Exploration with Ilford (200 and 400 ISO) Film and Fuji Colour Film (200 ISO) – 35mm Film
Starting at the beginning of the photography project, I wanted to understand and explore the different types of film, exploring with the textures, tones and details each film can deliver for the final outcome and ideas for the type of portraits and photography I was really looking for (finding the correct inspiration and motivation to capture the characteristic of the subject through the subject within the photograph).
The first few steps of the progression was to understand the Ilford HP5 film (practice the film, seeing the limits and skills of my photography to the test – push and pulling experimental with the chemical ratio and camera ISO settings within this documentary, street-based portraits) and Fuji Film (colour) understanding not just using contrast, lighting and context to tell a narrative within the film but explore what colour photography within analogue can deliver as a characteristic and nature, similar to the style of Saul Leiter’s photography – One street and documentary photographer who explored early colour photography within the 1960s to 1970s, which seems more narratively beautiful and descriptive as imagery than Martin Parr’s overly saturated and over-used film techniques (crossing processing, which does seem good and skilful a few times but it feels like Martin Parr’s work does too many times, lack narrative and notion of photography throughout his photography).
Northampton Carnival - June 2017 (In Black and White)
Link to Series: www.flickr.com/photos/128117740@N02/albums/72157682055308054
First Series
Camera: Canon A1 (Film/Analogue)
Film: Ilford film hp5 - ISO 400
To explore the style of street-based photography within black & white analogue, you need to be adventurous, interactive (friendly and approachable, street photography towards myself is to boost my confidence and character, telling a story through the image, expressing how I feel through photography than words, which a few don’t understand, excepting words to create the notion and narrative which seems through feelings that this is not photography and more of English literature, which lack photography)
But getting carried away, the techniques and methods throughout the practice within the black & white series, demonstrates the style of photography I’m looking for within the portraiture, looking more realistic than staged, finding the notion of the character through the human gaze, facial expression and characteristic, which is the true realism of portraiture photography as an aim, notionful feeling within the planning and ideas of the exploration of which type of film materials, I was going to use as a final outcome for the portraiture ideas for the final submission and creative ideas to explore during my studies in and out of university.
Film – Ilford HP5 400:
Very Strong contrast and tones (grains within the imagery, but too much when it is too dark by the cloudiness through the outcome of the imagery)
Good ranged of details and texture delivered, but needs to be explored and push to its limits throughout similar to early and pass work (Portmanteau Project: Influences and Research of film)
Northampton Carnival - June 2017 (In Colour)
Link to series: www.flickr.com/photos/128117740@N02/albums/72157686955348264
Second Series – Fuji Film – ISO 200 Colour Film
Rarely used colour film within my photography in documentary and portraiture photography with my analogue practices, due to the fact it feeling through my photography, feeling more digital colour than analogue – as when I shoot with colour film, it feels like the similar style/theme of my digital photography skills, always in details, right lightings, composition which I excepted and through it would be more like my analogue black & white photography, showing the grains, textures and the imperfection of the imagery.
Although the exploration of colour was a methods of understanding the notion of using other types of film throughout my photography, it help understand what type of textures and details it will give as an explorative idea, which could be explored and further outside or after university (if exploring furthering within my analogue practices – depending on career and area of photography to specialise within).
Overall, it demonstrates the early progression of understanding the advantages and disadvantages of using colour film within the project, which could within some photographer’s perspective, normal candid digital photographs than actual documentary of analogue colour photography (maybe I need to be more creative and more adventurous with colour film, like how I’m like with the black & white film within the street photography project and other practices which could be pushed and explored furthering the creativity narrative within the image)
In little folders next to this to show the simple quality and skills my analogue photography is like with colour film.
Comparison of Ilford HP5 400 and Fuji Film ISO 200 (Colour):
Ilford HP5 Film:
Rich textures and tones throughout the photography and imagery.
Good contrast and grains throughout the imagery series within the street-based photography, but is too grainy, setting on ISO could be wrong, so it may need to be researched better throughout the practice for the final outcome of explore the art of portraiture.
Even though there is no colour, the lighting and contrast can be quite interesting and unique at a narrative or subject within the specific imagery.
Fuji Colour ISO 200 Film:
Colour (obliviously) but within the darkroom need to understand the colour warmers (Y/M/B) when printing as colour photographic prints. Different colour tones/patterns then exposure and textures.
Good ranged of contrast, lighting and tones similar to Lomography black & white film, but the saturation remove parts of the contrast within the imagery, feeling like a weak digital imagery or candid 1980s (faded photograph), setting on the camera could be wrong, wrong lighting of aperture perhaps.
But the colours are quite richer and stronger than the digital colours, if pushed and explored correctly throughout the photography
Influences and Research within the Street Photography Practices:
Early Influences and Research from the summer and early autumn:
Throughout the early stages of the project, it was mostly exploring the photographers who explored street photography with demonstrating the knowledge of portraiture photography within a documentary style, which creates a unique narrative throughout the characteristic of the subject with the photograph, which could be explored and understood by lighting, location/surrounding when creating a unique portrait. Also the influences also practice and understood the notion of printing and post-production throughout the analogue period of photography, which could be learnt and experienced within my photography, to explore and express for final outcome.
William Klein – Street Photography and Darkroom: Contact Sheets
Amazing and fantastic street and portraiture photographer, who understands the art of using a 35mm film camera within black & white photography. Creating a exploring for a narrative within each subject, looking at the facial expression, surroundings and location of the area. Being adventurous and creative within each narrative of the imagery, letting the image tell the story then the words (which could be explored and discover within my portraiture photography when exploring with locations – finding a unique meaning and notion towards it).
With the street photography, it demonstrates the notion of what it needed to become a documentary photographer, being social-able friendly and interactive within the environment while being an observer within a specific locations. The approach and style of the William Klein’s photography will be explored and expressed passionately and carefully within my own photography, within portraiture to discover.
With the contact sheets or selection/areas of contact sheets (being marked), demonstrates the skills and knowledge of what the darkroom practitioner needs to be within the darkroom, being critical and analytic throughout the printing and selection (discovering the behind the scenes of what a photographer is like within the darkroom and analogue practices, pretty rare within exhibition and galleries for photographers to show/present the development stages of the print – which could be explored and experimented through my own darkroom practices and analogue skills of photography, showing the creativity and passion). The marker pens or colour pens, create a surreal frame and notion to the photographer’s ideas and planning of printing an image on photographic paper, showing the dedication and planning needed (within analogue photography, digital more simple and easily to complete even in scanning analogue prints or negatives but want to explore and experience the challenge of the skills and knowledge of what it takes to be a darkroom practitioner and analogue photographer with 35mm and larger formats)
William Klein does touch across colour film photography but not as stronger or expressive to Saul Leiter street photography in colour photography, comparing the two would be that both demonstrate and express a unique narrative in different format; one in colour and one in black & white in a traditional perspective.
Saul Leiter – Abstract Artists and Documentary (Street) Photographer
Very creative and adventurous photographer within colour photography, similar to Henri Cartier-Bresson’s street photography but in colour (plus different generation of photography, when looking at the technology and advancements of both photographer’s skill) showing a surreal/abstract story within each imagery – showing the date, time and notion of the subject.
But looking into the colour perceptive of analogue photography, the photographer who is starting within colour, needs to understand the saturation and temperature of the film, which is quite similar to mood and shadows of black & white lighting that can affects dramatically the atmosphere of the image, when printing as a colour print (meaning the understanding of colour ratio and temperature needs to be correct and explore fully if going colour analogue photography, for my final project idea or theme)
Don Hunstein – New York City 1960
Photojournalism: Street Photography Work
Similar to the style of photography self-explores during practices in self-confident and character, Don Hunstein explore and documents city life through music and impact it gives towards the public within the 1960s on America.
Within the photograph, the musicians are surrounded and seems overwhelm by people of different backgrounds and ethics, displaying the notion of what a community felt during that period to let the observer feel a part of the photograph by the way the photographer approach the subject. Being a part of the crowd and blending within it and being out of the crowd, feeling like a candid and tourist type of photography.
The style of blending and going into the crowd within street photography, demonstrates and explore how to become a part of the narrative and notion than solely becoming just an observer or tourist within the photograph which seems basic and simple to do within photography than the charm of street photography gives towards the viewer.
Could explore the techniques of being inside the narrative within the portraiture and music event photography, like the style of street photography perspective to create a more human-like feeling towards the image, also making the final image as a more friendly and approachable feeling or notion towards it when photographing the event or music venue only than the portraiture shot.
The 35mm Photographer’s Handbook
One of the film/analogue photography books, which demonstrates a lot of knowledge; exploring with the type of photography style and theme of photography which I want to specialise in which is documentary and portraiture (understanding the theme and style is one thing but understanding the technical skills and knowledge is much more masterful and skilful with the camera and tools to create and design art.
