fuel
• Tyres
• Kit – helmets / gloves / leathers / boots
• Riders and mechanics – pointing at bike / sitting on bike / relaxing

The idea for my story was the major change this year in pre-season testing having to take place in the UK following a rule change from the organisers. Tyres are a very important part of racing and Pirelli develop their tyres through the championship. With bikes set up and riders confident, they go out on track. An organised pit walk usually happens at practice and qualifying sessions so that fans can meet the riders. This had been timetabled by the organisers for lunchtime. By photographing some of the day’s events in this order, I could show the passage of time and tell a story about preseason testing.  

Throughout the day, I found myself using three cameras set up differently; each with a different lens. I discovered there was little time to change settings between one situation and another unless I was stationary for a period of time. Using more than one camera gave me more confidence to get in and achieve the picture I wanted on most occasions. I selected a garage with favourable conditions and mechanics with the right facial expressions, doing the right job and set my camera to the correct settings. I had to wait until the picture looked right before taking it.  

Page 1 Title page

Photo: 1/60 f5.6 ISO400 32mm

I chose this as the establishing image because it shows action and captures the spirit of the day. One mechanic reads the computer analysis and the other adjusts the bike. I also took this from the right hand side of the bike, showing the rider looking on, but the photo was too cluttered. I left space above the subject to add a title and the dark floor allowed me to add an introduction to the article. I had observed that some magazine photos have a gradient applied to them. I darkened the top of the photo in photoshop which helped the title stand out. I experimented with the words in one and two columns, and decided they looked better spaced out in two columns, synonymous with magazines like What Mountain Bike. The difficulty I found with garages is that photos have to be reactive because there is only so much set up and track time allowed. I was an onlooker to someone’s work and have to work around the changing situation as the scene unfolds. The garage door is open at both ends to allow viewing and light in. This created lighting problems because the back of the photo becomes overexposed. I avoid using flash in these situations; working with a high ISO and a wide aperture instead, to take the photos without flash which would be off putting for the mechanics and riders.  

Page 2 and 3

Photos
Unpacking 1/180 f11 ISO100 35mm
Poster on door 1/1000 f4 ISO400 24mm
Man with helmet boxes 1/180 f11 -1exp comp ISO100 70mm
Alex Lowes 1/500 f4 ISO400 92mm 
Mechanic at work 1/30 f5.6 ISO400 130mm
Fuelling up 1/60 f5.6 ISO400 40mm
Insert fuel pump 1/60 f5.6 ISO200 110mm  

I arrived at the event about half an hour before testing started. I know the racetrack having been several times before and have visited BSB practice, qualifying and race days so I had a plan of what I wanted to capture.  As this was the first event of the season, riders were collecting new helmets (helmet boxes) and team kit was being delivered (unpacking). The weather was very sunny and bright which shows with the dark shadows. By use of sidelighting, I captured the man with the helmet boxes without shadow on him making the colours look bright. His shadow on the floor adds interest and drama to the photo. This photo was taken for inclusion onto a page of smaller photos so I was concerned with the size of the man. However, the picture would be interesting if I had captured all of the shadow, but the meaning on the page would not have so much impact.

Unpacking uses sidelighting too. Most of what needs to be seen is visible – the boxes, the mechanic and the van door with the team name on. On closer inspection, a man is removing kit from the van. The logo on his fleece shows up well because it is white, and the light which falls through the gap at the top of the van door falls as edge lighting onto his fleece and jeans making him stand out from the back of the van.

Walking along the garages I noticed the poster on the door “Donington the heart of British Motorsport Personal belongings left at your own risk Keep valuables safe”. Someone had added “you are in the north” to it. I saw an unchained push bike and two people looking into the garage as if to say “what can we pinch?” It reminded me of photos I had seen by Williams and Teasdale 2005 in “What makes Britain great?”

I spotted rider Alex Lowes talking to someone. The peak of the baseball cap on his head enables his face to remain in shadow and see the position of his eyes. The body language interested me. There is conflict within this photo when looking at the two people because the chap wearing the Honda fleece is looking at the rider and talking to him, and the rider is looking out of the frame.

The colours in the photo of the mechanic at work appealed because the inside of the lorry is yellow, the mechanic has ginger hair and there is red on his fleece and red parts (all similar colours). The blue box stands out like an accent colour.

Fuelling up shows a couple of triangles with apexes at the top. The rider, mechanic and bike form one, and in the middle, the fuel jug, funnel and fuel tank form another. I inserted a photograph of the fuel pump to illustrate how fuel was moved from the fuel drum to the filling jug and so to the tank.  

The environmental portraits enable the viewer to associate with the bike mechanics who are crucial to bike set up and maintenance. I chose portrait orientation for all the photos on this page because they can be fitted into the columns and allow enough space around them for the text to flow with the pictures. The colours create harmony through contrasting colours; for example red, blue, green and orange, being next to and across from each other on the colour wheel. All the natural lighting photos were taken within a short space of each other and work with the three indoor photos.

Page 4 and 5

Photos
Pirelli workshop 1/60 f4 ISO400 24mm
Pirelli tyres 1/80 F5 ISO400 70mm
Fitting brake discs 1/125 f4 ISO400 50mm
Brake discs 1/90 f5.6 ISO400 200mm
Electric tyre warmer 1/90 f5.6 ISO400 24mm
Halogen heater tyre warmer 1/45 f4 ISO400 65mm
Blanket tyre warmer 1/45 f5.6 ISO400 20mm  

Pirelli usually work from a workshop like a hospitality unit. Being that they were only here for a day, it made sense to use an empty garage. I used ISO 400 and F4 to give me a faster shutter speed without too much noise. I included the tyres in the forefront of the picture to add interest although the light fell on them and made them look grey instead of black. I went back later in the day and re took the photo when the light had moved round, but the stacks of tyres had been moved and the photo did not have so much impact. In hindsight, I should have taken the photo on partial metering and taken two or three with pictures focusing on different subjects to get the right exposure. I found that I had to be really fast and react to the next scene that appeared in front of me.  

I liked the photo of the two tyres because they are curves have rhythm and flow. They add gracefulness to a page that includes action and potential action.

The mechanics collect tyres from Pirelli which have been put on the wheel. They then fit the discs. The photo shows action and concentration in the facial expression of the mechanic. The mechanic’s hair style creates an interesting focal point for the page and because the image is not centrally composed, it can be placed in the of the two page spread.  

Brake discs were lined up on a bench ready to be fitted. By using a shallow depth of field only the large stack is in focus. I used a low camera angle to add impact to the photo. A sense of rhythm is generated because they are all laid out in a line. I used a diagonal and a shallow depth of field to add perspective.

A black bike with few sponsorship decals glowed red in the light of the heater which I thought added interest to the bike. I think the silver horizontal lines of the garage door add an industrial feel to the photo.

I included the two smaller pictures of the blanket and tyre warmer to show how other garages solve the problem of warmth. Although they are not interesting photos in themselves, they support the story.

As an overall page, I think that the colours and grouping of the photos work well together. I was in two minds as to whether to include the tyre heating pictures and narrative. The other pictures could be made larger. I decided to leave them in, only because tyre warming is such an important part of racing.  

Page 6 and 7

Photos 
View of circuit 1/250 f11 -1exp comp ISO100 32mm
Jenny Tinmouth 1/250 f11 ISO200 300mm
Insert Jenny Tinmouth 1/250 f13 ISO200 300mm
Ryuichi Kiyonari coming back into pits 1/350 f5.6 ISO400 50mm
Shakey crossing finishing line 1/500 f5.6 ISO400 300mm
Marshal with red flag 1/500 f5.6 ISO400 300mm
Marshal with red lights 1/1600 f5.6 ISO400 exp comp -1/3 277mm

I spent time choosing the photos for this page. I intended to show bikes in different positions on the track. As the track only has one left hand corner, the positioning of the photographer is imperative to add interest and impact to a group of photos. I looked at several web sites to see how I could improve my photos by standing in different positions and cropping my photos differently. It helps to know the track because one recognises the corners. The disadvantage with it being the first session of the season is that when work has taken place over the winter, the access points or fencing may have changed. However, unfinished gaps in the fences can prove interesting places to experiment.

I walked up the steps to the media box which is normally prohibited. This gave me a raised view of the pits and first corner. The photograph was taken at the beginning of the day when the blues of the sky were similar in colour to the blues of the racers and circuit walls. This photograph establishes the context of the area; the first corner of the race circuit and teams watching on the pit wall. It is not labelled as Donington, but to people who follow racing or know the circuit it is identifiable.  

By inserting a blue racer onto the page, the colours remained similar and I think work well together. I was fortunate to have a few pictures of Jenny as she spends a lot of time out on track during the sessions. I cropped her in such a way that she has space to move into. By adding an insert of her, it keeps a theme going of Jenny. The colours remain similar. The position of her bike in both photos supports the view of diagonals being unstable and showing speed, creating a dynamic tension.  

As the riders came back into the pits, I had access from a grandstand to give me an aerial view. This view is one not seen so often and shows off helmet artwork. 

Race meetings include a system of colour coded flags and traffic lights with universal meaning: the red and green traffic lights of pit lane and marshals waving flags such as red, yellow, blue, green black and orange. If marshals are not present to communicate and wave flags showing the condition of the track or position of racers, the racers are unable to race. I included the marshals because of their importance and the acknowledgement that they are an essential part of motorcycle racing.  

I felt compelled to exhibit more than one or two bike photos on this page because I think a reader expects to see more than one bike and bikes in different positions create interest. Contrasting reds, blues and greens work well together creating colour harmony.

 Page 8 and 9

Photos
Helmet and bike 1/160 f9 -2/3exp comp ISO400 300mm
Tea and coffee 1/90 f5.6 ISO800 110mm
Timing screen 1/50 f6.3 -1/3 exp comp ISO400 84mm
Data analysis 1/30 f5.6 ISO400 70mm Alterations 1/30 f5.6 ISO800 50mm

I saw the bike with the helmet together and thought it would make a title page. However, I decided it did not encompass all of the day’s events. It is also the wrong orientation for an A4 document. It shows preparation, although the rider had disappeared.

Tea and coffee making facilities were provided by the garages for their staff. This was the only table with a teapot. Other teams such as Kawasaki had mugs in team colours. It provides a glimpse into team life and the disparity between private and corporate teams.

The photo of a timing screen is a key photo to my story which I achieved by keeping my eyes open. Although maybe not an interesting photo in its own right, it links in with the story.

I included the two people looking at the computer because the strong eye lines add impact to the photo. I liked the casual, relaxed way in which these two were leaning over the bike. This showed the difference to me between preseason testing where the aim was to set the bike up, sort out seating positions and record a baseline of data, compared to qualifying and racing which is much more stressful for the teams with the added pressures of crashes and replacing parts within a time limit. The same team had laid all the replacement parts on a red towel on the garage floor showing the care and attention to detail which goes into bike set up and maintenance.  As an overall page, I think that the red and green colours are complementary with evidence of action.

Page 10 and 11

Photos
Spectators round track 1/250 f11 ISO200 10mm
Jenny Tinmouth autographing fan’s rucksack 1/125 f5.6 ISO400 50mm
Jacob Smrz autographing book 1/350 f4.5 ISO400 50mm
Alex Lowes with fan 1/1250 f4.5 -1/3 exp comp ISO400 70mm
Dan Linfoot with fans 1/750 f4 ISO200 24mm
Lunch time 1/500 f5.6 ISO400 80mm
Kiyo signing fan’s photo 1/500 f5 ISO400 70mm
View down pit lane 1/2000 f4.5 -1/3 exp comp ISO400 70mm  

An early morning picture captured strong shadows and an empty track. A wide angled lens gave perspective and added to the feeling of space with only a handful of spectators. I considered positioning the horizon higher or lower, and decided that I could use the sky to my advantage to add a title or narration.   

During the summer months, people take time to have picnics and campers bring cool boxes of beer to enjoy whilst watching the bikes out on track. The weather was too cold for that, but the café did a brisk trade in burgers.

As an overall page, having some of the colours in black and white allows the pictures to be seen instead of conflicting with one another. As fans are a huge part of the racing scene with supporter numbers growing year on year, I included a few fans as well as an overall picture of the business of pit lane during pit walk. The championship attracts different fans, from middle-aged women groupies to people who collect signatures on bags, coats, hats, tee shirts, books, to people who just want to meet their heroes. BSB is one of the very few sports where fans can meet and chat to their heroes which makes it special for spectators as the riders are very down to earth people. These photos capture this and the enjoyment of the riders meeting their fans too.

 Page 12

1/60 f5.6 ISO400 32mm

This sums up the day. Job done by rider and his mechanics, all smiles and relaxed poses. The only negative for me is that there were too many people with cameras and so their eye line is not directly at me. I reflected that I need to push myself more to get them to look at me.  

Throughout this assignment I have demonstrated and brought together compositional skills in individual photos as learnt for elements of design, I have shown different colour relationships and made the best use of artificial and natural lighting conditions in a planned and reactive environment. By selecting relevant photos, sized to fit, I enhanced the story I planned to tell. By using mainly conventional photos and a few creative photos enabled me to keep the readership as broad as possible. I think the narrative flows from page 1 to page 12 with the photos adding visual interest and giving the reader more insight into the world of BSB racing.

I really enjoyed this assignment as it brought together all the elements I studied throughout this module, as well as providing me with both a photographic challenge and a personal one where I needed to push myself into unfamiliar situations and stand my ground as a photographer to achieve the results I wanted. I have grown in confidence throughout this assignment and the lessons learnt will be invaluable to how I approach my photography in the future.

Symbols

9th March 2013

No pictures were required for this exercise; instead,I was asked to consider a list of concepts and make notes on how symbols could be used to illustrate them.

Growth
Seedlings breaking through in spring
Baby / Child – e.g baby food being fed to a happy, healthy child, baby being given a bottle by parents
Buildings under construction – e.g building site, new builds such as the Shard,
Baby, child, teenager, adult (evolution)
Several skyscrapers in the frame (aerial view)

Excess
Sweets – grabbing hands into sweets, shoving sweets into the mouth,
Fridge full of food with door not shutting
Table heaving under the weight of food with a few guests present
Several empty glasses on a table in front of a few drinkers
Throwing money in the air

Crime
Broken window – evidence of action
Vandalised street furniture
Chain being cut with bolt cutters
Someone outside their house upset (broken window in photograph)

Silence
Silhouette of person sitting down staring out to sea, across the fields
Person with their finger on the lips e.g in front of a group of children,
Empty church with few idols, person / people in prayer

Poverty
Begging bowls on the street with or without people,
Big Issue sellers standing outside shops in city centre
People sleeping rough in doorways or on a park bench
Collection of own brand food, food parcels