Interactions with the landscape- Initial ideas and research
Proposal:
For this project I plan to capture the different ways the landscape is used in Greece and the relationship it has with the local people and the tourists. My aim is to photograph tourists, local people and the shops in the towns to show how the people there work and rely on the tourists, the weather and the landscape for an income. Whilst there I plan to also photograph some of the architecture and small streets associated with Greek towns as they are polar opposites of how buildings and streets are planned and laid out in The UK. During the shoots I plan to photograph elements which I would not be able to at home and experiment with the different experiences and views. I am using this location to experiment with the concepts and ideas I want to pursue with the rest of the project back un England.
After the initial project in Greece I plan to photograph Digbeth in Birmingham as it is a place with a rich culture and diverse landscape. I find it an interesting place due to all of the art and graffiti there as well as all the old building which once provided jobs for many people. At the end of the project I plan to make a phonebook or zine displaying some of my favourite images captured in the are.
Ideas:
My initial ideas for this project is to walk around and explore the area as I won't be familiar with it. I plan to walk around with my camera and photography and unusual or fascinating scenes. I expect to take a lot of pictures due to the diversity in the landscape and the beauty of each street. While there we will visit three different areas, giving me the chance to do at least three shoots in different places and show the difference between them.
Initial research:
Martin Parr
Martin Parr is a British photographer who has been researching leisure, consumption and communication for several decades while traveling the world. In the process, he examines national characteristics to find out how valid they are as symbols that will help future generations to understand our cultural peculiarities. Parr enables us to see things that have seemed familiar to us in a completely new way. "In a way he creates his own image of society, which allows us to combine an analysis of the visible signs of globalisation with unusual visual experiences." This style of photography interested me and I would like to produce images with a similar goal.
One of his more recent projects "Malaga express" was of particular interest to me as I believe I can capture images with a similar atmosphere and feel to them while in Greece. I plan to use inspiration from Parr to capture the different characteristics evident in the Greek landscape and its people.
In the following pictures Parr photographs the people and the culture of Malaga in his distinctive social documentary style. It is this style which I hope to adopt for this project to achieve a successful outcome. The images in this portfolio successfully capture the atmosphere and the emotions felt as the picture was taken, this enables Parr to share his experiences through the images he takes.
This selection of images helps to capture the social and tourist side of Malaga. The boats and leisure activities shown in the first image shows how tourism is important to the local economy, it also shows a contrast between the people sat relaxing on the beach compared to the families that may be using the boats. The third image shows how the local people benefit from people visiting the city as well as the importance of local residents buying local produce. Many people may overlook this when they visit a new place, these images help you to stop and think about the deeper meaning behind them.
This is my favourite image out of the collection as it captures the culture and cuisine of Malaga. During my trip to Greece I expect to see thing like this on the beachfront and in the town streets. I find it interesting that different countries have different cultures, for example in England if we were to do this on the beachfront people wouldn't but the fish as we are used to buying food from "professional" caterers.
Overall I think that Parr has captured the culture and his experiences in Malaga very well. The images allow you to look beyond what you would normally see, and they convey the feelings of the people in the images. I wish to achieve the same outcome during my time in Greece to help share the culture and my experiences.
William Eggleston:
William Eggleston is an American photographer known for his pioneering work in colour photography. His photographs often depict ordinary scenes and objects however, he has the ability to transform them into visually captivating images. Eggleston's use of vibrant colours and unique compositions adds a sense of depth and beauty to his photographs, allowing the viewers to see the world in a different way. Eggleston takes pictures because of his passion for capturing the beauty of everyday life that other people may overlook. Through his photography, he is able to share his unique perspective on the world
