An Evening With Joe Cornish....

Last night I was lucky enough to join the 'Shropshire Photographic Society' in there evening with Joe Cornish. I am not exactly a landscape photographer, but one could not fail to see the gravity and impact of his portfolio. Images ranging from the highest peaks of the Scottish Mountains to the most delicate macro shots of raindrops caught in a spiders web...

As soon as Mr Cornish started to explain his passion and ideas behind his images, it began dawning on me that I was listening to an extremely intelligent man. His passion in photography went deeper than just trying to make a living. He talked in great detail about the 'Relationships' and 'Energy Flow' needed to create an image. He also explained the ways in which he draws inspirations from not only art, painting and sculpture, but from music and dance. In a sense I could have guessed he looked into such mediums, as his images seemed to have a fluidity and movement about them.

He rightly explained the complexity of photography. Explaining that "Every colour image has at least 3 numbers behind it". I am very grateful for this statement as I spend many an hour trying to explain to others, that photography is a little more than just pressing buttons!

His main passion lyes in film and large format images. Over the span of his career however he has developed his knowledge into many different types and formats of film. Although his main love still lyes in traditional film, the digital age persisted to bang at his door until he caved in the early 2000's.

Over the span of his career he has traveled widely and photographed some of the worlds most spectacular sights. His cv includes images from places as far as Mexico and The American South to places much closer to home, such as the Yorkshire Moors. However despite the destination, many of the images that he has achieved are breath taking in their own right and have the ability to stop the viewer in their tracks. With clients such as The National Trust and the British Tourist Board under his cap he has truly cemented himself as one of the best British Landscape Photographers of our time.


Jess
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If you want to see more about Joe Cornish check out his website http://www.joecornishgallery.co.uk/ Also he runs regular workshops in which you can enrol and develop your own skills as a photographer.

The Future?...

Ehhh.. that word 'Future', its enough to freak any one out isn't it. All though having said that i am not as worried about it as i was when i left uni. I having this job has really helped me get used to the idea of it all. I have met some amazing friends that i will always keep in touch with. But for now i have to do what i need to do. I hardly ever do anything for myself, and this India trip is just that. I have to do it, other wise i will kick myself for ever. So its settled..... I am leaving on the 31st October 2012. :D


Here is my blog that i will update on my travels.... http://namasteandotherlikenesses.blogspot.co.uk/

Keep in touch.

J
xxx

Ok so...

Im exhausted. I apologise if this blog has just turned into me moaning... I promise I will stop. 

Everything has just sunk in though. The fact that I am not at uni... it seems really weird that I know loads of people still at uni or just going, but i'm not there. It feels really odd. I miss it so much... it's a lifestyle that you cant get anywhere else. I want it back... 

I graduated!

It was such a manic weekend! Traveling 6 hours to get there then trying to make the most of the short time i had there.

The ceremony went really well, no slip ups. Best of all I didnt fall flat on my face whilst trying to make my way across the stage! I wore the most ridiculous heals that have rubbed my feet to smithereens, but they looked good. I also won the best shoe award form Tom Hunter! yes the actual Tom Hunter (google him!) He is one of my favourite photographers and he was there to receive the honorary degree thing! He was awesome. I LOVE HIM!!!

Anyway... now what? I have officially finished uni and am now into full time work! shocker!

Ready...

not really!

I am traveling back down to Falmouth today, for my graduation tomorrow :/ im not nervous about the actual thing, but i am nervous about how i am going to feel being back in Falmouth.

it will be so weird to be there but not able to go into my house! I lived in the same house for 2 years, and now someone else is in it. :( its going to be odd.

but i have my family with me so that should be nice. I just hope I don't fall on my face in my very high heals :)

Surf it large...

Not one of my best shots, but i really like the lens blur on this. I think it adds something a little different to it. Opinions?

The open ocean

I really love his shot... I have no idea why though! I think its just so simple. What do you think?

A simple reflection

Another from Portugal. What to do you think?

What do you think?...

I took this in Portugal last week. What do you guys think? 

Exhausted doesn't even cover it...

After a night of traveling, airports delays, and only 3 hours sleep, my alarm sounded to awake me and prompt my day at work. 6 photo shoot back to back can be a serious drag with no sleep and my mind still fresh with post holiday blues.

With sand and sea salt still in my hair I struggled through my day. With shoots to be shot and shows to be edited, my lunch break came and went without my knowing. But home time soon bounded round the corner and with that I slumped into my car and journeyed home.

Morrissey Gig Photos

 These ar three images that I took at the Morrissey gig on Saturday evening. Let me know what you think... any feed back is welcome.

High Hopes

I have an interview!!!!

It is for a trainee studio assistant at a studio in Stoke. I have the interview on Thursday, which is my birthday, so I am hoping it is going to give me good luck.

I really want to get a job now... I have had a nice time off but I just feel  like I am waisting time now.

Wish me luck

JM
xxx

Ok so here is the deal...

When people say there are no jobs... They are is no sence of the word lying! I figured i would be unemployed for a few weeks but at this rate it will be more like a few months! There is nothing to even apply for let alone get an interview! All i want is a little summer job so i can fund myself into something bigger and better. Is that to much to ask? Apparently it is...

I have finished...

I am numb... I have spent the last 3 years at university trying so hard with everything. And now... I'm finished....

People keep asking me how I feel but to be honest I don't feel anything yet! Everything these past few weeks have been a blur so I don't think the reality of it all has sunk in yet! 

JM 

xXx

Stop, look, and see...

When someone say 'London' one always thinks of big red busses, the queen, and the usual stereotypical stuff. However if you look closer at the cracks and the veins of the city a much more vibrant side starts to make itself known. For example dark pubs and internet cafés dotted around Brick Lane all containing the usual suspects... The blogger nerd on his lunch break, the happy tourists trying to get the best out of the city, and the old lonely man just there to get a change of scenery. But to me it is those people who make this city... Its those hard workers and 'insignificant' folk that all come together to make a culture, that unfortunatly has somewhat dwindled in recent years. I put my hand up now and admit that i dont consider England to have a particularly strong culture, compared to India or Africa, or other places with a strong grounding in past traditions. Maybe its becuase i have grown up with it that i no longer see and appreciate it. Either way, i honestly believe that on the brief occation we need to stop and look. I know that sounds so cliché, but we do. Its too easy to get swept with the crownd and we forget to actually look where we are going. I did it today... I stood on oxford street and looked. So for a brief moment i stood motionless in the middle of everyone elses rush hour. It was amazing what you can find when you take the time to see what you are looking at. JM xXx

Well that was a day and a half! I got to the gallery space by about 10 so i could sort out my piece hen help other people out. We were still hanging at 5.30pm. I barley ate anything all day. However, it was so worth it! It all looked awesome and the place was packed out at 6. My Auntie and Uncle came too! It meant so much to me that they bothered to come. I loved them being there. My housemate also came to have a look round, so we both went out for a celebratory drink after. It was a manic day but i hope we get some good stuff happening with the work. It will be my first day off tomorrow so i think i will take advantage of it and go into central to do some shopping and get in the buzz of it all. JM xXx

Just a quick update...

Central was manic! The sun was shining and everyone was in their usual rush to get places. The exhibition is starting to look a little more like a show now! All that needs doing is for it to be hung. I am rather excited now. Just hope it goes well. I spent most of the day on south bank in the glourious sunshine. £4.60 for a bottle of Bulmers! Definatly not in Cornwall anymore! I realise now how much i love this city. Yes, there are the odd people that stare at you on the tube, and know one seems to take any notice of zebra crossings, but i love it here. I go away and dont really think about it, but whilst i am here i just get submerged in everything... For example, if you look in the right places there are some of the most intresting people. Usually they are sitting outside some old vintage coffee shop, sipping their chai latte, and reading Shakespeare. We all know the people i mean! Seriously, next time you see one of them, go have a chat. I promise they will be one of the most intresting people you will ever introduce yourself to. It may even be a convocation to blog about... JM xXx

Arrived in the big old city of London...

There is something about this place that is so entrancing. I have been coming for years but I still get that feeling in my chest. The fast pace that everything moves and buzzes. Maybe it is that I have watched too many movies, but it seems to have an urban charm about it all. 

The reason I am here is that I am part of the Falmouth University Photography exhibition. We have 2 days to curate and hang for the big opening night on Thursday. It should be good, as the quality of work is amazing. And being able to exhibit our work in London is an awesome opportunity...

The promises of this city fill me with great expectations.

JM

xXx

Opinion?

Opinion? 

Opinion?

Opinion?

Opinion?

I took this shot ages ago down Falmouth Highstreet. I am not sure why I like it so much! What do you think?

xxx

Update...

I have one exhibition up and running at the University College Falmouth. I am rather pleased with it to be honest. I was worried about every detail before we hung it all, but now it is up and all spot lit it looks pretty awesome!

Tomorrow I am traveling to London to hang my final year exhibition! I am so nervous. Not too sure why though. I think once I get back into the place of London I will be fine, but going from sleepy Cornwall to the hustle and bustle of the city, could be an interesting transaction.

Then its back to Falmouth to pack and move out! Ending uni is something I have never really thought about. Ever since I was small I always said I would go to uni, but my plans have never really exceeded that point!!! What do I do with myself now? I am planning on doing some traveling to expand on my portfolio, but in the way of jobs I have no idea what I want.

Anyways, no point dwelling on it now... Off the London.

xxx

I'm Getting There!!!

  Ok so this is as far i have gotten so far....

It has been ages since i have updated this page, and i can only apologise for that! I have been so busy.

My Diptychs have become Triptychs and I have also been creating soundscapes!!! I know right... totally different to where I was planning to take this project. However i am starting to be really happy with where this I going. I have just under 4 weeks until hand in and to be honest I am thinking I will be able to make that deadline in plenty of time :)

Let me know what you think of these images.

Jess
xxx

Do Triptychs work?

A mid point of control. Not fully in control of the situation due to the water, but still able to sit in a studio and pose for the camera. It is a photographic illustration of regaining control after being submerged in the sea.

New Underwater Portraits...

I di another underwater shoot yesterday. The plan was to reconstruct the portraits that i have previously shot in the studio, but underwater. By doing this i could demonstrate the effects that the ocean has on our bodies and the way in which we act.

A pretty simple right?....

Wrong... It was so difficult! It was a beautifully sunny day, the sea was calm and there was not even a whisper of wind. However the sea was quite chilly and the current quite strong. Once we got in it didn't go to badly. I had to compensate a little because when the models when under the surface the water made them drift, so keeping them in focus was a challenge.

I do really like the shots that I got, but I do think there is huge room for improvement on my part. The models were fantastic, and going under the freezing cold water seemed to get easier for them after the first time. I however just couldn't get it right! I just couldn't get it framed right! The two images that I have placed at the top were defiantly the best that I took. I love the movement in them... I think a reshoot and a bit of practice to get it framed right will help me achieve the images I am really working for.

JM
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The Original Duplicate

To me an image is more than what it seems. It is a visual representation of something. If a photograph is taken of an 'object' (an object being anything within the frame such as a person, event, a feeling, emotions, etc.), the resulting image is not the original 'object'. The photograph is a physical 'object' that exists separately from the original 'object'. Although the subject matter is an imprint of the original, the photograph can never become part of that original, it becomes almost a print or an impression of it. For example if I were to look at an image of a man, I would know that I was viewing a photograph, not the man himself. The photograph itself as an object becomes a barrier that distances us, by reminding us of our own consciousness and surroundings. 

I suppose it all boils down to the conscious knowledge, of the differences between the 'object' and the 'subject'. Nothing can become the original. Even to the extent that if I were to duplicate an already existing image, the duplicate would not be the original. They would look, feel, and depict the same thing, but they would still be two separate objects! 

JM

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Eye Contact or No Eye Contact? That is the Question

Hello again!

Here are a few new images from my current project. 

I recently had a meeting with one of my lectures about this project. She took one look at my studio portraits and said, "Why are they looking away?" To be honest I hadn’t really thought about it. I just thought the ones where they were looking away seemed 'softer', more pleasant to look at. However I do like to idea of the confrontation of the lens... it's an interesting idea, with many theories and concepts evolving around it. So for my latest 3 shoots I decided to try it. I asked all my sitters to look straight down the heart of the camera like them just as much, so now I am in a slight conundrum as to keep them looking away or looking into the lens. I think I may try and keep the confrontation, as it could add an interesting spin on my images when I submerge them in water. We will have to see....

JM

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New Portraits

For my degree project I am looking into taking some normal studio portraits to accompany the underwater images (see earlier posts). I took these today in the studios at university. One of the main reasons I wanted to do these portraits was so when these images were viewed alongside the underwater portraits, my concept of the effects of water, could be more clearly seen and understood.

I took these images on a Hasselblad H3D. One of the most amazing cameras I have ever used, and also one of the most complicated! But once I had been shown the general settings, it was indeed an amazing camera. 

JM

x

Repossessing Tim

Just completed the first day of a three day film shoot. It went really well. Cast and crew were both on form. I am taking production stills for a short film called 'Repossessing Tim'. It's going to be amazing!

It was all in TV studio today, so it was nicely heated and everything was picture perfect. However tomorrow could be more difficult. It's on location, in a quarry, out in the sticks! It could be ok, but if it stays the temperature it has been for the last few days, we could end up with a frozen cast and crew! Oh well.

I am rather looking forward to it though, despite the weather concerns. I like natural light and working with what i get given. It makes it a challenge.

Images to follow soon

JM

 

Yesterday I had a tutorial with one of my lecturers. Needless to say it didn't exactly go to plan! 

I am rubbish at explaining my concepts to other people. In a way I forget that they are not in my head! So, cutting a long story short I don't think she has fully understood what I am trying to do with my images. My concept is about how the water of the ocean can slow and alienate people that are submerged in it. But I think she thinks its about lack of control and clumsily floundering around. She prefers the images that i have taken that are obscure and covered in bubbles and sediment, (image on the left) as she says they fit my concept better. but I personally don't think they do because that isn't what my concept is about... i prefer the cleaner more ghostly images (images on the right).

I'm at a loss...

I dont want to be rude by correcting her, but I have an assessment next week and I get an estimated grade. I don't want to get a grade for a project that I am not doing!!!

Which do you prefer?

JM

x

Bailey Will Save Me

When I was younger I could never answer the question ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’, mainly because I didn’t know.

I never truly felt like I was good at anything until I found photography. But as of late, I have felt like the passion I once has for this way of expression has somewhat faded. I can’t even begin to describe what it is like to loose, ‘it’. I am not 100% sure what ‘it’ exactly is, but nevertheless it’s dwindled. I once would get up in the morning, willing it to be a day of beauty and life just waiting to be frozen in my frame. But now…

Today I went to a lecture at 9am, returned a camera to the university stores, then came home and sat staring at my images for hours, willing them to edit themselves. I am not sure what happened to my passion but I don’t like its absence.

So…

I returned to where I started. I took myself back to when I was little, flicking through magazine after magazine, ripping out the images I liked to add to my stash. There were only a few people that stood out to me at that age (mainly because I am dyslexic and I cant remember many more than that!) David Bailey was my main photographic hero.

He has that charm and spice, which nowadays would be referred to as ‘swag’!

And it reflected in his work. His images revolutionized that way fashion photography developed. His images of Jean Shrimpon were gleefully accepted into the fashion industry as a fresh outlook on young fashion. They made way for the new, and cleared out the old, stiff, and conservative way of seeing. 

In these images shot in New York, Jean made high-end fashion accessible to the masses. Coming from a modest background herself, she had that look of honesty and truth about her. It was a look that every young woman (or man) reading Vogue, at that time, could relate to. However these images to me said more about Bailey than Jean. He was pushing against the walls that restricted him and his ideas. He fought against his bonds to create a whole new way of seeing the world. By doing this he revolutionized one of the stiffest and unyielding industries, uprooting them and pushing them into the new age that we still see today.

It is this passion and drive that I am momentarily lacking. I know what I want out of my images. I just need to do it. I need baileys drive and zeal to achieve it. And I will achieve it.

JM

           

   

David Bailey, Photographing Jean Shrimpton.

Another Shoot Complete!

Oh my!

For some odd reason I am attempting to do a project that involves getting in the sea... the project itself is not the problem, it the logistics of the project that make it difficult. I don't know if you have ever tried to submerge yourself in the sea, fully clothed, in January! I can assure you it is not the easiest of tasks to talk ones body into!

Luck I have some of the most amazing people ever who don't mind! I seriously owe my whole project, and   the majority of my degree to them.

Images coming soon. Promise.

JM
x

3rd Year final Project

These are few images that I have taken so far for my new final project. My concept is the water of the ocean and how it can change the human form. Let me know what you think.

JM

Change of Plan

Ok,
So this blog has be dead for a while, and there is a valid reason for it, honest.

This blog was created for the sole reason of being a digital copy of my final project of my degree at University College Falmouth. As things have turned out, my project has completely changed and I no longer need it for that reason. However, I am going to keep using it as blog to update people on my work and events.

Enjoy
Jessica