HND Photography Student

A weblog following my progression towards HND Photography in 2005 & 2006

Monday, June 26, 2006

Opening night

Today has been busy and stressful. Here was me thinking that I wouldn't need a full day to organise things. In the end, all of it was needed, with about 45 minutes to spare.

The worst 'surprise' was the exhibition boards supplied by the supposed sponsors. They looked like big paste tables. To our horror, we later discovered that paste tables are generally better constructed and finished - one of them was half varnished, and under the spotlights from the lamps in the theatre, varnush on the other began to dry out. We improvised, and asked for some oil from the cafe. We then smeared then with this - and they didn't look too bad. But we shouldn't have had to do this.

Lots of people turned up later, including my contact from GMCND. There's a possibility of my stuff appearing at the Big Green Gathering, in the CND marquee, which is promising.

Plus, a good friend of mine turned up from London, which was really a big surprise.

An exhausting day - should be interesting to see what comes from it.

(I will post photos that I took during the day later)

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Contact made

My press pack paid off. I heard from Greater Manchester CND and Friends of the Earth. GMCND were kind enough to publicise the exhibition on their website, and although FoE may not be able to make it, at least they acknowledged my press pack.

I am somewhat disappointed with those who didn't contact me: MEN, North West Enquirer, Big Issue, the Guardian and especially Greenpeace who have only recently put up a new page on their website about - possible nuclear waste dumping sites! Oh well...

My prints are now mounted and cut to shape, with black foam board backing ready to go too.

I'm not nervous, just eager to get on with things.

Monday, June 19, 2006

Press pack & new and shiny Flickr set

I put together my own press pack, and sent them out today. I've notified local press in Manchester, as well as the one national newspaper that I can tolerate (the Guardian), as well as pertinent organisations (CND, Greenpeace, FoE etc). So we'll see what happens.

In the meanwhile, I've altered the set of the final 10 images on Flickr, adding titles and my thoughts on the images themselves, which is here.

The only thing left to do now is to mount my images, either tomorrow or Wednesday night.

Friday, June 16, 2006

Exhibition leaflets are here!

The leaflets arrived at last!

Leaflet 1

I can't put alongside the originals because I handed that in with my submitted work this week. But they look great, despite a couple of errors - I think I was too hasty to get them to the printers.

I also bought this leaflet box off Ebay which can be fastened to the diplay board. Everything is well and truly coming together now.

So now I think I need to work on my own press pack, to be sent to relevant organisations and selected press early next week.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Nothing left

There's nothing left to hand in. Last night, I surrendered everything I had left to my tutor. So it's all over now, in terms of submitted work. There were some last minute things to do last night - finishing off the workbooks, filling out a 'common skills' log book. I typed up a couple of evaluations that I'd left to the last moment on Tuesday night (late).

Plus I got back some of the film I exposed for Unit 25, but it's too late for that now.

We all collectively produced a press pack, mainly for inclusion with our submitted work, but also to be sent out to various publications. Apart from the flier, it also contains an A4 poster, a press release, and a DVD with a presentation containing parts of our work and artists statements. It looks good:

Press Pack

So now I have to work on my own press materials, although I'm still waiting on my leaflet to arrive back from the printers. I'm hoping it arrives soon so I can get something out fo early next week.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Printed

...all the final images are printed. 3 out of 5 needed very little adjustment, whereas 2 needed correction here and there. Now for mounting next week, when I get hold of some foam core board.

I also decided on how they will be displayed tonight. This is as important as any other stage of the whole process. We tried different combinatons, swapping the places of some images, gauging any reactions to the order of the display, and adjusting accordingly until I was satisfied.

But I'm not revealing the display here, as that's for the exhibition itself. Maybe some time afterwards?

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Unit 19 Deadline B

This shoot was actually overdue. I had been putting this off for a while - we had to take 2 shots of a shopkeeper for an imaginary story on the 'decline of the corner shop'. In the end, a work colleague helped me to find someone who would fit the bill, and the shoot was completed today, a week past the deadline.

Some examples:

IMG_2140

IMG_2144

IMG_2157

In some respects, this was similar to the Deadline A shoot I completed a couple of weeks ago. I actually fumbled around a lot, and felt hurried and rushed and quickly forgot a lot of the things I know about photography. I had actually formed some ideas before I arrived, but some of them were made difficult or impossible because of the layout of the shop.

In the end, I only needed 2 shots - one with flash, one with ambient light. The resulting shots are in this set on Flickr. I've yet to decide which ones will be selected.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Extra publicity

As a little bit of a novelty, and some fun, I've had these badges made to hand out before the exhibition.

Dodos 4 Nuclear

Dodos Love Nuclear

Again, they're an extension of my concepts and ideas and I'm really pleased with them. Handing them out and giving them away has been a laugh, and it hopefully makes people curious about my work before they've even seen it.

Unit 25: image selection - part 2

Returning to the images, Kevin and I manage to whittle them down to 10, which are in a set on Flickr.

To enable further selection, I make some quick prints on cartridge paper, and we decide which ones 'fit in', and which ones don't.

In the final 5, there's a certain ambiguity, and different meanings: they work on different levels, and have a similar 'look' to them. Here they are:

IMG_2274

IMG_2402

IMG_2467

IMG_2254

IMG_2442

As a coda, Kevin isn't sure if I need more or not - neither am I, but that's to be considered over the weekend and left until next week.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Unit 25: image selection - part 1

I spent some time tonight selecting more images from those taken over the past two weekends. 13 new additions to the pool, from the many I shot.

Not enough time to do anything else, so (hopefully) final selection is for tomorrow night.

...the other part of the exhibition

Over the past few weeks, I've been working on some artwork to complement the photos that will be on display at my exhibition. When I first visited the Nature Reserve at Heysham, I picked up a leaflet about the reserve, produced by the Wildlife Trust, and paid for British Energy. It seemed to me to encapsulate a lot of the Greenwash and spin that has surrounded the 'debate' about Nuclear Power these past few months.

The front of the original leaflet:

British Energy/Wildlife Trust leaflet (exterior)

The inside of the original leaflet:

British Energy/Wildlife Trust leaflet (interior)

I decided to produce my own spoof version, with a view to having this as an accompaniment to the pictures. It could also carry my artists statement, and expound upon my ideas for the project. All the while, the elements of the original leaflet would be parodied by mine.

The front of my leaflet:
Final front

The inside of my leaflet:

Final inside

And now, it is complete. In fact, it's been sent to the printers, and I should have plenty to hand out and leave up for display at the exhibition itself. I'm really pleased with it, and think that it provides some depth to my work, an extra dimension that goes well with the images.

Larger, readable versions of these leaflets are available in this set on my Flickr Page.

Sunday, June 04, 2006

Unit 25 location shoot #4: back to Lancs

Good weather means another chance to head out to Lancashire again.

Firstly, I didn't go to Much Hoole. The only proposed Lancs site I didn't get to. Or Clifton Marsh, the landfill where BNFL (now Westinghouse) dumped DU. After I had finished today, I felt that I somehow had enough material. So these places could be left for another time, when the project may continue.

At Inskip, there was a cycle race. After being around the area for a while, it almost seemed like they were doing laps of the old airbase, and they seemed to be anti-clockwise, suggesting they were trying to cast out a demon, almost in the manner of Iain Sinclair's journey around the M25 in 'London Orbital'. I snatched shots of things I'd missed - rusty old gates with MOD warnings at an entrance. Plus, because of a different approach, I came across a church and graveyard with a view of the massive radio masts that the airfield now holds.

Then on very briefly to Weeton Camp, only stopping to snap on of the many MOD gates. This place could have been done on foot, if I'd stayed in the area for a few days like I should have done.

Then a return to the aptly named Springfields. Most of the shots there are retreads, but I also walk up to Salwick Station. I actually walk past a policeman, who's patrolling the fence, but despite having the Lomo to hand, I don't manage to snap him, not feeling fearless enough. Given that it's in the middle of nowhere, I expect it actually provides a handy journey to work for many people who work at Springfields, and little else. Looking out over the bridge, it isn't clear where the train stops to pick up fuel and offload waste for Heysham - perhaps there's a siding out of view?

And then I return to the crossroads - my Floral Skip has had the blooms cruelly cut short. How apt - I get a few shots, thinking it may come in as a contrast with the original shot from a few weeks ago.

Plus more shots of my cross, although it's tricky with the busy traffic that's around and about. Driving down Deepdale Lane later, I discover another cross about a mile down the road.

And then, that's it. Like last time, I shoot fewer shots here than at Heysham, but there will be a lot to choose from in the end. This part of the project is now over, and now it's time to take stock before moving to the final stage of the project.

Shots will be posted to Flickr in due course.

Friday, June 02, 2006

More Fliers than we know what to do with

I found a press and a deal - £115 (all in) for 5,000 fliers (their minimum), to be with me on the third day. And here they are:

1 of 5,000

1 of 5000 (reverse)

It's odd to see something you have designed come to life like this, especially in such huge numbers. Thicker card, and a Gloss laminate would have looked better, but time wasn't on our side, and these are great.