In considering the intertextuality within my I work I was initially a little unsure and no obvious influences came to mind. My response was to ask my partner who is also studying a degree in photography. Her response was ‘thats easy… Shane Meadows!’. I was initially surprised by her response as although a fan of the film makers work some years ago and being from a background of moving image. I wouldn’t have suggested that myself. I promptly opened up the laptop and began to research the work of Meadows and within minutes of google image searching. The similarities were uncanny (Freud, 1919, p.132).

The clear influence of Shane meadows cinematography on my own practice provoked reflective thoughts which go back some years onto the use of leading lines and dilapidated structures often depicted in his films. However, although I accept this with regard to some elements of my work. I was surprised in respect of the portraits I have recently been creating. Barker (2008, p. 482) states in respect of intertextuality ‘The accumulation and generation of meaning across texts, where all meanings depend on other meanings. The self conscious citation of one text within another as an expression of enlarged cultural self consciousness.’ The ideas of Barker may be relevant in this case with respect of citation of texts within texts and the echoes of Meadows within my own work which is clear from the examples provided. However, Barkers idea that intertextuality is based on the ‘self conscious citation’ is one that I would challenge in this case. The influence of Meadows in my portrait selections was certainly not within my known consciousness. This may lead to the influence in a sub conscious sense which I don’t profess to understand in any great detail. However the echoes are definitely there and as a result of the suggestion of my partner Joanne I accept the intertextual references in my work.

Barker, Chris (2008) Cultural Studies London: Sage

As Crewdson states as cited by Barnes and Best (2006) that ‘My hope is that my pictures, although elaborately staged, convey an experience that intensely real’. One is aware that although he acknowledges his work is staged, what is interesting and may relate to my practice is the idea that his intentions are to ‘create experiences’.

I would describe my own work as initially born out of the idea of documentary photography however the project has evolved into the realm of portraits. With this development in mind I am still acutely aware that the intention of my work is to move a viewer in a way that they may identify or recognise as propertied by Bate (2009).

Due to the editing, I accepted that to some degree my work is subjective. However much of the process is objective as I approach the people I encounter within a specific time and place. It is a matter for understanding the ‘extent’ of ambiguity. Although not the overriding consideration when I am creating work I am mindful not to actively direct subjects especially when creating documentary work.

In considering the current hybridity of work I am producing in this project, the ideas of Ritchin (2013. p49) may provide substance to my approach to the ambiguity I create when he argues that “the photographer must increasingly emphasise the role of interpretation rather than that of transcription”. I feel that my work is very much an interpretation of a an event such as a football match. I do manipulate images in the attempt to move the audience and I feel free to do this as my work probably won’t be used as evidence.

Going back to Crewdson’s statement about ‘creating experiences’. I recognise that an element of my work is to create an experience to the viewer.

The photograph below is not staged and I encountered these people eating in that place, at that time. I covertly took the shot and told them after. Were the people aware of my presence? I thought not although the lady on the right of the image appears to be smirking. Is this because she read my intentions? I am unsure.

Bate, D (2009) Photography, The Key Concepts. Oxford, Berg.

Barnes. M. & Best. K. (2006) Twilight Photography in the Magic Hour. London, Merrell.

Ritchin, F (2013) Bending the Frame, Photojournalism, Documentary and the Citizen. New York, Aperture.

Yesterday I attended a football match as part of my project of documenting the people of football and exploring the spaces where non commercialised football takes place. As a result of my experience which took place in Chorlton, a Manchester superb which is a progressive area with a large young population of young professionals. I was unsure whether their interest would extend to the local football team. My preconceptions were that the local football team was far too uncool for them… I was wrong.

I found myself surrounded by a vibrant community which had decided that it would refuse a partisan approach often seen at football matches in favour of a community approach which celebrates its progressive nature. Singing songs about keenwah and hummus and not eating meat.

In response to my observations and with my approach in mind (which was to produce some powerful portraits) the overriding emotion I felt after leaving was one of hope. When reviewing my work from the day I decided to work on the portrait below with the intention of conveying a reading of hope. I did this through colour grading in addition to manipulating the subjects eyes by adding some colour with the intention of emphasising a message which conveyed a sense of activism against the partisan nature of football. Football as a metaphor for war, this is not.

Szarkowski (1976) emphasises that ‘photography is a system of visual editing… it is a matter of choosing from among given possibilities, but in the case of photography the number of possibilities in not finite but infinite’. With the ideas of (Szarkowski 1976) in mind and considering the image I made. I did so as a result of my experience, what I saw, who I met and the emotions that were invoked. As a result, I chose to select this picture which I purposely had the intention of shooting close, I was drawn to him as he didn’t look like a football fan yet he was at a football match. I observed before I approached him, his popularity and friendly demean, and chose to select him as a target to focus upon.

This is relevant as I was at a football match with hundreds of people in attendance with millions of potential representation with the potential for meaning yet I selected this photograph to make in order to convey the sense of hope that I highlighted earlier which in this case confirm the assertion of Szarkowski regarding infinite possibilities.

When taking the photograph I didn’ t provide much direction apart from informing the subject that I was getting close as I was taking the photograph, he didn’t change his posture or gesture as I took the photograph and informed him. This process may represent the eye of the photographer as I had the intention of getting close and chose to disclose my approach intentionally. The performing eye of the sitter at this stage chose to present the gesture you see below and had control of his facial expressions.

Whilst editing the photograph, with the message of ‘hope’ in mind I chose to enhance the reality and emotion I felt using the eyes as a vehicle for meaning. As Christopher Stewart (2002) did in his photograph of the man looking out of the window from his project insecurity. I chose to enhance specific areas of the photograph with the intention of furthering the impact on the viewer. In engaging with this approach I may be reducing the authenticity of the photograph intentionally which moves the photograph further away from reality which (Grundberg 1989) may confirm in suggesting that photographic images can be tricksters and often mistaken for the real thing. With this in mind, the work I have produced isn’t pure fiction but a relationship between reality and the hyper real. Thus moving away from the mechanical model towards the visual model in order to further the meaning.

Grundberg, C (1982) Crisis Of The Real: Writings On Photography, 1974 1989, Aperture, New York.

Stewart, C 2003, Christopher Stewart: Insecurity. Centro de Arte de Salamanca.

Szarkowski, J (1966) The Photographers Eye, New York, Museum of Modern Art.

When reflecting on the ideas of authenticity and photography as a ‘peculiar’ practice I feel that the medium has a very unstable and complex relationship with the truth. Over recent weeks I have begun to understand that in one respect, photography can be seen as evidence. Evidence of a time, a place, attendance of one at that specific time and place. All of which may be useful in contexts such as crime and the medical profession. The use of sophisticated imaging technology are a great aid to such professions and i’m sure further developments will be made over the coming years.

The ability to read a photograph is where my philosophical approach has developed significantly. I do feel like somewhat of a novice at reading photographs however the recent reading and challenges set through the tasks have been difficult to interpret but provided some enlightening moments. Ritchin (2013) provided a useful starting point in furthering my understanding of photography beyond the work of Sontag, Berger and Barthez in so far that I engaged with considerations about photography as art . Ritchin’s ideas about categorisation of photographs was very useful and somewhat enlightening. Emphasising that photographs are open to interpretation and will result in common themes and stereotypes such as celebrities being flattered and the poor being victims. These readings may be obvious in many cases and I have found that I am reading photographs in the hunt for more sophisticated or different meanings than the obvious. This process has been the real success in a personal sense and has opened up a whole new world of creativity by giving licence and authority to try to reflect the world as I see it. Encode photographs with emotions as I feel them. Looking beyond the obvious has been an invigorating experience.

I have begun to hugely enjoy the journey of looking at the the work of others and, trying to read their intentions and make connections for myself. Growing up as a photographer! Discovering the work of Todd Hido is a relevant example of this by understanding the quiet nature of his project ‘House Hunting’. His intentions raise questions about the people who occupy the houses he depicts. His work duly ensured that I checked all of the curtains in my house to consider what their structure say about our family. The work of Hido ,although still discovering, has led to further inquiry into the work of photographers such as Clarissa Bonnet which I am in the infancy of my research in addition to Rut Blees Luxembourg who share some similarities and many differences, the process of exploration being the source of fulfilment in a philosophical sense. However, with my current project in mind the relevance of this direction hasn’t really emerged which isn’t of great concern at this point as I am confident it will contribute towards an exciting direction.

In terms of my project I feel that I have heightened an understanding of the portrait. The development of an ability to read a photograph in further depth as stated earlier represents a direction that I am currently engaged with. The ideas of Bate (2009) were important in cultivating an understanding of the portrait and echo Ritchin (2013) in the idea that a photograph isn’t required to provide all of the answers but raise further questions to the audience. Much in the same way that Hido takes photographs of houses raises further questions about the people who live in them. Bate (2009) emphasis the relevance of the blank expression which may also serve the viewer to raise further questions about the people they look at.

The approach considered within this reflection is representative of an understanding of the idea of peculiarity. Peculiarity is interesting and requires further inquiry, providing the stimuli to move and affect an audience as opposed to the obvious or evidential photograph which although may be in many cases authentic but at the same time the binary opposite peculiar. Banal.

Ritchin, F (2013) Bending the frame, Photojournalism, Documentary and the Citizen. New York, Aperture.

Bate, D (2009) Photography, The Key Concepts. Oxford, Berg.

Hido, T (2014) Todd Hido, on Landscape, Interiors and the Nude. New York, Aperture.

As my project has developed through the previous unit (Positions and Practice) I organised this shoot with a slightly different approach in mind. Having been influenced by the work of Hans Van Der Meer who’s project European Fields I had the intention of making some photographs which represented football pitches as part of a wider landscape. Nelson was an excellent place to engage with this approach as it’s a ground with lots of visual interest. The terraced houses which run parralell to the pitch provides this location with a unique and quite amazing charm.

When Irrived I was met with some really friendly and interesting people and having spoken to them, their warmth and passion for the club was clear. I was able to meet some really warm people who had some interesting stories to tell both modern and historic.

Big thank you to Andy Harrison and all of the people involved in the club for your time and hospitality.

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The ideas of Snyder and Allen were interesting when considering the truth and authenticity of photography and are especially relevant within the realm of representation that I am used to.  At an initial level I agree that photographers inevitably create characterisations of things in all respects from collecting evidence to a fine art photographer. I found this to be a basic but welcome addition to alternative way of looking at photographs where my ability to interpret images is often based on the ideas of Barthez.

The visual model of photography was an idea that I was able to identify with as the connection between the eye and the environment in depicting “what we would have seen if we had been there ourselves”. Again this appears a rather simplistic idea however this approach opens up the idea that the visual model in relation to the photographers eye allows an unlimited amount of possibilities to create characterisations such as choice, composition, angles, distance to name but a few. This understanding is useful to my own practice in considering the human choices that I make when deciding to create a representation. This may be furthered by the choice of equipment I use as, on occasion I decide to shoot with a mirrorless rangefinder camera with an LCD screen which helps in going unnoticed as opposed to shooting with a DSLR and prime lens where my presence is obvious to those around. These factors have heavily influenced the perspectives I have achieved thus far with my work and the differences within my work are obvious although they may not be to others.

The visual model was well exemplified by the example Snyder and Allen used when considering the photograph of James Dean in the cemetery taken by Dennis Stock. This initially resonated with my approach to wedding photography where I use prior knowledge to create visual representation of couples and their families. When I find myself within an environment, I look for the light, objects and general opportunities in order to contextualise a shot that I know a bride and her family will like. This can sometimes be unambitious maybe even lazy in a creative sense however the quality of the photograph will be aesthetically pleasing to an audience although not pleasing to myself. Applying similar ideas to my project I feel that I am very much at the learning stage and still finding my voice although I am content that I am moving forward with this.

As I continue to find my voice as a photographer the question of authenticity is of limited importance as I will be required to justify my subject matter by creating a body of work which encompasses non league football grounds but not limited to. The relationship between the visual model (Snyder and Allen) is also supported by (Barthez: 1981) who argues “authentication exceeds the power of representation”. These ideas are relevant to an extent as suggested earlier by creating authenticity due to the similarities purported between the camera and the eye.

With reference to my own work in the name of authenticity, the image below represents a lady who is attending a football match. It is believable that this is the case as we see the football match taking place in the background. We see the players on a pitch which may be indexical with the opposing colours red and blue which may be symbolic in addition to a football which may serve as an icon. All of which may provide equity in the authenticity that this lady is attending a football match. The photograph of the male however may have less authenticity as although we may understand that this person is at a non league football ground, the absence of a football match taking place may create ambiguity about the time that the photograph was taken.

In terms of the the mechanical model of photography the relationship between the photograph and what was in front of the camera is also interesting as I have created images that are different to what would have seen with our own eyes (Snyder and Allen) by using a slow shutter speed and panning the camera. Such techniques again may create ambiguity in relation to authenticity. The technique use to characterise the effect of the characterisation. Authenticity is reduced by such techniques. Although we may understand that movement as occurred, we are unable to understand the situation how it was. How fast were the players moving exemplified in the image below.

Such questions have made one consider creative choices and consider where the work I create sits in relation to representation, evidence or art? Reflections of the work I create lead to the assumption that what I create sits within the realm of art and may be justified by Snyder and Allen (1975: p 65) who cite Szarkowski who argues “the artist begins with the subject then does something to it – deforms it somehow, according to some personal sense of style”. Although such ideas are not really new and innovative I have found such ideas hugely enlightening in informing the context of my project. I edit my images, retouch my images and I colour grade my images. All of which comprise the authenticity and truth of my work. However (Ritchin 2013: p49) argues that “the photographer must increasingly emphasise the role of interpretation rather than that of transcription”. The ideas of Ritchin may be applied to my work are the emphasis on interpretation of non commercial football spaces and their romance as opposed to proving that they exist and that people visit the.

Barthez, R (1982) Camera Lucida, New York, Hill and Wang.

Ritchin, F (2013) Bending the frame, Photojournalism, Documentary and the Citizen. New York, Aperture.

Snyder, J. Allen, N.W. (1975) ‘Photography, Vision and Representation’ in Critical Inquiry, Vol.7, No.1. (Autumn, 1975)

In response to this task I am using images of one of my early shoots at a football match between Radcliffe Borough and FC United of Manchester.

The first image depicts a man who appears to be deep in thought whilst reading a match programme. However only moments earlier I had approached this person, explained my project before taking the picture. Therefore, regarding the notion of truth, this is very much a constructed image. The subject who appears to be reading the programme couldn’t have read anymore than the opening paragraph. In essence, I had found a good actor who was happy to collaborate in the making of what appeared to be a documentary image. In addition to the pleasure of ‘stillness’ both parties contributed  to the creation of a photograph with indexical iconography which may belong to the realm of documentary photography. With this assumption in mind, the lines between a portrait and documentary photography are blurred.

The second image from this shoot I would classify as a documentary image and is relevant because the subjects who are eating are consuming food from what we could identify as paper that would be used to package food from a chip shop. This may hint at notions of class and the context of a football terrace could further that assumption. This may be relevant to my wider project which is non commercialised football as the mass globalisation and manufactured glamour of high level football would almost certainly not allow these practices to take place. Almost like taking your own sweets to the cinema. Therefore I feel the image below has more truth than the image above In addition to being a statement of activism.

The final image is one of my favourite images from my project to date. Again this is a constructed photograph as a result of my intervention of asking these two boys if I could take their photograph. They are watching the players warm up before the match however that isn’t clear because the photograph lacks the indexical elements to tell that story. What the boys are observing could be anything which adds to the interest of the image and is outside of my usual approach because I am only telling part of the story. I feel this is a dangerous line to take with my work as a story without an ending can be unsatisfying. However I feel that the subjects within the image contain enough interest to carry the story. Two teenage boys, high visibility vests which would infer a reason for being there, grey tracksuit bottoms which are not part of their official regalia however an important piece of ‘street uniform’ within this Northern, British conurbation.

In terms of Barthes idea that ‘authentication exceeds the power of representation’, one may agree to an extent at the level of denotation however any connotation that may be read or decoded must be met with suspicion (Berger 1972). With regard to the photograph of people eating chips, the documentary nature of this image is the result of an impulse which is interesting in respect of authorship and the selection of the frame  by the photographer. Franklin (2016: 165) argues that “There is no wright or wrong, only an impulse to photograph”, With the ideas of Franklin in mind the relationship between impulse, authenticity and selection could possibly be explored further. The selection and decision to capture by the photographer is a subjective decision and will always be that way. Being able to further crop the frame after the image has been captured offers potential to change the representation which adds substance to the argument of authenticity at the level of connotation is very unstable. Authenticity as evidence of a time, place, attendance etc may be the limits to a photograph and its authenticity.

Berger, J. (1972). Ways of Seeing: Penguin, Harmondsworth.

Franklin, S. (2016) The Documentary Impulse, Phaidon, New York.

At present, my work has shifted significantly since the initial idea of a project that encompasses the people involved in amateur and non league football. This project was very different to my initial practice as a wedding photographer where there wasn’t much conscious philosophical consideration of my work. Find the shot, wait for the shot, get the shot and check quickly, in the hope the photograph is in focus.

The initial stages of my non commercialised football project were quite novel and I would base human choices primarily with a documentary approach in mind, similar to wedding photography when looking for candid opportunities. The intention was never to take photographs of football being played. The football would be a supporting act at best, by sometimes being encompassed within part of the work that I create. The game itself being part of a broader story which is about people and their motivations for consuming the echelons of the game which are not actively sold and glamorised (Berger 1972). Enviable lifestyles, big stadiums and every angle shown again and again on TV. A sport that most have participated at some stage of their lives whether good or bad, at school, in the park, jumpers for goal posts and a plastic bottle to kick when a ball wasn’t available. Commodified in a way that we are encouraged to buy the shirt of a team, follow their progress on TV, argue with others on twitter, telephone radio stations to complain about their teams performance. All without having been there. A season ticket to a global brand such as Manchester United or Arsenal becoming an illustration of status in addition to a Sky Sports subscription.

This issues highlighted within this reflection serve to contextualise my practice and lead to the understanding that my practice sits within the real of activism. The consumer may see may see unkept spaces that are unenviable. However the stories behind the photographs may change the meaning as (Barthez 1972 p20) suggests “the imposition of second meaning on the photographic message proper, is realised at the different levels of of the production of the photograph”. As suggested by Barthez, I hope to realise the romance of these spaces and ultimately produce a collection of statements as a response to mass consumerism and commodification of British football. My photographs, it has emerged, are positive statements about participation, emotional investment, being cold and finding a place to be apart of a community. Being able to tell stories that haven’t been told by thousands others from different angles, perspectives and ideologies.

Evaluate the success / weakness of this work.

In terms of the evaluation of progress to date. I feel that much learning and development has taken place. In the early states I attended some football matches with only a general understanding of why I was there and with the mindset of a documentary wedding photographer waiting for jovial moments of interest to occur as (Sontag 1977. p9) highlights “the trip was made, the programme was carried out, that fun was had”. In engaging with the project at this level I was confident that I was able to reflect the subject matter in this way. However it quickly became apparent that this approach had its limitations and wasn’t really sustainable beyond the creation of work that encompasses a one dimensional perspective of the various locations I visited.
In order to open up the project I needed to deepen the philosophical approach to the justification of places to attend. As a result of this a range of major questions occurred such as:

Why am I taking these photographs?

What further techniques do I engage with to further my work?

The emergence of these questions are the major success of my project to date and have re-energised the project with an alternative perspective. Throughout the early stages I have produced some documentary work that I am proud of but these feel like small victories at this stage. I have collaborated and met some interesting participants and created links that I will exploit further in the future.

At present, I have engaged with the philosophical question of the purpose of my project and considered the amount of photographs that I consume online and in publications for journalistic reasons of football matches taking place in addition to citizen journalism which document peoples attendance, events taking place, beer being consumed and fun being had as (Sontag 1977) purports.

Therefore, in consideration to my project I am faced with the challenge of how do I make my work different? I understand that my work won’t be original however the furthering of my work to go beyond documentation is most relevant as (Ritchin 2013. p49) emphasises “the photographer must increasingly emphasise the role of interpretation rather than that of transcription”. The relevance of Ritchin’s ideas are relevant in addressing the first question established for the motivation of the work I create.

The photographs often consumed may be of a journalistic nature or a document of attendance. The work I create therefore may sit within similar points of exhibition in the first instance however I understand that I will be required to endeavour to produce photographs which may be encoded with activist messages whilst celebrating non commercialised football as so many others do through journalistic work.

A major breakthrough in terms of critical and philosophical approaches is a developed understanding of the portrait. In my role as a wedding photographer I am used to producing portraits of couples with the objective of creating photographic souvenirs (Sontag 1977). In order to do this I look for picturesque locations which every decent wedding venue has. Encompas techniques such as off camera flash and an appropriate image will be produced. However this led to a major lack of understanding of work which belongs to other genres of photography.

Developing in this way through research of the work of photographers such as Margret Mitchell and Laura Pannack represent a major success of widening my personal development. Although finding the work of Mitchell and Pannok interesting I initially found it difficult to contextualise and understand my interest.

This problem may be contextualised by (Bate 2009. 70) “the problem of ‘appearance’ and ‘reality’ or surface and depth is not entirely the right question or issue, since it leave the the intentionality of the spectator out of the equation,” The ideas of Bate represent a breakthrough within my approach in both confirming my problem in addition to offering some insight into the solution by drawing attention to the process of identification, recognition and the blank expression. Serving as an opportunity for the consumer of an image to do more to appropriate meaning to a portrait. This approach is where I am currently at and with my work and looking forward to developing further.

Bate, D (2009) Photography, The Key Concepts. Oxford, Berg.

Barthes, R (1977). Image Music Text. Croydon: Fontana Press.

Berger, J (1972) Ways of Seeing. Harmondsworth, Penguin.

Ritchin, F (2013) Bending the Frame, Photojournalism, Documentary and the Citizen. New York, Aperture.

Sontag, S. (2008) On Photography. Penguin Modern Classics. London