Exercise: evidence of action

glass in window 007, a photo by caroline..collins on Flickr.

For this exercise I needed to produce a photograph in which it could be seen that something had happened, to include in the photograph something that had been either broken, or emptied.
I took my inspiration for this image from Tracy Barens' 'dewy', 'a highly sensual photograph of an etched glass still wet with moisture and placed on a window sill, light falling onto it through foliage'.(The Photography As Contemporary Art, Charlotte Coton). I tried unsuccessfully to steam the window using a boiling kettle which proved harder than first thought, my intention being to add a further element of narrative to the image, so I used my telephoto lens to ensure a fuzzy background, although light coming though the trees would have improved the image as in Tracey Barens image. There is evidence of lipgloss around the top of the glass and the juice is almost gone, I left a little in the bottom of the glass to evidence the glass having previously been fuller of the juice. I will attempt this image again later in the day when the sun will be behind the tree, if the sun is shining that is! and will make further attempt to steam the window.

Project: Illustration

Evans, Walker (1903 - 1975)
Poverty-stricken American, Bud Fields, and his family, Hale County, Alabama, 1938

Illustration is used to put accross a story in one shot, without the step by step detail possible in a narrative sequence. It can be a very simple relationship between things in the photograph, or just  hint of something happening. Still life is the popular choice for this type of image as it offers control, it is used on many magazine and book covers.

This image by Walker Evans shows a narrative in a different way by illustrating the social issues of the poverty striken. The image gives the feeling of the responsibility of the father Bud Fields and his family, an older member, his wife and three children on a babe in arms. Only the older member of the family is wearing shoes, they appear thin and unkempt. The accommodation appears more than basic without evidence of possisions other than a bed, two chairs and a picture on the wall in the background. The image clearly achieves the illustration of poverty.

Excercise: A narrative picture essay

photo by caroline..collins on Flickr.
This excercise required me to produce a set of pictures that tell a story. The sucess of the narrative depends on how interesting, attractive and varied the photographs are. The layout is also important, in dealing with a number of photographs, it is not simply a matter of deciding shape and size. The whole reason for shooting a variety of images is so that, when seen together, they work together as a set.

For this narrative I chose to produce a set of images that take the viewer on a short journey, a walk in the counrtryside to Whisby Country Park. I imaginged I was producing an information leaflet interesting enough to encourage the viewer to want to take the same walk. I intened to give the viewer the impression that they were on the walk with me, getting an idea of scenery and interesting observations of nature along the way until I reached the destination of the visitor centre. I took quite a number of images along with way deciding at a later date which ones to include, which ones seemed to fit together.

This first image sets the scene and shows the viewer the planning for the walk. The trainers, water bottle and map are placed intentionally to create an implied triangle, the grass is included in the two edges of the frame to give the image balance and context and being placed on the pathway gives a feeling of direction and the start of the walk.

Whisby Nature Park is a 150 hectare Local Nature Reserve located c. 7 miles south-west of Lincoln. Whisby Nature Park was opened in 1989. There are two full-time Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust wardens who organize volunteers to help them undertake habitat management and amenity maintenance, and development on behalf of visitors. The Nature Park comprises a complex of small, medium and large flooded gravel pits, which have now become 'greened' by up to 40 years of natural colonization and most now show superficially little sign of their industrial heritage

Start of the walk - lakeside

Photo 1 - Grebe lake - houses on Station Road can be seen on the far side of the lake
This walk takes us past Teal and Grebe lake. There are seven hides placed to overlook the lakes, with four of them at Grebe Lake.

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Photo 2 - Teal Lake - a welcome stop with a view over the lake

Sailing club

Photo 3 - Sailing club access
The walk passes the sailing club, access is restricted to members only. I wanted to take a photograph of the sailing boats I could see in the distance. The club occupies a lake of 180 acres affording great sailing to both Casual & Racing sailors. There is an active Windsurfing section and a thriving Model Boating Section.


Photo 4 - sailing on Teal Lake













 

Bridge to Little Heath

Photo 5 - bridge to little Heath
The bridge takes you past the north east corner of the lake. A fenced grazing area includes a very small patch of specialised vegetation containing some of the plants that would have been very common on the heathland that originally covered the whole Nature Park site. The conservation aim has obviously been to extend this 'window on the past' to cover the entire grazing area.
 

Nature at Small Heath

Photo 6 - wasp nest found by the path


Photo 7 - honey bee
During 2011, a further 22 species of bees and wasps have been recorded and verified either by the Lincolnshire Naturalists' bringing the all-time total for the reserve up to 141.
 
Photo 8 - mating damsel flies
Before they mate, the male and the female spend a considerable amount of time in physical contact with one another. This is accomplished by the male clasping the female's thorax with terminal appendages at the end of his abdomen.