Recap, Development, etc
- Lecture Notes
- Idea Creation
- Production & Development Idea
- Reference Research
- The Plan for Visits
- End of Trips & Thoughts
- Cull & Retouch
- Finding the Final 20
- Artistic Statement:
- Final 20
Lecture Notes
This week we got given our Big Project for this module. Titled:
THE PROJECT
Creative, but I digress. Our aim here is to create a collection of 20 images documenting on the everyday. Finding the beauty in the everyday. Our focus point it up to us however, by the end we must have 20 images ready to showcase.
Idea Creation
Throughout the lecture, I had a few random ideas that I thought would be worth fleshing out. Time for the Pro’s & Con’s list. I’m focusing on Logistics at this point.
| Idea | Detail | Pro | Cons |
| Moving House | Something everyone has to experience at least once in their life and is a highly stressful process. | -Personal Experience -Can shoot in real time | – Can’t revisit – One-time event // Time limited. -Invasive on stressful & important process. -Cannot be external from event. |
| Thursday Night Magic | A unique weekly event of visiting our local pub & playing MTG with friends. | – Leisure Time & unique perspective. – Can be external from the event -Repeating event (weekly) | – Consent from Attendees & Pub Owner. – Personal Barrier (Anxiety) |
| D&D | Setting up a D&D game, showing emotion & gameplay. | – Can be external from the event – Can recreate when needed | -Partially staged – Large group? |
| Before & After | Taking photos before and after a repeating event (Work, Walk, School, etc) to show the differences. | – Differences in appearance after day – Simplistic yet statement | – Who? (Ed works 28hr shifts, ideally not me) – invasive. |
| Person & Pint | Similar to above // Showing the difference between people & their pint. | -10 patrons, 10 pints. – Community & person focus -Know the patrons & people. | – Consent from Pub Owner & Patrons -Photographs of Pints (How?) – Personal Barrier (See Below) |
| Winckley Street Ale House (WSAH) | Focus on British Pub Culture, Patrons & work | -Not many projects focusing on pub culture – Range of people & experiences – Can revisit with ease. | – Highly invasive on pub space – Consent from people & pub owner – Personal Barrier (see below) -35mm & IF would be tough |
| Dog Walking | The spaces, experiences and issues when walking a dog. | -Daily motion, easily revisit -Take Koda to different places (Forrest Land, Beach, Local route) – Other walkers & dogs to interact with | – Dog related again – Would need second person to remain external – Cold & physically demanding. |
| Disability Access & Impact | As someone with mobility issues, not all spaces are accessable or kind to those with mobility issues | – Unique Everyday experience – Personal connections – Can shoot 35mm film or DSLR | – Physically demanding (ironic) – Time consuming |
Personal Barrier
The Ale House is a safe place for me and contains a lot of people I know. Whereas with a lot of other public projects, as I’m unknown, I don’t hold the same anxieties. In this environment, I’m known almost too well.
Another reason is that, not only is the Owner & his father local photographers but on Thursday nights (the nights we go down) the Preston Photography Society come for their meet-ups. I’d be in full view of long-term photographers. I could use this to my advantage, take advice and feedback from them however it’s still a personal barrier I need to push through
Idea Development – Game Night
During my research, I wasn’t able to find someone who’s documented the Board Game/ TTG aspect of everyday. Modern generations. whereas quite video game heavy, have a love and respect for board games and what they’ve become.
Not only that, they also have a large interest in TCGames like Pokemon, Yu-ghi-oh or Magic: The Gathering. This is a personal hobby for me and my family, always cracking out the board games when we’re “board”.
Issue & Solution
How to I create this without it being staged or bordering on Product Photography?
I could speak to a local board game & TCG shop and see if they’ll let me shoot one of their game nights.
07/02/26 – Intent to visit Local TCG Shop to discuss taking photographs alongside game nights.
10/02/26 – Spoken with manager at Harlequins who has agreed to arrange dates with me to shoot. Am awaiting date confirmation.
13/02/26 – Evening visits confirmed.
Idea Development – WSAH
05/02/26 – I’m heading down tonight for our weekly gathering and am going to discuss this with the Pub Owner and a few patrons to see what the responses are.
Anything I create with regards to the WSAH, I would need consent from Jonny (Pub Owner). Whereas I know I’d get it, I have to think which aspect I cover. I’d like to spend a few evenings/ a day there and capture moments. For a lot of people, a trip to the pub is either a special occasion or just an evening thing. For me, it’s a weekly trip down to see friends and play games.
I believe that’s the aspect I want to cover, should I be able to – The friends and connections. With this, it would be the MTG Game Night aspect in the pub setting. It’s a unique experience to most however with TCG/TT players, it’s a very common thing. You’ll often find in places like WSAH, there are card games available. Our go-to is Uno 🙂
06/02/26 – After speaking with Jonny (Pub Owner), He’s happy for me to photograph parts of the pub. Patrons said ask them at the time as their mood may change. I cannot photograph products. Any shots that involve bodies must have consent & model release forms.
This has pretty much left this idea dead in the water due to the restrictions set.
Final Idea – Gaming as a Hobby & Community
Following the Pecha Kucha, I noticed just how much of my own time is taken up by gaming. Whether it’s digital or physical, I’m always playing some game. I’m not the only one, for some it consumes their being and they’re almost addicted to the feeling of winning.
I want to capture those moments, the wins & loses. The joy of showing off a new miniature or even just a bad dice roll. The joys of a gaming community coming together.
Production & Development Idea
Now that I’ve decided on the idea, I wanted to see how would be best to capture it. I had a range of ideas that I wanted to look at before thinking about them in regards to production.
Production Technique – Instant Film
I recently got an Instax camera and have fallen in love with the idea of shooting with Instant Film. Capturing the sudden moments and having that instant gratification of the image is something I’m contemplating playing with for this project.
The images have an effect to them that is quite hard to replicate digitally, as well as a slice of charm too.
Using this form of production also creates a way to create spur-of-the-moment creations. Whichever theme or topic I pick, I want to consider this as a production method.
Pricing Research – AVG £15 per 20
Amazon – Official Instax 20 Shots – £14.99
Local Shop (St Georges Centre) 20 Shots – £14.99
FIND – I’ve found that Monochrome and filtered film is available, as well as ones with different borders. I’m happy to stick to the white border however may consider B&W for both cost & aesthetic reasons.
End Result – Due to finances and the logistical side, I won’t be heading down this route for this project. I will come back to it at a later date however, at this time, it’s not feesable.
Production Technique – 35mm Film
Working with Monochrome film has been something I’ve enjoyed more than anything so far. Although I’ve had issues with it, it’s still been enjoyable and I’ve really loved the process.
It’s something that adds an aspect of humanity to the images, something that makes it feel raw and genuine, whether it is or not. Whereas this would cause some issues (Botched images, developing and printing, etc), it’s definitely something I’d like to consider for my technique.
I’m not sure about coloured film, mainly as I’ve not got much experience with it and feel that it wouldn’t have the same impact as we’d expect
08/02/26 – I have just shot my first roll of coloured film and believe it’s incorrectly loaded or got jammed. I was able to shoot 40+ images without the roll stopping. I am due to develop these on the 12th however don’t know how it’s going to come out.
17/02/26 – I have arranged a visit to HQ to focus on D&D nights. I want to use a B&W roll of film to see if I can achieve something unique for this game-type. With it being a fantasy RPG, I feel it is the most thematic for it.
18/02/26 – Unfortunately, the D&D Group I’d arranged to photograph in film had cancelled last minute. They’re not due to play again until late-March
Reference Research
There were a few different aspects I wanted to look at for this topic. Between sudden photographs and recording board/tc games, I wanted something to reference back to. I’ve added to this section as the visits to Harlequins went on, finding references for areas I’m lacking.
Pub Life – Marco Sconocchia
Focusing on London pubs and patrons, the series spans 6 years and a range of events at local pubs.
Whereas some of these seem quite calm, generic and open. Others showcase the toxicity and negativity that comes with pub culture. The alcoholics, the extremists.
The photographs are very raw, the moment grabbed and recorded. It shows both the highs and lows of a night out. It also doesn’t just stick to your classic pub, heading to more specialised events and shows.
The harsh lighting letting you know how dark some of these places can be.
Not only that, but it also shows just how far into idiocy the public will go once they’ve had a few drinks. The power of alcohol is a weird one. One I’m very glad I don’t partake into on the same level.
Some of these are also insanely invasive. Later in the series there are images of people making out in an alleyway, a personal and albeit private event. There’s also scenes from what looks like a wedding and Drag Show.
I grew up around an alcoholic and in pubs that scream this environment. These people are the ones that I’d sit and watch from the corner with my glass of coke. I’d like to say that this isn’t what true British pub culture is but unfortunately, due to the changing of the times, it’s mainly this experience up and down the country.
This is why I would want to showcase the positive side of British pub culture. Our local, whereas a busy pub, is one that lives off the old morals of the pub and focuses on community.
Netrunner National Championships – Nicky Ebbage
Following my choice to focus on the game aspect, I wanted to find a reference for photographing TCG Games. Following my first two visits to HQ, I noticed I was struggling capturing the quick and sudden moments. I wanted to find someone/thing to reference it to. I started looking for the event photographers for small scale tournaments, like that of the Netrunner Nationals in Bristol.
Ebbage used her ability to use a longer lens to get the sudden shots while remaining out of the way. Something I’d need to figure out before my visit to the MTG Pre-Release event. She also prioritises the players over the game, making sure you see the people, not just the cards. Something that I would take into consideration later on.
MTG & Buttcracks
I was introduced to this digital collection by one of the staff at HQ. We were reviewing the images together and they noticed that I had focused on the drinks by accident. It reminded them of a viral photograph “collection” from a few years ago.
In 2014, MTG player Sid Blair attended the Richmond Grand Prix. One of the largest events in the world for Magic Players. While there, he noticed the amount of people sat with their trousers falling down. Deciding to make a funny thing out of this, he went around and photographed himself next to these people.
“I participated in one of the biggest Magic: the Gathering tournaments of all time this weekend. In an effort to document it, I posed for pictures near people with exposed a**cracks. I present to you Grand Prix Richmond Crackstyle.”
It was posted both to his social media & to r/funny on Reddit, receiving internet fame instantly. Unfortunately, not everyone saw this collection the same way. A small group stated that Blair had committed act of bullying, harassment and embarrassment with this collection.
Following the uproar, the offical Magic the Gathering tournament board made a statement:
“Unfortunately, the experience at Grand Prix Richmond was dampened for many because of the hurtful acts of an onsite participant.“
This led to Blair being banned from official MTG tournaments for 18 months due to “Harassment, Bullying and breaching tournament code of conduct”.
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