Cheltenham Student exchange

Cheltenham i was told on arrival was a spa town, which i found out means a town situated around a mineral spa that patrons used to "take the waters" believing it had health benefits??

I knew Cheltenham as a racing town, known for its national hunt racing (long distance racing usually with jumps). I watch the Cheltenham Festival every year religiously and is easily my favourite horse racing meeting of the year. I had hoped for some fair weather so that i could explore the racing grounds, however, as always, things are never fair.

Cheltenham resides on the edge of the Cotswolds and in my mind i had an image of a town with extreme wealth. We (Staffs Uni exchange students) were set a brief to show the difference in wealth between the two opposite sides of the town centre and what i found could not have been more polar.

The 'poorer working class' side of the city were an absolute breathe of fresh air, so accommodating, approachable and helpful that it went even further to amplify how completely opposite the 'richer' side of the town was.

So much so that in this blog I'm going to completely concentrate on the 'nicer poorer' side of the city.

SeanG

This is the first building i saw at the end of the road where the Gloucester students had put us up. I really love my fish but unfortunately many of the local tackle shops are being put out of business by the larger tackle/garden shops; and of course the internet

I immediately came across this building and i really liked the building, i am into frames and framing and art and with there not being many of these buildings in Stoke i thought that i must take a picture of it

I decided that i was only going to take one more portrait of a building and that i would wait until i found a building that i genuinely loved the look of or had an interest, this building fitted both of the criteria

I then went onto the idea that i would approach private run businesses and their owner/workers, these two ladies (Annette owner on the right and daughter) were terrific and really up for having a few shots and helping me out, at the time i thought the location, with it being so cluttered and personal, had a Martin Parr feel to it, so in post production i cropped in a little tighter and increased the colour saturation, i love all the magnets and identity in this shot

I then went into the hairdressers a short while up the road and took quite a few images the one above and below have been edited to give a more fashion feel, i quite like how the colours have come out and i especially love the girl

Very similar shot but wanted to include the fashion poster in the background to give a little perspective, the colours have come out nice again, lucky

I asked these two gents if they were partners which they replied yes, i still don't know whether that meant they were partners in the business or in life, i suppose it doesn't matter really

I was told that this pub the 'Frog and Fiddle' was a bit of an iconic place in Cheltenham and when i learned more about it's style and typical nights i became really envious that I have nothing like it around here in Stoke, the pub wasn't open but i was able to persuade a worker out, maybe that is why he doesn't look so impressed

This lady was with her friend locking up her bike, i wouldn't usually just go up to people like i should but i asked them both in my charming manner for a picture, this lady said 'yes'

The bus driver saw me walking around taking pictures and pretty much ordered me to take his picture, so i did, then a girls jumped into the shot and started dancing about; so i used this for my blog

These two happy ladies selling the local paper weren't given much choice

Struggled to get any pictures in the 'posh' end of town, it was raining and the 'posh' people weren't anywhere near as up for a photo as the 'workers', so in SeanG fashion tried to make a nice composition

Not sure about this

I quite like the composition of this

This is Adrian he made me feel welcome, Thanks dude

Andy, he also made me feel very welcome and let me stay in his bed, not with him i should clarify, he went to see his friend somewhere else

Summer ongoing

Over the summer i stayed with my nan and whilst i read about photography and thought about being a 'concerned photographer' i thought it best that i do a photo essay on what it is like to be a widowed pensioner. I lost my grandad last year and since then my nan has had to cope with help from friends and family, but largely alone. Obviously this photo essay is far from complete for one reason and another, but i hope to capture the every day, consistent dealings of my nan, Brenda Wilson's life.

I looked at the style of Richard Billingham as he was the most obvious example of family social documentary photography and also his essay was much more than just family shots, his told a tale of the fight both his parents had to endure through alcoholism.

This is my nan Brenda (left) and her sister, my great aunt Irene

My nan in her quite custom position

This is BO who my nan took in, BO stands for bugger off which she was called in the early days of the relationship, she is forever 'cleaning herself' and it is very annoying

My nan cooks the same dinner every night, she has potatoes and veg, gravy, and usually beef, sometimes chicken, fish if i am there

I love my nan

Photography and Fashion

Gema Cartlidge

I used this brief to broaden my knowledge on editorial and fashion photography, all things being equal if i could shoot editorially for Vogue or other high fashion, high society publications i would be very, very happy.

I used my cousin Gema Cartlidge as my model because not only is she aesthetically appropriate but she also dreams of a career in fashion. The photographs are shot to be used in a women's fashion, hair and beauty magazine.

For the most part i have used a more commonly used style of pose and form that would usually be seen in middle market magazines and supplements. I have tried to keep the style within these magazine's usual form, but i have also tried to implement a little of my own style which naturally leads to a darker edge, using more sassy clothes, darker tones and prop's to gain an extra edge.

We looked at magazine's 'Look' and 'Closer' in order to ascertain a style of modelling and photography that we would use.

After many, many, many shots under exposed, i found that setting the flash to ISO 250 with a 2.8 aperture at 35mm gave me a workable exposure using a macro lens.

After we had shot the more casual and more commonly used fashion and make up shots, I decided that we would attempt alternative looking editorial and started by over exposing by 1 and 2 f-stops.

I aimed these shots at magazines such as 'Vogue' and 'Cosmopolitan' using props and different style of angle and poses. As it happened some of the shots really worked (4th pic below) and some of the shots started to look like photographs used in advertisements (6th pic below) especially men's aftershave.

I personally could see any of the bottom 4 pictures on this blog appearing in any of the more up-market lad's magazines 'GQ' for example.

All of these shots were taken in my auntie's dining room and considering what we had to use and what i had predicted i would get, i am very, very, very pleased with the results. I think they do communicate what i'm trying to achieve which is mixing a classical style of fashion photography with alternative undertones where possible. I hope to one day produce by own magazine or online publication that would uses these style of photographs.

This type of shot could be used in any type of hip hairstyle magazine

This is my favourite of the fashion shots, i used a curtain to achieve a dark background

I copied this style directly from 'Closer' magazine, naturally Gema did her own make up

The richness of colour and silhouette make this a 'Vogue' looking photograph

Greyscale converted this shot from a make up shot to a soft beautiful looking portrait

Personally i think this shot could be used in anything from a fashion magazine to a lads mag publication to billboard advertisements

This pose was originally taken from 'Look' magazine, but with the black lace tights it gives it a darker angle

This shot would go into 'fabulous' magazine or anything new age fashion, the blue on red is very abstract and striking

I'm not entirely sure what type of publication the shots above and below belong to, i think that they both work as art photography portraits but could equally be used as a poster or part of a particular calendar or niche publication. I think this kind of style could also be easily used in magazines such as 'Vogue', 'Cosmopolitan' (pic above) or even lad's mag's 'GQ' and 'Esquire'

BIG ISSUE

Bond, James Bond

This is Andy from Blurton, Stoke-on-Trent. He is Hanley's residential 'Big Issue' seller come singer come dancer come all round entertainer. Ever since i can remember i have always enjoyed Andy's antics, many a time he's brightened up my saturday mornings between my mum dragging me from Marks and Spencers to Bhs. What i didn't realise is that these 'Big Issue' sellers have to travel to Manchester every week and buy stacks of the 'Big Issue' out of their own pockets and basically, hope they sell. Andy has been selling the 'Big Issue' in Hanley for around 15 years he reminises and the photo below just shows the kind of rapport he has with the people of Stoke-on-Trent. Although he has to shout "BIG ISSUE" if anybody ever declines they always receive a "thank you, have a good day, (Merry christmas)". He's gentleman and all round nice man.

Typical reaction from shoppers around Hanley

Hanley's got talent

"Big Issue, No Problem, Merry Christmas"

Wolstanton F.C Vs Hanley Town F.C

The ball falls to Danny Leese who puts away Hanley Town's 85th minute winner

Wolstanton's Chris Darlington and Hanley's Danny Brown battle for the ball

In an evenly fought match it was Hanley Town that came out on top, just. This match was a re-match from last weeks washout. In less than ideal conditions it was Hanley Town who started much the brightest testing the Wolstanton goalkeeper in the first minute. After a scrappy opening 20 minutes it was Wolstanton that took the lead when a cross from the left wing eventually fell to the Wolstanton's Chris Darlington who gave the stranded keeper no chance. Hanley were back level within 15 minutes when a long range shot was only part parried into the path of Hanley striker Kieron Shepherd tapping into an empty net.

The second half followed the scrappy first half, with conditions becoming increasingly heavy underfoot neither team were able put together telling possession. Hanley started to push with Shepherd hitting the post with an audacious volley and strike partner Jones having two penalties turned down. With extra-time approaching it was Hanley who continued to dominate and without Wolstanton's excellent goalkeeper the game would have been over well before the eventual winner came 3 minutes from time through Danny Leese after a scramble in the Wolstanton penalty area. Wolstanton pressed for the equaliser to force extra time but Hanley, who had defended very well throughout the game held on.

Wolstanton swing in a corner leading to the opening goal

The ball eventually lands to a Chris Darlington (left of Wolstanton's number 9) who gives Hanley's stranded keeper no chance

Hanley in the hunt of equaliser start to impose on the game

Shepherd (right) equalises for Hanley

In a tight game it starts to become a midfield battle

Both teams give it everything in awful conditions

Wolstanton enjoy possession down the left flank

Hanley press for a late winner with Shepherd battling with Wolstanton defenders

Hanley's Ryan Jones continues to push Wolstanton onto the back foot

Hanley get a deservedly late winner with the goalscorer Danny Leese being congratulated by team mates