Experimenting with van dyke brown prints

For this experiment I will take the negatives I shot in the style of David Bailey and use van dyke brown to to print them on card. In this process I will have to paint the chemicals onto the card, drawing an outline before hand, wait for it to dry, then place the card on an ultra violet light box with the negs on the top. After testing the exposure I found that the correct one was 100 seconds, I then place into another chemical, at this point the photograph turn a straw colour, I then wash it in a soft fix, this is when it turns a chocolatey brown. I then wash with water and wait to dry.

Context on David Bailey

Baby boomers

People who had babies after the war

Forced to go to the army

Limited food

Struggled from education from learning difficulties 

Taking pics of birds

Very well established photographers

His passion for photography was fuelled by his enjoyment, photographing birds as a child

When he was sent to the Royal airforce and deported to syngapor he bought a cheap medium format camera

After finishing his years in service he pursued his photography career and got his first paid job shooting a friends wedding

Decided he wanted to work for a photographer, he wanted either Jon French or Armstrong Jones

He worked with French 

Left French in April 1960

He got his first big job at the daily express 

Images created from this job were instantly recognised as influential and and inspired other photographers very quickly

Vogue then offered Bailey a job, he then refused and made him another offer of which he took 

Within 8 months of joining vogue, he published his first cover photo

He lived with his model, and photographed her almost exclusively until 1964 

Lewis Morley

Review of final David Bailey shoot.

What happened? 

I photographed my friend in underwear in the style of David Bailey. I rented out both the studio and a medium format camera. I then processed and printed the photographs myself. A huge issue I encounted with the photographs was during the processing stage, upon taking the film off of the sprawl I immediately noticed there was a huge cream coloured smudge all down the film. I knew that this was from during processing the film was stuck together and therefore the fix couldn't get to all of the film. I decides to pour some fix into a tray and put the film again. Luckily most of the smudge disappeared, however there was some still on the film, and on a couple of photographs it is noticeable. 

What went well? 

Other than the one issue with processing the film, I feel it went quite well. I feel I was successful in replicating a similar lighting to david Bailey. My aim was to keep the model in the light however not the background, keeping it grey. To do this I took a poly board and put it in front of the light, covering about a third of the bulb, preventing the light from falling on the wall behind the model. Something I didn't intend for but I feel added character to the photograph was the amount of shadows on the model. If I was to do this shoot again Id keep a similar lighting because I like the drama it adds.

What didn't go well? 

I feel through out this shoot the two big issues was the problem with the fix, which if I was to do this again I would ensure the film has been put on the sprawl properly, preventing it from being stuck together. The other issue I encountered during printing. Because the enlargers in the dark room aren't designed for medium format film, I was forced into making a frame out of card so that the frame could be included in the photograph. However because I had to make this frame myself, I feel it compromised the quality of the image. It was quite unsuccessful because I could only include one edge of the film because the frame wasn't big enough to include both, if I was to print this film again I would ensure I used an enlarged designed for medium format film

Plan of final David Bailey shoot

For this shoot I will do similar approach to  my test shoot. For I feel it was quite successful. However this time the nature of how the model is dressed will be very different. I've decided to do an underwear shoot but still keeping a David Bailey format. My plan is to bring in a friend to model for me, to do this I have to send an email to my tutor informing him of all the details of the shoot. For example my name, the models name and the time in which Id need the studio. I plan to spend only an hour in the studio. I will again use a medium format camera. Both because it is the type of camera that Bailey used and I feel the quality of photograph it produces is brilliant. When printing I will include the boarder of the film, because this is technique I used in my test shoot which I feel looked good and this is what Bailey did

             I will be shooting in the college studio, to do this I will need to borrow a studio kit from the college. I will set my apeture to f8 and my shutter speed to 1/125.

Context

The Corrine Day period marked a massive change in the way photography was produced, it was proceeded by a massive economic boom and wealth distribution. Models were paid ridiculous amounts of money and photo shoots were done in very exotic locations, reinforcing the sense of wealth and luxury. As the 1980s finished and we moved into the 1990s there was a huge economic crash worldwide. The music of 1980s was house music - acid house all of which celebrated life and good times. In USA Kurt Cobain was forming the band nirvana - this was the anti-thesis of happy go-lucky care free acid house and marked the change in the worlds mood. Away went synthesises and in came rock and roll, music that reflected a new world. A darker economically challenged world. Heroin replaced acid and ecstacy as the drugs of rock musicians and kids started to copy

'Grunge'. Cobain coined the phrase to describe the movement in the USA. The media picked up on the 'look' and the fact heroin was being talked about and used. Kids in the United Kingdom adopted the look and lifestyle, combining the fashion style with taking class A drugs. The term 'heroin chic' was coined to describe Courtney Love and the new look. Models got skinnier as a reaction to the busty 'uber babes' of the super model phenomenon. Kate moss was considered at the same time.

Corrinne Day

Corinne day - Kate Moss

My initial reaction upon looking at this photograph is to question why the photographer has chosen to present the photo in black and white. I don't quite understand why black and white is used, because of the nature of the photograph I would've thought it would be in colour because the model looks happy and joyful, which is the opposite to the visual language that black and white often represents. The nature of the photograph, because of the time it was published, is very different from photography around that time. It looks as though this would have been one of the first photographs to have been published with such a casual, easy going style, instead of the glamorous format that most photographers would have used. 

I'm predicting that from the shape and texture of the image, it is 35mm film, it wouldn't be medium format because the shape of the image is not squared.

           From the body language and facial expressions it looks as though she and the photographer are trying to sell this joyful, spontaneous life style. This is what makes it fashion photography, it doesn't have to be clearly selling a product that is featured in the photograph, it promotes the brand by simply showing that if you wear this or do this, you will live and look like this.

             I feel that both the model and the background work well together in that we often associate the beach with sun, sun bathing and wearing revealing clothes, Moss has done almost exactly that however taken it to not wearing anything. Because of this it gives the happy feel to the photograph, however I feel that if only the model was not in the image it would have a very different feel, it would look a lot less bright and joyful and a lot more dark and mundane because of the use of black and white and what looks like an untouched background. Personally I don't like the composition of the photograph, I don't quite understand what the photographer has chosen to cut the image off at her toes, I feel that there is too much space between her head and the top of the image, I understand that that could have been used to emphasise her vulnerability by showing that she's in a huge isolated place, however I feel the model would have been better suited filling more of the image

Careers

Cinemaphotographer

Being in in control of the camera team, frame and light of film

Required to have an artistic ability

Hours long

Start off from the bottom of recording

Can be paid up to 65000 for one production

Not necessary for agree but does help

Demand has increased

Free lance photographer

Online portfolio required

A lot of money require to get started

Art therapy 

It uses art to improve a persons physical and emotional well being

Need a degree

25000 average salary

Forensics photographer

42000-50000 salary

Three years of experience in photography 

Highly organised

Photographers assistant

It's done to start one off, to then gets you up into the career of a photographer

Film director 

Control everything in the making of a film

Average salary 90000-180000

Curator

Manage staff in galleries and exhibitions

Decides how the work is ️gona be hung

Social networking designer

Focus on how the clients website looks and work

Some sort of degree is required

Engaging with your target market

Get the point across through a website

A lot of research in your clients company

Documentary photography

Often used as photojournalism 

Art director 

Degree required 

Work mainly in advertising

Graphic design

Salary 22000-28000

Degree required

Portfolio

Commercial photographer

Mainly work in studio

Self employed 

Degree not required but need experience 

Workexperience@southessex

Review of test shoot

What happened?

I booked out both the studio and a medium format camera and used my classmate, Shane, as a model. Before the shoot took place, we discussed outfits he could wear to fit the context of this assignment, we put together stone washed jeans, white t shirt and timberlands. I found it quite difficult the styling because neither of us own 60s clothing. When looking at Bailey's work I noticed that he often includes the edge of his film in his photographs, I want to try a simular approach when printed, however it was more difficult than I initially thought.  Because the enlargers aren't made for medium format film, we had to create a frame large enough to expose all of the film, including the edge of it.

How do I feel it went?

Overall I feel the shoot was successful. I'm happy with how I did the lighting, I was successful in keeping the background grey however still keeping the model well lit. 

What didn't go very well?

Annoyingly, I feel that I placed the model in the wrong place, because of this you can see the curvature of the infinity wall. If I was to do this shoot again I would shoot the photographs against the infinity wall instead of adjacent to it.

Conclusion

Other than a few tiny issues that are easily fixed, I'm happy with the photographs. I feel that I was successful in showing my inspiration was david Bailey. I like the contrast between the blacks and whites. One thing that I would like to change would be the styling.

Plan of David Bailey test shoot

For this test shoot I'm going to use david Bailey for inspiration. Because of this I will use appropriate materials and techniques to produce a small body of work. I've decided to work using medium format because it is what Bailey used, and I like the quality of film photographs it produces. Upon looking at a lot of his photography I found that, when shooting models, he often uses a grey background. To replicate this, what I will do is use a poly board as a light baffle, to cover some of the light and stop it from falling on the background. 

            I plan to spend about an hour shooting in the studio. Kit I will need when shooting will be a medium format camera which I shall book out and hp5 medium format film

I will use and aperture of f4 and a shutter speed of 1/125

ISO:100