Since applying for a BA Hons Degree in Photography at Wolverhampton University I have been sent a link to submit a portfolio as well as visit the City Campus for an Open Day.
A portfolio isn’t something I’ve been asked to produce in the past so I was a bit at a loss of what to submit and what to include in the document. At the open day I attended a talk on the Photography course by Gavin Rogers and he suggested that there should be no more than 20 slides in my portfolio. It would be submitted as a PowerPoint file or a PDF file.
Time to go back through my photos and see which ones I was most proud of, as well as which ones would fit into a portfolio. I came up with a few themes such as Abstract, People, Portraits, Street, Motion, Movement, Speed, Light, Architecture and Animals. I went through my Lightroom catalog and selected photos that might fit into these categories. I’d ended up with 300 possibles from the period between Aug 2021 and Jan 2012, before 2012 my photos were mainly family snaps with a few interesting photos but on a poor quality camera so I discounted anything before then.
After whittling down a few I’d reduced it to just over 200 and then looked at figuring out themes that linked them together. Once I’d selected the themes and chosen a few pictures for each I started assembling my powerpoint file with the themes involved; Street Photography, Abstract Architecture, Portraits and Light Painting.
For each of these themes I pulled in around five photos and then set them onto the pages of the ppt file. I standardised the typeface in use throughout the document and kept it as minimal and as clean as I possibly could. Even the front page was a bit of a stress so I only included the Words “Photography Portfolio” along with my name and student number. All in Helvetica with some in bold, once I’d produced each of the remaining theme sections I realised I’d need to include a title page for each section but trimmed that down to a list of the themes on the front page and then a little reminder in the bottom corner of the page, which theme it was.
After watching a few videos on YouTube from other prospective or successful students at other universities I’d learned that it needed to be cleanly presented, include a title and description at the minimum and even some developing of ideas notes in some cases. As well as this there was some general advice on opening with your strongest image and finishing with the second strongest.
STREET #1
The first image I included in the Street Photography section was “Tate Peelers”
Picture taken with Canon 6D, 24-105mm F4 at 105mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/60th sec, f/5.0
This image shows a group of police constables outside the Tate Modern in London. The title comes from the nickname for the police “Peelers” as the organisation was created by Sir Robert Peel. A little wordplay helped me decide up on the title.
I love this photo as it shows two of the police officers staring at me, with the PC on the right hand side of the picture giving me an ambiguous response, it looks like he’s thinking about either arresting me or laughing at the camera.
The image grabs me for another couple of reasons too, they were all stood in order of height and the female office seems to pointing at her watch as if reprimanding her colleagues for spending too much time going to the bathroom or something similar.
Not included in the portfolio, is another similar photo taken outside the Excel Centre in London’s Docklands where another female office, arms crossed, appears to be annoyed at three of her colleagues’ apparent lack of joie-de-vivre. These types of images always make me chuckle but that might just be my childish sense of humor.
Picture taken with Canon 6D, 24-105mm F4 at 105mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/125th sec, f/4.5
STREET #2
The second image included in the Street section of my collection is “Distance Training”, showing two commuters on the platform of Shrewsbury Railway station. The image has two people sat on benches adorned with reminders of social distancing guidelines and recommendations. Into the frame on the right hand side is a train rolling into the station with a full complement of timber , the driver noticed me taking the photo and was looking at me too which was cool.
Picture taken with Canon 6D, 24-105mm F4 at 60mm focal length, ISO 500, 1/125th sec, f/4.0
This picture made it into my collection as there are reminders of the Covid Pandemic in the Social Distance notices and the fact that both passengers are wearing masks/face-coverings. The train was a little blurry in the image as it was rolling into the platform and I wanted to capture it’s movement. I also like the fact that the two women in the image are looking the opposite way as if the locomotive is sneaking up on them. It’s black and white as there were a few distracting colours that weren’t helping the image. It also helps the under-platform and locomotive to look dirtier and more used.
STREET #3
Another picture from the railway station is off a passenger waring her face mask whilst using her mobile phone and gripping onto the seat in front as if she is on a roller coaster ride. The logo and company name on the side of the vehicle tell you about where this train is going or coming from and the subject’s face is lit up by the sun that was cascading through the lovely old glass roof panels in the station. The accusatory look she gave me at this precise moment wasn’t seen in the two photos either side of this one and it’s this attitude that gives it the edge. Again, this was in black and white to take out the distracting colours and point the viewer towards the main subject.
Picture taken with Canon 5D MkIV, 24-105mm F4 at 105mm focal length, ISO 160, 1/125th sec, f/4.0
Shrewsbury railway station or any other railway station have been good hunting grounds for me when it comes to Street Photography. There’ve been many people looking apprehensive about getting on the train/tube and people piling in for football matches and concerts etc. I loved particularly the Subway system in New York as the carriages are all super bright colours whilst the dirty grime covered architecture gives everything a cinematic style backdrop.
STREET #4
“Pick Up Area” taken through the window of a coffee shop in Shrewsbury’s Square. I liked the image of people sitting behind an advert for the shop like it was an overlay on a video of their life. Almost like an Augmented Reality version of real life with overlaid notices and signs. The reflection of people in the window helps to show it’s a window and the family that are seen are all sitting spaced apart from each other whilst waiting for the reaminder of their drinks to arrive. The lady in the centre of the image has a wonderfully tattooed arm and amazing grey hair that many other people her age would dye and begin the never ending battle to cover over the truth.
Picture taken with Canon 6D, 24-105mm F4 at 96mm focal length, ISO 400, 1/250th sec, f/4.0
The PICK UP AREA sign above the counter also makes it appear to be an area of the shop for snaring a mate, almost as if that’s where you use the “do you come here often?” line.
There is a lot happening in the picture and every time I study it, I see someone in the reflection or in the background with his chin on his hand no doubt also using his smart phone.
STREET #5
The last image submitted in the Street section of the portfolio was an image I took on a photo tour of London on the day of the Euro2020 final. The photo was taken at the Westfield Shopping Centre in Stratford, London.
Picture taken with Canon 6D, 24-105mm F4 at 105mm focal length, ISO 160, 1/100th sec, f/4.0
The Westfield shopping centre was rammed with shoppers and football fans chanting when I sat down on a bench to observe the flow of people through the entrance and into the centre. My camera was in my lap as I didn’t want to get kicked out by security before I’d taken a couple of photos, when I noticed the chess board pattern on the floor in front of a football mural which adorned a shop window.
There were multiple people who walked across this part of the floor but none seemed to fit or contrast with the pattern and I must have sat there for twenty minutes waiting for an opportunity, when this young woman came and stood on the checkered floor and began her wait for her partner. She was using her smart phone to message him and obviously guide him to where she was.
After a short while of looking around she settled on facing the window and she seemed to fit in with the football match painted on the glass. Her light coloured trainers and coat were a contrast to the check pattern and the bold mural, this caught my eye, I snapped a couple of frames and then she was gone. Another twenty minutes of waiting didn’t result in any other possible images so I moved off to another part of the city.
In the next post I’ll move into the Light Painting section of my portfolio where I demonstrated some of my early examples of learning and then some of the images I am happiest with.
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