Portrait of a Cyclist (first draft see page at top of blog for full updated version)

Portraits of a Cyclist

Specialist Production

BA Applied Media

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BA Applied Media

Specialist Production – Proposal

Portraits of a Cyclist

Jason Hoole-Jackson

Photography in terms of portraits have influenced how we think and view class, race, identity, cultural identity and gender.

My proposal for my Specialist Production is to capture a subject in a series of portraits and of its participants that are part of my daily life, be it taking part in the activity itself or discussing various issues about it and is very personal to myself cycling.

I have throughout my life taken part in various activities. Running, swimming, rugby, however none of these seem to have such a diverse base of different cultures within them or had such an influence on my day to day life as cycling has. Photographic portraits have also become part of my daily routine be it be frequently posting ‘selfies’ on face book of me doing something bike oriented such as turbo training

My aim is to endeavor to capture the subject’s passion for cycling and the relationship between them and their bike. If you cycle as much as I and other enthusiasts, a bond is formed between you and the bicycle. You could say humanizing it, strange but true for most of us. It is something I have also wanted to do and ideas for the content came from seeing other cyclist as I tour the countryside on my bicycle.

                                                             

Or friends and family enjoying themselves in the hobbies they love too.

So the idea is to combine both of these to produce portrait photographs for the final exhibition.

I am what has been described (rather cruelly I feel) in the tabloid press as a MAMIL. A middle aged man in lycra and a menace to society if you believe some articles. But if you look closely there is a wide diversity of people who ride bikes, and varying cultures who don’t all see eye to eye.

It is these riders and the lycra clad cyclist whose portraits I would like capture and then produce into a series of photographs for the exhibition. I will also include an online blog diary as well as a website to promote the work and document my progress. 

Research will include studying sports portrait photographers such as Walter Loose who has spent most of his career photographing the world’s most famous sports stars. It will also include acclaimed portrait photographers such as Philip Halsman and his series ‘Jump’, Julius Born and his ‘Texan portraits’ and Andy Hughes’ ‘Grom’. These will not be the only areas of research others will be included in a diary and work book as I carry out more research. I will also look at less successful portrait projects. For example the American Olympic Team for the 2012 games, which were widely criticized and met with derision when unveiled to the American public.

Contextually comparison will be made in my research of the early portraits and how these were exclusive to the very rich and nobility until the invention of the camera.

With rapid advances in the technology surrounding photography including the likes of collodion process, (this leading to a gelatin based silver bromide emulsion applied to a glass plate) would revolutionise the medium within its very short lifetime, eventually leading to the process of roll film being developed by George Eastman and his production of a mass produced camera the Kodak Box Brownie. With this, photography became a more accessible form of portraiture to the populous.

I will also explore how the digital age has opened up a whole new audience. With digital cameras now incorporated in most of our phones and gadgets, a whole new army of amateur portrait photographers are uploading their pictures to the web on social networking sites such as face-book for all to see. How there are also the hidden camera’s that capture our portrait wherever we go, it is inescapable and relentless. These images are recorded minute by minute and give a wide view of portrait photography through all walks of life.

I have decided that the portraits will be shot using a large format Camera using colour film. This is because I want to be able to print them for exhibition as large as I can. This idea comes from looking at the old masters portraits hanging in our stately homes and castles as its something that I have always wanted to try and by using large format it will also give me the quality at these sizes I require. I will also be photographing the persons riding their bikes, which will require me to shoot digitally allowing me to compare analogue with digital.

The equipment that I will use is the colleges, Shen Hou 5x4 large format camera with a 150mm lens and my 5D mark 2 using a variety of telephoto and fixed lenses for the action shots.

The challenges involved include approaching strangers to ask them if they would mind taking part and posing for a portrait. Then the conflict between people I know within the cycling community on why I have chosen one over another for the portraits, more so with retail outlets I use. The technical challenges associated with using a large format camera, including carrying it, if the location is a long distance from transport, setting it up and the time it takes to take the picture loading and developing the dark slides.

Primarily this is a portrait project but by wanting to shoot in 5 x 4 format so I can get the sizes I want and comparing it to the large portrait paintings from history I want them to become, works of photographic art as well.

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Proposal Presentation

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Josh 5 x 4 - 30/5.6

Josh 5 x 4 - 15/5.6

This pictures have been taken with a large format camera - developed in the collage dark room and then scanned into the computer using an Epson scanner.

If you look at the area around the bike it gives a slightly blurred effect almost a shift and tilt effect which makes the face of the subject stand out more drawing the viewer more to that area. At the time I of taking the picture I didn't notice that I had not quite done up the lens at the bottom which gave the effect a happy accident you may say the only problem is replicating it

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Josh

 Background not great helmet does not look right done up

Looks so much better with the helmet undone

All these portraits have been taken using the 5D Mk 2 with a 50mm lens

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Lewis

Err the I'm a little teapot look got to check the pose when shooting

5 x 4

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Julian

Go Pro

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The Early Birds

Me setting up the large format 5 X 4 Black and White film

Ryan

Richard

Phil

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Going Digital

Nikon D800E 50mm prime lens

Trying out different poses to find the one that will be best for the exhibition and what I am trying to portray

Phil

Richard

Ryan

 This is close to where I am aiming for 

Phil Again

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Dales

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The Green Machine

One idea was to take the rider out of the portrait and just photograph the bike

I also then added clothing to give more of the personality of the rider without them being there

This angle I love I believe it adds a certain personality to the bike itself 

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Dave 

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Sam

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Kym

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Penny

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Nicola

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Heidi

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Andy

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Edwina

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Sophie

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Lisa

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 Sam shoot 2

Unhappy with the first shoot went for another go today 22-4-14

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