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A3:Photo 9 – The Tower 2

Livelee — Wed, 05 May 2010 19:53:41 +0000

The second of three. My intention is that they would be displayed in a vertical line – a tower of images.

A3:Photo 8 – The Tower 1

Livelee — Sat, 01 May 2010 20:18:31 +0000

The Tower, aka The Meridian Quay Tower, dominates the seascape in Swansea. More than this, it can be seen from many of the surrounding hills. This is the first in a few images intended to demonstrate its inappropriateness.

A3: Photo 7 – Homeless

Livelee — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:31:31 +0000

This is a local homeless man who has been living on the city streets for many years, certainly more than 20. The background leant an ironic power to his situation, though he wasn’t too happy I had taken his photo. Profuse apologies and an admittance I should have asked so he could have refused seemed to defuse the situation, but did raise the issue of when to ask and when to just shoot: a current cultural dilemma.

A3: Photo 6 – The Marina

Livelee — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 11:00:51 +0000

One full moon ago I went down to the long quayside entrance to the Marina to attempt photogaphs of the rising full moon, behind the docked ferry. Unfortunately the moon shots didn’t quite work out, but they will next time? Instead I was left with this simple image that I rather like for many reasons. Simple lines and colours, dark spaces, sparkling lights and illuminated reflections are all part of that. In addition, I also used a M42 lens; a 135mm SMC Takumar. This lovely solid little lens I picked up on ebay for £25 and with the Canon attachment provides a fantastically cheap prime lens. Of course, light reading is manual, which is another reason I like the image, I got it right!

A3: Photo 5 – Norman and Brenda

Livelee — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 11:19:44 +0000

As this assignment in progress attains a new working title – My Kinda Town – I return to the heart of the brief to record a few images of my neighbours, Norman and Brenda. Now the oldest and longest present residents on the street, Norman and Brenda have are moving towards their diamond wedding anniversary. Their daughters, friends of Beci, used to play in our house as kids.

The main lens used here, for the B&W, was the trusty 50mm, the one colour shot below requiring the widest lens to capture Norman and Brenda in full flow. Which image do you like best?

A3: Photo 4 – Reading

Livelee — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:46:12 +0000

Something a little different, a little uncomfortable. I had noticed the reflection of the Swansea New Library shelves and their balanced battle with the County Hall building for your attention the previous day. When I returned and approached the table this gentlemen sat down just before me, entering into the middle of my imagined composition. Initially, I was disappointed. Then he pulled out his magnifying glass and began to read the newspaper. I realised that the possible inferences the viewer could draw had increased from a comment upon the book like building to a more complex human interplay. I deliberately left a little of the blue sky in the corner to help the viewer make sense of the jumbled images and suggest something more.

A3: Photo 3 – The Path to University

Livelee — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:22:02 +0000

One bitterly cold night, just before all the snow everyone else had, I ventured out to try a little night photography in Singleton Park. I had just taken the dog for his evening stroll and had noticed mist coming off the little stream that runs along the edge of the Park and thought that it might make an interesting shot. After wrapping up I tried a few misty images (see below the main shot) before trying the path that tracks across from bedsit land to the Uni. The colours are fairly close to the reality and whilst one of the lights highlights are clipped I do like the sillouette of the tree (bare of knowledge) and the clear starry sky above. The shot was taken on tripod and long exposure and has perhaps become a little commentary upon University life.

A3: Photo 2 – Flats in Flight

Livelee — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:07:29 +0000

Continuing the Swansea Marina theme, this image is of the new ‘tallest building in Wales’: a block of flats with penthouse restaurant, the Meridian Quay Tower. I was out with friend Pete, who had recently bought a new DSLR and this image was his idea. I had my wide angle lens (Sigma DC 17-70mm, designed for the smaller sensor on my 400D) so the recorded focal length of 25mm is accurate. This helped accentuate the dramatic diagonals and effect the aeroplane wing impression that Pete had spotted. The wispy white cloud helped reinforce the deceit.

A3: Photo 1 – Santa Please?

Livelee — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:25:33 +0000

This shows one of the mobile homes that workers from Swansea’s Waterfront Winterland (an annual hideous fair with ice rink and mulled wine) live in. Located near the River Tawe as it meets the Marina, the humour in the contrast between the sign and the seeming lack of access caught my eye.

Assignment 3 – Your Neighbourhood

Livelee — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 14:53:32 +0000

The third assignment has a broad brief: ‘Your Neighbourhood’, with the suggestion that one could consider the area you live in, your family, workplace or local school. I looked up the word, not because I was unsure of the meaning, more because I have a tentative plan to approach this brief in a different manner to previous assignments and an idea for the subject.

One definition that seems broadly relevant for its interpretation here is, “A neighbourhood is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. ” Whilst I agree with the definition, it is probably true to say that the face to face interaction within my closest geographical area (the Brynmill area of Swansea) is not as regular as it perhaps once was. The area is predominately terraced housing occupied by students. There are few community places where locals would meet, save the pub and parks: the students are in the pubs and I’m in the parks – with the dog! There are a few families/locals I interact with in the area and I will include them as part of this assignment, but my neighbourhood is a much bigger area than just Brynmill.

My intention is to reflect the ‘neighbourhood’ that I frequent. The places I visit and the people I meet. This approach suggests a more diarised format would work best, building up a selection of images over time. The difference between this and previous approaches for assignments 1 and 2 is two fold. Firstly, I will be publishing images that meet the brief as they are produced. Secondly, these images will explore particular themes and styles that interest me. I am hoping that this approach will mould seemlessly into my life, allow the pursuance of techniques and approaches that interest me and support the development of my photographic style.

Then after all that, and the production of 20 or so images, I will edit them down to a final group of 12-15 images – with your help I hope.