Photo Essay
This is a Mind Map that I created in class to generate some ideas of a project for my Photo Essay, the Photo Essay is to consist of ten photographs that tell a story, they must work as a set and be presented in a chronological format. These photographs are to be in black and white, which is typical of documentary photography.
Experimenting with Photo Essay ideas
This mind map helped me get ideas flowing, I put the map up on the kitchen wall at home, to prompt me to think about what topic to decide.
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The three main topics I narrowed down to document for the photo essay was;
1. An illness
2. Homeless
3. Architecture
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I took photographs of my mum, who has Alzheimer's, however I have decided that I would need a longer space of time to photograph over a couple of years to fully show the deterioration of the illness.
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However I will include some images as examples and progress.
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I finally chose to photograph buildings of interest around Cardiff and surrounding areas. The streets of Cardiff are constantly under construction and so many buildings being demolished, and replaced by new ones. Some protected and grade listed buildings, cause developers problems, so they find a way around this by leaving the fronts of the building in place and building the new building behind the face of the old one.
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I thought it would be worth documenting the old architecture and the new.
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Experiment 1 - An Ilness Photo essay
Photographing my Mum - & Alzheimer's
My Mum got diagnosed with Alzheimer's last October. This didn't come as a shock to me, but it did to her. After years of observing her loss of memory, it was somewhat of a relief to get a formal diagnosis.
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This is a celebration meal for her 65th Birthday. We went to her favourite restaurant the 'Grape n Olive' at Swansea Tower.
She has a wacky, fun side and she actually drove home wearing the Halloween Mask!
This is images of her at her driving assessment, she now has to be assessed once year to be sure that she is a safe driver.
A visit to the hospital for check up and then a relaxing coffee afterwards.
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I've now become her carer , as she has lost the ability to remember what tablets to take and any administration activities she is incapable of completing. Simple daily activities like getting confused with any mail that comes through the door.
Experiment 2 - Photo Essay
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Homeless Souls
I chatted with Anthony who lives outside Queen Street train station, Cardiff. I asked him if he would allow me to take his photograph. He asked why, so I explained it was for my Photo Essay project and `I was student at University. He was happy to oblige, and chatted about how he would have loved to have been a student.
This is Dan, he lives on the streets of Bristol. I stopped to check if he was ok, it was a bitter cold day and he was so still sleeping, that I woke him up to see if he was alive. I then offered him my hot drink and a fruit pot. He was so grateful and posed for the camera when I explained of my project.
Dan was very pleasant considering I woke him up. I look at the image for a while and I imagine his day and how long his days must be. With no structure, no organisation, no reason to be there.
I edited the image by using a Nik filter 'bleach bypass', which has a great effect of bringing out fine details. In particular the grain n the brick wall behind. I feel it has fine art finish
My Photo Essay - Cardiff Architecture 2018
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Far Right: Lloyds TSB, Corner of Queen Street
Right: Fire Station
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Far Right: Wales National Ice Rink
Far Left: Empire Theatre
Left: Empire Swimming Pool
Far Left: Olympia Cinema
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Left: Queen Street. HSBC on the edge of the frame.
Left Below: Western Mail and Echo Site.
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Right Below: Tresillian Hotel, Riverside, Cardiff
Left Below: Cardiff Central Train Station
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Right Below: Riverside Bridge, Leading to Empire Pool
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The Andrews Buildings on Queen Street were originally built in 1899 by Solomon Andrews (you’ll probably know him better for being the driving force behind Cardiff’s Indoor Market). The place was a leisure and retail centre that was home to Andrews Hall, a concert hall that was converted into a theatre: first the Olympia, then ABC. The cinema finally closed its doors in 1999.
Listed buildings register did not come into place until the late 80's. Before this many beautiful victorian buildings were allowed to be demolished.
Photo Essay - My final chosen project.
Documenting Cardiff's Architecture 2018
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This photo essay was inspired from an Exhibition I attended by Richard Gaunt, called 'Day by Day' - A documentary street photographer who has many photo essays covering 6 decades of Wales and Yorkshire.
Duke of Wellington pub, built in 1882 - I have used a 2 second exposure to capture movement in the general public passing buy.
Wales online reported BOOKWORM rockers the Manic Street Preachers opened Cardiff Library today.
The band unveiled a plaque at the new city centre structure bearing the words ‘Libraries gave us power’ – a line from their 1996 hit A Design For Life.
The Blackwood group were given a tour of the £15m building where they were shown the music, film and Welsh language sections and the building’s baby grand piano – put there for the public to play.
Morgans Arcade - Built in 1886 and opened in 1889. The elegant venetian windows that structure the roof are a great photographing point. The fronts of the buildings are now gladly protected on the register.
Cardiff Central Train Station - Victorian Architecture. £40M ha been allocated for the refurbishment and £100M for adjoining park and ride car park at the rear. The expected amount of passengers are to be doubled by 2023.
2016-Currently
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Wales on line reported that as part of a £220m scheme due to be completed by 2015, Cardiff Queen Street will see the disused platform on the west side reinstated and a new bay platform built on the east side for the Cardiff Bay shuttle service.
The existing dire booking hall at Queen Street will be flattened, with a snazzy new station entrance (below)giving access to the new platforms.
1974-2015
1887-1973
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