Photographer Research - Lewis Hine

Lewis Hine

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lewis-W-Hine

http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/childlabor/index.html

Lewis Hine was born in Wisconsin USA in 1874, and combined his love of photography with his interest in social issues to capture and record the reality of life. His first photographic project was in helping his students document the arrival of immigrants at Ellis Island in the hope that they would develop a respect and regard for vulnerable people. The images that Hine captured of the new arrivals showed them in a dignified and sympathetic way and it revealed to him the power photography has in educating people. He then took up a position with the Child Labour Committee, and while in disguise, photographed children in the factories where they worked. This was at a time in history of great industrial change and his documentation of the appalling conditions which children were made to work under was instrumental in the setting up of child labour laws. Hine also photographed ordinary people at work during the construction of the Empire State Building as well as in mines, textile mills and factories. He was able to capture the workers as they skilfully and knowledgeably interacted with their machines to keep them working productively. He showed the pride the ordinary person had in their work which fuelled their spirit to provide a better life for themselves and their families. In his images Hine demonstrated his admiration for the workers and by capturing this influenced the viewers to think respectfully of them too. Using various techniques in his images he presented his subjects in a dignified way, which focused on their dedication and skilfulness showing the pride that they took in their work. His images showed the reality of working life and captivated viewer’s attention while at the same time educated and influenced their opinions. I have selected a few of his images below which illustrate how he achieved this.

This photo ‘Power House Mechanic’ was taken by Hine in 1920. I chose it because it promotes the role of man in controlling the powerful pieces of machinery that drives production in factories. It demonstrates how man and machinery can work in harmony and underlines the importance of the man’s skill in directing the tasks the machines do. In the image a mechanic has been carefully posed working at a Pennsylvania Power plant, he is bent forward, gripping a large wrench and is in the process of tightening a nut on a steam turbine. This image was from his Powerhouse images which formed part of his ‘Men at Work’ series 1920-1940: Dignity of Labor’. The man is physically strong as can be seen by the muscles on his bare arms which are taut as he strains with his task. There is also a determined look on the man’s face as he goes about his work. The worker is positioned centrally in the image and so his from is almost entirely contained within the circular shape of the large turbine. In the background the huge pipes that connect into the turbine can be seen as well as other smaller pipes, taps and cogs.

Hine has posed the model for this photo; I know this as he has also taken images of other models in similar poses in front of the turbine. But for this particular image he has selected someone who looked quite muscular and masculine. This was because Hine wanted to portray the physical strength of man in the image. By enclosing the worker within the circular shape of the turbine he combined the man and machine together showing them working perfectly as one. It is as if the physical strength of the man is as powerful as the strength of the massive machine, and his skill was needed to control and direct its work. In composing the image this way Hine was trying to redress the balance in stature between workers in industry and the enormous machinery they operated. As well as demonstrating his admiration and respect for the worker by underlining the strength and skill involved in the work.

This image by Hine was taken in 1937 as part of his Work Progress Administration (WPA) National Research Project 1922-1944, which focused on how industrialisation has affected employment. Hine took many images of women working in factories but I particularly thought that this one clearly demonstrated the skilfulness of the work she is performing. It was taken in Camden New Jersey at the RCA Victor Radio factory and shows a woman winding coils which are a component for the radios. She is standing over her equipment and is concentrating on her task.  The woman’s form has been placed vertically to the left of the frame using the rule of thirds. This position brings balance to the image as the equipment she is using is in front of her and she is looking towards it, so directing the viewer’s attention to what she is doing. The equipment she is using looks fairly complicated as there are a number of coils connected together with wires. The workers hands are in the centre of the frame and are carrying out an intricate task involving working on a very small coil. Due to the depth of field the camera has been set at, the background is blurred preventing attention being taken from the woman and her task. However the outline of similar pieces of equipment with cogs and coils can be seen so it is obvious she is in a factory setting. The image conveys to the viewer that the woman operating the equipment is skilful and good at her job. She also looks content in her work as she concentrates on it showing that she takes pride in her work and does not find it boring. This image conveys the respect Hine has for the woman as she expertly contributes to the production of radios.

This is one of many images Hines took during the construction of the Empire State building. This particular image was taken in 1930 and shows an ironworker perched sitting on the end of a large metal beam and is tightening a bolt with a spanner. The workman does not appear to be afraid of heights as he is very high up, approx. 1440 feet, as Hine has captured in the background a view of the streets of New York City far below him. The Empire State Building would become the highest building in the world when it was completed and Hine’s images show the daring bravery of the men who build it who he called his ‘sky boys’. In the image Hine has made use of dark and light shadows to create contrast within the image, with the worker and the iron beams being dark and the rest of the image much lighter. This separates the image making the viewer focus on each part in turn. The thick vertical lines of the beams and the tall buildings in the background add the feeling of power and strength to the image and this is associated with the worker.  In addition he has used depth of field to slightly blur the buildings in the background so that the viewer’s eye is not drawn too much to the lighter region.  Hine himself would have had to get himself into these rather dangerous vantage points to capture the images of the daredevil workers, showing his dedication in wanting to capture these brave men at work. By showing these men risking their lives on a daily basis, without using proper safety ropes, Hine portrays them in an almost heroic light as they change the landscape of New York City forever.



This is another image Hine took during the construction of the Empire State building. I think this image conveys the massive scale of the construction project and therefore the technical expertise of the workers. The image focuses on an individual floor of the building which is still under construction. The workers there are taking a break so no work is being carried out. This allows the viewers to focus on the work that has been done. There are many vertical metal beams supporting the building and this visually illustrates the power and the strength of the building.  The perspective of the shot creates converging lines which draws the viewer’s eye through the frame and therefore reach through it to the other side of the building. This allows the viewer to visually comprehend the size of the construction project. There are also horizontal lines in the beams in the floor and the pipes in the ceiling and these add a sense of harmony to the image. A man is sitting on a barrel having a break and reading a paper and he acts as a point of reference to compare the scale of the building to. He also adds a feeling of calm in this relaxed position and the hollow barrel he is sitting on directs the viewer’s eye to follow through it to the end of the building. There is also two further workers taking a break on the right making the converging lines off centre, this prevents the image being boring so that we take the time to look at what he is showing us. In this image Hine illustrates the high regard he holds these fearless workers who have skilfully undertaken this massive construction project.  

  

This image was taken by Hine at Rhodes Mfg. Co in Lincolnton North Carolina. I selected this image as it focuses the viewer’s attention onto the child worker in the image. The girl in the image was 11 year old and taking a moment away from her work in the textile mill to gaze out the window. Hine has used converging leading lines to draw the viewer’s eye to the girl positioned part way down the narrow corridor between the machinery and the wall. He has also used a narrow depth of field to blur the objects near the camera as well as those in the background. In this way the viewer’s eye is also drawn to the young girl as she is in focus while much of the rest of the image is not. By focusing on the girl we can see that she is out of place here and does not belong in this factory environment. She would probably rather be outside, which is likely what she was thinking as she looks out the window. Hine has used his skill to focus all the attention on the girl to convey his message to the viewer, which is that the girl should not be here. When I see this image I feel that it dramatically depicts the life of misery that child labour brought. Where children were denied an education and condemned to work long hours in harsh and unhealthy conditions and which Hine’s images such as this one helped to stop by changing the public’s perception and so bringing about new labour laws.

Influence

I was influenced by Lewis Hine’s work as I planning this image. This was because he captured his admiration and respect for ordinary workers in his images and I wish to emulate this in my project on the staff who work at the dog rescue centre. By doing this, like Hines, I will also be influencing and encouraging others to think respectfully of the workers too. In Hine’s images he focused attention on the worker undertaking their task to demonstrate that he considered it important and respected the person for their work. This image was particularly influenced by his images taken in the textile mills and in the construction of the Empire State Building where he used converging lines to focus attention on his subjects. In the image I have used the converging lines of the walls, ceiling and floor of the narrow kennel corridor to lead the viewer’s eye down the corridor to the worker performing the physically tiring task of scrubbing and disinfecting the floor. The fluorescent strip lights on the ceiling also forms highlighted lines pointing towards the worker, so directing attention to them. Additionally the rectangular wall at the end of the corridor acts as a frame around the subject focusing further attention on them and highlighting the importance of their task. By focusing on the worker performing this physically demanding task of keeping the kennel floor clean and sterile and so helping to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses I hope to demonstrate my respect for them and their dedication in performing this important task at the Centre.

Summary

Lewis Hine realised the power photography has in influencing people, and by capturing images of ordinary people at work as they skilfully and knowledgeably went about their work, he demonstrated his admiration and respect for them. Many of Hine’s images involved the use of heavy machinery or difficult working conditions such as at the height of the Empire State Building. However, as my project is based at a dog rescue centre, my workers will not be using such large equipment or working at heights. I will however be able to capture images of them using contemporary technical equipment such as computers, printers, debit/credit card readers and tag engraving machinery. I will also show them having to control powerful dogs, work long hours in all weather conditions, administer medications, and perform physically tiring tasks such as scrubbing floors, and dealing with the huge amount of work involved with caring for a large number of dogs and other animals. By doing this and focusing attention on the worker and the task they are doing I will highlight the skill of the worker and the pride they take in their work. My images are also influenced by Hine in that his images captured and recorded the reality of working life in that the subjects were genuine workers performing their normal jobs. This is what I will be doing in my project as I capture the workers at Mutts going about their normal working day. I intend to capture the skilfulness, the dedication involved, the physically demanding work and the pride and enjoyment the workers take in their work caring for animals and aim to present this as respectfully as Hine has done in his work .

Photographer Research - Fan Ho

Fan Ho

http://fanhophotography.com/index.html

Fan Ho was born in Shanghai, China in 1937 and developed an interest in photography at a young age. His style developed in the classical street photography tradition that was common in Europe at the time so he was influenced by photographers such as Robert Doisneau and H C-B. His style of photography though influenced by western composition techniques was culturally very different, as his images were taken of the day to day life on the streets of Hong Kong in the 1950s and 60s so therefore had a traditional Eastern outlook on life in the social behaviour, customs and ideas of his subjects. During his career Fan Ho produced an extensive body of photographic work and won hundreds of awards and competitions and was considered to be one of the most influential photographers in Asia. He additionally went on to be a successful film director and actor. In his photography he had a fantastic ability in composing his images perfectly, using different techniques to capture and draw the viewer’s attention to where he wanted it. These included using narrow depth of field to blur parts of the frame, sub framing using various geometric shapes and using perspective and contrasting scales. He was also particularly skilful in making use of light and shadow to create dramatic images using high contrast and creating interest with light such as by using mist and reflections in water. His black and white images have a surreal feel to them depicting a simplified traditional view of life in Hong Kong. Many of them capture the subject in lonely or isolated positions and it is his dramatic use of light and shadow that help develops the mood and atmosphere in his images and make them captivating and dramatic. I have selected a number of his images that I especially admire. 

In this image Fan Ho makes expert use of light as well as a narrow depth of field in the composition of this image. In doing this he focuses attention onto his subjects and makes the image more interesting to the viewer. The image shows a boat with two occupants traveling along the water heading towards some buildings in the background. The boat with its occupants and the water towards the bottom of the frame are clearly in focus. The image shows great detail in the water with both highlighted and shadowed regions caused by the ripples the boat has made. This detail draws the viewer’s attention to the foreground area of the frame. The building in the background are a little blurred due to the cameras aperture being set to give a narrow depth of field, which makes the buildings in the background slightly out of focus. Fan Ho has done this to prevent the background from distracting the viewer from the main subject in the foreground. In addition to this the smoke or mist to the top left of the buildings while adding atmosphere to the image also obscures the buildings to some degree. These techniques as well as focusing attention to a part of the frame also add interest, atmosphere and drama to the image. As well as creating a captivating image for the viewer they are left to wonder where the boat and its occupants are heading.

 

In this image Fan Ho makes use of hi key photography, which he was an expert in. With this technique the image looks over exposed, and you lose the details of parts of it, however in contrast the main elements are revealed more clearly, allowing the viewer to focus on them. The image shows a close up of the bare branches of a tree which overlooks a lake. At the top of the frame you can see the peaks of the mountains in the background but the bases of the mountains are obscured by the white mist that surrounded them. Then framed through a gap in the branches there is a boat with an adult and a child on board. The details of some of the elements in the image are lost but these are the not the important ones, rather the main elements are, in contrast, revealed more clearly. This image is therefore one of high contrasts as the mid tones have been lost. This technique allows the viewer to focus on the important part of the image, which is the subject in the boat which are shadowed and are set against the high lit area of the lake. This juxtaposition of contrasting tones creates drama in the image and draws the viewer’s eye. Also the natural framing of the subject created by the branches make it appears as though the subjects are unaware of the photographer/viewer looking out through a gap as they are concealed from view among the branches. This gives the image a more intimate feel as the viewer feels they have been allowed to witness this moment of a father and child taking a boat out together without disturbing them.

In this image Fan Ho makes use of the geometric shape produced by the man’s legs as he strides along and this allows him to create an interesting triangular feature in his image. The man is the dominant subject in the image yet he is mostly in shadow due to the rectangle of light that comes down from above and behind him. This use of light and ground level perspective creates a high contrast area where the dark form of the man meets the bright high lit area of light. This contrast draws the viewer’s attention and creates atmosphere and drama in the image. The viewer may wonder who the man is and where he is going walking in such a striding manner. It is as if he is eager to be somewhere else. This contrasts with the other people present in the background of the image, they are almost casually dawdling along and this highlights the difference in their movements adding to the intrigue in the image.

In this image Fan Ho has used light and shadow juxtaposition to create a vivid image.  He has captured a man in his boat as he rows it along a narrow canal in Hong Kong. Geometric shapes have been used in his composition to frame the man and his boat within the narrow band of light contained within the shape created by the shadowed buildings on the left and the pole on the right. The intense light highlights the outline of the shadowed man and his boat, and creates this high contrast which draws the viewer’s attention to him and forms a dramatic image. This adds to the atmosphere and mood of the image as the darkness and isolated form of the man makes him appear very lonely in a deserted location. I also like the way the band of light focuses attention onto the man even though he is a small part of the image and little detail can be seen of him as he is completely in shadow. Using his expertise with working with light, geometric shapes and framing Fan Ho has created a dramatic image which captivates his viewer’s attention.

 

 

In this image Fan Ho again shows his expertise in working with light to direct the viewer’s attention onto the subject. He uses the square of light that is shining onto the road to frame the young child as she sweeps the street with a broom. The light also highlights the top of her head and shoulders and allows the formation of the girl’s shadow that is contained within the square.  This shadow creates a high contrast area which is framed by the square. There are also a number of other people within the frame but as they are more shadowed our attention is not drawn to them as our eyes are naturally drawn to highlighted areas in an image. The lighting in this image therefore directs the viewer’s attention onto the charming image of a very young child trying to be helpful by sweeping a street in Hong Kong with a broom that is twice her size.



Influence

In this image I was inspired by Fan Ho and his skill with using light/shadow and geometric shapes in composing his images. A viewer’s eye is naturally drawn to light in an image and Fan Ho uses this to great effect to direct attention and create mood. I was inspired by his work to make my image of a routine task being performed at Mutts more captivating and interesting to the viewer by using light and shadow. I used the natural light coming through the hatch from the outdoor run attached to the kennel to highlight the dog as they are given their dinner by the worker. The shadowed interior part of the kennel surrounds the highlighted rectangle of the open door hatch creating an interesting geometric shape as well as framing the dog about to eat from its bowl. This focuses attention on the task being done by the worker. The use of juxtaposition of light and shadow also produces a high contrast area which draws the viewer’s attention and makes the image more dramatic and interesting to them. I think the task of showing the dogs being fed is important to capture being done at Mutts as it is something that people would expect to see as a routine task at a rescue centre. It also shows the workers taking care of one of the natural needs of the dogs and so is a positive thing to show.



Summary

Fan Ho has been a great inspiration to me in this project as he has a fantastic ability to compose his images perfectly, so that they capture and draw the viewer’s attention to where he wants it to be. I particularly like his images where he uses the contrast between light and shadow, and how he uses this to frame his subjects with various geometric shapes. Additionally I think that his dramatic use of light and shadow helps to develops mood and atmosphere in his images and make them even more captivating. I likewise will make use of light/shadow to make my images more captivating and to direct the viewer’s attention by framing the subjects with light or creating a high contrast area of light and shadow. As some of my images will be taken outside I can use naturally highlighted areas created by sunlight to focus attention on my subjects. Fan Ho also used smoke and mist in his images to create atmosphere and this is something I would also like to make use of too. Most days at Mutts a fire is burning to dispose of the old bedding and the smoke from this could add interest to the image of the task being performed. Fan Ho took his images in black and white and this helped to add drama to his images, however, I want to capture a more natural documentary type of image so will be taking my photographs in colour. Another aspect of Fan Ho’s work that I like is that most of his images have a genuine feel, taken as if the subjects were not aware of being photographed. This helps the viewer to connect with the subjects and relate to the images reflecting true to life moments of the subject’s lives. I am therefore inspired by his work to make my images appear as if the subjects are not aware of my presence so they will be asked to ignore me and not look directly at the camera.

Photographer Research - Elena Shumilova

Elena Shumilova

https://elenashumilova.smugmug.com/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/75571860@N06/

Elena Shumilova gave up her job as an architect to look after her young children and animals on their farm near Andreapol in Russia. She took up photography as a hobby in 2012 taking images of her children and the animals on their farm and posted some of them online. Her portraits went viral, attracting many admirers and have now been seen by over 60 million people worldwide. Percurean, a pet food company asked her to take images for their advertising campaign ‘Nourish for Life’ as they felt she captured visually the depth of a human/pet bond, particularly with children. Her heart-warming images illustrate in a powerful way the emotion that exists in this relationship and the viewer can connect with this. Shumilova has now shown her images in many worldwide publications and runs workshops throughout the world about how she achieves such amazing images. Shumilova’s images focus around her three children and every day moments as they are growing up in Andreapol and in Moscow. They capture loving relationship with their pets and the animals on their farm. To achieve this Shumilova carries her camera around with her most of the time so that the children see it as part of everyday life and learn to ignore it. The images are heart-warming and appear to capture intimate moments as if they had just happened and been caught on camera. However often hours of thought have gone into many of her images in considering what gestures and poses will best convey the special bond that exists between her children and their pets.  

In this image Shumilova’s young son Yaroslav, aged about 2-3  is standing next to their large pet dog a Central Asian Shepherd, which is a common breed in Russia. The dog is sitting and Yaroslav is touching him with both hands one on each side of his face and they seem to be looking into each other’s eyes. The boy’s hat obscures his face leaving the expression there to the viewer’s imagination. When I look at this image due to the rule of thirds my attention is immediately drawn to the boy and the dogs head and the intimate moment that has been captured. I can see and feel the affection that exists in this relationship and this is conveyed through the subjects’ poses, there is little in the background or in colourful clothing to distract from the interaction. The child looks so small compared to his large pet and this contrast adds to the attraction of the image. The furry dog sitting in a relaxed position appears gentle and seems to be enjoying the attention he is getting, there is something rather pure and special about this moment.

In this image Shumilova has photographed her son playing with their pet cat. The boy is lying down on a sofa near a window and the cat is sitting on the window ledge. Both of them have one arm/leg raised and the boy’s hand and the cat’s paw look life they are playing a fun game together. The window is misted up so the view outside is not distracting attention from the interaction, neither is the boys clothing as he is wearing white. This image beautifully captures an adorable moment between the boy and his pet. The boy’s face is turned away from the camera and this implies that he is unaware that his photo is being taken giving the image a natural un-posed genuine feel. This is part of Shumilova’s style to make the images look effortless as if they had just happened, however, she spends hours sketching ideas down and trying to work out the poses and gestures that work best to communicate emotion to the viewer.

This image shows a young girl running through some long grass near a wood and being chased by her fluffy white dog. It captures the fun they are having playing chase together in a relaxed natural setting in the countryside. This moment could be an everyday event that many viewers can relate to. The girl is smiling as she runs showing she is having fun and enjoying the moment. She is captured in freeze frame in a classical running position, while the dog is caught in the air with its front legs stretched forward and back legs trailing out behind her as she bounds along. Her mouth is open as she runs showing her increased breathing which when  combined with the positions give the perception of motion to the image making it easier for the viewer to experience the moment with the subjects. Shumilova has used depth of field to focus attention on her subjects as the foreground and background are both blurred. This concentrated the viewer’s attention on them and the fun they are having together.

This image captures the love the girl feels for her pet dog. A lot of this is expressed through the positions they are in. They are both lying down in the dry grass and the girl has placed herself over the dog protectively cuddling him with her arms. She has placed the side of her face against the top of his head and taking a moment just to enjoy being close to him. Her legs mirror the position the dog’s front legs are in, making them look rather symmetrical and in tune with each other, as if they were inseparable as one continuous shape. They both look relaxed and content and are keeping each other warm, sharing their body heat with each other in the cold weather. This we can see by the girl wearing a scarf, boots and a warm coat and the blue background colour also gives the feeling of it being cold. The blue and brown colour of the subjects is also mirrored in the landscape colours making them seem more at home and relaxed in this location.The girl’s facial expression has a faraway look as if she is dreaming of past memories, possibly those involving her love for the dog and moments they have shared together. While the dog is looking directly at the viewer and making eye to eye contact so involving them in this heart-warming moment.

This image captures the loving relationship the young boy, Shumilova’s son, has with his large pet dog.  They are both lying down on the floor on a rug and are leaning in towards each other and are just about to touch faces together. The boy has his eyes closed as if to give his dog a kiss. It looks a very natural pose with both of them looking relaxed and comfortable on the fluffy rug. The colours in the image are very neutral creams and beiges and this makes the image come together more and focus on the subjects without being distracted by any bold colours. The large size of the dog compare to the boy adds contrast and interest to the image, and the way he is behaving towards the dog and the expression on his face shows that the dog is a gentle giant that just wants to be cuddled.

Influence

Elena Shumilova influenced this image in that I wanted to visually capture the depth of a bond between a person and a dog as powerfully as she does in her images. Her photos appear to capture intimate moments as if they had just happened and have been caught on camera, so come across as portraying genuine emotion. To best convey the affection that exists in the relationship, Shumilova plans then captures particular gestures and poses of her subjects. I wanted to emulate the apparent natural effortless images she captures using poses that demonstrate their love for each other. In this image I captured a volunteer Julia kneeling down in front of Rita, a dog she fosters, to gently stroke and tickle her behind her ear. Julia is facing towards Rita and is making eye contact with her, looking at her lovingly. Rita is standing attentively in front of Julia and is looking towards her, though we cannot see the expression on her face as it is positioned away from the camera. Rita has turned her head slightly to allow Julia better access to behind her ear as she is enjoying the attention. The viewer will automatically fill in the dog’s facial expression that they think best fits with the image making the image more personal to them. The poses reveal a close relationship between them, as they are relaxed and comfortable being close to each other and are making eye contact. The image, just like Shumilova’s, does not look modelled or set up and this gives it a more natural feel so the viewer will connect more to it and the genuine feelings being displayed. As with most of Shumilova’s images there is little else in the image to distract the viewer’s attention from the relationship being shown, even the clothing colours are usually subdued. I have therefore been influenced by her in taking the image in a grassy paddock with little in the background to distract attention from the subjects, and have filled enough of the frame with my subjects to make it feel intimate without being intrusive. Finally as inspired by Shumilova I have placed the subjects where they will be the centre of the attention. Rita is in the centre of the image and Julia is positioned vertically along a line of thirds to the left. The viewer’s eye will therefore be directed towards them and the affection that is being clearly portrayed.

Summary

Elena Shumilova has inspired my work in documenting aspects of the work at a dog rescue centre. I wanted to capture the bond that exists between the volunteers/staff that work there and the dogs that they care for. This relationship is very important to document as it is the enjoyment the workers get from interacting with the dogs that partly motivates them to work in such a physically demanding and messy job. The way Shumilova captures her heart-warming images of the relationship between her children and their pets is by using poses, gestures and eye contact that convey to the viewer the loving relationship. Then she makes the relationship the focus of attention by ensuring no background clutter or distracting colours removes attention from it. There are a large number of different poses and gestures she has used and has spent many hours thinking of the ones that will best convey this relationship to the viewer. However I will use the poses the workers naturally assume when interacting with the dogs they care for. Then I will position the subjects within the frames for maximum effect. In this way I will achieve a natural pose that appears effortless to the viewer and this will allow them to connect more with the subject and the genuine emotions being displayed. I have also been influenced by the way Shumilova ensures that there are no eye catching colours or distracting background objects to take attention away from her subjects. She usually uses harmonious pale colours that make her subjects feel connected with each other. However I have no control over the colour of the staffs clothing so will therefore have to limit myself to reducing background distractions. In many of her images Shumilova uses a narrow depth of field to focus attention on her subjects however this is something I have decided I will not be doing, as while I want to focus on the relationship I also want to document the images as naturally as possible and this includes the details of the landscape.  

Shoot Six Contact Sheet

Shoot Five Contact Sheet

Shoot Four Contact Sheet

Shoot Three Contact Sheet

Shoot Two Contact Sheet

Shoot One Contact Sheet

Shoot One Work Record

Plans for the Shoot

I will take my images using my Nikon D5300 DSLR Camera and will adjust the settings for the different locations to suit each specific shot. It is my first shoot and it will take place in the morning of 12^th February at Mutts in Distress (Mutts) in Little Hallingbury in Hertfordshire and I will be taking images inside buildings as well as outdoors.

Mutts is a charity that takes in dogs that their owners can no longer care for, as well as abandoned strays and dogs from kill shelters in the UK, Ireland, Spain and Romania. They care for the dogs until they find them new homes. In addition to a large number of dogs the centre has also taken in other abandoned animals including four cats, two donkeys, 8 sheep, ducks, hens, three parrots and a shire horse. These animals are cared for at the centre and will live out their lives happily there.

I really admire the staff at the animal centre for all the physically hard work and long hours they put in 365 days a year, to care for the animals that have lost their homes through no fault of their own, and those who have never had a home at all. I have been helping by volunteering at the centre for over a year now. As an animal lover I am passionate about animal welfare and intend to go to university to train to be a veterinary nurse when I have finished college. So the work that takes place at the centre is something that is very close to my heart and this is why I will focus on it for Documenting Contemporary Life.

I plan to capture interesting and engaging images showing the physically hard work that takes place at the centre, the long hours they put in and the joy and satisfaction that you can get out of caring for animals.

I know all the staff at the centre and have checked in advance that they are happy with me photographing them as they work. Additionally there are a number of volunteers who come to help out with the routine tasks and with exercising the dogs and they have also given their consent to being photographed by me.

My plan on this first shoot is to follow around and photograph one of the workers as they carry out their normal daily work tasks. As the staff are very busy, and I don’t want to slow them down, I have asked one of the volunteers, Carol, if I can follow her as she has more time to spare if I need to do a bit of preparation for a shot.  I have asked her to ignore the fact that I am taking photos and not look at the camera. In this way my images will look natural and not posed for.

What I Hope to Achieve

In this first shoot I want to capture images of the main routine tasks that the workers do at the centre. This is the caring of the dogs there and the main tasks are:

·         Preparing the dogs meals

·         Feeding the dogs their meals and giving them fresh water

·         Cleaning of the kennels, including scrubbing and disinfecting the floors, squeegeeing them dry, changing the bedding in the baskets

·         Washing and drying the dog bedding

I want these images to look natural so that viewers find them genuine and can connect more with the people in them. So I do not want the images looking posed for with the people looking directly at the camera.

I want to test out some of my initial ideas, which I have planned in my head, and in a mind map, of what I think will make an engaging and informative image. I have quite a few ideas to try out, which I can then go on to develop or disregard. These images will visually illustrate the large amount of work that goes on at the rescue centre. Some of these images will also demonstrate that the work is quite physically demanding, especially as it is mostly women that work at Mutts, and I will try to capture this photographically.

During this shoot I will focus on the physical hard work the staff do at the centre but in my project I also want to show that working there can be enjoyable and rewarding too. So if any opportunities come up to show this I will capture them. However the best day to shoot this will be on Thursday morning when the volunteers come in to exercise the dogs and I will therefore plan a shoot on this day to focus on that.

What I Achieved

I followed Carol, a volunteer at the centre, around as she performed the routine morning tasks of unlocking the double entry doors and padlocks to access the kennels.

 

Once in the kennel block she pulled the cords to open the hatches to let the dogs into their runs.

I photographed her preparing the dogs meals in the kitchen. 

Then taking the meals to the dogs in their kennesl.

I took many photographs and afterwards studied them to see what would convey, in an interesting way, the work that is done there. There were a number of images that I felt were potentially good but will work on them in later shoots to try to improve them.

In my images I wanted to capture the respect and admiration I have for the staff and volunteers that work at Mutts. During my research on the photographer Lewis Hine I noted the way he respectfully portrayed workers. In a few of his images he made use of converging lines down a narrow corridor in a textile factory. He used these lines to focus attention on a worker standing there and I will similarly focus attention on my worker and their task using this technique. In the image I have photographed the volunteer scrubbing and disinfecting the kennel floor at the bottom of the corridor.

This is a task that is done twice a day every day to all the kennels, runs and corridors. It is a physically demanding task as there is so much area to clean. I think it is clear to the viewer what the worker is doing in the image as she is holding a broom and there is a black bucket on the floor. I think I have composed this image effectively to focus attention on my subject and her task. The converging lines of the walls, ceiling and floors of the narrow corridor focuses attention onto the rectangular wall area at the end of the corridor, which acts as a frame. The fluorescent strip lights on the ceiling also form a line pointing towards this point. These straight lines therefore are leading lines directing the viewer’s eye to this focal point. This is where I have captured the subject’s form scrubbing the floor and framed by the back wall of the corridor. While the composition of the image is good, the image is a little blurred which was probably due to the poor lighting within the kennel area. Also there was a bundle of dirty bedding and some dog bowls on the floor which distracts attention from the subject. I think this image is a good starting point which I intend to develop in later shoots.  

I also chose this image to photo shop as I wanted to make the image focus more on the worker and her task, to convey the importance of the work she is doing for the care of the dogs at the Centre. By decreasing the brightness of the image I made the background and objects in it less distracting. The worker can now be seen more clearly relative to her surroundings and her hands and the top of her head are highlighted and this focuses attention on the task she is doing in scrubbing the kennel floor with disinfectant. It would have been better if the worker was wearing lighter clothes as I feel she could be a bit more prominent in the image and as she is wearing black clothes she fades into the background a bit too much.





There was also an unexpected opportunity to show some of the caring side of the work done at Mutts. One of the cats, Daisy, had just had a tumour surgically removed from her back leg and was being kept confined in a wire crate to allow her to rest her leg and let the stitches heal.

I therefore took some images of Daisy being given some attention and affection by the staff, as she was desperate for an ear scratch as her neck collar prevented her having a good scratch there herself.

I also managed to get Carol to pose holding two of the small dogs that were soon to be leaving Mutts as they had been found a new home. Mutts staff often take photos of the dogs to put on social media as a way of advertising dogs for rehoming to gain interest in them and of celebrating the success when homes are found.  I asked Carol to hold the dogs in her arms and didn't give any more specific instructions as I like my shots to look very natural and so appear genuine allowing the viewers to connect to them. 



This image has some positive parts in that I have used the rule of odds, two dogs one person, to focus on the subject and not empty space. But would have conveyed more of an  emotional bond if the dogs would have made eye contact with the worker. They were however too excited and wriggled a lot so it was difficult for Carol to hold them for long.  

There was also a funny event that occurred during the morning that I captured a few images of. The donkeys had been let out of their field to let them graze on the grass in the orchard and around the buildings. Carol had to move her car to allow easier access to one of the storage rooms and as she was sitting in the car one of the donkeys came right over to the window to look for some food, as Carol often gives them bread as a treat. I photographed her framed by the car window.


This image reminds me of the images Raghubir Singh took from the window of his Ambassador car on travelling through India. However this image is more contemporary as it a Mercedes car window. I think the image is amusing as its like the donkey wanted a lift home with the volunteer, and it helps to communicate to the viewer that working in an animals rescue centre can be fun, which it is.

Feeding the dogs their meals twice or even three times a day is also one of the main routine tasks the staff do. The dogs are fed in their runs so that the staff can clean out the kennels without the dogs getting in the way or getting wet. Their bowls are therefore given to them through the open hatches, which are then shut afterwards. Often the dogs will wait at the hatch opening for their bowl to be put down so they can scoff it down straight away.  I wanted to capture this moment as I felt that the natural light coming from the outdoor run on the other side of the rectangular hatch would nicely highlight the dog and frame them as they eat from their bowl. Several of the photographers I have researched have made effective use of light in their images, for example Fan Ho and Graeme Williams and  other photographers are experts in using framing such as Raghubir Singh and Lee Friedlander. I  therefore took inspiration from some of their images for this idea.














I think the image I have captured has potential as it frames the dog well making it the focus of attention. However, the image could be improved as it is too shadowed within the kennel area so that you cannot properly see the person feeding the dog and this is important as I want to capture the work the staff put in running the centre. I also would like to try to focus in more on the hatch so it is more prominent in the image as it is quite a small part of the frame. I think showing the dogs being fed is an important aspect of the work done as it shows the workers taking care of one of the natural needs of the dogs and would be something that people would expect to see at a rescue centre.

What I am going to do next

I liked the composition of the image shown above focusing on the floor being scrubbing at the bottom of the corridor but will try to improve it by:

·         Improving the quality of the image (less blur)

·         Removing unnecessary distracting objects (bowls and bedding)

·         Experimenting with placing the subject at various positions along the corridor

·        Changing the depth of field so that it focuses on the subject and makes the rest of the image slightly out of focus and so directs all the attention onto the subject and their task

I would like to take more images of Daisy the cat and the care she is receiving. I was limited for time on this shoot to take more photos as we had many other tasks that still had to be done. Next time I will try to capture the worker and Daisy in the same image but have the scar down her leg visible. This will make the image more emotive and meaningful to the viewer as they can see what she has gone through and feel sorry for her and also see how caring the staff are. Alternatively I will try to show more of the care aspect such as her being fed or given her medication and will try to get the worker to look directly at Daisy to visually show the affection they have for her. I feel that showing the image of an animal being nursed back to health will underline that the centre often takes in animals that are strays and in poor health when they come in, and have to be nursed back to health before being rehomed.  

I realise now how quickly I will have to work now to get my image compositions right first time as the staff are very busy and there is not time for them to wait for me to keep constantly adjusting my camera for example to change the depth of field between shots. It would not be fair to ask them too often to repeat an action just to let me get a better shot.  So to make sure I don’t miss any good images I will take lots of images next time, this will require me to go through hundreds of images to get the best one, but it will be worth it and hopefully give my work a more natural look and so be more believable to the viewer and allow them to connect more with the workers there. Obviously, when it comes to the final shoot, I will not take as many photos as I will not have the time to go through them.

On the next shoot I will retake the images of the feeding of the dogs through the hatches but try to improve it, specifically by:   

·        Improving the lighting so it is less shadowed and the person can be seen feeding the dog more clearly

·        Making the hatch more prominent in the image by focusing in more on it and less on the kennel walls.