Portraits 2

Here is a three portraits I took of my Mum, Dad and Sister. They have helped demonstrate the ways natural lighting and flash create an effect and mood. For example these are very soft and natural, in contrast to the flash that can be very strong and quite harsh.

Project Brief Research 1

http://coventryfarmersmarket.com/photo-gallery-3/

Here is a collection of photos taken at markets by a variety of different artists. They display a wealth of different colours, textures, activities and people. The interesting thing about markets is the crowd they attract is often a reflection on the community in regards to class, race, culture. Something which I need to develop is what angle I’ll be approaching the subject of market; whether be it the transition towards an upper class profession or the working class retaining the heritage associated with this field of work.

Martin Parr

Prezi Presentaion

Transcript of Martin Parr

Martin Parr
Born in Epson, Surrey 23rd May 1952
Started as a documentary photographer at 14
Influenced by his grandfather who was an amateur photographer
Studied Photography at Manchester Polytechnic between 1970-1973 (aged 18-21)
Got married in 1980 and has one child
Martin Parr was appointed Professor of Photography in 2004 at The University of Wales Newport campus.

Early Work
Examples of his Work: Magnum Photos
http://www.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=CMS3&VF=MAGO31_10_VForm&ERID=24KL5357TF

Influences
Bill Brandt – at the age of 15, Parr went to one of his exhibitions and thought “This is fantastic! This is what I want to do.”
Henri Cartier-Bresson – “You’re on another planet!”. Parr replied, our styles may be different but “don’t shoot the messenger.” His black and white style is similar to Parrs, but he’s movement towards a postcard style couldn’t be more different.
Supposedly the most significant of his influences was Tony Ray-Jones who similarly, ‘teased’ the English culture, like Parr. Jones was also British and only around ten years older than Parr.
Documentaries
It’s Nice Up North, Think of England, Vivians Hotel
Worked in Radio and various TV shows, including the being one of the 12 film makers who contributed to the survey of the funeral of Princess Diana.
Think of England
Parr asked members of the public what it took to be English.
Bad Weather Photography:

– This is exemplary of his early work, that of which he gained recognition for.
– Use of black and white
-He has developed an international reputation for his innovative imagery, his unique approach to social documentary, and his input to photographic culture within the UK and abroad.

His Books

First book / Black and White Photography
– Bad Weather (1982) and ‘A Fair Day’ (1984)

Then switch to colour photography
few years later
– ‘The Last Resort’ (1986)
start his photographs with
colourful images
pioneer : John Bulmer
http://www.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&STID=2S5RYD122MMI
–
Postcard collectos
key influence with the help of
John Hinde
collaboration with Gerry Badger
–
Documentary filmmake
r

Nick Barker ‘Signs of the Times’ 1992
‘It’s Nice Up North’ 2006
–

Big Awards and Honors

Centenary Medal of The Royal Photographic Society/ (HonFRPS)
More Recent work
– Parr has developed an interest in film-making, and has started to use his photography within different conventions, such as fashion and advertising.
– In 2008 Martin Parr was guest curator at New York Photo Festival, curating the New Typologies exhibition.
– Parr has been working on a 4-year project documenting the Black Country (West Midlands)

Diane Arbus

DOB: March 14 1923

Born into a rich jewish family in New York City, she did not notable suffer the effects of the Great Depression. She attended the Fieldston School for Ethical Culture, later on in life marrying the actor Allan Arbus.

Her photography work started off initially in advertising and fashion, featuring in Vogue and Esquire. Her work then developed to photos of the unusual, dwarfs, giants, transgenders, nudist etc… She became known to some as the Photographer of the Freaks.

She suffered severe depression and in 1971 commit suicide.

Her work was raw and highlight subjects ignored and viewed as distasteful at the time. I admire her confidence in addressing such subjects and ability to take powerful images sensitively and with such honesty.

 

A Jewish giant at home with his parents in the Bronx, N.Y.C.. 1970

Retired Man and His Wife at Home in a Nudist Camp One Morning, N.J. 1963

 

Using the Flash Gun

 

I enjoy using the flash gun as I find the dark lighting surrounding the subject from the intensity of the light aesthetically pleasing. It centres your photo, emphasising on the intent of your picture. The harsh lighting provokes a sense of realism. In the colour photograph of Helena, she is make up free and almost fully exposed. There is no dressing-up of how she looks, the lighting is honest and to me there is no pretence. To use a flash gun in my final photos would be useful in my intent of showing the realities of life.

A Quote from Chuck Close

“The advice I like to give young artists, or really anybody who’ll listen to me, is not to wait around for inspiration. Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work.

All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself. Things occur to you. If you’re sitting around trying to dream up a great art idea, you can sit there a long time before anything happens. But if you just get to work, something will occur to you and something else will occur to you and something else that you reject will push you in another direction.

Inspiration is absolutely unnecessary and somehow deceptive. You feel like you need this great idea before you can get down to work, and I find that’s almost never the case.”

William Klein

DOB: April 19, 1928.

French, born in America. Photographer and film maker. From a poor Jewish family in New york, Klein was witness to the rough and violent culture of New York, describing his childhood area as ‘a dump.’ Similarly to many photographs, he used taking photos as a form as escapism.

He studied under Fernand Leger, a pioneer of modern art within the movements of cubism and futurism. Klein created short, surrealist films, and despite his dislike of his hometown, published a book of his photos with the name ‘Life is good for you in New York’.

His experimental approach with lighting is a distinctive style to his work.

He has been a controversial photographer, due to his collaborative work with the Black Panthers, and relationship with his past employers, Vogue, in a series of photos and films mocking them. He also produced Mohammad Ali-The Greatest and Far From Vietnam.

 

Gun 1, New York, 1986. Again, what draws me to this photo is the use of focus on the boys and the gun, and the contrast of expressions between the two boys.

Portrait.

Harlem, 1955. I enjoy the movement in this photo and fleeting expressions.

Moscow 1964. This woman has an undeniably extraordinary face. The presence of her age in the is so strong, her expression, posture, face, clothes. She’s a brilliant cliche.

Robert Frank

DOB: November 9th 1924

1958 published his collection of photographs ‘The Americans’. He would later move onto film, photo montage, video and manipulating photos.

Born in Switzerland into a wealthy Jewish family, he escaped the treatment hundreds and thousands of Jews were subjected to at that time, but was still aware of the horrors and oppression they went through. He used his photography as a form of escapism, especially so from the pressures of his his business orientated family.

1947 – worked for Harpars Bazaar, later on leaving to travel around South America and Europe. Returning to America, his opinion had developed into one of strong dislike, claiming the country, and in particular New York, over emphasised on the importance of money, claiming it was ‘bleak’ and ‘lonely.’

His influences are Alexey Brodovitch, Franz Kleine and Sergei Eisenstein.

charleston-south-carolina-1955. I think the most striking thing about this photo is the colour contrast between the child and woman. There’s a feeling of unity, which was not there between the two races at the time. He’s captured the innocence of the innocent really beautifully here.

Franks use of focus here, to me, draws attention to the loneliness of the starlet, despite her being central to the photo. I’d like to use this technique in my photos.

rodeo-new-york-city-1954-the-americans. My favorite part of this photo is the lighting and different shades of black and grey which seem to sculpt around the subjects seemingly strong, muscular body. Combined with the typical macho rodeo outfit, he’s been characterised into a mysterious and almost story-like character. I will be using black and white in my photos more for a more classical look.

Hailsham Farmers Market

This was the beginning steps towards my subject of Markets as my final project. I visited a farmers market in Hailsham where they were selling livestock, and now speculating as to focus my project on agriculture.

Photographers I Like

This gallery contains 11 photos.