Yesterdays Visit

Yesterday i went to my mums mums, i took a ridiculous amount of images. And surprisingly most of them are really good.  i am so pleased, i am so inspired for this project and really want to do it well.
Yesterday was just the start however. I am going to be visiting alot more to get even more material.
I also shot a couple of videos yesterday of my mum and mums mum talking. They are quite funny but i'm pleased with them. I obviously need to improve my video skill but practice makes perfect.
Now to start editing and making contact sheets...


but for now here are a few of the images that i particularly liked from this shoot

 Now her lounge has become are lot tidier than it used to be but its still pretty cluttered. you still cant sit on the chairs and all the space behind then is just a mess. however for this image i was looking at the best angle to use so that i could get the best possible view of this arm chair. the lighting is quite dark but adds to the effect of the image. i did experiment with flash when trying to get this image but found it made the image too bold and harsh which isn't the effect i want to create.

this image is very simple and isn't cluttered like the other images of the house. this image shows how the house is falling to disrepair. and how nothing has changed in a very long time. its literally falling apart.the image itself is quite dull from the natural light that is coming in through the window. the colours emphasise the bland appearance of the house and reflects a lonely existence i think.

 this image depicts my mums mum in the lounge sorting through the various items around her. shes poised on the sofa. looking ready to move. it shows her surrounded by her clutter and i think she fits in with it quite well. its a busy image however but this engrosses the viewer more i think.

now i have included this image because of its simplicity. it depicts her perfectly. with her typical expression. plus the image shows her sat focusing on the camera where as many of my images dont have her engaging with the camera. its a dark image with the light coming in from behind her so half of her face is shadowed but i think this adds to the overall appearance of the image and makes it more successful.

now from here i need to continue sorting through my images because there are alot. 

filthy home offices

just read this article on the 'news'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2221821/Filthy-home-offices-piled-high-cigarette-butts-beer-cans-make-commuting-living-room-nightmare.html


pretty gross, but oddly enough kind of relates to my project in a way.

Tomorrow

So tomorrow is the day that i'll be heading to my mums mums to start shooting. I'll be spending the whole day with her so will hopefully get loads of shots.
Usually when i visit i help her tidy something up or get her to chuck at least one thing out. Its a slow process but it works and she feels better for it and loves repeatedly saying that she'll pay me 10p an hour to clear the whole house for her.

She always has a story to go with everything so its great listening.

I'll be looking to document anything that we throw out. And seeing as most of the stuff she throws out i end up with anyhow, i can take some time to photograph individual objects.

Lets see how it goes.

obsessive compulsive hoarder

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/obsessive-compulsive-hoarder/4od

i spent alot of time over the summer watching documentaries about hoarders. this one was the first. they are fascinating and a real inspiration. it shows an insight into what some people are like and how some people can let their homes take over from them.

It is an illness and it makes the person become very isolated and lonely. by watching these documentaries i have become more engaged with my subject and have learnt more about it.

I am the eye.

Quote from john berger. Inspirational.




Also a good start. i am showing the world what i see. i am showing my personal view of the world.

whats out there and what i see is personal to me. its in the the eye.

Trying something new

Got the blogger app on my phone. Hopefully it works! Lets see..

just an image

my mums mum.

her house is messy and shes crazy as they come.

update update.

So haven't blogged in a while. it clearly is not my strong point.

But anyhow.  An update, so far I've been researching into millions of different photographers. getting a real idea of what works and what doesn't when photographing family. it seems that anything goes but what makes it successful is hard to tell. Basically the images need to be good and interesting.

On Wednesday i am off to visit my mums mum to start shooting. as it'll be my first visit since starting the project i will be mainly chatting to her and getting what shots i can. however i haven't seen her in a month so i'll have a lot to catch up on i'm sure.

I will also be recording some of our conversations along the way which i am planning to do on Wednesday but we'll see how it goes.

Website

found the best website for photographers work the other day.

http://vervephoto.wordpress.com/page/6/

so many amazing images.

This has really helped to kick start my research for this project. so many different photographers works relate. though few photographers seem to of documented a hoarder. I guess its a hard thing to capture unless you know one. They are very private people generally.

however for this project i am looking more at how other photographers work when i comes to capturing family and something that is personal to them. their results all differ and obviously each photographer will work very differently but its a good idea to get a sense of how they work and what works well.

Also researching into other works lets me see how they compile edits and how long the series tend to be which are very important factors to consider.

Presentation time

As part of this module we've had to do a presentation that has to be presented to class. we are working in pairs for this and it has to be based on a photographic series or a photographer that works in a personal way.

 Today i was working on the presentation. Ours is focused on a photographer called mike brodie. He has some fantastic images.

his work is very personal because it is a document of his life and the way he lives. it shows an insight into his life without physically showing him. yet the way he documents everything around him it still shows how he lives and what his life must be like.

http://girltears.wordpress.com/2008/04/16/the-polaroid-kidd-ridin-dirty-face/

there's a load of his images on this link above.
You can see how his works are personal. i really like the style of his works as well and the colours that are given from film.

Our presentation mainly focuses on what his images say and what the work is about.