To
produce a series of typologies documenting the instruments used in the process
of making a cup of tea. This project is aimed to explore identity and
individuality in the sense of the types of cups we use or spoons we buy for
example. The images included for these typologies show a small insight into a
person’s characteristic through objects they use in their mundane routine,
without them their selves being present in the photographs. Not only does this
project explore identity, it also searches into the beauty of the banal.
For
the viewer to focus on the objects rather than the background as well, these
shots will be taken in a studio in order to allow the focal point all on the
objects. From this the objects will be photographed very precise in order to
allow consistency throughout the frames.
For
this project I aim to create four different typologies consisting of 12 images
in order to include a 4x3 design to the work. The reason I have chosen four is
to allow one for each object, those being: Cup, Spoon, Milk and Kettle. As some
of these objects may be identical, it is interesting as to see how much care is
taken towards the objects, for example, the milk cartons could have been bashed
or have marks on them etc. This adds another element into the project in the
sense that the minor details included in the objects themselves are a key
element to allow a characteristic of the objects themselves, not just the
people that use them.
As
this project has British connotations included within, the project is very
fitting with the time, that being the London 2012 games and also the Queen’s
Jubilee. This allows further development on the project in order to search for
many other project prospectuses.
Aims and
Objectives
1. To investigate the objects
documented thoroughly in order to create the best possible shots suitable for
the project title.
2. To look into research deeply
in order to allow a clear and broader understanding of the research collected
for this project.
3. To take into consideration
when producing the shots, the amount of space the object takes up within the
frame.
4. To make sure that the
exposure and lighting is exactly the same in each shot in order to allow a
consistency in the photographs included in each typology.
5. To consider how many photos
are going to be used for each typology.
References
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Bernd and Hilla Becher are part of the most
important influences to contemporary art photographers of today. The typologies
that they produced in the late 1950’s demonstrated an investigation within art
photography using both visual and mental connections to history and the
everyday. The Becher’s work
invites the viewer to compare and study the industrial installations that were
included in the typologies.
The work of the Becher’s relates to that of what I
am going to complete for this project in the sense of the set up of the work,
that being the typologies and the grid formation of them. This allows the
viewer to interact with the work and observe the work for what it is all about.
The precision of the frames is also something in which I aim to carry on
through in my own work. This meaning that the objects will use the same amount
of the frame space up in each shot. This then allows consistency throughout my
typologies.
Penny
Klepuszewska – Living Arrangements
Living
Arrangements focuses upon the home throughout old age. We may all believe
that the home is a shelter, however this work provides an insight as to how
home can become somewhat of isolation in later life. This work provides traces
of activity, allowing the viewer to believe that a person has only left the
scene moments before. Her work suggests an investigation of personality through
objects due to the way in which objects have been left or placed in a
particular way. This work has been included as part of the exhibition in Tate
Britain; How we are: Photographing
Britain.
Klepuszewska has been included as a reference point due to
the providing a sense of identity throughout objects. These two images included
refer mainly to the work in which I am going to produce as the photograph
focuses upon the objects alone within the frames. The lighting she has included
in the images I find to be appealing, as it adds more emotion in the
photographs, allowing an underlying meaning to the work. From Living Arrangements I can take into
consideration the way in which I place the objects and also the lighting that I
include in the frames to give a certain feel to the work.
Martin Parr
Martin Parr’s images of the cup of teas has been included as
a reference point due to the high amount of British connotations included in a
single image. This can be demonstrated not only by the cup of tea, but also the
choice of colours he has included in the frame, those being the colours
included in the British Flag; red, white and blue. The composition of this
photograph I find appealing due to the cup being centralised with a simplistic
background in order for the focus to be all on the cup and it’s contents.
From this photograph Parr has produced the work in which I
aim to create can be related majorly due to the subject matter and also the
high amount of the British connotations included in my work. The work in which
I aim to produce I find is very fitting with this year as not only do we have
the Queen’s Jubilee but also the London 2012 Olympics. It is a year to
celebrate being British.
William Eggleston
The work of William Eggleston, these two
images especially is referenced towards my work due to the choice of angles in
which he has taken the photographs and also the composition of the frames. The
photograph of the child’s tricycle is a main example of this in the sense that
if this were to have been taken from a higher angle the photograph would have a
different perspective and a different feel to the photo.
From these two photos included I can take
into consideration when producing my own body of work the angle in which I
choose to photograph the objects and also think about the perspective in which
I aim to achieve throughout the photographs that I produce. Looking at
Eggleston’s work I can think about the choice of colours which I use and also
the saturation of my images in order to create a certain feel about the project
as a whole.
Peter Fischli &
David Weiss – Quiet Afternoon series
The work of Fischli & Weiss has been included as a
reference point to the work in which I am going to produce due to the way in
which they photograph found mundane objects in front of a dull background. This
relates to my own work due to the background and the set up of the photographs
and also the fact that the objects they photograph are everyday objects. From
these found objects Fischli and Weiss create sculptural forms by fixing and
balancing the objects together, photographing them again dull backgrounds. By
doing this they create a comic like drama to their
images of the temporary sculptures.
From their work I am going to focus upon looking at the
angles in which I take my images in order to give a different perspective on
the work, the lighting used for the frames and also think about how much of the
objects take up within each frame.
Nigel Shafran – Sewing kit Alma Place 2002
Shafrans Sewing Kit 2002 has been included due to the sense of the idea of
photographing the form of daily life. This piece demonstrates an observation of
the forms of our daily lives due to the way in which unconsciously order stack
and display objects. Within his work Shafran resists the need to construct a
scene to be photographed, this meaning that it allows him explore our
characteristics and ways of life on a true level rather than a staged level.
This work has been included as part of the exhibition in Tate Britain; How we are: Photographing Britain.
By exploring identity through objects and including the
environment within the frame the viewer adapts a larger understanding as to the
sort of person that lives in this house. Including objects such as the
television and part of the sofa gives an insight allows the audience to visual
the space within that room also.
Opposing the work in which I am going to produce, I find
that this is a key reference area as he investigates characteristics and
somewhat identity through personal mundane objects. This work also opposes mine
as I will be taking the objects out of their natural environment and placing
them against simplistic backgrounds in order to allow the focus all upon the
object itself. Not only that, but I am going to construct the frames in which I
photograph in order to capture a consistency within the photos.
Keith Arnatt – Tears of Things (Objects from a
Rubbish Tip) 1990- 91
Arnatt’s work
mainly focuses upon images of waste or discarded objects. Throughout Tears of Things Arnatt uses single items
found and places them on a makeshift plinth such as the two included. This work
allows the viewer to observe the detail and beauty within discarded objects. It
also shows the journey that these objects have taken, and also how the objects
have been treated through marks and scratches on them.
The work of Arnatt can be related to that of Klepuszewska Living Arrangements due to the sense
that the objects included in Arnatt’s images give the sense of neglect and
rejection, where Klepuszewska’s work demonstrates isolation and loneliness
within later life.
This
work is a key reference point due to the work focusing upon objects, using
either a plain background or a background that is out of focus, allowing the
interest of the viewer to be on the object included in the frame. The angle of
these images is also an area in which I can take into consideration when
creating my own photographs for my project, due to the amount of frame I use
for the object and also the perspective in which I aim to produce in my project
as a whole.
Tate Britain - How we are; Photographing Britain
In 2007 Tate Britain exhibited British photography looking back to over 150 years ago. The exhibition aimed to show an insight into the history to present day British photography. The work covered 6 different rooms within the Tate Britain where they each produce a visual timeline to the viewer. Each room show work from a set period of the past, for instance room one includes work from the 1840-1900. The media partner for this exhibition was the Observer.
Works included in How we are; Photographing Britain reinforce, contradict and exaggerate the idea of a collective national identity. This is provided by producing mental images to the viewers, both photographical and a range of other media, such as, postcards, family albums, medical images and social documents. In a way it could be said that by combining all these together, it provides information not only to the British but people from other countries how our national identity has changed over the past 150 years.
This theme provides the viewers with a clear understanding and visual narrative of British life. It also demonstrates how the movement of photography has changed both technically and the choice of genres throughout time. It allows links to be made throughout the time periods in the sense that British photography is cyclical. This meaning that photographers of the digital age aren't so different from those of the nineteenth century.
I find that this exhibition is relevant to the work in which I am going to produce due to the fact that two of the artists in which I have initially researched as two reference points towards my work, exhibited here. Not only that, it demonstrates many artists that have photographed around the idea of being British. From this, I am going to look further into the artists that displayed their work within the exhibition in order to create a larger understanding of why they were chosen.
Design Ideas for Typologies
Drawing 1
This is an example of a simple typology in which I would like to create. For this idea I would create a 4x3 grid including twevle photographs the same objects such as the above drawing. For this drawing I would make one for cups, spoons, kettles, teabags and milk. When photographing these objects I aim to document them before use and after to use to capture different effects.
I find that this would work well due to the simplicity and how it would be clean cut, however, I don't find that this design style will work with the meaning I aim to create within my project. Setting the work up this way won't show to the viewer and individual and a personality throughout their personal objects as they will all be on different typologies. The only way to overcome this problem is to locate a set area of the grid to each individual and exaplain that within the written text piece about the work as well.
Drawing 2
From the first drawing I find that this second drawing has developed due to the sense that the viewer has an insight into the objects that each individual owns. This idea is designed to be a series of typologies in the same style as the above, demonstrating the individuality and possibly similarities in which we have, throughout the objects that we own.
I find that this is a definate development from the first initial design idea. Not only that but it isn't obviously emulating the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher so much due to the variety of objects included in the typology.
Drawing 3
From looking at the second drawing in more detail I felt that there was something missing from the typology. In this typology I have included a grid underneath the add a photograph of each individuals cup of tea. I find that this completes the set of each individual, as this is the end result from all the other objects I will be documenting for each person. As with the second drawing a column will be allocated for each individual.
Out of all the above drawings I have created for my typology design ideas, I find that the last drawing will be most beneficial for the project in which I am going to complete, due to the fact that it allows the viewer to compare each individuals objects with others included on that typology.
This third typology allows the viewer to witness the end result from the use of these objects, which will be interesting due to the fact that people all have their tea a different strength and also fill the cups up at different levels. When shooting the photographs I need to take into consideration the angle in which I shoot them all, as i wish the angle to be the same for all of the photographs in this series of work. Another reason for this is also in order to document the stength of tea and also how much the individual fills the cup.
For these typologies I need to think about what objects I am going to put next to each other so that there is a flow within the work and doesn't look totally random. I also need to think about colours that will sit next to each other.
Photoshoot 1
For this shoot I have focused upon some of the instruments included in the process of making a cup of tea, taking these out of their natural environment and shooting them in a plain background. This is what I wish to produce for the typologies.
With these images I have chosen two different angles in which to photograph these objects to show two perspective towards the project. As these photographs demonstrate clearly my outcomes of what I aim to achieve throughout this project, I find that the photographs are lacking a personality in them. This is due to the fact that the photographs are too bland.
Looking back at the reference points Keith Arnatt's work and Fischli and Weiss' work are vital key reference points for these images I have produced so far. This is due to the way they have been shot in the sense of the bland backgrounds and also the depth of field chosen in the photographs.
Martin Parr's single image of the cup of tea is an area in which I aimed to a key reference for this project. From the images of the first shoot this reference is no-where near a key reference to the work in which I am producing for this module. Parr's image has many British connotations situated within it, from the colour choices included in the frame, to the type of table cloth used on the table, to the china cup used in the photograph.
From this shoot, I find that there is a large amount of development that can be done to make this work have more personality within it. Within this development process I am going to try and achieve an exciting project in which an audience would enjoy to look at and also allow time to understand the meaning behind the idea of the work.
History of tea
It can be seen that throughout modern day Britain a cup of tea is a necessity of the everyday life in a way that it could be argued that it is part of many of our mundane routines. This however was not always the case, as tea was once considered to be somewhat of a luxury, which only the rich could afford. Over the many hundred years that tea has been introduced to our society there have been many debates as to whether this warm drink is bad for our health, and only recently has it been recognised that our national drink is considered to have health benefits rather than defecits.
Tea was originally established in Britain from the influence of Catherine of Braganza, Queen to Charles II. Originating from Portgual, she introduced tea-drinking in the English Royal Court in the 17th Century. From there on it became somewhat of a fashion throughout middle classes in London coffee houses where wealthy men met to do business.
Due to the expense of tea, it was largely only drank to those situated within the wealthier households over Britain. Women in these households would gather for tea parties, using instruments such as delicate china cups and pots, silver kettles and beautifully carved tea tables. During the 17th Century is was very rare for milk to be added to the cup of tea.
It can be seen that throughout modern day Britain a cup of tea is a necessity of the everyday life in a way that it could be argued that it is part of many of our mundane routines. This however was not always the case, as tea was once considered to be somewhat of a luxury, which only the rich could afford. Over the many hundred years that tea has been introduced to our society there have been many debates as to whether this warm drink is bad for our health, and only recently has it been recognised that our national drink is considered to have health benefits rather than defecits.
Tea was originally established in Britain from the influence of Catherine of Braganza, Queen to Charles II. Originating from Portgual, she introduced tea-drinking in the English Royal Court in the 17th Century. From there on it became somewhat of a fashion throughout middle classes in London coffee houses where wealthy men met to do business.
Due to the expense of tea, it was largely only drank to those situated within the wealthier households over Britain. Women in these households would gather for tea parties, using instruments such as delicate china cups and pots, silver kettles and beautifully carved tea tables. During the 17th Century is was very rare for milk to be added to the cup of tea.
Many people did not find this drink appropriate for that of the working classes during the 18th and 19th Centuries due to the fact that the drink may be injurious to their health. With this in mind this would have a large impact on the businesses in which the wealthier business men ran due to their dependance on the working class in their factories.
From this debates began to arise from people such as Jonas Hanway and Samuel Johnson. Hanways debate was in order to demonstrate that tea was an injurious beverage not only to the working class but also to the female population as a whole. He believed that drinking tea had the risk of ruining the nation, due to the poor mothers were dying younger due to drinking more tea 'liquid- fire' whilst breast feeding their children. Within his debates he also urged that the richer society should give up drinking tea in the hope that the working class would follow their footsteps, whose labour Britain depended upon.
Johnson (journalist for Literary Magazine) disagreed with that of what Hanway was saying however, he suggested within his writings that rather than blaming ill - health on tea, consider the diets that society was having and also the amount of exercise they were doing. Not only this but he demonstrated that tea- drinking was a way of bringing people together, which in some aspects made communities work together. Johnson saw the way that many modern day tea- drinkers see the beverage as, a wat of getting together and having a gossip and a laugh.
The temperance movement came into action, which aimed to stop people having a high intake of alcohol. This movement was so successful, that businessmen found a gap in the market and opened cafes and coffee houses that sold non-alcoholic drinks to the public. From the growth of opening cafes and coffe houses, came the growth of employment opportunities within the pottery and porcelain industry, with such companies as Wedgwood, Spode and Royal Doulton.
These cafes and coffee shops became a popular pastime for women in the 19th Century. As tea was becoming more popular throughout many classes of society, it was drunk at many regular intervals throughout the day.
By the 1860s afternoon tea had become very fasionable as a social occasion for the wealthier. Tea was drunk from the best china cups and small nibbles were presented perfectly on little china plates such as, scones, bread and butter or sandwiches with the crusts removed.
At the beginning of the 20th Century the importance of tea to the British society was at large, which was acknowledged by the governemtn during the First World War. Throughout both World Wars the government ordered that the reserves in stored in Lodon should be dispersed around the country in the case of bombing. During the period of Wars there was a 2oz rationing on tea per week for anyone over the age of 5 years.
The British love for tea was no further diminsihed by this rationing of the product. Journalist, George Orwell in 1946 published an essay called, 'A Nice Cup of Tea' where he lists his 11 'golden rules' of tea making. Some of these rules can be seen as controversial, however within his essay he offers advice to the public as to how the 2oz rationing can go a long way.
For most of the the 20th Century, the method of preparing tea were still related to some area of snobbery. There is always that debate however as to whether its the 'milk in first or tea in first'? Throughout the years this has become more of a lighthearted scenario due to people having their own preffered way of making their cup of tea. For many centuries tea has been the heart of the British society in bringing people together on social occassions and seeing them through many difficult times. As Samuel Johnson once said,' it amuses the evenings, solaces the midnights and welcomes the mornings.'
From researching the history of tea and how it came over to be the national beverage of Britain, it has allowed me to consider the way in which I approach this work in order to make the Great British drink come to life and make a stance. From the first photo shoot, I find that this approach is not the way in to complete this idea. Some further development and ideas are yet to be resolved from this research I have looked upon.
Bethan Huws
Bethan Huws uses a range of art within her work, such as watercolours, sculptures, wall texts and installation pieces in order to link together experiences of daily life and her own personal memories and cultural identity. Her main interest throughout her work is to alter the experience of space which is where the wide range of art demonstrates.
The example of her work above was exhibited at Whitechapel, where she titled her exhibition Capelgwyn, which is Welsh for Whitchapel. This demonstrates her individuality and cultural identity throughout her work. The example image of the reed boat could be interpreted in a way throughout the themes time and space. I say this due to the fact that this little boat has the ability to travel each individual off into the far beyond the confined space of the gallery, both physically and mentally.
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From the feedback given I am going to experiment with keeping the cups within their environment, using a variety of different angles in order to show a different perspective for the cups of tea. From these angles I will be able to see which are going to be stronger for the outcome I aim to produce. I am going to photograph the process of the outcome and also the end result of the process.
An idea for this is to photograph the cups looking straight down at the cup using a shallow depth of field to capture the outer ring and it's contents. This is in order to give the viewer an insight as to what it is but not too much. Nicky Walsh in her food photography can be referred back to when thinking about this idea due to the sense of the choice of backgrounds included in the image and the shallow depth of field she creates within her work.
Keeping reference areas, that of Keith Arnatt and his project Tears of Things can also be looked upon due to the shallow depth of field. Not only that but the fact that he photographs discarded mundane objects. This can also be said about Walsh's work due to the subject matter in which she has photographed, also the environment that she creates looks to be a very natural set up, which creates a sort of reality within the images.
This idea is developed more due to the idea of producing these images for a book format. Next to the images in the book additional information, such as a statement or a step - by - step process from the individual who has made that cup of tea will be given next to the image, allowing this project to work as a visual essay.
By doing this, it will allow me to steer away from the idea of creating typologies in the sense of rather emulating the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher, but to take into consideration their work as an influence to the work I am going to complete.
This book format idea is also fitting with theme and areas I want to bring up within my work, as the photographs will still be from a variety of individuals, using their personal belongings and documenting these, however in a different light. The work still demonstrates a persons identity as the photographs will show the viewer how differently people make their cup of tea and also how much they fill their cup up.
Uta Barth
Uta Barth's work examines the assemblages of the presentation within photography. Her two series of works, Ground and Field, both demonstrate blurred images that have been created by focusing the camera on an unoccupied foreground. Barth has created images that only include the background information of a photographic, leaving the image unframed and somewhat empty. This emptiness can be interpreted in the sense that the series is referring to the function of what photographs are, that being containers or collections of information.
The images included in her series of work Ground demonstrate landscapes and interiors referring to the idea of still life photography and painting within them. Her series of work, Field consists of images that question the visual structures that suggest movement or some form of activity within the foreground.
The work of Barth has been included as a reference point to the work in which I am going to complete due the sense of depth of field she has used in these images. Photographs from her series of work Ground I can relate to more than in my project due to the small detail she has captured within the foreground and leaving the background completely blurred. This giving the audience a clue as to her where-about, but not too much for them to know. From Barth's work I can take into consideration the choice of colours in which to use together in order to allow the composition of the photographs to work beautifully together.
Photoshoot 2
In the images above I have concentrated on the idea of shooting the cups from directly above, allowing backgrounds to be included in the images. Not only have I taken photographs of the cups, but also some of the instruments used in the process of making a cup of tea. As well as this I have also taken photographs of the luxuries that some may like to have with a cup of tea, that being biscuits.
In comparison to the first photo shoot, these images provide the viewer with a greater understanding of a person's identity by including the some of the environment in which they use their cups and instruments for the tea making process. By developing this idea, this approach still fits in to the original message i aimed to bring across due to the sense that the work shows a person's identity through mundane objects, but also it shows how individual we are in the way of, how we all like our tea different strengths.
This second shoot has developed this project greatly. This is said due to the photographs becoming more exciting and visually aesthetically pleasing to the viewer. From this photo shoot I am going to carry on with this idea of shooting people's cups from this angle and also the other props required in order to complete the tea making process.
For these photographs I have used a 50mm lens on manual focus in order to capture the shallow depth of field in which I aim to create within these images.
From this second photo shoot and the feedback given it is apparent that this work will work nicely as a book project using photographs such as the biscuit tins and teabag tins as interesting breaks within the book. I am also going to consider the idea of taking statements or writing down stages of how people make their own cup of tea, in order to show another level of individuality between us all.
From the photographs taken so far, I need to consider how much of the frame I use for the cup. When I have decided this, I need to make sure that this is consistent throughout each show to all the cups at the same perspective.
Photo shoot 3 
In this shoot the cups have been taken on a journey of where they may be taken throughout an individuals intimate space, allowing different backgrounds for each cup. The examples oft this shoot above demonstrate different framing, including the shadow and also the lack of the shadow, both internally and externally in their home environment. In this shoot I focused upon two different individuals and concentrating on their environments which they live in.
The stronger images out of the four which I find work the most are the second and third images. This is due to the amount of frame in which they both take. The framing in both is different, however I find these both to wok in the environments in which they are situated in.
From this photo shoot I need to take into consideration the amount of how much the cup uses up within the frame and to keep this framing consistent. Not only this, but also the positioning of the handles and whether these need to stay the same to keep a consistency throughout the work I am producing.
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George Orwell - A nice cup of tea:http://george-orwell.org/A_Nice_Cup_of_Tea/0.html
This is a short personal essay demonstrating the way in which Orwell makes his cup of tea and also his reasoning behind why he does it. Within this text he shows to the viewer his love for tea, showing his side against why people shouldn't add sugar in tea for example. The text piece is quite interesting as for the reader, a sense of personality runs throughout the essay.
From his rules Orwell has included in this essay, he expands them all in order to say why he does it that way and why he doesn't choose to complete his tea making another way. For example, the first rule he demonstrates what type of tea should be used and what shouldn't and also why. Not only is this a step by step guide to his own recipe, he has produced a mini guide to his readers.
This is relevant to the work in which I am producing in the sense of not only does it portray that the British are reknowned for being tea lovers, but this essay shows the way in which an individual creates their brew all the time, 'my own eleven rules, every one of which I regard as golden:'
From this text piece it has allowed me to consider whether the step-by-step process I collect from individuals is quite lengthy, explaining why they do it in such a way or whether to have the pieces short like an instruction manual for instance.
Book Layout
Below I have created initial drawings of some of the pages in which I am going to include within my book for this project. These ideas are just ones in which I believe will work and fit in with the finalised series of work. This is due to develop as this is only my starting point for the book. This development will be shown later on in due course of the project.
As this is referring to including British connotations within the overall project I find that a choice of Serif font should be used in order to provide a sort of classical feel towards the book. This is going to be a part of trial and error however in order to see whether a serif or sans serif style font will work with the overall project.
Photo shoot 4
From this shoot I have mainly concentrated upon the objects as well as photographing two individuals again. In the images of the cups I have varied the framing in order to see what look more aesthetically pleasing as a whole. This is an area I am which yet to understand that are more suitable for the end result.
Looking at the examples of object images, it is apparent that the close ups are stronger. In my personal opinion the image of the teapot and the close up of the biscuits are the strongest, which I find would be interesting images to be used to the full page spreads for the breaks in between the book.
For development on this area of the project I am going to photograph more of a variety of objects in the sense of different styles of objects and also creating a variation in angles in order to have a larger body of images in which to choose from.
Below are quotes and recipes from the individuals in which I have photographed so far. These will come into use when creating the design layout of the book.
Quotes
“Nothing better than coming home and putting the kettle on to have a nice brew.”
“A cuppa see’s you through many emotions, the good, the bad, the happy and the sad.”
“You know your youngest daughter is well trained, when the first question she asks you when coming home from work is, “Should I put the kettle on?”
Recipes
1
Boil kettle, cup out of cupboard, teabag in cup, pour water (slowly), wait – 2 minutes, milk out of fridge, spoon out of drawer, spoon in cup, stir, drain teabag – into the bin, pour in the milk, stir, Ta – Dah!
2
Cups out of cupboard, boil kettle, empty teapot – put warm water into the teapot, 4 teabags in the teapot, milk and sugar in cups, water into teapot, leave to brew, pour into cups, stir
3
Cup, teabag, kettle boil, spoon, milk, pour water, leave to brew, teabag out into teapot, pour milk in stir
4
Boil kettle, cup out of cupboard, teabag in cup, pour water in cup, leave to brew, drain teabag – put in teabag pot, put in 2 teaspoons of coffee mate, stir
5
Kettle , put on boil, cup, teabag, spoon – left of cup, milk left of cup and spoon, fill cup, leave to brew for 2 minutes, drain teabag, teabag in bin, pour milk in, stir
6
Boil kettle, cup, teabag, pour – half way, spoon out, leave for 1 minute, milk, pour plenty of milk in, leave to cool till luke warm
7
Cup out, spoon out – left of cup, milk out – right of cup, 2x sugar, teabag in, pour water, leave for 1 minute, stir, drain teabag, pour milk in, stir again, spoon in sink, 2x hobnob biscuits
8
Boil kettle, spoon, cup (metal cup) & milk out, pour water in, teabag in, 2x sugars, leave for minute and half, pour milk in, drain teabag, stir vigorously, put milk away
From the work I have created so far, I need to carry on the same process, however in different environments and different people. There are some areas which I need to go back at and re-shoot, for instance the biscuit tin and the spoon on the kitchen work surface.
When creating the images I am going to photograph them both with and without a reflector in order to see whether the images are visually stronger with the shadow of the cup or without. I am also going to shoot two ideas in the time remaining for this project, those being the idea of using the cup handles as the hour handles on the clock in order to show an estimate of what time the tea was made, and also the idea of whether the person is left or right handed.
In the area of the statements and processes of tea making, I need to consider the terminology used in them. This is due to the fact that at the minute they are very Northern based. If these where to be kept the way they are, I need to think why and for what reason I have kept them that way.
These photos above have been slightly edited in the sense of changing the brightness and contrast and also the white balance. These images included are the possibilities for final images for the book and the project overall. As the framing is slightly different on these images this is something in which I can go back to and make sure that they are all matching to create a consistency throughout the work.
From looking at these photographs the depth of field included in the above shots of the cups varies. When shooting, I need to make sure that this depth of field is consistent throughout all the shots, and if not create this in the post production process.
Photo shoot 5
Above are some examples of the photos which I have created throughout this shoot. I have concentrated upon shooting cups including the shadow within the frame and also taking this out of the frame by using a reflector. As well as this I have taken into consideration the two approaches, those being whether the individual is left or right handed and the idea of placing the handle as to what hour the cup of tea was made.
Whilst in the process of re-shooting some of the cups I have also taken these into different backgrounds to see which background works better with that cup. In this shoot I have also looked upon some of the objects which are used within the process.
From looking back at this photo shoot I need to take more images of individuals tea and capture some more quotes and recipes of how they make them. Furthermore, I need to consider whether these quotes are going be focused upon the more Northern approach or generalised to the whole of Britain. In the photo shoots to come I am going to take into account the framing of these images and how much the cup takes up of the frame.
Left to take shots of after this are the objects that are going to be used for full page spreads in between the shots of tea. Examples of shots such as a variety of spoons, kettles, teapots and biscuits.
Book Layout
digital example of how i aim the work to be set out
The layout above is an example of how I would like my book to be seen. From this it has become apparent that there is an element missing within the text that sits with the photographs of the tea. I find that it will be interesting to experiment with the use of the individual hand writing the text piece that they have given to go along with the image. This will look more effective and add more personality to the overall project due to the sense that the viewer will have more of an insight to someones identity this way. Referring back to my rational, I wish to explore identity through an individuals mundane objects.
Taking these text pieces into more consideration and the choice of language I use within it, I have decided to stick to a Northern feel to the project. This is due to the fact that this project is quite personal and the individuals that I have photographed are Northern. I find that it could be somewhat of a false advertisement if I relate this project to the whole of the British public due to this project being based around the Greater Manchester area.
Taking these text pieces into more consideration and the choice of language I use within it, I have decided to stick to a Northern feel to the project. This is due to the fact that this project is quite personal and the individuals that I have photographed are Northern. I find that it could be somewhat of a false advertisement if I relate this project to the whole of the British public due to this project being based around the Greater Manchester area.
Above are photographs which I have selected from the fifth photo shoot, and edited them. These are images which I find could be potential final images for the book. In the post production process of this I have altered the brightness and contrast and slightly sharpened them within Adobe Photoshop. I have also altered the white balance. Yet to alter on these images is the cropping of them, as they are al slightly different with regards to the framing of them.
Photo Shoot 6
Throughout this sixth shoot I have concentrated more upon the use of many different individual's and their selected cups in order to create a larger variety of images in order to look upon. Throughout this shoot I have also taken into consideration the surroundings available to me in order to select a background which will be fit with the cup in terms of composition and the way in which certain colours will work well together, for example the silver cup with the dark green background I find to be very effective.
From this shoot and also from the feedback session it has demonstrated that within the photographs that I take I need to concentrate strongly on getting the rim of the cup and its contents and also the handle in perfect focus, as the ones which are perfectly in focus at the moment are the images which are working better as a series.
In my next photo shoot I am going to re-photograph some of the individuals which I have photographed in this shoot and also look upon some more shots of the objects in which are used in the process of making a cup of tea.
From this shoot and also from the feedback session it has demonstrated that within the photographs that I take I need to concentrate strongly on getting the rim of the cup and its contents and also the handle in perfect focus, as the ones which are perfectly in focus at the moment are the images which are working better as a series.
In my next photo shoot I am going to re-photograph some of the individuals which I have photographed in this shoot and also look upon some more shots of the objects in which are used in the process of making a cup of tea.
Photo shoot 7 - final photo shoot
Within this photo shoot I have focused both upon the objects that are included in the process of making a cup of tea and also some cups which I have re-shot as well. I have also photographed new cups and individuals due to the off chance of seeing them. Below are some examples of the work in which I have concentrated upon which I have left un-edited.
As this is going to be my last photo shoot I am going to look throughout the process of all my shoots to see which I find are liable for the end result of my project and fit well with the criteria of what my project is documenting. These will then be put into a blurb book which I will upload as part of the end result along with the photographs of the cups of tea and also the pieces of text that go along with these.
Edited images of final possibilites
From all the images in which I have taken throughout this project, and from all the development that has occured throughout, these are the final images which I am going to select through in order to produce my book. I have included both the cups and the images of the objects which will later be double page spreads in the book. These have all been chosen due to the fact that I believe these demonstrate the themes which I have explored throughout this body of work strongly.
From all the images in which I have taken throughout this project, and from all the development that has occured throughout, these are the final images which I am going to select through in order to produce my book. I have included both the cups and the images of the objects which will later be double page spreads in the book. These have all been chosen due to the fact that I believe these demonstrate the themes which I have explored throughout this body of work strongly.
Text pieces
Above are a few examples of the written text pieces which I have scanned in for the book. These have yet to be altered and also need resizing in to a 300 dpi for the book in order for them to be more resolved than these examples. I find the range of handwriting interesting and possibly raises the project up a step due to the viewer being provided with more personal information about the individual that has had their objects photographed. By including handwriting from the individual's it creates more of a personality to the work and more of a reality in the way that it demonstrates that people have participated within the project.
The final quotes and recipes will be uploaded further on in the project when the book layout is complete. Then it will be visible to see how these work with the project as a whole.
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Below is the Introduction of what I am going to include within my book. I find that this fully explains what the work is all about and isn't too complex to understand for the audience.
Time for Tea is a
documentary style based project which investigates identity, focusing upon our
own process of making our national beverage, ‘a cup of tea’. The photographs in
Time for Tea document the variety of strengths
of tea and differentiation of how far we fill our cups. The individuals Katie
has worked with are left anonymous throughout this process due to the interest of
focusing upon their mundane objects.
A selection of twelve images has been chosen as a part of Time for Tea. Six of these are above
shots of the cups of tea. The other six refer to objects which can relate to the process of making a
cup of tea. These are double page spreads in the book in order to demarcate the
book.
In addition to these images handwritten text pieces have
been included on the left hand side of the page to accompany the photographs of
the cups. These text pieces are either quotes from the individuals about their
thoughts on tea, or their own step-by-step way of making their version of the ‘cup
of tea’.
Time for Tea
allows us to reflect upon how we are all unique from even the simplest of tasks
which we all the tea-lovers out there do on a day-to-day basis.
As we are well into 2012, this year is all about being
British and celebrating this due to the Queen’s Jubilee firstly, Secondly, the
London 2012 Olympics are right around the corner also. Time for Tea can be seen to be fitting with the present day.
Text pieces
Whilst scanning the recipes and quotes in from people I found that the sanner was missing of parts of the text. To overcome this problem I have decided to photograph these text pieces instead. Not only do I have all the information on, but they are resolved better as well. From photographing them, it allows me to enabled the colour of the pen they used as well. Below are the examples of some of the photographed text pieces.
Whilst scanning the recipes and quotes in from people I found that the sanner was missing of parts of the text. To overcome this problem I have decided to photograph these text pieces instead. Not only do I have all the information on, but they are resolved better as well. From photographing them, it allows me to enabled the colour of the pen they used as well. Below are the examples of some of the photographed text pieces.
Final book layout -
upload, comment upon,
upload, comment upon,
Final images
upload
summary of overall work
how would this work be displayed if it was to be exhibited?
