Photography as Representation

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ESSAY- PHOTOGRAPHY RESTRICTION

For this project I have chosen Photography Restriction in public spaces, this is a quiet but big issue in the photographic world as many people are unsure of the laws behind where you can and cannot photograph legally.  I will first be discussing photographers work that relates to this subject, then will go on to talk about my theme within the issue I’ve chosen.

I’m sure that many would agree with certain places prohibiting photography however at the end of the day, if there is no flash, who is it hurting?  Capturing moments in time and putting them out there in the world is one of the most useful things you can do, how else will the world remember important moments. I understand at times there is a level of respect that has to come into consideration but as long as the photographer quietly and courteously shoots, it should never be an issue.  This leads me on to talk about “I’m a Photographer Not a Terrorist’, a movement that started in 2009 after a London-based group of photographers and videographers were harassed by the Metropolitan police, this spurred them to start a campaign that promotes the rights for photographers to photograph anywhere and everywhere.  They speak of photography sometimes being related to terrorism, this thought was provoked by the Met. Police after harassing the group, this was the catalyst to the creation of I’m A Photographer Not A Terrorist. 

Contacting officials from TFL to ask many questions about the main issue “Why aren’t you allowed to photograph on the Underground” I got mainly patronizing answers however they answered my queries bluntly and to the point.  I found out that only a maximum of 120 permits were released on the Underground in the year 2015, that’s really not very many, this means if permits were revamped there would be more photography on the Underground and there would be a boost on the London photographic industry.  I feel that the government doesn’t really pay attention or realize that photography restriction is an issue, I’m sure many believe its good to have restrictions on photography as this can stop terrorist plotting however if it was just more regulated the problem of terrorist scheming would be avoided 

I watched the TED talks lecture Taryn Simon gave, this made me want to look into her collection of images called “An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar”, I feel this relates to my issue of Photography Restriction. Her photography collection was very interesting, she showed places, scenes and moments that have barely been seen by anyone, this links to my project as the main issue is Photography Restriction.  Her photography is outstanding and this collection is interesting. It’s amazing seeing photographs that are so rare.  In many of her photos she chooses shots and angles that make it hard to work out what the subject matter is until you read the caption, this leads the audience asking questions.

Erich Salomon was known for his photographs in legal courts of justice back in the 1920s, he hid his camera in his bowler hat and took photographs through a hole, this was because it was illegal to photograph in courts rooms back then, and it was his innovative methods he used to acquire his photographs that got him so well known.  The aesthetics of Salomons work are astounding, taking photographs in secret is particularly hard but getting the right exposure and even angle can be tricky.  His photographs that I’ve seen have deep contrast and show the subjects in an almost purposeful artificial light however we know that this cannot be the case.

Michael Wolf is a German photographer, he isn’t so much related to restricted photography but in his collection Tokyo Compression, it’s is related to the subject matter that I’m focusing on.  I found his collection Tokyo Compression very interesting and relevant to the work I am doing.  He photographed on Tokyo subways in rush hour and captured the crowded passengers squished up against the windows.  The way he’s captured the portraits have a beautiful quality to them, they are distorted from the condensation on the window yet have clear details within them.  This work reminded me a lot of Saul Leiters work, the photographs where Leiter captures portraits through misted and compensated windows, its almost a secret way of photographing a subject as they can’t really have a say in how you take your photograph and its all very natural and spontaneous

In conclusion, all this research has inspired me to work on this subject and really get immersed in the fight to have freedom in photography.  I wanted to focus my project on the London Underground as this is close to home for me and I have always found it frustrating that I couldn’t capture the beauty and honest scenes I see on the Underground.  I used an Erich Salomon approach to taking my photographs, which makes it hard to achieve the best photograph at times but it just means you have to work harder and harder to get the perfect image.

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EVALUATION

This module was challenging for me as I’m new to street photography, although as I overcame it I enjoyed it more and more, the collaboration was gratifying too.

The reason for choosing photography restriction as an issue is because its a constant issue for photographers and we should have a right to capture a moment anywhere we like, freedom to photograph should be a universal right.

I started off by contacting officials from TFL to ask many questions about the main issue “Why aren’t you allowed to photograph on the Underground” I got mainly patronizing answers however they answered my queries bluntly and to the point.  I found out that only a maximum of 120 permits were released on the Underground in the year 2015, that’s really not very many, this means if permits were revamped there would be more photography on the Underground and there would be a boost on the London photographic industry.  This spurred me on to revamp the rules and regulations for the Underground.

I contacted Alex, a graphic design student about the collaboration early on so that the design could be well informed. I have collaborated with him before and every time is more and more rewarding, he has really affected my photographic approach to the presentation of my work in the best way.  He was much more involved in this project than any others we’ve worked on together; this was a good thing because the designs worked so well with my final aim.  Alex’s graphic design style was perfect for the publication we produced, he got the style spot on, I wanted it trendy but also easy to read and understand as I needed it to explain each step of the design choices clearly, having the cutout front and back pages changed the dynamics of the zine and made the book on trend.  The styling throughout the campaign needed to be on trend but also corporate as it was hypothetically for a government run company, this was hard to make designs that weren’t plain, but I think we have achieved that really well.

Taking photographs for this module was exhilarating as I wasn’t strictly legally shooting, my main method was to have the camera round my neck and keeping the shooting mode to manual (F4 shutter speed 1/250) and subtly snapping photos.  Some of them I could take a proper photograph but it was interesting to take many photographs without seeing what they look like until after the day of shooting, it made the selection process more exciting.  I would definitely do this type of photography again, I’ve definitely got more confidence with street photography now, I’ve never been very experienced with the genre of photography but I’m starting to really enjoy it.

I’m sure that many would agree with certain places prohibiting photography however at the end of the day, if there is no flash, who is it hurting?  Capturing moments in time and putting them out there in the world is one of the most useful things you can do, how else will the world remember important moments. I understand at times there is a level of respect that has to come into consideration but as long as the photographer quietly and courteously shoots, it should never be an issue.  This leads me on to talk about “I’m a Photographer Not a Terrorist’, a movement that started in 2009 after a London-based group of photographers and videographers were harassed by the Metropolitan police, this spurred them to start a campaign that promotes the rights for photographers to photograph anywhere and everywhere.  They speak of photography sometimes being related to terrorism, this thought was provoked by the Met. Police after harassing the group, this was the catalyst to the creation of I’m A Photographer Not A Terrorist.

From this module, I would improve on my confidence in public photography, I would love to take more photographs of interesting strangers, I’m always nervous about taking photos of strangers incase they have a problem with it, but I feel I’m slowly getting there with it.  My time management for this module was really good, I’d taken my final photo shoot by April so had plenty of time to think of designs and do plenty of research.  My method of working is normally to take the final photos then work backwards but this time I did it the opposite way round and it was interesting to change that method of working for once.

I always think that photography highlights issues a lot of the time but never really finds a solution for them, however my work has found an issue, raised awareness for it and found a carefully constructed solution for it.

In conclusion, I would definitely do this brief again, I highly enjoyed most elements of it, it challenged me and tested my confidence but I think that’s good as it helps me grow in my photography practice.  Collaboration is something that I definitely enjoy doing and I think it will be part of my work from now on, I have enjoyed every collaboration this year, and this time especially.  I was so happy with my final designs, I feel I produced a massive body of work for this module and backed my theories and reasons up a lot.

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ISSUE AND SOLUTIONS

The issue for this brief was Photography Restriction in public spaces, The Underground was the main focus as that is an iconic and famous place in a British culture however not legally being allowed to take photographs without a permit is restrictive against the public and amateur/ professional artists.  It was too expensive and next to impossible to regulate as no one would buy permits for either being to pricey or unaware that it is needed.  This campaign was to revamp the regulations on film permits on the underground and raise awareness that you need one to take photographs.  We have not only highlighted an issue and raised awareness for it but we have found and carefully constructed a solution for it.

The solutions are: -raises awareness for the need for film permits -having cheaper permits means the majority of people would get them -most people having a permit makes it easier to regulate so easier to protect the underground image -more approachable for artists as the annual exhibition at The Photographers Gallery helps amateur photographers get their work out there -gives something back to the photographic industry

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ZINE

This is a zine about the campaign that briefly summarises our design decisions, its to help people understand the choses in the deign and why they were made.  The design is innovative and on trend, using a cutout section for the front and back page gives the design texture and depth.  Minimal is always a style that I try to achieve as I feel it makes the information in the zine clear.  If I was to change anything it would be to change the stock choice, although having it at 90gsm is still perfect as it gives more of a zine vibe having thin paper.

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TUBE BANNERS/ TUBE CAR PANEL ADVERTS

As this campaign is tube themed it is essential to have adverts that can go inside the tube carriages, officially TFL calls them Tube Car Panels, we got the right measurements then scaled them down.  We included the poem in one of them as people will be sitting and waiting on the train for at least a few minutes so would have time to read and take in the message, also used photographs where the detail was in a long strip in order to see it properly in the background.  I feel these work really well for what thy are supposed to do and could definitely imagine them in a real train.

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FLYERS

For the flyer design we went for photographs that were pretty plain as we thought that would work best, we chose to do a circle as we tried a full blown image but it was too much, it wasn't eye catching and it wasn't clear.

We wanted to keep the designs simple yet kept a focus in the middle so they would stand out to the public, we included all the element that we used on the posters so that the consumers could be informed as of what they were relating to and had URLs so that they could visit the site and get involved.

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POSTERS

From our research we wanted to create a series of posters and flyers that link together, we wanted the layout to be simple, not a lot of type, use the TFL elements (Mayor of London).  We used both only type and photography posters as we thought two kinds would be beneficial.

For these final designs we've created a series that link together, they showcase images that link back to the campaign of photography. We used short phrases so that the public could absorb the information quickly and included the hashtag to spread the word more.  We included the classic 'Mayor of London' and 'Transport for London' logo phrases to make the posters look legitimate.  The type only posters were made with white background as this would be cheaper to print and would catch the eye of the public as it would stand out, we chose to do a poem on a type only poster as this is inspired from the research we did on TFL Underground campaign posters that are being used currently.  They use poetry to get a message out there gently and subtly.  I feel that these posters are very strong and believable and would work well for this issue.

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INSTAGRAM

The Instagram is another platform to showcase and promote this campaign, in the twenty-first century social media is a big part of every day life, so having a instagram and a hashtag is key to getting people involved, its also a way for the public to use the hashtag and the best photos can make it onto the page.

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CHARITY & EXHIBITION THE PHOTOGRAPHERS GALLERY

We thought that including a charity would encourage the public to buy into the permits, and it also gives something back rather than just keeping all the profits. Also because its a photography charity it links in with the campaign, which would help get more photographers interested and could showcase their work in the annual exhibition.  This also means we could advertise the campaign in a photography gallery that will hopefully get more people involved, promotes the campaign.

We decided that there would be an annual exhibition that would showcase the publics work that had been hashtagged on instagram and professional photographers work, this would entice people to get involved with the campaign.

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LEAFLET DESIGN

This is an information leaflet that would be placed in every Underground station, inside the leaflet has prices and a brief explanation about the campaign, it also explains the rules, regulations and information about the charity donations.

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BACK-UP PERMIT

The backup permit is a receipt that you would receive by email, it has all the information that the tag has on it, its there incase of the tag ripping or damaged. This receipt will go on your smart phone. Another way the permits are backed up a bit is they can be connected with an oyster card if the customer owns one.

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PERMIT TAG DESIGNING

From the research and initial sketches we tried to recreate a suitcase label but on a smaller scale, we decided to have the information on two side which meant we have room for everything that we needed on there, the barcode and logo would be on one side and all the personal information on the other, we kept a large gap in-between each side as camera straps can vary in size so its open to everyone.  When we were happy with the design and layout we did a test print however we noticed that the logo was too small and same with some of the type, so we altered those changes, re-did the layout and re-printed and the design came out really well (the photos at the bottom show the mock up). We wanted the design simple and clear, the tag didn't matter too much about style as its mainly a necessity for the customers to have, but having the logo on it was important.  It needed to be to the point, for example a bank card or ticket, the information needs to be there but doesn't need to be in a fancy or stylish manner.  The layout is good for mass production which is handy as this would need to be printed on an industrial scale.

For the final design that we printed, we decided to print on gloss/satin as from looking at our research we identified that it needed to be water resistant, as the cameras will be used outside so this would stop the permit tag from being damaged. Also printed on a fairly thick stock 130gsm this would prevent the permit from ripping off.

The point of having the tag for a customer is so that when TFL officials come and check the photographer has a legal permit they can not only scan it but check the personal details with an ID from the customer, this way it will stop fraudulent issues. The idea to have a tag also is so that it is permanently on the camera so there is no reason to not have your permit on you when photographing on the underground. The costumer would receive it in the post from TFL, and would receive two tags as you are allowed to use two cameras at once.

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LOGO DESIGNING

We used the TFL guidelines to help in creating the roundel we didn't do it exactly the same as this could possibly be copyright but we kept it similar. We both decided to try and develop the lens design on the computer Alex started to add circles getting smaller and smaller to create a lens effect, we kept the colours monochrome as we both thought that would represent a camera the best. After playing around with the design for a bit we created a good redesign of the roundel all we needed to do is come up with the hash tag from previous ideas we came up with #CAPTURETHETUBE we thought this was short, simple and catchy and it still links in with the London underground its just an abbreviation. Alex placed the type over the top like an other roundel use NEW JOHNSON as the typeface as this is London Undergrounds typeface Alex only had it in regular as he had to download it but would use Medium if he had it as this is the typeface family they use on theres. With the type on the logo and the colours chosen the design looked like an actual logo for TFL and we thought this could work well. The design can be made smaller or bigger so its very versatile for designs that the logo will be on, however the only problem is if the logo was scaled down a lot as this may make the type too hard to read or see.              

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FINAL SELECTION

These are the final photos I’ve chosen that me and Alex will select from for the campaign, I like the diverse locations I used.  This was a big challenge for me to do, I’m not used to street photography and having to take the photos in secret made it hard to get the right exposure, I typically would use F4 shutter speed 1/250 and would adjust it slightly if need be, this gave me enough light in my photos while taking them relatively fast as all my photos were taken whilst I was moving as I couldn’t stop and snap loads of photos as TFL officials could’ve noticed.  My ideal presentation wouldn’t be like this, I had to join the photos together (to avoid tumblr photo limit), the presentation would be on A1 poster size (after adding the designs with Alex (Graphic Design Student)) or on Underground specification size, however that would be too pricey in the print room so I think I will print them all onto A3 so that you can see the idea I was going for.

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FINAL SHOOT

This is the final shoot I’ve done for this brief, they were all taken on the underground, some on tube trains, some just around and about.  I found it nerve racking to secretly take photographs on the Underground, many people would give me weird looks because generally people don’t take photos on the Underground (because of the permit) but also because I feel Londoners aren’t as easy around touristy type people and I guess thats what I would have looked like.  In many photos I took, symmetry was a big focus for me because of a favourite Instagrammer of mine called @insightingnyc .  I am very happy with my collection of images and can’t wait to work with Alex on designs for them.

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SECOND PHOTOSHOOT

These are my two favourite photos fro my second shoot, I feel I am really prepared for my finals shoot now.

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SECOND PHOTOSHOOT

This is the second photoshoot I’ve done, I tried it on the trains to get a feel for how to take photos on the trains without strictly looking at what I was snapping.  The is mainly because I have to hide me taking photos when I officially do it on the underground and I won't be able to do many tries to get the exposure right so this helped a lot, this was on a Nation Rail train.  I am doing my final shoot after this, and I think I’m prepared for it.