Unit 305 Theme 1, Statement of Intent

Theme 1: Social and Documentary

Title: Kingston-upon-Hull, 2010


Professional application of the photography to be undertaken

I would see my images being used for public viewing, in areas such as libraries, colleges, leisure centres or local government offices, to give local people the opportunity to study the environment in which they live day to day.

Reasons for selection of theme (including inspiration from the work of others)

I have recently started spending a lot of time in Hull and have been struck by the diversity of the city culture and the evidence of change from a working port to a modern cosmopolitan city. I would like to try to capture this through my images.

Peter Marshall is an urban landscape photographer who has presented  images of Hull in the late 1970's to early 1980's. Much of the change he recorded is still on-going. I will show my research of his work and my comparative work later in more detail.


The works of the early photography pioneer William Henry Fox Talbot is a terrific inspiration. His photography of over 170 years ago, still stands up as a record of our changing urban landscape. I will research and detail his work in more detail later.


Another urban landscape photographer, Iain Hutchinson is a source of inspiration to me. His candid, less formal approach appeals to me, as it portrays a sense of real, down to earth life life in an urban environment.


The photo imaging equipment and medium that will be used and why

I expect to use two cameras for this part of the assignment.

Firstly, I have a Nikon D3000 DSLR fitted with an 18 - 105 mm zoom lens. The lens is fitted with a daylight filter for protection of the lens. The filter has little effect on the exposure, but serves to stop the lens getting scratched, and easy to remove for cleaning. There is also a removable hood for the lens to reduce the effect of solar flare if necessary. The camera has a built in, flip-up flash and has a 10.2 megapixel CCD sensor. I use 4 Gb SD memory cards to store the captured image. The camera has a built in light meter and can be set to fully manual operation, which means I can take full control of the exposure setting. The ISO value can be set between 100 and 1600, and I can chose whether to use manual focus or automatic focus.

I will also have a tripod to support the camera when using slow shutter speeds, and a remote control to trigger the camera on the tripod to avoid moving the camera when pressing the shutter. I have a view finder cover to stop light entering the camera when it is used remotely on the tripod.

I will expect to use the above equipment for the majority of my images. The camera has a good resolution, which means that the final images can be output  to a good print size. The zoom lens has a wide focal length range which is suitable for close-up or long distance work, without having to carry extra lenses and changing them to get the correct image composition. I prefer to use several memory cards, instead of one of large capacity, in case of card failure, lose or breakage, then I do not have the worry of losing too many images before they can be backed up.

 I also use a high end compact camera, a Canon G7. This is a 10.0 megapixel sensor, which uses the same SD memory cards for image storage. It can also be set to fully manual, has a built in flash and light meter.

I will only use this camera to capture candid images when the sight of the larger DSLR might draw attention to me, such as in a large crowd at a fair or busy market. I will not need the tripod for this camera so I carry it at all times to use to research my assignment and capture any photo opportunity at any time.

As soon as possible after taking images, I download them to a laptop computer and then back them up onto a large capacity external hard drive. This means I always have a copy of the original images and I can easily transfer them to other computers for processing or output.

Finally, I always have a lens cleaning cloth handy and have found through experience that an umbrella is useful to take out on location shoots to keep the lens dry in case of rain.


Techniques that will be used and how they will help convey the visual message


The only things that can be controlled on the camera to take a good picture  are the ISO value, shutter speed and lens aperture, the focal length of the lens and the focus. Different combinations of these settings can be used to convey the visual message. There are a number of other, 'off camera', actions that can also help to do this, so as well as setting the camera's physical values, I shall try to include composition, colour, shapes, patterns, lines, tonal range, framing, Rule of  Thirds, form, focal point and perspective when considering the final image.

• capturing movement by using a slow shutter speed to create blur can add great interest to an urban landscape, showing people walking or traffic moving
• foreground objects can help to frame a scene and give a three dimensional look.
• framing the scene so that it contains a focal point - an object that draws the viewer's eye into the picture.
• placing the focal point off-centre, in accordance with the Rule of Thirds, creates a more pleasing composition.
• placing the horizon a third of the way down from the top or bottom of the frame is usually much better than having it in the middle of the scene.
• scale can often be important to the understanding of a landscape, and can be achieved by including an object of a known size in the scene. People, animals or other recognizable objects that would naturally belong in the scene are suitable for showing scale.
• using a tripod to ensure sharpness, especially in low-light conditions or when a slow shutter speed is required.
• set an ISO value that will permit proper exposure and suitable depth of field. Not forgetting the 'noise' implications of high ISO settings
• keeping the rules of composition in mind when framing a scene. Lines and texture, in particular, can be a strong factor in making an interesting landscape
• changing perspective and getting off ground level by standing on a bridge and shooting down for example, or gaining a higher vantage point by using a multi-storey car park

How light quality can be used to help convey the visual message

Depending on the subject, different light conditions are essential to convey the visual message. Part of my research and preparation will be to use differing light quality to see how I can best make use of it in my images. I am hoping to be able to experiment and try all conditions; sunrise, twilight, bright skies, cloudy conditions, sunset and artificial lighting.


Early morning can give a soft diffused light. An hour or two before sunset can help to capture interesting shapes and textures with the strong lines of buildings in the orange light of a setting sun and create striking images.


Artificial street lighting and signs can give a whole different feel to a street scene and the lights of a fairground helps to capture the motion and excitement of the location.

Grey, misty conditions can show the dreary side of life.


Risk and health and safety considerations


There are obvious risks to health and safety while out and about in locations while taking photographs.


There is a risk to yourself and your equipment and a risk to other persons or property if care is not taken.


I usually go out with another person. Apart from company and inspiration, they can help carry equipment and keep a watch around while I am concerned with the business end of taking pictures. It is also useful if they drive to and from locations as they are less distracted by looking for suitable subjects!


Particular care must be taken when working in unknown locations and inside old buildings where there is a danger of unsafe footing or falling objects. Special care must be taken at night, and a torch is essential.


As Hull is a port, you have to be vigilant when working near water and it is a busy thoroughfare for traffic and attention must be paid to the danger near roads.


Consideration must also be paid to the placing of equipment and tripods as this may cause a nuisance or trip hazard to other people or vehicles. When working from higher aspects such as bridges or multi-storey car parks,  care needs to be taken not to drop equipment or objects to the ground below.


Legal and ethical considerations


It must be remembered that you cannot just go out and take pictures of anything you like. Some locations might be sensitive because of national security. Airports, military installations and stations are just some examples.


Personal property should be respected, this includes buildings, and permission to photograph may have to be obtained from the owner prior to taking pictures.


People are always sensitive to being photographed by strangers, and care should be taken not to be intrusive, and respect the privacy of others.


For legal and ethical reasons, taking pictures of minors should also be avoided unless they are known to you or have been specifically allowed to be photographed.