RIGHT HERE, RIGHT
NOW - EXPOSURES
FROM THE PUBLIC
REALM
Frederic Lezmi –
Beyond Borders
FORMAT 11
Education Pack
Contents
Section 1 (Pages 3-22)
Background to FORMAT11
How to use this PACK
What is FORMAT 11?
FORMAT: What’s on at a glance – main exhibitions
MOB FORMAT
Venue Details
Directions
Contacts
Additional Information
Section 2 (Pages 23-27)
Activities
MOB FORMAT Activities
Street Noir
General Questions – before a visit
General Questions – during a visit
Section 3 (Pages 28-36)
Background to Photography
What do we mean by Photography?
Practical Photography – top tips
Photographing People - basic rules
Photographing People the basics
A Basic Guide to Digital Cameras
East Midlands Photography Groups and resources
2
How to use this pack
This pack has been designed as a general educational resource on
photography for teachers and students but can easily be adapted to suit a
wide range of groups and ages.
It can be used in sections depending on your particular interests.
The pack can be used to plan ahead for your visit. It provides practical
information on the exhibitions, venues, dates and events which form Format
11 as well as information on the background, history and context of
photography. There are also a range of activities to choose from which can
be undertaken during a visit as well as suggestions for preparatory work and
follow up work to be done in class.
If you are unable to visit FORMAT11 with your group we hope the pack will
still be of use in class and that you may be able to build a visit into your
planning another year. Please contact each venue you intend to visit with
a group prior to your visit to arrange access.
It is useful to make a preparatory visit first to the exhibitions you intend to
visit with a group to familiarise yourself with the work and the space. If that is
not possible do not hesitate to contact FORMAT for help and advice. (See
‘Contacts Page’ for details.) All the exhibitions are suitable for most ages and
although some of the work is challenging in subject there are no controversial
or overtly explicit images.
Those activities undertaken in the galleries take place within the exhibition
itself, there are no separate education rooms to use at the venues. Students
are very welcome but we do ask you to respect the needs of other users
within the exhibitions.
A number of websites are recommended throughout the pack but teachers
are advised to check for up to date links and the suitability of material before
asking pupils to work independently.
We invite you to use this resource to the full and to discover the best that
photography has to offer children and young people.
What is FORMAT11?
www.formatfestival.com
4 MARCH – 3 APRIL 2011 DERBY, UK
Exhibitions, events, conference, master classes, portfolio reviews,
talks, screenings, workshops and tours.
FORMAT is one of the UK’s leading contemporary photography
and media festivals organised by QUAD in partnership with Derby
City Council, University of Derby and Arts Council England. The
festival celebrates the wealth of contemporary practice in
international photography.
FORMAT is the place to see an incredible range of new work
alongside the best known practitioners of the world.
RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW is the fifth edition of the FORMAT
International Photography Festival. Curated around the theme of
Street Photography the festival includes un-staged and candid
photography that aims to investigate the social and political worlds
of public realm. Street Photography bridges everything from
journalism, documentary, art, film and other genres, the essential
ingredients though are intuition, observation and the ability to
compose with space, time and place.
Louise Clements – Senior Curator
A guide to the Festival, Venues and Artists Listings
QUAD GALLERY (4th March – 8th May)
© Joel Meyerowitz
Polly Braden
China Between - Acutely observed small telling gestures tell us as much about modern China as any
epic picture of a dam, a protest or a workforce.
Brian Griffin
Unique selection of street photographs from the photographer’s portfolio taken in the 1970s.
Orville Robertson
The photographer walks the streets daily creating beautiful street photographs documenting the extraordinary everyday in black and white.
WassinkLundgrun
Empty Bottles - Bottle collectors scavenge for a living within the affluence of China’s economic
miracle.
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Joel Meyerowitz
Selection of images spanning the last 50 years from one of the world’s most celebrated street
photographers.
Abe Jun
Citizens - Black and white images from noiresque streets of Japan.
Raghu Rai
Invocation to India - A small selection of images to compliment the survey show at New Art Exchange.
Zhao Liang
City Scene - Documents an uncomfortable side of life in China’s street life creating a strange, poetic
portrait of the contemporary metropolis.
Will Sanders
Details - The photographer collects beautiful moments from streets around the world.
George Georgiou
Fault Lines: Turkey East West - Explores the modernisation and national identity of a country that sits
at the crossroads of Eastern and Western cultures.
Jeff Mermelstein
Runners - The beauty is in the details of the absent minded poses, or the imagined stories of the
runners striving to make that appointment, or catch that bus.
Frederic Lezmi
Beyond Borders - People, moments, places encountered by the photographer whilst travelling
between Vienna and Beirut create compelling compositions in a cross-section of worlds.
Martin Kollar
Nothing Special - An array of amusing images that capture situations on the edge of absurdity.
Michael Wolf
Street view: a series of unfortunate events - Reinterprets the genre of Street Photography by drawing
material for his own work from the almost inexhaustible pool of Google Street View.
Peter Dench
England Uncensored: A decade of photographing the English - A laugh-out-loud warts-and-all romp
through this often badly behaved nation.
Vivian Maier
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Slide show of images by Vivian Maier who lived life on her own terms, a simple nanny who left behind
over 100,000 negatives. The quality of her work astounded the world and led to international interest
into who this mysterious woman really was.
Amy Stein
Stranded - The car serves as both a figurative symbol of the American destiny, and a literal
representation of the personal breakdowns experienced on the road to it.
Bruno Quinquet
Raoul Gatepin
Giacomo Brunelli
The Animals - Animal focused street photography creating eerie and unfamiliar images, which capture
the instinctive drama and wildness of his subjects.
Zhang Xiao
Coastline - China has a continuous 18,000 kilometres of coastline, for Xiao the sea is a place of
strong emotions and rich imagery, it is the beginning of lives and dreams.
Nate Larson and Marni Schindelman
Tales from the Data Stream - New commission for FORMAT charts the locations of Tweets through
GPS where a compelling street photograph is taken at the site of the story.
Mindaugas Kavaliauskas and Baltic countries street photographers
Hardcore Street Photography Flickr Group:
Collectively curated slideshow featuring: Alessandro Marchi, Andrea Penisto, Barry Fisher, Ben
Roberts, Chris Friel, Chuck Patch, Damian Cronan, Danny SullivanDavid Gibson, David Solomons,
Eddie Geisinger, Erik Borst, Gabriele Noziglia, Hin Chua, Ian Grivois, James Dodd, James Hendrick,
Jeff Hammond, John Goldsmith, Joni Karanka, Jose Joao, Kramer O’Neill, Lisa Scheer, Lowell Beyer,
Luca de Marchi, Luis Torres, Maciej Dakowicz, Maree Tonkin, Marek Wykowski, Michel Ronquillo,
Nacho Santigosa, Naveen Jamal, Nick Hinch, Nick Turpin, Nigel Fairburn, Nils Jorgensen, Oscar
Juarez, Rafal Pruszynski, Stephen Griffin, Tiffany Jones.
QUAD CORRIDORS (4th March – 8th May)
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© Guilard Kahn
Katrin Koenning
Thirteen: Twenty Lacuna - Captures tiny moments of us – strangers – spot-lit in a shaft of sunlight passing each other unnoticed in the city.
Kurt Tong
22 Steps to the Sea - Blocked in the US from taking photographs for reasons of national security,
Tong recreates his journey along the Texas Gulf Coast on Google Streetview.
Rich Rowland
Urban Fictions - Documents a series of new towns in Eastern China based on European Architectural
models raising compelling questions about an increasingly international world.
Guilad Kahn
Armoured Tourism - Street photographs taken through the window of a US military Humvee on
manoeuvres in Afghanistan.
Virgilio Ferreira
Uncanny Places - Poetic experiments created through an intuitive passage through apparently
common places, with no compass, this deliberate aimlessness paves the way for moments of
serendipity.
Douglas Wallace
Reflections On Life - The faces of commuters in cities throughout the world glimpsed through the
windows of trams at the moment of departure.
8
Hin Chua
After the Fall - Locations on the outer edges of urban regions identified through hi-resolution satellite
images redefine the notion of public space.
QUAD DIGITAL SCREENS (4th March – 8th May)
Hannah Pierce-Carlson
Suān suān tián tián - In Chinese, means "sour sour sweet sweet." Intimate, ordinary scenes of
everyday life that are belied by a note of tension.
Ljudmilla Socci
From Here to There - Moving image made from 1000 35mm photographs portrays the shifting
landscape outside a train window.
Athanosios Zacharapoulos a.k.a. Lomef
Matthew Pell
Formotion and Passengers - Moving image. Reflections on the human condition in the city landscape
that capture the frantic pace of life and overlooked moments of tranquility.
Street life
Collaborative street photos from young people from Derby and Kolkata facilitated by artists from
QUAD, Derby Museum and Art Gallery UK and Seagull Foundation for the arts, India.
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Déda (4th March – 30th April)
© Vidisha Saini
Kate Hooper
Night - Explores the changes in the way people occupy public space at night under the glare of
artificial light.
Vidisha Saini
Pratibimb - Street portraits in India of ‘Behrupiyas’, costumed performers who change character
every forty-two days, transforming their costume and mannerisms to do so.
Gabriel Thompson
No Ring Circus - A term described by the artist to describe his experiences photographing amongst
the streets and people in the US, searching for identity and compassion.
Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad
Orderly Conduct - Ubiquitous images that present a layered view of public space exposing behaviours
that challenge the notion of individuality.
Martijn Peters
RunBabyRun! - Connected by the simple act of running coincidence, intuition and spontaneity lead to
the documentation of extraordinary yet fleeting moments.
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DERBY MUSEUM & ART GALLERY (4th March – 17th April)
© Bruce Gilden
Paul Hill FORMAT Exposure Prize winner: Mehraneh Atashi
Tehran’s Self Portraits - Explores the experience of living in a changing city by looking through her
Holga camera as if she were a statue - part of the fabric of the city.
Street life
Street photos from young people from Derby and Kolkata facilitated by artists from QUAD, Derby
Museum and Art Gallery UK and Seagull Foundation for the arts, India
Bruce Gilden
Head On - Award winning Magnum photographer is drawn to strong characters for his close up street
portraits, in a new commission for FORMAT he turns his lens on Derby.
in-Public
Survey exhibition of over 60 images by all 20 in-Public members alongside a revealing documentary
commissioned for FORMAT, by founder Nick Turpin, exploring individual approaches to
photographing on the street: Christophe Agou, Blake Andrews, Narelle Autio, Richard Bram, Melanie
Einzig, Adrian Fisk, David Gibson, Nils Jorgensen, George Kelly, Jeffrey Ladd, Jesse Marlow, Andy
Morley-Hall, Trent Parke, Gus Powell, Nick Turpin, Matt Stuart, Paul Russell, Otto Snoek, David
Solomons, Armarni Willet
MARKET PLACE (4th March - 3rd April)
© Chris Steele-Perkins/Magnum
Take to the Streets – Magnum Exhibition
The Magnum exhibition ‘Take To The Streets’ presents a selection of seven of the agency’s most
prolific social documentarists and celebrates the art of candid photography.
Focus Artists: Alex Webb, Bruno Barbey, Chris Steele-Perkins, Constantine Manos, Raymond
Depardon, Richard Kalvar and Trent Parke.
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PICKFORD’S HOUSE (4th March – 17th April)
© Alina Kisina
Anthony Carr
A Month of Nights, Derby - Makeshift time lapse pinhole cameras produce a nocturnal record of life in
the city that show traces of its inhabitants. A FORMAT 2011 commission.
Alina Kisina
City of Home - Evocative images of the photographer’s hometown of Kiev open up realms above and
beyond the mundane.
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SILK MILL (4th March – 4th April)
© Orit Ishay
Orit Ishay
Public Domain - Documents bomb shelters in the peripheral areas of Israel which Ishay describes as
“implanted like alien corn in the public space”.
Brett van Ort
Minescape - Explores how nature temporarily reclaims the landscape in the aftermath of a conflict,
even when underneath hides a most brutal and random killer: the landmine.
Arno Roncada
The Night Hike Project - Documents from the Mexican border-crossing experience.
Robert Covington
From the Bottom of the Ravine to the Top of the World - Stereoscopic photographs that track a
journey from the Hoover Dam to the roof of the World Trade Centre.
Peter Ainsworth
Concrete Island - Depicts the walls that support a flyover in North London where the process of
photographing becomes an examination of the traces of life.
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UNIVERSITY OF DERBY (4th March – 3rd April)
© Andrew Glickman
Nicolo Sertorio
Passages - A road trip series that draws on the idea that the modern landscape cannot be separated
from human intervention, this idea is epitomized in the American West, by 'the road'.
Jack Simon
Through a Glass Darkly - Reflections within reflections, images of people in the act of watching or
being watched present the layers of information and poetics of public space.
Stephen McLaren
The London Look - The collision of randomness, chance and luck is where the London look resides.
Andrew Glickman
Among Strangers Underground: Commuters on the Washington DC Metro - Funny, quirky and
curious moments taken from the everyday on his commute to work
Schinster
Street Drama - Compositions that condense and present layers of time from one perspective, built
from many individual images of people passing through the street
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James Royall
From a Train - Locals and day-trippers captured from the window of the Romney Hythe and
Dymchurch Railway, the smallest public railway in the world.
Laurence Stephens
Shelf Life - Documents the everyday engagement of the people and shopping in Newport, South
Wales.
Renhui Zhao
The Blind - About a camouflage that scientists use to become hidden from view in order to observe
and search for the ‘other’.
Karen Fraser
Parental Permissions Denied - Explores the current anxiety collectively felt around image copyright
and consensual photographic practice in public space.
John Darwell
DDSB’s - Images collected on daily dog walks.
Alessandro Marchi
Floating Across Possible Breakdowns - Photographic journeys from streets around the world.
Harri Pälviranta
Battered - Portraits of victims of the violence that takes place in public spaces on a night out in the
Finnish streets.
Toby De Silva
The Perfect Place to Die - The forest of Aokigahara -- dark and foreboding, at the base of Mount Fuji,
is the world’s leading public space suicide destination.
John Angerson
Terminal Transit - The 1.5 billion passengers moving through 1,195 airports per year have a shared
intent – a perfect place to observe life.
MOB FORMAT
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Venue details
If you plan to visit FORMAT11 as a group please contact each venue prior to your visit to
book times and group sizes as some venues have limited access.
QUAD
Market Place, Derby, DE1 3AS
Open 7 days a week
Box office - 11am – 9pm
Gallery - 11am - 6pm (except Sundays opening at 12 noon + Wednesdays late night opening
until 9pm)
Tel: 01332 290606
Banks Mill Studios
71 Bridge Street, Derby, DE1 3LB
Opening times - Mon – Sun 9am - 5pm
Tel: 01332 594170
Cathedral Quarter
Market Place, Derby
Déda
19 Chapel Street, Derby, DE1 3GU
Opening times - Mon to Thurs 9am - 9pm, Fri 9am - 5pm, Sat 9am - 2pm, Sun 6th of March
10am-6pm
Tel: 01332 370911
Derby Museum and Art Gallery
The Strand, Derby, DE1 1BS
Opening times - Mon 11am - 5pm, Tues to Sat 10am – 5pm, Sun 1pm - 4pm
Tel: 01332 641901
Pickford’s House
41 Friar Gate, Derby, DE1 1DA
Opening times - Mon 11am - 5pm, Tues to Sat 10am – 5pm, Sun 1pm - 4pm
Tel: 01332 715181
Silk Mill
Silk Mill Lane, Derby, DE1 3AF
Opening times – Mon 11am-5pm, Tues – Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 1-4pm
Tel: 01332 642234
University of Derby, Faculty of Arts, Design & Technology
Markeaton Street, Derby, DE22 3AW
Opening times - Mon-Thurs 8.30am-5.30pm, Fri – 8.30am-4.30pm
Until 1st April Sat/Sun 10am-5pm
Tel: 01332 593115
Directions
The information centre and primary exhibition venue for FORMAT is QUAD.
QUAD is located in the heart of Derby's Cathedral Quarter in the Market
Place. This central location gives easy access for all users with the bus
station, car parks and City Centre within easy reach.
How to find QUAD
By Car
Exit M1 at J25, take the A52 towards Derby and follow signs to the City Centre /
Cathedral Quarter. The nearest car park is the multi-storey Assembly Rooms,
otherwise Chapel Street car park or Parksafe on Bold Lane are both a short walk
away.
By Train
Derby is a famous rail centre with 31 fast daily services to London St Pancras, a
journey that takes less than two hours. Direct rail services connect Derby with
Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Dundee, Edinburgh, Leeds, Leicester,
Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield, Southampton, Plymouth and many other
destinations.
Derby Train Station is just over one mile away from QUAD, so it is a quick taxi
journey or a 15-minute walk. For train times and tickets visit:
www.buytickets.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk
By Air
East Midlands Airport is approximately 20 minutes drive from QUAD and Birmingham
International Airport is about a 45 minute drive, providing extensive air links to most
European and worldwide destinations.
By Foot
Derby is a compact city and QUAD is situated in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter in
the Market Place that is within easy walking distance from the main shopping areas,
hotels, restaurants, bars and other amenities.
By Bicycle
There are bike racks outside QUAD's main entrance. Please visit:
www.cyclederby.co.uk/routes for more information on cycling around Derby.
By Bus
Derby is served by Trent Barton: www.trentbuses.co.uk and Arriva buses:
www.arrivabus.co.uk. Derby's new bus station is only a short walk away.
Accommodation
If you’re looking for somewhere to stay during your visit to FORMAT, Holiday Inn are
offering discounted rates for bed and breakfast rooms. See:
Tinyurl.com/formataccommodation
There are numerous hotels to suit all budgets within a short distance from QUAD.
Contact Derby's Tourist Information Centre for more details on 01332 255802 or
email: tourism@derby.gov.uk you can also visit their website:
www.visitderby.co.uk
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Contacts
FORMAT Information Centre @ QUAD
For up to date information about FORMAT11 festival events, for further details
about getting to and around Derby or to book for festival events contact
QUAD at info@derbyquad.co.uk, call 01332 290 606 or visit QUAD, Market
Place, Derby DE1 3AS.
QUAD Box office is open daily 11:00am – 9:00pm
Education Pack
T: 01332 285490 Emma Woodward (Education Curator)
E: emmaw@derbyquad.co.uk
We would be very grateful for any comments you may have about your use of
FORMAT 11 exhibitions and events, this pack and the activities within it.
Please send any comments to:
Emma Woodward
QUAD
Market Place
Cathedral Quarter
Derby
DE1 3AS
QUAD is a thriving centre for art and film where there is always lots to see
and do. At QUAD, we make art and film accessible to everyone.
As Derby’s foremost arts centre, QUAD is committed to creating opportunities
for people to engage in contemporary visual arts through a dynamic
programme of exhibitions and projects.
Please contact QUAD if you would be interested in working together on arts
projects in the future.
Additional Information
Pick up a FORMAT festival map and brochure from all format venues, or
download from:
www.formatfestival.com
Festival Catalogue
This year we are producing a catalogue containing a selection of images from the
festival with partners Blurb.
Catalogue price - £24 (not inc p+p)
Original Photographs for sale
Some participating photographers in the festival have limited edition prints on
sale from QUAD. If you are interested in buying any of the works exhibited in
the festival see:
http://www.troikaeditions.co.uk/format-collection
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Activities
The six themes for this year’s MOB FORMAT are listed here; activities linked to
some of these themes follow.
Street surreal – The surrealist movement aimed to join dream and fantasy to
everyday reality; capture moments that show us the quirkiness, peculiarities and
comedy of everyday life.
Shoot from the hip – Defy the conventions of photography and show us your
instinctive images by reacting to the world around you. Give chance the upper hand
– don't think just shoot!
Decisive moment – The instant when the photographer recognises the opportunity
of an event, and with a shutter click captures its real meaning through a precise
ordering of elements within the picture frame.
In the crowd – It could be shopping on Oxford Street, going to the Match or the daily
commute. Whether you are lost in the crowd or standing out from it - throw yourself
head first into a mass of humanity and show us what you come out with.
Street noir - Stark light and dramatic shadows, brooding characters and femmes
fatales - the seedy side of the big city are Film Noir’s trade mark style. Submit your
photos that evoke a dark feeling of mystery, intrigue or something sinister...
When worlds collide – The streets of our towns and cities are made up of many
different populations. Chance encounters between unrelated elements come and go
in an instant. Show us these brief encounters where new stories begin.
Street Noir
In the playground, experiment with strong natural (sunlight) or artifical light (torches,
lamps). Create shadows, dark contrasts, silouhettes that evoke a sense of mystery,
intrique, suspense or something sinister.
Venue: In the playground
Materials: A cardboard box such as a crisp box, tracing paper or thin light coloured
paper, or a hanging white sheet, wire, sticking tape and an assortment of objects.
Equipment: Torches or a projector or OHP, digital cameras for capturing, scissors.
Instructions:
Create a screen by cutting a hole in the box just smaller than the piece of tracing
paper (or thin light coloured paper) and then stick this paper over the hole.
Backlit screens using torches or lamps and tell your own murder mystery story in the
form of a shadow puppet show. Create cardboard or wire figures and use everyday
objects as props. Anything with a strong structural shape can be transformed to give
a new meaning, for example, a stapler can become a man eating crocodile! Tell a
story capturing the significant moments with a digital camera.
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General questions to discuss before you visit a gallery
(Photocopy the next three sheets to hand out to students on a gallery visit)
What do we mean by photography?
Where do we see photographs?
What are they used for?
Who takes photographs?
Are photographs truthful or can the camera lie?
General questions to complete during a visit to FORMAT11
Take time to walk around the exhibitions in pairs or as individuals to look at the work
and decide what you think about the photographs.
What technology has been used?
Who made the work?
Who did they make it for, who is the audience?
What was happening before and after this image was taken?
How does it make you feel?
Does the work have a title?
Section 3
If the work has a title does it make you think about the image(s) differently?
How would you describe it to someone later?
Does the photograph make you want to ask questions, if so, what are these
questions?
Is the photograph valuable?
Is the work for sale and who might buy it?
What information is available about the artists?
Who organised the exhibition and selected the work?
What do we mean by Photography?
“The word photography comes from Greek words meaning to write or draw with light.
Photography is a process of making pictures by the action of light. Light is reflected
from an object to form an image on a material sensitive to light.”
Try to imagine a world without photography……….it is very easy to take for granted
the thousands of photographic images we see around us everyday at school, at
home and in the street. We see the images around us and we also take many
images ourselves - in the UK we spend £1,000 million a year on cameras,
processing and films and we take 3000 million photographs each year, it truly is an
integral part of our lives.
A photograph can take many forms from a family memory to work of art, a scientific
record to a piece of forensic evidence, a fashion shot, X-ray or historical document.
These photographs are sometimes priceless and unique, stored in archives or
museums whilst others have no value except as precious memories of important
stages in our lives.
Photography has played an important role in the advancement of science and
medicine, enabling us to see the world around us in stunning images that inspire and
educate us in ways which would have been unthinkable 100 years ago.
As we move through the era of information technology, photography is sure to play a
major part in the way we see, learn and understand the world around us.
Practical Photography - Basic Top Tips for all cameras
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Here are some simple tips that will help improve your pictures. There is plenty
of help on the Internet too, (see the summary of websites in this pack) so
snap away and have fun experimenting with your camera.
1. When photographing people try to make a connection with the person. If
your subject is a child, get down to their level and try different angles and
distances.
2. If you choose a simple, uncluttered background your photograph will have
less distractions.
3. On a bright day you can cut out the shadows on portraits by using your
flash to lighten the face. You may have a choice of fill-flash mode or full-flash
mode.
4. Experiment with using flash on overcast days to lighten people’s faces.
Flash only works when you are close to the subject so don’t try to light up
distant subjects or they will be too dark.
5. Close up photographs are often more interesting. Work out how close you
can get, this is usually about 3 feet away from the subject. People often
naturally take horizontal pictures but try turning the camera on its side or even
taking diagonal shots for interest.
6. An interesting picture can be made by placing the main subject off centre.
To do this first focus on the subject, then hold the focus button down and
move the camera across.
7. Particularly when using a digital camera try using your instincts and snap
away spontaneously to take some unexpected photographs. Try not to over
plan the composition but take risks and experiment more with your angle,
composition and subject.
Photographing people, the basics
Rules for Photographers
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• Some people don’t like having their photograph taken. If you
want to photograph someone close to, ask permission first! Tell
them what the photograph is for, a workshop with QUAD or a
project with your school.
• You can take photographs in the street, but not on private
land (such as somebody’s garden or in a car park).
• If you want to take a photograph somewhere private, like
inside a shop or other building, ask permission from someone
who works there. If they say ‘no’ you must accept this politely.
• Don’t place yourself in any danger. Be careful taking pictures
anywhere there is moving traffic.
Don’t give strangers any personal information about yourself.
• If in any doubt don’t take photographs.
Photographing people, the basics
Most photographs have people in them. Everyone who owns a camera will have
photographed the usual subjects - friends on holiday, family at Christmas, birthday
parties. A common reaction to seeing a snap of your self is “Oh no, look at my
hair/skin/stomach, etc” The purpose of a snapshot is to provide a memory of an
event and the people who were there. A physical likeness is all that’s required to do
this.
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If, however you want to give a certain style or atmosphere to a portrait, for example
to better display the clothes they wear, you will need to think about the photography
more deeply. What are you trying to show?
Even with a basic point and press camera, you can exercise a lot of control over the
image. Digital cameras are good, as you can check your results immediately. Here
are a few suggestions:
Camera Position
Most non-photographers tend to stand when taking a photograph of another standing
person. Taking a picture is a form of social interaction, and when we interact with
people we usually make level eye contact. Try something else. If you photograph
someone from a higher viewpoint, you make the viewer see the subject differentlywhen you photograph someone from above you make them
look smaller, like this:
This would be a good idea if you wanted to make your model
seem vulnerable, innocent or child-like. If you want to make
your subject look taller, then photograph then from a lower
viewpoint. This will also tend to give the model a more
assertive, dominant or
aggressive look.
Composition
All this means is the way you arrange the subject in the
viewfinder. You can choose, for instance, to have the
model surrounded by a neutral backdrop (like the
previous image), or you can crop to have the model
filling the viewfinder, like this:
This creates a more intimate looking portrait, as to take it, you
need to get very close to the model (i.e., within their ‘personal
space’). When you take the photograph, you can think about
body language- not only how you pose the subject, but also
how close you stand to them. You don’t need to have the
subject vertical in the photograph- try tilting the camera for a
diagonal composition.
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Section 3
Use your zoom
A lot of automatic cameras have zoom lenses. This enables
the user to ‘zoom in’ to inaccessible distant subjects (such as
details high up on a building, or lions at the zoo) or to ‘zoom
out’ to photograph in confined spaces (a group of people in a
small room for instance). Zooms have the added effect of
apparently distorting subjects. If you photograph a face close
up with a wide zoom, features become distorted- the nose will
appear larger, and the ears smaller, giving a comic effect to
the portrait.
Using a ‘long’ zoom has the effect of compressing
perspective. This gives a more distant look to a photograph
(e.g. above) and gives the photograph a voyeuristic or
documentary feel.
Lighting
All compact cameras have a built in flash. Flash is bad news
for photographing people. It can ‘wash out’ skin tone. It is
unflattering (think of your passport photograph!). It gives
people ‘red eye’. Unless you want this type of image, it is often
best to use another light source.
Fortunately, most cameras let you switch off the flash. You
can then experiment with other types of lighting- you can take
good portraits by using a desk lamp, or just standing your
subject by a window. By having the light coming from another
direction to straight on, you can completely change the shape
of someone’s face or body. If there is insufficient light to make
a photograph without flash, the camera will compensate by
setting a longer exposure. This can result in a fuzzy picture, as
it is difficult to hold the camera steady for longer than a 30th
of a second.
A photographer will use a tripod to steady the camera. You can rest the camera on a
table or chair-back; even against a wall or pillar. Try and experiment. This
photograph was taken in a darkened room using only one light: This type of lighting,
with strong directional light and deep shadows is called ‘low key’. It tends to look
mysterious and dramatic- it was used to great effect in 1950’s ‘film noir’ movies. It is
also very useful for making someone appear thinner than they really are!
Don’t forget, when you photograph a person, unless they are used to modelling, they
are likely to be uncomfortable in front of the camera. It helps if you can tell them
exactly how to stand and what to do with their hands, etc. You need a clear idea of
how you want the photograph to look.
This becomes easier with practice. It helps if you have looked at lots of other portrait
photography, and if you can apply some of the suggestions given here. Enjoy!
(all images by Jon Legge)
Section 3
A Basic Guide to digital cameras
What is a digital camera?
Digital cameras compose images in the same way as conventional cameras, using a
viewfinder and lens. Unlike conventional cameras, however, digital cameras require
no film. Images are captured electronically and stored as digital files in an internal
memory. These files can be downloaded onto a computer, where they can then be
viewed, manipulated and printed out.
• There are many ways a digital camera can be used in school as an efficient, visual
teaching aid in all areas of the curriculum.
• Images can be viewed and downloaded onto a computer instantly, changed and
manipulated to use in a range of presentation documents.
• It is an inexpensive way to take a number of photographs but only keep the ones
you want.
• The whole photographic process, from recording images to viewing, printing or
presenting, can be carried out quickly and efficiently.
• Images can be easily ‘stitched’ together to create panoramic views.
• Some software packages allow you to add audio commentary
• Pupils can benefit from using digital cameras in many areas of the curriculum. They
can be used to experiment with images in art, to record a science experiment or to
take pictures on geography field trips.
• Digital cameras help students to develop their general technology and graphics
skills, and can be used in their presentations.
In addition
• You will need a high-quality printer to produce your own prints, plus a computer or
card reader.
• Consider how many images you may need to store. Memory sizes differ from
camera to camera and some contain upgradeable memory cards.
• The pixel count will often determine the price of the camera, with more expensive
cameras providing a larger number of pixels.
• As well as the price of the camera, you will need to consider the cost of: additional
memory cards, software for downloading images (this may be included in the
purchase price of the camera), a high-quality printer plus the cost of photographicquality paper and ink cartridges.
Section 3
East Midlands Photography Groups and Resources
The North and East Midlands Photographic Federation serve the photographic clubs
and societies in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.
The following camera clubs can be found on the internet on the Federation website:
http://www.nempf.org
Arnold & District Camera Club
www.arnoldanddistrictcameraclub.org.uk
Ashby Photographic Group
Bakewell Photographic Circle
www.bakewellphotographic.freeserve.co.uk
Barton Photographic Club
Beeston (Notts) Camera Club
www.beestoncameraclub.co.uk
Bolsover Camera Club
www.bolsovercameraclub.org.uk
Chesterfield Photographic Society
www.chesterfieldphotosociety.org
Clay Cross Photographic Society
www.claycrossps.co.uk
Deepings Camera Club
www.deepings-camera-club.co.uk
Derby City Photographic
www.derbyphotos.co.uk/cityphotographic/home.php
Derby Photographic Society
www.derbyphotographicsociety.co.uk
Dronfield Camera Club
www.dronfieldcamera.org
Eastwood Photographic Society
Grantham Photographic Society
www.granthamphotographic.org.uk
Grimsby Photographic Society
www.grimsbyphotographicsociety.co.uk
Horncastle & District Photogaphic Society
www.oscarpix.co.uk/h&dps.htm
Ilkeston Arts & Camera Club
www.ilkestonartsandcameraclub.org.uk
Ilkeston Photo 2000 Club
www.ilkestonphoto2000.com
James Maude Camera Club
www.jamesmaude.org.uk
Keyworth Camera Club
www.pin-point.org.uk
Killamarsh Amateur Photographic Society
www.killamarshphotoclub.co.uk
Lincoln Camera Club
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mike.lincoln
LB Camera Club (Heage)
Long Eaton Camera Club
Matlock Camera Club
www.matlockcameraclub.org.uk
Section 3
Melbourne Photographic Society
www.turnbarrelphotography.com
Melton Mowbray Photographic Society
www.mmps.info
Newark & District Photographic Society
www.newarkphotoclub.com
North East Lincolnshire Photographic Society
www.nelps.org.uk
Nottingham Co-Op Camera Club
www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk
Nottingham & Notts Photographic Society
www.nnps.org
Nottingham Outlaws Photographic Society
www.nops.org.uk
Peterborough Photographic Society
www.peterboroughps.org.uk
Pinchbeck Photographic Group
www.pinchbeckphotographic.co.uk
RB Camera Club
www.rbcameraclub.co.uk
Retford & District Photographic Society
www.retford-photographic.co.uk
Rolls Royce (Derby) Photographic Society
www.markithall.com
Rushcliffe Photographic Society
www.rushcliffeps.co.uk
Scunthorpe Camera Club
www.scunthorpecameraclub.co.uk
Sileby Photographic Society
www.silebyps.org.uk
Spalding Photographic Society
www.spaldingphotosoc.co.uk
Stamford Photographic Society
Warsop & District Camera Club
www.warsopcameraclub.co.uk
Worksop & District Photographic Society
www.worksop-photo-society.co.uk
© 2009 N&EMPF - Site Map
Also see:
www.rpsdigital-em.org.uk
Royal Photographic Society Digital Imaging Group East Midlands
www.picturethepast.org.uk
Historical archive of photographs of the East Midlands
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