JAMES RANDOLPH BA (HONS) UCBC FORMS AND FUNCTIONALITY
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Final Major Project
Practice Image capture
I have photographed police officers on a number of occasions during my time at University. Sometimes whilst on duty and various awards ceremonies.
I have photographed police officers on a number of occasions during my time at University. Sometimes whilst on duty and various awards ceremonies.
Whilst at University on this degree course I have been fortunate enough to have seen many of the photographs of police officers and police activity made by Wally Talbot. I can relate to Talbots ability to capture and document a wide range of policing activity which he has been able to do as a photojournalist. The many thousands of photographs by Talbot are being digitally archived by the UCBC photography dept. I have been very much inspired by the photographs of Talbot I have started to archive my own policing images as a historical record of policing today.
Whilst in mt second year at University I flicked through one of the many photography books within the dept. I remember looking through a book of images which featured photos of murder victims found on the New york streets during the 1930's-40's. I found the book a little disturbing but at the same time intrigued in the ability of the author to capture such scenes. I wasn't aware of the author/ photographer at the time but the images did stay with me. Perhaps a year and a half later I have recalled those images as part of my FMP and researched the photographer.
Weegee was the great photographer of New York in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, whose book Naked City helped to create the mythology of the city.
“I have no inhibitions and neither does my camera…” – Weegee
Weegee was the pseudonym Arthur (Usher) Fellig a press photographer during the 1930s and ‘40s, he developed his signature style by following the city's emergency services and documenting their activity. Much of his work depicted unflinchingly realistic scenes of urban life, crime, injury and death.
“I have no inhibitions and neither does my camera…” – Weegee
Weegee was the pseudonym Arthur (Usher) Fellig a press photographer during the 1930s and ‘40s, he developed his signature style by following the city's emergency services and documenting their activity. Much of his work depicted unflinchingly realistic scenes of urban life, crime, injury and death.
Describing his beginnings, Weegee stated:
In my particular case I didn't wait 'til somebody gave me a job or something, I went and created a job for myself—freelance photographer. And what I did, anybody else can do. What I did simply was this: I went down to Manhattan Police Headquarters and for two years I worked without a police card or any kind of credentials. When a story came over a police teletype, I would go to it. The idea was I sold the pictures to the newspapers. And naturally, I picked a story that meant something.
In my particular case I didn't wait 'til somebody gave me a job or something, I went and created a job for myself—freelance photographer. And what I did, anybody else can do. What I did simply was this: I went down to Manhattan Police Headquarters and for two years I worked without a police card or any kind of credentials. When a story came over a police teletype, I would go to it. The idea was I sold the pictures to the newspapers. And naturally, I picked a story that meant something.
Most of his notable photographs were taken with very basic press photographer equipment and methods of the era, a 4×5 Speed Graphic camera preset at f/16 at 1/200 of a second, with flashbulbs and a set focus distance of ten feet. He was a self-taught photographer with no formal training.
Weegee is spuriously credited for answering "f/8 and be there" when asked about his photographic technique.
Whether or not he actually said it, the saying although not one I have heard before,has become so widespread in photographic circles as to have become a cliché. It has come to represent a philosophy in which, on occasion, action is more important than reflection.
Weegee is spuriously credited for answering "f/8 and be there" when asked about his photographic technique.
Whether or not he actually said it, the saying although not one I have heard before,has become so widespread in photographic circles as to have become a cliché. It has come to represent a philosophy in which, on occasion, action is more important than reflection.
Weege worked at night and competed with the police to be first at the scene of a crime, going on to sell his photos to local press.
Now being in the position I am in I was able to arrive of crime scenes first however there is not the same crime and murder elements in my local area as there were perhaps in the 1930's New york. That said there would be no way that anyone today would want to take a photos of A crime scene featuring a body unless it was evidence related and no members of the press would print such a photo.
I was intrigued by the thought of photographing at night though ,something I had not done before. Apart from the murder and death Wegge also created photos of other aspects of New york life.
Now being in the position I am in I was able to arrive of crime scenes first however there is not the same crime and murder elements in my local area as there were perhaps in the 1930's New york. That said there would be no way that anyone today would want to take a photos of A crime scene featuring a body unless it was evidence related and no members of the press would print such a photo.
I was intrigued by the thought of photographing at night though ,something I had not done before. Apart from the murder and death Wegge also created photos of other aspects of New york life.
I decided I would try and capture some images of local nightlife and the policing presence on Town.
With camera in hand I went into my local city of Preston which has a busy night time economy which I hope would create enough activity for some interesting images. I was with a friend and fellow photographer Alf myers www.alfmyersphotography.co.uk/p1018806157 and together we set off into the night to see what we could capture.
Without any pre planning I started to see some similarities between my images and those of Weege and those of the era.
I was pleased with the images I had created so far and wanted to continue to shoot images at night. I made arrangements to go out patrol with my local policing team. Their tasks for the evening ranged from checking suspects for bail curfews, basically making sure suspects were at home and complying to their bail conditions, check and patrol local hotspots of crime and disorder, to respond to any emergency calls and later on in the evening patrol the town center as part of operation nightsafe. Op Nightsafe is basically police officers and other agencies being visible to prevent crime and deal with any disorder deal with any vulnerable people.
I used the same camera and set up as previous shoots and gained some very interesting images.
I used the same camera and set up as previous shoots and gained some very interesting images.
These set of images were slightly different from the previous shoots I had done. The lighting was very dark adding some drama and focus to the scenes. I discussed my images during show and tell , I was led to look at the work of Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi)
a 15th Century Italian Painter.
a 15th Century Italian Painter.
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was an Italian painter active in Rome, Naples, Malta, and Sicily from the early 1590s to 1610. His paintings combine a realistic observation of the human state, both physical and emotional, with a dramatic use of lighting, which had a formative influence on Baroque painting.
Arrogant, rebellious and a murderer, Caravaggio's short and tempestuous life matched the drama of his works. Characterised by their dramatic, almost theatrical lighting, Caravaggio's paintings were controversial, popular, and hugely influential on succeeding generations of painters all over Europe.
Arrogant, rebellious and a murderer, Caravaggio's short and tempestuous life matched the drama of his works. Characterised by their dramatic, almost theatrical lighting, Caravaggio's paintings were controversial, popular, and hugely influential on succeeding generations of painters all over Europe.
The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula,1610 Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi)
According to legend, Saint Ursula traveled with eleven thousand virgins to Cologne, where the chief of the Huns besieging the city fell in love with her. When she rejected his advances, he killed her with an arrow. In this haunting depiction, Caravaggio places the two figures improbably close to each other, maximizing the contrast between their expressions: Ursula’s perplexed gaze at the agent of her martyrdom; the tyrant’s conflicted reactions of rage and guilt. Caravaggio includes himself as a spectator, straining for a glimpse, while another figure thrusts his hand forward in an abortive effort to prevent the saint’s execution. The exaggerated contrasts between dark and light seem not merely a dramatic device but a symbolic allusion to sin and redemption, death and life.
The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula,1610 Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi)
According to legend, Saint Ursula traveled with eleven thousand virgins to Cologne, where the chief of the Huns besieging the city fell in love with her. When she rejected his advances, he killed her with an arrow. In this haunting depiction, Caravaggio places the two figures improbably close to each other, maximizing the contrast between their expressions: Ursula’s perplexed gaze at the agent of her martyrdom; the tyrant’s conflicted reactions of rage and guilt. Caravaggio includes himself as a spectator, straining for a glimpse, while another figure thrusts his hand forward in an abortive effort to prevent the saint’s execution. The exaggerated contrasts between dark and light seem not merely a dramatic device but a symbolic allusion to sin and redemption, death and life.
‘The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist’
Hailed as “one of the most important works in Western painting” by author Andrea Pomella, this masterpiece was the largest altarpiece ever painted by Caravaggio. The canvas is so large that the figures are approximately life-sized, hanging dominantly in St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Malta, the church for which it was originally commissioned. The oil depicts the execution of John the Baptist and is the only work that Caravaggio ever signed. His signature, located in the blood that spills from John’s throat, was discovered during restoration of the work.
‘The Taking of Christ’
This painting, completed around 1602 and depicting the arrest of Jesus Christ, is today located in the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin. Aside from Caravaggio’s mastery of the lighting, color and shade, the story of the painting’s disappearance and recent discovery are notable. Considered lost by the late 18th-century, the painting’s whereabouts were unknown until 1990, when it was recognized in the residence of the Society of Jesus in Dublin. Complicating things was the fact that there are at least 12 known copies of ‘The Taking of Christ’ in all!
‘The Calling of Saint Matthew’
This masterpiece by Caravaggio shows the very moment in which Jesus inspired Matthew to follow him. Standing alongside Saint Peter, Jesus points at Matthew, who is sitting at a table with four other men. It is evident that Caravaggio was inspired by the real world in most of his art and this work is no exception, as he anchors the biblical scene in a modern reality. It is also possible that he was influenced by Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel painting of God, pointing directly towards Adam to awaken him.
‘Doubting Thomas’
Another painting with a biblical theme, ‘Doubting Thomas’ is also known as ‘The Incredulity of Saint Thomas’. One of the apostles, Thomas doubted the resurrection of Christ, saying he would not believe it until he could place his finger where the nails had pierced his crucified body. Caravaggio provides us with an incredibly detailed, visceral and gory picture of the scene – it’s even possible to see Thomas’ dirty fingernails as he confirms sensation of the wound.
‘Judith Beheading Holofernes’
‘Judith Beheading Holofernes’ represents the first time Caravaggio chose to depict such a dramatic subject. He captured the moment of decapitation with dramatic flair by using lighting from the side against an inky, black background. The realism of the scene is undeniable, marked especially by the facial expressions of the figures. Holofernes contorts his body and screams, while Judith’s expression reveals a mix of determination and repulsion. In fact, the realism of the painting has led some to believe that Caravaggio was influenced by the highly publicized execution of Beatrice Cenci in Rome in 1599.
Caravaggio was an extremely talented painter creating such detailed life like paintings. Having spent time researching and looking at his paintings I can see some similarities in the images I have produced in their aesthetic dark backgrounds and use of light. Also whilst many of his paintings are of biblical subjects Caravaggio's portrayal and gruesomeness has a stark resemblance to the work of Weegee (Arthur Fellig) and his murder scenes.
Exhibition
In order to chose my final images to use in my exhibition I had several of my images printed as 7x5 on gloss photo paper. I laid all the photographs out onto a table and with my tutor and fellow students began to eliminate those I would not use in my exhibition.
Of the 60 images I had I reduced them down to 25.