RESEARCH LOG

This image is by photographer Bob Mazzer. In this image we are able to see heavily equipped police officers in the underground in central London. The connotations of this image is to emphasise the harsh reality of the London underground after the 7/11 bombings. There is irony within the imagery due to the 'elegance' sign above the police as the police are meant to be seen as an aggressive force and the opposite of elegant to emphasise this is the use of the uniform. Without the uniform the officers would seem inferior to the average citizen.

This image is also by photographer Bob Mazzer. In the image we are unaware of the meaning behind the kiss. It could be connoted as a goodbye kiss due to the location, two strangers, or a long distance relationship. This image is powerful as it can tell a story due to the location. The use of the black and white creates an empathetic feel towards those in the image.

This image reflects the ideology that in 21st century society that although living in an urban city full of millions of people, you are still alone and secluded. The image shows a waitress, a customer and an observer. Ironically the customer is treated as an object or like an animal due to the seclusion and the constant observation. I believe Henri cartier-bresson wanted to portray this through the image.

This image emphasises how people daily use the underground transport. It is shown in a honest way to prove the discomfort felt everyday no matter what the weather or climate may be. Thus enforcing the harsh reality of 'the daily grind' as it enables people to realise that the office jobs in central cities aren't as glamorous as they are seen to be. This image is by Bruce Davidson in the late 1980s in his documentary series 'subway' this tells a tale of the american underground which is less comercialised than the UK underground system therefore telling a much different and more relaxed story.


This image shows how the capitalist system has broken it's way into our daily routine and society. It also shows how the class system is a more important value of people compared to general morality. The difference of status in the image is very powerful as from a feminist reading, the woman is on the floor in rags begging for money and those walking by her do not care. This could emphasise the superiority other genders have over females. The medium long shot is used to connote the ideology that the road ahead for the underclass is a long one.

The use of black and white also emphasises the coldness of the reality and the every day struggle.


This image connotes how universal the act of holding hands is, the idea behind the image is unknown as we do not know their relationship, however it is argued to be an intimate relationship due to the body language - however we do not know if it is a positive act of love rather it may be a farewell. The ideology of the couple slouching suggests that they are comfortable around each other and therefore are able to relax with one another this is a positive look upon love and the photographer captured it poetically rather than instinctively due to the decisive moment.

This image shows how modern day technology has begun to influence every day society. This image 

IDEAS FOR FIRST SHOOTS - EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES

Everyday Activities starting shoots. 

For the beginning of the project I will aim to explore the content of the theme of 'everyday images' - to do this I will begin the process of choosing a location and a line of work to focus on. For shoot one I will travel to London and other major cities to focus upon the connotations and denotations of London life. To present this I will stage candid images of people within train stations, tube stations, bus stations, underground services and major streets where everyday life will be portrayed.
Starting by doing major cities first is the best ideology for me as it enables me to go full circle as I will photograph urban, rural and underground areas multiple times to gain complete understanding of the everyday life of those in different regions.

The first shoot will be based more on documentary photography where as the second shoot will be a more personal level of documentary i.e, home life, personal relations and their own personal identity of a daily basis- these images will include images inspired by Bob Mazzer and Bruce Davidson. The background and foreground is important within the image as it will base the ideology of every day activities.

The first photo-shoot is aimed to be completed within the 25th feb - 3rd March.

INSPIRING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Photos by Bob Mazzer

Photos by Henri Cartier-bresson

Photos by Bruce Davidson





photos by Matt Hart


photo by Daniel Ochoa De Olza

IMAGE BANK

why choose these images for my project? 

All of these images provide the basis of an idea for the project of 'question one - everyday activities' as my project is based upon London life to provide an understanding of modern day expectations and the peoples everyday activities. I like these images especially due to the simplicity of their rawness. The images aren't manipulated, and they are candid. Therefore they are showing people in their natural habitat of their natural regimes. 

 

this image is an honest portrayal of 21 century London and of society. If you compare images from before the technological revolution it's a different society as people no longer interact with others instead of talking face to face they will make a phone call, or listen to music via earphones. This is an everyday activity for most people as society has changed.  I particually like this image due to the simplicity of the imagery. The aperture of the photo ensures the focus is direct, it also enables the context to be visualised as its still important to the photograph. 

RESEARCH NOTES - Bruce Davidson - open

 

Bruce Davidson attended the Rochester Institute of Technology and Yale University, where he continued to further his knowledge and develop his passion of photography. He was later drafted into the army and stationed near Paris, There he met Henri Cartier-Bresson, one of the founders of the renowned cooperative photography agency, Magnum Photos. worked as a freelance photographer for LIFE magazine and in 1958 became a full member of Magnum. From 1958 to 1961 he created such seminal bodies of work as “The Dwarf,” Brooklyn Gang,” and “Freedom Rides.” 

In 1967, he received the first grant for photography from the National Endowment for the Arts, having spent two years witnessing the dire social conditions on one block in East Harlem. This work was published by Harvard University Press in 1970 under the title East 100th Street and was later republished and expanded by St. Ann’s Press. The work became an exhibition that same year at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 1980, he captured the vitality of the New York Metro’s underworld that was later published in a book, Subway, and exhibited at the International Center for Photography in 1982.

"I start off as an outsider, usually photographing other outsiders, then, at some point, I step over a line and become an insider. I don't do detached observation."

DISCUSSION OF THE EXAM PAPER

everyday activities-  
The adjective everyday describes the common things that you generally do as part of a regular day. Thus suggesting it can have the sense of “ordinary,” and is a familiarity to you. Its your 'routine' which feels wrong if changed or altered slightly.

social change-
The term social change is used to indicate the changes that take place in human interactions and interrelations. Society is a web of social relationships thus meaning the change in the system of social relationships. - social change is the significant alteration of social structure and cultural patterns through time.

urban life-
Urban life is a catchall phrase to describe life in a major city. Those who live in cities are typically more favorable to environmental causes and less religious than those who live in rural areas as they are pre-occupied by capitalistic values of money and 'survival of the fittest'

surrealism- 
Noun - Surrealism was a movement which began in the 1920s of writers and artists (including Salvador Dalí and René Magritte), who experimented with ways of unleashing the subconscious. It came about due to the growing influence of Sigmund Freud (the founder of psychoanalysis) and his theories about the unconscious

aspect of life-
Ones own view-point of life

contextual-
Context is the "other stuff" in a photo that goes beyond the subject itself and tells you something more about the subject. Context can help a photo tell a story about the place where an animal lives, for example. On the other hand, all of that "other stuff" can at times be distracting and keep you from seeing the subject.

INITIAL IDEAS - MIND MAPS

Every day activities-

In everyday activities i believe the possible subjects to do would be in the time given would be major cities, urban areas to photograph people of different classes, children during their daily routine. There may be significant differences between the two areas and what the people photographed do daily and how they dress and act, this would be interesting to see as you can see how peoples mannerisms change due to areas. Those in major cities may be dressed 'smarter' however may be more aggressive towards their photograph being taken, compared to those in rural areas who aren't as stressed by the city lifestyle. I believe this subject may be seen as more 'sociological' to see how those people may or may not conform to societies norms and values ie- following a 9-5 routine of work and sleep and 'no play' whereas it would be very interesting to see those who rebel and do not conform and therefore are signified as 'delinquent' as they do not follow 'the expected'.

Self identity- 

In self identity i believe would be interesting to view if those who i photograph pose or are genuine candids showing unintentional beauty. It would also be interesting to view what they are dressed like for example reflection of their class? As stated above with 'every day activities' to be dressed smarter may indicate that they come from a city lifestyle where it is expected of them whereas in a rural area they may decide to wear more relaxed job attire. Another reflection of class is what they are doing, for example smoking, reading, on their phone, eating to-go, running, or not doing anything specific. I believe this subject would be very interesting as it is more a psychological study compared to the previous topic.

In conclusion-
After creating the mind maps above i personally believe i will be doing 'Question 1, everyday activities' for this project as i believe it will help my skills as a photographer grow. The work will be based upon Bruce Davidson's images of every day activities of rural, urban and city life of people of different ages, classes and backgrounds. I believe by doing this in a modern day setting it will emphasise the ever growing society that we live in and which will show which is the norm and values of modern british culture. In practicality i believe i could photograph various people in candid in various locations, I'm more interested in major cities as i can explore cultures of people in their natural environment for example a woman or man in business on the tube to London, a tourist on the streets in London documenting their journey, young adults whom come from troubled backgrounds in gangs, those of a higher status shopping on oxford street and those of an underclass begging for those of a high class' attention to be able to eat and survive another night. Personally i believe this project is perfect for me as i love to explore cultures, beliefs and ideologies of the individual.

FIRST IDEA

Q.1 - Every day activities
The Photographer whom has inspired me is Bruce Davidson. I like his work because it stands out to me the most, his imagery is sort of eerie however very raw and true as it shows aspects of modern urban life. I believe i could twist his work to the 21st century instead of the 80s and 90s when his work was mainly performed.