Reflective Summary

This Final Major Project for me has been a good end to my degree. I have photographed what I love and have been able to develop this on from previous projects. I feel I have accomplished a good deal of work, and carrying on with this theme has further confirmed what it is I enjoy about photography.

My research of artists and photographers has lead into new lights, although I know most of the photographers already, I have come to learn more of their work and why they have created it. This has helped me relate to these photographers and researching into the depths of their work has helped the development of my own. I have always found researching others work helps to get a different perspective of your own, to see how they have captured a special moment or time and how you achieve this.

Although I was unable to present my work and receive feedback from my mentor, I found his help in the first tutorial extremely helpful. I have not stuck to my normal B+W photography and although I was daunted at the thought of doing colour and in my eyes it not being good enough, I am really pleased with some of my results shooting in colour. I also made use of asking my peers what they thought and how things could be improved, gaining other peoples perspectives helped me see what I needed to do to improve or change.

Editing down the photographs was not as hard as usual because I took so many I had to keep editing down after every shoot, rather than leaving it till a later date. I think because of the nature of my project I took a lot more photographs than I usually would, nothing was ever planned I just picked up and took the photographs as and when. When deciding on the final prints and what size I knew I wanted them around a3 size with a thin white mount and black frame, this was fairly straight forward and I was lucky enough to know where to get the frames and was happy to use the print space after the visit earlier this year. The only slight problem I encountered which could have been a lot worse was the size of the mount in the frame. I made my photographs a 5mm bigger all around so that it would fit nicely in the 17″x21″ mount, however there was only 1-2mm and a bit fiddly when positioning the photographs into place. I am pleased I decided to create a book to go with the final prints, I really feel this adds to the project and the four final images. It allows the viewer to delve more into the relationship I am portraying.

I feel this project could continue, as there is never really an end the relationship ends but then the project could turn onto myself. Harry has been a big influence in my photography for the past few years, photographing him has been natural and it has become the norm. After all my research I feel as if I could continue this project but perhaps turn it back onto me and not just focus on my relationship with Harry but my relationship with those closest to me.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working on this project, I feel like my style of photography has changed and I am not stuck in my normal, safe ways. I hope that the exhibition goes as well as can be and people take an interest into my project and can relate to what I am portraying through the photographs.

 

 

Wall stand

As I have decided to get a book made I think it is a good idea for me to showcase this book at the exhibition. This has got me thinking as to how/where I should have this book for people to see. As I have decided on the window layout for my prints there is plenty of room either side to have a wall mount stand to hold the book for people to look through. This design will probably be made out of perspex and kept white to keep with the clean white walls. Below I have drawn a mini design as to how this would roughly work.

Further layout design

I decided to draw a mock up image of how my photographs will look at the exhibition. I am going to use the first design as I feel it works better in the space, the second looks too squashed. Originally when I thought of having 5 prints I was going to have 3 at the top and 2 underneath but I much prefer the 4 in the window like setting, I think this layout looks clean and crisp. I designed this using illustrator so I could get exact sizes and not just a rough guide.

 

 

Presentation

Connected

Exhibition Poster

Printing Options

As the time to print draws nearer I have been looking into where I should get my prints from. After going to the print space a few months back I was really impressed with their quality prints and different paper and printing options. Where I live there isn’t much available in the likes of the print space and I have no real idea where would be best to print. As the print space offers test strips etc it seems like the best option. It also has a very quick production time and if collected can be ready within 2 hours. This is not an option of some of the shops I have looked at around the Reading area as they have to be sent off and god knows what the results will come back like. As I have already had a print done at the print space on C Type Matt paper and have looked in depth at the other paper options I am aware of what would go best with different photographs. I think I shall stick to the C Type Matt paper as this was a good all rounder. As I am going to be having prints  17″x21″ I will be charged for the 20″x24″ size at £18.70 a print.

Exhibition space – scale model

To help decide what space and requirements everyone will need for the degree show, two fellow peers designed and made a scaled model of the exhibition space so that we could see where we wanted our prints/book/sculpture etc. Some people needed specific requirements as they wanted to play music, needed a plug, wanted the glass windows etc. For me I do not need any specific requirements other than the 3 meter wall space. Below is two images, the first of the scale model and the second where each of us will be placed.

Framing Options

From the beginning I have always thought I would have simple thin black frames and I have stuck to that decision. In my opinion it looks clean and professional. It doesn’t take away from the photographs. I looked at various online framing shops but was too paranoid that getting them delivered the Royal Mail would smash up the glass or something would go wrong. I know a great framing shop in my home town so I tried them out first. They had exactly what I was after but just not enough in stock, so I was made them from scratch and they were delivered to the store a dew days later with no delivery charges. I also had to order the mount which would be big enough for the prints to sit a few mm behind. The total cost of these frames and mounts £179.20, this broke down at £34.90 a frame and £9.90 a mount. Although this seems quite expensive, from looking at prices from the print space where I got my photographs printed it is a considerable amount less. Thin black frames in the size I was after were ranging from £94-£140 each!!!

Editing Images

Throughout the project I have constantly been editing my photographs as Tom Hunter said to do. This has made life a lot easier than trawling through the hundreds of photographs I have taken over the past few months. I have unknowingly been picking out possible final images as I have been working and what I feel works best together. These are the final four I have decided upon. I think they reflect intimacy and you can tell their is a relationship between us.

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Ross Rawlings

It was only when I was discussing my work with a fellow peer that the photographer Ross Rawlings was bought up. His work ‘Charlotte’ documents their intimate relationship together showing the happy and sad moments, the intimate loving times and the depressing post argument moments. The theme of my work is very similar to that of Rawlings, I have focused on my own relationship rather than other or more than one within the project. I really enjoy looking through his photographs to see how he had captured these moments with his girlfriend.