Barbican

I went down with my camera to the Barbican as it was a lovely sunny day. I love reflection photographs and because it was a sunny day the photographs worked well. I also like to confuse the viewer by having the reflection as the main image. I saw this technique on the National Geographic website and have loved it ever since.

Here are a few of my photographs of the Barbican with reflection...

INTERVIEW.. with Meg Hope

Firstly, I would love to know a bit about you and how you came about photography and studying it at school.


Meg: There has always been a camera in the house for as long as I can remember, and when the opportunity of studying it came about I leapt at the idea. My studies started at GCSE for a two year course followed but another two years with an A level. 


Although I was doing a college course I started an evening photography course outside of college. I started this as I felt the art based course offered to me as an A level students wasn't challenging my knowledge of how to work cameras and use Photoshop to produce good quality imaging. Within my GCSE and A level courses I felt the key elements we were made to focus upon was researching artists/photographers, gathering ideas to reproduce similar images to them and lots of evaluation work. I felt lost when picking up a camera to reconstruct these types of images, not really understanding how to manipulate both the camera and Photoshop to obtain these images - this wasn't what I wanted to get out of photography at all! Joining the evening course was one of the best things I have done to help me in my photography career. At the course I feel I have learnt more in a year than I have within my four year GCSE/A Level courses. 

1. How did you become interested in photography (family influences, media)?

Meg: Like I have already said there has always been a camera in the house for as long as I can remember so i strongly believe my family was my influence in my route of photography. My mum, an amateur photographer, liked to just do snap shots on family holidays and around our farm. At home we always had a photography magazine lying around which I would pick up and look at the featured photos and be inspired. 

2. Do you have any influences for your photography work (certain photographers, your style)?

Meg: My influences come from a group of photographer who have set up 'Rock City Art Gallery' in Bedfordshire, particularly Andy Willsher and Andy Cotterill. The group of 12 leading music photographers focus upon live music and music based portraits of bands and artist. Many of the photographers work for top music magazines such as Q and NME. http://www.rockcityart.com/photographers/


Another huge influence on my favoured type of photography is Dutch photography Anton Corbijn whose black and white images are becoming iconic in this genre. http://www.corbijn.co.uk/

Andy Cotterill:

Andy Wilsher:

Anton Corbijn:

3. How did you begin photographing bands?


Meg: As a self confessed live music fan, I used to try and smuggle in a bridge camera to all the gigs I attended whether in a local pub or to see stadium fillers and sometimes used to find myself watching the photographers who were in the 'pit' for the first few songs. I soon realised this subject was something I would like to focus upon. I started applying for press passes to gigs up and down the country to gain experience. These press passes were hugely helpfully at understanding low lighting conditions, it also made me realise that this was the area of photography I really wanted to pursue.






4. What made you want to photograph this specific genre?


Meg: As I say, I love live music and trying to capture the excitement of a live gig is something I've always tried to do and will keep trying to. Photographing this genre merges these two loves together.






5. What is the industry like?


Meg: The industry is becoming more and more competitive, There are many young people wanting to enter this type of photography and photo passes become harder and harder to get. The digital age has made this type photography more accessible to people and publications have realised this and very often expect to be able to get images for little or no payment. Bands now often employ their own photographer who they allow to shoot at gigs so that they can keep a close eye on what is published e.g. Tory Munblowsky - The Killers and Tom Kirk - Muse.






6. Do you photograph other areas such as landscapes or portraits etc?


Meg: Portrait photography works well alongside live music photography as many bands want studio type publicity shots. I've recently done a few such photo shoots for a couple of local bands and this is certainly something that I would like to build on. Many music live music photographers undertake both live and studio shots and this does help build up a rapport between photographer and band. 
I also enjoy taking landscapes, as well as capturing images of things that capture my interest. My photography course has helped to fuel these other interests, especially when trying to manipulate how the final image turns out by altering camera and Photoshop settings.






7. Do you think the price of your camera matters in ways that it affects the quality of the picture? Or do you believe it relies on skills and knowledge? 


Meg: Not really no, although a decent SLR body is important, as well as decent lenses, knowledge of how the camera works and the way lighting effects the final image is far more important. Only recently I had several lovely comments on a image I took of Paris on my mobile!






8. Do you prefer to shoot using film or digital?


Meg: To be honest, I mainly work digitally, mainly due to the cost involved in film photography. However, I do enjoy using film photography and the uncertainty of how the image will turn out.






9. What are your ambitions for the future regarding photography?


Meg: My ultimate ambition would be to became a photographer for a band, recording their journey with life shots, studio shots as well as candid recording shots. This really is a dream though, but to continue photographing live music and making a living out of this would be wonderful.






10. Finally, do you have any advice that you have learnt on your journey?


Meg: This isn't an area of photography that you're going to make a huge amount of money out of, unless you're very lucky. Shoot as many bands as you are able and if you do have a favourite local band, whose music you enjoy, then keep shooting them - you'll get to know their characters and times during their sets when something special happens.




Meg Hope's website: http://www.meghopephotography.webeden.co.uk/#

And also here are some of Meg Hope's images!:

 (Devon Life Magazine) - Rude Tiger

 Paolo Nutini

 Crowns

I found Meg Hope's interview very interesting and insightful into the band/gig industry. 

Thanks to Meg for the interview!

Portrait

2011 Summer..

I went to a family BBQ and wanted to try out taking portrait photography (or environmental portraits) so I brought my camera along and took lots of shots of my cousins.. 2 twin girls and a boy. This was very enjoyable and also took determination to get them to focus before they moved from all there energy! Here are a few of my favourites..

Where I want to be...

My direction in photography has changed throughout studying photography and, most recently, through the first year of Plymouth College of Art. I have wanted to pursue different areas of photography such as nature, food photographer, editorial and advertising. I have also recently become interested in portrait photography with influence from one assignment specifying an author portrait and I also experimented with portraiture by bringing my camera along to a family BBQ. I mainly photographed my young cousins as I thought it would be a nice challenge to try and get a nice portrait photo of an energetic child.
I have also recently began photographing animals at a macro level with a shallow depth of field as I also find this a challenge and love the final outcome.

Inspiration - Cindy Sherman

Ever since I started photography (learning through lessons) I have had a certain few photographers that I look up to and love their images and what they represent, or simply the effective colours that they use.

My main inspiration is Cindy Sherman.

Untitled (Film Still #3) 1977

Untitled (Film Still #13) 1978

Untitled (Film Still #63) 1980

Untitled (Film Still #12) 1978

This is taken from her 'Untitled Film Stills' which I love the idea of. Cindy Sherman is most well known for this series of images which shows women struggling with everyday social roles that society upholds on women, revealing gender to be an unstable and constructed position. She has been an inspiration to me for a few years, I love the series trying to show how women are viewed but also that she herself is the model and shows different emotions using the environment as a prop (environmental portraiture).

Why Photography?

Photography has always been a hobby of mine, but in recent years I discovered it to be much more. I began studying photography at GCSE as I found it interesting at the time, and as this course continued, I realised that I had a passion for photography and wanted to pursue it. With my A level study I feel I flourished whilst researching different photographers that have fascinated and inspired me. I have been surrounded by enormous picture taking opportunities in the environment I live in being near the coast and this has further sparked my interest. 

I have enjoyed looking at many genres of photography specifically environmental portraiture, documentary and macro photography and am inspired by the work of Yousuf Karsh, Denny Renshaw and Cindy Sherman's untitled film stills. They all have a unique expression through their photography and I find it inspiring and I was influenced by these photographers and it even changes the way I look at things such as nature, landscapes and even people which makes me look for photographic opportunities in everyday situations.
 I am thrilled that I have the opportunity to study photography everyday and learn new techniques and skills that will help me in the future.

'You don't take a photograph, you make it' - Ansel Adams