Assignment One...Domestic Sublime

Just thought I should update you on progress for Landscape assignment one by way of an insurance policy in the event I've messed up! This may sound pessimistic and I don't like to pre-post, but with the large format camera it really is possible. I have just sent off my 5x4 sheets to Peak Imaging.  I'll get back contact sheets in the next few days, that if I'm lucky, should glean 4 or may be 5 images that I can submit for assignment one...even at best that is a long way off the ten or twelve recommended, but to even get that few has been an achievement in itself. And indeed, if I've made technical errors (which is not difficult to do), I may in fact have nothing to show for my efforts at all!  So that is why I include my progress now...so that when April arrives and no assignment is forthcoming, it is because my exploits have failed rather than sitting on my hands for months. There isn't a plan B as such, so I may have to resurrect all the 'chocolate box' rejects I have so rigorously criticised.

DOMESTIC SUBLIME
Simply meaning domesticity in the sublime landscape...

Now I am the first to admit that this is stretching the remit of assignment one - 'the season' somewhat.  If my images come back from Peak Imaging as I hope, they will be linked to the season 'winter' in as much as, they have all been taken in winter. But that is as far as I have gone in making any connection back to the season. This may prove a little too tenuous, however without wishing to preempt anything, photography only works for me if I photograph what inspires me and as you might expect from reading previous blog posts (such as Location, Location, Location, Personalised Landscape, Chocolate Boxes, Landscape Photographers Trap) I was not minded to 'capture the winter weather'. If I continue to photograph this concept throughout the year, the seasonal changes will be implicit in the imagery anyway.

The intention of this assignment is to take a view of the Lakeland landscape from one who lives here.  I'm not holidaying here so I don't need to demonstrate its beauty...there are thousand upon thousand of images that do that.

No, perhaps foolishly, I have taken a satirical approach to this assignment...I have used the landscape as a backdrop to a 'domesticity'..there is reason in the madness...but any further explanation or rationale will kill it in my opinion.

But, they did take more than a little time to set up, coming up with the ideas, trying to cajole friends in to modelling, as well as finding suitable locations and props. And indeed stealing the odd supermarket trolley too (well, renting for a pound)!!

...I have repeatedly questioned my wisdom in investing my efforts in to this series and am probably too close to the concept now to judge it objectively...but either which way, this is how I wanted to start the course...

I, once again, forgot to take duplicates with the digital camera apart from this one which I include by way of an example, although the 5x4 may come out quite different:

TIME LAPSE PHOTOGRAPHY

I have a second piece of ongoing work I may submit to make up for the shortage of images on the Domestic Sublime project which is a time-lapse study. I started it in January and the location is very close to home. It will continue for the full year and is less ambitious or interesting, but I am drawn to time lapse photography!!  I guess there is no harm in posting a link to my tutor when I've put something together. But I may reconsider depending on how far I get with it.

So there you have it...the start of an assignment submission...or may be not...depending on how I have faired technically. I must admit, the large format camera is by no means easy for me and errors are costly.  I am minded to persevere with it throughout the duration of this course in the hope it'll become more familiar...but if it persists in feeling as un-instinctive as it does at present I may retreat to digital and sell it.  It is a beautiful piece of kit that I am 'willing' myself to love more than I currently do...

Exposed or not?

I'm now really concerned which of the 5x4 sheets have been exposed and which haven't.  I've been taking three per location (normally I take two, but wanted belt and braces) which means there is usually a gap before I go out and take the fourth sheet (reverse side of the third).  So when I come to take the fourth sheet I'm questioning myself as to whether I exposed the 'a' side or was I careless and use the 'b' side.  I can't be 100% sure. Two or four exposures at one go works better than three I would conclude. Now I'm hesitant to take anymore just in case I double expose...it's fraught with difficulties this large format photography lark!

Two to return to

Two interesting links to bookmark:

Landscape documentary
On the BBC website there is another example of landscape being used to evidence a social documentary story: Auschwitz-Birkenau, then and now.

Parent, Woman and/or Artist
Over on the Little Brown Mushroom blog there is an article on 'being an artist and a mother' which is a fascinating read given my own hectic family life.  The challenge of finding the balance between the roles of 'parent, woman and artist' it seems is not an uncommon one and is something I wrangle with frequently.

Would like to go in to this more at some point, but struggling with time to go in to more depth right now.

Patrick Lichfield's nudes

I love these images...Patrick Lichfield's nudes.  They've not previously been exhibited and will be on display at the The Little Black Gallery from 24 April. I've only seen a glimpse over on the bjp site but I love the tonal qualities...the softness of the light, the interplay between the landscape and model, the clean-ness of his composition and choice of location, how the contrast is used to draw your eye in to the darker areas of the image.  I just find them elegant, beguiling and cheeky.  If only, if only....

One surmises you are a trifle freaky!!

I am forewarning you...this will certainly not be to everyone's taste, including my own...and that's the caution I'm giving you before you take a look at this video by Die Antwoord called I fink u freeky at the top of the post over on the excellent Burn Magazine blog ...now tell me you don't like it...not sure why I like it, but for some reason I do!!! It has provoked a good deal of discussion too. Not sure what I can learn from it other than push those boundaries and get out more!!!

Nothing but the truth

So I have been thinking about 'truth' on and off a lot recently thanks to a comment John Umney made on here a while back...I'm sure it wasn't intended to provoke such extended thought, all the same it has...what to make of the importance and meaning of 'truth'. Not the ethical type of truth referred to in social documentary photography. I'm thinking about the notion of what we consider to be our truth...and how everybody's truth is 'a' truth, necessarily different yet equally valid. It intrigues me. And when I think about photos I have taken in the past and indeed tried to read of others, you are learning as much about the photographer as you are from what you see in the image they have taken. Is that realisation not a tad scary? Oh, you knew all along...I'm catching up slowly!!

If you consider this thought then with landscape photography I wonder if the same applies. The landscape is a shared canvas and in some ways harder to express your own truth on to it or of it. As essentially when the focus is the landscape, we are the transient ones...the landscape has been and will be here comparatively forever...it changes of course...but can you imagine being the landscape and viewing us...we're here for a mere blink of an eye...the land must have seen so much...what authority do we have? 

So to define your own brand of truth I think can be challenging within the landscape photography genre...and then on the OCA Forum recently, I saw this referral to Ori Gersht work. It was Ori Gersht's recent work about the holocaust that for me showed how a landscape can be used as a reference point to a narrative derived from a social documentary perspective...the humanistic aspect of the land. It is quite a challenge to achieve I think!!

Coming at it from the other end, Heidi Lender's recent project, which has nothing to do with landscapes at all, struck a chord with me. Her conceptual self portraits 'give a humorous nod to women who can do it all'. Despite my own ideas being less developed or accomplished, my thought processes and personal motivations are not too far removed from hers with regards a mechanism of self expression. So how can this be applied to a landscape, is it relevant or useful to take this approach...or is flippant and meaningless? Particularly when the history of the landscape genre is steeped in objectivity, a quality so revered, at your peril are you to ignore it...I have made two attempts at my own subjective view of the landscape, but I will have to wait to see if the execution has been successful as it's all on film anyway. 

Going back to the idea of truth, here is another experimental series looking at the landscape, with the eye or sensibility of a street photographer, albeit a rural slant (this has been discussed at length in previous blog posts). I don't consider these the real deal by any means, for one there is an absence of people - but you know my history with street photography...strangely I still feel compelled to keep trying. 

So to conclude with truth, I have some way to go on this still as you can tell, but as a final comment, what truths can you determine about this photographer who focusses her gaze on a cow's arse? Case closed your honour!!!

Technical Problem

Big sigh...I picked up my camera forgetting it was connected to the computer. It pulled the camera, computer and usb wire with a heavy jolt. I cursed myself at the time, now today, I have tried to download some images on to the computer with the same wire and there no longer is a connection.  I have tried with another wire but to no avail.  It seems I have damaged the output connectors in my camera.  Big question mark...images safe on camera but can't download...

Location, location, location

Today the forecast was for 'cloud'. I had no expectations at all for anything spectacular. But when we headed out...it was quite out of this world...a truly staggering day.  Well, I've done it again - that landscape photographers trap I keep twining on about, I've just stumbled in to it once more!! Can't help it!! 

Thing is, I'd have been hard pushed to take anything other than a stunning picture today...and that is no self-inflated opinion, quite the contrary...just being here was all that was required. In some ways I am at a major advantage being on a landscape course and living in the Lakes...there could be no greater gift could there? And its dramatic beauty could distract attention away from all manner of technical flaws.  However, its' presence equally has the power to overpower any theme, message or concept I choose to overlay it with and make it look contrived and feeble. It truly is a gigantic personality and one that is hard to tame, challenge or alter.  To get beyond it is tougher than it seems and is it futile to try? 

Strangely for assignment one, this day alone could theoretically have yielded me with twelve adequate images to illustrate 'the season' (bit samey, but you catch my drift) (full set here)....and then I would be making headway...but I didn't have to try that hard in all honesty and what would I have learned... As it is, I've still to make any real progress on assignment one (one failed attempt today).  I feel like a recovering alcoholic pitching out in a brewery...pretty cool brewery mind!!

Initial Plans for Landscape

I've spoken to my tutor now and had that introductory chat. Funny, I must be a creature of habit as I was a little nervous making contact with a new tutor. We spoke by good old fashioned phone, as I failed with skype...oh well, I can save that pleasure.

What became clear as our conversation progressed was the need for me to contain the breadth of ideas. As I threw yet another idea at him I think he became, quite rightly, a little anxious that I may be in danger of spreading myself too thinly. So I will have to park a number of ideas and trains of thought for now, which I think is wise.

However, despite this, I am still considering five or six threads and they are all vying for my attention...which means I'm flitting about a little again.  However, I do prefer to be working on a number of projects concurrently, to keep it varied and interesting. Inevitably there will be some failures and this approach allows for some to fall by the wayside. It also may mean that my first assignment, which is entitled 'the season', may be the amalgam of two or perhaps even three independent themes. This is less than ideal but in the long-run I think there is some logic in it and will enable me to meet the 1 April deadline more easily than trying to get twelve images on one theme.

My overarching aim for this course is to challenge the 'default' image of the Lakes, as you've probably heard me say once or thrice before!

So for starters, areas of work that I will be concentrating my efforts on over the next twelve months, all with their own caveats at the moment:

• my view of the Lakes when I build up the courage, have the right weather and a number of other factors all coming together at the same time
• rural street photography during the busier months
• folklore when I work out how to actually achieve this
• in the style of Mitch Epstein when I get to that part of the course

It's always dangerous laying down your intentions as you can become unnecessarily imprisoned by them. And I don't like putting it to paper if I don't intend to do it. However, they're just words at the moment...so I need to put my film where my camera is now and just get on with it.

Not Our Time

My assignment one, 'A day in the life...' book entitled 'Not Our Time', that was submitted as part of my assessment for the Social Documentary course, has been featured on the weareoca blog.  Many thanks OCA, and thanks Maggie and Clive too for the kind words.

I've embedded it below.


I've embedded the book too, hopefully successfully this time.

Untitled | Make Your Own Book