023 - Vitali

Massimo Vitali

“My photography comes from absolute matter-of-fact situations but also from a deep curiosity that I possess for people, for what they do and how they think.”

This photo is one that I keep going back to, every time I do I find something new. Another character, another moment. Capturing moments is something photographer's do, that's something regularly said, but Massimo Vitali is managing to capture hundreds of moments, countless interaction's between the characters in his images. Yet the way he composes the image is such that all of the moments come together, forming a greater depth to the image. You can view it from a distance and it's an amazing photograph, or you can get right up close and get lost in it. I say this in the nicest possible way, but his work reminds me of a where's wally poster. This screenshot does no justice to the detail, you have to visit his site and explore. Some of the images have a magnifying glass, these are the ones you'll get lost in.

http://www.massimovitali.com/

022 - Photographer

David Guttenfelder

This isn't the kind of work I normally look at, but it's increasingly becoming the work that interest me the most. I know it's not new work but today I came across David Guttenfelder's Iphone images, which are truly amazing. Some of his more traditional work is below.

(AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

(AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

(AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

021 - Photo

Project complete.

Finishing the project is the easy bit, being happy with it is a totally different challenge.

I just think it lacks the quality/advertising feel than the other one. Deadlines forced a fairly rushed idea/shoot, it's just disheartening when I produce something of not a high enough quality, but the time limit stops me from being able to re-shoot or even come up with a decent idea.

020 - I hate afro.

I hate afro.

Well, maybe not hate. But there is no chance of me cutting one out again.

019 - Shoot

I don't think I can say much else!

Perfect blue skies today so off to shoot the location part of this project.

018 - Photographer

Thomas Prior

Blackrock Tower, a brilliant series from Thomas Prior.

http://www.thomasprior.com/photo.php?nCatID=27&nPID=334

017 - Photographer

Michael Levin

I've been loving shooting 5x4 recently, and this guy is incredible.

©Michael Levin

©Michael Levin

His website seriously needs to be checked out!

016 - Photo

I've taken a photo

Something which, for a photography student, shouldn't be surprising. Yet when the act of taking a photo reminds me of so much, it's become hard to even consider shooting. Now it feels like a turning point has been reached, all the inspiration and ideas I've had are starting to come forward, blocked only by deadlines and finance. Which just happen to be major considerations.

The limiting factor of in-productiveness is that as the work approaches and passes the deadline, another project is set. The last month where I've had 5 simultaneous projects hasn't been the best, but arguably it's been the most important. I finished the essay unit successfully, and now awaiting the marks for a digital imaging unit. It could be that the threat of having to leave uni is one that forced me into working, working hard at that or maybe I have reached that point when the past becomes something which, instead of holding me back, is now pushing me forward. So watch out, I've got catching up to do.

Chairman

015 - New York

New York

In 2 hours I will be leaving my little house in Bournemouth and flying to New York. My first time out of Europe and I'm going to spend it with Platon, Phillip Toledano and Chris Verne. Which more than makes up for the fact I'll be arriving at my hotel at 0130 GMT.

As well as that, I'll be doing a shoot for Criminal Clothing. I can only hope I can get some time to go off, explore and get some shots. It's been a long time since I have.

See you all in a week.

014 - Published

YEAH cover shoot

This morning YEAH released an image of latest magazine which I shot the cover for.

As soon as I saw my photo like this I suddenly went from not liking the project to it being one of my favourite pieces of work. Which I suppose reinforces the point that the output of photography is vital to the way it's read. A point that had been brought up a lot recently at uni in essays and presentations, but what I have missed is that the context will change the visual power of the image. I think a major aspect of the original shoot that I didn't like was the large portion of negative space at the top of the image. It's only been cropped a little, but now that the title is there I think it add's to the image. Or, at least covers the part that detracts from the image!

But I'm proud. It's been a new genre, a new style and a new context. I think it's gone well

Magazine is out on the 15th Feb. Can't wait!

013 - Shoot

YEAH cover shoot

Today I was in the studio for, well, my first ever portrait shoot. Up until now I haven't shy'd away from the studio, but I've avoided photographing people. I suppose that's part of the reason I came to Bournemouth, to learn new things, expand my abilities. When YEAH Magazine asked me to shoot the front and back cover for the next issue, with a theme of 'Girls and Boys', I jumped at it.

I first got some great inspiration from Edward Weston's classic nudes, as well as Andreas Bitesnich, who I discovered through this page of amazing images. The idea began as having two models (a girl and boy) shot nude, one facing away from the camera, and one towards. Then reversing the directions for the back cover. However, with a last minute drop out from a model I had to change things around. Unable to find a nude model in 6 hours I pulled in the housemates. But as they were uncomfortable with being photographed naked I had to rethink the shoot. So I decided to try and create a bed scene within the studio, quickly realising the difficulty of lighting 2 models on a white floor with white linen. The differences between the front and back cover transferred to having one model turned over/asleep whilst the other was awake.

It was actually a really good, fun shoot. I got lucky with my housemates actually turning out to be pretty great in front of the camera. Now I have the next 20 hours to edit the shots and get them over to YEAH HQ. But here's a behind the scenes look of my feet and the lovely Camilla:

http://yeah-magazine.blogspot.com/

http://www.bitesnich.com/

012 - Essay

Why People Photograph - Robert Adams

After a new year break I've managed to be the only one of my housemates to come back to Bournemouth so early, perfect excuse to pick up with my essay. Surrounded by 5 different open books and about 10 tabs of online research I found a brilliant piece in Robert Adams' Why People Photograph, as he discusses artists' reluctance to write about their own work:

'...photographers, like all artists, choose their medium because it allows them the most fully truthful expression of their vision. Other ways are relatively imprecise and incomplete. Why try the other ways? As Charles Demuth said, "I have been urged . . . to write about my paintings . . . Why? Haven't I, in a way, painted them?" Or as Robert Frost told a person who asked him what one of his poems meant, "You want me to say it worse?"'

An extract which I feel may not excuse my inability to explain my work, but it sure does give a good reason not to. But it's certainly a target of mine to work on. My photography has always failed academically due to my reluctance to discuss and explain the thought processes in my work and my general omittance of them.