The next body of work I want to look at is Janette Beckman's project from the 1970s-80s documenting the rise of the punk scene in London. I wanted to look at this project as I feel I could take a lot from it in regards to what I enjoy shooting and the kinds of people I want to work with and I think Beckman's images are full of characters and are extremely interesting to look at.
This a photo taken in Streatham of a 'group of mods' in 1979, I chose to look at this image as I love how you can see all these different people tied together by the way choose to dress. The photo has been taken with a wide lens, this allows Beckman to get close up and still fit everything in the frame. She has positioned the people in the centre of the frame and is shooting from slightly below eye level. Beckman has 'framed' the group using the tree on the left and the lamppost on the right which clearly directs the viewers eyes to the centre. Beckman has also used both the aperture and exposure to make sure your eye goes straight to the group of people, she has shot with the lens wide open making the tree and background mess out of focus and less distracting whilst over exposing the image and blowing out the sky to further get rid of any background distraction. Increasing the exposure also allows for the details in the dark clothes of the people to stand out more. Despite the image being exposed for the darker parts it does not lack in contrast and has every tone from solid black to pure white, this is part down to the the light the photo was taken in. The image was shot on a bright overcast day which you can tell due to how soft the shadows are underneath the people and bike and may have been another reason Beckman decided to blow out the highlights as a grey sky can become dull and boring.
The next photo I am looking at is of a pair of identical twins dressed the same and in the same pose, which is why I wanted to look at it as I love how symmetrical the photo is. The photo has been taken with a standard lens quite close to the subject and has been shot from waist level. The light is soft and I'm guessing the image was taken in the shadow of the building the two people are stood in front of. The photo has both contrasty bits, like the mens clothes, but overall the image is quite flat however I think this 'flatness' adds to the two dimensional, unnatural feel of the image which I like. The image was taken on a dull, overcast day which is common in the UK and adds to that 'flatness' the exposure is balanced well with all detail visible in the subjects whilst keeping the sky exposed well. I really like how Beckman has positioned these two people against a background with lots of horizontal lines as it makes them stand out even more the only other vertical lines in the image, the sides of the garage door, are used to frame the men showing the viewer clearly what they are supposed to be looking at. I really like the symmetry this adds to the already identical subjects and id like to explore symmetry and pairs in more of my work.
This image I chose because I like the way that all the people in the photo are interacting with each other and that nobody has clocked/ looked at the camera. I really like that fly on the wall feeling the photo has. The has been taken using a standard/wide lens shot with a mid range aperture under soft light. The light is soft as there aren't any harsh shadows produced by the people in the frame, however you can see in the background that it was sunny. this makes me think that the image was taken under the shade of the trees/ buildings around them. The background is slightly blurred out but mostly the image is sharp front to back this is a result of using a mid range aperture and ensures that all the people in the photo are sharp. The photo was taken at eye level and has been framed so that you see part of everyone in that group, not one person is looking at the camera I like the way them interacting with each other adds more detail and things to look at. I also think by not including many faces Beckman has created the sense of unity between these people and within their subculture.
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