New York New York!

All images are copyright of Emma Garton 2014

On the 22nd of February 2014 I traveled to New York City, USA on a trip with my university. I feel it is important to include this in my research because this trip really helped my in terms of improving my work. The images above were all taken by myself during my trip to NYC and I am really pleased with the results. Up until now, I have never really had the confidence to play with my digital camera. I sometimes struggle to understand how it works and never quite got the quality I wanted. However, this trip forced me to experiment with my digital camera, to understand the lenses and how it works, how to get the correct focus, shutter speed and aperture in order to create an image I am truly happy with. Thanks to the New York trip (and the huge high rise buildings there) and my experimentation with focus and various techniques, I feel much more confident in using my digital camera to create my work, to refine details in my images and to frame them correctly. So now I need to go out, shoot and see what results I get now my confidence in experimentation has been boosted!

A practice with portraiture

All images copyright of Emma Garton 2014

The above images were taken by myself of my mother's mother and I am pleased with them in terms of what I wanted to achieve in this photo shoot. After studying portraiture and in particular, Rineka Dijkstra, I wanted to experiment with the use of space and self presentation from the subject in order to produce a more objective image. I feel these images are successful in doing this and when showing them to my tutor and fellow students, they instantly recognized that I had taken their advice and looked more into Dijkstra's work.

 I believe the idea of self-presentation is an interesting one and can be seen here. The images seem to be much more controlled, despite me having little input other than the angle in which I have taken the photograph. It is important to note here that there have been many debates about how "truthful" a photograph can be in terms of showing identity, even when the subject is aware of being photographed. This is because we tend to play up to the camera. We have an idea of how we wish to come across to other people and because of this, we do not show our "true" selves when the camera is on us. I believe this is true to a certain extent. Personally when I am photographed, I do pose, I do consider how the image will look and how it will be read by others and therefore I am showing the side of me I wish others to see. I am choosing how I will be portrayed. I feel this is the case when looking at these images. I don't feel they are natural or realistic enough to convey my Nana's identity to others and I for one do not see her in this way. For this reason, although I am glad I have experimented with this way of photographing, I don't wish to continue with it because it has taken me a step back in terms of what I want to get out of my images and what I wish the viewer to see.

What's in a Face and Rineka Dijkstra

Rineka Dijkstra and "What's in a Face" by Julian Stallabrass

 

Kolobrzeg, Poland, July 26 1992. (Beach series)

 

 Hilton Head Island, 1992 (Beach series)

 

Almerisa, Asylum seeker’s centre, Leiden, The Netherlands March 14, 1994

Almerisa, Leidschendam, The Netherlands, June 25, 2003

All above images are copyright of Rineka Dijkstra taken from her "Beach" and "Almerisa" series' and can all be found either in the Julian Stallabrass text named "What's in a Face" or through the following link...

 “I want to awaken definite sympathies for the person I have photographed.” Rineka Dijkstra (Stallabrass 2007: p.12)

We recently studied Stallabrass' text "What's in a Face" during our Critical Practice module of the photography course. Within this text, Stallabrass compares and contrasts a variety of images in order to highlight how ethnographic methods are used in contemporary art practice and in turn, brings about questions concerning identity and culture. Stallabrass uses Dijkstra's work as an example of this type of ethnographic photography. This is the first time I have come across this work and for me, it is very helpful in terms of objectivity and the subject of identity. Despite the age of the work, it is still extremely relevant to my own ideas, I particularly like the space around each subject (in both series'). I feel this creates a sense of separation between photographer and subject and therefore gives the viewer much more to interpret. It also leaves the viewer a chance to place themselves within the image- they can imagine how they would react if they were the subject. The full frontal "pose" of the subject, and their awareness of the photographer is both uncomfortable and surprisingly ethical. It feels like although the subjects don't necessarily look like they want to be there, they are aware of the camera's presence- they have some sort of choice in this situation and have quite clearly decided they want to be photographed. The spacing around the subject is also interesting because it makes them an exhibition, something to be looked at and studied by others. 

What I feel is most interesting about Dijkstra's work when thinking about my own is the way in which her photographs challenge ideas about identity. When placed in a series, you notice the differences between each subject. Take the two top images for example from her "Beach" series. Placing these together, you realize they aren't as similar as first thought. It accentuates the differences between each subject in terms of physical appearance but more importantly how they present themselves in front of the camera. While the Polish girl (top image) seems quite reserved, covered up and uncomfortable, the American girl in the image below appears much more conscious of the camera's presence. She seems to be much more posed and also quite fashion conscious; she has her skin on show wearing a bikini, make up and her hand is posed quite unnaturally next to her face. It is interesting to note here that in the 21st century we base judgements on people based on their appearance and use this as a way of reading their identity. It is the same in photographs. We judge based on appearance. I need to take this into consideration when looking at my own work. Can a single portrait tell the viewer about a person?

 

 

Second Shoot

All images are copyright of Emma Garton 2014

The above images were all taken by myself, this time on a visit to see my Nana (my mother's mother). I wanted to compare these to the previous images taken by myself of my father's mother. I feel these images are more informed, as I have undertaken more research at this stage of the term. I am quite pleased with how these photographs have turned out. I feel the focus and overall quality of the images has improved and is much more consistent. Based on my research, I wanted these images to show a slice of every day life, something my viewer can relate to. I also wanted to try out a slightly more controlled photograph, one in which both the viewer and subject are aware of my presence. I wanted to show that my subject felt comfortable in me photographing them, and that they were quite happy to present themselves before my lens. I think it is important to note here that in the portraits of my Nana, there was very little direction from myself as to how I wanted her to be presented. It was much more about self-presentation and how she wanted to come across to the viewer. I think this gives the images a certain quality, perhaps of truth but more about honesty- the subject is clearly happy to be photographed and I think that sometimes makes the viewer feel more at ease because it gives a sense of the subject giving their permission to be looked at, studied and scrutinized. 

I have continued to photograph these portraits in a snap shot style, similar to before. However, it is more justified and more informed here than it was before, and also slightly more controlled in terms of what I have included in the images. I have taken more time to think about framing and composition in these photographs because I believe it is important to include only the things that relate to my subject in order to convey her identity. My project is, after all, about dealing with identity and what photography can tell us about a person, as well as how time and events change us as we grow older. The colours in these images I feel form a continuous series, they are bright, eye catching and link each image to the other, even the ones that are not portraits but objects, still life. The images I looked at much earlier on by Billingham have influenced this. It modernizes the photographs and shows the era in which they are took. I feel this also creates a strong contrast between my Nan's age (82) and the modern day, further challenging the idea of age, time and reflecting on past and present. I would like to continue working in colour for this reason. 

After showing and discussing this work with the rest of the class, some fellow students said that the images, particularly the ones in which there is a distance between myself and the subject remind them of Rineka Dijkstra's work in which she forms a space around the subject creating a much more objective photograph in which the viewer can read in a variety of ways. I will discuss Dijkstra's work later on as I feel she is an important photographer to study in terms of photographing objectively but also in terms of how a series of photographs can convey identity. 

I feel these images are much more successful in terms of objectivity, and I am beginning to feel like my project is heading in the right direction. I am particularly keen on continuing with the idea of a mixture of portraits and objects/still life as I believe it informs the viewer and gives them more of a sense of who the subject is as a person, rather than a typical "model" posing before the camera. However, I do feel I still have a lot to work on before the exhibition, and need to do more research into other photographers who work with identity so I can compare how identity is formed through photographic practice. I also feel the quality of my photographs still needs to improve as I am still trying to get to know my digital camera and do not feel comfortable with it yet. I think my images will improve the more I use and experiment with my camera.

Angelo Merendino

"The Battle We Didn't Choose. My Wife's Fight with Breast Cancer"

All above images are copyright of Angelo Merendino, taken from his series "The Battle We Didn't Choose, My Wife's Fight with Breast Cancer". (N/D)

http://mywifesfightwithbreastcancer.com/

“Love every morsel of the people in your life.” – Jennifer Merendino

These images were taken by Angelo Merendino, documenting his wife's tragic battle with breast cancer. I was instantly drawn to these images when I found them online, I think because the subject is not only so daunting and controversial to document, but also because it is something I have been through myself. I too recently lost a family member to cancer, so to see the reality of what a person has to go through not only suffering from the disease, but what the family members have to deal with too is quite significant to me. I understand it and it helps me to deal with my own loss knowing that you are not alone and that others are also going through what your own family went through. 

I really love this work, not only because of my personal connection to what is being portrayed but also because the images are candid. They are realistic, honest photographs about the issue of cancer and the struggle a person goes through with this illness. Although subjective to a certain extent, they work in a way in which the viewer can empathize with the subject and still be able to understand or read the image. They raise awareness of issues in a way that is effective in drawing positive attention to a social issue, and make public something that so many people are affected by, unlike the images taken by Billingham in the "Ray's a Laugh" series. Merendino instead has created, in my opinion, compelling, beautifully tragic but extremely honest photographs about an illness that needs to be understood more. These photographs help this to happen. 

The snapshot quality of these photographs helps to create a more honest image, if that is possible. The images feel much more realistic because they are not staged. These things actually happened and unfortunately this woman passed away. It is not glamorous or aesthetic- it is simply a factual documentary series of this woman's battle with cancer and what her and her husband and family had to go through.

The use of black and white in these photographs makes them much more visually appealing, not glamorizing the illness but perhaps making it more bearable to witness for someone who hasn't had to go through this situation. The black and white to me also signifies time; black and white came before the invention of colour photography. This in my opinion symbolizes the act of looking back on the past, remembering people, places, events etc. This is very helpful when thinking about my own work because I too want to produce images that concern the act of looking to the past and confronting memories of people that are no longer here, as well as challenging notions of aging and how time changes people and places. 

The quote shown above, "Love every morsel of the people in your life" is a quote that Merendino uses on his website after explaining their story from beginning to end. It is something that his wife said before she passed away while she was battling her illness. This quote is significant in my life and in my work, and something that grips me. It is difficult to explain in words but I feel it is so important to respect, love and enjoy every moment spent with the people you care about. This is partly why I have undertaken this project based around my grandparents and family life. I feel it not only gives me a chance to spend more time with them, but to understand more about their lives and be grateful that I have them around.

First shoot- experimenting with initial ideas

These images are copyright of Emma Garton 2014

 These images were all taken by myself during a visit to my Nan's house (my dad's mother). When taking these photographs, I wanted to think about my research so far, and the photographer's who have heavily influenced me. I also didn't want to put too much pressure on my nan to perform in front of the camera. I wanted her to feel comfortable and at ease with me and my camera lens. So instead of focusing on her and putting her in the spotlight so to speak, I decided to focus at first on the little things around her home that mean a lot to both her and to me. I then took snapshot style photographs of her once she felt more comfortable and at times when she wasn't first aware I was photographing her. She didn't mind, of course, it just meant that I got a much more natural result from my images. 

I like these images, particularly because they are taken in a spur of the moment, snapshot style highlighting every day family life- similar to the work of Richard Billingham. They are also similar to Billingham's work in that the framing and composition of each photograph is not "perfect", it isn't completely straight and there is "clutter" in some of them. Although some may wish to produce a more "visually" or "aesthetically pleasing" image, I quite like this quality because it makes it much more realistic to every day life. Our homes aren't always perfectly clean and tidy, and neither are our lives when it comes to our family. I feel the work reflects this idea quite well.

After discussing this work with my tutor and the rest of my group, they decided that perhaps the work was a little too subjective? I agree to a certain extent, particularly with the portraits as they convey what I would see as her grand-daughter, but not necessarily what anyone else would see. I am however, happy with the bottom three images. Although there are improvements to be done here, and more research to back up or influence my ideas and the production of work, I feel these images are quite objective in how they convey ideas concerning time, place, memories and aging. I feel as though they are photographs that not only reignite my own memories and create a sense of nostalgia for me, but they also show something that the viewer can probably connect with too, in some sense, as grandparents tend to have similar things, photographs, ornaments, furniture etc that the viewer may be able to relate to through these photographs. I want to continue with this, looking at a way in which I can portray an identity that my viewer can relate to. I have to remember that these images are going to be exhibited to the public and I don't want to separate them from my work, I want them to be able to relate and bring in their own interpretations/ experiences of family life in order to understand the work I am producing.

Richard Billingham

"Ray's a Laugh"

All above images are copyright of Richard Billingham, taken from his series "Ray's a Laugh"

1990-1996

http://www.saatchigallery.com/artists/richard_billingham.htm

"This book is about my close family. My father Raymond is a chronic alcoholic. He doesn’t like going outside and mostly drinks homebrew. My mother Elizabeth hardly drinks but she does smoke a lot. She likes pets and things that are decorative. They married in 1970 and I was born soon after. My younger brother Jason was taken into care when he was 11 but is now back with Ray and Liz again. Recently he became a father. Ray says Jason is unruly. Jason says Ray’s a laugh but doesn’t want to be like him. " Richard Billingham, Ray's a Laugh

Billingham is an English photographer, born in Cradley Heath, Birmingham in 1970. The above images were taken between 1990 and 1996 and formed his series "Ray's a Laugh", a documentation of his family life, particularly focusing on his Alcoholic father, his mother and their volatile relationship. What first attracted me to these images was their controversial subject. What we normally expect to see from a family documentary series is a snapshot series of happy, family life- something you would see perhaps in a family photo album. These kind of images would reignite happy memories for their viewer. Billingham's images are very different to this. They instead hold connotations of danger, violence and a lack of money or low quality living standards. This to me is very strange, I understand that for some viewers, these images may well bring back memories of their own childhood, but I doubt it would be a childhood they would want to remember. This makes me question why Billingham wanted these images shown. Was it more about making a stand? Perhaps he wanted people to realize the deprivation that people go through and the hard family life that some children have to face- to bring it to the forefront and give others a better understanding. It could also be a way of coming to terms with his own childhood and upbringing, as photography can also be used as a way of dealing with personal issues. Rosy Martin's use of Phototherapy (staging photographs and using them to deal with deep rooted personal issues) is an example of this.

Despite the issue of a controversial topic, I do like these images. I personally find work that deals with personal issues extremely interesting, in part because it will always be different to other things you have seen because not one person can go through exactly the same situation or experience the exact same feelings therefore the work will differ from photographer to photographer. I also like the work because of it's snapshot quality. It isn't perfectly framed for an aesthetic view. It isn't there to please the viewer visually, but more I would say, to make them question it, to make them want to know more. The contrast and vivid colours within the image are also appealing. They tie the work together as a series and make it stand out. These photographs were actually taken on out of date 35mm film which has created these candid, bright and saturated prints. These images remind me of the earlier work of Nan Goldin in which she also uses a gritty, snapshot style to deal with difficult personal and cultural issues.

This work has helped me with ideas and thinking about how I will produce my own photographs because I too want to focus on a documentation of my family life. Although I don't want to convey such harsh issues within my work, I would like to, like Billingham, document everyday life, using it as a way of getting to know my grandparents and understanding more about them. The reason I looked at Billingham's work is because I want to understand how different photographer's deal with this task. It is very difficult to put the focus of your camera on your own life and your own family without making it too personal so that viewers can understand or relate to it. I think this is one issue that I would raise with Billingham's work. It is very subjective, and therefore only a certain type of viewer would be able to interpret and understand it- someone who has been through a similar situation. It therefore closes the viewer off and makes them feel separate to the work. I personally want my viewer to be able to interpret my images in their own way and use them to re-ignite personal memories and emotions.