jennawickhambaphotography

[jennawickhambaphotography]

Personal Project: Musical Therapy

For this project, I aim to develop new skills and research by creating a collection of images, based on the theme of a past project that I wish to continue further for my own personal benefit. ‘Wooden Gun’ was a phonebook produced by myself, using medium format colour film, which provides an audio and visual insight into my identity as a musician and photographer. Initially, my aim was to establish a strong emotional connection between my lyrics and the places that I feel closest to. This extension project, however, will focus on the emotional connection behind the lyrics and research closer to the psychological effect of music as a form of therapy. Previously, I studied the work of Cindy Sherman and Jo spence, who both produced a phonebook of self-portraits for their personal photo-therapy. Although I did not find the same solitude that they sought from their own work, I will analyse these again, along with mental health studies, as I document my musical therapy.

For my research, I began to explore the ways in which we choose to escape in our minds. Asking relatives and friends, it became clear that most of them find reading and sleeping more stimulating to reduce stress levels. It provides a means of escape where they can shut down for a few hours or become a different person altogether through the imagination of a book. This was the case for me, during my school years, however once I had found my own path of inspiration and joy, music then became my day-to-day therapy. In order to show this I wanted to examine my behavioural patterns during my writing process.

My first study of research involved procrastination. I tend to avoid this term, however it seems, after reading this extract, that my therapy has also become a form of passive procrastination as it is mainly a means of escape from my stress and anxieties which include studying. It also refers to personality traits which intrigued me to read further as terms like ‘extraversion’ and ‘conscientiousness’ raised questions about my own identity traits. Who we are as a person was briefly studied in my last project through ‘Civil Disobedience’ by Henry David Thoreau. The concept of being a true individual only from the understanding that we can only be our purest through independent thought. Although I have my musical influences, they never change the way in which I feel about my own lyrics. They express only the truth about myself in an attempt to relieve my anxieties.

In another section of this project, I was curious to discover the emotional connection that I have to music when shared with another person. My niece became the subject of this next phase, as I watched her interact with the guitar. Even though she does not know how to play the instrument, it lifted her interest in such a joyful activity. For children, it is the interaction that occupies their mind and having something to keep them busy so as to maintain their happiness. Examined in this way, I find this easily relatable to my own experience of playing  and furthermore it became rather therapeutic being able to share some of my songs with her as she listened. At this age, I could not expect her to read the lyrics as I would, however she seemed to pick up on the tone and pitch of each song as I had written them to reflect my mood, at the time of writing. 

Image taken by ©Bettina von Zwehl (2004)

In the same way, emotions can be heightened or even induced through the senses. Bettina Von Zwehl tests this with her project ‘Alina’, using music in a confined, dark space and capturing people’s response at the most intense part. Triggering flash adds a harsh reality to the image to reveal a vulnerability when left alone. Each is suspended in darkness and, while there is no subjection to social interaction or judgement, isolation does not remove this societal corruption but rather triggers withdrawal from it. I also went back to look over Mark Fisher’s study of mental health to analyse the modern solution to our emotional anxieties. Mark Fisher mentions in ‘Capitalist Realism’ just how it’s social system consumes and carries the population’s emotions. Simply by harnessing my emotions within imagery, I feel that I can protect myself through a form of photo-therapy and examine the vulnerability from afar. Subsequent to this, is Thoreau’s idea of the wooden gun becoming a metaphor for the unpredictable but as realistic as you can get to a sense of pure trust in a post-modern, capitalistic world. 

This is a page taken from an issue of ‘MOJO’ , which is a music magazine, and spends several pages mentioning the short-lived career of one of my musical idols. Jeff Buckley’s emotional pain comes across strongly in his music and I feel that I can relate to the artist because of this. Reading through this magazine also gave me an insight into the music industry and how, even though I believe it to be my form of therapy, it becomes a life-long agony for others. Media is inescapable, particularly online, simply because it is always going to be there. For myself, this is closely associated with college because of the pressure we are subjected to for our physical appearance. Subsequently, in order to understand my own identity as a musician, it is necessary to view the lives of others using the same personality traits from the earlier study of procrastination.

In comparison to my previous project, I feel that I have delved a lot deeper into how my mind works as an individual through transcendentalism and provided a means of short-term therapy for myself as I have tried to understand which method works best for my personality traits. Although I would not like to conclude this extended project here as, for my own personal benefit, I feel I would be leaving it unresolved. To improve beyond this, I would like to examine more musical artists in-depth in an effort to find a link between music and mental state. 

[jennawickhambaphotography]

Vintage Car Commission 13/05/17

For my latest photographic commission, I was given the task of photographing a vintage car on location. Firstly, I knew that my motorbike photography research would become very useful for this photoshoot as well, since it would require the same wide-angle frame and would be more suited to a lower-level composition. Richard Pardon was a photographer that I found during my online research, who manipulates the lighting in his images to grab the viewers attention and shows experience in Photoshop with applying a CGI backdrop.

Richard Pardon website link: http://richardpardon.co.uk/caterham7160

 When I found out that the preferred location to park the vehicle was Fort Purbrook, I knew that there would be a few risks to think about when vehicles are coming in and out of the car park. Again I applied the same level of thought to how I would go about this issue and came up with the conclusion that to reduce the risk of collision with a car, we would visit the location on a day when the main Fort was closed. This meant that the car park would be empty and the car would also not blend into its surroundings.

Deciding not to use external flash for this photoshoot was a choice I made based on my experience with getting the right exposure. Whereas with the motorbike shoot, the subject was much darker with a smaller surface for light to reflect, this car’s bonnet has a larger surface area with a lighter coloured metal that light is caught on. Flash, I realised, would only overexpose the car’s paint and remove the fine detail from the image. I also began to develop my Photoshop skills by watching tutorials on how to cover a number plate. Considering a few weeks ago I was unfamiliar with anything other than the basic manipulation, I feel that I have achieved beyond a basic skill by being able to make these images fit for the public view. Removing the plate is the best idea when you don't want the car to be identifiable, particularly when it is a private commission or even commercial (when brands or logos must sometimes be removed as well).

Overall, from this commission, I feel a lot more confident with my use of Photoshop and using Lightroom to touch up on white balance, contrast and exposure. Working with cars and motorbikes has also challenged me to work with change in exposure and reducing glare when certain areas appear lighter than others.

[jennawickhambaphotography]

Horse Portraits 05/05/17

For another commission, I was approached to take photographs for a work colleague. Her horse, ‘Moon’, would be the subject of these images and I was tasked with capturing her by the stables where she sleeps. My research led me to discover the street documentary photography of Felix Lupa, where one image of a horse is at such an odd angle that it looks rather uncanny. The angle of perception is very intimate, showing that he had the trust of the horse, but also creates a strong and attractive contrast in depth of field and in tone.

At first, I felt that compositionally the photographs were not as creative and intimate as my ‘Puppy Portraits’. To solve this issue, I had to understand why I felt nervous around her. Firstly, I had never been within touching distance of a fully grown mare so being nervous around the horse would certainly affect her behaviour towards me and the camera. Before the shoot, I also had to think about the location and the condition of the ground as we would be walking across fields and country lanes. Wearing correct, suitable footwear was one decision that I made to ensure that I would be reducing any slip hazards and protecting my feet from rough stone/brick lying around or sticking out of the ground.

In particular, I found this photoshoot most challenging because of the unpredictable behaviour of the horse. I had to move around her, not the other way around. Having used a wide-angle lens with Animal Documentary before to capture a fast-moving subject in the set frame, in this case it was more beneficial for composing the subject appropriately within the wider landscape. I avoided using the crop tool in Photoshop during manipulation, to retain the wide framed images that I had taken, so that the compositional strength was not lost post-editing. 

However, noticeable cropping was used on this second photograph to create the illusion of a wider frame. As the horse is caught in a gallop, it seems appropriate to create more distance between the subject and the horizon line. Another effect used on this selection of images was an increase in the clarity. It adds depth and detail to the horse’s coat and brings out the eyes, when in focus, however this desired effect does not work the same on a human subject. Diversely to animals, if used too much, higher clarity adds age to the skin and darkens the contrast of skin colour. 

After the photoshoot, I was also offered the chance to come back and take more photographs of Moon which is a great opportunity to possibly capture a different side to the horse when she is more energetic. This will provide a new challenge of being able to shoot a fast-moving subject that is much more unpredictable in its behaviour and direction.

[jennawickhambaphotography]

Puppy Portraits 10/05/17

In past experience, I have always found pleasure in photographing animals mostly because what I capture is always so natural, in a documentary style. However this will be another challenging commission for me, as it will involve a fast-moving subject and an almost certainly unpredictable outcome. By recollecting my personal interactions with animals and children, I will set out to expand my skills in this style of photography. On my third commission, a friend of mine approached me to produce a collection of photographs of her puppy called Elvis. Instantly, my inspiration came to mind. Elliott Erwitt’s collection of dog portraits have always stood out to me, being a unique and close-up perspective of an animal. This intimacy is what I hope to portray in my photographs that I produce and provoke deep emotion in the viewer that we associate with longing and love. 

Firstly I knew that I would need a wide-angle lens, simply because it was obvious that the puppy would not stay put. A wider frame allows me to capture the shot with less movement on my side of the camera, reducing the risk of motion blur. Using a much faster shutter speed (around 1/1000) I was able to avoid this further on the dog’s part. 

When photographing animals, I find it best to use a small aperture to create an intimate depth of field. The soft focus adds detail to the subject and brings the visual attention forward. Visibly, in these selected images, the low-level shots achieve a stronger composition however this became slightly distracting for the subject as my camera became a new toy. Arguably, it did make for an interesting collection of photographs and gave me more control in the puppy’s response however he became a trip hazard. Avoiding this was only possible by having to constantly be aware of his position and body language.

Similarly with humans, it becomes all about how to gain trust of the dog. My knowledge of people skills had taught me to keep a conversation flowing to allow for a more natural stance from the subject. Although it felt slightly odd, it seemed to help Elvis pose calmly as I spent more time with him, which largely reduced the risk of me tripping over.

Overall, I feel that this commission helped me to realise that the close contact with a client/subject is what I find most rewarding because it creates a personal relationship allowing for a relaxed yet professional experience. Even though it is a genre I have ventured into before, Animal Documentary provides a challenging learning curve to help you make quicker decisions. 

[jennawickhambaphotography]

Motorbike Commission 1/05/17

For this commission, I was asked to produce several good-quality photographs of my friends motorbike for his own personal use. I knew that this would require more thought since I had never worked with vehicles before and it can become quite challenging to capture the perfect shot with the materials concerned. With this in mind, I did some research before the shoot on how best to photograph motorbikes. Mostly, I found examples of images where the subject matter had been composed dramatically and shot from ground level to emphasise the appeal of a motorbike being a somewhat thrilling and empowering experience. As well as this, it became clear that flash and a smaller aperture are what truly make a motorbike stand out in the frame. 

I suggested the placement of the bike, in this particular location, because of the aesthetic backdrop and I knew that the vast spread of black tones would not be lost in the background. During the editing stage, while trying to enhance the dramatic look, I tried to remind myself to keep the enhancements simple from a professional point of view and for the style of shot that was commissioned. An over-edited image would not have been realistic in this circumstance. 

Using the external flash up-close to the subject became a challenge because glare was produced. I tried to resolve this issue by tilting the flash slightly upwards which seemed to reduce this significantly without completely removing that shiny, aesthetic quality from the motorbike. 

In terms of risk analysis, I made sure beforehand that the bike would be off-road and away from any moving vehicles on location. Being in a car park, for myself, meant that I would have to take care where I was positioned as to avoid walking out in front of any moving vehicle. I would stay close to the subject as I examine the best way to compose each image while checking my surroundings whenever I move around, to avoid a collision. 

From taking on this commission, what I enjoyed most was being able to try something different. In addition to my targeted research, I feel that the digital manipulation process also helped to develop new skills involving flash and exposure control and gaining the knowledge of capturing a subject’s assets to a professional standard.

[jennawickhambaphotography]

Wedding Photographer Assistant  14/04/17

On 14th April 2017, for my work experience module, I was able to assist in taking photographs for a wedding. Despite having only been introduced to the couple on their big day, it gave me a strong insight into what it would be like to work with unfamiliar faces. Beforehand, I was invited along to a small, informal meeting with the photographer, Kevin Wilkins, whom I would be assisting. During this, we discussed the possible photograph opportunities, room layout and the time schedule for the day. I also had a chance to ask any relevant questions such as whether I would need an external flash or the suitability of my camera equipment for the venue. 

After the meeting, I did some independent research on wedding photography, having been informed of what the couple expected in terms of photographs. The style of imagery that I began to find relevant is very simple, yet elegant, which is what I found with David Jones’ photography. His strong use of colour and portraiture expertise have provided him with a unique perspective on his commissions. I would like to be able to capture this same effect while using flash and post-editing in Photoshop to fix any white balance issues and perfect the colour hue.

David Jones website link: https://davidjonesphotography.com/m1s3ti6dnx0j4jjis9ll403pttywoo

My experience of taking on the role of assistant photographer was extremely beneficial to me as a photographer. Having worked with a client that I was not familiar with, gave me the chance to build my social skills and professionalism. At the start of the day, I began capturing photographs of the bride and her bridesmaids while doing their hair and makeup. Shortly after, as the groom arrived, I was left alone with the important task of photographing the bouquet and dress before and after it was put on. It became the perfect opportunity to make conversation and make them feel comfortable with a stranger in the room. By using flash, I learnt a new way to control the low light in the room without a harsh exposure. Pointing the flash up at the white ceiling, it would bounce back onto the subject and provide a soft, round light suitable for capturing a portrait.

One of the hazards that I had to overcome was being able to work in an environment where there are small children playing nearby. For this risk, however, the action to take would be using further caution when moving around to avoid accidents. Another precautionary measure that I took, was to not use a tripod because it would have been a major trip hazard with such a large congregation of people. Instead, I compensated for this by increasing the shutter speed and utilising the external flash as much as possible.

I spent several days editing and digitally manipulating the raw files from the wedding, from which I found myself applying the correct white balance to remove the harsh blue tones from the flash, and sharpening the images afterwards. Once I had adjusted the contrast and exposure accordingly, I sent a few to Kevin to check that they were of professional-quality. We then met up a week later to look through each other’s photographs and see where we could improve upon them. From having these short sessions with Kevin it meant that, while I was experiencing a new photographic genre, I was also receiving constructive feedback on my images to then develop in Photoshop/Lightroom. I feel that this short-term work experience has enabled me to not only gain more confidence with commissioned work but also understand what makes Wedding Photography so challenging (and rewarding). Recently, from this commission, I have also been offered the chance to take some family portraits for the wedded couple’s family and head shots for a modelling portfolio.