Grans Wings.

My cousin Suzzanne has written a poem about my Gran, entitled Grans Wings.  I have tried to include this poem in the potential layout by overlaying the text on to a picture. This is what it looks like:

The text needs to move further towards the left but otherwise I don't think it looks bad. I cannot tell properly however until I put things on the page opposite and see how they look together.

At this moment in time I imagine I will put the poems that my Gran wrote for my Grandad opposite and then the spread will have a running theme. If I do this I think I will change the photograph of my Gran on her own to one of her with my Grandad.

Scanning.

Today I am sat in the computer suite at FCH with a pile of old photos around me, pinned to the scanner. It's very productive and much more enjoyable than I had imagined.

Next time though, I need to remember my headphones.

Bracelets

I've spent quite a bit of time over the past week considering the different ways I can photograph the bracelets I have of my Grans. I don't like my hands but I wear the bracelets all the time. I don't think it would be right for me to take them off to be photographed.

On this dreadfully boring train back to Cheltenham from the north I decided to have a small play with different angles. None of them overly flattering to be honest.

For these photographs I have only used my phone camera. When it comes to taking the actual photographs in the near future I will be using my slr camera as I am for all other photos.

Reshoot.

The images of the bell and the gold jug that I didn't like for minor reasons on the previous post have now been reshot. In this post though I am going to put the new and the old picture up next to each other for a comparison.

Left: Original, Right: New.

The new photograph is much sharper and more detail is visible in the bell. It is now clear that the shape on the top is a heart. The bell also stands out much more even though the shot is slightly underexposed.

Left: Orginal, Right: New.

Whilst I prefer the framing of the original shot, the newer one is much sharper and clearer. The shadow is also still in the background which I like too.

Shoot 3

The items my Mum and Dad have kept were brought out this weekend for me to photograph. I quite enjoyed working with these as they were pretty felxible with where I could put some of them. For example the vases that aren't always in use, are kept in cupboards. Meanwhile the blue vases (picture 4&5) are always kept on the windowsill. The same with the bell and gold jug - they have permanent homes.

Whilst I like this photograph for the setting and the angle it was taken at, not all of the bell is in focus. This is a shot I would like to try and reshoot.

My Gran gave this jug to my Mum before she passed away and it has always been on display by the fireplace. I really like the photograph but the grit on the top is a shame. For this reason I would like to reshoot it.

Does this frame need to be brighter? 

These vases were a challenge to photograph as I did not want to move them away from where they are kept on the windowsill.  I tried lots of photographs from lots of angles but this one is my favourite. The vibrant blue is very eye-catching, and the second vase is also visible in the background.

I also tried to get the shot from outside, but I don't feel like this worked very well. The pot is emphasised but not my Grans vases.

These glasses once belonged to my Grandad, my Gran kept hold of them and I think these are my Dads favourite items out of all those we have got. I can't work out if there is a better way to photograph them?

Whilst this image is slightly underexposed I really like the bold red against the glass. It stands out a lot.

This image doesn't feel as though it fits with the pictures I shot of the other items. It's very light and has a natural feel to it because of the colours. I do think it could work though.

The tea set was another challenging collection to photograph and I tried multiple set-ups with it. I really like this shot with the sugar bowl as the focus and just hints of the other cups.It does bug me slightly that the saucers are not even on either side. I reckon I could get past this though.

I'm less keen on this photograph of it individually, but there is a more natural feel to the frame. In use, the set would not be seen as a collection.

Overall, I am pleased with these pictures and I am excited to see where it goes next. Feedback on the photographs would also be nice?

Shoot 2

I started to work on some portraits this weekend, with my Brother and his girlfriend. I shot these during the evening and worked only with the light that was available. I wanted to challenge myself to see what I could create.

Whilst some of the photographs are blurry, this was to be expected in low light and I am relatively pleased with the photographs I got out of the shoot.

Out of the two above images of Alex I am undecided as to which one I prefer. The photograph to the left is filled with much more personality, and shot earlier on there is more light too. The photograph to the right however is framed nicer with the door and the curtain keeping Alex central. A slight crop is required for the right hand photograph - removing the cats ears and perhaps the door handle.

This photograph of Alex and Beth is very chilled out and relatively natural given they were posed in front of the camera. Whilst there is a slight amount of movement in the frame, because of the laughter I believe it works.

This photograph of the pair is a nice shot of the both. However in colour the doorframe is a bit distracting. If shot again I would change the angle slightly to stop it coming out the middle of Beth's head as well.

As a whole I think all of the photographs above could be considered for the outcome of the book. More so the ones with Beth in the frame. For Alex I would like to reshoot some portraits of him, at a time of day when there is more available light to work with. I would also like to shoot Alex when it is just the two of us as well as I feel like he can get a bit embarrassed - it is visible in some of the photographs I have not uploaded.

Shoot One

I have starting shooting! Now not only do I have a vast collection of old photographs but new ones too. All very exciting.

Admittedly I am not overly pleased with the photographs that I did capture this time. I was working in low light - depsite it being the middle of the day - and without a tripod or a flash my camera struggled with exposures. On top of this I was working on some cramped conditions so my balance was not as good making some of the pictures more blurry.

This photo demonstrates how poorly me and the camera was coping with the conditions. Nothing is in focus.

This photo I believe I can rescue, maybe. Or definitely worth reshooting. The bell which says "I love you Mom" is the only one which is in focus. This is very fitting to the topic of the book.

One of two hearts I want to include, the other one says Mother on it. I want them both landscape however, and a lot better than this photo. The white balance is completely scew-iff and the heart itself is a tad soft.

This photo is spot on sharpness wise, but exposure is much too low. I doubt it can be rescued.

This photo is spot on with regards to exposure but a little soft due to a long shutter speed. 

The table in itself is something I definitely need to reshoot - kept by great-grand daughter Chloe, aged ten, all of the belongings were my Grans including the table. The frame did hold another photo.

I shot Chloe with the table that she keeps for Grans memory. There is too much space at the top of the frame but I now have other ideas on how to reshoot this. For example, not necessarily including the entire table top.

One locket from inside the jewellery box (see below), containing a photograph of my Grandad and my Grandma. I would prefer this photograph if it were landscape.

The contents of the jewellery box really stand out in this frame. Possibly due to the slight underexposure, making the box black and red. The contents were all my Grans. This is something else that need to changed to landscape.

Overall I am disapointed with the outcomes that I got from the pictures. I need to revisit the ones I have and take with my a flash gun next time. The bonus that I have had from this visit is now knowing what to expect both in terms of light and space ready for next time. 

I will probably borrow equipment too next time form Paul to give me more option for shooting with regards to lenses. I currently only have a 50mm and a 17-40mm for my Canon.

Photo ideas

I have started to imagine what some of my photographs will look like when I shoot portraits of the family.
I have began with my uncle Gordons quarter of the family as so far they have had the most input.
While my artistic skills are not the strongest I think the sketches just about show what I am aiming to achieve in the photographs.
Some of the photos will indirectly include my grandma, others are more recent recreations of photographs my grandma had of them and some are just images I think will fit the project well.

Old photos

In order to start this project properly I have been to visit my aunt and uncles to collect photographs they have of my Grandma as well as photographs they've kept of hers. This has left me with a huge pile of photographs to sort through.
In order to move forward with the collection of images I have, I am going to split them in to smaller groups of photos. These will be photos of my Gran by herself, my Gran with the family, her photographs of us and ideas to recreate.

On top of the photographs, I have also been given some of the keepsakes that the family have. For example my uncle Gordons exam results from school. As a family orientated lady my Gran kept everything that meant something to her and I believe it is important to try and include this too.

When back in Cheltenham I am going to start scanning the photographs and other momentos. By doing this I will be able to figure out which are the best selection to include.