Creating a range of sequences in order to find the best lay out, order and colours. The sequence below is focusing simply on the portraits and people I looked at with my photography assignment.I tried to place photographs next to each other that related for example the first three are all street perspective photos that capture movement. Editing my imagery with a higher saturation to see how colour vibrancy affects the photographs.5/19/2014
I don't think for my subject matter that a strong saturation would be appropriate for trying to communicate the slightly depressing honesty, I discovered about this group of almost displaced people. In a way I like having some colour in the photographs because the problem and history of homelessness is not just a black and white issue but very complex. I also feel that colour is more associated typically with a youthful energy, where the age group i focused on was typical of 35 and up. Although it was also very clear that these people in this position all have had a very colourful past and background so maybe yo I have narrowed down my photographs to the ones I feel have a certain depth in theme, are the most aesthetic and communicate something both in the individual photographs and as a group of imagery. This series have been edited to black and white, as I noticed by looking into social documentary photography, is a popular visual aspect through many photographers work. Converting images to grey scale and adjusting contrast, blacks, clarity and shadows to find the most affective look, to show
Anthony- After my last class I decided I needed to get over the fear of going and approaching those living on the streets. On my walk home I saw a man I recognised from being around Newtown quite a bit. He was sitting outside New World opposite Macdonalds. I Decided I would go and buy some food, take it over and see if he would be happy to talk to me so i could see how things were from his perspective. I ended up sitting with him for about 15 minutes, talking, and he let me take some photos. “Hi, are you hungry?” “Um yea, thank you” “How is your day going, are people supporting you at all” “some are” “do you have somewhere to stay” “sort of, I’m staying at the night shelter, that’s why I’m here, my benefit got taken away, so this is my protest”. “what are you protesting and why did your benefit get taken away?” “I’m protesting against the government and WINZ, my benefit got taken away because I move around a lot, but that’s why I am staying here to prove a point. The night shelter used to be $7 a night but now it’s $10 due to renovations. This money pays for that.” “is anyone helping your situation?” “No one other than people who walk past on the street and stop, or city mission and the Salvation Army. People walk past and judge me for why I am here, but I have tried 5 times this week to talk to Winz about my benefit.I have a disability, I have done things in the past but I am not hurting anyone by proving a point. The government wont help my situation, but they don’t want me asking for money either. So this is what I’m doing.” “ I am doing a photography assignment around social change and I was wondering if you would mind me taking a couple of photos of you for my assignment?” “that’s fine” “My names, Caitlin, what’s yours?” “Anthony” (shakes hands) “It was nice to meet you, and I wish you all the best, if I see you around I will come and say hello” Having talked to social workers at the shelter, I found this very interesting to go and sit with this man and see things from his perspective. I would say there was a reason he was taken off of the benefit, as he also mumbled something about a trespassing notice, however the way he described what he was doing seemed very thought full and intelligent. He spoke quite articulately and seemed quite happy for me to hear out what he was doing. He seemed as if he wanted to defend the sterio type of sitting begging, and by going and talking to him it gave him the power and respect to do this. Hearing him say that people judge him with out knowing what his purpose is really resinated with me as I had seen how many people wouldn’t even acknowledge street beggars and how it seemed like two different levels. The common trend through talking to both the Salvation Army Hope Center, The night shelter social workers and this man Anthony was that the government was not supporting any ventures to find them a place of living. It was as if anyone over the age of 30, was seemed as a lost cause of society, so where do these people go? I started to feel like I was photographing displaced people, abandoned by society and pushed to the outskirts. Sure that may be the case, these people may not be wanted as a part of main stream society, but in which case, where do they go and what can they make as home. |