Last Post of Documentary Work

Artist Statement – Documentary

People often see others playing instruments in the street for money, in other words ‘busking’, many of these people think oh they are poor and have no money either I will throw in a few silver coins or steer clear of them completely as if they were a disease I am able to catch.
This is not always the case, yes while many buskers brave the streets day and night simply because they have little money there are others who just like to play to get their music heard.
I have come across a fellow who was actually busking while selling his own CD, I stopped and asked him why he played in the streets when clearly he was talented enough to be signed by a record label and his response was ‘because I love sharing my music with others and gaining new fans’.
People are very quick to judge others when on the streets but next time you see a person performing out there don’t judge and think oh yes they must be poor because for all anyone knows they could signed to a label during the day and a busker at night simply because they would like to share their passion of music with others. It is hard to tell in this series of photo’s which buskers are doing it for the money and which ones are doing it for their love of music.

This guy was very very nice and kept offering me things like smokes and Pepsi I have never seen a busker playing the harmonica before but now I have.

Buskers

For some reason this blog hasn't let me upload photos to it so here's hoping it works this time!

Ok so as people already knew my teepee man got offered an apartment in Belconnen and moved off the lake before I had a chance to meet him so I am running with my second idea which is buskers. Some do it because they are desperate for money, some because they want to promote their music and play in front of people and some do it just because they like to. Enjoy

F 4.5, 1/100, ISO 400

F 5.6, 1/160, ISO 400

F 4.5, 1/160, ISO 400

F 4.5, 1/13, ISO 1600

F 4.5, 1/13, ISO 1600

F 4.5, 1/13, ISO 1600

F 6.3, 1/80, ISO 400

F 6.3, 1/80, ISO 400

F 6.3, 1/40, ISO 400

F 6.3, 1/40, ISO 400

F 4.5, 1/4, ISO 1000

F 4.5, 1/4, ISO 1000

F 4.5, 1/4, ISO 1000

F 4.5, 1/4, ISO 1600

Assignment 2 - Proposal for folio

I currently have two ideas:

1. William Woodbridge - the student living on lake Ginninderra
2. Buskers in Civic

William Woodbridge

Mr Woodbridge is a 21 year old University of Canberra student who currently lives on Lake Ginninderra. Like many other students, Woodbridge has struggled with accommodation limitations and expenses. He originally was living in on campus accommodation at UC but after accidentally setting off a fire alarm and incurring a hefty fine Woodbridge moved out of the University accommodation. After living in his car for a while he decided to move onto Lake Ginninderra, as he is an industrial design student he fashioned himself a raft and a teepee on top. He currently is in the middle of a battle with the ACT Government about weather or not he can continue living on the lake. 

I would love to get photos of Mr Woodbridge and this battle as I am currently living on student accommodation also and know the expenses it entails. I have not been able to catch him when he is home yet, every time I go down to the Lake he is not home, I hope to be catching up with him soon.

Buskers in Civic

Going out at night in Civic is a constant party for Uni students and young adults, I have seen the mass amounts of buskers lining the streets near the popular clubs with guitars and various other instruments, hoping for a few dollars spared by people walking past. Many of these buskers just need money for their dinner or children's dinner. Some just do it because they love their music.

I would love to capture the passion and contentment in the faces of these people.

My complete ideas are written in my book.

Assignment 1- Inspiration

Darren Clark

Clark is an Australian documentary photographer who is passionate about capturing what it means to be an Australian.

"Documenting the varying life styles and personalities of all classes, races, religions and sexes of individuals that inhabiting this vast continent, I have come to realise that every person has a need to feel as though they belong."    - www.darrenclark.com.au/biography.html

Clark captured my eye with his 'Fringe Dwellers' series. These photographs inspired my ideas for my Documentary assignment.

'Fringe Dwellers'

Three above images: http://www.darrenclark.com.au/fringe-dwellers.html

'Ballet'

Three above images: http://www.darrenclark.com.au/ballet.html

Civic Task

Blacks, Whites and Greys

 Black - 1/250th, f4.5, ISO 100

1/125th, f5, ISO 100

Grey - 1/250th, f5, ISO 100

1/25th, f5.6, ISO 100

White - 1/250th, f5.6, ISO 100

1/5th, f7.1, ISO 100

Mix - 1/250th, f5.6, ISO 100

1/20th, f5, ISO 100

Task 1

1. What is the earliest reference of photography?

The earliest reference to photography came from Chinese philosopher Mo Ti in the early 5th century, he formally recorded the creation of an inverted image formed by light rays passing through a pin-hole in a darkened room. He called this room the 'collecting place' or the 'locked treasure room'.

2. Who created the first camera obscura?

The camera obscura was not built until the 10th century by Alhazen an Islamic soldier and scientist who's experiments included placing five lanterns outside a room with a small hole. The term "camera obscura" was first used by the German astronomer Johannes Kepler in the early 17th century. He used it for astronomical applications and had a portable tent camera for surveying in Upper Austria.

3. Draw a diagram showing how a pin-hole camera works. 

4. Who was the person responsible for the first permanent camera image.

The first person to create a permanent camera image was Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1826. In the window of his upper-story workroom at his Saint-Loup-de-Varennes country house, Le Gras, he set up a camera obscura, placed within it a polished pewter plate coated with bitumen of Judea (an asphalt derivative of petroleum), and uncapped the lens. After at least a day-long exposure of eight hours, the plate was removed and the latent image of the view from the window was rendered visible by washing it with a mixture of oil of lavender and white petroleum which dissolved away the parts of the bitumen which had not been hardened by light. 

5. What are two ways to control the amount of exposure of a photograph?

Two ways to control the amount of exposure of a photograph are adjusting shutter speed and aperture settings.
Shutter Speed : The shutter blocks all light from exposing the sensor until you press the button. Then it quickly opens and closes giving the sensor a brief flash of light. You control the length of time the shutter remains open by setting the shutter speed, longer shutter speeds =more light, shorter shutter speeds = less light.

Aperture: Before light reaches the sensor it must pass through an opening called an 'aperture'. You can control the Aperture by setting the 'Aperture opening' also known as f - stop.

6. Name two shutter types and briefly explain how they operate.

Electronic shutter: turns the sensor on and off to capture the exposure. The image is built up as the light is captured by the sensor. Camera's with the electronic shutter can be exceptionally accurate when designed with precision.

Leaf shutter: is a type of camera shutter consisting of a mechanism with one or more pivoting metal leaves which normally does not allow light through the lens onto the film or digital image sensor, but which when triggered opens the shutter by moving the leaves to uncover the lens for the required time to make an exposure, then shuts.

7. What is an f-stop?

F-stop is how Aperture is measured, each stop represents a factor of two in the amount of light admitted. The photographer makes adjustments to the opening of the diaphragm by setting the f-stop. F-stop is the ratio of the focal length of the lens to the diameter of its opening. The larger the numerical value of the f-stop, the smaller the opening of the aperture.

8. What is an f-number?

 An F-number also known as a focal ratio, is the ratio of the diameter of the lens aperture to the length of the lens. On a camera, a photographer can alter the f-number by changing the f-stop setting on the camera’s lens. Each increment of an f-stop (and, thus, and f-number) represents a decrease of light entering the lens by half the previous intensity.

9. What does exposure mean?

Exposure is the total amount of light allowed to fall on the photographic medium (photographic film or image sensor) during the process of taking a photograph. Exposure is measured in lux seconds, and can be computed from exposure value (EV) and scene luminance over a specified area.

10. If exposure = time x intensity, what does time stand for and what does intensity stand for? (hint look at question 5)

Exposure = shutter speed (time) x aperture (intensity)