Gear & First Shoot: MA Major Study Development

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Location Scout

Did a final location scout a week before the first shoot, on the same date and time. Initially I wanted to use an area familiar to the subject, but realized that I would have less control over the locations. I want locations with linear perspective, perhaps roads or paths to symbolize the journey the migrants are on. It was not until after I reviewed the location scout contact sheet that I realized how much I liked image 19, see Image Gallery Fig. 3. There are repeated bollards on the road and the trees frame the street in very nicely, creating a nice enclosed space along with a repeated pattern, which enhances the linear perspective. I planned to photograph Deng on the curb placing his head close to the vanish point.

First Shoot

The first subject for this series wa Deng from South Sudan, we met and I interviewed him a few days before, so the day of we could focus on capturing the photographs. I shot in the morning at 8AM ANNIE LEIBOVITZ QUOTE ON LIGHT IN THE MORNING. I was using flash on the subject, my intention was light the subject one stop over the ambient exposure (f8, 1/30). The camera was set to the flash exposure of f11, 1/30. What I failed to realize at the time was that by setting my background exposure is really controlled by the shutter when using flash. For future shoots I will try to remember that as I would like to bracket the background exposure to see what it would look like darker to lighter than the subject.

The images are soft photographing wide open is difficult to do with a Deardorff, as I had mentioned before, the ground glass is not as bright and the focus control is not that smooth.

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Citations

Machinski, J. (2019) Contact Sheet. August 2109. Unpublished.

Machinski, J. (2019) Deng & Larry 01. August 2109. Unpublished.

Machinski, J. (2019) Deng & Larry 02. August 2109. Unpublished.

Machinski, J. (2019) Deng 01. August 2109. Unpublished.

Machinski, J. (2019) Deng 02. August 2109. Unpublished.

Machinski, J. (2019) Deng 03. August 2109. Unpublished.

Machinski, J. (2019) Deng 04. August 2109. Unpublished.


Test Shoot: MA Major Study Development

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Before my test shoot I was able to get my hands on some expired Polaroid Type 55 film, this was great for allowing me to see the shot framed up and to judge my exposure. My initial concerns about the 8x10 Deardorff camera not focusing was heightened after looking at the polaroids during the shoot. The polaroids were overexposed making it hard to judge critical focus, I assumed that it was because the film was expired.

Once I got the film back my suspicions were confirmed the film was out of focus, was indeed soft. The image gallery (Fig. 1-6) on the right has the polaroids and the final image along with a cropped in version of it. The focus appears to be just in front of Mark, my subject. This is unfortunate as I went ahead and shot my first subject with the camera before I got the film back from the lab, so I am hoping that the images will be in focus and this was just a anomaly.

Reflection

This location is one that I would like to use, I like the background but I will position the subject in the centre of the roadway instead of offsetting them like I did with Mark. This centring of the subject is something that photographer Spencer Tunick does in his work, within his Individual Nude series, see Fig. 2, he uses of linear perspective to draw our eye up to the subject’s face by placing the subject at the vanishing point of the image, dead centre horizontally. His use of linear perspective reminds me of classical painting he is a photographer that recreates Renaissance-style paintings in modern settings throughout his work (Independent, 2008). The use of linear perspective and the vanishing point are most evident in the work of Raphael, his School Of Athens (FIg. 8) is a great example of this and Caspar David Friedrich’s The Wanderer is a great example from the Romantic period. These works remind me of the work of Urban and Phimester, (Fig. 11 & 12 below), two images I have been inspired by.

Another element I quite like from this test shoot is the vine on the column, it has also has a classical feel and helps further remind me of the work of Julia Margaret Cameron, her images of costumed people posed in landscapes and natural light (Artspace, 2013). The use of foliage is most evident in my favourite image by Cameron Ponoma, (Fig. 9). I think the use of foliage can help offset the urban concrete environment of the background and I do really like that the top of the frame is open, but not completely it has that sense of freedom but is enclosed which was what I am looking to do within these images.

Citations

Artspace (2013). Meet Julia Margaret Cameron, the Cindy Sherman of the Victorian Era. Available at: https://www.artspace.com/magazine/contributors/see_here/julia_margaret_cameron_cindy_sherman_of_the_victorian_era-51588 (Accessed: 05 July 2019).

Artsy. (2017) Caspar David Friedrich Wanderer above the Sea of Fog 1817 [Online image]. Available at: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-unraveling-mysteries-caspar-david-friedrichs-wanderer [Accessed: 21 July, 2019].

Independent (2018). I stripped for Spencer Tunick. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/i-stripped-for-spencer-tunick-920804.html [Accessed: 20 July, 2019].

Phimester, S. (2017) Jacqueline [Online image]. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyphimester/36817501613/ [Accessed: 25 July, 2019].

Machinski, J. (2019) Mark Test Shoot Polaroid 01. August 2019. Unpublished.

Machinski, J. (2019) Mark Test Shoot Polaroid 02. August 2019. Unpublished.

Machinski, J. (2019) Mark Test Shoot Polaroid 03. August 2019. Unpublished.

Machinski, J. (2019) Polaroid. August 2019. Unpublished.

Machinski, J. (2019) Mark Test Shot 01. August 2019. Unpublished.

Machinski, J. (2019) Mark Test Shot 01 Close UP. August 2019. Unpublished.

My Modern Met (2018) [Online image]. Available at: The Story Behind Raphael’s Masterpiece ‘The School of Athens’ https://mymodernmet.com/school-of-athens-raphael/ [Accessed: 22 July, 2019].

New York Magazine (1999). Julia Margaret Cameron, Ponoma, 1872 [Online image]. Available at: http://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/art/reviews/138/ (Accessed: 05 July 2019).

Phimester, S. (2017) Jacqueline [Online image]. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyphimester/36817501613/ [Accessed: 25 July, 2019].

Urban, A. (2017) Michelle [Online image]. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alex833/36373592033/ [Accessed: 24 July, 2019].

Interviews: MA Major Study Development

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Recently finished conducting the three interviews from my previous module, I was able to photograph the subjects but not able to make the time to interview them. I used these interviews as a test to gauge my interview style and process. I was not initially sure what to ask as I have never really interviewed anyone before but I thought I would start with the basics, your name, when you migrated, country of origin and why you migrated.

The interviews I initially felt were important to the work as a still image does not really tell you much about a subject besides superficial elements, height, hair and eye colour etc.. So I concluded that the interviews would help give depth to the subjects and allow the viewer or reader of the work to connect with the subject more. If I was to display this in a gallery space I would include headphone at each image to allow for pieces of the audio interviews to play on repeat. Seeing and hear someone, I think, allows for a deeper connection. My parents both passed away and from cancer, my father first, and I was always disappointed that I never recorded his voice. I did with my mother and combining that with stills images helps humanize and build a deeper connection for me than just one of the mediums could ever do.

I have also decided on using this image when going over the synopsis:

Fig. 1: Portraits of My Paternal Grandfather & Family, Machinski (2018)

I show the subjects the two image on one sheet of paper and explain my family’s only migration story I know or at least the pieces of it I know. The smaller image on the left is a portrait of my paternal grandfather in Poland, it is worn and tattered and he is single, date of image I am not sure. The second image is paternal grandfather again in Canada with a wife and two kids most likely in 1949, given the age of my father in the picture. What I am curious about is what happened in-between, how and why did he leave Poland? This is a piece of my history that is lost and I think something that should not be forgotten by any family and I think by a community or a country. I also think photography and audio is a great way to capture these narratives, I have always liked what Diane Arbus said about photography for documenting subject, in her project American Rites, Manners and Customs, she want to gather them, like everybody's grandmother putting up preserves, because they will have been so beautiful. “  (Jeu de Paume, 2012)

synopsis: migration narratives

For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated by collecting, and people.  From an early age, I collected, bugs, comics, etc., seeing items put together as a whole fascinated me.  My other fascination is people, I love hearing people’s stories, who they are, where they came from and what makes them tick.  I believe that listening to other’s stories, and sharing your own, leads to mutual understanding, friendship, and peace.  I believe we are all, at our most basic level, looking for the same things.  

For this project, I first became curious about my own family’s story of migration.  Unfortunately, this story had been lost, my relatives who migrated have passed on and my family knows very little of this story.  Migration I was told, was a thing to be forgotten and assimilation was key to acceptance into this new country.  Next, I asked my friends who recently migrated to Canada and many were reluctant to tell me their migration stories.  For me this was perplexing, migration, leaving your home and moving to a new country, is a pivotal point in a person’s and a family’s history, and something I think should be remembered and shared.  

Since I began documenting these stories and researching migration I realize how harrowing these stories are, and how interconnected migration is to globalization, environmental issues, poverty, economic disparity, and violence.  For me, although the research is enlightening, statistics and government policies are just words on a page.  I want to make a human connection by documenting first hand the stories of people’s migration, to celebrate their struggles and achievements. 

questions: migration narratives

What is your name?

Your age? (only if you mind sharing)

When did you migrate?

What country did you migrate from?

Tell me about the country you migrated from?

Tell me your migration story, why did you migrate to Canada, how did you get here?

What has your experience been like in Canada?

What do you hope for in this new country?



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Jeu de Paume (2012) Diane Arbus Press Kit. Available at: http://www.jeudepaume.org/pdf/PR_DianeArbus.pdf [Accessed: 15 August, 2018].

Machinski, J. (2018) Portraits of My Paternal Grandfather & Family, Machinski. January 2018. Unpublished.


Migration: MA Major Study Research

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“International migration has been a fundamental feature of nation-states since their emergence in the sixteenth century, and it is likely to continue to shape the economic, political, and social life of societies across the world in the twenty-first, regardless or because of the gyrations of world economic activity, the restrictionist stance of countless national, as well as regional and local governments, the hospitality of citizens, or the energy, determination, and wishes of migrants themselves” Samers, M. (2016)

Humans have been migrating for centuries, if not millennia, and will continue to do so. The world’s population that lives outside their country of origin does not exceed 3.5 percent, Samers, M. (2016). However, if we could look back at our families’ past, chances are you are a descendant of a migrant. Why do people have a fear of migrants?

“In many countries across the world, there is rise in nation- alism and an authoritarian and exclusionary form of populism, with political leaders once considered on the fringe of politics gaining power and influence. Such populism is often due to the backlash against the emigration of displaced per- sons, austerity and other social and economic divisions, inequalities and injustices in society.” (Tahzib, Davidovitch, & Labonte, 2019)

It seems that the wide inequalities around the world, and the clear injustices they represent within and between countries, are regrettable features of our era (Migration Data Portal 2019) and this has led to migration and feeling of animosity and fear of migrants.

Most of the reasons that people migrate are:

“The drive to seek better economic opportunities; family reunification; concerns about public security and criminality in migrants' country of birth; and to escape humanitarian crises, persecution, instability and war. All this is facilitated by lower international travel costs and easy availability of information, and sometimes misinformation, online and through social media about migration.” (House Of Commons, 2019)

Most people do not would not choose to migrate if they did not have to. Many experts in this field belief that migrants are people like you and me, seeking peace, and aspire to freedom and safety for themselves and for their families (House Of Commons, 2019).

Canada recognizes certain definition when it comes to migration,

Migrant - is an all-encompassing term that refers to any person who moves away from their home,26 either within their country of origin or across an international border, without taking into account the legal status of the person or the causes of migration.

Immigrant - specifically refers to those who enter a new country with the intent to settle.

internally Displaced Persons - are defined as individuals who have been forced to flee from their home, especially “as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflicts, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border.

Asylum Seeker - refers to any person asking for international protection and who is going through a refugee status determination process in a country other than their own country of origin.

Refugee - is an asylum seeker who received refugee status from the country where they claimed international protection or from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

(House Of Commons, 2019)

These terms are important to remember when talking with the project’s subjects. Also what their push or pull factors where at the time of their migration. Today there are more pull factors, namely the presence of a dual labour market in the richer countries that drives migration Samers, M. (2016).

Citations

Samers, M. & Collyer, M. 2016, Migration, 2nd edn, Taylor & Francis Group, London.

Tahzib, F., Davidovitch, N. & Labonte, R. 2019, "Migration, justice and health: Reimagining the earth as one country and humankind its citizens", Public Health, vol. 172, pp. 105-107.  https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.herts.ac.uk/science/article/pii/S0033350619300976

Migration Data Portal (2019) The bigger picture Available at: https://migrationdataportal.org/themes/global-compact-migration [Accessed : 1 July, 2019]

House Of Commons (2019) Adapting Canada’s Immigration Policies To Today’s Reality, Report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. Available at: https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/421/CIMM/Reports/RP10541650/cimmrp25/cimmrp25-e.pdf [Accessed : 5 July, 2019].


Affirmation: MA Major Study Development

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When starting a project I become really engrossed in the idea and obsess with it and then I become a little too self-reflective and start doubting myself and the idea. As a creative we need to be challenged as these obstacles strengthen our ideas and the process. We also need a little encouragement too.

I was out the other day with a friend and he commented on my work, it is someone I respect so the feedback was greatly appreciated. He loved the Expired Series but did not really care for the Street Portraits or Couple Series. I asked why and he said photographing people and couples, well that has been done before and really did not peak my interest.

Needless to say I have been reflecting on this feedback and I happen to agree with him, this has been done before. This also got me thinking about why I photograph at all, what is the point? Especially in this age of social media and Instagram, really what is the point?

My wife and I have our house up for sale and we are moving to a smaller, much smaller, condo downtown. We live just outside the city and rely on a car to get us everywhere, we seldom interact with others in our neighbourhood as we are rather secluded. The properties in our neighbourhood are large and the neighbours like their privacy which is fine but we both feel that we need a change. We have by no means become hardcore minimalists but we have often talked about focusing more on experiences rather than things and giving back to a community through volunteer work. We think this is not only good for us but for our daughter as well, we would also like to raise her in a neighbourhood she can walk to school, and be more connected to a community. So we plan to sell or donate a large portion of things, downsize, and move into the city.

What does my move have to do with photography, and the questions above? Well nothing I thought until I stumbled across a video by photographer Eric Kim. Eric is a contemporary photographer who effectively uses social media and the web to market himself and his projects. He has a very interesting mindset when it comes to creating work which resonated with me quite a bit. Eric’s personal philosophy is to not be so attached to stuff, but find fulfillment in life through experiences (Meditations on Life and Photography, 2017). He uses photography to document these experiences and uses photography to answers questions he is curious about and sharing these answers or truths with others (Meditations on Life and Photography, 2017). Eric finds joy through discovering and creation and enjoys life.

Living a life based on experiences rather than material consumption is very important to me and Eric’s connecting photography to this idea was revelatory. For me this was also an aha moment an affirmation of my studies as I realize that what I have been doing it taking and idea that peaks my interest then I research, document, create, reflect, learn, share, and then repeat this process. This is how one becomes a better visual communicator. This is the essence of the practice-led methodology and also design thinking for creatives. I am curious though, did my studies influence my current life choices or visa versa.

So I think I have answered the question, why photograph at all what is the point? Photography is about documenting my experiences and sharing what I have found with the world. Like Eric I am the happiest when I am creating new information new photos, new videos and living in the pure creative moment (Meditations on Life and Photography, 2017). That is the point of photography and I think life, finding your own happiness.

Citations

Eric Kim Photography (2017) Meditations on Life and Photography. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHMMkKppfSg (Accessed: 05 June 2019).