LGBT idea
Origional proposal:
For my LGBT project i thought about photographing a business that caters for transgender men and women called House of Diana. I thought it would be a good subject to do because people have either negative opinions on it or positive. Id like to photograph what happens in their day and then maybe get access to other transgender people through photographing at the shop in cheltenham. If the shop didn't allow me to photograph, i could go on LGBT sites and explain what i wanted to do for my project and hopefully get access that way.
For my LGBT project i thought about photographing a business that caters for transgender men and women called House of Diana. I thought it would be a good subject to do because people have either negative opinions on it or positive. Id like to photograph what happens in their day and then maybe get access to other transgender people through photographing at the shop in cheltenham. If the shop didn't allow me to photograph, i could go on LGBT sites and explain what i wanted to do for my project and hopefully get access that way.
Updated proposal:
For my LGBT project i have contacted Sammie who goes to Gloucestershire University. She is transgender in the 2nd year doing creating writing. I will photograph her in her bedroom to get her possessions into the photograph. Hopefully her bedroom will be decorated and i’ll be able to photograph her possessions along with her to try bring her personality through the images. I will also photograph her in the studio. This will work with my publication because they have a studio portrait and then inside they have what look like documentary style images.
For my LGBT project i have contacted Sammie who goes to Gloucestershire University. She is transgender in the 2nd year doing creating writing. I will photograph her in her bedroom to get her possessions into the photograph. Hopefully her bedroom will be decorated and i’ll be able to photograph her possessions along with her to try bring her personality through the images. I will also photograph her in the studio. This will work with my publication because they have a studio portrait and then inside they have what look like documentary style images.
Where will i be photographing?
In Cheltenham at Sammie’s house and in the studio at university.
In Cheltenham at Sammie’s house and in the studio at university.
What will i be photographing?
I will be photographing Sammie in two different locations using two different light sources.
I will be photographing Sammie in two different locations using two different light sources.
When will i be photographing?
Ive arranged to do two shoots. One on 22nd April and one on 27th April.
Ive arranged to do two shoots. One on 22nd April and one on 27th April.
Magazine research - OUT100
I started looking at OUT100 as a magazine i could use for my project but soon realised by looking through it that they mainly publish photographs of celebrities. As their main focus is people in the media they use the celebrities status to promote acceptance of the LGBT community.
The target audience for this magazine is for the LGBT community but i want my photostory to be seen by a range of different people not just by the LGBT community themselves as the aim for my project is to detatch the stigma around Transgender people.
Magazine research - DAZED
Dazed Magazine has a good photography and culture secution that my LGBT photo set would fit into - The type of images in here are mostly fashion and studio based.
Dazed Magazine covers a range of topics including film, art, music and is mostly know for its editorial and fashion photography.
If i was to use this magazine for my work i would have to do more studio based shoots or even go into lavish rooms in hotels for a good setting. The photos would be quite excentric which would be suitable for this magazine. I would have to find someone to shoot who would suit being in a magazine like Dazed.
The target audience for Dazed is teens/adults who are into fashion and celebrities. I want my photostory to be shown to a wider audience.
Magazine research - Time magazine
Time Magazine seems like the best magazine for me because they've done a good amount of articles based on the LGBT community.
Another reason i chose this magazine was because of the mix of styles in the photography. For the front page theres a studio style shot but the inside images are verging on documentary style. This would fit my project because i want to have one shoot more personal with the person in their own environment and the other quite minimalistic in the studio with a white background. The Lavern Cox front page has inspired me most.
Another reason i chose this magazine was because of the mix of styles in the photography. For the front page theres a studio style shot but the inside images are verging on documentary style. This would fit my project because i want to have one shoot more personal with the person in their own environment and the other quite minimalistic in the studio with a white background. The Lavern Cox front page has inspired me most.
The target audience for time is generally a business person but because of the range of celebrities who feature on the cover i think there will be a wider target audience who are interested in that specific person on the front page.
This is TIME's most recent issue - it includes the worlds most influential people.
The front page is a portrait of Kanye West which leads to a second photo of him on page 13 in a similar stricking style. The lighting is simple and lights the whole of his face with minimal shadows.
Theres no image of him on page 14 but theres a small amount of text about him which is placed next to a double page image of Lorne Michaels.
While looking though the magazine i found that Laverne Cox had been placed in the catogary of the worlds most influencial people and is titled as a 'Transgender Icon' and a pioneer for the LGBT community. The supporting text has been written by a transgender woman named 'Jazz Jennings'
To get me started off on finding contacts I've been looking around online to see if theres any groups and societys that are LGBT based. So far i've found http://www.gaygirlsofgloucestershire.co.uk, http://www.yourstudentsunion.com/societies/lgbt/ and http://www.gglc-glos.co.uk
These all seem promising seen as though they're around Cheltenham.
These all seem promising seen as though they're around Cheltenham.
Gay Girls of Gloucestershire
This group seem like a very welcoming group of women.
It says on the page the group has a big range of ages but f i was to photograph people from this group i wouldi want to focus on the younger side of it.
My aim would be to normalise the LGBT community because there seems to be a big stigma around the words and lifestyle - I'd like to focus on how they are growing up in a society that still isnt 100% accepting and the effect it has on them as young people.
2014 and 2015 seems to be a big turning point for the LGBT community because of celebs openly coming out and being portrayed in a positive light and being more widely and openly talked about. Some big names include Laverne Cox, Ellen Page, Sam Smith, Samira Wiley and most recently Bruce Jenner who seem to be having an imensly encouraging effect on changing peoples opinions around the subject of the LGBT community.
It says on the page the group has a big range of ages but f i was to photograph people from this group i wouldi want to focus on the younger side of it.
My aim would be to normalise the LGBT community because there seems to be a big stigma around the words and lifestyle - I'd like to focus on how they are growing up in a society that still isnt 100% accepting and the effect it has on them as young people.
2014 and 2015 seems to be a big turning point for the LGBT community because of celebs openly coming out and being portrayed in a positive light and being more widely and openly talked about. Some big names include Laverne Cox, Ellen Page, Sam Smith, Samira Wiley and most recently Bruce Jenner who seem to be having an imensly encouraging effect on changing peoples opinions around the subject of the LGBT community.
University of Gloucestershire's LGBT Society 2014-15
I've found that the University of Gloucestershire have their own LGBT society which would be great to focus on. This would be a good idea since they're close and would be easy to get in touch with.
The member who i would most like to focus on would be their 'Social Secretary' Sammie Cain. I've seen her around the University quite a few times.
The member who i would most like to focus on would be their 'Social Secretary' Sammie Cain. I've seen her around the University quite a few times.
I would concentrate on the story of being trans in University, and what effect, if any, its had on her life.
The Gloucestershire Gay & Lesbian Community
This is another group i've found that 'welcomes people of all sexualities and ages'. I think it'd be intersting to focus on how they interact as a group and see what activities they get up to. With some research into the group i could maybe pick one member and focus on them or just focus on the group as a whole if i find the pictures would be stronger with more people in.
I've signed up to a site called tvchix (http://tvchix.com) and have been contacting people through there. So far i've had quite a few responses from people interested in my idea and wanting to help out. Although i have had lots of people wanting to help, non of them have been people who actually live in Cheltenham. I've been messaged by a certain person telling me that Diana is on the tvchix site too so i've emailed her on there to see if i get a response (last time i emailed her from her website and didn't get a reply)
"tvChix is the fastest growing site for crossdressers, tgirls, and others in the transgendered community, including admirers and friends."
My tvChix profile with a brief explanation of what the project is
I've had a lot of people contact me - a few from Cheltenham but quite a few from outside of Cheltenham who have said theyre willing to travel down to do a shoot.
I've had lots of support from people on the site and not all from England either! I've had people message me from places as far away as America and Italy.
I got a message from someone on Tvchix saying that they werent comfortable in being in a shoot but they had a friend who would like to help out. The person lives in Cheltenham which is really convenient but no other informatoin was given except their email address and name.
I'm going to email them explainig why i want to photograph them and when.
I'm going to email them explainig why i want to photograph them and when.
I emailed Tyra and she emailed back within a day which was promising. She wanted to talk to me before we went any further so she gave me her number and i rang her. We talked about my project and what i wanted to acheive through my photos. She then asked if we could meet up before i started shooting so i agreed and she sent me images of herself to see if i still wanted to photograph her.
I met up with her at her appartment. When i went in her friend was sat at the table making a wig for a night out. I sat down and had a chat with Tyra for a while talking about what i want to have the pictures look like and what i want to say with the images. she had quite a few suggestions and seemed eager to help out. She even suggested places we could go to photograph such as a hotel in Cheltenham which she's shot in before.
When i left she said she would send me a list of times she'd be available (this was two weeks before the deadline and i was getting quite worried).
The day after she still hadnt text me the dates so i ended up messaging her asking if she could send them over. She sent a text back apologising that she wasnt able to do the shoots.
At this point i had no contacts at all and hadnt done any shoots. So i quicky went back through my research to see if i could photograph someone from the universitys LGBT society. I contacted Sammie and she replied straight away - Because there was such a short amount of time until the deadline i only managed to do two shoots
Positives of going on Tvchix
I got a lot of contacts really quickly. It was interesting talking to people and getting their views on my project. A couple of people who contacted me asked if i could take pictures of them for personal uses and they'd pay me for my time. I was also asked to go to london to be a photographer at a fashion shoot. I also got an email by someone asking if they could use my pictures to paint from because they paint people from the LGBT community and in return they would pay me when the picture sold.
I got a couple of emails from people saying they were 'still in the closet' and 'shy' but they gave me contacts of their friends who would be willing to help.
Negatives of going on Tvchix
At first i had a lot of reponses from people who were excited to help with my project. Over easter i was going to meet up with someone who lives in York which is relatively close to where i live. I emailed aranging a meet up but didnt get a response until the day before i was going back to university. When i got back to university after easter i was ready to start shooting so i emailed a group of people who seemed most eager to help with the shoot. As of now i still havent heard back from any of them which is quite dissapointing.
