FMP DIARY - 28.4.17

So its been another week, but what have I been up to? Well mostly the boring stuff to be honest. I've been researching like a mad woman and frantically adding bits into my professional practise folder - I'm desperate for more than a merit on that!

I've also been scrapbooking and moodboarding like theres no tomorrow! I'm a very visual person and as important as research and write ups are I kind of just like looking at pictures sometimes. My visual diary got a good update at the start of the week with bits I've ripped out of magazines and stuck in there. You can find a little taster of my final major project visual diary below.

I've also been spending a lot of time gathering inspiration on Pinterest. I'm honestly so glad we were encouraged to start using it last year because its just full of ideas and images that I'm finding really helpful at the moment! You can find my street style mood board here which is currently influencing my future shoots.

As well as gathering inspiration online I've also taken out 4 books to flick through this week, I'm hoping to discover some amazing photographs and new photographers! The books I've picked out are; Street Style - British Design in the 80s, Surfers Soulies Skinheads & Skaters, The street Photographers Manual, and Street & Studio. If nothing else the books might stimulate a few ideas.

Right now I'm planning my second FMP shoot which will take place this weekend in Manchester. I won't talk about it too much as I'm still finalising everything but I will put the photos on here next week!

x

JUST A BUNCH OF LESBIANS

Its only just occurred to me that I never got around to posting any of the photographs I took in Dublin at the Strike 4 Repeal march. These photographs are my finals for my Creative Process project which I started back in February. The nationwide strike was in protest of the law (the 8th amendment) which prevents Irish women from seeking safe and legal abortions.

I initially based the project around abortion rights, well the lack of abortion rights in both Northern and the Republic of Ireland. My initial plan was to interview and photograph women in an almost Brandon Stanton style to raise awareness of the issues. Due to a lack of time and resources the project developed and I moved away from this original idea.

Through my research I came across adverts for the planned strike and I knew I had to be a part of it. On the 8th of March this year I flew to Dublin to not only stand in solidarity with the protesters but to document the day and spread awareness. 

So you are probably wondering about the name of this post? Well it was how a male passerby described the gathering to his other male friend as they tried to figure out what was going on. I thought it pretty much summed up how ignorant people can be to the situation and so its what I just had to name this body of work!

As always I would appreciate any feedback you have on my images!

x

FMP DIARY - 20.4.17

Its about time I started to record pretty much everything I do thats related to photography - gotta get that distinction am I right? So what have I actually been doing apart from scoffing chocolate like theres no tomorrow?

Well I went ahead with my first shoot for my MFP for starters! I finally settled on my third idea which was all about street style. I popped up to town with a friend for support and started approaching anyone and everyone who seemed friendly. I'm not going to lie, it was super nerve wracking at first but after I spoke to the first few people I soon got used to it and managed to photograph around 14 people. I know I will need to photograph a lot more in future shoots however for my first attempt I'm pretty pleased with that. Not all of the photos were great however and I do need to work on a few things but I now feel confident enough to pursue this idea fully! Here are a few of the images from the first shoot..

I also managed to see 3 exhibitions over the last week. None of them were solely photography based and they don't relate to my MFP at all but you never know where inspiration can come from! The first exhibition was at the IKON gallery. It was a showcase of the work of French photographer and filmmaker Jean Painleve. I'd been wanting to see this exhibition for a while as I saw it advertised maybe just after Christmas. His work mainly focuses on marine life and there are some superb prints of really detailed crab claws on show. Its wasn't clear whether these were actually taken underwater or not but that was definitely the vibe they gave off. A lot of his work was actually quite unnerving and had a really sinister feel to it. I did enjoy the exhibition however the 45 minute film of the toy circus just really didn't do it for me and I felt it was quite out of place. 

The second exhibition was also in the IKON but on the second floor. I had not previously heard about this mixed media exhibition of Oliver Beers work so I didn't know what to expect at all. The exhibition features several films and sculptures, with sound being another main feature. I'm at a bit of a loss to describe his work but the man is an absolute genius! From the display of his grandmothers lino floor which shows a map of the places she stood the most, to his sculptures of everyday objects sunk into plaster to make them look like paintings I was really quite impressed. I don't think I want to write too much about it because it was such a treat to discover an exhibit like this without knowing anything and I recommend anyone who visits to go with an open mind and no expectations. I enjoyed his work so much that I've actually booked in to hear him speak about it next month!

The final exhibition I visited last week was quite small but no less enjoyable. The exhibition; We Built This City is based right at the back of the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and tells the stories of several Irish immigrants who moved to Brum in the 50s and 60s. I'm quite fond of the Irish so I was always going to find this interesting however it really did give a detailed insight into the times and conditions they lived in. There were several photographs on display as well as personal objects and a short film showing interviews from some of the said immigrants. I'd really recommend popping in to see this short exhibit if you have absolutely any Irish links in your family.

So thats what I've been up to for the last few weeks. I've also been working on some write ups and research but no one wants to hear about that really do they? I'd love to get some feedback on the images from my initial shoot!

x