The Videos

here are some of the videos that i have shot throughout this project. they are not brilliant but my main focus was for the speech. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwf-cLTKn3s&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed7TIPBU0jY&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0wtLnjd3AQ&feature=youtu.be

each one is just paying attention to her as she talks. i wasn't too fussed with how the video itself looks because i was focusing more on the words.

Is this the end?

Now that my project is coming to a close and i'm starting to complete all the little things and writing my evaluation. it has let me start the reflect on the project and how i personally feel about it.

though it has been a long project as with most things there could be more time but for this project i think that the time scale has suited my work just fine and has allowed me to get to a half way point that i am happy to stop the project at a point that i can then continue later in the year.

i shot alot of images and had to listen to my mums mum alot and although it was all for the purpose of the project it has had a far greater result on my own relationship with her and it has allowed me to not only get to know her but to also learn things and find out stuff about my history and my other family members. it has really given me far more.

I am really pleased with my final product and the images i have chosen perfectly document her house and her. i have been able to capture everything that i set out to do and have gone beyond what i expected to acheive from it.

Last Night

Now last night there was a programme on called Her Majesty's Prison- Aylesbury.

Now i live in Aylesbury and last night i can guarantee that my whole town was watching this programme. i am pretty sure that my friends an i are the only people who wasn't watching it however... we were watching Madagascar instead.

http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/her-majestys-prison-aylesbury-new-two-part-itv-documentary-video
this link shows the trailer for the programme. it makes me laugh they've made it sound terrible, but most of the people i went to school with live next to the place and i used to drive past it everyday for work. the weird thing is though is that until now no one in Aylesbury actually knows what goes on in there or what its actually like.

The series has been described as this-

Aylesbury Prison in Buckinghamshire, home to some of the most dangerous young criminals in Britain, has allowed an exclusive insight into life for prisoners and staff for a new documentary series on ITV- Her Majesty’s Prison: Aylesbury

 

Murderers, rapists, gangsters and paedophiles are serving time here. So serious are some of their offences, that one in five is serving life or an indeterminate sentence to protect the public. What’s frightening is that the oldest prisoners are just 21.

 

Officers engage in a daily battle of wits, to ensure they keep control. They must also try to help rebuild the fractured lives of these young men.

It sounds terrifying. safe to say. we all walk past the place everyday and dont know. though as long as they stay behind the walls then that's fine. its also mad to think that the oldest person in there is the same age as me. i have finished school, got my a levels, been to college and now i'm half way through my degree, i have 4 jobs and have a future ahead of me. the guys in there haven't done any of that. its such a waste of a life. they have completely ruined their lives and because they are so young will never have a very bright future. its so stupid. Because its their own fault that they are in there.

previously i have thought about doing a photo story about this prison but i really dont think it would be worth giving these boys the time of day. they seem so dangerous and frightening. that not only would access be impossible but i wouldn't even want to go near it.


I am watching it on catch up now and before i even began watching the description made me worried.

and now its just said that Aylesbury has always had a fearsome reputation among the prison population. it is meant to be the worst establishment.

theres gang problems?!

oh my word.

 heres the link. if anyone didn't watch it. they should.
http://www.u.tv/utvplayer/video.aspx?vidid=150360

The Book

Today i have been creating the book.

i have finally finished it and i am very pleased with it. it is exactly how i wanted it to be.

it looks homely and doesn't give away what the book is until it is opened. the theme of clutter follows throughout the book through the use of different textures to make the book more like something from her house and more connected to her.

here is parts of the book being made-

 the images were printed onto A1 paper so all i had to do was cut out the strips. i had positioned them onto the page so that i would have as few joins as possible and so that the joins wouldnt affect the pages that were together.

i wanted my concertina book to look more like an actual book from the outside so i created this book outer. and covered it with brown paper to make it look more like something that would be found in her house. 

as you can see in this image the book has been cut and folded and my focus was on the outside of the book.

i made a bit of mess while creating the book. all of the ribbons and bits of fabric are from what i have collected form my visits to her house. these will be included in the book to make it look more linked to her house and more cluttered.

i stuck the concertiner section of the book to the back page of the cover. it is centrally placed and simplistic.

the book is quite thick and i allowed the cover to be larger so that the inside doesn't get squashed.

the final finished book. hand made, creative. more associated to my mums mum. 

the cover of the book then had some fabrics and ribbon added to it to continue the cluttered feel and the textures. this hints at whats inside and once the title has been put onto the front cover it will be more enticing towards the viewer.

the book is almost complete now and once it is final i will post a picture on here. 

i am very pleased with it and everyone i've shown in my family has said that its brilliant because it shows exactly how her house is and its exactly the sort of book that we'd find in her house. so i've think i've done well.

Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners

Another brilliant programme about hoarding but this time from a different angle. this time it focuses on the people who obsessively clean and have OCD.

the programme takes these cleaning lovers and uses their knowledge and skills to help people who hoard and generally have very messy homes. the first episode showed the house of a man who used to be an antiques collector and after time the amount of clutter in his house just spiraled out of control.

its a very interesting programme and its good to see the other side of it for a change rather than just focusing on the people who live in mess. because there is the same amount of people who have the polar opposite problem so its good that they can help watch other with their conditions.

Programme Synopsis

Linda's first recruit is 31-year-old Richard Searle, who is obsessed with order, organisation and tidiness. Richard is paired with Christopher Sylvester, a retired antiques dealer whose stone Victorian cottage is overrun with collectibles and bric-a-brac.

Linda also recruits germaphobe Michele Murray, who sets off to help Richard Pugh: he hasn't cleaned his flat since he moved in four years ago.

And Linda and her cleaning gang head to Leatherhead to help The Pitstop, a drop-in centre for the vulnerable and the homeless.

SERIES SYNOPSIS

Linda Dykes is a compulsive cleaner from North Wales. She loves cleaning so much she's set up her own cleaning agency.

Linda believes that compulsive cleaners have a special set of skills that could change the habits of the nation, and so she's teaming up with other obsessive cleaners to help clean Britain's dirty homes and filthy public spaces.

Each week these compulsive cleaners are carefully matched with someone whose home is in dire need of a major 'spring clean'.

Here is a link to the page- 

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

The book layout. final

now today the plan was to get my book printed and then i could start creating the book.
however that didn't exactly go to plan. i wanted to get in printed as one long sheet of paper so that i didn't have to worry about cutting and taping it all together, but that wasn't meant to be so now i've had to go back and change it so that the book can be printed in sections. bit of a pain but these things happen.

now the layout looks brilliant.

here are what each page looks like-

here shows each page layout in the order they will be in the book. The wording has been placed centrally on some pages and there is a mix of text and imagery on others. 

i am pleased with this layout now and this will be the final design. 

i have had to layout the pages like this though to get them printed now because i cant get in printed as one long strip

this will be printed tomorrow and then my book can start being made.

Get your house in order

now while i've been researching today i've been watching this series.

its brilliant. each episode focuses on a person that has a hoard of some sort and as an incentive to get them to get rid of things the money they raise by selling things goes on a house makeover. its everything i love watching in one. what more could you ask for!

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/get-your-house-in-order/4od#3361175

Alexander Kennedy Miller

Now this hoarder is a bit different to the rest. instead of collecting the usual junk. this man collected car and automotive parts. this guy is my kind of hoarder.
when he and his wife had died the state took over the property in which he owned and surfaced a few gems.
it states that when the barns around the house were emptied they found-

All told, approximately 30 original Stutz motorcars, a Stanley Steamer, a 1926 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, several Franklins, a Volkswagen Karmann Ghia (which had somehow been placed in the loft of the main barn),  and assorted VW Beetles were discovered about the property. The main barn and the various sheds and shacks Miller had constructed over the years hid a fortune in antique vehicles and a huge number of spare parts Miller had purchased from the Stutz company when it went out of business.

Absolutely brilliant. the day that i can say i have a karmann ghia and a assortment of beetles instead of just my one will be the best day ever.

the one thing about having a hoard of cars obviously means that its worth a hell of a lot. and the hoarding of cars is actually a thing. my family know many people who have several cars that have been left in garages for years on end and never touched but they still buy more.

this guys story has fascinated me. when his whole estate was valued it was worth over 2 million. mad.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Kennedy_Miller

The Collyer Brothers

Now this is quite possibly the most interesting thing ever. well nearly. whilst i've been searching for statistics and other things relating to hoarding i came across a story about 2 brothers who lived in new york who have been labeled at the most infamous hoarders ever. they lived in a mansion in manhatten and when they both dies authorities had to remove around 140 tons of items from the house. they even used to booby trap the hall ways to deter intruders yet ironically it was one of the booby traps that actually killed one of the brothers, it is amazing.  when the house was emptied a human skeleton, a two headed baby in a jar and a horse jaw was found. a book has even been written all about it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collyer_brothers

i know we aren't supposed to use Wikipedia but this does have the main facts and covers the main points of the story. Its fascinating to read. makes me glad that my mums mum is only a slight hoarder in comparison.



This image shows a section of the house with all of the stuff in it. At the time the house was hugely documented in the media so there are a lot of image all over the internet of the house and the people who had to clear it out.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/collyer-brothers-brownstone-gallery-1.1187698?pmSlide=20

the link above shows more photos of the house and the clearing of it.

Statistics.

i have researched into the statistics that relate to hoarding. only around 5% of the population are hoarders however considering the amount of stuff they have they take up far more space. And tend to spend a lot more.  this image gives more information and more statistics.




this is a very interesting image. it shows the statistics related to being a hoarder and other attributes related to it. i have been research into the hoarding to get more infomation about it. it also shows the personal problems relating to this. its surprising how true many of the statistics are.


another website based in the uk also has more information on the disorder.
http://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/compulsive-hoarding.html

on this website it states-

Compulsive hoarding is listed in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual-IV (DSM) as a symptom of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), which is characterised by the overriding compulsion to acquire new possessions and store them in excessive and often dangerous quantities. 

Up to 3 million people are thought to suffer as hoarders in the UK¹.

Some compulsive hoarders collect anything and everything, some will collect only particular items, such as books (these people are known as bibliophiles) and some will even collect living creatures (known as animal hoarders). Any form of compulsive hoarding can seriously impair a person's physical and psychological health if left untreated. Support from a counsellor can help a hoarder to identify the underlying reasons for their hoarding and then learn how to control their compulsions.

Where does the compulsion to hoard come from? Some experts² believe hoarding is a survival instinct left over from when early man had to hunt and forage for himself. Observations show that many wild animals, including squirrels and birds, tend to hoard nuts, seeds and nest materials in time for the winter. Even domesticated animals like dogs and cats seem to hold onto this natural instinct despite having no need to hoard. For example, some dogs are known to build collections of balls or toys in their beds, or start burying objects in the garden. Similarly, cats have been known to build up rather macabre collections of dead animals that they bring into the house as 'presents' for their owners.

Hereditary

Some experts believe that compulsive hoarding runs in the family. One study³ showed that up to 85% of compulsive hoarders could identify a relative who had the same problem. 

This hereditary thing relates well to my own project as i can already see how the hoarding is continuing through the family. my mum and myself ollect and keep things. but not yet to the scale that my mums mum does. but it still shows that if we dont do something about it i too could end up in the same situation.

Why Climate Change

This photo story is based in Australia.

http://conorashleigh.com/#/australia/why-climate-change/climate_change_WEB-3

it is a series of portraits with peoples views on climate change. very simple idea but the wording i good and works well. the portraits are also very good.

definately worth checking out.

The Book

Now i'm having a real dilemma when it comes to physically making my book. i want it to be very creative and textured. but then i also wouldn't mind it looking very professional also. its a tough decision.

However on a plus side the front cover for my book has been designed. i want it to really contrast whats on the inside and to not tell you about it before its opened. That's why i've gone for a very plain and blank cover that will simply state the title.

The layout

Now after alot of re-jigging i think i have come up with a final layout design for my book. now i have decided that the images will only cover one side of the book leaving the reverse blank. this is because i think that the images work very well when they are all together so when the book is fully opened out the whole series should flow easily and look better. also this means that the viewer doesn't have to switch sides and get confused with what t read first. it makes it more simplistic but far more appropriate for my images.
so here is the proposed layout-



now the image isnt very big but it gives an idea of how it will look. there will be an extra white page at the end which will be the last page of the book but i couldn't get this to fit in on my screen.  the white blank spaces will have text though i am still trying to decide if some should be kept completely blank. however this can be decided further once the wording has been finalised and then i can work around how much there is and how much space is on the book.

the book size will be A5 landscape. so when the book it stretched out fully it will be fairly large however this size allows the photos to be of a suitable size and for the book to still be of a suitable size.

now for the images to be properly sized and printed.

THE EDIT

Now after days and days of intently looking at contact sheets, making mini edits, sticking pictures to my walls and scribbling all over my photos i have final made a final edit for my book. huzzah!

I am really please with my edit and feel it shows everything that i want it to in order to get the story and point across. i have included images of the house, my mums mum and her moving about the house. on their own the images do hint at the story however to make it stronger the wording will accompany the images and this will not only tell the story but give an insight into how my mums mum is and what her feelings are towards the hoard.

so here they are my intently considered edit...
now they are not in order at this point but are just to show the edit itself. the order and layout is still being adjusted so that i have the best possible design for my book.

 the above image i felt needed to be included, it cuts off part of her face and focuses on her looking at a piece of paper whilst being surrounded my junk. its a very powerful image and though her face isn't visible a sense of confusion is clear. this puts an emphasis her personal view on the house.

this image had to be included. it basically sums up the story and adds a more light hearted side to the story. this image has also helped me to develop a name for the book and it has given me a good starting point on which to work the other images around.

 now this image is one that i keep coming back to as the starting image for the book. its not shocking a such but it does boldly show exactly what the story is about and clearly shows the mess. most of the other images are slightly more subtle when showing the mess but i feel that this one is needed to just emphasise how bad it really is and by shooting into a door way showing the floor and where the window is the scale of it all becomes more apparent.

 this image is one that i think will work well as a closing image. the text on the mug is what made me choose it. the mug says ' keep calm and pray' this relates to both my mum and my mums mum and references to how we all feel about the house. my mum gets very agitated and worried about it and my mums mum is very religious so her answer is to just pray that everything will be ok. they are both looking at a photo and have a questioning look on their faces and it shows a small insight into how we feel and how tense being in the house can be.

i find this image very strong. it focuses on my mum, and by doing this it portrays the fact that it is up to her now. the focus is on her to get her mum to tidy the house she is the only one who can help her and she is the only one who can encourage any sort of improvement  this means there's alot of stress on my mums part becasue its a lot ot take on. and it if very difficult to cope with.  the image has my mums mum out of focus in the background tirying or at least moving things around which emphasizes the strain and pressure my mum has.

 this is an image of the lounge. it shows the clutter and the mess. the angle of the image portrays the scale of the room as well to allow the viewer to get a better understanding of how bad it is.the tones in the image make it very single coloured and dull.

 this image shows the upstairs back bedroom. the floor cant be seen and its full of rubbish. this image is included because it shows the mess and gets the point across. and in the layout it will be placed next to a closer up image to make the book flow a bit better. it is a strong image and adds to the story.

this image is simple and just a close up of some envelopes on the side. it has her name on it so it relates to her and the wording to go with the image will make it more interesting and powerful. my mums mum has lived in this house for over fifty years. shes written the same name and address for a very long time so it seemed important to include this in the book. it will show her relationship to the house and how the address is just whats written on the page. the house itself is far more than just her home. it was her husbands home and her children but it no longer reflects the happier times.

 this is also a strong image. the focus and angle of the image works very well and the image is fitting with the others in the set. the image shows a very large pair of glasses which obviously look very hard to loose and oddly enough with all the mess in the house she can always find this pair no matter what. however these are her house glasses. i think they may possibly be my mums dads glasses but she wears them when no ones around. even i have rarely seen her wear them. she doesn't like them.

this image just had to be included. the light across the wall and across the floor/junk is very strong and makes the image. the lighting shadows some of the junk and although its still visible it doesn't seem as bad. this reflects on how my mums mum see the house, she rarely opens the curtains and doesn't venture into half the rooms. everything is shut away in the dark so its out of sight out of mind.

 this image had to be included in the set because it shows her sorting through things in the lounge. i wanted to include a range of shots which show her sorting and tidying things to show that she is trying to clear the house. this also adds another side to the story because it shows that she is wanting to do something about it.

 This image was a crop from a larger image that i felt was too similar to the image below. by cropping out the top half of the image it has made the focus on her hands and her tidying. this puts an emphasis on her clearing the house and clearing it by herself.  the composition of the image works very well and it adds a different element to the set that is closer and more intimate. although the focus is on her hands she is surrounded by other distracting things that also add to the image even more and show how hard it is to focus on tidying one particular thing when there's so much around.

I particularly like this image because of the lighting. as with many of the images in this set it is the lighting that makes the image successful. the focus is on her and the image was taken in the kitchen. the kitchen is still cluttered but it is in a usable state so that means that when we go over we spend most of our time in the kitchen while she wanders off and brings us things from other rooms. rather than us going with her into the rooms she's rather go off and get it herself. so this image shows her getting something out of the bag to show us. the composition works very well with her being in the centre of the image so the focus stays on her. shes got one hand in the bag and is looking down at it which makes you question whats in the bag.

Now from these image i can start creating my layout and book design. the images have been edited slightly but they do still need t be adjusted further to make then look even better. especially because some still haven't got the right lighting and this needs to be adjusted slightly to remove the yellow tinge that is apparent throughout.

Once that has all been changed and decided upon i can get  the photos printed and begin constructing the book.

Beyond the Dark

Beyond the dark is a photo series that focuses on something new and something that i haven't seen documented before. Because of this it makes it a very striking and intriguing story that keeps you interested in it. it reflects a personal view so that's why i feel its important for this project.
this project makes me question everything i know, it must be so difficult for this couple and understanding how everything that is much simpler to us is a far bigger task for them.
below is a link to the website. There is also a 30 minute film on it also that explores a bit more.
http://jesseneider.com/#/stories-series/beyond-the-dark-(usa)/03420100205_blind_moving_0005lw


Synopsis

At 19 years old, Hector and Jessica discovered they would be having a baby. The couple faced the reality of having to care for a child while struggling with their own limitations.

Beyond the Dark is the story of a young, blind couple starting a family and striving to independently raise their sighted daughter. The half-hour documentary explores the challenging economic, social, and personal barriers to parenting with a disability. “I want everything to be different than my life,” says Jessica, “I want her to have a real childhood.”

Beyond the Dark confronts the uncertainty of the family’s future in a society that often defines the visually impaired by their disability.

Dear Photograph

Dear photograph looks at past images of people or things and are then held or placed in the same location and photographed to show it in today's location. some of the images i recently shot of my mums mum holding up photos relate to this well and it has inspired me alot to go on and create many images but not for this project.

http://dearphotograph.com/

the above is a link to the website that i have been looking at to get inspiration.

this image of mine particularly relates-

this image show my mum holding a photo of herself when she was around 20. it shows how she has changed at is similar to the style used in the dear photograph series. its a very inspiring image and i could easily of done a whole project on everyone i know holding a photograph of themselves when they were younger. it would make a nice series i think. it is something i think i will consider for a future project. 

Edmund Trebus

Another person who was made famous by his hoarding. this man lived in london but is from germany.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Trebus
the above link gives more information about him.


there was a BBC documentary back in 1999 that documented his house and the clearing of it. as with all the programmes to do with hoarding i found it interesting. Although its not on iplayer there is a you tube video of the episode.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOa35VD9q94

this shows how protective hoarders get about their houses and the mental state of them.

The Dad Project

http://www.brionycampbell.com/projects/the-dad-project

this link is to a project by a photographer called Briony Campbell.

the project is described as being-

This is the story of an ending without an ending.
This is a work in progress and I hope it always will be.
This is my attempt to say goodbye to my Dad with the help of my camera.

Being a good daughter to my dying dad was tricky.
I struggled to find the balance between dedication to his needs and distraction from my grief.
At first the idea of introducing a camera into this already un-resolvable equation seemed unwise,
but eventually I think it became the solution.


this is a very heart warming and intense photo story that is very emotional to look at. The images are very up close and personal. It follows her personal view on the situation and reflects it well i think. 

its a very strong photo story and very touching. 

Concertina book ideas... where to start?

now because we have to make a concertina book, throughout the project i have been researching different types of books to try and give me a better idea on how mine could look. however i have so many different ideas its hard to work out what will be best suited. here is some of my research into them.

I have been browsing the internet for inspiration for my own book. here are a few images of the books that i have found most interesting and inspirational.

 

the above book documents a journey through the underground. i feel that an accordion book is well suited to this type of project because it shows a progression and leads to somewhere.

this book is more of a sketch book but the different fold and drawn over text make it very interesting.

this book has really interested my an has helped to give me an idea on how to bind my book. because i will be using seperate pieces of card i have been trying to work out the best way to tie them together. because i'm not sure if tape will look very good.

this image shows a concertina book but on a huge scale. it is of an exhibition size. gives me an idea on how else my book could be made if i had the resources. but for this project i feel that an A5 book will be better suited.

who says it has to be made of paper? this book is made from old tin lids. its a very creative idea and opens up lots of possibilities for my own book. i have been considering using different materials to make the book a bit more creative.

however from all the images i have looked at these are just a few that really caught my eye. i am going to be developing my book using the inspiration and knowledge i have gained from this.