HND Photography Student

Closing night

2006-07-03T22:05:00.000+01:00

So that's it. It's all over now. For one reason and another, we actually inadvertently had the exhibition extended by 2 days, and it was taken down today.

I was disappointed with the lack of feedback: 2 responses, but from people I know. I did wonder that it might have been taken more seriously in a different venue, but you live and learn.

Some photographs from the opening day are here. They show us installing the exhibition. The opening night was one of those affairs where I was far too busy talking to actually take any photos.

And this is the last week of the HND. There's little left to do now, and I'm off on holiday on Thursday.

This must be the last post.

Opening night

2006-06-26T22:39:00.000+01:00

Today has been busy and stressful. Here was me thinking that I wouldn't need a full day to organise things. In the end, all of it was needed, with about 45 minutes to spare.

The worst 'surprise' was the exhibition boards supplied by the supposed sponsors. They looked like big paste tables. To our horror, we later discovered that paste tables are generally better constructed and finished - one of them was half varnished, and under the spotlights from the lamps in the theatre, varnush on the other began to dry out. We improvised, and asked for some oil from the cafe. We then smeared then with this - and they didn't look too bad. But we shouldn't have had to do this.

Lots of people turned up later, including my contact from GMCND. There's a possibility of my stuff appearing at the Big Green Gathering, in the CND marquee, which is promising.

Plus, a good friend of mine turned up from London, which was really a big surprise.

An exhausting day - should be interesting to see what comes from it.

(I will post photos that I took during the day later)

Contact made

2006-06-25T22:24:00.000+01:00

My press pack paid off. I heard from Greater Manchester CND and Friends of the Earth. GMCND were kind enough to publicise the exhibition on their website, and although FoE may not be able to make it, at least they acknowledged my press pack.

I am somewhat disappointed with those who didn't contact me: MEN, North West Enquirer, Big Issue, the Guardian and especially Greenpeace who have only recently put up a new page on their website about - possible nuclear waste dumping sites! Oh well...

My prints are now mounted and cut to shape, with black foam board backing ready to go too.

I'm not nervous, just eager to get on with things.

Press pack & new and shiny Flickr set

2006-06-19T20:49:00.000+01:00

I put together my own press pack, and sent them out today. I've notified local press in Manchester, as well as the one national newspaper that I can tolerate (the Guardian), as well as pertinent organisations (CND, Greenpeace, FoE etc). So we'll see what happens.

In the meanwhile, I've altered the set of the final 10 images on Flickr, adding titles and my thoughts on the images themselves, which is here.

The only thing left to do now is to mount my images, either tomorrow or Wednesday night.

Exhibition leaflets are here!

2006-06-16T20:44:00.000+01:00

The leaflets arrived at last!

I can't put alongside the originals because I handed that in with my submitted work this week. But they look great, despite a couple of errors - I think I was too hasty to get them to the printers.

I also bought this leaflet box off Ebay which can be fastened to the diplay board. Everything is well and truly coming together now.

So now I think I need to work on my own press pack, to be sent to relevant organisations and selected press early next week.

Nothing left

2006-06-15T20:26:00.000+01:00

There's nothing left to hand in. Last night, I surrendered everything I had left to my tutor. So it's all over now, in terms of submitted work. There were some last minute things to do last night - finishing off the workbooks, filling out a 'common skills' log book. I typed up a couple of evaluations that I'd left to the last moment on Tuesday night (late).

Plus I got back some of the film I exposed for Unit 25, but it's too late for that now.

We all collectively produced a press pack, mainly for inclusion with our submitted work, but also to be sent out to various publications. Apart from the flier, it also contains an A4 poster, a press release, and a DVD with a presentation containing parts of our work and artists statements. It looks good:

So now I have to work on my own press materials, although I'm still waiting on my leaflet to arrive back from the printers. I'm hoping it arrives soon so I can get something out fo early next week.

Printed

2006-06-13T22:07:00.000+01:00

...all the final images are printed. 3 out of 5 needed very little adjustment, whereas 2 needed correction here and there. Now for mounting next week, when I get hold of some foam core board.

I also decided on how they will be displayed tonight. This is as important as any other stage of the whole process. We tried different combinatons, swapping the places of some images, gauging any reactions to the order of the display, and adjusting accordingly until I was satisfied.

But I'm not revealing the display here, as that's for the exhibition itself. Maybe some time afterwards?

Unit 19 Deadline B

2006-06-08T18:19:00.000+01:00

This shoot was actually overdue. I had been putting this off for a while - we had to take 2 shots of a shopkeeper for an imaginary story on the 'decline of the corner shop'. In the end, a work colleague helped me to find someone who would fit the bill, and the shoot was completed today, a week past the deadline.

Some examples:

In some respects, this was similar to the Deadline A shoot I completed a couple of weeks ago. I actually fumbled around a lot, and felt hurried and rushed and quickly forgot a lot of the things I know about photography. I had actually formed some ideas before I arrived, but some of them were made difficult or impossible because of the layout of the shop.

In the end, I only needed 2 shots - one with flash, one with ambient light. The resulting shots are in this set on Flickr. I've yet to decide which ones will be selected.

Extra publicity

2006-06-07T21:53:00.000+01:00

As a little bit of a novelty, and some fun, I've had these badges made to hand out before the exhibition.

Again, they're an extension of my concepts and ideas and I'm really pleased with them. Handing them out and giving them away has been a laugh, and it hopefully makes people curious about my work before they've even seen it.

Unit 25: image selection - part 2

2006-06-07T21:52:00.000+01:00

Returning to the images, Kevin and I manage to whittle them down to 10, which are in a set on Flickr.

To enable further selection, I make some quick prints on cartridge paper, and we decide which ones 'fit in', and which ones don't.

In the final 5, there's a certain ambiguity, and different meanings: they work on different levels, and have a similar 'look' to them. Here they are:

As a coda, Kevin isn't sure if I need more or not - neither am I, but that's to be considered over the weekend and left until next week.

Unit 25: image selection - part 1

2006-06-06T22:33:00.000+01:00

I spent some time tonight selecting more images from those taken over the past two weekends. 13 new additions to the pool, from the many I shot.

Not enough time to do anything else, so (hopefully) final selection is for tomorrow night.

...the other part of the exhibition

2006-06-06T22:08:00.000+01:00

Over the past few weeks, I've been working on some artwork to complement the photos that will be on display at my exhibition. When I first visited the Nature Reserve at Heysham, I picked up a leaflet about the reserve, produced by the Wildlife Trust, and paid for British Energy. It seemed to me to encapsulate a lot of the Greenwash and spin that has surrounded the 'debate' about Nuclear Power these past few months.

The front of the original leaflet:

The inside of the original leaflet:

I decided to produce my own spoof version, with a view to having this as an accompaniment to the pictures. It could also carry my artists statement, and expound upon my ideas for the project. All the while, the elements of the original leaflet would be parodied by mine.

The front of my leaflet:

The inside of my leaflet:

And now, it is complete. In fact, it's been sent to the printers, and I should have plenty to hand out and leave up for display at the exhibition itself. I'm really pleased with it, and think that it provides some depth to my work, an extra dimension that goes well with the images.

Larger, readable versions of these leaflets are available in this set on my Flickr Page.

Unit 25 location shoot #4: back to Lancs

2006-06-04T22:32:00.000+01:00

Good weather means another chance to head out to Lancashire again.

Firstly, I didn't go to Much Hoole. The only proposed Lancs site I didn't get to. Or Clifton Marsh, the landfill where BNFL (now Westinghouse) dumped DU. After I had finished today, I felt that I somehow had enough material. So these places could be left for another time, when the project may continue.

At Inskip, there was a cycle race. After being around the area for a while, it almost seemed like they were doing laps of the old airbase, and they seemed to be anti-clockwise, suggesting they were trying to cast out a demon, almost in the manner of Iain Sinclair's journey around the M25 in 'London Orbital'. I snatched shots of things I'd missed - rusty old gates with MOD warnings at an entrance. Plus, because of a different approach, I came across a church and graveyard with a view of the massive radio masts that the airfield now holds.

Then on very briefly to Weeton Camp, only stopping to snap on of the many MOD gates. This place could have been done on foot, if I'd stayed in the area for a few days like I should have done.

Then a return to the aptly named Springfields. Most of the shots there are retreads, but I also walk up to Salwick Station. I actually walk past a policeman, who's patrolling the fence, but despite having the Lomo to hand, I don't manage to snap him, not feeling fearless enough. Given that it's in the middle of nowhere, I expect it actually provides a handy journey to work for many people who work at Springfields, and little else. Looking out over the bridge, it isn't clear where the train stops to pick up fuel and offload waste for Heysham - perhaps there's a siding out of view?

And then I return to the crossroads - my Floral Skip has had the blooms cruelly cut short. How apt - I get a few shots, thinking it may come in as a contrast with the original shot from a few weeks ago.

Plus more shots of my cross, although it's tricky with the busy traffic that's around and about. Driving down Deepdale Lane later, I discover another cross about a mile down the road.

And then, that's it. Like last time, I shoot fewer shots here than at Heysham, but there will be a lot to choose from in the end. This part of the project is now over, and now it's time to take stock before moving to the final stage of the project.

Shots will be posted to Flickr in due course.

More Fliers than we know what to do with

2006-06-02T22:55:00.000+01:00

I found a press and a deal - £115 (all in) for 5,000 fliers (their minimum), to be with me on the third day. And here they are:

It's odd to see something you have designed come to life like this, especially in such huge numbers. Thicker card, and a Gloss laminate would have looked better, but time wasn't on our side, and these are great.

Final Flier Design

2006-05-29T22:51:00.000+01:00

...et voila...

Front:

Reverse:

These are CMYK because they're for printing, so the colours aren't really for RGB display, but you get the idea.

Now to find a printer...

Unit 25 location shoot #3: return to Heysham

2006-05-29T14:27:00.000+01:00

On the final leg of my Final Major Project now. I reckon I need one more shoot at each of the different locations to squeeze what I can out of this project. I then have just under a month to select and organise the printing before the exhibition.

So yesterday, I went back to Heysham and spent a few hours there. I had put this off for the preceding couple of weeks due to wet weather, but today is ideal - blue skies with some cloud, and a dry day promised.

I headed straight for the nature reserve. This time, I planned to walk between it and the nature park using a path, and to see what else I could find. I also have my Lomo LCA and a Polaroid camera as well as the digital SLR, just to see how a different approach may work.

A lot of this shoot is re-treading ground from last time - trying to broaden ideas touched upon before, as well as looking at things I knew I had missed. But I also spent quite a lot of time exploring different parts of the area - so the seafront, and the front of the power station, which is basically a huge expanse of concrete. It seems to have anticipated the rise in sea levels which will take place over the coming decades - it's very much a 'sea wall', and has the air of a fortress about it, and is a good height from the waves below. There are also lots of people fishing - presumably, not catching fish to eat, or maybe they haven't read about the levels of radioactivity in seafood caught around this part of the coast (or in the Irish Sea as a whole for that matter)?

In the end, I have had enough by the time I get back to the reserve. With hindsight, I would have perhaps taken a week off work and stayed in the area, able to spend time between sites, and then working on images later at night. It may have been more productive that way. Plus, I could have spent more time around Old Heysham, and taken in the disused Holiday Camp which has the power station as a backdrop, as will the planned Retirement Home complex which is currently being built on top of it ('Radiant Vistas' as one wag on the web has called it).

And more memory is needed! I never used to have problems running out of film - I'm sure I shot less photos when it was my primary medium. But I ran out of memory again today, and without being able to download the images, I can't do anymore. This also happened at the original shoot a few weeks ago.

I will post photos to Flickr as soon as they are processed.

Unit 19 Deadline A

2006-05-24T22:07:00.000+01:00

Tonight was the hastily organised shoot for one of the short deadline briefs for Unit 19. I had to take photos of someone appearing at a window and then leaving a building. This was actually my fellow student Eve, although we did draw some stares and funny looks from people around college.

We actually repeated the exercise after the first lot, as there had been one or two teething problems. The resulting (edited) shots are below:

I found this quite difficult to complete satisfactorily. Getting the camera settings right is important - shooting with a large aperture to get reasonable shutter speeds, using the motor drive to fire off as many shots as possible - there's no time to change things. Also, being 'ready' and alert - I got caught out the first time because I was absent-mindedly checking exposure readings when Eve appeared at the window. On the second shot, I actually placed the lens against the glass and fired away.

It's really at the other extreme of the way I have approached photography up until now.

Flier Designer

2006-05-24T21:45:00.000+01:00

...that's me. I've been tasked with producing the final design for our exhibition flier, and latterly, responsibility for organising printing etc.

I will display the final design here in due course.

The real reason for Nuclear Power

2006-05-22T23:22:00.000+01:00

Amongst all the hullabaloo about Nuclear Power, who is asking the questions that should be asked? Such as, 'why is it necessary to spend countless billions on power stations that will last for 60 years (maximum) using a fuel that is similarly limited (possibly even shorter the more other nations go for Nuclear, especially China)?'.

Then there's the issue of the waste produced. And that's the key. Because it's a principal component in Nuclear Weapons. It's far from concidental that in November last year, a month after Blair's Greenpeace-gatecrashed nuclear annoucement, the press carried smaller stories about the Government's quiet intentions to replace Trident, without even a vote on the issue in Parliament.

But there are some honest journalists out there. An article in the New Statesman last week 'joined the dots' on this issue, pointing out that the US and the UK have a history of swapping nuclear waste for use in their respective Nuclear Weapons programmes, possibly in breach of International non-proliferation treaties.

Suddenly, it all becomes clearer. So why aren't Greenpeace et al shouting these facts from the rooftops?

...the market responds

2006-05-22T23:11:00.000+01:00

Here's the real story - the price of Uranium shoots up. Clearly, Blair's comments have an effect, signalling that the Nuclear industry is a growth market.

And the other side of that is that the price has risen because it's scarce - a finite resource. So Mr Blair, if Nuclear Power is economically and environmentally necessary, please explain why countless billions will be thrown at extracting a resource which will only be available for around 60 years?

The Blair Nuke Project

2006-05-22T22:04:00.000+01:00

So it's been confirmed - what was suspected all along - that Blair is for Nuclear. So much so that he has pre-empted his own committee's report and nailed his colours firmly to the mast.

So battle is now joined. Polarisations will follow in the hail of spin that has been prepared and will now begin to issue forth. Let's face it, the decision has already been made. But it's not the end, only the beginning...

More exhibition publicity

2006-05-14T21:58:00.000+01:00

More examples of leaflet designs for the exhibition:

Exhibition Publicity

2006-05-12T23:21:00.000+01:00

I've uploaded some ideas for Fliers/Posters/Postcards to Flickr here. These are for joint publicity.

First design

Second design

'Diversity' is provisional, because the other students prefer 'Diverse Photos'. But it remains to be seen what happens with the ideas. More to come soon.

More Distinctions...

2006-05-10T22:36:00.000+01:00

I could be getting a swelled head here. Though I've yet to receive marks for the Unit 17 images which I completed what seems like aeons ago, tonight I got my marks back for the Unit 12 (Advertising) Briefs I handed in last month.

And I got distinctions again. I've no need to tell you what my aim is now, but I now have 2 Briefs from Unit 19 left to complete, as well as the Final Major Project itself.

Unit 25 - stuff!

2006-05-03T21:15:00.000+01:00

For want of a better word, and partially, a reminder to myself.

I need a title for my exhibition. I started with a working title 'Going Nuclear?', which is a bit naff really. Ideally, I need a phrase, but quotes are a good place to start. This is, ironically, from the American General Omar Bradley (who the US Army named this fighting vehicle after):

"Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants"

So perhaps 'Nuclear Giants, Ethical Infants'... it's a start

In my googling, I also found this - Radiation Monitoring in Lancashire.