Researching the Magnum Home Project was really helpful as it gave me an idea of how to finish my final portfolio. I watched the ‘Making of HOME Part 1: Book Design’ video which gave me some inspiration on how to structure my final images. Stuart Smith explained how it is not always the best photographs that are used in a final piece, as some images are needed for transitional effect and to help the flow of the set. He also discussed colour themes and how they can be crucial in producing a set of images that work as a sequence.

I also watched Mark Powers take on the Magnum Home Project. I found this video really interesting as he was photographing his house and objects within it, which I am doing for my own project. He raised a point about considering where your work is going and how the targeted audience can effect the work you produce. When Mark Power was arranging his final set of images he spoke about shapes working and flowing throughout different images. I believe this will be extremely useful when structuring my own portfolio.

To get some inspiration, I researched photographer Ian Berry’s work, in particular his work on New Orleans. I found his work really interesting as I am going to be focusing on buildings and general landscapes for my project.

I love how Berry photographs regular street corners or buildings and still manages to convey life and feeling in his work. I was struggling to add character to my photographs and so I found this really useful. Each photograph in the New Orleans project is connected through similar colour schemes or slight similarities such as small architectural features. Keeping this in mind will be extremely useful when it comes to selecting my final images.

“It was a good time to be photographing” – Ian Berry

Ian Berry, Louisiana, 2001

I noticed how Berry seemed to photograph the moment without staging the shot and how this really helped to convey emotion through the images.

“The great single picture is emotionally satisfying, whereas getting a good journalistic story is more about being a professional” – Ian Berry

Ian Berry, Louisiana, 2001

Ian Berry, Louisiana, 2001

I experimented with my ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed to get to grips with my camera.

I began by changing my ISO setting. This picture (below) was taken with a high ISO and resulted in an extremely bright photograph, which seemed to have a ‘grayish’ overtone.

I then adjusted my ISO to a lower setting, which resulted in a much darker picture (left). I also found the image taken with a lower ISO was less ‘grainy’ and of better quality.

I also experimented with shutter speed as I knew this would be really useful to me if I wanted to photograph people or busy places. My friend threw some leaves up in the air and the aim was to catch the leaves blurred movement. Originally my shutter speed was too fast, which caused the leaves to look frozen in the image. After adjusting to a slower shutter speed we managed to catch blurred movement in the photograph.

After reading In Platos Cave by Susan Sontag I found the topic of ‘non-intervention’ really interesting. Sontag talks about how photographing can be considered ‘non-interventional’, however the act of taking a photograph is still an act of participation.  The text describes taking a photograph as an event in itself and our instinct to either intervene with or ignore and photograph whatever event may be taking place is conveyed through the images. Photography is the interest in things as they are, with no need to be changed. Sontag uses the phrase “The person who intervenes cannot record, the person who records can not intervene” (Sontag, 1977)

In Platos Cave gives the example of photography and tourism. It explores the idea that taking a photograph is proof that an event happened, a place was visited and the experience was worth capturing. The need to photograph whatever we encounter has become so natural to us that a holiday or trip without a camera seems odd.

I also love how photography is described as a way to connect us to family and friends. In Platos Cave explains that it does not matter what is photographed, as long as the images are loved and cherished. Because photography is such a mass art form, it is not practiced as art but as a social right.

“What is written about a person or event is simply an interpretation, as are handmade visual statements, like paintings and drawings. Photographed images do not seem to be statements about the world so much as pieces of it, miniatures of reality that anyone can make or acquire” (Sontag, 1977)

Sontag, S. (1977). On photography.

Foredown Tower is a former water tower built in 1909. Growing up I spent a lot of time walking around the surrounding fields with my dog and so I knew this was a place that I wanted to photograph.

I originally planned to take these images at night, as the tower is sometimes lit. Unfortunately when I arrived I found that the tower is only lit during summer. As you can see from the image on the right, I was unable to get a good quality photograph in the dark light even after adjusting my camera settings and using flash.

I went back to Foredown Tower during the day and was able to capture better quality images. My aim was to focus on the architecture and interesting features of the building, including the centerpiece on the main wall.

It was quite a dull day when I photographed the tower so I had to increase my ISO to get an ideal brightness. I focused on photographing the buildings main feature, see below.

I was keen on the idea of photographing the same place, each day (similar to Peter Funch’s work). However I was aware that I would need to find a place that was busy and interesting enough to carry the project. My original plan was to photograph the Laines in Brighton. Unfortunately because of expenses I was not able to travel to the Laines as much as I needed, so I started experimenting with photographing my home and the town I grew up in. I live in Portslade, Brighton and wanted to capture buildings, places, objects and everything in between that meant ‘home’ to me, which is how I interpret the brief ‘Sense of Place’.

I researched photographer Peter Funch’s work as I am interested in using similar techniques in my own project. I focused on Funch’s project ‘42nd Street and Vanderbilt’ where he photographed the same place, at the same time each day.

 “Between 8:30am and 9:30am, from 2007 to 2016, at the southern corner of 42nd Street and Vanderbilt Avenue in New York City.” – Peter Funch 

“The corner of 42nd Street and Vanderbilt Avenue… what’s that? It’s a patch of nowhere that hides, like similar patches of nowhere, in all cities everywhere.” – Douglas Coupland 

I love the idea of finding a spot or place that would not usually be photographed and finding the beauty in it, that wouldn’t otherwise be seen.

I am interested in Elliott Erwitts work, especially the ‘The Year of the Dog Dogs’ project as I find his approach to photography quite laid back.

Elliott Erwitt. USA. New York City. 2000.

“It’s about reacting to what you see, hopefully without preconception. You can find pictures anywhere. It’s simply a matter of noticing things and organizing them. You just have to care about what’s around you and have a concern with humanity and the human comedy” – Elliott Erwitt

Elliott Erwitt. USA. New York City. 1971.

I love the idea of photographing the everyday and feel it would be useful to use this approach in my own project. This way I can experiment and find what I enjoy photographing the most, whilst still having fun with it.