Documentary in the Workplace

Hey guys
So I know this post is long overdue and well to be honest with you I've started and restarted this post so many times I've lost count.
However I thought I would write it now seeing as I can't sleep and I'm hoping it helps with the situation seeing as I have uni in the morning. We've been given a new brief which I'm kind of struggling with as its based on medium and large format colour film and working in the studio whilst also shooting portraits.
For our last assignment we had to go out and photograph someone working, with the idea in mind that our work (which had to be a series of between 3-6 silver prints) would be posted in a newspaper called The Guardian. I completely forgot about this part of the assignment and went off to do my own thing not really thinking if my work would be selected for a paper, Whilst also bending the rule of photographing someone we didn't know. I'm a bit shy at times and so approaching someone I had never met before and expecting them to let me take a series of pictures of them was massively daunting for me, which is why I chose someone i knew.
As you can see I went into a tattoo shop and given that our assignment had to be shot on 35mm black and white film I was in absolute heaven. As some of you may know I am massive lover of film photography, so I already knew what to expect in the outcome of developing the 6 rolls of film that we had to shoot.
There was one incident where I had gone into the shop as planned only to find out that the woman I was meant to be photographing had called in sick. In a way this did work in my favour as , even though I was put out by the fact I had wasted a morning, it made me want to go to other shops to make sure that my whole day wasn't a total waste of time. So even though I had originally decided to twist one of the rules a bit I did end up following them.
I do really feel that this project made me a better person and a better photographer as I had to try things that I had never done whilst I was at college. This was mainly pushing the film ( upping the ISO to 800 from 400) as the lighting in the shops weren't ideal for using the faster shutter speeds that were needed to get any form of decent photo's and its definitely knowledge that I will keep with me for the rest of my career.
I will include the photographs that I chose for my final 6 images in a separate post which will allow me to talk about the photographs one by one.
However right now its late and I should really try to get some sleep as not to fall asleep in my class tomorrow. I'm also planning on going into the darkroom to get some prints done for the guys that let me use them as my subjects however this will only be possible if the shop is open to collect my paper from.

I shall write to you all again soon I promise.
Sarah x

New Post Coming Soon!

Hi All,
I just wanted to let you know that I have been rather busy lately doing work from University. However, I shall be writing a brand new entry at some point this week (or if I get the time, maybe 2) I have a lot to fill you all in on from whats been going on in my life. So don't fret I haven't forgotten about you guys.

I hope you will all like the new changes I will be making to the layout too (It's going to be pretty big......I hope lol)

Sarah x

London bound

I'm currently sat in a cafe at uni waiting for us to all get on the coach for a trip to London that my course has arranged.
We've been told we're going to the Barbican and Tate Modern. I must admit even though I've been to Tate Modern before I'm still looking forward to this and I'm seriously hoping that seeing as I'm taking my camera I get the chance to get a few shots whilst I'm there.
The last few times I've been to galleries in London (all times being just to look at old paintings that don't interest me in the slightest) finally I get to go and look at some actually photographic work, possibly by people I've researched for projects back when I was at college.

If I do manage to get photographs done thats what my next post will be about. And if not then I'll just have to write about the exhibitions.

Until next time byeeeeeee

Old Cars

I've been a busy little bee over the last couple of weeks. I've moved into my student accommodation ready for when I start my university course in October and I have also been on holiday. I stayed in the U.K but I think you don't have to always go abroad to have a great time. This year I went to Pickering in North Yorkshire.

Whilst there we went to a small village called Goathland. There wasn't a lot there a few shops, a couple of pubs and a train station that was only used by steam trains, which I must admit was pretty cool as it was used as Hogsmead Station in the Harry Potter movies. Some of you from you UK might even remember a TV show called Heartbeat. It was set in the 60's and it was a bit like a soap opera but was only on once a week. My parents loved the show. Anyways we found an old petrol station/car repair hut that was used in the show and it still had some of the old cars parked at the side of it. 

This is Morris Minor was one of those cars I loved that you could tell that it had just been left to the elements. As you all know I love old things mostly old derelict buildings. However when I saw these cars I couldn't help myself.
I tried to draw some inspiration from Melissa's work from Fractured Porcelain that I showed in a post a couple of months ago. (click the link to go to her facebook page) Her photo's are absolutely amazing, they're such beautiful images and she has such talent for someone of such a young age.
I'm not really sure what else I can really say on this. I apologise for such a short post today. Remember to check out my facebook page as there's plenty more images on there from my trip last month.
I'm going to Brighton in about a month so I'm hoping i'll be able to get some photo's when I visit. If I manage to then I shall post something on here :).

Good night all.

Out With The Old In With The New

This is so cool, right now I'm typing this on my brand new phone. I downloaded the app for this so that if I'm ever out and about and the idea for a blog pops into my head I don't have to wait till I get home to type it out. I'm hoping this will only encourage me to to write more. Also seeing as I start university soon I might even be able to blog as I'm working on something such as a project or even just an idea of a personal project, the possibilities are endless.

St Andrews Church

I took this photo today on my phone using an application called instagram. I'm guessing most of you would have heard of this, it's absolutely huge in the UK pretty sure anyone and everyone uses it lol.
Anyways I love the effects you can get in the editing section and as I visited the cemetery I looked up at the church and knew I wanted to take a photograph straight away. I visit this church quite a lot and last time I went I didn't have my camera with me so was unable to do anything.

Next entry will have some photo's on there that I took last week whilst I was on my holiday in Yorkshire. I took some that I'm hoping you guys will like.
Until then. Byeee

Another One of My Favourites

I'm continuing on from last months post by talking about another photographer I've discovered in the last couple of years. She goes by the name of Fractured Porcelain Photography and has recently had a show in New York being featured along side Mat Marrash and Matt Lambros, 2 photographers whose work I am yet to check out for myself (I shall keep you informed and do a post when I do.)

Riverside Psychiatric Center

As you know I love abandoned buildings and photographs of nature taking back the space which is so rightfully theirs. Recently Melissa was part of a New York exhibition called Urban decay, and may I add that the title was perfect.
She went to the Riverside Psychiatric Center which is in New York. She photographed many things around the building but this one is my favourite.
Alot of her Urban Decay photo's, including this one, remind me somewhat of photographs I've seen of Chernobyl and Pripyat. Behind each and every picture there is a story and a mourningful yet beautiful one at that.
Eventhough it's not slap bang in the middle of the photograph the wheelchair in the pool automatically draws your eyes straight to it, despite there being a lot going on around it. It's almost like when you seen a bunch of grey pigeons and your eyes go straight to the white one in the middle. For me I can also feel the suffering seeping out of the chair and in a way I for myself can sympathize with that along with many other people.


I would love to be able to visit this place one day along with other abandoned Psychiatric Wards when I get around to travelling across the U.S. In fact if I had my way, and the money, I would move there, but a girl can dream right? I am in complete awe at the pure talent that Melissa has at capturing a moment or a feeling just in one shot it's just simply remarkable.
You should really check out her facebook and flickr pages.

It sucks that I only discovered this girl last year after my College's final exhibition had finished, otherwise I know for a fact her work would have inspired my final piece massively and maybe do a piece of work I was completely happy with rather then having to settle for something else.

I hope you enjoyed this entry,
Over and Out

Change Of Plan

If you guys read my last post you'll know that I went to Canterbury to visit the local university with my sister. Sadly I didn't get the chance to take any photographs. However, I'm going back this summer so I will make sure I get some then. That means that this post won't be about my own work but the work of one of my favourite photographers.

This photographer is Francesca Woodman, an American artist who lived in New York.

Francesca Woodman

I've loved Francesca Woodman's work ever since I layed eyes on it during a photographic project whilst I was at college. Most people see her work and think it's depressing or don't really understand any of it. Personally I think her work is inspiring and in a way I feel like I relate to some of it. For example the photograph I've chosen to show you was part of a series about space. The series involved works of woodman hiding behind things such as fireplaces and mirror, almost like she was trying to blend in. Her work gives off the sense that she was trying to portray how she felt either psychologically or emotionally without using words to express herself.
There are apparently around 800 photographs that she produced all or a majority of which were whilst she was a student. However only about a quarter of these have been made public.
The one thing about Woodman's work I love is the fact she didn't really owe it to anyone, she did it for herself and nobody else. I think that's why her work was never published world wide whilst she was alive. Sadly Francesca Woodman killed herself in 1981 at just 22. It's a scary thought that she was just a year older then I am now when she died. But in a way I don't think she died in vein, simply because her work was never really seen whilst she lived. Of course I'm not the one to say she wouldn't have made it living, but I suppose it's one of those things that we will never know.
I would love to one day be able to actually see her works in person rather then through text books and the internet. The University I'm going to be attending from September hold an annual trip to New York and eventhough I've been there before I would love to go back, so I have my fingers crossed I'll be able to afford to go this year. If I do get to go I might be lucky enough to finally see some of Woodman's work. If not then I can always get a train to somewhere in the UK that's showing some.

I must warn anyone under that gets uncomfortable about nudity might not want to research Woodman. Not all her work has nudity but I just thought I should warn you before you choose to take a look. I hope you fall in love with her work as much as I have.