As per today's posts on Twitter, the blog has moved! You can now find my random (and all to scarce at present) ramblings over at:
http://unknownsnapper.wordpress.com
Come on over!
P.S. Thousand apologies to Jaded Snapper who added a link to this blog yesterday... I obviously remain the master of bad timing!
12/06/2010
10/03/2010
Don Who?
Even though I've been doing my best to become a recluse and hide away from the world in my shoebox type room in Newtown, somehow I've managed to get out and about for once!The other week I jumped on a coach full of (mostly) not so eager uni students making their way to the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester to visit the eagerly awaited (by me anyway) Don McCullin exhibition*.
It was my first time visiting IWMN and as we pulled up I was surprised at the architecture of the building**. For some reason someone seems to have decided that a museum dedicated to allowing present and future generations the chance to understand war and it's ramifications within an avant-garde monstrosity! Listening to a quick introduction from a museum representative, she explained that the architect had taken his inspiration from a broken teapot, that the 'shards' were there to represent conflict in the air, on the ground and at sea. It was also mentioned that the space inside of the museum was designed to disorientate and confuse the visitor, making them understand more about the 'chaos of war etc etc etc'.
What a bunch of balls! The majority of the visitors will not bother to check why the building was deigned the was it was, nor will they understand about the building's chaotic nature and the parallels supposedly drawn with chaotic nature of war... If anything the way the building is set out and the non-linear nature if the main exhibition hall will put people off and detract from the museum's intentions. I can understand the concept, but it goes way over the head of most (including a lot of the students)***.
The exhibition itself was absolutely brilliant; each section had a filmed piece with Don McCullin talking about that relevant period in his life and enough text to keep even the most avid bookworm's attention. Visually the exhibition consisted of intricately printed black and white images, punctuated every so often by large light box lit images. Also present were the paraphernalia associated with such a long career in photography, showing his helmet, boots, passports and the Nikon F that caught a bullet in Cambodia.Though in mostly chronological order, the museum really doesn't lend itself to displaying imagery of this type****. It felt as if the earlier years (The Guvnors, Vietnam, el Salvador etc) languished with room to spare, whilst the photographers later work (including his landscapes and still life imagery) were packed in at the end, this led to the feeling that the museum was only really interested in his formative years, packing the newer work in on a whim. Obviously this should definitely not be the case, all of Don McCullin's work is important, it shows the path he has taken through life as well as the way he tries to deal with his demons; surely every aspect of the exhibition is important?
That aside, the exhibition was absolutely brilliant, to be able to view McCullin prints at length and at that size was such an amazing opportunity; well worth the trip 'oop north' and I urge anyone with an interest within photojournalism to get their arses up there.*To set the scene, before the trip various videos and bits of documentary footage had been presented to the class, to allow them to know a little bit more about one of my favourite photojournalists. Before playing the first documentary, one of the tutors asked who hadn't heard of Don McCullin, his jaw dropped when two students put their hands up (they may not have been the only ones, the class can be a bit hesitant to express anything approaching an opinion at times).
**Someone said it looked like one of the alien ships from Independence Day; I have to say I agree!
***OK apologies for this rather long piece of procrastination. I have to admit that after smoking for many years I'm doing my damnest to give up... unfortunately this has the effect that it makes me rather odd(er than normal) and prone to going off on more tangents than usual...
****Point to note, low lighting, lightbox images and reflective glass in frames are NOT a good combination... bit of an amateur mistake!
Few interesting links:
More on the show from the Guardian
Don McCullin talking about his photography (also from the Guardian)
Interview with Don McCullin on the BBC website
Audio-Visual show (again BBC) with images and the photographer talking about his work
14/01/2010
Photographer, NOT a terrorist
Honestly, I am!
As per a couple of my older posts, the photographic world is still dealing with the lovely piece of legislation that is section 44 of the prevention of terrorism act, much 'fun' has ensued over the past months with photographers getting detained and arrested (and even a film crew covering the story of a photographer being detained!).
Despite numerous triumphs of common sense, wandering around taking pictures is still perceived by those who honestly should know better as a more than slightly dodgy thing to do (yes you'd probably still get pinged as carrying out a hostile reconnaissance if you put down a tripod, metered for the the light conditions and start kerchunking away with an 5x4 piece of photographic antiquity).
As such (and it's been going a while now - better late than never on my part I suppose) a campaign called I'm a Photographer, not a Terrorist (PHNAT) has been set up to enable photographers to work together and combat the ongoing attack on, what is already, an industry with enough problems.
With quite a bit of useful information on their site, including a bust card detailing your rights as a photographer if you are subject to stop and search under section 44, a map showing places where photography is likely to be a problem and even an online shop where you can buy some very fetching I'm a Photographer, not a Terrorist branded clobber.
As part of the campaign a mass photo gathering has been set up to take place in Trafalgar Square at 12pm on Saturday 23rd of Jan; so far, according to the facebook event 1,050 people have expressed an interest in being there, including yours truly.
Supporting this campaign is extremely important, whether a photographer or not. I'm not one to harp on about civil liberties, usually I like to remain detached so I can look at things in an objective light, but we should all be doing our best to ensure that something gets done about a rather stupid piece of legislation that effects us all, from the tourist with the point and shoot, right up to the professional photographer working on assignment.
You can also find PHNAT on facebook.
Or keep up to date with the latest news via the @phnat Twitter stream.
If you're there, maybe you can find the unknown snapper (play spot the bloke with a paper bag on his head)?
As per a couple of my older posts, the photographic world is still dealing with the lovely piece of legislation that is section 44 of the prevention of terrorism act, much 'fun' has ensued over the past months with photographers getting detained and arrested (and even a film crew covering the story of a photographer being detained!).
Despite numerous triumphs of common sense, wandering around taking pictures is still perceived by those who honestly should know better as a more than slightly dodgy thing to do (yes you'd probably still get pinged as carrying out a hostile reconnaissance if you put down a tripod, metered for the the light conditions and start kerchunking away with an 5x4 piece of photographic antiquity).
As such (and it's been going a while now - better late than never on my part I suppose) a campaign called I'm a Photographer, not a Terrorist (PHNAT) has been set up to enable photographers to work together and combat the ongoing attack on, what is already, an industry with enough problems.
With quite a bit of useful information on their site, including a bust card detailing your rights as a photographer if you are subject to stop and search under section 44, a map showing places where photography is likely to be a problem and even an online shop where you can buy some very fetching I'm a Photographer, not a Terrorist branded clobber.
As part of the campaign a mass photo gathering has been set up to take place in Trafalgar Square at 12pm on Saturday 23rd of Jan; so far, according to the facebook event 1,050 people have expressed an interest in being there, including yours truly.
Supporting this campaign is extremely important, whether a photographer or not. I'm not one to harp on about civil liberties, usually I like to remain detached so I can look at things in an objective light, but we should all be doing our best to ensure that something gets done about a rather stupid piece of legislation that effects us all, from the tourist with the point and shoot, right up to the professional photographer working on assignment.
You can also find PHNAT on facebook.
Or keep up to date with the latest news via the @phnat Twitter stream.
If you're there, maybe you can find the unknown snapper (play spot the bloke with a paper bag on his head)?
Quick post - first of 2010
Happy New Year to both of you!
A very quick post, I'm up to my eyeballs in university work for the next two weeks, but have some bits and bobs lined up to post after.
Just found a video I'd been looking for for some time, but somehow managed to miss on Google.
New York Times photojournalist Tyler Hicks files from southern Afghanistan (link to video is below the paragraph).
Filmed by Prof. Bill Gentile, the 13 min piece of video shows how Tyler Hicks files his images back to the US from Afghanistan in very basic conditions. A very informative piece that's well worth a watch.
A very quick post, I'm up to my eyeballs in university work for the next two weeks, but have some bits and bobs lined up to post after.
Just found a video I'd been looking for for some time, but somehow managed to miss on Google.
New York Times photojournalist Tyler Hicks files from southern Afghanistan (link to video is below the paragraph).
Filmed by Prof. Bill Gentile, the 13 min piece of video shows how Tyler Hicks files his images back to the US from Afghanistan in very basic conditions. A very informative piece that's well worth a watch.
03/10/2009
Filmtastic mate!
I've bedded in nicely at university here in Newtown and after bypassing much of the Fresher's Week mayhem (being rather older than a vast majority of the students and mostly more responsible) studying has started in earnest.
The course itself has kicked off with a module that is to be shot in film, allowing me to do something I've yet had a chance to; process and develop my own black and white film!
As I knew last week would start with everyone on the course developing their own films, I'd used some of my (out of date film stocks) taking odds and sods around the university and in town and walked into the developing room with my pockets brimming with exposed film (two 35mm and four 120). The onus was on 35mm so I pulled out a roll of FP4 (that old it's not even FP4 Plus), loaded it into the cassette, popped it into the dev tank and busied myself with the various steps...
An hour or so later, after washing the film, and with a great deal of anticipation, I took a peek at the fruits of my labour... only to find a blank film, frame after frame of nothingness*, frustration turned into unknownsnapper position #1**.
What could have gone wrong? Instantly I and others around me decided to blame the age of the film***,it was either that or my inexperienced bumbling and fumbling in the darkroom had just plain mucked it up.
With this in mind, the next day with two other students I wandered back into university to process some my other 35mm and 120 film. The 35mm was in date Ilford Delta 100, so I was expecting some nice results (quite a few frames of street photography taken around town), the 120 rolls were made up of random images taken as I learn to use the Bronica I've borrowed (again using out of date FP4 - so not much was expected).
Surprisingly this time again the 35mm was completely clear (further inspection of the ancient**** SLR I use has shown that it or I have some not previously encountered issues with loading film), but the 120 rolls all yielded results; I spent the next half hour or so hopping from leg to leg like a child needing a pee until yet more peeking could take place as the film was transferred to the drying cabinet. Apart from the the dubious subject matter, the only real problem found was with, what I now know to be, reticulation which only occurred on the roll at that was at the top of the dev tank (see image at the bottom of this post).
Unfortunately the only equipment I could scan with was a rather poorly maintained flatbed (I didn't know, until yesterday, that we have a dedicated scanning suite here at Newtown Uni), but the results are still good enough for the web and this blog.
I know I've only touched on the world of developing, but there's something about it I really like, knowing that generations before me only worked this way; a heritage if you like. It's hard to describe the elation I felt as I realised that I could create an image from shutter to negative without a memory card or the even the opportunity to chimp at a screen - a pure process if you will. The future for me must, and will, be digital, but bloody hell this felt good!
*This is obviously quite dull and not the breathtaking demonstration of my photographic skills I had hoped for.
**The intensive head scratch - imagine a macaques monkey, absent mindedly scratching it's balls, but move the scratching hand up to the top of the head and you're about there.
***The majority of the other students were around 4 years old when it went out of date.
****Manufactured the year I was born.
Reticulation - possibly adds to the image.
The course itself has kicked off with a module that is to be shot in film, allowing me to do something I've yet had a chance to; process and develop my own black and white film!
As I knew last week would start with everyone on the course developing their own films, I'd used some of my (out of date film stocks) taking odds and sods around the university and in town and walked into the developing room with my pockets brimming with exposed film (two 35mm and four 120). The onus was on 35mm so I pulled out a roll of FP4 (that old it's not even FP4 Plus), loaded it into the cassette, popped it into the dev tank and busied myself with the various steps...An hour or so later, after washing the film, and with a great deal of anticipation, I took a peek at the fruits of my labour... only to find a blank film, frame after frame of nothingness*, frustration turned into unknownsnapper position #1**.
What could have gone wrong? Instantly I and others around me decided to blame the age of the film***,it was either that or my inexperienced bumbling and fumbling in the darkroom had just plain mucked it up.
With this in mind, the next day with two other students I wandered back into university to process some my other 35mm and 120 film. The 35mm was in date Ilford Delta 100, so I was expecting some nice results (quite a few frames of street photography taken around town), the 120 rolls were made up of random images taken as I learn to use the Bronica I've borrowed (again using out of date FP4 - so not much was expected).Surprisingly this time again the 35mm was completely clear (further inspection of the ancient**** SLR I use has shown that it or I have some not previously encountered issues with loading film), but the 120 rolls all yielded results; I spent the next half hour or so hopping from leg to leg like a child needing a pee until yet more peeking could take place as the film was transferred to the drying cabinet. Apart from the the dubious subject matter, the only real problem found was with, what I now know to be, reticulation which only occurred on the roll at that was at the top of the dev tank (see image at the bottom of this post).
Unfortunately the only equipment I could scan with was a rather poorly maintained flatbed (I didn't know, until yesterday, that we have a dedicated scanning suite here at Newtown Uni), but the results are still good enough for the web and this blog.I know I've only touched on the world of developing, but there's something about it I really like, knowing that generations before me only worked this way; a heritage if you like. It's hard to describe the elation I felt as I realised that I could create an image from shutter to negative without a memory card or the even the opportunity to chimp at a screen - a pure process if you will. The future for me must, and will, be digital, but bloody hell this felt good!
*This is obviously quite dull and not the breathtaking demonstration of my photographic skills I had hoped for.
**The intensive head scratch - imagine a macaques monkey, absent mindedly scratching it's balls, but move the scratching hand up to the top of the head and you're about there.
***The majority of the other students were around 4 years old when it went out of date.
****Manufactured the year I was born.
Reticulation - possibly adds to the image.06/09/2009
Boxes of Boxes
Blogging amongst many, many boxes at the moment* as packing for my descent into studentdom continues! Due to the fact I'm taking my bike along it would seem that two trips to the new digs will be needed, so trying to prioritise what should be taken on the first (quite epic) journey.
Surrounded by an air of calm at the moment, possibly due to a recent bout of illness (which has annoyingly even stopped me training on my bike for the last few days), I know as soon as I get 50 miles away from Pantsville, the inevitable will happen; I shall slap my forehead and burble about some piece of equipment I've forgotten.**
On another note, thanks to the generosity of a friend I now have loaned sound recorder with which I intend to record a short interview for the fishing story. Only drawback is that I have just three days to secure the interview before I leave and I know how busy they are. Despite the compliments from those that have seen them, I view the images I took as useless without the audio to overlay in a slideshow. Don't get me wrong I feel as if I could easily write enough text to go with it, maybe I'm just too fixated on making my first AV show... Just have to see what happens.
Back to the boxes...
*Not actually that different to my normal situation; I've been living out of boxes for the last six months, packing is just a case of shifting bits from one box to another!
**For some strange reason I always seem to forget towels...
Surrounded by an air of calm at the moment, possibly due to a recent bout of illness (which has annoyingly even stopped me training on my bike for the last few days), I know as soon as I get 50 miles away from Pantsville, the inevitable will happen; I shall slap my forehead and burble about some piece of equipment I've forgotten.**
On another note, thanks to the generosity of a friend I now have loaned sound recorder with which I intend to record a short interview for the fishing story. Only drawback is that I have just three days to secure the interview before I leave and I know how busy they are. Despite the compliments from those that have seen them, I view the images I took as useless without the audio to overlay in a slideshow. Don't get me wrong I feel as if I could easily write enough text to go with it, maybe I'm just too fixated on making my first AV show... Just have to see what happens.
Back to the boxes...
*Not actually that different to my normal situation; I've been living out of boxes for the last six months, packing is just a case of shifting bits from one box to another!
**For some strange reason I always seem to forget towels...
31/08/2009
Fishy tales
Top tips for shooting fishing orientated stories at sea:
1. Seasickness tablets are for winners
2. Scoffing a whole double stack of custard creams will also help stave off the nausea, but is not
advisable as you will probably look like a custard cream addicted muppet*
3. In choppy seas remember where the locations of things to hold on to (you WILL look like an idiot when you grab hold of something and fall over)
4. Wide angle lenses are a good idea on a 25" boat!
5. Keeping a straight horizon in the back of your images WILL go to pot
6. No matter what they say, crushed sea fauna does not come out of the knees of your jeans easily
7. Dogfish are rather angry when hauled to the surface
8. Fishermen also do not know where Peter Mandelson lives and enquiring as such will be met with a blank look
*You may actually be a custard cream addicted muppet, but you certainly don't want to give off that vibe
As those following me on Twitter will no doubt have noticed; Tuesday last week was a very enjoyable day for the unknown snapper.
After three months of gently cajoling someone into allowing me to shoot an essay, I recieved a call on the Monday from the subject offering me the chance to pop out with them the next day.
The essay will end up as a multi media slideshow with audio from an interview overlayed; hopefully sooner rather than later as I only have two weeks left before I leave Pantsville for pastures of a slightly greener variety.
Obviously I can't say too much about the project, as with other things it will probably end up being shunted out under my real name somewhere along the line (really must get the sodding website up and running properly!).
As a taster I've put a few images over onto flickr, which can be viewed on the mini slide-show below or by following this link to the album.
1. Seasickness tablets are for winners
2. Scoffing a whole double stack of custard creams will also help stave off the nausea, but is not
advisable as you will probably look like a custard cream addicted muppet*3. In choppy seas remember where the locations of things to hold on to (you WILL look like an idiot when you grab hold of something and fall over)
4. Wide angle lenses are a good idea on a 25" boat!
5. Keeping a straight horizon in the back of your images WILL go to pot
6. No matter what they say, crushed sea fauna does not come out of the knees of your jeans easily
7. Dogfish are rather angry when hauled to the surface
8. Fishermen also do not know where Peter Mandelson lives and enquiring as such will be met with a blank look
*You may actually be a custard cream addicted muppet, but you certainly don't want to give off that vibe
As those following me on Twitter will no doubt have noticed; Tuesday last week was a very enjoyable day for the unknown snapper.After three months of gently cajoling someone into allowing me to shoot an essay, I recieved a call on the Monday from the subject offering me the chance to pop out with them the next day.
The essay will end up as a multi media slideshow with audio from an interview overlayed; hopefully sooner rather than later as I only have two weeks left before I leave Pantsville for pastures of a slightly greener variety.
Obviously I can't say too much about the project, as with other things it will probably end up being shunted out under my real name somewhere along the line (really must get the sodding website up and running properly!).As a taster I've put a few images over onto flickr, which can be viewed on the mini slide-show below or by following this link to the album.
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