It was amazing to collaborate with other photographers. This week I participated in two collaboration groups.
Group A - Was a group of 4. Jonjo Borrill, Tatiana Dzudzova, Belinda James and myself.
After consultation with the group, the brief is as follows
1. Try out stylistically shooting with our cameras, and via screenshot to create portraits in our own style.
2. Work in rotation to direct and capture each other in several poses.
3. Submit the images in JPG form.
We will 'shoot' with screenshots grabbing the area on the subject. With the camera photos we will set the subject to fill our screen and photograph with the background and surrounding where we are.
After submitting the images in files we will decide and make decisions through a discussion called Post Production.
We will then curate the images together ready to present in this week's webinar.
The inspiration for the style of collaboration and how the collaboration came about was:
1. Jonjo posted a photo of him and his Dad on a video call for Father's Day.
2. Damien's photo of Annie Leibovitz photographing Kanye West who is photographing Kim Kardashian, who is taking a selfie with one of their children.
3. Sally's image from Dennis Thorpe of a young boy after a Diptheria jab.
Damien put a good starting sentence of 'Looking at family albums, what they would look like now with phone-selfie culture or subverting the family album genre or creating a FaceTime birthday party or stag do.'
The starting points considered were: the feature image of Spencer Tunick and how he has benefited from the isolation/current state of contacting each other online via video. "We could spin off this and photograph each other how we would in person. Directing each other in our own style and creating a portrait via webcam in our own style. Finishing with three each, of each other. So a collection of 12 images".
We feel that these work in two sets, thematically clearer somehow:
Set 1: With Masks
Set 2: without
We used our webcams for the shoot in the conference call we had to discuss the collaboration. The shoot was such fun and a wonderful learning experience. It has also had the added benefit of forming bonds that we will almost certainly continue within this community of MA students. After the shoot we selected our favourite 4 images and brought them to the group to further refine to the final 12 images.
Things we may need to consider:
How has our original concept changed/developed over the collaboration?
I would say that Jonjo's photo was the start. Once we looked at the 'direction' as a photographer utilising our own styles the project has stayed faithful to its concept. I think it says something about the types of photographers that we are too (Jonjo reverting to fashion at one point, Belinda's attention to facial expressions as a medium for communication, Tatiana's clarity in editing and presentation, I talked too much... it happens? etc.)
What medium would we use to present it (if it was a 'full' MA project)? Screen, Exhibition, Book or EBook etc;?
Now I would have them as a collection A2 size if resolution allows it, but as a series of different conversations sticking to the same format. Maybe as a development using the more 'out-there' images of empty seats, my favourite of all was Belinda eating while walking around. plus Seeing them in their intended habitat as a slideshow on 21" screens or tablets with the audience sat at workstations set up like our rooms.
Ideally, trying to make it interactive with them as the call host and recording them interacting to the other 4 'windows' being a slideshow. Does that make any sense?
Why would we choose that medium, what would it add to the meaning of the project?
Art recording life imitating life as Art is an interesting dynamic and appeals to the performance element that is always there.
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