As I am collaborating with Alison Mckeith, we decided to make a joint email account so that we could both contact galleries for exhibition and both receive feedback without having to swap information amongst each other, instead we could share the emails.
We named our email MJphotographynottingham@gmail.com
We used Gmail as this is what we use for our blogs and we like the simple format that google uses so it would be easy to navigate and easy to share blog posts.
We used MJ at the beginning of the address as this is our second names combined and we didnt want to use the word 'and' as we thought this would look too long and messy. We wanted to keep it short and sweet.
Having Photography in the name makes it obvious as to what our profession is and having Nottingham in the email straight away tells clients of our location so they do not have to search this up which makes it easier for contacts to want to get in touch as they know where we are based.
We can use this email to email galleries for exhibition hire and to also use it to apply for competitions and when we upload work on to websites like Behance and Lensculture in the future so that we are easily contactable. We can also put this email address on our Facebook page when we create on near the exhibition time as people can email us with any queries/offers.
Having a shared email will make it a lot easy as we are collaborating so all of our information/schedules/contacts/professionals will all be on this gmail account so we can access information we need as and when we like and if one person happens to be busy, the other can log in to the account to send and respond to emails.
Thursday, 8 December 2016
Risk Assessment - Galleries - Challenge
I have never carried out a risk assessment for a hired space involving the general public before so I am quite nervous about getting it right.
Risk Assessments are essential for ensuring the safety of people in a space being used for events or work. They are important as they help you to list all potential hazards and risks to identify who could be harmed and how so that you can have the solutions already in place to avoid accidents. I will have to cover the public, staff, myself and visitors.
You create a documents stating all of this and this is your risk assessment. If you have more than 5 employees it is the law to have a risk assessment in place. You should update your risk assessment as and when you find new hazards and risks.
I found a template on www.hse.gov.uk and created a risk assessment:
Risk Assessments are essential for ensuring the safety of people in a space being used for events or work. They are important as they help you to list all potential hazards and risks to identify who could be harmed and how so that you can have the solutions already in place to avoid accidents. I will have to cover the public, staff, myself and visitors.
You create a documents stating all of this and this is your risk assessment. If you have more than 5 employees it is the law to have a risk assessment in place. You should update your risk assessment as and when you find new hazards and risks.
I found a template on www.hse.gov.uk and created a risk assessment:
Marketing - Challenge
In order for my exhibition to get an audience to be successful I will need to promote/advertise my exhibition before the event to encourage people to visit. This will involve putting the event out there in which I am going to create posters and create a Facebook page, perhaps flyers too. Word of mouth will be the most effective one to use as I can tell people directly about the event rather than them 'maybe' looking through flyers/posters. If I use word of mouth and come across as really friendly they will be likely to say yes to coming, especially if they are friends/family.
Marketing is probably the most important factor because without it, there wouldn't be much point in putting on an exhibition as nobody would turn up to view the work.
After researching mental health, we have decided that our target audience is every age group as we are trying to get people to understand mental health to remove the stigma the comes with it. I do think that the majority of people we target should be the younger generation between 14-20 as this will encourage them to speak out and help others if they are suffering/know people who are suffering and to understand that they are not alone whereas the older generation are slightly more wiser/able to do these things.
Posters - I know that the poster should be easily readable with large font, not too small/too large and only 1 font should be used. It will have minimal text, just the time/date and short description of the exhibition. It shall have just a few images, maybe three to grab the attention of people. It should have just enough information for somebody to be able to sum up whether they are interested within about 10 seconds. Nobody wants to read a long script so would give up reading halfway through and be unlikely to attend. It should have bright colours that fit well together to look aesthetically pleasing and eye catching. It will have to look well set out, not a mess of text and images sprawled across the paper, it needs to look neat to be easy to read/see.
Flyers - This will kind of need to be like your poster just perhaps in a different format. I will need to be very brief, stating only important information like the time, location, date and a small, catchy description of the event. You can give these to people face to face and if you show a friendly, excitable attitude and interact with people when you give them out, you will be more likely to satisfy them and encourage them to come to your event. It will need bright colours and a neat format so avoid a busy, overcrowded flyer which isn't easy to read so will be most likely not read.
Good examples of posters/flyers:
They all have clear title, large font, easily readable, neatly laid out and use bright, eye catching colours. They get information across quickly by highlighting key points like the date and time and having a clear title.
Bad example of posters/flyers:
Too many different fonts are used, this makes it less easy to read and makes it look messy. There is too much going on on the page, too much information, you only need the basic information. Using font that is too small is ineffective as this information will most likely not be read.
Facebook page - This is a great way to inform friends and family of the event. The posts you do on your Facebook page can be shared by anyone on your friends list and you can make it public so that friends and family can share it to their friends too, they may then share it to their friends and it will go on like that. This will gain quite a large audience so you will be likely to find people interested in the event. As it will be shared to my Facebook friends and friends of friends, they will most likely all be in the local are too and if friends of friends see the post, they will be likely to go if my friends go. This page can also be shared to other social media sites like Instagram and Twitter if we decide to use these.
I will put up posters around my college and hand out posters/flyers in the city centre as this is where I will be exhibiting and this will get the attention of people who live locally.
How do I make people want to come? If they are not interested in coming to the event by the basic information I could always put some more funding in to it by perhaps having free food and drink available as this is always something I can put on flyers/posters that will encourage people to come as everybody likes free stuff!
Marketing is probably the most important factor because without it, there wouldn't be much point in putting on an exhibition as nobody would turn up to view the work.
After researching mental health, we have decided that our target audience is every age group as we are trying to get people to understand mental health to remove the stigma the comes with it. I do think that the majority of people we target should be the younger generation between 14-20 as this will encourage them to speak out and help others if they are suffering/know people who are suffering and to understand that they are not alone whereas the older generation are slightly more wiser/able to do these things.
Posters - I know that the poster should be easily readable with large font, not too small/too large and only 1 font should be used. It will have minimal text, just the time/date and short description of the exhibition. It shall have just a few images, maybe three to grab the attention of people. It should have just enough information for somebody to be able to sum up whether they are interested within about 10 seconds. Nobody wants to read a long script so would give up reading halfway through and be unlikely to attend. It should have bright colours that fit well together to look aesthetically pleasing and eye catching. It will have to look well set out, not a mess of text and images sprawled across the paper, it needs to look neat to be easy to read/see.
Flyers - This will kind of need to be like your poster just perhaps in a different format. I will need to be very brief, stating only important information like the time, location, date and a small, catchy description of the event. You can give these to people face to face and if you show a friendly, excitable attitude and interact with people when you give them out, you will be more likely to satisfy them and encourage them to come to your event. It will need bright colours and a neat format so avoid a busy, overcrowded flyer which isn't easy to read so will be most likely not read.
Good examples of posters/flyers:
Bad example of posters/flyers:
Facebook page - This is a great way to inform friends and family of the event. The posts you do on your Facebook page can be shared by anyone on your friends list and you can make it public so that friends and family can share it to their friends too, they may then share it to their friends and it will go on like that. This will gain quite a large audience so you will be likely to find people interested in the event. As it will be shared to my Facebook friends and friends of friends, they will most likely all be in the local are too and if friends of friends see the post, they will be likely to go if my friends go. This page can also be shared to other social media sites like Instagram and Twitter if we decide to use these.
I will put up posters around my college and hand out posters/flyers in the city centre as this is where I will be exhibiting and this will get the attention of people who live locally.
How do I make people want to come? If they are not interested in coming to the event by the basic information I could always put some more funding in to it by perhaps having free food and drink available as this is always something I can put on flyers/posters that will encourage people to come as everybody likes free stuff!
Exhibiton setup - Challenge
I have exhibited my work in galleries before for a day/week but I have never set up the space or the work myself so this will be a challenging factor of the process as it will involve planning to ensure that the look we attempt looks professional.
These are the sites I looked at to help me grasp the basics of setting up my own space in a gallery:
- http://blog.thestorefront.com/how-to-set-up-a-pop-up-art-galleries-in-7-steps/
- http://www.senatehouseevents.co.uk/features/how-plan-exhibition
- https://contrastly.com/my-first-exhibition-how-to-hold-your-own-exhibition-part-i/
Make sure your theme is interesting to get visitors. My theme is mental health and after finding out after a presentation that people were very interested in my idea I am certain that this theme will attract visitors.
Are you collaborating? I will be collaborating with a class mate who studies the same subject as me (Photography) as we are both working on different series of images for the same project so that there is more work for visitors to look at so that they can look around for longer and have more to look at.
I will always plan more time than I need as many things take longer than you think to set up and as this is my first gallery set up as a professional, I will need all the time I can get. This emans arriving a bit early than I need to.
Make sure you promote yourself months before, weeks before and leading up to the exhibition. This will get you visitors. If you do not promote yourself then you will not have a successful exhibition so it would have been a waste of time and money as nobody will notice your work. I will be doing flyers, posters and using Facebook and perhaps other social media. The physical promotions will be put up around the city center and given out in the city center as this will attract locals.
I should make sure I have a pop up desk/table to put extras on like flyers and contact cards as if people are interested in the work they may not want to talk face to face but may contact about your work in the future. These marketing tools could then be passed on to others by the people that pick them up.
Make sure the venue space that you use is appropriate by thinking about whether it is a suitable size for visitors and whether it would look appealing to visitors. If the space looked dull and run down, people may not want to visit, even if they were interested in your promotions. I will be applying for several gallery spaces and I will visit each one to view the space available to see whether I like it.
Choose a space suitable for your work. If you are doing Photography make sure the majority of work based at the gallery is photography based rather than artwork.
Maybe use extra funds to have a table of food and drink, this will encourage more visitors and current visitors to stay longer to enjoy snacks and drinks. It also brings people together so they can talk which could be a talk about your work.
Plan your setup months before and add ideas as you go along, this means you will know exactly what you are doing on the day so it will save time.
Make sure that you arrive well before your guests to set up the space and put up your work. Allow time for a break and relaxing time before people start to arrive so that you are ready to communicate with visitors and answer any questions whilst looking out for hazards and risks.
Try and get sponsors for your exhibition to save funds. Work with charities like Mind and Sobar in this case, these fit with our mental health subject.
Make sure the space is lit well, you don't want a dull looking environment, you want it bright so that your work is clearly visible. I will have to think about whether I want matte or glossy prints and whether the light is too bright for glossy prints by inspecting the gallery a few times before I exhibit there.
Don't waste money on framing, expensive props as this exhibition will only be held for a week so funds should primarily be spent on prints as these are what the people will be looking at. The better quality the print, the more professional/close to your original it looks, showcasing the best of your ability. If people are looking at expensive frames and props, they shouldn't have come to see your work.
I found these exhibition photos and they are an idea of how I would like mine to look:
http://pictures-of-photography.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/photography-exhibition.html
This one, I like the spacing and the plain coloured wall. The prints aren't too expensive looking but they still do the job of showing off the print with a nice border. There seems to be enough light to light up the pictures but I think I would add a free standing light or 2 just to make it a little brighter so you could see the images more clearly. I also like how the images are in a row rather than in 2 rows and they are at eye level height so they are easy to view.
http://www.londonphotography.org.uk/events/2013/ExhibitionPrep.php
I really like the lighting in this gallery. The free standing boards make the area look more interesting to walk around which is something I might look for when I choose a gallery as people will more likely stay longer if the gallery itself has an interesting layout to move around in. I like how the images are organised in a grid but for my exhibition I want my prints to be quite large so I won't be using this format.
https://liachang.wordpress.com/awards-exhibitions-and-published-work/my-portrait-of-new-york-actor-thom-sesma%E2%80%99s-makeup-transformation-into-scar-in-the-lion-king-on-view-in-hhc%E2%80%99s-new-york-city-in-focus-vol-2-photo-exhibition-through-714/
I love the walls of this gallery as it makes the layout look more complicated, enhancing the work. As each section of wall is small, they have 5 different layouts which makes the eye wander so people are more likely to see work they may have missed if they were not layed out this way. The framing is quite simple, mounted on white card and put in a thin white frame. If I have the funds I will also have a thing black frame as I think it makes the work look more professional when it is up on the wall but if not, prints mounted on white foam board would still look professional if cut correctly.
http://www.cudc.kent.edu/blog/naples-photography-exhibit/
I do not like the lighting of this gallery as I think it is quite dull. If I was to have lighting here I would make sure I had free standing lights to light the displays or to make sure the gallery had extra ceiling lighting to keep on whilst exhibiting so people could see my work more clearly.I like the format of the images mounted on a white background with a large boarder. If I choose small prints like the ones in this image I will definitely consider having a large border like this as it puts your attention entirely on the image as there is so much negative space around it with no fancy frames.
These are the sites I looked at to help me grasp the basics of setting up my own space in a gallery:
- http://blog.thestorefront.com/how-to-set-up-a-pop-up-art-galleries-in-7-steps/
- http://www.senatehouseevents.co.uk/features/how-plan-exhibition
- https://contrastly.com/my-first-exhibition-how-to-hold-your-own-exhibition-part-i/
Make sure your theme is interesting to get visitors. My theme is mental health and after finding out after a presentation that people were very interested in my idea I am certain that this theme will attract visitors.
Are you collaborating? I will be collaborating with a class mate who studies the same subject as me (Photography) as we are both working on different series of images for the same project so that there is more work for visitors to look at so that they can look around for longer and have more to look at.
I will always plan more time than I need as many things take longer than you think to set up and as this is my first gallery set up as a professional, I will need all the time I can get. This emans arriving a bit early than I need to.
Make sure you promote yourself months before, weeks before and leading up to the exhibition. This will get you visitors. If you do not promote yourself then you will not have a successful exhibition so it would have been a waste of time and money as nobody will notice your work. I will be doing flyers, posters and using Facebook and perhaps other social media. The physical promotions will be put up around the city center and given out in the city center as this will attract locals.
I should make sure I have a pop up desk/table to put extras on like flyers and contact cards as if people are interested in the work they may not want to talk face to face but may contact about your work in the future. These marketing tools could then be passed on to others by the people that pick them up.
Make sure the venue space that you use is appropriate by thinking about whether it is a suitable size for visitors and whether it would look appealing to visitors. If the space looked dull and run down, people may not want to visit, even if they were interested in your promotions. I will be applying for several gallery spaces and I will visit each one to view the space available to see whether I like it.
Choose a space suitable for your work. If you are doing Photography make sure the majority of work based at the gallery is photography based rather than artwork.
Maybe use extra funds to have a table of food and drink, this will encourage more visitors and current visitors to stay longer to enjoy snacks and drinks. It also brings people together so they can talk which could be a talk about your work.
Plan your setup months before and add ideas as you go along, this means you will know exactly what you are doing on the day so it will save time.
Make sure that you arrive well before your guests to set up the space and put up your work. Allow time for a break and relaxing time before people start to arrive so that you are ready to communicate with visitors and answer any questions whilst looking out for hazards and risks.
Try and get sponsors for your exhibition to save funds. Work with charities like Mind and Sobar in this case, these fit with our mental health subject.
Make sure the space is lit well, you don't want a dull looking environment, you want it bright so that your work is clearly visible. I will have to think about whether I want matte or glossy prints and whether the light is too bright for glossy prints by inspecting the gallery a few times before I exhibit there.
Don't waste money on framing, expensive props as this exhibition will only be held for a week so funds should primarily be spent on prints as these are what the people will be looking at. The better quality the print, the more professional/close to your original it looks, showcasing the best of your ability. If people are looking at expensive frames and props, they shouldn't have come to see your work.
I found these exhibition photos and they are an idea of how I would like mine to look:
This one, I like the spacing and the plain coloured wall. The prints aren't too expensive looking but they still do the job of showing off the print with a nice border. There seems to be enough light to light up the pictures but I think I would add a free standing light or 2 just to make it a little brighter so you could see the images more clearly. I also like how the images are in a row rather than in 2 rows and they are at eye level height so they are easy to view.
I really like the lighting in this gallery. The free standing boards make the area look more interesting to walk around which is something I might look for when I choose a gallery as people will more likely stay longer if the gallery itself has an interesting layout to move around in. I like how the images are organised in a grid but for my exhibition I want my prints to be quite large so I won't be using this format.
I love the walls of this gallery as it makes the layout look more complicated, enhancing the work. As each section of wall is small, they have 5 different layouts which makes the eye wander so people are more likely to see work they may have missed if they were not layed out this way. The framing is quite simple, mounted on white card and put in a thin white frame. If I have the funds I will also have a thing black frame as I think it makes the work look more professional when it is up on the wall but if not, prints mounted on white foam board would still look professional if cut correctly.
I do not like the lighting of this gallery as I think it is quite dull. If I was to have lighting here I would make sure I had free standing lights to light the displays or to make sure the gallery had extra ceiling lighting to keep on whilst exhibiting so people could see my work more clearly.I like the format of the images mounted on a white background with a large boarder. If I choose small prints like the ones in this image I will definitely consider having a large border like this as it puts your attention entirely on the image as there is so much negative space around it with no fancy frames.
Tuesday, 6 December 2016
Using Film - Challenge
As film photography is often overlooked in the present because of all the new, updated technology, we shall incorporate film photography in to our collaborative exhibition. This will give us both a challenge as we are not used to using film and also allow us to do some experimenting in the darkroom.
I found some images taken with film which I have been inspired by to incorporate similar ideas in to my final images:
Unknown artist
Blue Rose Photography
Blue Rose Photography
Blue Rose Photography
Eric E Monson
Joelle Poulos
Myles Catherine Photography
Tom Petkus
Zee Anna
I want my images to have a lot of contrast, not too bright, I would like some parts to be soft with other parts having sharp focus.
I have only ever experimented with film photography a handful of times and I have already proposed that I will be using film for some parts of my project so it is going to be a big challenge to face. I will be using 35mm film as this is the type I can use in my cameras.
I know the basics already like putting the film in the camera and which settings to use for the correct lighting. It is the focusing I am worried about as you never know if it is in focus properly until you have developed the images as you can't see them on the screen. I find it difficult to focus on a digital camera due to my bad eyesight so I will need to experiment with rolls of film before I attempt my final shots with the film camera. I already own 2 different film cameras so I will not need to purchase a camera but I will need to buy film, light sensitive paper and chemicals. I may be scanning in my rolls of film rather than printing them on light sensitive paper.
I will need to practice the process of developing film as I have only done this a few times over the past 5 years so I need to plan my steps. I know the 3 main steps but I will need to investigate the correct ratios for mixing chemicals and the timings:
All chemicals must be 20 degrees so I will need a thermometer at hand.
1) Developer - 1:4 parts water 100ml:400ml if I was using 500ml
2) Stop Bath - 1:64 parts water
3) Fixer - possibly 1:5 but I will check packaging when I purchase my chemicals
https://photography.tutsplus.com/tutorials/step-by-step-guide-to-developing-black-and-white-t-max-film--photo-2580
http://www.instructables.com/id/Developing-Black-and-White-Film-at-Home/?ALLSTEPS
I will go in to a dark room with not even red lights, a blacked out cupboard would do nicely. In here I I will remove the film from the cannister and place it on a film reel which will be placed in the the developing tank. The developer will be poured in to the and a lid put on. It will be in the tank for the allocated time on the developer container (probably around 6-10 minutes) and it will need agitating every 30 seconds. I will then pour out the developer down the sink.
The stop bath will be poured in to the tank straight away and left in the tank for 30 seconds whilst continuously shaking the tank (with the lid on). This will then be poured down the sink.
The fixer will be added and agitated continuously for 30 seconds.
After this I will remove the lid and place the tank under a running tap for 5 minutes so that the film is thoroughly rinsed. The film will then be removed from the tank and the film reel and hung up to dry. You will be able to see the results by holding up your film to the light to see the images so you will know at this stage if your photos went well or not.
I found some images taken with film which I have been inspired by to incorporate similar ideas in to my final images:
I want my images to have a lot of contrast, not too bright, I would like some parts to be soft with other parts having sharp focus.
I have only ever experimented with film photography a handful of times and I have already proposed that I will be using film for some parts of my project so it is going to be a big challenge to face. I will be using 35mm film as this is the type I can use in my cameras.
I know the basics already like putting the film in the camera and which settings to use for the correct lighting. It is the focusing I am worried about as you never know if it is in focus properly until you have developed the images as you can't see them on the screen. I find it difficult to focus on a digital camera due to my bad eyesight so I will need to experiment with rolls of film before I attempt my final shots with the film camera. I already own 2 different film cameras so I will not need to purchase a camera but I will need to buy film, light sensitive paper and chemicals. I may be scanning in my rolls of film rather than printing them on light sensitive paper.
I will need to practice the process of developing film as I have only done this a few times over the past 5 years so I need to plan my steps. I know the 3 main steps but I will need to investigate the correct ratios for mixing chemicals and the timings:
All chemicals must be 20 degrees so I will need a thermometer at hand.
1) Developer - 1:4 parts water 100ml:400ml if I was using 500ml
2) Stop Bath - 1:64 parts water
3) Fixer - possibly 1:5 but I will check packaging when I purchase my chemicals
https://photography.tutsplus.com/tutorials/step-by-step-guide-to-developing-black-and-white-t-max-film--photo-2580
http://www.instructables.com/id/Developing-Black-and-White-Film-at-Home/?ALLSTEPS
I will go in to a dark room with not even red lights, a blacked out cupboard would do nicely. In here I I will remove the film from the cannister and place it on a film reel which will be placed in the the developing tank. The developer will be poured in to the and a lid put on. It will be in the tank for the allocated time on the developer container (probably around 6-10 minutes) and it will need agitating every 30 seconds. I will then pour out the developer down the sink.
The stop bath will be poured in to the tank straight away and left in the tank for 30 seconds whilst continuously shaking the tank (with the lid on). This will then be poured down the sink.
The fixer will be added and agitated continuously for 30 seconds.
After this I will remove the lid and place the tank under a running tap for 5 minutes so that the film is thoroughly rinsed. The film will then be removed from the tank and the film reel and hung up to dry. You will be able to see the results by holding up your film to the light to see the images so you will know at this stage if your photos went well or not.
Artist Statement and Portfolio - Challenge
I had never seen or created an artist statement before applying for the surface gallery. I looked online for some examples:
http://digital-photography-school.com/6-tips-for-writing-an-artist%E2%80%99s-statement/
http://blogverde.com/photography-artist-statement-examples-template.html
http://blogverde.com/example-artist-statement.html
From what I have read I was to share my background and history and try to 'big myself up' but not too much so that I look 'self-absorbed'.
I was to describe my work as a whole by describing the majority, is it film? Is it digital? Is it colour? Is it black and white? What is the idea behind your images?
My attempt at an artist statement that I am yet to finish to send off:
As a photographer, I thrive in the creative environment in which I can express my ideas with no restrictions. I have been experimenting with photography since I was 10 years old and I have been studying the subject for a few years now in which I have gained a degree from my practice.
I usually always opt for black and white imagery, I much prefer this over colour as I love the contrast and focus it creates. I am inspired by a range of artists who create similar work such as Irving Penn, Ansel Adams and John Rankin Waddell. I definitely prefer location to studio work.
Photography is something I enjoy putting my thoughts and feelings in to and I would eventually like to be noticed for the hard work and imagination I put in to my images so I am going to try and broadcast my work where I can. I have exhibited my work a couple of times for my end of year shows alongside other people with college/uni and I have found the whole experience enjoyable and enlightening.
Portfolio
I know that most applications for the galleries will ask for some kind of portfolio. Lucky for me in a module I completed last year, I had to create my own website and put on my best collection of image. I will add some more images to this and use it as my portfolio.
My website: http://skjaques1996.wixsite.com/mysite
http://digital-photography-school.com/6-tips-for-writing-an-artist%E2%80%99s-statement/
http://blogverde.com/photography-artist-statement-examples-template.html
http://blogverde.com/example-artist-statement.html
From what I have read I was to share my background and history and try to 'big myself up' but not too much so that I look 'self-absorbed'.
I was to describe my work as a whole by describing the majority, is it film? Is it digital? Is it colour? Is it black and white? What is the idea behind your images?
My attempt at an artist statement that I am yet to finish to send off:
As a photographer, I thrive in the creative environment in which I can express my ideas with no restrictions. I have been experimenting with photography since I was 10 years old and I have been studying the subject for a few years now in which I have gained a degree from my practice.
I usually always opt for black and white imagery, I much prefer this over colour as I love the contrast and focus it creates. I am inspired by a range of artists who create similar work such as Irving Penn, Ansel Adams and John Rankin Waddell. I definitely prefer location to studio work.
Photography is something I enjoy putting my thoughts and feelings in to and I would eventually like to be noticed for the hard work and imagination I put in to my images so I am going to try and broadcast my work where I can. I have exhibited my work a couple of times for my end of year shows alongside other people with college/uni and I have found the whole experience enjoyable and enlightening.
Portfolio
I know that most applications for the galleries will ask for some kind of portfolio. Lucky for me in a module I completed last year, I had to create my own website and put on my best collection of image. I will add some more images to this and use it as my portfolio.
My website: http://skjaques1996.wixsite.com/mysite
Depression
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/07/christian-hopkins-depression-photography_n_7714426.html
22 year old Christian Hopkins decided to show his experience of depression from behind the lens.
This series of images is my favourite set of mental health images out of every series I have looked at so far as they are the most powerful im my opinion.
I feel like his series of images works well as a series and on their own.
This one I feel shows a ladder in which they can climb to escape but they can't physically climb the ladder so they are stuck in the dull, foggy existence. I can see the low mood he has tried to portray.
I feel like he is vulnerable in this image, like the strange figures/monsters are trying to lure him in but he doesn't want them to so he tries to stay away. It's like he knows the negative thoughts are going to come but he is trying to hold them off but at some point he does have to go to bed. I feel like this could show he feels worse when he is alone at night.
I feel like this image symbolises that he has been hiding behind a mask for a while and has taken it off to rest. This could mean he pretends to be happy, hides behind a smile in front of others but then feels his real emotion and suffers when he is alone.
I get the feeling his is having a bad time in this picture, like he is having very bad thoughts, maybe even hearing voices and he is stressing out/crying, because he doesn't want to feel like this.
I thought this was the most powerful image from the series because it shows to me, a lot of people trapped, maybe trapped with their own thoughts and low feelings and I think they are offering money to die (the skeleton arm symbolising death). They would do literally anything, even die, to end the pain that they feel.
I can see the feelings of being trapped, frustrated, isolated from this image.
I feel like this shows that whatever he does, he can not get a moment of silence/peace to sleep, he is overwhelmed by his brain activity, frustrated, tired, uncomfortable, possibly even angry with himself.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/hnigatu/comics-that-capture-the-frustrations-of-depression?utm_term=.rpM9baO85#.xjDZaXWDw
I found these illustrations that describe Depression:
22 year old Christian Hopkins decided to show his experience of depression from behind the lens.
This series of images is my favourite set of mental health images out of every series I have looked at so far as they are the most powerful im my opinion.
I feel like his series of images works well as a series and on their own.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/hnigatu/comics-that-capture-the-frustrations-of-depression?utm_term=.rpM9baO85#.xjDZaXWDw
I found these illustrations that describe Depression:
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