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musings on the photographic experiences of keith greenough
Photographer stereotypes
The landscape photographer work has got me thinking about what a stereotypical landscape might look like. I’ve been doing a little research on gender and landscape photography. In Land Matters Liz Wells suggests that “…limited attention was paid to gender and landscape in these debates [on feminist theory]. In the UK one reason for this […]
Project one Gestalt in composition
November 27, 2013
The YOP course notes explain how Gestalt theory has been valuable in its approach to visual recognition. Modern Gestalt theory takes an holistic approach to perception and proposes that in viewing an entire scene the mind can take a sudden leap from recognising the individual elements to understanding it in its entirety. A number of […]
Posted in: Another Hawaii, Gestalt in Composition, Landscape, OCA YOP, Project, Uncategorized, YOP Assignment One
Uncertain States 2013
November 25, 2013
I have been to a few exhibitions recently and have decided to capture some thoughts on these on the blog. The first port of call was the Uncertain States 2013 exhibition at The Bank on Whitechapel Road in the East End of London. (see here). I visited this exhibition with John Umney and Catherine Banks, […]
‘Commercial’ or rather ‘Charity’ portraiture
November 24, 2013
Lately I have been asked by many friends to ‘do’ some portraits for them. I always look upon these situations as an opportunity to practice my skills as a portrait photographer. Although I have to admit it has become pretty time consuming lately. I have decided to post a couple of photographs to this blog […]
East End – facts and narratives
November 24, 2013
I have trying to figure out why certain of the image/text combinations for the East End project seem to work and others do not. In writing my proposal for a major project (see here) I realised that the work is in effect reflects on the history of immigration in the East End through a series […]
Project nine change
November 23, 2013
I have been revisiting the contact sheets for my Women and Landscape photographs. I was struck by the subtle differences in the poses of the four women I have photographed so far and I wondered if this arose because of my editing or because how I and my subject interacted on the day. In project […]
Women and Landscape – Update
November 22, 2013
The portraits I have made so far are shown below. From top left clockwise, Catherine Banks at Horsell Common Surrey, Gill Golding at Woolwich Arsenal London, Paddy Howe in the Blackdown Hills Devon and Rebecca Hughes at Loch Maree Wester Ross Scotland. All of these photographs were made with a Ebony SW45, 150mm lens and Kodak Portra 400. […]
Major Project Proposal
November 19, 2013
For assignment one of Your Own Portfolio I am required to submit a brief project proposal for my major project on a single page of A4. Below is my first draft…work still to do: Aims of the project My aim is to explore the history of immigration in London’s East End. I plan to do […]
Self Doubt and ‘Umbra Sumus’…
November 18, 2013
I have been thinking a lot about how I want viewers to respond to my East End work. At the moment I’m very concerned that it is coming over as a travelog or worse still a tourist brochure…this place is where this event took place and so on. This is absolutely NOT what I’m aiming […]
East End Work – Texts, copyright and books
November 15, 2013
I have been quoting texts from work by other authors to set alongside my images for the Always Follow Ur Dreams!! In fact, I have been considering whether to use only quotations rather than text I have written. I thought it would be wise to check on copyright restrictions and how this might affect my […]
YOP – taking stock
November 11, 2013
The latest set of images and texts are included in a pdf file. Just click on the photograph below: The frustrating thing about distance learning is that you long to be able to present your work in a seminar so that others can critically appraise it…..blog posts will have to do, but I hope to […]
Early Morning Shoot Spitalfields and Whitechapel
November 9, 2013
My idea for the urban landscapes for Always Follow Ur Dreams!! is to shoot urban scenes without people. People immediately attract a viewer’s attention and I want to avoid this. Rather I want the viewer to take the ideas put forward in the text and project these into the photograph. This is easier said than […]
Photograph selected for Photofusion Salon 2013
November 6, 2013
I entered a few photographs from my portrait work for the Photofusion members Salon 2013. I am a member there as I use the darkrooms and scanner. One of my entries has been selected and will be on show there from mid-December for a month along with work by around 90 other photographers. Interestingly the […]
Antique Black and White Version of Video
November 5, 2013
One of the projects I have to complete for YOP concerns using Photoshop’s channel mixer to alter the mood of a digital black and white image. I plan to use some images from my East End work for this project. However, rather than randomly playing with the colour sliders on the channel mixer I have […]
Always Follow Ur Dreams!! Latest work and Test Video Format
November 5, 2013
One of the key factors I need to consider with this project is how I will show text along with the images. There are many options. So far in presenting the work I have included the text as a side panel alongside each photograph. This option is quite common. For example it is the style […]
Scene of the ‘crimes’
November 3, 2013
I thought it would be useful to set out where I am currently planning to make my photographs for ‘Always Follow Ur Dreams!!’ on a map. This is it…. There seems to be an area in the centre around Stepney which I have overlooked. I must have a look around there….
Posted in: Always Follow Ur Dream!!, Documentary, East End London, Locations, Map, OCA YOP, YOP East End Project
Always Follow etc…Some thoughts on more open ended text
November 2, 2013
Having re-read the last post and also thought about Catherine’s comment I have recast two of the texts. The first concerns racially motivated murders. The text seems to propose that despite memorials such as Altab Ali Park racially motivated murders are still all too commonplace… The second text relates to the National Front and the […]
Always Follow Ur Dreams!! – More texts
November 2, 2013
I have been researching the history of immigration in the East End with a view to finding texts which direct me towards possible images for this project. This rather turns my normal approach upside down – I usually make the photographs and then think about the captions. I am not simply looking for captions in […]
First Draft of Proposal for Critical Study
October 31, 2013
This post contains the text of the first draft of my proposal for the Critical Review I have to undertake as part of Photography 3: Your Own Portfolio: PROPOSAL FOR CRITICAL REVIEW The Photography 3: Your Own Portfolio course calls for the student to carry out a critical review based on researching a particular photographer […]
Posted in: Allan Sekula, Critical Review, Documentary, OCA YOP, Robert Frank, Simon Norfolk, YOP Critical Review
YOP – Plan of Study
October 31, 2013
I prepared an outline plan of study or Learning Contract for discussion with my tutor Sharon. We discussed this the other day and this post sets out my plan of action as agreed with Sharon. Having recently completed the Advanced module that is in effect an open book my initial reaction to the course notes […]
YOP Critical Review….lots of indecision
October 26, 2013
In my last post on my plan of work for YOP I suggested a theme for the Critical Review which I have to undertake as part of YOP. My expressed intention was to explore ‘the issue of photographic meaning and how this is influenced by associating an image with other images and with text as […]
Another Hawaii
October 16, 2013
I have just returned from a holiday in Hawaii. The trip was not meant to be a major photographic expedition, but I could not resist the temptation to take a camera with me. I travelled light taking my Leica M9 with 35, 50 and 75 mm lenses. I had no particular project in mind before I […]
Place of Memories…video version with ambient sound
October 8, 2013
I have made a second version of this video with ambient sound from a jungle location…better still would have been to record the sounds at the place itself but I did not have the time nor the equipment to do this well. I think I prefer this version. Click on the photograph below to see […]
Place of Memories
October 8, 2013
I have been having fun with my photography whilst I have been on holiday in Hawaii. For the most part I have been working on a short series of images around Waimea in the North of Hawaii where I have been staying. I plan a separate post on this series later. I also made a […]
Posted in: context, Grove Farm Homestead, Hawaii, Kauai, memory, Sugar Plantation, Uncategorized, Video, YOP Wider Interests
Always follow ur dreams! More work
September 21, 2013
I spent a day in London yesterday. My aim was to reconnoitre some locations for images I have in mind and possibly to capture one or maybe two ‘keepers’…. My first port of call was the Limehouse Basin and Regents canal. I wanted to consider whether a view of this former dock might produce a […]
Hacked
September 17, 2013
If anyone receives an unusual email from me, please ignore it….I sadly opened an email from a colleague which was infected….sorry about this.
Posted in: Uncategorized
Always Follow Ur Dreams!! – some test image/text combinations
September 8, 2013
I have been feeling my way with this project. I have started by identifying some events/places where I feel that an image/text combination would provide an interesting reflection on immigration in the London’s East End. I have then conducted desk research for some suitable text. Armed with the text my challenge is then to photograph […]
Ideas for YOP
August 26, 2013
I have not posted for a while but have been quietly thinking about how I will take forward my work on my final course Photography 3: Your Own Porfolio. The course is more structured than the Advanced module. I will be required to undertake a number of projects, a written critical review and a major […]
Les Rencontres Arles Photography 2013 – Part Two
August 1, 2013
This is my second post setting out my thoughts on my trip to Arles. The previous post is here. I indicated this post will cover my impressions of Pieter Hugo, Marion Gronier, John Davies, Wolfgang Tilmans and Gordon Parks along with my thoughts on the nominees for the 2013 Discovery Award. Pieter Hugo – There’s […]
Advanced Photography – Assessment Results
July 31, 2013
The results of the assessment of my Photography 3: Advanced Photography course have now been confirmed and I am very pleased to say that I was given a mark of 80%. I put a huge amount of work into this course, far more than any other that I have done with the OCA and it […]
Les Rencontres Arles Photography 2013 – Part One
July 13, 2013
I’ve just got back from a visit to the south of France. The trip combined a short family holiday with a trip to Arles to see some of the photography on offer at the Les Rencontres Arles Photography 2013 (LRAP13). This post is the first of two setting out my thoughts on what I found […]
First of all move me….
July 5, 2013
‘First of all move me, surprise me, rend my heart; make me tremble, weep, shudder; outrage me, delight my eyes afterwards, if you can.’ – Denis Diderot I was watching a BBC programme about the Louvre in Paris and the above quote by the 18th century French philosopher and critic Denis Diderot grabbed my attention. […]
That’s not really me!
June 14, 2013
I have been developing an idea for a new project for YOP. I find that I need to set down my thoughts in writing and by constantly revisiting the text I can start to move towards resolution. The project will explore the ‘What do I look like ? dimension within my broader theme of ‘Realism […]
Posted in: Identity, OCA YOP, Passport, Portrait, Portraits in Series, That's not really me!, Uncategorized
Reality and the Photographic Portrait
June 13, 2013
‘Reality and the Photographic Portrait’ is the title of my final essay for my Understanding Visual Culture course (UVC). This assignment is intended to explore issues surrounding the ‘real’ in contemporary society. I decided to analyse these issues with reference to photographic portraiture. The title of the essay is also the theme I plan to […]
Women and Landscape
May 29, 2013
I have started to think about what I plan to focus on during my YOP course. I have made a significant investment in Portraiture during the Advanced module and there is lots more to learn and explore. I plan to continue to work in this genre for YOP. I am currently finishing off my Understanding […]
Assessment Submission
May 11, 2013
Over the last few weeks I have been very focused on gathering together the work I plan to submit for assessment for my level 3 Advanced Photography course. This has been much more time consuming than I had thought. However, the work is now complete and I have set out in this post the nature […]
Reflective Account
May 11, 2013
I have now finalised my Reflective Account for my Advanced Photography assessment submission. It is significantly changed from the outline I posted here. After discussion with my tutor, I decided to focus on my learning development from assignment to assignment. This will enable the reviewer to better understand my progression through the course. I have […]
Big Issue of the North
May 11, 2013
My portrait of ‘Abeer’ made with an 8×10 camera during my course at Camberwell College of Art has been published in the Big Issue of the North. Abeer kindly gave me her consent to use the photograph. Here is the clip from the magazine.
45 Seconds… Installation Maquette
April 27, 2013
In his feedback report on my 45 Seconds… work my tutor Jesse suggested that I try to mock up a maquette of how I might show the work. I have pondered on how to do this and my researches lead me to a simple, free 3d CAD tool offered by Google. The software is called […]
8 Lifeguard Stations, South Beach Miami USA
April 26, 2013
My wife and I had a few days away in Miami. We used up some air-miles points to take us to the sun! I took along my 4×5 camera with the aim of capturing some architectural shots of the Art Deco buildings in South Beach where we were staying. My plan was to make some […]
Assignment 4: 45 Seconds… – Submission and Feedback
April 12, 2013
I have now completed my final assignment and received feedback from my tutor. My submission included my 45 Seconds… project, the first version of my reflective account (which I will submit for assessment) and my broad plan for pulling all my work together for assessment. In this post I will focus on the former and […]
Urban Artists at Work – final shoot and new version of video
April 5, 2013
Yesterday I spent the day with a group of artists working on a collective work at Leake Street near Waterloo in London. It was very cold….still warming up. This was my final opportunity to shoot images in time for submitting work for assessment (by the end of May). The painting was in a dark tunnel, […]
Posted in: Advanced Studies, Assessment, Assignment, OCA Advanced, Urban Artists, Urban Artists at Work, Video
Large Format Photography Course – Camberwell College of the Arts
March 28, 2013
I attended a large format course at the Camberwell Art College which is part of the University of the Arts London. My aim was to gain hone my skills with large format and to try out a 10×8 camera. The course also included some more darkroom developing and printing..another skill I would like to develop. […]
MUSEUM – Latest Edit
March 24, 2013
The latest edit of my photographs from the candid portrait series ‘Museum’ is shown in a pdf slideshow below. I have yet to decide what work I will submit for assessment but it is likely that the museum work will have to be left out. Not fully sure about this yet. I will wait until […]
The Portrait Photography as Stage Kunsthalle Wien 2009
March 9, 2013
I have been gathering together more thoughts on influences to my thinking on photographic portraiture. This has involved re-reading some of the books I’ve gathered along the way during the Advanced course. The Portrait Photography As Stage is the book associated with an exhibition of the same name held at the Kunsthalle in Viena in 2009 […]
Taylor Wessing Portrait Award 2012
March 8, 2013
I have been to the Taylor Wessing Portrait Award Exhibition each year from the last five years and have always found the experience interesting and intriguing. I believe that my decision to work in the genre of portraiture for my OCA Advanced course may well have been influenced by my enjoyment of this event. This […]
Tom Hunter Study Visit
March 3, 2013
About 25 students from the OCA had the opportunity yesterday to listen to Tom Hunter speak about his work and to ask him questions. The event was organised by OCA tutor Sharon Boothroyd. I was one of the lucky few to go along. Tom gave a fairly long presentation about his work. He started with […]
Posted in: Advanced Studies, influences, Inspiration, OCA, OCA Advanced, photographers, Study Visit, Tom Hunter
OCA Workshop – Large Format Group Shot
February 26, 2013
This is the version of the group photograph at the Workshop last weekend that I made with the 5×4 view camera. Most people seem to be taking the photograph pretty seriously – so it seems that some gravitas was added to the scene….;-) On a technical level its not a success as the composition is […]
The handbag question: value and meaning
February 25, 2013
I’ve just been reading a new book by Lucy Souter called ‘Why Art Photography’ and in it she recounts how she always asks her photography students the same question during her course. The question is ‘What is the difference between an art photograph and a designer handbag?’ (Soutter 2013, Location 179) She says she always gets […]
Posted in: critical theory, influences, Inspiration, Lucy Soutter, OCA Advanced, The handbag question
Roni Horn
February 25, 2013
Roni Horn is an American artist who works in a range of media including photography. Her photography has relevance to my own because she makes frequent use of multiple images of her subjects to explore issues of personal identity and how this is (or is not) represented by the photographic portrait. In You are the Weather Horn’s […]
photo-graph 
November 27, 2013
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