Tag: Project Development

Final Major Project – Project Development Research – 30th January 2019

Roni Horn – Another Water

This project was a very good insight into how art can represent troubles of the human existence. It raised thoughts that I hadn’t considered about water before but it also confirmed some of the thoughts that I had considered when working on my own work.

When using water in my own work, I think of the depth of water and how this can refer to the depth of emotion or the depth of my own anxieties and depression. When you look out to sea right out to the horizon, it seems never-ending, just like the feelings that come with low mood, it can also feel it is never going to end. The crashing of the waves or the bubbling of the tide coming in is how an anxiety attack can hit you and how it can bubble in your throat, with the feeling of suffocation or drowning.

As a person with mental health issues there are occasions where I have experience of this feeling of drowning. it feels like you aren’t going to make it back to the surface and be able to breathe again – but with the techniques that I have learnt, I now know that the water can help to get these feelings to go away, listening to the rhythm of the water actually assists me to breathe again.

However it is this feeling of drowning that is the link between my work and Horn’s

Horn focuses on the darkness of the water and the actions of dark forces that allow suicide to happen.

Horn’s images remain very dark and whilst this is the nature of many mental health issues and of course it is the dark thoughts that can lead an individual to suicide. I don’t want my work to go down this particular route, so whilst there are some dark images in my project, I want to also include the light as I want to ensure that there is a visible route to recovery and I want others to feel that there is hope.

An element that I did find very emotional with Horn’s work was each report of an individuals suicide, this put the images into context. Some individuals don’t find the light, some do succumb to the depths, to the darkness. Whilst not by drowning I personally have experience of losing people who have been taken into the darkness, also linked to struggling with their mental health, and perhaps this is also why this project is so important to me.

All of Horn’s imagery focused on the surface of the River Thames, however I am very keen to bring some seascapes to show scale, whilst I understand that Horn probable did this as it was this body of water that was her specific interest – with my work I felt it important to show the large scale of how big the problem is but also the more focused images to show how it feels for me.

Horn’s work has assisted me to see how I can use text alongside my imagery to achieve a successful outcome for my project.

References:

Horn, R. (2011). Another water. Göttingen: Steidl

Final Major Project: Gallery Visit 28th January 2019

I visited the New Bridge Project in Newcastle to view a space for an exhibition

This is an image of a preivous exhibition in the room I viewed .https://goo.gl/images/KBUWmP

I liked the space a lot but there would not be open access to it. This is something that I find concerning, as I would prefer it being a managed site after the launch event. It also means that I would need to find an alternative site for the workshop as I don’t feel that the site is safe to hold one in, in its current state.

I do have other sites to see.

Final Major Project: Development Photo shoot, 26th January 2019

Location: Blyth Beach

Intent: After yesterday’s disappointing shoot, I was just looking on this shoot to obtain more imagery and this could be a combination of the macro pattern shots or a seascape. I also wanted to restore more confidence in the techniques that I was intending to use throughout my project.

Equipment: Nikon D3300, Tamron 70-300mm with Macro, Tripod

Methodology: I wanted to get a good mixture of images. Luckily it was a lovely weather day on the North East coast, which made the process very enjoyable. Again I used the steps of stop, look, use the breathing techniques and capture the image.

Mainly on shoots I don’t use tripods, but due to my arthritis this was not possible today. However it did mean that I could get the horizon perfectly straight today, which is something that I hadn’t achieved without editing prior to this.

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

Research: My main focus is still on Hiroshi Sugimoto and Roni Horn.

Reflection on the shoot: This was much improved on yesterdays efforts and I got some images that I am really happy with, it restored my faith in the process a little. Although I do tend to get a little sidetracked. I have started thinking about the emotions when I shoot, as today I was somewhat limited at what I could achieve due to the difficulty in movement.

Reviewing the images: I am beginning to consider the final appearance – as I feel the subject of my work is quite dark and I have been very lucky on most of the days I have chosen to shoot on, they are really quite bright which I don’t think is a true feel of the project I have chosen to consider. I think I need to think about this carefully.

Final Major Project: Development Photo shoot, 25th January 2019

Location: Seaton Sluice Beach.

Intent: Further to discussions with tutors and my research, I want to try some seascapes to assist the viewer see the scale of my project.

Equipment: Nikon D3300, Tamron 70-300mm with Macro

Methodology: I wanted to ensure that the water was represented in more than just detailed shots, I had to carefully pick the point I stood carefully as the North East Coast is a hub for wind turbines! I continued to use the mindful techniques that I had learnt and this is becoming pivotal to my work.


  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

Research: Hiroshi Sugimoto was recommended to me by Wendy. My first thoughts of the initial images I have seen is that the are too perfect for what I am looking for. As I delve deeper into exploring mental illness from my own perspective, I feel the clouds are essential as they feel like the thoughts good or bad that go in and out of a persons mind

” Every time I view the sea, I feel a calming sense of security “


Hiroshi Sugimoto

Reflection on the Shoot: I think this was a good introduction to seascapes – However due to the time of year I lost light really quickly and this was a good reminder that I really need to think about how I want my images to look and consider when I plan my shoots to think about the time of day and the light at that time of day, along with checking the weather forecast.

References:

Hiroshi Sugimoto –
https://www.sugimotohiroshi.com/seascapes-1

Final Major Project: Development Photo shoot, 12th January 2019

Location: Plessey Woods Country Park

Intent: I wanted to try out the techniques that I had been learning reading around the subject of mindful and contemplative photography.

I was not to look at the images until I had returned home from the shoot and had a break.

I also wanted to practice some of the breathing techniques that I had learnt as I was struggling with quite a high degree of anxiety. Which was another reason that I wanted to see if photography really could be a therapy like it had been explained in the books that I was reading.

Equipment: Nikon D3300, Tamron 70-300mm with Macro

Methodology: I wanted to focus on water primarily but if other subjects caught my eye I didn’t want to rule them out. At first I thought I would simply be looking for water reflections. However once I started shooting I had the feeling that the reflections was not what I was drawn to and in fact it was the water patterns that I was finding intriguing.

I did not look at the images in camera as per the lessons that I had learnt. I also worked with the concept that I should stop, look at what I was taking an image of, take a moment to use the breathing techniques and then take the image, and then move along on my journey, my meanderings through the forest and take the time to enjoy my surroundings.


  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

Whilst these are unedited, I’m not sure that this is how I want to present them and I edited some of them.


  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

  • Kirsty Logan, 2019

Research: I started to research some photographers and came across Fleeting Reflections by Mike Curry. He also included some water pattern images but his was quite focused on the reflections that the world had as a whole on the water and I think it really was just the water itself that I was interested in.

Reflection on the shoot: I felt that this shoot not only held the therapeutic benefits that I was searching for but also the process was very enjoyable and I think the images that I achieved really speak to me. This is very much something that I want to take forward with me.

References:

Final Major Project – Project Development – 8th January 2019

I have started to contemplate how I should use my experiences of photography and how I can use it as a technique to assist in my anxiety management.

Whenever my anxiety hits a fever pitch I can feel it creeping up my throat. It is times like this that I go in search of flowing water.

The smell of the sea or a river running through a forest is powerful – as are the connotations of strength. There being no pollution, just the nature and serenity and sound of flowing water or lapping waves is instantly calming to me. The patterns the water creates, the ripples that are far reaching. The way that it finds its route no matter what helps me to feel a bud of strength and positivity return.

This week I went out for a few hours to do exactly this, allowing me to be only present in the moment not to focus on my anxiety the affects of my physical disease, or the pressures of my work circumstance. I find this is the release to help me to move forward and not get trapped into the negativity.

Water is important to me also for the metaphors I associate with it.

  • Water like time does not stand still
  • It always finds a way whatever the obstacles are put in its path
  • You don’t know how deep it goes, like the depths of my emotions.
  • Water can help wash away the negative feelings I have.

This is really important to consider in relation to maintaining my mental health.

I have also been reading around the subject of Mindfulness and contemplative photography as I have adopted it as a very important step on my journey to good long term mental and physical health.

I have prepared a shooting list to follow up with more images:

  • Plessey Woods
  • Morpeth
  • St Mary’s Lighthouse
  • Tyne
  • Holywell Dene
  • Jesmond Dene
  • Seaton Sluice Harbour and beach
  • Longsands, Tynemouth
  • Blyth Beach

Final Major Project: Project Development, Practice Shoot, 28th December 2018

After reading and researching Mindful photography I decided to give it a go. I took my partner to a local country park and we just went for a walk, I took a small bridge camera to just see what happened.

It took me back to last year, and I had gotten injured training for the London Marathon, what was expected to be a small easily fixed injury, was really quite major, but part of my physiotherapy was to go for walks in an attempt to remobilise my joint after being in a moon boot. It helped so I feel it should help again.

We came to a lake and just watched the swans and ducks and I decided to take a photo, I didn’t look at what I had taken (I guess this is what it would feel like when shooting on film!), we just continued on our walk stopping every now and then taking in our surroundings. When we finished the route we went home and then I decided to have a look and see what I had taken.

I felt relaxed and happy, and this was made even happier by my favourite image of the day.

Kirsty Logan, 2018

I have decided to keep trying this technique, as there may not only be some value to it for my FMP but I feel this will also be good for me personally. Combined with the walking it can only do me good.

Final Major Project: Project Development, 21st December 2018

Mindfulness and Photography

Recently photography has been tough because I am struggling with mental and physical issues. Whilst doing some research I came across the terms contemplative photography and mindful photography and it made me want to know more about it.

As I feel like I am in a creative fog and haven’t really found what it is I want to do for my FMP that really excites me, I felt there was no harm in having a look at some different subjects. I felt I needed to kick-start my creativity, as I had so much self doubt due to my low mood. I found lots of articles and books but I think what I take from it is as follows.

An individual needs to stop putting pressure on themselves to get a certain picture at a certain place at a certain time, and it is more about stopping for a moment to actually see what is going on around you, and not just looking but seeing, to allow yourself to breathe and not feel pressured, and once you have taken everything in then start taking some images.

Perhaps in a loose way it can be linked to Cartier-Bresson’s Decisive Moment. You have to be able to properly see what it is you are focusing on to really make the connection and decided to commit that moment for eternity in an image.

I had been putting so much pressure on myself to find my subject, to make images of what I thought I should be doing I wasn’t even enjoying any of it. I was just trying to achieve a goal and not doing it successfully because it wasn’t about anything it was of something!!

I read an article with a viewpoint from a counsellor who advised that sometimes it isn’t so much about the photography which is beneficial but also the walk to get to it, the journey to get to the place to get the image is also part of the therapeutic benefits.

So over the next couple of weeks I have decided to try these techniques, and the activities in Zen Camera and the Practice of Contemporary Photography and see where it takes me, and also to read a bit more about the subject as a whole.

References

Karr, A. and Wood, M. (2011). The practice of contemplative photography. Boston, Mass: Shambhala.

Ulrich, D. (2018). Zen Camera. New York. Watson-Guptill

https://ayearwithmycamera.com/blog/mindful-photography-what-is-it-and-how-do-you-do-it

https://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/technique/interviews/photography-saved-my-life-photography-as-therapy-117567

Final Major Project: Introductory Meeting with Wendy McMurdo 21st August 2018

Summary:

This was my first meeting with Wendy to go over what I have done in the course previously and also where I see my work going or the course of the Final Major Project module.

We discussed the last module which was focused on Rebirth – and how I watched pieces of fruit and then using macro photography to show the changes from one form to another. Transformation.

What I need to do with my work:

I really need to figure out what it is that interests me, what is the direction that I want to take.

Do I really want to set along the same path of macro, and inanimate objects or pieces of fruit.

What do I really want my final piece of work to be about?

Research to follow up on:

  • Sally Mann – Rotting Bodies – How bodies decompose, body farms, humanist burials.
  • Sam Taylor-Wood – Revisit her work regarding breast cancer
  • Susan Sontag – on Illness
  • Stephen Gill – Revisit his work with Energy Drinks, he is someone to really look into – How rotting things transform other things, past present and future all come together, rubbish dumps.
  • Quinten Crisp – what is the point of cleaning? On top of Archival photographs
  • Memorial Photography – Victorian Times
  • Ben Burbridge – Medical Imagery – Book and Exhibition – Look at the video and also think about work with a Microscope.

Keep watch for the website coming live to find the presentations (25th Sept)