Week 10
I shouldn't abuse my new found blog powers for film critique, but having re-watched all six Star Wars films over the past week I feel I must share my feelings on the cinematic kick in the nuts that was, well, all of it. This would normally be the point to adequately sum up the film in a suitably sarcastic derogatory 'two-word' manner, such as; "It was crap. Two words: Anakin Skywalker". But it doesn't work for two reasons. 1) I need WAY more than two words to highlight what was so unacceptably dire, and 2) It doesn't work when you say "It was crap. 4 paragraphs..". The only person displaying a shred of acting talent in SIX FILMS was Liam Neeson, at the beginning, before he dies. You can tell Luke Skywalker is Anakin Skywalkers son before they're even introduced. Why? Because they're both whiny little bitches! The entire 2nd and 3rd films were Anakin throwing his toys out of the Pram, whilst the 4th and 5th were Luke doing the same. Only in the 6th did Luke seem to gain a little composure. They both also manage to drag out the two worst "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" scenes in the history of cinema. Nine people died during the making of the Exorcist I'm lead to believe, in an unfortunate accident. Nine people should have died during the making of Star Wars, George Lucas and the 8 main cast members sans Liam Neeson. Starting with Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman.
If you don't remember this gold nugget,
Anakin: "You are so beautiful."
Padme: "It's only because I'm so in love with you."
Anakin: "No, it's because I'm so in love with you."
The sickening part is not only was someone paid to write it, but that was shot, reshot, edited together, sold, and not ONE person stopped and said "Guys, is this not a bit shit?". The speed at which they fall in love after Padme basically telling him in no uncertain terms to go f**k himself is astonishing! "CRAP! Guys!!! We're running out of film and we've just filmed Padme telling him no for the fourth time.. They should be falling in love already!".
Another pretty amazing transition is how pedestrian the Jedi/Sith are in the last 3 films. This isn't so much a fault of the last 3 films, more George Lucas going WAY over the top with the first 3 films, but you hit the 4th and suddenly anyone wielding a light sabre moves with the speed of a large lazy St Bernard. In the first 3 you genuinely believed nothing could stop a Jedi, bar another Jedi-esque character, and even then a good old fight would ensue first (Well, apart from the bit they go to arrest S.Chancellor Palpatine/Lord Sideous and he kills 3 Jedi masters without so much as a 'En Guard!" - Naturally Samuel L then proceeds to whoop his ass - Until Anakin turns into a whiny bitch again). I'm pretty sure my gran could have taken down Darth Vader with her golf clubs.
The first 3 films reek of convenience. The story needed more than 3 films to properly develop but that just isn't Hollywood so they grabbed a VacBag and crammed it all in there anyway. The last 3 films reek of age. They're better, but only because to be worse than the first 3 you would have had to pay for your cinema ticket and receive a slap in the face instead.
Week 9
Since my last blog post on Facebook groups I'm certain they've been popping up in conversation a lot more than usual. Maybe I have an unknown knack of spotting social trends. Amusing ones since the last blog post include, 'Indeed, your point is rather well substantiated. However, your mum.', '"Can I have a coke?" "Is Pepsi alright?" "Is Monopoly money alright?"' and one I would love to quote but can't due to slightly sexist content. My tutor will be reading this after all. It involves Twilight and bacon sandwiches. Many thanks to Mr Ogden for hanging in there and actually accepting all the group requests.
This post shall include a few of my influences for upcoming projects. I find the subject of influences an interesting one, you have to be very careful you don't turn it into plain ripping off.
For your consideration;
http://www.aorta.se/ - Heavily retouched cinematic fashion editorials + personal work + ad campaigns. Gorgeous lighting and super slick.
http://www.giulianobekor.com/fashion/01/index.html - A lot of work on this site. Fashion book 1, 4, 8 and 10 are my favourites.
http://www.kristianschuller.com/ - The Edge of Reason, 125 Magazine, p194-209 is just bloody brilliant. The whole site is just chock full of ludicrously amazing stuff.
Aorta
My next project will be an editorial on the Theory of Gaia. A few ideas tumbling about in the old brain box but nothing substantial, watch this space. I'm also embarking into the world of video so hopefully there will be something to post up soon. A friend and I were musing on our missed opportunity the other day, having had the 5DMKII from release the video feature at the time was still in it's infancy. It has since exploded into a whole new scene, with amazing movies made with them, and a whole line of products created to support the system. I'm sure there was a chance to make some money in there somewhere!
Week 8
2.5 is not an 8th. According to a recent study performed by me looking at my Facebook homepage. A group has been created to (You really couldn't make this up) highlight the downright rotten practices of local drug dealers (The scoundrels!). Reading the comments posted it's no surprise the classification of marijuana was raised; it makes you thick.
The group description gives you an accurate idea where this is going:
"its a rip offf should be 3.5 what the f**k is going on".
If the police ever wanted easy pickings for possession, Facebook provides.
"excuses!! u customers fink us shottas gt it easy!! its gone up 5bills a bar in the last 4 years... so every year the size has to go down... u lot js love 2 moann lol"
I presume he's a dealer. Evidently not a massively smart one.
Enough of the social mockery. Onto the photos. The crit for Digital Imaging and Studio Practice (Longhand for Photoshopping shi*t) went well. Very well really. Here is the image I submitted for the theme 'Incongruous'. The initial idea was a light-hearted poke at the expansion of speed camera programs and ever lowered speed limits. A speed camera making it's way into the countryside and flashing a stationary cow. Unfortunately something had to be shot in the studio to fulfil the brief, which is where the farmer came in. More unfortunate was the farmer watering down the message, which was really the only negative from the crit. Still, he has a gun. It's all good.
Click for a bigger image.
A quick rundown of how the image was created. And I do mean quick. Most of the important little steps have been removed for sanities sake.
1) The photograph of the cow was the basis for the project. To get the pool of light for the speed camera I had my assistant stand in shot with a flashgun in the same place I wanted to add the speed camera. Pointing the flashgun at the cow at height (Approx speed camera-ish) gave me the lighting for the final piece.
2) The shot of the speed camera was simple. Keeping the same focal length (35mm approx) for correct distortion I placed the speed camera in the same part of the frame (Though on the opposite side due to driving on the left in the UK) as the standing assistant. This kept the perspective true for easy cut-out/drop-in to the main picture.
3) The shot of the farmer was taken in the studio. Setting up a strobe with a medium reflector bare and hard to best match the light created by the flash gun, on a stand flashing in the same direction & height. Again, by using the same focal length and good placement I knew the perspective would be correct.
4) First post-production step was to remove the man for a bare canvas to work with. This didn't have to be perfect as the speed camera would cover up some of the rough edges. I made the cow 20% bigger (It wasn't fully grown according to the farmer) for a little more presence.
5) Next I cut out the speed camera and dropped it into the main image. Flipping it to get it pointing the right way. This needed a lot of darkening as it was now technically sat in shadow. I added a touch of blur for it to fit in with the depth of field. A grass overlay for the bottom of the post made it look part of the landscape.
6) Cutting out the farmer was a little trickier than the speed camera, but merging him into the photograph even more so. As he was stood in the light there was no darkness to cover mistakes. He now had to cast a shadow on the ground and the foliage behind him (Exposure adjustment layer + Wacom + One badass layer mask). He also needed some curves to adjust the tone more in-fitting with the overall image. Finally some grass overlay on his boots to make him look like he's stood in the field.
7) Lastly I added some rain. It was raining in the original image but not so much that it was a dominating aspect. This was merely a taste decision and I felt the added atmosphere was worthwhile.
So there you have it. One DISP project. If I get round to it (Or if anyone asks) I'l post up the original images used to create it.
Edit: Figured it was better to add the 3 files as little thumbs at the bottom of the picture. Updated.
Second Edit: The downsampling has created a slight white halo around the cow and farmer. I'm not going to remove it but just to confirm that's not dodgy cutting out!
Week 7
Ahoy!
A tone far too upbeat for my current mood I'm afraid to say. Back in Bournemouth after a long and arduous journey from Manchester where (I kid you not), a passenger thought it suitable to change his kids nappy and trousers on the seat next to me, despite Virgin providing suitable nappy changing facilities IN THE TOILETS. Loud kids, a jobs worth bus driver, and a Tesco's cash machine failing to perform it's one single duty killing any last hope I had this evening of a Chinese takeaway. Sufficed to say, I'm perhaps not quite as upbeat as I was this morning.
On the upside tomorrow I return to University.
I've not shot anything over the Christmas holidays due to DIY commitments previously mentioned, and a few other Snow related incidents hammering transportation and the like. However I would like to point out that despite the Snow being disruptive in nature, there is no need to call it, and I quote the Metro front page, "The worst weather in 30 years". Worst weather my eye, this is the best we've had in ages. No other weather sparks such good will to your fellow man. Few public gatherings are as much fun and high spirited as sledging either.
Photography! http://cyanatrendland.com/2009/12/17/ulrich-hartmann-photography/ Here. Beauuuutiful.
I've also been playing with some Hasselblad H3D-39 files with their tethering/RAW developing program Phocus. The interface is a touch gimmicky in places and some parts aren't as blindingly obvious as C1, but in many respects there are only so many ways to create a RAW developing program. If you've used one you can often blunder your way through them all. The files though.. Phew! 39mp works out at a rather generous 7216 x 5416px, not far off on the short side what my 5D2 puts out on the long side! Needless to say they're mightily impressive. The detail is much of a muchness. I'm unsure what use I would have for that sheer amount of resolution, but the DR and shadow detail is where it's at. I'm not about to give up the handling and speed of my DSLR, but give me that depth in my Canon please!
I shall post some more of my own work up tomorrow after the Crit. Huzzah!
Week 6
Now this week it is. Just.
This is my NYE resolution post. Aims and whatnot for the year ahead. And hopefully even a little inspiration for some of your own.
1. Don't start smoking. So in a years time I don't have to roll out the same old bored tiring "Quit smoking" NYE resolution. Has anyone in the history of time ever genuinely given up smoking because of this?
2. Get my foot in the door of a photographer for whom I hold a great deal of genuine interest and admiration.
3. Scrap my current website.
4. Create brand image for new business and actually set the damn thing up.
5. Take as many steps as possible toward creating a functioning commercial photographic business. Make smart investments for products that will actually aid my work, not just things I think it would be neat to have.
6. Learn to play the piano. Because I'm pretty happy where I'm at with the guitar.
It's all pretty standard stuff I guess, no revelations. Maybe you've just remembered what you've been meaning to do and haven’t (Yes, you should commit and buy that new camera!).
Hope you've all made some good resolutions and best of luck in achieving them!
Week 5
It's not. But for the sake of simple formatting we're just going to have to let that one go. We've had Christmas and New Year, and I've been at home/travelling about without a computer for the lot of it.. Posting blogs isn't the most fun from a phone so I've refrained until at a proper keyboard with a screen larger than 3.5 inches.
So, Hope you all had a Merry Christmas 
And I wish everyone a happy new year. I tried to send a text out to some of my nearest and dearest on NYE and was told on 4 separate occasions the message failed to send. Turned out it hadn't failed, so rather than receive messages back of good will and happiness, All I received was a flurry of "Stop sending me the same message 4 times, you idiot!". Nevertheless, I've been fortunate enough to see almost all of my family over the festive break, and now I've had my rest I can't wait to get back and start studying again (Gods honest truth! Not sure I've ever been excited returning to education).
Alas we're hitting the ground running, landing straight back into a Crit for our Digital Imaging Studio Practice project (We just call it DISP). I'll post the image I'm submitting when I'm back at my computer. Either way I put a lot of effort into it, and it's turned out pretty good. And unlike our Tech Workshops project this image was subject to a little more creative input.
On a more general note, never agree to fit laminate flooring yourself. It's a royal pain in the ass. Even more so when you're doing it for steak and ham.
This week I have learnt: Profiteroles are good.
Week 4
We're done!
As of approximately 1:00pm today, the final FDA Commercial Photography students left for Christmas. An adequate time for reflection on my first term at AUCB.
I think I can speak for most of us in saying we've had quite a ball. It's undoubtedly daunting at first but everyone already seems to be treating the place like a second home. Feet on the sofas. It's not all been plain sailing but we've hardly had to fight the system the whole way either (On which note, make sure you buy your copy of Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the name of, for Christmas number one!)
It's been interesting to see everyone's work coming in and out of the darkrooms and digital suite. Some familiar with film, digital, both. Unfortunately due to the strict requirements of image content our first Crit didn't exactly display a varied selection of images. I'm hoping with the following units after Christmas and subsequently our self written briefs we'll see a far more personal voice emerging in everyone's work.
Something I think we'll certainly be seeing after Christmas is the class-wide transition to digital. Using film was a requirement of the unit past, and given a choice I've not spoken to anyone who wouldn't side with technology. Choosing to further their knowledge of Photoshop in lieu of the darkrooms.. Sensible move. We are practicing commercial photography students, after all.
I even managed to enjoy a unit on Photographic Visual Culture! Trust me, you're more likely to see the Pope disband the Church for Science.
That covers the work. Half (Okay not half) the point of University nowadays is to meet new people. Potentially the same people you'll be leading the industry with (And competing against) in the years to come. And I really have met some corkers. Arts universities definitely attract a certain type of person. Mulling around the darkrooms and studios you're never more than 10 seconds away from a conversation with a stranger. It's a fantastically friendly place.
So now I've cleaned my flat, I'm packing up and travelling (On a 5 hour 30 minute train journey) home. Hopefully to be greeted by a good friend and a KFC. What more could one ask for.
I'l save Christmas talk for next weeks blog!
Week 3
And we're still here!
As far as I'm aware, the majority of Universities ceased trading this Friday past. Leading to the inevitable abundance of shrill cries from everyone I know not studying at AUCB, "You've not finished yet?!". Well no, I haven't, and frankly, good.
RANT WARNING - If you hate people moaning on the Internet, please skip to "Moving swiftly on.."
It seems every students aim in life, from pre-school to University, continued on through working adulthood to retirement, is to milk as much time off from whatever they should be doing as possible. Through compulsory education I completely understand, I do. You're young (I still am), forced to arise at 7:30 every morning to go somewhere you don't want too, to learn a myriad of skills you truely believe you'll have no use for upon your departure from whatever establishment you have to attend. It especially sucks if you attend somewhere that takes the Governments recommended guidelines for hours of Physical Education per week and doubles it (Unless you happen to attend a School where extreme sports are part of the curriculum, answers in the comments if you did!).
Now you've left school. You've chosen to carry on into further education and gain some A levels, perhaps a BTEC. Well done. The real gem is that this is all still free (to you). So many people transition from Year 11 into lower sixth form without so much as a hiccup and a long summer holiday. By this point you wouldn't be blamed for thinking all education was an easy financial ride.
But now you've done your AS levels and you're thinking about University. The big league. More biscuits than you can possibly imagine.
Given your current experience of the educational system - and the level of detachment you, as a student, have from the financial preceedings soon to follow - you rarely have to worry about the cost of it! Let me make one thing Evian water clear..
UNIVERSITY COSTS YOU MONEY!
I'm not talking about the money your parents pay in compulsory tax to cover your education, or the money you'll pay in compulsory tax to cover your childrens. I'm talking about money you will choose to accept from the Government to pay for your course, which like every other loan, you have to pay back. You are paying a University to provide you with a service, and by sending you away for as much of the year as possible it potentially limits the bang for buck you're receiving on your education. You want the chance to be there as much as possible, not on holiday!
Would you pay £3.3k to own a car to be told you can only drive it for 25 weeks of the year? Whist your friend who opted for something else gets to drive it for 30? Thought not.
Fear not, that should hopefully be my last OAP routine for 2009.
Moving swiftly on, I recently stumbled upon some video interviews that are well worth a watch, featuring amongst others no other than Solve Sundsbo and Tim Walker.
http://www.showstudio.com/project/infashion
Many of their photos grace my wall, and are both absolutely fantastic, inspirational photographers.
Personal work this week has been relegated largely to typing and Photoshop. I'm just racking my brains for something to show you.
Nothing is coming up. Instead, a particularly beautiful image of Coca Rocha, by Tim Walker.
http://foe.blog.so-net.ne.jp/_images/blog/_494/foe/coco-rocha-by-tim-walker-for-vogue-uk-5.jpg
Aha, something just came up. The night before last I attended a party. Upon my return home I was advised to start watching the LIFE series on BBC iPlayer, narrated by David Attenborough. As we're all well aware, you never turn down a David Attenborough documentary, and this is no less amazing than any of his others. Unfortunately this took me till roughly 4:30am, by which point I decided it would simply be best to stay up and take photos of the sunrise. One short trip to the beach later and I was contently freezing my fingers off in the darkness. As the title of the blog is Seaside Student, I thought it only too apt to show you the seaside near which I reside.
Unfortunately the stiching didn't work terribly well, and I apologise for the size (The original image is 36849x5223, which is 183.55mp - A little too big for blogging).. Oh and I didn't account for wave movements so they're all half cock. I'l do this again properly with a heavy ND filter and some smooth water. Due to width limitations of my blog that also isn't the whole image. Click here if you would like to see it.
If you're not doing so already, get into the Christmas spirit! You miserly git!
Week 2
"Imagine your worst nightmare. Your mum, your sister, your girlfriend, all leave you for the same man.. And you still quite like him.. The handsome swine! It's Michael Bublé!" - Dermot O'Leary, Never Mind the Buzzcocks.
Someone that's been popping up on my playlists quite a lot in the past week, and I must say, it's fantastic. Now we're into December and the Christmas cheer is kicking in, the red cups are at Starbucks, the German Christmas markets are in town (Of which Manchester boasts the best - Bournemouth possibly the worst). A bit of Bublé is just what you need to kickstart the festive season.
Happy music is all the more important when spending most of your waking hours in the darkrooms, too. Genuinely depressing places. Light, dark, light, dark, ad nauseam. I admit, I'm a digital kid. I was born far too late to hold a genuine interest in developer, stop bath or fix. Negatives infuriate me, or more, their delicate nature. And all the waiting around is an accident waiting to happen. There is one thing however, you cannot beat about film (Other than it's highlight retention). Providing you're willing to give into it. Acceptance. Or perhaps more accurately, lowered standards. (Or maybe we have unachievable standards with digital? Oooo!)
Whilst the odd print comes out where I'm literally climbing the walls to just take a spot heal brush to it, there is a definite quality of accepting the idiosyncrasies of negatives and prints you simply wouldn't stand for with digital. You could spend the next 3 hours in Photoshop causing more harm than good, or you could step back from your nice C-type print, warts and all, and just think "You know what, not bad. Not bad at all.". This generally doesn't stop me being any less pissed off when a perfectly good photo is ruined by a problem with the emulsion, though.
And you still can't really beat 5x4 transparency. Except with maybe 10x8 transparency.
Will I be saying goodbye to film and back into the arms of my beloved 5DMKII after Christmas? Probably. Will I miss it? Certainly.
So, in the spirit, a photo, Fuji Pro 160S, Hassleblad 501, printed on Kodak Endura (Excuse the colour, it's just a snap taken of the print)
Film on people!
Week 1
Crickey, Sunday! See, useless blogger.
In my defense, I have been busy. In the last week I have:
Traveled from Bournemouth to London,
Shot some portraits,
Traveled back.
Spent 10 hours in the darkroom.
Realised the negatives were crap.
Missed my train.
Traveled back to London (Not on my train)
Shot some more.
Traveled to Manchester.
Shot Laura. (Photographic sense)
Shot a bull. (Still in the photographic sense)
Traveled to Edinburgh.
Collected new 30" Monitor.
Traveled back to Manchester.
Got a take away.
Wrote a blog.
And on Monday I'll travel back down to London for about 4 hours, then travel back to Bournemouth in time for tea.
Furthermore, to top it off, the house I call home has decided to go it alone. The previous occupants (myself included) appear to have abandoned ship. So now it's a cold building with an empty fridge. I thought when you go to University your mother sits at home poking the fire for when, once in a blue moon, you return home? The Virgin Pendolino was substantially warmer than my old room.
Since 1am Saturday morning I've been in a car for 547.1 miles in total.
I feel some slack may be cut.
Travel, travel, travel, travel. (Somewhere in there I did fit in a shoot with a wind machine and some chiffon, but I'm honestly not sure where)
As at this very moment I have no new photograph of my own to upload, you should check out the photos from this person instead. My cultural insight for the week, Miru Kim. Courtesy of Min.
http://www.mirukim.com/nakedcityspleen/malt.html