Tuesday, 30 April 2013

Assignment #2 research: Environmental Portraiture

As I have a very limited amount of experience working with people, especially the public, I decided to research into environmental portraiture. I found an interview with New York based photographer Tony Gale, which partly focused on his work in environmental portraits. The following quote stood out to me especially...
Interviewer: 'What is appealing to you about taking portraits, or more specifically, an environmental portrait?'
Interviewee: 'I like meeting and talking to people from diverse backgrounds. There is something about meeting people in person that you don’t get from an email or a phone call. And in the case of an environmental photo, you can see people in their own element'

I have often been reluctant to approach the public for means of photography, as I am wary that the majority of people would reject my request. This brief however, gave me the opportunity to overcome these reservations and to experiment with a type of photography I haven't before. The above statement from Gale, sums up why I felt it was important to chose the 'Shop Local' brief as to engage in environmental photography. People in their work place, in a business they own, demonstrates their passions in life and personal interests. 
Another interesting writing I found was an extract from 'Essential Portrait Photography Tips E-book', which was a very personal insight into environmental portraiture. The writer, Darren Rowse, gives the following pointers as to why he prefers environmental portraits to posed or purely documentary shots...
'-they give context to the subject you’re photographing.-they give points of interest to shots (something you need to watch as you don’t want to distract from your subject too much.-they help your subject relax.-they often give the viewer of your shots real insight into the personality and lifestyle of your subject'.
These points have given me a new viewpoint to environmental portraiture photography and made me more enthusiastic about this brief. I have then undergone some photographer research to gain artistic inspiration.
Jonathan Bielaski: 
 


Bielaski's images are very striking, dramatic images that seem to depict people in their workplace. He has a current personal project named 'For the love of it'...

'A Study of the Relationship Between Who You Are and What You Do.

Jonathan Bielaski has embarked on a new journey. We are seeking out the most interesting individuals that we can find. We want to know who they are, what they do and where their life has taken them. Young & Old; Blue & White Collar; City & Country; etc. it does not matter. If you LOVE what you do and it is a true reflection of who you are, then we want to photograph it.'“If you’re going to build something, build it right.” Name: Stephen Milton Location: King City, OntarioOccupation: Master Gunsmith Stephen Milton is pretty sure his parents thought he was a proper nuisance as a child. He always took anything mechanical apart to figure out how it worked.  Before he put it back together he would always make at least one adjustment to improve it. Besides fiddling with mechanical things, Stephen drew, painted and had a passion for shooting.  Growing up in the U.K. countryside, he often hunted birds and rabbits.  He was also fascinated with the inner workings of fine shotguns and rifles.  His appreciation for art led Stephen to admire the beauty of fine shotguns and rifles.  As a mechanical engineering apprentice, he amazed many of his mentors with how quickly he could solve problems.  But Stephen missed working with guns, so he took a five-year apprenticeship with a gunsmith and eventually decided to branch out on his own as a freelancer.  He made parts and repaired shotguns and double-barrel rifles for established companies before he emigrated to Canada to start his own business, Precision Arms & Gunsmithing Ltd.  His quality craftsmanship quickly earned him customers. There’s fine detail in every piece that Stephen uses to build the guns – there’s no “close enough” – everything must be precise down to the moisture content in the wood. It doesn’t stop there. Stephen doesn’t just care about the mechanics of the gun, it has to be built beautifully. Form and function are married together in Stephen’s guns. He loves seeing the finished product and the appreciation of it in the faces of his customers.  Stephen can’t imagine doing anything else, and he believes that everybody should love what they do. He believes that doing something that you don’t love that pays more is wasting life, and in life sometimes you just have to create your own benefits.

“I honestly wouldn’t feel like myself if I was doing something else”Name: Mike CollinsLocation: Hamilton, Ontario and wherever his plane takes himOccupation: Pilot for the U.NMike started flying at the age of 15 because it’s is what he was born to do, at the age of 5 he had already decided that he was going to be a pilot and couldn’t stop talking about airplanes and flying.  I asked Mike if he could see himself doing anything other then flying. He said “I honestly wouldn’t feel like myself if I was doing something else”.Mike managed to get a flying scholarship through the Air Cadets and completed his glider license. Before he was flying for a living he was in the military as an infantry soldier and also worked at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. Even when he was doing those jobs though, he really did just feel completely out of place. He eventually was only doing those jobs so that he could save enough money to put himself through flight school.The reason Mike chose to work for the U.N was because it would be something completely unique. He gets to see things that 99% of the population watch on T.V or just read about. Things that the average person may not be able to handle or want to handle. He flies to places like Darfur, Sudan. Just as we were talking through email about this project he had flown over a Volcano in Goma, D.R.C. Mike is normally based out of Congo and spends two months there and then 2 months at home and then back to the Congo.It’s not an easy job, he says that “sometimes you feel like you’re trying to put together one complete life with two halves that don’t always fit”. It is also hard to always be living out of a suitcase, in different beds, constantly moving around and missing those close to your heart. It can be very difficult, but with the right amount of balance and the right people surrounding you, it can work.Mike finally feels that he is exactly where he is suppose to be in life and is doing what he was meant to do. Photography: Jonathan Bielaski Environmental Portraiture

“If you want to learn how to do something, you just have to do it.” Name: Mike Silva Location: Kitchener, Ontario Occupation: Hardscape Technician School wasn’t Mike Silva’s thing. After he finished high school, he started working in a bakery, but he really just wanted to be outside. Some time working with an asphalt company helped Mike realize that he loved construction. Hands-on training as a welder/fitter earned Mike a job in the automotive industry. After six years, Mike’s job was cut and he returned to the asphalt business. On the interlock crew, Mike started offering suggestions on how to do things differently and more efficiently. New ideas weren’t welcome. Mike didn’t really think about his next step, he just did it: he quit and started his own company Platinum Stone Design. Two months later, he subcontracted the company he left. With a new business, Mike suddenly discovered a love of learning. From books to Google, he found design inspiration and instruction. He learned even more about masonry and stonework, and added new knowledge of woodworking and plants. Mike’s desire to take a design and make it even better made for long days. He’d work until 10 pm on someone’s backyard and then go home and think about new designs – he even taught himself how to develop full design renderings. Manufacturers chose Mike as a contractor of choice to install their products after he became a certified interlocking pavement installer. As a hardscape technician, Mike concentrates on the structural part of backyards. But it’s seasonal work. The coming winter makes fall a tough time to stay motivated. That’s why Mike encourages his team, and himself, to take courses, focus on design and work on marketing. Mike would rather have his phone ring than make cold calls. His honesty and obvious joy for his work quickly convinces clients that he can help them make a lifestyle change. Mike wants them to enjoy the process and then come home and relax in the environment he creates. He knows his clients are making a big investment and wants them to love the results. It drives him to be the best at what he does. To help make his clients’ dreams a reality, Mike looks for inspiration online, in art books and even searches for ideas while travelling. He loves the creativity and that he never knows who he’s going to meet. His ability to make clients comfortable sparks a chemistry that develops into a beautiful backyard and makes every project a success. http://www.platinumstonedesign.ca Photographer: Jonathan Bielaski Writer: Jodi Szimanski

Whilst his images are very striking, they are also very posed. I do not think I will be able to pose the shop owner I end up photographing, but will definitely keep this photographers work in mind when I come to shooting. 


http://www.jonathanbielaski.com/

http://blog.photoshelter.com/2013/03/tony-gales-tips-for-environmental-portraiture/

http://digital-photography-school.com/environmental-portraits

http://www.sekonic.com/whatisyourspecialty/photographer/videos/location-environmental-portrait-photography.aspx

http://www.jackiealpers.com

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