Context
large format (5x4), 135mm lens, fuji 64T, f32, 16 minute exposure.
This image is the first proper one in my current project of ' Place', and the whole ambiguity that you'd expect from such a brief. I, personally, thought i would start by looking at how locations and place define what you wear, how you act in them (e.g you wouldn't wear a clown costume to the graveyard attending a funeral), etc. It's a difficult idea to conceptualise properly, as i'm not talking about the literal, real life connotations of what would actually happen were, for example, the clown costume scenario to occur. Neither am i noting the reactions of the public, as i would were it to be a social experiment of sorts. Instead, i was intent on creating a purely artifical image, a 2d image constructed to portray a point (if indeed one arose other than that such a thing would be regarded as inappropriate), and to make the viewer question the subject matter (i.e. "why DO places, objective locations as such, seem to impose a set of rules and codes upon us as to what we can and cannot wear etc? is it merely a social construct? where does it come from?").
Therefore, the images created would be entirely from my point of view. I intended/intend, say, to use several models in the scene, along with the focal point of the innaporopriately dressed or behaved individual, reacting in the way that i would expect people to react were they confronted by the sight in question. But does this lay far too much faith in my own interpretations and assumptions of ' people'? I'm no sociology or psychology student, this isn't a field i've studied in any great detail, so perhaps my images would simply be naive constructs, in no way baring any relation to what would happen? Does this even matter? Could i merely allow them to be simplified visions of my expectations, reduced to their core punctum effect?
I honestly don't know yet, this is only the first photo.
But i find it interesting that, rather than fulfilling my intention when going into this shoot of juxtapositioning my more expensive-ish, fashionista type clothes (i'm not a fashionista, i'd like to add, the coat in question is one of only two remotely expensive items of clothing i own) with the derelict surroundings by posing with a cigarette in a relaxed manner, i fit rather staggeringly well into the whole sombre mood of the image. This is partly due to the shadows i chose to sit in (when possible, in the shadows is definately the best place for my face to be, photograph wise), and partly due to the extremely long exposure meaning that i'm blurred and dreamlike. Whether or not you read this as 'ghostly, as if haunting the old building while waiting to move on' or some other somewhat religious or supernatural interpretations, depends entirely on your history and pre-existing beliefs i guess. It has, at least right at this moment, taken me in a somewhat different direction to what i'd originally planned, but that's fine, it makes the project more interesting if i don't even really know where i'm going with it myself.
Finally, before anyone asks, the building itself is an old abandoned pub we got into, at about 3 or 4am, near where i'm currently living. I won't say what it's actually called for obvious reasons. At one point i edged nervously to open a fridge with my foot because the curiosity of whether there was anything morbid inside was too much for me to bare, when a pidgeon chose that moment to notice us and freak out, flying off and making a load of noise, and scaring the living shit out of me in the process hahah.
Anyway, hope you like.