Specialist Location: Evaluation

After shedding the lunacy of my Medium Format/Studio Lighting idea, I still decided to use my off-camera flash to carry-out some of these portraits. On the day I was set to go to the Quick 'n' Spick Launderette in Levenshulme, I realised I needed to pop into college for something, which irritated me greatly, as- when I have a plan- I like things to dive and get it all done. However, my higher power had something else in store for me on this day: another launderette. I popped-in, and in doing so, realised this was no ordinary launderette, but one whose middle-aged female manager happened also to be a trained and practising counsellor: "people come here for more than just their washing. For some of the older ones, I'm the only human contact they have all week" (1). And with this it was evident that Janet (below) and I were on the same wavelength: the launderette remains an integral part of the community. Or put more flippantly: people are quite willing to literally air their dirty linen in public.

f4, 1/125th, ISO400, 50mm (Nikon D3100 with 50mm f1.8 lens).
Editing: Levels for brightening midtones; Brightness/Contrast for increasing both and giving it that gritty, but vibrant tone; Gradient Map for a nice monochrome/silver gelatin look (1).
The Print: Its a shame the face has come back looking slightly lack lustre. This may be to do with the fact we have lots of highlights shining in the plastic bags in the background, which may distract from the face slightly.
Little did I know it at the time, here I had my first image of the series (of which there would be ten). I only shot the one  during this flying visit, but I took Janet's number and made her aware I would be back in a couple of days time (I would call first). I had high hopes for this location.

Nevertheless, I still considered the Quick n Spick to be my main location. Upon arrival, there was only two people using the service; the rest being family of the manager Jose (below).

This is one of the out takes (I knew it was a decent image, but in the end it didn't make the final ten). Jose (foreground) made me feel very welcome, and as you can see they were all very flexible to what I wanted. That's her sister in the background, with who I gathered was her beaux, although- because of the age and ethnic differences- I hadn't the heart to ask. I tried to shoot these two characters just after this, but thy were in too jovial a mood for me to convey the mood I wanted (below).

  

At this point I was still using my 50mm f1.8 lens from shooting the one of Janet earlier in the day, so the above two didn't give me what I wanted from the environmental, but as you will see from the ones below, there was still something to be had with this lens.

                              

I'm starting to see a new theme developing from the ones I'm showing here. Shooting portraits with the 50mm - especially the backs of people's heads, which I have always been interested in- lends a uniformity to the images. Maybe there is something in this for the future.

At this point I was just finding my feet in the place, wandering around, trying to get the courage to fully approach and talk to the young couple above and hope for some momentum. Then I bit the bullet and introduced myself, explaining what I was doing. The fact they were both arty types (he was studying for an art degree) made this easier. 

                             

At this point I started using my kit lens (18-55mm) for more width. I was experimenting with a more candid style in the first one, but like the way Jose looks on. I like images where the person in the foreground is not looking, but the one in the background is. The second one above shows the benefits of using a wider lens to include more of one's environment, and with this I was more able to interpret my vision of the environmental portrait.

Another out take. I think I have fully captured the sense of waiting here, which I feel is a kind of sub-theme of what goes on in a launderette. Yes, people go to these places to have a "bit of a natter", but ostensibly what they are doing is waiting. This is all part of the frustration of British life (probably not just British), be it waiting for buses, waiting in queues, waiting for stuff to wash, waiting for stuff to dry. Something my father always says (which I hear in my own head constantly) is: "you spend half your life f***ing waiting".

Out take number three. Only just noticed this one as I was trawling through my files from the day in chronological order. Again, it works because both subjects are acting oblivious to the camera. Just as I mentioned in my research post, documentary photography- despite its claims that it presents truth- stills abides by an aesthetic in its own right. I am asking the viewer to suspend disbelief and imagine this is actually happening, whilst knowing it is obviously posed. The point being, I am showing something that does happen. People stand like this: people look into space when they are deep in thought; people hold onto their belongings in public. This is the magic (and lie) of photography.

Subconsciously, I must have built upon the confidence of this shot to move onto what became my second chosen image (below).

f5.6, 1/100th, ISO400, 18mm (18-55mm f3.5-f5.6)
Editing: Levels to increase brightness of the skin tones and reduce the shadows from the jacket (that usually come out in print); Brightness -81 using a mask to tone down the highlights coming from the window, Gradient Map to convert to mono.
The Print: Looking at it now, it seems the left of his face could have done with a spot of brightening before sending to DS. That being said, I think I am just not-picking here, and it probably works well one said being lit by the natural light of the window.

Hopefully by now readers will note the difference the editing I have applied after shooting makes on the final image. The above proved a popular one with my classmates, on Facebook, and with Richard Gaskill. It is the only one from my final ten that has more than one person in it, but I don't think I risked upsetting the balance because it consolidates the individual portraits within one tidy activity that we all share: drinking tea to detract from waiting for their washing to finish. Its shots like this that bring Jim Mortram's words home: maybe I should start a "proper" blog with interviews, for I think would be interested in what kind of lives these people live.

Moving on...

At this point I dug my flash out and decided to get creative. Up until this point I had never used off-camera flash to shoot a portrait. Indeed I had never used it for anything. 

  

                 

As you will note above, using an extra light (and knowing where to position it) is a skill within itself. The first few attempts were awful, so its a good job I enjoy the process of photography, rather than just expecting great pictures to appear from thin air. Still, with the shots below, you'll see I was definitely getting somewhere.

                        

Again, understanding where the light was going to fall was key to using the off-camera flash. Here the highlights are too harsh on the washing machines and there is an awkward shadow on the subject's face. There is also a lot of clutter in the bottom right, and the subject looks like he's waiting for the whole ordeal to be over. Never good.

There is something about the halo effect of the one on the left above. Kind of a spiritual effect, almost like the second coming had turned up at launderette in Levenshulme.

Again, I've only really just noticed this one and thought it worthy of an edit for the benefit of my blog.  I like it a lot, but alas it is too similar to the one of my chosen ones, only the subject here is placed on the opposite side.

f5, 1/160th, ISO100, 35mm, off-camera flash positioned to the back of the subject aimed at the right of his face.
Editing: Levels to brighten the midtones; Brightness/Contrast layer with black mask to lessen the brightness from the effects the flash had on the back wall; another B/C layer to brighten his face, for I thought it was a tad lack lustre.
I'd finally succeeded in getting the light to fall directly on the side of his face here, which was far from easy.
The Print: As with all of them in the series, I increased Brightness by 30 just to ensure nothing was lost in the conversion to DS's profile.

f5.6, 1/160th, ISO100, 29mm, off-camera flash set to 1/16th of its power. positioned to the right of the subject roughly 7 feet away.
Editing:  In ACR: adjusted the distortion in the Lens Correction tab, for the bench she leans on bowed in the middle. This meant the image needed cropping slightly to remove the discrepancy at the bottom. Levels to increase the blacks and add a lightness to the midtones; Brightness/Contrast layer with black mask applied to add B & C to her face only, which I did using a brush with 25% opacity.
The Print: Couldn't have hoped from a better tonal range from an image shot with a kit lens.
I knew from the minute I looked at this in on the LCD that it would make the "cut". Its the best portrait I've produced thus far in my opinion. The light from the flash must have been exactly the right distance from the subject, and at the right setting, for the highlights on her face seem just right, giving it a very polished, slick look. The composition is also spot-on, benefiting from the symmetry of the baskets and the doors of the washing machines. A couple of people have asked whether the baskets were like that or whether I'd placed them there for effect. What can I say?: Jose runs a tight ship.

After this couple had left, I tried to shoot Josie in the same position, partly down to the fact I was running out of ideas by this point (below).

It definitely works, this, but the fact I'd been spoiled by the one of the younger subject prevented me from  fully appreciating it. I must have been stood further away from my subject here, for we can see the shadows of the baskets that comes from the flash. I called it a day after this one, but I did call back a few days later for seconds.

Over the Top

Two days after my visit to Quick 'n' Spick, on a Thursday, I took the day off college to visit the Moor Top Launderette to say hello to Janet again. I was full of high hopes because of what Janet had told me about people using the as a drop-in centre, but I found this did not detract from the fact that the place was cramped with little room to manoeuvre and get what I wanted. Plus, I think my mood left a lot to be desired on this day, so I probably didn't communicate as effectively as I would have liked.

 

The ladies above were two got talking t as soon as I entered the place, for Janet was busy with something else. The conversation felt forced, and I felt claustrophobic in this environment. I just didn't feel as "in control" as I did in Levenshulme, and I think this had an impact on what I was shooting. This being said, it may well have been my high expectations of Moor Top, or the fact I was on a high after the results I'd got from Quick 'n' Spick.

                         

In the above two examples I attempted something different I had not tried in Levenshulme: I wanted to capture the woman's face perfectly still, but with the washing spinning in the background. This required a slow shutter speed, but it didn't matter anyway, for the woman in the background ruined it by walking behind her. This just about summed-up the whole day. In the end I came away one that I would later use in my final ten, along with the outside of the building, which actually looks quite good (both are below).

f7.1, 1/125th, ISO100, 24mm (off-camera flash positioned directly in front of the subject, so the light fell on the right side of her face).
Editing: Levels to brighten the midtones; Brightness/Contrast layer with a black mask to bring out the detail in the cardigan and bag; Gradient Map.
The Print: Too harsh a contrast between blacks and whites, and detail lost in the cardigan despite edits. Could have got her to take her cardigan off.
I like this image; its just not as good as some of the best from the set. I seem to keep changing my mind about it: sometimes I marvel at the facial expression and authoritative way she's sat (she used to be a teacher, and tried her utmost in convincing me to become one); other times all I see is the clutter (bag, knickers, bin bags in the background) and the fact the door is open when- in Richard's view- it would be better had it been shut. What I do like is the "dry cleaning" sign on the window, in the way it informs the viewer exactly of our setting, and the way the light falls diagonally just below this.

f8, 1/80, ISO100, 18mm.
Editing: Usual Exposure, Lights and Contrast in ACR, and Levels to brighten the midtones, and of course Gradient Map to convert to B&W.
The Print: Silly me, I left my Watermark on before sending to print. 
It was Richard who suggested taking a shot of the outsides of each launderette. These add context and a sense of place to the series. The fact that there are only two portraits from the series from Moor Top as opposed six from the Quick 'n' Spick seems to throw the balance out a bit, but I think the fact they are all shot in a similar style using similar lighting allays this fear.

Just Take me Back to the Start...

  Since I had shot the front of Moor Top, I returned to Quick 'n' Spick under the auspices of shooting their shop front. However, due to the fact I didn't get what I needed in terms of portraits from the MT, I felt I needed to get a few more of Jose's crew. This time there was an Asian and her two kids present, not to mention her husband sat outside in the car giving me funny looks. Nevertheless, I knew this person would satisfy my need for people of different ethnicities, and she did have a rather beautiful and photogenic face.

Thought I'd try something different here and shoot through the window, as I knew this technique had come up trumps in my street work with cafe windows. I like the way the reflections act as layers of activity of what's going on in both the street and the place itself. I didn't think anything of this at the time of shooting, but on reflection (sorry!) I think there's something there. I just feel the car is too much of a distraction for it to be considered.

There's nothing wrong with this image, but I just don't like people smiling in portraits. I associate smiling with weddings and events, not serious documentary, environmental shots.

I tried to do something with this earlier, but have just revisited it now after noticing how good it was. I don't think the portrait orientation works for this type of work, though.

f5.6, 1/60, ISO400, 50mm (50mm f1.8 lens).
Editing: Levels to darken the midtones; increased Contrast to make the most of the monochrome feel afforded me by Gradient Map.
The Print: Due to correcting the distortion in ACR, I have failed to crop-away the light grey band at the bottom before the border starts. Schoolboy error.
I told you she was photogenic. I don't think I could have taken a better shot of this person. Usually I would have shot a full on head shot in portrait orientation, but I was just going with the moment here. Its the eyes that make it for me.

I must have been on a roll here, for straight after the above shot I kept 50mm on and shot one of Jose that I would also go on to use in my final ten:

f4, 1/60th, ISO400, 50mm.
Editing: Levels to brighten the midtones; Gradient Map.
The Print: Good mix of tones on Jose's top.
Another of my favourites here. I love the composition and rule of thirds. I don't think it would be the same image without the numbers on the machines in the background. I think this is a magical aspect that gives the viewer a sense of place, and also works as a leading line.

At this point I thought it would be nice if I got some of Magdalene, an Irish lady who works in the launderette a few days a week. Incidentally, it was she who I spoke to when I first called. Things began to get a bit jovial and again here, and I felt like saying something like "you're not here to have fun, you're here to do as I ask", but I thought this might be a bit rude, so I just let them get on with it and took the shots below.

                       

I think the one on the right could have worked had it not been for the cruel shadows and the facial expressions. This was me experimenting with holding the flash with one hand and my camera with the other. I continued this when I took Magdalene outside as she was smoking, although it took her a while to understand what I was asking of her. Either that or took me a while to interpret in my head into a decent image.

                                                                   

I was trying to get her smoking, but wasn't entirely sure whether I wanted her looking at the camera or not. In the end I reconciled that I definitely did. However, by this time it became evident that I was shooting from the wrong side and that the reflection of the white care was still ruining things for me, so I moved to the right of her and shot her in the left of the frame with the opening of the shop to her left. Hey Presto!

f5.6, 1/125th, ISO100 (off camera flash set to 32nd of its power).
Editing: Increased the Exposure and Whites in ACR; Gradient Map.
This is the widest portrait of the entire series, because I wanted to get the whole of the shop opening  and the plants. It also helps my theme that she is smoking: the viewer knows she works there from the overalls she wears. I'd go as far to say we know she's on her break. Smoking- after all- is a massive part of people's lives.

Once I had returned indoors, I tried something new: 

This was another that divided opinion amongst my classmates. I mean, why  wouldn't it?: its a shot of two people shot over a table so you can't see their bottom halves.  I actually quite like it, but I suppose I was using the table to steady my camera, whilst the flash was set up to Jose's left so it would fire across them. It took a few attempts to get the exposure right, but I had a lot of time to kill.

And so then it was time to finally shoot the outside of the shop in all its glory, as I did with the Moor Top. First, though, I wanted to try to get one with its manager stood in its doorway.

The Queen of her Castle. 

f8, 1/100th, ISO100, 18mm.
Editing: usual darks, lights and exposure in ACR, then just Gradient Map in normal CS6 workspace.
Nice one to finish on this. Kind of closes the album of images.
The Print: Exceptional start to the album. Solid contrast, with strong and bold darks. Thank you Gradient Map.

This is the part where I say whether I think I have succeeded in my intentions for the project. I find this part difficult, for- after looking at my work for over a month (sometimes non-stop, depending on how vain I'm feeling)- I seem to get detached from it. But I am happy with the work I have produced. I set out to take the series a step further than the portraits I had shot for my Interior Location during Christmas time, by full exploring the lines between the everyday documentary style and the environmental portrait. As I mentioned above (and in my research), it was never going to be a full-on documentary, especially as I aimed to use artificial lighting, but I think I have struck the right balance shooting "normal" people in a traditional setting and manipulating their positions and facial expressions to give a grittier feel. I feel like I am betraying the process my analysing it, so I think I will leave it there.

Postscript:

All I need now is to continue to shoot people in my local area a la Mortram and formulate some questions in order for me to interview my subjects as well. I think words definitely add something to the warmth of the subject matter.

Good night and God Bless. 

1) I'm glad Andrew Hill (classmate) introduced me to this adjustment, which- for me- is far superior to both the Black and White black and white adjustment and eliminating certain Channels to highlight certain tones.
2)  When I say official, I mean ones that I actually edited from the off and put on my Facebook page and the college group for feedback. In other words, I liked it from the off, but it just didn't make it into the final ten. Not bad considering I take a hundred or more every time I go out.

Specialist Location: SWOT Analysis

It would be a huge understatement to say I have come on a long way since the course started. Even as I sit here typing this now, I can feel my head churning and brimming with ideas for stretching this Launderama project even further. I have become more confident, not just in my picture-taking and talking to people, but also in planning my ideas and eventually carrying them out. The course has definitely facilitated my love of research, theory and discussion, and it is these activities that have had a direct causal link to the pictures I am now taking. As an example, I remember back in October, the level of commitment I had in getting up at 4am to shoot my Exterior Location images on the many car boot sales I visited. I remember the sense of achievement I felt as I sat eating my breakfast in Subway that morning once I'd finished; the need to continually look at what I had, knowing at this early stage which I would use, and which were of no use to me; the agony of getting up at that time (not knowing where I was); the euphoric recall of being out in "the field", doing my thing as a photographer and feeling enriched from the type of respect this garners from willing subjects. With all this being said, I offer below what I felt were my Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats going into this final shoot... As a Photographer... As a Person. 

STRENGTHS:

*  I can research photographers. I know exactly what I like, and how I want my image to look. I am confident I do not need to re-invent the wheel, and that most things have been done before. I only need to reinterpret them moment and do it in my way on the day.

*  I can conduct thorough planning of my theme in general, and shots in particular, based on the research I have done.

*  I am able to contact the relevant people prior to a shoot, express myself verbally about what it is I aim to do, and make arrangements on how I plan to do it.

*  I can approach potential subjects, and communicate exactly what I want from them, in terms of that positioning, facial expression ("don't smile; just look natural; act like I'm not here"), and any props I need in the shot. I can allay any fears within myself that I am asking too much, for when I am "in the zone" there's no stopping me. Speaking about my Street Photography, a friend asked me: "don't the people mind when you're photographing them?", to which I answered: "they don't get a choice".

*  Despite the seeming arrogance of the last point, I am a sensitive man. I can act compassionately with people, often sensing distress if there is any, and adjusting my approach accordingly.

* I like to think I can understand all of what my camera does, and use it to create high quality images. I am an intelligent man, and through the course I now have a degree of visual intelligent (see the first point).

* I am a strong writer, and can evaluate my photography in an in-depth manner.

WEAKNESSES:

*  I am a terrible perfectionist, and it often takes me longer than most to get something done. This often leads me to procrastinate, as if I am awaiting the perfect mood to begin/continue with a task.

*  I know my life is often unmanageable because of this. If I don't watch out and take care of myself, I can become depressed and resentful that I have to do something at all, no matter how passionate I was about it previously.

*  I have too many ideas, and it would be impossible to follow-through on them all. I allow these ideas to run away with me at times. Case in point: plans to shoot these portraits in Medium Format, with studio lighting, when I do not own a car to ferry the stuff around.

*  I often need the assurance of others a little too much on what I feel is a good image. This is particularly painful when asking those who do not share the same vision.

*  Sometimes my ego stands in the way. When I am happy with something I have done, I think I often think I am the best thing since sliced bread. The best advice I have received on this is: "dare to be ordinary".

*  I often do not follow-up on things I say to people. E.g. people I have photographed that are interested in seeing the results once edited.

OPPORTUNITIES

*  I have recently started speaking to Jim Mortram on Twitter. He likes what I have done so far, and has urged me to continue it, perhaps with an official blog containing interviews with those I photograph.

*  I know a few people within the arts, some of which constantly encourage me to exhibit the different series of images I have been producing of late. E.g. David Lowther, artist and manager of Nexus Art Cafe in the centre of Manchester.

*  Thanks to the internet and Social Media, I have a way of keeping in touch with other photographers and their projects. Not only this, but those I photograph have also shown an interest in seeing the images in print.

*  I still feel I have merely scratched the surface as far as Photoshop is concerned. Therefore, there is a lot to learn. Maybe the future will see me create better montages etc?

* I am due to start a new job, which may give me more disposable income to purchase a new camera, lens or lighting for future projects. Certainly not holding my breath here, though.

THREATS

*  Everyone is a photographer in this day and age. For this reason, competition is a massive threat.

*  The more my work gets seen, and the more I put myself "out there", the greater risk that someone could use my ideas for their own benefits. I think this is what is known as paranoia, though.

*  Technology is forever changing, and some are in a better financial position to buy the latest kit and move ahead.

*  In these times of recession, people generally do not have the funds to purchase prints or fund projects.r

*  My own ego taking over on any given day (not trusting in my own vision and/or expecting people to see what I can see, and thus stroking me for being so "with it".

Specialist Location: Presentation & Planning

Once I had finally decided that I was to shoot a series of environmental portraits in a launderette (or more than one), I made a Powerpoint presentation to convey my plans to my tutor and my classmates, the slides of which are below (NB: at a later date I revisited this to add more depth to it).

You will notice from the above slides reference to studio and atmospheric lighting. This is because my initial intention was to borrow the college's studio lights and take them to my selected to launderette(s), thus combining my passion for social portraits with what I now know about lighting. At one point- after seeing some of Richard Gaskill's portraits at Bolton Wanderers Football Club- I also considered borrowing one of the Medium Format cameras for extra detail and tonal range when shooting in Black and White (I mean converting to black and white). At this point, I really did need to have words with myself, and tell myself not to bite off more than I can chew for the last unit, especially since John kiely urged us to "stick to what we know". Neverthless, the plans to shoot with lights is still part of the process.

Next up was to contact a local Launderette and ask if I could go down and do the shoot. I knew it had to be a traditional; one similar to the Barbican one in London (above), with coin-op machines and tiled floor, and large windows for light; not one of these new-aged ones like the one in the Northern Quarter (below), that appear more like community centres, than launderettes. Why? Well, I want my shots to have a grittiness about them, harking back in the days when people couldn't afford their own machines; sense of the old Britain, where people visited such places, and spoke to one another; shared time with one another. This was just one thing I could do to ensure I was in keeping with the British tradition of Bulmer and Mortram et al in exploring everyday customs.

Laundrette or Internet Cafe? Make your mind up please!

I knew I'd seen one somewhere, but I couldn't remember where this was. At this point Richard told me of one in Levenhulme (near where he lives), so I endeavoured to call them there and then (during Friday's class). I spoke to an assistant, who said to call back the following day (Saturday being the busiest time?), and speak to the "manager", Jose (1). Being a shy man, I always have a sense of trepidation about making such calls, but it turns out there was no need to be fearful of Jose: she was lovely, very amenable, and said there have been a few occasions that photographers and film crews have used the launderette for their own projects (she seemed very proud at mentioning this). I would go on the following Tuesday at around lunchtime.

1) One thing I would later learn about the organisational structure of the local launderette (the ones I visited, at least): the premises are often owned by a man of about mid-forties, and managed by a middle-aged woman, who knows all and sundry from the locale. The man will  pop-in now and again to carry-out any maintenance, drink tea and crack jokes of questionable taste with said middle-aged women.