Self Evaluation

Negotiated Major Project has predictably been one of the most challenging, but enjoyable modules of my University studies. I really felt like I have put 100% of my passion and effort into this module, choosing something I was truly passionate about, rather than something that I felt was aesthetically pleasing.

After changing my idea, I realise that my blog does not directly follow Advanced Research Strategies, but has many links that make them pair together well, although not necessary. Consumerism is a big topic that has ran throughout the duration of my studies, and people react to advertisements and packaging of products. Hoarder, and collectors, started out a one point in their lives as merely consumers, and still are. However, the severity of their consumption varied from person to person, which was interesting to document.

Working with challenging and new subjects was difficult. Usually, I am comfortable working with models and subjects who need minimal directing in front of the camera, to work with poses suitable for the audience in question. However, working with people and their collections proved more challenging due to the child like behaviour that I experienced, the "that's mine" mentality. I found it difficult to work with the collections in a timely fashion, due to the possessiveness of the subjects who owned them, and their need to make sure what they have worked towards is safe and intact. I originally planned to shoot my final images in two days, but this turned into five because of how challenging the subjects were. Some were friends, which meant I was clear with what I wanted and was not scared to ask them to leave me alone to photograph or move the collection around to make the shot work. However, most of my subjects were strangers that I met on social media and through word of mouth, meaning forming that same bond was impossible. As someone who has a large collection of Beanie Babies (which are collectable stuffed animals), which I chose not to photograph for this series, I understand how possessive I can get over people handling my collection, especially when time and money has been spent to build and maintain the collection in question. However, I do not think I could have prepared myself for the behaviour I faced.

Originally, I planned for my images to be taken at a large F/stop to keep the background in focus, but upon experimentation in the first house, I decided that keeping the mystery of the surroundings that the box was is in worked better than revealing all to the viewer. The viewer already has to put the caption with the image, and then believe that there really is that amount of items stored away in that very box, but then they also have to consider the surrounds and relate them to their own homes. Some of the backgrounds were visually distracting, such as the image of the ballet case from a young girls room, so the blurred background allowed the focus to be placed upon the box rather than it's location.

The title works well paired with the set, as it reveals the future for some of these collectors, when their collection eventually outgrows their home and person. After watching several reality shows, I have noticed that innocent collecting and consuming can quickly and suddenly turn into an entire home and family being pushed out to make room for clutter. Family, marriages and friendships have been broken due to excessive hoarding, and I know for some of the people I have been working with, this could happen. Some of the subjects that I worked with are on the brink of allowing their room to become consumed by their habit.

I feel like I have hit all of the module aims at stated on the MIS, which are listed below:

Research and development of ideas

I feel like my body of research that has allowed me to develop my ideas and final piece is strong and well thought out, I planned and experimented early on in the module before deciding my definite pathway. I feel that this has helped me build a strong portfolio of work, and in turn, developed my photographic abilities.

Sustainability (budget and time management)

My budget has always been a pressing issue throughout my blog, as I had a limited amount of money to spend, and needed to spend it wisely. My time management was also important, and towards to end of my module, I stuck rigidly to the timetable I created in my last module.

Proficiency across a relevant range of digital image creation practices

At the beginning of the module, I experimented with using scanography and film photography as a ways of capturing images, however, to create a professional and clean feel to my exhibition, I decided to use a Canon 5D mk 3 with a 50mm prime lens to create sharp images that were suitable for a wide range of audiences.

Production of a marketable quality project

My business cards and flyers promote my series well, and me as a photographer well to the people who shall be visiting my graduate show. My images are clean, and sharp, and look aesthetically pleasing with a strong meaning behind them. I feel that if I continued this series as a graduate, and produced a book, that people would look at it and purchase it, as it is in interesting subject that people seem to be fascinated about.

Professional presentations

I chose black frames to compliment the grey walls that we have been given. My original idea was to frame my images in wooden frames, to compliment the colour of the boxes being shown. However, this would have looked unprofessional on the chosen background, so I had to adapt my idea. My business cards, flyers and final prints are professionally printed, and were chosen through numerous tests and experiments with different types of paper and different colouring techniques when printing.

Critical self-evaluation, assessment and evaluation of individual processes of production

I have worked upon critical feedback from tutors and fellow peers when assessing my work, and asked for feedback on social media as to layouts and final images. I have always commented on the negative aspects of my work, and reshot the images or adapted my idea to fit this.

Contextualising and describing project work in relation to social, cultural, historical and critical features

My historical research into Collyer Curiousa and other historical figures who collected was very beneficial to gaining context and knowledge about the subject so that I could approach my subjects with a delicate nature, and be understanding about their condition. I always had in the back of my mind that these people were struggling with a condition that is not often taken serious, and shunned by the media.

Extended Statement

Short Statement

Creating a short statement within a 200 word boundary was challenging, as I have so much to write about my project and what it is aiming to achieve. Therefore, I decided to write down several points about my work as a whole, and then bind them all together.



“All I Have Become” is an exploration into the life of the hoarder, and the collector, and how these two defining traits are not quite as mutually exclusive as we would all care to believe.

The series aims to allow to viewer to decide whether they feel the subjects are hoarders, collectors, or simply consumers, whilst questioning their own habits. Inspired by the common stereotypical representation of hoarders, and who they are, that has been generated by the media, paired with knowledge obtained from Daniel Miller’s book “The Comfort of Things”, Laura Jane Parkinson sets out to capture the collections that these people have maintained for a number of years, and how collecting and hoarding objects is becoming increasingly common. She captures the boxes in which their collections are stored, within the environment that they are kept.

In a consumerist society where people define themselves by what they purchase, there is a very fine line between collecting, and hoarding.

What’s in your box?

Budget

Maintaining and sticking within my tight budget was something I found very difficult in this module, due to the fact I am quitting my job in the summer to become a teacher, and having to plan for the future of getting married in the next year, my budget decreased by more than half from my last module. This was obviously still manageable, but I had to think carefully about printing options and what frames I would go for.

Obviously after changing my idea of having large scale prints and gilt frames, my budget could breathe slightly as there was not as much money needed to be spent on frames. My frames were £7 each from The Range, and were very good quality. Having had past good experience before from them, and using them as my main source of frames for exhibitions, I decided it was a good option. I originally planned to purchase frames from a framing shop in my local town for £15 each, but after buying one and taking it home, I realised that the front was plastic and not glass, so I returned it.

Previous budget

Initial budget

My travel was one of the parts that required more of my budget being spent on them. After shifting my idea onto consumerism and hoarding from fairytales, I ended up visiting the subjects houses on more than one occasion. Sometimes, I was lucky enough to catch a lift with my fiancé or father, who would take me free of charge. However, when they were working, I needed to get a bus or taxi to visit them. This raised my travel expenses from £20 to £84.

I decided to go with better quality flyers and business cards which represented my theme. I felt like printing them on a substance similar to cardboard, would represent my work better than if they were printed on gloss paper. This meant my initial budget of £20 from both budgets was increased to £45, but the promotion and chance of work after the graduate show will be worth the extra costs.

Final budget

Flyer and Business Card Quotes

I decided to obtain a quote from a local printing business, to see how much it would be to print my business cards and flyers ready for my graduate show. They sent me three quotes; one for my double sided business cards, laminated on matte paper, one for flyers printed on regular silk paper, and one for the same flyers but printed on recycled paper. I have planned to print on matte and recycled paper to keep the feel of cardboard boxes running throughout my exhibition.

Printing

I decided that because of time restrictions, and good reviews received from my graduate friends, I would get my prints done at Paul Graham Image Specialists, who are based a 10 minute drive from my house. They had two options for printing, which were budget and premium corrected. I went for premium correct as these were printed on better quality paper, and were true to colour.

Budget print price chart

Premium corrected price chart

Final Business Card

I decided to change my initial concept of my business cards, and design some simplistic ones on Photoshop and send them off to a local printing company. I used a Photoshop template from their website, and created a front and a back, the back containing the title of the series and my contact details, and the front containing my favourite image from my series. 

(Please note that the business card appears off white on this blog, however, the business card is in fact pure white and the colour here is not an accurate representation)

Flyer Design

{Please note that the pure white background has not been correctly colour represented on this blog.}

I decided to design and print some flyers for my upcoming degree show, for people to take away with them giving more information about my work. Although a business card is a good idea, because my website is for freelance work, and contains a lot of fashion and promotional work, it doesn't match my exhibition. After the degree show launch, I will be adapting my website for two to three month, to have a large banner at the top, with a link to my NMP work. I will design this in due course.

I have included my final short statement on the flyers, which will also be presented on the wall next to my work. I feel these 200 words captures the real meaning of this exhibition, and is interesting and easy to understand.

Business Cards: IDEAS

I have decided to redesign a set of business cards for my exhibition at Salford Create, as my current business cards are designed around my current career aspiration of weddings and fashion/beauty photography. I feel that, as a unique set, they deserve a brand new set of business cards that represent the series. I have trialled some designs on Photoshop and the business card printing service MOO, and have asked friends, family and professionals their opinion on them.

The blank business card, without any imagery and just text, received the highest praise from industry professionals. Many commented on the fact it leads people to visit my website and find out more about the work that I do outside of University, as well as having a sleek design and uncluttered text. A lot of people commented on the floral design of my business card, saying it related and represented my fashion and beauty work strongly, as the design is timeless and feminine; a lot like my current work. My original business cards, that I own now, received the strongest criticism when paired with my current project. Even friends commented that it takes away from the series that is being exhibited, as my fashion and wedding photography is very commercial, whereas my exhibited series is factual and could be seen as an emotional subject.

I plan to print the bottom business card to present at my exhibition, as it is simple and elegant, as well as being non-obtrusive to my work.

Exhibition and Image Feedback

I decided to ask some of my friends on social media their opinion of the two layouts shown in my previous post, to see which one appealed more to the general public.

"Top one :* xxx"

"Top!"

"First one!"

"One for me. Two takes your focus to the middle image over them as a whole"

"First one! Good luck with your FMP!"

"The top set sits together best I think!"

"First one hun and good luck"

"The top one rules!"

"Top x"

"First one :)"

"Top one woohoo"

"Yeah the top one defo, that pink bag just ruins the triptych"

"1 :)"

I am certain that after this unanimous feedback that I will using the first layout for my final piece, with the possibility of presenting more on my website.

Exhibition Layout Planning and Experimentation

I decided to produce a mock up design for my final pieces, as I am torn between four images for three frames. As we have been assigned one metre in total, with the possibility of having more, I have decided to stick as close to the one metre boundary as possible, so I do not have to decide between images on submission day.

I have three images of cardboard boxes, which flow together as a series, but I also have one singular image of a pink case that a child stores her collection in. I do not want my entire photographic series to have the stigma of people storing things in cardboard boxes alone.

I plan to put these three images on social media as a poll and see which people prefer over others, with my short statement attached. Hopefully, this will give me an indiction as to which  series works better and which is more suitable for public display.

Layout 1

Layout 2

Layout 3

FINAL IMAGES: Layout and Presentation

(Please note that the colours on the border have not been accurately represented on here, they are pure white rather than off white which is represented in some of my final images here.)

I purchased my frames from the Range last week, and they are 14x11 inch frames with a cream 11x8 inch mount inside. I wanted to find a pure white mount, but decided it would look more professional to make the mount in Photoshop and print at 14x11 rather than printing at 11x8 inches and mounting.

I plan to experiment in the next couple of days to see what looks better; printing without a mount or printing and inserting into a mount.

Final Image Taking: Day 5

I first visited the house of a subject who does not wish to be identities, to photograph their collection of stamps that they have collected for a number of years. Rather than keeping them in a book designed for this, they store their collection in a small box in the bathroom cupboard, as their partner is not aware of their collection. They spoke about some of their stamps, which are worth between 30p and £15 each, which was very interesting to hear, as you would have presumed that a collection of this much worth and expense would have been cared for with more love.

9,398 stamps

I then went on to visit the house of Andrew, who had a collection of dried flowers. I expected to see his collection in pretty storage boxes, as his personality of perfection and cleanliness suggested this. Andrew was one of the fussiest subjects I have had to deal with, as his OCD paired with his love of his collection meant he would only allow me to shoot in one room, which was the hallway. This produced many different difficulties, as natural light was not available, the light in the ceiling was very orange, casting a odd colour on the green carpet.

412 dried flowers

Interview: Samuel

I decided, when visiting my subjects, that I would interview some of them and ask them some question, to gain a clearer insight into why they collected these items.

RECEIPTS - Samuel

When did you begin collecting receipts?

I’ve always been a bit of an anti-consumerist, so I like to document my spending, and how much I am spending on certain items. I always make sure I have my use out of items I buy, no matter how much they cost!

So your collecting is more productive, rather than enjoyable?

Collecting receipts could never really be enjoyable; in fact, it’s probably more unenjoyable. I’ve been collecting receipts for so long it’s become engrained into my OCD tendencies. I feel if I stop collecting receipts, something bad will happen.

So, approximately how many receipts are you hoarding?

Hoarding is the correct word here, as I can imagine it’s tipping somewhere around half a million last time I checked. I catalogue them each year, and categorise them into months and genres, hence why you could only photograph the box of receipts from 2015. Every New Years Day I come back from celebrating and begin cataloguing my receipts straight away.

How long does this take?

About 12-13 hours, depending if I take a break to watch television or eat.

Final Image Taking: Day 4

Today, I managed to visit two of my subjects, who live on the same street, to take photographs of their boxes. To save time when photographing, and to make sure the lighting is the same in both images, I have asked them to count their collection in the specific box before I arrived.

First, I visited the house of Samuel, who collected receipts, which is a very common thing to collect. He counted that there were 1,005 receipts in this box, with many more in other boxes scattered around his bedroom. To fit with the series, however, I decided just to photograph one box in the room that it was kept. Samuel's bedroom was quite small, so I could not get the desired angle and distance from the box that I required from my other images, so I decided to capture the box on his bed. I felt this gave the box some context, as the colourful background contrasted with the plain white box. However, I do not think I will be using this as one of my finals, due to the fact there is a lot of distractions in the foreground.

1,005 receipts

After visiting Samuel, I moved on down the road to the house of Karen, who collects postcards from different places she or her friends/family have travelled too. She spoke about her need and compulsion to own postcards, so much so she spends some of her monthly wage on ordering postcards from Ebay from all over the world. Considering she spends a lot of money on her collection, it was surprising when she pulled out a battered box from a dusty cupboard in her bedroom. I am considering this image as one of my finals, due to the fact that the colours of the background and the box are very complimentary, and are not so bright that they are distracting.

840 postcards