List of Houses

This is a list of houses from estate agents, I'm trying to organise the photo shoot in. I want the smaller more council like houses, something that is essential for the feel of the shoot. I'm in the process of deciding the location of the shoot due to the actors locations and where I'm more likely to be allowed access of a house. 

Donna Preston

Two Ideas for Donna Preston Actress. She would play the mum stood in the doorway smoking a cigarette. 

I've chosen two outfits, both would work quite well, I just need to decide if this is going to be too forced and too stereotypical, making it almost satirical. 

Sketches of Idea 1

Potential Actors

Acting Search: Female

The actresses who have contacted me in regards to the photos. Again there were more people than I possibly need.

Again from these I've selected a few who are interesting and could potentially work in my series.

Acting Search: Male

After putting an Advert on an acting Group on Facebook, I received over 100 people interested in the roles I advertised.

These are the 41 male actors that applied. I've selected a few who I feel are interesting and could work into my British theme.

Chris Dorley Brown Tests

Inspired by the work of Chris Dorley Brown. I decided to create a similar set of images. I like how what he photographed was real life, however everything happened at different times. By shooting from the same position everything is static, apart from the people and cars. 

I like how you are able to photograph each person at a specific space within the frame, capturing something unique and different in each person. 

Chris Brown's photos are very well composed and lit. There is this sort of 'unreal' quality to them, they do look real however they can also look too real. Almost staged, but not to the extent of Crewdson's work. In essence these are all real people in a real time, just merged together in post production. 

In reflection to his work, these are the 3 images I created. I started by just overlaying each person as they were in photoshop. I later started to edit their positions slightly to create a stronger image. 

This first image is made up of 4 photos. As seen below:

By Selecting each person in their original space, everyone the photo hasn't been manipulated apart from the fact I've layered 4 images together in Photoshop. 

I quite like how this photo has turned out. Both women are walking towards the car, the left has almost stopped whilst the car moves. Because both people look towards the car, I decided to bring the wall forward into the left of the frame. This add's the CCTV camera also looking towards the car, this with the intrusive and prison-like building adds this element of being watched. 

When shooting this location, I also took a photo of a runner who is in the ver forefront of the image. As he was so close he was much more out o focus however this does add some more depth to the image, as it is currently quite flat with no real foreground separation. 

I feel this photo could work well if I hadn't chosen to focus on the car and CCTV camera. This would make it much more like the previous two photos. 

Artist Reflection Jeff Wall

Property Line

Before visiting the exhibition, I thought this would be a stand out photo for me. I was attracted to the sheer scale and vast surroundings in the photo. In reality when I saw the huge print I felt this was one of the weaker photos of the exhibition. There are certain features of the photo that I am still drawn to, but I feel the photo is lacking where as other photos in the series stand out much more. The photo is a great example of a huge scale, the wide lens adds to this. The photo is only exotic because of the setting, a grand desert scape and mountainous region, I believe that this is one of the main reasons why it's a successful image, once the audience knows the title; 'Property Line', it changes the perception of the photo, it gives it a wider sense of narrative and also suggests change. I find there is some relationship between the man made and nature, it shows such a raw and natural landscape untouched by humans, soon to be changed for property reasons.

Wide

Huge scale

Mountainous region, two men in high bus

Stand out in centre of image

Bottom half of photo leads off into dirty track and eventually road to horizon line

Good textures throughout 

Huge proportion of photo is of sky

Scale is huge, wide shot allows you to see everything, only can be huge due to location 

Great colours

Doesn't fit with other photos too well.

Strong horizon line

Title changes view of photo, the landscape will soon have buildings on it, probably a new town / housing estate

Listner

Only 3 faces in photo, 1 whole face, hides identity
Shitfrom point of view perspective
Looking down as if your part of the circle
Quality of shoes and big biceps shows they aren't hugely wealthy,

Man looks to be in pain, shock, guy standing over could have fighting him.
Topless from the fight
 Macho photo, who's got the biggest d***
Guy looks out of it, disorientated, wearing flip flops, unlike onlookers,
Onlookers look aggressive angry
Same shoes right hand side

Mask Maker

Much more of a snapshot compared to stairs photo. This seems easy.

Not keen on leading lines,

Good collection of colours iron man and hoody

Almost homeless, crazy

Why a mask? Identity? Crazy?

Using reflection to draw on mask

Flimsy bag trousers are home made/ fixed, pins tape jewels rope

Approach

Why don't I like it?
Too grey
All leading lines are end too close together, I like things with a structural depth
Is the homeless overdone?

What do I like about it?
The relationship between woman and boxes / man asleep
Hidden foot, not obvious
Tomy, toy company with shapes cut out like kids toy, slight contrast between innocent kids/ raw homelessness

Changing Room

Tall photo 

Long crop

Nice lighting well balanced 

Subjects are evenly spread out apart from coat hangs

Privacy, a sense of looking in in woman as she changes , we are in dressing room with her

Good textures 

Her face is covered, she can't see us and gives the impression of peeping Tom

Abstract shapes created by putting on jumper.

Black line at very top of image breaks up white space

Looks as though she's struggling but legs and body seem relaxed

Staircase and 2 Rooms

huge scale (measurements) very reflective surface 3 photos that tell a story

Strong shapes and lines, a uniformed use of color though out

Pockets of light, and fragments of details carried through

Carefully cropped and composed

Ambient lighting

Lines create centre point

Aire of mystery, both people appear to be listening 

A play on private spaces as if something will happen / is to happen

Angle of last photo is much wider, also colours are less matching

Carpet leads to 2nd photo

Colours in 3rd fit with previous

Lighting is quite fluorescent.

Jeff Wall Analysis

There is something very strange about Wall's work. It's uncanny, you can't tell if it's real or not. This is why I'm so drawn to his work. His photos seem to depict real life everyday situations. They are all created very well and are quite cinematic without the visual drama that Crewdson includes in his work.

The everyday locations is another aspect of the believability. These are just contrasted against the odd sometimes unreal situations. Such as the two children boxing in what appears to be a posh and fashionable living room.

Sometimes Wall's work is very mundane, something that is very realistic, but some of his work is much less interesting than others. This photo is an example of this, I don't feel like it works as well as Wall's other photos.

I don't mind this photo, It is interesting but I'm not as drawn to it as the others in his series. I feel the images that have children situations more interesting, as it's usually things that adults are unaware of.

There are some aspects of walls work I don't see why he has used actors to play roles. This photo, although being fully curated, I think the effort he has gone to doesn't pay off. This photo could have been taken anywhere. I do admire his work for finding people to play these roles, but I feel the photo needs to give more of a story than this which looks more of a snapshot. 

I like these mundane photos, they show a dull situation, however this doesn't make me question the authenticity. Other photos create this questionability much more than this photo. I admire the use of Black and White. This is something that needs to be used well, which it is. 

I feel this is again more personal and staged, I do prefer this more staged look, and I like how it is personal. The chaos of this image works very well, especially when given the context and title. Insomnia.