Chas Bedford's OCA learning blog (BA Photography 2 • Landscape, Place and Environment)
Spend an hour or so looking at photographers’ artists’ statements. Some will be on their own websites (although it’s surprising how few practitioners do this), but you’ll find most information from the websites of the galleries that represent them. Collect a selection that interest you, noting the tone that’s used and how the practitioner’s inspiration... Continue Reading →
With a couple of hundred images from each of my graffiti locations, it is time to do some editing. My workflow for this was entirely on-screen. I know others prefer to make proof prints and manipulate them physically; sometimes I do the same, but on-screen seemed appropriate for this exercise. My process involves Adobe Bridge,... Continue Reading →
The physical manifestation of assignment 5 will be a set of three 16-page zines (one for each of my principal sites) in a slipcase. Of course, with digital-only assessment, they will never be seen and handled by the assessors, but I will get some satisfaction and I can always include an ‘unboxing’ video in the... Continue Reading →
‘Sonic Boom!’ is another two-part workshop in the ‘Keeping up Momentum’ series organised by OCA level 3 student helen416376. Part 1 was held by Zoom conference on 3 July part 2 will be on the 24th, both parts led by OCA tutor and leader of the Music pathway, Carla Rees. This is a cross-disciplinary, cross-level... Continue Reading →
Back on public transport, and in London for my first exhibition expedition since the Covid pandemic began, I found two very different experiences. Much of this post will deal with presentation rather than content. First, and full-circle since the beginning of this blog, the new Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is at the Natural... Continue Reading →
Principal photography for this assignment is now complete. I find myself in the uncomfortable position of having some good content but unformed ideas of what to do with it. This posting is a sort of electronic version of thinking aloud. My first decision is to concentrate on the three sites where there is ‘wild’ graffiti... Continue Reading →
The M20 crosses the River Medway just north of Maidstone as two flyovers carrying five lanes of traffic each. Massive concrete piers intrude on the river banks and next to the footpath. The site is flagged on Google Maps as ‘M20 Graffiti Bridge’ During my visit to the site I took general views and a... Continue Reading →
The Isle of Sheppey is off Kent’s north coast, separated by a narrow waterway, the Swale. The majority is salt-marsh with nature reserves. The main town is Sheerness, at the west end, with an important port. A major feature is the flood defences on the north coast, a sand dyke, topped with a concrete sea... Continue Reading →
When undertaking a project with a documentary element it is essential to do some background research, in order that the photographer have some understanding of the subject matter beyond simply ‘this is what it looks like’. Graffiti in its modern form is embedded in a youth (or young adult) culture – mainly in the form... Continue Reading →
Although you’re not expected to produce any kind of installation or exhibition of your projects at Level 2 (HE5), there is certainly no reason why you shouldn’t be thinking about where you could present your work, and how the meaning of your photographs could be strengthened or expanded by their physical location. Think about whether... Continue Reading →
