Sally Mann is an American photographer who is know for her extremely intimate and controversial photographs titled ‘Immediate Family’. These photographs were taken in her isolated house in Virginia, these images comprise of her children, who are sometimes naked and scruffy looking, doing things a child shouldn’t do such as smoking.  People had issues with these young children portrayed like this as it was deemed inapropriate and photos that should remain private.

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However I believe that these images are a beautiful work of art and very inspiring. Although some may view these images in sexual manner, I feel if you try to get into the mind of Sally Mann you can see the beauty behind these, as they show the true human body which should be embraced not shamed. I also feel that these images convey Sally Mann’s sense of place as these her children she has loved and created, that mean a lot to her. I would like to make sure I incorporate a deeper meaning like this into my own images.

Sarah Parsons (2008) Public/Private Tensions in the Photography of Sally Mann, History of Photography, 32:2, 123-136, DOI: 10.1080/03087290801895720

Tina Barney is  an American photographer, who captures photographs of families and friends around her in their home. I love the way all the families she has photographed, all have different lifestyles and backgrounds as portrayed below.  The photographs are all very colourful and give a warm family feel. In addition she sets scene in them as there is something going on in every photo which makes them extremely interesting too look at. I wanted to research her as I thought this would be really relevant for my project as I have been contemplating capturing portraiture photos of my own family in my home environment. I like how the people and families in her work are so natural and casual, depicting a realistic portrayal of families.

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Barney, T. (1991) ‘Friends and Relations: photographs by Tina Barney’,  Photographs at work, Smithsonian.

We had another session on practicing angles and camera techniques, in preparation for our portfolio. This time we were set a task to capture two images that could go side by side by linking someway. I chose to capture ‘student life’ in my photographs as I think this very relevant to my project due to university becoming my second home and a new ‘sense of Place’. Below are the variety of images I took that represent ‘student life’ taken using different angles, aperture and shutter speed. I really liked the idea of placing two images together because I think its really effective as the audience can create a story from it.

Out of my photographs I chose these two to go side by side as these best fit together and portray ‘student Life’. I like how they are taken from different perspectives as it makes it look more appealing.

As I was still in the midst of brainstorming ideas I thought it would be good to go back home for the weekend to get some inspiration for my final idea. I wanted to get a feel of the objects and lighting I would be working with. I decided to take some photos of different rooms around my house. The photographs below such as my living room really depict my ‘Sense of place’ in the way it has a homely feel and is the room my family all sit in together. The photograph of my hallway has an array of family portraits and photographs which portray many memories I’ve shared with my family. I like how some of the objects stand out in certain photos below, such as the globe as it makes the image more interesting to look at.

One major part of my ‘sense of place’ is my family. My family means a lot to me and we are all very close; at home I live with my parents, my younger brother, sister and grandpa. My cousins and grandma also live very close, it definitely relates to my project as I feel I belong when I’am around them. Below are some in the moment photos of various family members.

I researched a photographer that has taken images of people that also mean a lot to them. I came across Zachary Roberts who took this amazing ‘in the moment’ image of his family on holiday. I love the way they look so natural and non-staged portraying a realistic perspective of a family, as we know no family is perfect.

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https://www.lensculture.com/zachary-roberts

In one of our practical sessions we were set a brief titled ‘Art School’ where we had a set period of time to take 10 photographs using the location and objects around us. It enabled us to practise using our cameras and apply the techniques learnt in previous sessions. In my group we discussed what images came to mind when we thought of ‘Art School’. Below are the 10 final images, which we think represent the brief using techniques such as depth of field and employed some visual rules.

Later on we then had another brief set, where we had to photograph a portrait image of each other as an ‘Art Student’. Being Media students we had come up with ideas of how to portray each other in this role. Art Students stereotypically are quite quirky and have a eccentric fashion sense which I tried to capture with what I had around me. Below are the images I took which I believe show an element of an ‘Art Student’ due to the background which was a white canvas wall and the props such as the paintbrush and the funky purple earrings.

In todays session I experimented with my camera in order to get to know what I was working with. I played about with the shutter speed and aperture. I got to see what exposure was needed in different settings and lightings to capture the perfect image. Below are the first images I took, one had a wide aperture and one had a small aperture.

The next images I took were playing about with slow shutter speed to pick up movement around me. I think these images really depict the falling of the leaves, although they could be improved by changing the exposure as they have come out dark. This is something I’ll need to keep in mind when taking my final images.

When I was considering other concepts that link with my home, my pet cat came to mind. My pet is also a big part of my home and family so I decided to photograph my cat in different places around my house. I though this would be a perfect example of ‘Sense of place’ for me and my cat.

I decided to research the photographer William Wegman who not only has experience with photographing animals but shows extreme passion through his photographs. He is also very creative and intriguing with his unique idea of incorporating props into his work.

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Exhibitions

I recently made a huge transition, moving from my home to the University. I wanted to compare my new surroundings in Brighton to Kent to depict the transition I have made from a small, quaint village, to a busy town by the seaside. Since moving away I now have greater appreciation and connection  with my home and as a result, my ‘Sense of place’ has become much more significant to me. Below are photos from when I went exploring round Brighton city to get a feel of the area.

In addition to my first research, I wanted to think of a way I could make the photos of my area more engrossing and unique. I thought one of the best things about where I live is that my house is directly opposite fields where there are the most amazing sunsets and skies. I wanted to research and find photographers that have managed to capture a perfect sunset. Below are some of my own images.

I looked at the photographer Michael Seeley who has taken some beautiful sunset photographs of Melbourne beach where the sunset is reflecting across the sea. I really love the way the reflection on water emphasises the explosion of colour in the sky. I like the way the figures and objects in the photos remain dark so the main focus is on the sunset.

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https://www.lensculture.com/search/projects?fallback=not-found&q=sunset&modal=project-84703-views-of-melbourne-beach