I have been looking at my photographs in Janet’s house there are a few issues with the light as at is so dark in the house and the photographs are not as sharp as I would like.
Technical issues:
Looking at different ways of working and refining my technique as the photographs are not sharp enough as I didn’t use a tripod and a need to use my triggers they are also quite warm looking so Im going to try different ISO and try different lighting and record
I had my first shoot at Janet’s house last week, this has brought up a few issues with regards to her availability as she been in hospital for a two weeks. Ethically I want to ensure she is happy with the photographs and that she has the confidence that I am not going to take advantage of her, I have asked her to sign a model release form which she is happy to do. 
We discussed my hidden project
Layla came up with lots of suggestions, making shrines of Janet’s trinkets, or doing a time line of her belongings and photographs, also light boxes to display her belongings or photographs.
We talked about how displaying the work is just as important as the work it’s self.
I said I would like to interview Janet and Layla thought this was a great idea may help me in the sequencing of my photographs.
She suggested I watch a film called Grey Gardens, about an old mother and her middle-aged daughter, the aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, live their eccentric lives in a filthy, decaying mansion in East Hampton.
Layla is always very helpful and doesn’t mind sharing her experiences, she is very encouraging and makes me feel like my work is worth while, I am looking forward to hearing from her as she has my email and has promised to send me some information she thinks will be useful.
Grey Gardens Layla was right this was insperational:
After my visit with Janet and her willingness to Collaborate I have decided not to proceed with SPARC for now I can always go back as a volunteer at a future date I have spoken to Lynn and she understands and is happy for me to move forward with Janet. I have enjoyed my time at Spark and will keep in touch.
After visiting SPARC a few times I sat in with the Woman’s group the gardeners, the Arts and crafts and the music club the were all very interesting and I was beginning to get to know a few people. I then met a lady called Janet who was helping out one day, she was an retired mental health worker we got chatting and I told her about my final project she seemed very interested and invited me round to her house. I arrived at 12 as promised not knowing what to expect, when she let me in the first thing I noticed was the smell of male cats, there was also piles of different collections from jewellery to pots and pans and clothes hung up everywhere from doors and picture rails unbeknown to me I had been invited into a hoarders house. We sat down for a chat and Janet was interested in helping me with my project and was willing to collaborate with me if she could, I was more than happy to say yes, Janet was happy to tell me her story, without going to to much details she had been on a downward spiral for a few years and was willing to share her experience with me, after her divorce she started to drink she admits to being a functioning alcoholic, she had been a teacher and although she wasn’t in full time employment she was temping in different schools and enjoying her life until on night she drove home after a couple of drinks when a car collided with hers and wrote off her beloved ford focous when the police arrived they breathalysed her, she was over the limit and lost her licence. Without her car she could no longer teach and without out an income she soon got into financial problems and from then it has been all down hill. I asked her if she would be allow me to photograph her home and she agreed. I have made arrangements to call her later this week.
This year we had two launches for parachute I helped with the first launch at Stockport College with the production of the banners and curating of the second year photographs we had a few learning outcomes:
Finding somewhere to exhibit within your budget takes time.
Not all walls are straight.
Hanging takes a lot longer than you think.
Make sure you have the right tools for the job and that they are all charged up.
In the end it’s worth all the hard work.
The second Launch was at 2022 in Manchester this is a great venue.
Both shows looked great and were a great success!
Although we had a couple of stressful days it was a good practice for our final exhibition
Joe’s visit was very interesting he talked about his job as an “in house” Jewellery photographer, and his six months assisting the artist Mishka Henner in his studio in Manchester. Joe discussed the differences between Jewellery Photography and the photoshop based work he did with Mishka using photo merge, although these two genres are very different he talked about the transferable skills he brought with him how he learned the need for patience and how his attention to detail needed in the work he did for Mishka’s has served him well in his new position.
He also gave us some advice he urged us never to refuse a photography job, as even though it might not be what you want to do, you may learn some new skills you can use in the future, also always remember you are extending your network with everyone you meet. Always carry your business cards!
We had a great meeting last week curating the photographs for The Parachute Launch and Exhibition at 2022, I thought we worked well together and I found it very interesting listening to everyone’s opinions about what should go where and why, the work is not all ours we were exhibiting the previous third year’s work as well as our tutors so there is a lot of responsibility. The process was long with lots of reorganisation and talking, changing of minds and more discourse. I found the process surprisingly very therapeutic, later when researching I came across this interview with Susan Bright by Daniel Palmer I found very interesting Susan Bright put across some interesting points about how galleries are put together their collections and the type of work being collected as well as the work that isn’t considered worthy. well worth a read.
I contacted Anna White to ask her if it was possible to have a more in-depth discussion about her work as I had talked to he when she visited the college but couldn’t make the tutorials, she suggested we meet up for a coffee in the Northern Quarter in Manchester. We met in a small coffee shop I was a little nervous but Anna was very down to earth and very chatty before I could ask her any questions she was telling me how she had just come from a meeting at Manchester Town Hall in regards to funding for the Pod Collective that had taken two years to organise she was saying this is the norm when trying to organise anything in regards to arts funding around Asylum seekers apparently it’s very difficult to get the backing for workshops via the council. We discussed my project last “Hidden Hunger” Anna had brought a book to lend me it was by an artist called Bethany Kane Anna though I would be interested in Bethany’s work “Hidden Hunger” as she had taken photographs of empty halls that where used as food banks. I spoke to her about my project and my involvement with SPARC I asked her advice on Safeguarding issues within Community photography, how she had dealt with different situations when she was volunteering, her advice was if you feel uncomfortable leave the room also if anyone tells you anything you feel is inappropriate explain to the person that you will have to inform a staff member of any conversations that you have with them. I felt this was good advice as on a couple of occasions I have had people tell me very personal stories about their lives and although this didn’t upset me I would feel safer sharing what they said with a member of staff. Now Anna is running her own groups safeguarding is a big part of what she does and for this reason she prefers working with another artist Emily they run the Pod Collective together. We also discussed ethical issues, working with vulnerable people, getting model release forms when working with people or groups making sure you explain about how and where the photographs will be used. After speaking with Anna I am positive I my future lies in Community Arts and I am looking forward to doing more research on the subject.
Liz and Mishka have worked on documentary projects across the North of England since 2004. Their practice makes use of environmental portraiture, landscape studies and local archives to represent the lives of post-industrial towns and communities still reeling from sustained industrial decline.
Many of their projects are long-term, involving close collaboration with their subjects, and often involving workshops, curating personal and public photographic archives, and gathering oral histories and testimonies.
I try to attend events like this as it’s a great opportunity to talk to the artists about their work Liz and Mishka are really approachable and are happy to talk about their projects. I bought many books all signed by Mishka and Liz.
Diane Scott-Thomas Photographer 