Jamie Livingston and Martin Parr Polaroids -
Jamie Livingston
Jamie did a project called 'Some Photos of That Day', or POD for short. He started this project on Math 31st 1979 and continued it until the day he died 17 years later. Chris Higgins has been given permission to release the photos in the same order on the corresponding days, and they can be found on Instagram. Each day he would choose his moment and take only one picture of it. He would display them each year on increasingly larger surfaces to show the scope of the project and how it grew each year. Of course the novelty of photographing with polaroids is that each photo you took, even if it was of the same thing, was going to be a little different. Jamie's polaroid were originally only meant to be shared with the subject that was in the picture, and the beauty of it was that during the time of the project 80s-90s everything was way less digitised than now so there was only one copy and you could either give it away or keep it. Now, we have the opportunity to watch this journey day by day appreciating the brilliant photos that Livingston made through this long term project. I think the style of photography Livingston used was a mix of street photography and portraiture photography.
I think the theme of this project resonates with mine, capturing moments each day. The subject of this project is really intimate and it feels like we get to watch his memories back over a period of time and I really respect that, I think it makes the project more raw and real and evokes more emotion which I appreciate. It also lets us view the city where his project took place - New York- in a different way and we can see how socially and culturally different the place was during the era that the photographs were taken in. Many big events happened in New York during the time that the project was taking place, from celebrity murders, to the 'Subway Vigilante', to New York's first black mayor.
I'm choosing to analyse the photo above in the middle of the man sitting along what seems to be a metal fence, looking up at the sky in front of a row of apartment buildings. The settings on a Polaroid camera are different from other digital cameras and don't allow for a lot of change. Based on the settings you can adjust on an older polaroid camera I think Livingston would've used a higher exposure as evident in the photos' very bright appearance. I don't think that Livingston used the flash on this particular image as it is taken outdoors in natural bright light that the man in the photo appears to be enjoying. The photo has softer lighting as it is all natural, there is a slight contrast created with the shadows and darker fence that's in the foreground of the image and the fire escapes in the background. The dimensions of a polaroid picture are nearly exactly square and smaller providing a smaller viewpoint. The image is also taken from a worms-eye view and this automatically places the viewer in a more vulnerable position and makes the viewer feel vulnerable even though the subject itself is not frightening. I don't think the subject dominates the photograph but the leading lines from the fence in the foreground of the image to draw the viewers eye to the main focus of the man. The photo almost follows the narrative of us looking up at the man who is in turn looking up at the sky. The photo creates a sense of relaxation as we watch the man relax in the sun surrounded by a pretty minimal background. The photographer could be conveying a message on the urbanisation of New York as the man seeks natural sunlight but is shrouded by an intimidatingly tall building behind him and then surrounded by the harsh texture of the metal fences with absolutely no nature.
My own work will definitely be influenced by Livingston's work as I will definitely be more conscious of the composition of my photos and try to use that to portray the themes and messages I want within my project. I also like his use of natural light as it definitely creates a really nice soft light look which creates a tranquil and serene atmosphere that I would like to achieve in my own photos and project.
Polaroids by Martin Parr
Martin Parr is a very well known British documentary photographer renowned for his vividly coloured hyper-realistic images which tend to be a comment on the eccentricities and humours of everyday life in Britain.
This small project was to capture little anecdotal memories with friends and family. This project has an intimate and nostalgic feel which I really like. I also really like the colouring of his photos and also the natural feeling in which they're taken, without manipulation and with natural lighting. The photo on the left is of his wife showing his mother what Skype is. The photo on the right is of his friend Nick Campion, Parr makes witty comment "he's arriving for dinner with his broken ankle. It's funny he didn't predict the fall.". Martin talks about his more regular use of polaroids twenty years ago and that the bad colour rendition and the throwaway feel is what made their charm.
I'm choosing the analyse the image on the left above of his mother and wife using Skype. As with Livingston's project, Polaroid cameras are more restrictive on the settings that you can adjust on the camera like shutter speed and aperture. However I think that Parr didn't under or over expose his photos as that would take away from the natural throwaway feel that gives the photos their charm. I do think he used the flash in this photo though judging by the reflection of the flash in the window and also the harsher lighting. The viewpoint of the image is very natural as if we're in the photographer's shoes watching it happen. The images are close up so there's not really any negative space around the subject. As the image is so close up the eye is drawn immediately to the dominant subject in the image as it is the main focus and takes up most of the grid. The facial features and body language of his mother and wife are very friendly and happy reflecting the close relationship they must have. The atmosphere of the image is very heartwarming and comfortable, it makes me feel happy when looking at it. Parr could be portraying a message on generational differences and the development in technology, as we watch his older mother learning about new technology.
My work is definitely going to be inspired by his as I think the more carefree and use of natural lighting makes the images feel more intimate and creates an inviting and nostalgic atmosphere which I would definitely like to recreate in my own project and images. I think I might also want to try using the flash in combination with natural lighting and see how that effects the look and atmosphere of my images, as I want them to be bright enough that no details are lost with under exposure but I also don't want to use really harsh lighting.
