Conclusions

I found this project quite a simple one, this might have been because the brief was clear and we knew what the client wanted so for me it felt like there was only a limited amount that I could produce creatively. Also that from the off we were to think of ideas and work present them to the client within a week. This meant that I had to come up with ideas quickly and I liked most of what I had pitched to the client.

When I started the project I imagined that there would be 5 different images that didn’t really relate to each-other in any intentional way. It was only when I had started shooting that I realised that the app being front and centre was the best idea. It seems obvious when I look back on it bit I hadn’t really thought about the framing of each picture. I aimed to have the phone in the same proportions in each photo to a degree (that made sense in each image) meaning that the app was front and centre in all the subjects that I was aiming to cater for in the photos.

For me the images came out a lot better than I expected, having a brief idea of what I was doing. For each shoot I winged it to a degree, with a visual in my head. It wasn’t until the last two images that I had a clear idea of what I was doing and there was more purpose in the images. I think if I were to do this again I would have sketched out the photos before, just to aid in the clarity of what I was doing and I there was a client that I was working more closely with they would be able to contribute and say whether an idea was what they did or didn’t want.

Here are all 5 images together

Final Shot – App in workplace

for the last image I planned on shooting outside in a garden work environment but I could really make one that looked good enough for my aims so I shot at my workplace – my desk and held the phone with the app out in front of me. To stop it being too similar to the previous desk shot it was done during the day so the lighting was different. I used an ultra wide lens – 14mm and I also tried out a fisheye but that looked odd and didnt fit with the rest of the images. This was super simple to shoot as it wasn’t too bright and the phone came out clearly. I am happy with the end result of the image, it is clean, simple and shows a photographers work place .

Here is the final shot.

Conclusion

Overall this project has been a success for me. I am happy with what I managed to achieve in the time we had, especially when everything was still open and the sports were running. I think that I could have done more with myself whilst we were in lockdown as I had a period where I wasn’t doing anything at all, I hit a block from not being able to do what I intended. I think this was fair to a degree as it was a shift in way of life and uni wasn’t a priority for a while. I managed to bounce back from it all and put together a cohesive book which shows life in sports before and after the lockdown and how it impacted me.

I have learnt that for future I should try get better access to some of the events and contact them to see if I can get a pass to shoot. I think that it would help in future to try and get more up close and personal in the sports, I did the best with what I had and I dont think that this is bad by any means but it would help elevate the work that bit more. I am also glad that I have found something that I truely enjoy shooting, for a while I have not known quite what I want to make of myself as a photographer and this book has given me direction for the next year or two which feels great. The last thing that I have learnt is that I can come back from feeling down about my work and still feel proud of what I have created. As long as there is still passion for work than there is no reason to stop

Where do I see the book going

For me this project is far from over, this is something that I will continue after university as my main project to create a full year of photographs. Once everything is back up and running in the world so will I. I plan to have the book finished over the next year or two, depending what I can go to and what pops up on the calendar of sports. I think that the book has potential to get published as I am confident in the idea. Even if not this is a complete passion project for myself and I know that I will be happy with the outcome. In addition to getting published I think that the book will serve as a great portfolio for my work and what I can do, sending to to supplement magazine and sports photography agencies.

The virus has put a halt to what I can do but this is only a pause, I want to see it to its full potential and can’t wait to have it finished.

Final Product

Here are some screenshots of the final outcome. Adding a splash of red to the book and cover have really made it more eye-catching than it was before. I think the layout and design of the book is clear and simple, showing the two halves of the book. I also made all landscape photos double page spreads because it shows them clearly and I found that as for now, it will only be seen online in that format, so worries of losing some of the image down the spine aren’t so great.

Fourth shot – Enjoyment

The theme for this image was a what has given us enjoyment from working remotely and form home during this time. Cycling has been my biggest outlet, keeping me fit and sane during the virus. What I set out to show in this photo was that even when we are out and about we are all still connected and we can easily keep tabs on our clients and work. Showing the app in the centre of the image keeps the consistency with the other photos and keeps a clean look.

I found this a tricky shot to get as the light was a struggle to get on the phone right. Compared with the other images, which had all been in the dark and the phone being the light source this was the opposite. The sun was bleaching out the phone and even at maximum brightness it was too dim for a punchy image. This meant that in post I had to mask out the phone and bring up the exposure and brightness, this was a lot easier than I expected and the photo came out well.

Here is the image.

Theme

Originally when I started working on this brief I didn’t necessarily think that I would have a theme throughout all the photos. Whilst there isn’t total cohesion at the moment as one of the photos – of the work space is its own singular photo, the other four have the app being in the centre of the photo as the idea that links them together reflecting that the app will be at the centre of our professional work linking them together.

I really like this idea as it keeps a clear direction in the images and the link of them together works as a set which a client would want if they had directly hired me or any other photographer.

Social Media

As this project is based upon creating images to boost the social media presence of the app LensLife through the creation of content for them. I have taken a look into what makes a good social media presence and how one can increase engagement and following. One of the biggest features of Instagram and many of the other apps is the use of hashtags. These are ways of tagging an image and people who may not necessarily follow your page can view your images, this means people who have an interest in sustainability for example can search the hashtag with the same name and see images of related to this interest. There are thousands and thousands of different tags so being specific can be beneficial. That being said, there is only a short window with some of the tags as there are so many posts that it would be quick to get buried.

Another method is through targeted advertisement and image promotions, this is something that I ventured into briefly to understand what could be achieved from paying for an advert for a limited window. With an almost unlimited amount of money that you can spend on it, the more you spend the more impressions and the further your reach will be. I found that this wasn’t a very successful method at least being a photographer and promoting a single image. I gained about a 200% increase in likes on the photo which was nice to see but follows and profile clicks were low. The picture was of a classic car and I could choose to aim it at people of a certain age and interest. This means if LensLife were to do it they could choose to advertise to people interested in networking and photography for example. I spent £6 on my post and here is the results and insights that instagram provided me with.

Hayahisa Tomiyasu TTP

This is a book that I saw on Mack Books website that really interested me in concept, taking the same shot out of the same window at all different times of the year. Coming back to the same place and realising how differently people can use a space. The framing is all the same and the table tennis table is always in the same spot but thats the only similarity between the photos. I love how you get a glimpse into peoples lives and how people can use a space with one single use intended but people using it for much more. It is a fun and light hearted subject just offering an observation made by the photographer. You can imagine him sitting watching the world go by there as a past time before realising there was an interesting take on it and how it could work as a photo story. Enjoying watching people use it for hanging out, exercise, eating, the possibilities are endless.

For me I like the repetitiveness of it, like the sports I have shot people are doing the same thing but everyone will do it different. I could sit at the same spot for every pic but the outcome wouldn’t be the same.

Here are some of the pictures from the book that I liked

Txema Salvans

Born in Barcelona in 1971, Txema Salvans is still based in the Catalan capital, and specialises in making documentary work about Spain and the Spanish people. He’s a photographer who’s work I have been looking into lately because of his documentary work and how he captures the lesser known communities within the country. I really like his almost empty shots, showing people within the environment, they aren’t the focus of the images but more how the subjects of the images are sitting within them. It think that the contextual portraits where there is more to be shown than just a person are more poignant and interesting. Seeing how someone interacts and looks in a place that makes them happy can create a powerful image.

In my work, capturing the sports I have tried to include people within the environments and contextualising them. Although getting some of the close-ups has been making some strong images, I think that in future it is something that I could work on more to get the clean wider shots, if the works for the set of images.

 

I really like the muted tones within his photos but with a sense of warmth that shows a bit more positivity that ones with a lack of saturation. It looks like its shot on film and has a classic style to it. With the people in the photos not being the centre of attention we can look a little more into their lives, seeing where they relax or do their work.