PHO705 Methodology

Having spent the past few months researching,getting to know the people and places of of my project I finally have some direction and a plan.All be it a fluid one due to restrictions in shooting due to Covid 19.

I’ve spent a lot of time getting to know the people of two working mens clubs,I’ve shot a fair amount of candid imagery, portraits and details,some of which may make the final edit some of which will remain reference material.My intention is to periodically collate the images and do prelimanary edits but it will not be until I either run out of time ! or preferably decide that I have what I need to tell the story,a story of belonging,community and my relationship with my Dad and working mens clubs.

In my research i’ve looked at the work of many photographers who’s work relates to my subject in some way or is of a similar aesthetic to that which I plan to use for example I’ve looked at the work of Mark Neville,with whom I also was able to have a conversation via email,Chris Coekin,who seems to have taken a similar path in terms of background and where he is now,he also questions his position within both worlds and explores it through his photography,Julien Germain looks at the family unit and that sense of belonging,where as with Rob Hornstra I’m looking at the aesthetics, in particular the series exploring the traditions and community illustrated by the Sochi Singers and of course there has to be Daniel Meadows,an influence on me for many years,In particular in reference to the social inclusion and interaction of his projects such as the Free Omnibus portrait project.

I will talk further about these people and their work outside of the methodology in my next post.

At the start of this project,I thought a more informal approach to the style of photography would suit me and the project best,within my research material you will see some of this.However as the project developed I could see it was not fulfilling my requirements,it did not tell the story.Part of this was due to the restrictive nature of the lockdown measures imposed on pubs and clubs,I was not able to fully engage with my subjects,some people felt uncomfortable with breaking the 2 metre rule and engaging in conversation and part of it was my own preference.I spend a lot of my time shooting environmental portraits,I like the way I can build a story with the surroundings so I decided to use the reference material and conversations I have had and invite sitters to a slightly more formal portrait session. Depending on these two elements I have sketched in my mind and sometimes on paper how and where I would like them to be.They will all be shot within the two clubs and reflect the people in them by using different parts of the clubs that I feel illustrate their personality best and celebrate their community and whilst this is my version,my take I will discuss the idea beforehand to make sure they are happy with my interpretation and comfortable with the idea.Often suggestions have been made that I have taken on board that improve the image,this only adds to the collaborative nature of the project. Whilst this may seem formulaic I have to work within the constraints of what is available to me at the clubs, It’s certainly not as grand a production as Gregory Crewsden may shoot but on a much smaller scale I am working to a narrative.However it is open to unexpected happy accidents much as it in my day to day practice making portraits for magazines,often without the advantage of actually seeing/knowing anything about the location or person. For example Alison and patch had just been for a dog walk and had their lovely dog with them,it obviously is something that bonds the relationship together so I included him in the shot and I think it was one of those happy accidents that made the shot more poignant.

In terms of style I have switched to a larger format camera on tripod,lending itself to a more considered,slower paced shoot. Although each shot will be lit to suit its individual needs I am adopting the traditions of very painterly lighting,with rich deep colours ,much used in the work of the Dutch masters with particular reference to Rembrandt.I want the style of the images to add gravitas to the story,to celebrate the people,to make them look and feel as important as the revered merchants Rembrandt painted,by shooting them this way the tradition with which we view this method,this way of seeing,our visual language here in the West will add to to the outcome I seek which is one of celebration and dignity.

I considered several approaches to the aesthetics,all of which would influence the way we see and interpret the images and the ideas I am trying to portray.I looked at shooting in Black and White,which is actually still an option at least for some of the images,I’m actually a believer in doing what is best for each individual image,which may be it looks and tells the story better in black and white,this of course can lead to problems when creating a set or series of images and will be something to consider at the edit.My reason for dismissing this as a whole is despite being aesthetically pleasing in some cases it can create a feeling of nostalgia.In the modern language of seeing especially with the advent of Instagram it can be used as a tool to reflect on the past,this technique is often used in movies or TV as a mechanism to take us back in time,to tell a story about the past and whilst there is a lot to be said for a beautifully printed black and white image I really want to avoid any idea that I may be looking back with rose tinted glasses, I want it to be a celebration of the now and future.It’s something i’m still very much debating internally.

The other main contender in terms of look was colour with a very stark almost on camera flash feel as adopted by many fashion photographers and colour documentorists such as Martin Parr and to a certain extent the afore mentioned Rob Hornstra. Whilst I think it has its place again I can’t help associating it with a certain agenda.This style as entered the lexicon of seeing as being brash,harsh,perhaps critical and mocking which is very much not the message I want to convey so once again despite a look I like I’m keen to dismiss any chance of misinterpretation.Instead by adopting the avenue I intend for the portraits it will reinforce the message give the project a central structure from which I intend to adopt a less rigid regime of complimentary styles for a series of interiors,details and exteriors using the influences of works by Alex Soth,Paul Graham in his A1 and Beyond Caring projects,Mark Neville’s Port Glasgow series,Chris Coekin,Bernd and Hiller Becher,Fergus Heron and of course the new topographic photographers,especially Stephen Shore.

Images shot by me during my research as reference,a small selection amongst many that may or may not make the final edit but definitely have helped the journey to where I am now.