10 image edit. so far

now we have asked to create an edit of ten images that could be used as part of our final set. it has been difficult to do especially as for my final set i dont think i will have as many as 10 because i need more writing to go into the book.

so to begin with here are the ten images that i have chosen.

 I definately want to use this image in the final edit but i may possibly go back and re shoot the image because the sign is a bit hard to read. the positioning of the broom the sign and the cross works very well as an opening image for the whole series.

 This image is included because i think its a good portrait of my mums mum and well it makes me laugh. the other images below are also included because they have potential to develop the story but at the moment they are not definite because i still need to complete more shoots.

this image is chosen because of how it shows the clutter. flash was used which i'm not so keen on because it has altered the colours in the image. the image clearly shows the clutter however

this image focuses on my mum, shes looking at papers. sorting through everything. its a strong image that portrays how my mum feels well. i think.

now these are just an edit from the images that i have at the moment. some will be part of my final edit however i still have another shoot to get some more imagery so until i have done that i dont want to finalizing images too much.

The hoarder next door Christmas special.

Now a hoarder at Christmas is sure to be very exciting. well it is. channel 4 made another episode to their series looking at hoarders. unfortunately its not available on 4od but it was really interesting to watch. one lady that they focused on had never let any of her grandchildren see the inside of her home so she wanted to clear it in time for Christmas so that they could come round. however the only problem with a hoarder at Christmas is that they have far more decorations than the average person so you can imagine that although the house was cleared it was then filled with around 20 Christmas trees and tinsel and well it looked like Christmas had thrown up over the lounge. it was crazy.

Heres the link to the programme. You cant watch all of it but there are clips which are worth checking out.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-hoarder-next-door/episode-guide/series-2/episode-1

i've watched all of the hoarding programmes. even some of people in america. they are far more shocking to watch. however it has made me more open to how these people have to live and how there's always an underlying issue to what makes them do it.

as i've been photographing my mums mums house over the past months i have noticed that each time i go to shoot it has become less cluttered and the lounge and kitchen are becoming more welcoming and spacious. however i have realised that she is merely moving the clutter from downstairs to upstairs so now her bedroom and the spare rooms are becoming even more packed. i have tried to photograph the rooms upstairs but it is becoming difficult especially as they are small and dark rooms and i cant get to the windows to draw back the curtains. i have experimented with flash but i dont like the effect it gives the image. it seems too harsh and bold.

Some of the photos

Here are a selection of images from yesterdays shoot. i am very pleased with the outcomes that i have achieved and also feel that i've been able to focus on the relationship between my mum and my gran well.

 i filmed them whilst we were sat in the car as took photos of them sat next to each other. this was just to capture our whole journey and time whilst we were away from the house. although for my final set of images i think the images should only be ones taken in the house to add to the point of the story.

 how many blondes does it take to use a pay meter at a car park.... in this case three apparently. while they pressed buttons and got confused i snapped away capturing their shared confusion, it was quite comical actually.

 I was intrigued by their hands whilst we were at lunch  and noticed that they both wear the same ring. the difference in age on their hands was something that also interested me, they have similar hands but the age is what separates them.

 my mums mum wears alot of jewellery. she sleeps in it as well, she doesn't take her rings off at all. i asked her to hold her hands in front of her face just to see how the image would be i think the image has turned out quite well. the lighting was a bit bright and hazy in the restaurant but it highlights the lines on her hands more.

 they are always showing each other things, it makes me laugh watching my mum try to use her phone and then my mums mum even more baffled by the phone itself. i've picked this image because i really like the lighting and the composition of the image.

this image focuses more on their relationship. the image is centred on my mums mum and my mum is blurred. the composition of the image makes you focus on my mums mum first. what they are looking at is out of view so its add mystery to the image.

this small selection of images are just a quick edit that show how they interact together. i didn't want the images to be posed so i've just snapped away whilst they are doing what they usually do. this way of working has been far better and has got shots that i would not of otherwise got.

todays shoot

So today's shoot went pretty well. i have got a lot of images to go through and also shot alot of video as well to develop this skill more. i focused more on my mums mum than on the house itself but i think this was a good idea because now when i go back again i know exactly whats missing and what needs to be developed further.

Death Row

I have just finished watching an episode of another documentary called death row. its a hard hitting documentary that is difficult to watch but is truly fascinating at the same time. i watched the episode about Hank Skinner who was sentenced to life for the murder of his girlfriend and her two mentally ill sons. he has been sent to be killed three times but each time he has had the date changed. on one occasion he had even had his final meal and had his last phone calls when the verdict changed.

at the time of the film he was still pleading his innocence, i dont no if he was ever killed or not. the film was a year ago so they may not of known at the time.

hes a very harrowing character to watch and although he is meant to of committed such a terrible crime he doesn't seem scary or frightening just creepy. however you can see how being on death row has taken its toll on his mental state and he comes across as though he is going slightly crazy. which i suppose is expected.

the thing that struck me the most about it though was that he didn't seem scared of his inevitable death. he'd fully excepted it and wasn't scared of dying. he was scared of what happens after your killed. the unknown.
the link below is for the documentary. the episodes are quite long but are definately worth watching.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/death-row/4od#3411379

as well as the content of the film being interesting and striking. i also found that the way it had been filmed to make it even more absorbing. the main part of the film is just hank talking and all you can hear is his voice. it creates a very emotional and engaging response.

plan for tomorrow

Now tomorrow i am going back to my mums mums to get some more shots of the house and her. this time i am going to also be looking at the relationship between my mum and her and how they interact with each other.

I will be going there with my mum as always so this will be a good opportunity to capture them together. I'll be spending the whole day there so hopefully i will get some really good shots. i will be shooting some film as well but this is just because i want to get a wider range of imagery that will be a bit different to what i've already shot.

Home time

Today i had to take my mums mum home. I wanted to spend longer with her but tomorrow i have to return to Cheltenham for work so unfortunately i cant. I had to drive her back in brum which i was really worried about because he does have a habit of breaking down but luckily i got her home safely.

once i'd manged to get her to hers we pottered about the house for a bit then went for lunch. i wanted to spend the whole day with her but my cars lights dont work at the moment so i had to leave early to make sure i was home before dark.

However i did get a few shots. Mainly of her showing me things she bought before Christmas. shes become very accustomed to the camera and doesn't really notice it but you can tell when she wants her photo taken. she loves the attention.

I think this is a nice portrait of her. its soft and her expression is natural. it also adds her personality to the image because shes randomly holding something. but this adds to the image and i dont think it would of been as effective if she hadn't been holding the cat calender. the lighting is very yellow and this can be edited but i like the warm feel it has on the image. plus she looks very healthy in the image, over the week that i've spent with her shes been so much better shes eaten all of her meals, shes laughed more and had far more energy. shes even slept at night. sounds abit like a baby but this is the thing with her, she needs to be around people and if she'd of been on her own this year we probably would of had a repeat of last year with her in hospital for an overdose. thats why its been so important for me to be around my mums mum this Christmas.

Now even she doesn't know why she bought this fan. She found it funny either way. the light above her head is annoying on this photo. that can be edited out though. but my main focus fr this photo is the details and mainly the bruise on her hand. though the image looks fun and cheerful. it gives an insight into how she does have health problems and that sometimes i forget just how frail shes become.

Now because i have work for the next week i've got to have a week off shooting but once my family return from their holiday i will be going over to my mums mums to get some more shots. this time i'll be focusing on her and my mum and their relationship. How they interact and get on.