4th Trip To The Docks

This time I wondered a bit further towards the beach, as I was not getting very far just staying by the bridge where the boats come in and out. When I was on my way to the beach I came across a boat repair park and there were some fishermen that were doing their boat up. I asked if I could take a photo of them and the main guy said no go away. So I used my innocent student charm and explained what I was doing my assignment on said 'you can have one with your mate if it will make you feel less awkward' he laughed and pulled his friend out of the cabin and when I had taken one photo he then said 'now you can go' so I left straight away without questioning it.

After getting a photo of the two men on the boat I started to have a bit of a wonder around and these are a few of my favourite images of the day. 

  

   

3rd Trip To The Docks

Finally. Some fishermen. Even though I could only get a few snapshots because they were leaving the harbour rather than coming in, but even still it was a relief to see that they actually existed. These are the only images that I managed to get as they left.

2nd Time At The Docks

If I thought that bad weather was a let down I would much rather that then getting all the way down there, getting your camera out and releasing that I had forgotten my memory card. I was so mad at myself as it was a really lovely evening. So I got my phone out and took a few images but my phone has a really bad camera so I was really disappointed. Also there was still no sign of any fishermen coming in.

1st Trip To The Docks

My fist trip to the docks was unpleasant. There was really strong wind and rain, it was dark and there were no signs of any fishermen. I had heard that they usually come in around 5.30 so I got there at 5 and stayed until 6.30 and that was when I resized that they had probably come in along time ago due to weather conditions. So I walk home freezing cold with only a few images of the very cold harbour

Because it was a dark night I took my big Metz 45 CT-5 Mount Flashgun 

Group Critique

When we had our presentation I knew straight away that I wasn't happy with my image. When the rest of the group had to explain what narrative they could see, it confirmed that my message hadn't come across very well. Most people couldn't see the 'train watch' sign and the ones that did, didn't know what the sign meant and the narrative that was seen by most was the journey of others. 

I think this will be the end of this particular idea as I wasn't happy with any of my images and I don't particularly want to go back and keep taking photos. I know for the second part of the assignment I want to pursue the docks idea as I will have enough time and I want to stick to it now. Even if I get another idea I am only going to go down to the docks and keep photographing until I find something I am happy with.

Idea 3

Because I had let myself run low on time from constantly changing ideas, I wouldn't have had time to go and photography the fishermen at the docks. I needed a photo as soon as possible so on the way back to Hartlepool I was waiting at Northallerton train station. Whenever I am there I always feel a bit strange, as it’s got the highest suicide rates in the Northeast and a boy from my village contributed to the statistics.

I thought I would use this story for my photo and started taking photos around the station the only problem was it was quite busy and I didn't really wont a lot of people in my photo. This is because there are loads of signs on the platforms saying 'a Samaritan helped me' and 'train watch'. With the 'train watch' sign it shows one person at the side of a platform with their head lowered and a train on the way. I though I would try and show what was happening in the sign in a photograph but with the sign somewhere in the photo. A bit like Duane Michals work with an image inside an image

   

This is the Duane Michals image that I had seen that made me want to have a picture in a picture.










Here are some of the images I had taken:

These are the two images I have decided to work with:

My final outcome of the two images. They are both in black and white I think I might add a vignette to the one with the train so it brings your eye to the middle of the image with the man and the train.   

The image that I chose to use for the presentation was the one on the right but I added the sign and a vignette.

Eyes

As I had been looking at eyes I really liked this and I think in my own time I will try out something similar

Change Of Plan

I really like the idea of building up a photo of other pictures but I wasn't quite sure if multiple images would count as one. So to be safe I have decided to do my project on student life instead. I started taking photos of little things like the empty fridge and people with their coats on because as it's student life heating is too expensive. Then I started taking photos of how much fun it is living in a house with 8 friends and that it doesn't matter that we are always cold.

But then while we have been watching documentaries of really extreme photography such as the arranged marriages and a lot of war photography I thought I should maybe do a my photo on a more interesting story of Hartlepool and concur this fear of walking around with a camera and talking to random people from towns. So I thought of what comes to mind when I think of Hartlepool, then drinking and the dock came to mind. I knew which one I’d rather do straight away, that would be to go down to the docs when the fishing boats come in from a hard days work and that hopefully it would show Hartlepool as a positive hard working place.