September | 2013 | mquickphotography

For my first assignment at Coventry University I got given a list of quotes written by famous photographs, poets and artists that I had to research into and take 1 or more photographs to match the quote.

I started the project by looking into the work of the people’s quotes I’d chosen to give me some idea on how they worked and what exactly they were talking about when writing the quotes. I also did some research into some modern Topographics to look at the style in which the photographers worked when taking there photographs.

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2010/feb/08/new-topographics-photographs-american-landscapes– I found this article from the Guardian with some quite interesting photographs and information into Topography.
After some research I decided to brain storm ideas for my specific quotes to see if that would give me some inspiration on what photographs to take and I decided to take the quotes literally. Taking photos of exactly what I read from each quote.

” I hate nothing more than sugary photographs with tricks, poses and effects. So allow me to be honest and tell the truth about our age and its people”- Augsust Sander.

For this image photograph I decided to take the section of the quote “tell the truth about our age and its people” and took a simple, non posed photograph of somebody my age.

” Trust that little voice in your head that says ‘ Wouldn’t it be interesting if….’ And then do it. – Duane Michals, More Joy of Photography by Eastman Kodak ( editor)

For this image I just decided to take lots of different pictures at strange angles and of different things. This image is my favourite out of all the photos I took because of the colours and the angle I shot the image from.

” It’s one thing to make a picture of what a person looks like, its another thing to make a portrait of who they are”- Paul Caponigro – Jensen, Brooks . ” Talk at the Wilson Centre for the Arts 2007.”

I took this image at the societies fair and I thought it worked quite well as I’ve managed to capture part of these peoples personality into the image.

” I wasn’t imposing my presence on anyone… which is very important for a would – be journalist. I stayed back. Always let people be themselves.” – Eliot Erwitt.

For this quote I took lots of images just stood back observing everything going on around me, this image was my favourite out off all the photographs I took. The person that I’m photographing is very natural, un- aware that I’m taking the image and is not posed in anyway- just being himself.

” If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough” – Robert Capa

I decided to take this quote really literally, I decided to take a photograph of an emotion of two people together. For me this image shows care as the friend is pushing the boy in the wheelchair.

” The complete disregard for the camera’s presence indicates its complete saturation into their lives. The subject neither notices nor seems to care that someone has been invited into their private moment.- Nan Goldin

Out of all the quotes I found this one the easiest, I decided to photograph this couple whilst they were buy the bus station. I think this image works well as they are completely un aware of that I’m taking the photograph.

” I go straight in very close to people and i do that because its the only way you can get the picture. You go right up to them. Even now, I don’t find it easy. I don’t announce it. I pretend to be focusing on something elsewhere. If you take someone’s photograph it is very difficult not to look at them just after. But it’s the one thing that gives the game away. I don’t try hide what I’m doing- that would folly” – Martin Parr

I got the inspiration for this image buy researching into Martin Parr’s work who I found took a lot of colourful images close up of people who other photographers wouldn’t necessarily take images off. I found someone with bright clothes off, went quite close and took the image before he noticed. I found that this way the people aren’t posed or tense due to me pointing a camera at them.

” The immortal photographer will be straight forward photographers, those who do not rely on tricks or special techniques”- Philippe Halsman.

For this quote I struggled quite a bit of what to take a photograph of, so I decided to take a general, straight forward image.

” You have to follow your nose… to have a mental attitude about what you feel good about and yearn for in a picture. Being able to say ” I like it” or I don’t like it” That’s first” – Jan Groover, More Joy of Photography by Eastman Kodak.

For this image I spent a long time taking random photographs that I thought would look good and this is my favourite out of the collection I took. i decided to go with the image that ” I like” as it says in the quote.

” I am not very interested in extraordinary angles. They can be effective on certain occasions, but I do not feel the necessity for them in my own work. Indeed, I feel the simplest approach can often be the most effective. A subject placed squarely in the centre of the frame, if attention is not distracted from is by fussy surroundings, has a simple dignity which makes it all the more impressive”- Bill Brandt – Camera in London, The Focal Press, London, 1948, P.13

For this image I decided to take a photograph straight on, with my subject square on in the frame.

Overall I really enjoyed this project but I did find it quite difficult and I feel that reflects in my images.

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