"Heroin At Nevertell"

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lukewoodford

FYI, I am Luke Woodford.....by Luke Woodford
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Luke Woodford
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A few months ago I was sitting in my room thinking about photography. I constantly want to push myself and be creative, that’s the fun for me. Also I want to become known worldwide eventually, theres absolutely nothing wrong in aiming as high as possible in life, you only get one shot after all, and if I don’t then I will of had a hell of a lot of fun trying. I just enjoying trying.

So i’m realistic, there are thousands and thousands of photographers out there that are amazing and havn’t made it. There are also some not great ones who have. I decided I wanted to do something to try and stand out from the crowd, in life I believe you can’t wait for doors to open, you have to get out there and go knocking. So I thought to myself what it something that will make you stand out about from trying to make each piece of work as good as it possibly can be which I do anyway? Something controversial is always good to get people talking, and then I thought whats a controversial subject? Drugs. And then I thought whats one of the hardest drugs? Heroin. So that’s what I decided to roll with, after all i’ve got my whole life to create other stand out from the crowd pieces and drugs is something I feel strongly about anyway.

So I put this idea to two of the people I really wanted to work with and they both loved it so I knew I was on the right path. I wanted Tamara Crockett for make-up as I am such a massive fan of her work. I first noticed her work when I saw her amazing body paint in the photo that won Profession Photographer Of The Year in Professional Photographer Magazine last year. To have her say she loved the idea and wanted to work with me was awesome. The team evolved into 9 people which in itself I was very proud to have put together that and these people had faith in me just because they liked my work and the idea.

The initial idea was to have one model with strong poses with a needle and belt in an abandoned building, like the ones you will see of the model in the black dress. With my crazy brain though the idea developed quite a bit, I have no idea how but it came to me to get a baby involved, I knew this would push the boundaries a bit. I loved the idea but I knew I had to not get to carried away so I rang the stylist Simon Webster and told him, he said go for it so with his backing I did. The most important thing all along though was to make sure 100% that we weren’t promoting the drug and we made sure we didn’t.

On the day we did have a few setbacks, we shot in an abandoned building so we needed a generator. Unfortunately when we got there the one I got decided not to work. This delayed us by over an hour which meant the rest of the shoot was a bit rushed, i’m a natural light photographer, one of the down sides is that time setbacks can really affect a shoot. I’m very happy with the overall outcome but ideally we would have liked another half an hour to play around with the family shots. It’s just one of those things though.
We went for three scenes- boyfriend and girlfriend jacking up with baby plaing on the floor, fashion type model and then more of a glamour type look. The other thing i’m proud of in myself is getting my vision onto an image. Usually it mostly happens but it changes a bit, this time I actually got exactly what I was going for which was good.

Overall i’m not sure I pushed the boundary that much, some people say I really did, I mean there is a baby playing while two people are jacking up, but on the other hand some people will think it’s tame. I think I did it just right, id like to push the boundaries further in the future, but this will do for now.

Thanks for reading and I hope you like the images, I know some of you won't like them lol. They arent perfect but I happy happy with the outcome.

Here is one and the rest are on Flickr- http://www.flickr.com/photos/lukewoodford/sets/72157624594021893/

Photographer: Luke Woodford
Styling: Anne Power
MUA: Tamara Crockett
Hair: Simon Webster
Models: Tess Dimon and Lewis Black


HEROIN080-1.jpg
 
A strong set of images mate but I need to be honest.....loose the hype next time! :D I like the set, it's disturbing, but your other thread had be wanting something breathtaking!
G.
 
It's a fantastic idea technically great and very well put together(y)(y)

The only problem for me it the guy looks like a pop star and she looks like a model. They don't have the look of real junkies and imo, they look out of place in the squalor you are trying to depict, which is a pity as you've obviously put a lot of thought and effort into it. I applaud you for that(y)
 
Very well shot. Can't fault it technically (way above my level of expertise).

However the models look far too healthy and clean to be living in that kind of environment as regular IV drug users. I don't know if you have pushed the boundaries as it remind me heavily of Trainspotting in feel and I have seen this kind of image before only not quite as polished.

This is based upon the above image. I will check out the others when I get a chance.
 
BRASH said:
It's a fantastic idea technically great and very well put together(y)(y)

The only problem for me it the guy looks like a pop star and she looks like a model. They don't have the look of real junkies and imo, they look out of place in the squalor you are trying to depict, which is a pity as you've obviously put a lot of thought and effort into it. I applaud you for that(y)
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They were my thoughts as well, you are obviously a talented photographer but I don't feel these sets work with the models, although the baby is a nice touch.

Steve
 
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I think its great what you are doing Luke career wise. Pushing your boundries is what every photographer should be doing and its great to put ideas into action. You have obviously thought this through and its a great attempt.

Technically they are good but something is missing. Is "controversy" the only reason you are using heroin as a theme? It looks mis-placed in this set, the girls look uncomfortable with the needles. Also the baby? The two "addicts" are too well dressed to be sitting in that slump with a baby?

I think its great your aiming high and these work as images but you dont need to cause controversy through something as obvious as heroin, its been done in fashion before but in a much more grittier way. Corrine Day did it way back and it was great.

But I dont want to be negative! I really do think with your determination you could make it, I would just rely on your photographic skills and none of this "controversy" malarky.

Love your other stuff on flickr!:)
 
Luke, I've waited patiently for these and have to say I am overall impressed with many aspects, the story-telling part of it is really good and as a mother to a 2 year old and 5 month old the presence of the baby is what makes the work grab me.... it takes me right back to the days when I experimented with chemicals (nothing ever as hard as heroin mind you!) and makes me sick at the thought of the liberties I was taking with my body and it also fills me with fear for the future for my kids... you have moved me with those thoughts so well done to you for that!

As for what I would offer as critique... the females in the shots look too clean and well presented to be "junkies"... It's obvious that you had an excellent make-up artist but perhaps she was too good.... they're fantastically well made up and this is not something that happens with "real" female junkies.... they pretty soon stop spending money on make-up, hairdressing and clothes!

The location and lighting are perfect, I particularly like the lighting in Three as the way the daylight is pouring in really adds to the atmosphere (though again I would suggest that most junkies become quite nocturnal creatures very quickly!)

I will continue to watch you with interest!
 
I like this shot and your thinking behind it (i read the other thread) but the couple just dont look the part , the house/building looks totally derelict yet the couple look very clean and well groomed they dont look gritty enough. I think the photo looks very good technically but it doesn't quite work for me.
I know you've put a lot of time and effort into this shot and hope i dont come across as over critical because its a good shot but not quite there for me
 
Thanks for the commensts guys, on the part of them looking like models though, I dont actually mind that too much, I mean we had a lampshade tied to a broom stick so I wanted it to look a bit crazy and also they could of only been addicts a couple of weeks. To gain a vision for the sphotos we said they had run away from the city so they could have only run away for a month of so. I didn't want it to look tooooo realistic like I had actually walked in on two junkies if you know what I mean.
 
lukewoodford said:
Thanks for the commensts guys, on the part of them looking like models though, I dont actually mind that too much, I mean we had a lampshade tied to a broom stick so I wanted it to look a bit crazy and also they could of only been addicts a couple of weeks. To gain a vision for the sphotos we said they had run away from the city so they could have only run away for a month of so. I didn't want it to look tooooo realistic like I had actually walked in on two junkies if you know what I mean.
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if you didn't want it to look too realistic , what look were you aiming for ?

it just looks too staged or was this your intention ?
 
lukewoodford said:
Thanks for the commensts guys, on the part of them looking like models though, I dont actually mind that too much, I mean we had a lampshade tied to a broom stick so I wanted it to look a bit crazy and also they could of only been addicts a couple of weeks. To gain a vision for the sphotos we said they had run away from the city so they could have only run away for a month of so. I didn't want it to look tooooo realistic like I had actually walked in on two junkies if you know what I mean.
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Luke... in the nicest possible way... what's the value in it not looking too real? I would have thought that to court controversy it would have made more sense to aim for exactly that... the chance encounter with "real" junkies? Controversy ceases to be controversial when it is obviously fake and so sadly your reasoning lets the images down a little. It also highlights that perhaps your understanding of the subject matter isn't strong enough to carry the work... it doesn't take months for someone to sink into the desperate state of a heroin junkie...it can, and often does, happen very quickly indeed. Those that manage to keep the façade of normality whilst being hooked usually do so in much more sophisticated surroundings!

So...lesson learned here is to not pick a subject because it is controversial but to pick a subject you find interesting and have studied to some level and find the controversy within it!
 
I agree with the other replies so far, and to be honest these look set up and staged. I havent seen a raunchy well dressed junkie to date, and these models do not look like they have any sort of addiction. You have great style and imagination but this isnt the reality of heroin addicts.!
 
anniephoto said:
Luke... in the nicest possible way... what's the value in it not looking too real? I would have thought that to court controversy it would have made more sense to aim for exactly that... the chance encounter with "real" junkies? Controversy ceases to be controversial when it is obviously fake and so sadly your reasoning lets the images down a little. It also highlights that perhaps your understanding of the subject matter isn't strong enough to carry the work... it doesn't take months for someone to sink into the desperate state of a heroin junkie...it can, and often does, happen very quickly indeed. Those that manage to keep the façade of normality whilst being hooked usually do so in much more sophisticated surroundings!

So...lesson learned here is to not pick a subject because it is controversial but to pick a subject you find interesting and have studied to some level and find the controversy within it!
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It was just about creating a bit of a messed up photo but it being acceptable, I understand what your saying though. On another note though it was only six months because I couldnt find a suitable location. Otherwise I woud have done it four months ago. Location was a nightmare! The controversy is using heroin with models and a baby.
 
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mrgas said:
if you didn't want it to look too realistic , what look were you aiming for ?

it just looks too staged or was this your intention ?
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Its a tough one, like I totally understand there would never ever be a woman dressed as if she was about to go on a night out in an abandoned building, it wouldnt happen. Its just creating striking images thats all.
 
When I came up with the idea I was pointed in the direction of David La Chappele, photographing models/people in situations they usually wouldnt be photographed in just for creating cool images. I suppose thats what I was going for really.
 
lukewoodford said:
Its just creating striking images thats all.
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I think you have definitely done that Luke. Every photographer who does things like this I think will get a lot of stick, I'm sure Rankin and LaChapelle did as well. And you have said yourself that you still have a long way to go and you arent an end product yet. I think a set like this will demonstrate that you have the ability and determination to follow through an idea.
 
lukewoodford said:
It was just about creating a bit of a messed up photo but it being acceptable, I understand what your saying though. On another note though it was only six months because I couldnt find a suitable location. Otherwise I woud have done it four months ago. Location was a nightmare! The controversy is using heroin with models and a baby.
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Actually the controversy is whatever the person looking at the image see's... unless the images accompany an article, written story, etc. Putting a baby in the frame isn't controversial.... but as I said as a mother it did speak to me.... you want to understand controversy in art involving children look at Jake and Dinos Chapman: Zygotic acceleration, biogenetic, desublimated libidinal model, 1995.

The only controversy here (and you've cleverly orchestrated it) is around you :)
 
Good stuff and for me the parody is something you've perhaps not yet realised is that the glamorization of using heroin is sick but you've done it with those photos. Forget the baby stuff, the model stuff on your stream are though a touch contrived bloody excellent and great work. It's heroin chic all over again, in a different way I suppose.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lukewoodford/4888665909/in/set-72157624594021893/

This images says it all. The beauty and the beast of it.

I've not a bad word to say aside from agree with the others and say learn from it, move forward etc. Good stuff r kid.
 
"A great photographer wants to be a great photographer not known as a great photographer, that happens as a consequence of being a great photographer"

Trying to remember who said that, anyway Luke just shoot, don't hype and see what materializes

stew
 
I like a lot of your work on your website and particularly your processing style, but i have to be honest this set does nothing for me as they couldn't be any further from reality, again i do like the processing but the content is just to staged, just MHO though and i'm sure a lot will disagree, on a side note can i ask what program you process your images in ? and would you mind sharing some tips on the method you use, many thanks :)
 
More controversial would be to photograph the people we would never suspect of being addicts:
The bank manager; the airline pilot; the train driver; the policeman etc. The people who outwardly (and for the time being) live apparently normal lives...
That would shock...

I was really hoping for something other than a Trainspotting treatment...

I still think the idea's sound, just the execution is a bit lacking.
 
Arkady said:
More controversial would be to photograph the people we would never suspect of being addicts
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:agree:

From a technical point of view these are great photos, but they don't don't to me what is intended. Back in 2000, a 21 year old girl named Rachel Whitear died of a heroin overdose, and her parents decided that the police forensic photos would be released to the public. Obviously these photos were simple documentary shots to keep record of the tragedy that had occurred, but they are without doubt some of the most powerful photos I have EVER seen, and they have never left me.

I know it may not be fair to compare your set of photos with this reality, but unfortunately there are photos out there that cover the reality of it all, and they affect you in such a strong way that anything else becomes meaningless.

Heroin addiction is a trap that not many people climb out of, and there absolutely nothing glamorous about it.

This is the documentary about Rachel and you'll see the photos I'm talking about.. (3x10min sections)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jiqj4_-a2Yw&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKTRAiW8ymo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKTRAiW8ymo&feature=related

It will stay with you forever.
 
Arkady said:
More controversial would be to photograph the people we would never suspect of being addicts:
The bank manager; the airline pilot; the train driver; the policeman etc. The people who outwardly (and for the time being) live apparently normal lives...
That would shock...

I was really hoping for something other than a Trainspotting treatment...

I still think the idea's sound, just the execution is a bit lacking.
Click to expand...

When we bought our first house, in a respectable, modern street, we thought all the neighbours looked delightful, we soon realised that the guy a few doors down had a drug problem, he had a car and a suit and worked in a well paid job in IT but he had very odd people visiting at very strange times of day. He quickly descended from dot.com success story into a withering shadow of his former self... knocking on my door to ask for cat food as he knew we had a cat too but he would run out of food for his own cat all the time. He was always polite and grateful when I handed him a packet of wiskers! Sadly the descent into total squalor happened fast and his home was repossessed very quickly as his habit accelerated.

When he moved out we saw inside his house, he'd sold, broken or burned everything in the house, there were needles literally everywhere, alongside cat poo and human probably! It's depressing and shocking!
 
anniephoto said:
Actually the controversy is whatever the person looking at the image see's... unless the images accompany an article, written story, etc. Putting a baby in the frame isn't controversial.... but as I said as a mother it did speak to me.... you want to understand controversy in art involving children look at Jake and Dinos Chapman: Zygotic acceleration, biogenetic, desublimated libidinal model, 1995.

The only controversy here (and you've cleverly orchestrated it) is around you :)
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haha your probably right. Maybe I should have gone crazier so it looked more set up or gone the 100% realistic route. But the 100% realistic route isnt what I chose. I ahd some cool ones with the lamp shade on the broom stick which made it look more obviously set up and crazy, i just want people to look at the iages and just make them think. I've obviously done that. Also you can use your imagination. The story could be.....

"Crazy guy kidnaps mother and baby and takes them to abandoned building and makes her do heroin with baby in the room etc etc" Thanks for all your imput though its all taken on board.
 
Luke, your skills in photography are really good.
The set up for the shot is also good and no doubt took ages with many others that fell by the way side.

However;
I feel that you lost the plot of what you was original trying to percieve.

For whatever reason, maybe you got a little excited in the thought process or maybe you just lost your way, which is easy to do wen you hype things up so much.

In your head you had a vision and that vision was to push the boundries, push "your" boundries, which you might have done, but not in this instance.

A good idea, i feel, would have been to either state that the shoot would be 100% set-up, or that you are trying to make it as real as possible, which the latter probably was in the begining, but during the journey models and a sense of professionalism stopped you achieving your original goal.

I've been trhough your webwsite and have spent some time looking at your work and you can do better, you know it and i know it.
I'd like to see you do this again, but this time really, "REALLY" push the boundries and make it as fvcked up as you can. Create "Controversy".
 
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Luke, I wish I had the vocabulary of some of the above commentators.

All I can say is I like the whole set and am pleased I subscribed to your original thread. I hope your dreams are realised.
 
Agree with most of the comments. Technically great but the subject just seems to be being used in a quite exploitative and sensationalist way. 'Heroin chic' isn't exactly a new thing either.
 
Arkady said:
More controversial would be to photograph the people we would never suspect of being addicts:
The bank manager; the airline pilot; the train driver; the policeman etc. The people who outwardly (and for the time being) live apparently normal lives...
That would shock...

I was really hoping for something other than a Trainspotting treatment...

I still think the idea's sound, just the execution is a bit lacking.
Click to expand...


:agree:

Technically spot-on, Luke, but Benetton pushed the same boundries with their 1992 ad campaign....
 
They are nicely done images (albeit they look very posed) but you over hyped it way too much (maybe pro photographer can do an article on the most over hyped photographers, sorry :)) seriously though, heroin use has been covered extensively by photographers, both reportage style of actual real heroin users and fashion type set-ups like these that have been used in actual ad campaigns and government advisory campaigns amongst other things.

Its very tough to be original in photography, the arts been around for almost 200 years and the number of photographers out there is increasing at an exponential rate never mind the quantity of exposures each of them is making.
 
Hi Luke,

I'm no expert, but I do know what i like and what i don't like.

I like your work and these are no exception. Sure the models look 'clean' but I still like the location, composition and processing.

Had a look through your flickr set of these and really like the glam model in the toilet picture.

Care to share your processing techniques as I really like them.

Cheers

Rob
 
Some great photos here and think you have done a great job. I find it very effective to use the baby and the photo in this post is defenately the one that sends a strong message to me.

The only thing I find a little odd is that some of the women look very glam to be in a derelict building shooting heroin - would have preferred if the clothes matched location and topic.
 
It's not pushing any boundaries. Couple with baby on drugs. Hardly news is it. Photojournalists have been shooting this in real life for years.

Posed makes it far less so for me. It's cliched Luke, not worthy of the hype.

Technically sound, but like something in The Face a decade ago.
 
I don't usually post much here, I'm more of a reader but the amount of negativity made me want to say something ;)

Great photos, but then I hope you know that. It seems your comments on
flickr confirm that, it's amazing though how the same photos in two avenues can receive completely conflicting comments.

I don't think it's possible for any one person to say if they are 'controversial' or not. It's entirely down to how each individual viewer feels and what they have encountered before. Controversial and realistic also aren't the same thing.

Did you hype it too much? Well I've read both threads and what I saw was someone very excited about a project they have put everything into who is very proud of what they have achieved. I work in marketing and in the first instance if you don't promote yourself how or why would you expect anyone else too? I don't think the magazines will spend hours looking for new talent when they probably receive hundreds of promo shots from other photographers trying to get their break.

Anyway, that's my 2 pence. Are they great photos, yes. Are they controversial and groundbreaking, they're nothing like I've seen before and they've caught my attention. Did you hype it too much, no, create your own buzz and if you have the talent (which you seem to) then people will catch on.
 
You want to be recognised as one of the 25 bad boys of photography (just an example I know), and good on you for having the ambition and trying to do something about it. You've done very well putting the team together to pull off this shot. But since I don’t doubt you’re ambition, there’s not point in holding back on critique :)
lukewoodford said:
on the part of them looking like models though, I dont actually mind that too much... To gain a vision for the sphotos we said they had run away from the city so they could have only run away for a month of so. I didn't want it to look tooooo realistic like I had actually walked in on two junkies if you know what I mean.
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Like most replies here, this doesn't work for me. If it did look like they ran away a month ago, then it would work, but it doesn't look like that. If they still cared about doing their hair nicely, they'd care about the condition of their room (IMO).

I totally understand there would never ever be a woman dressed as if she was about to go on a night out in an abandoned building, it wouldnt happen. Its just creating striking images thats all.
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So it's not supposed to look like they've 'really' run away, just a striking image - well there I think you've succeeded (but that's not pushing any boundries).

When I came up with the idea I was pointed in the direction of David La Chappele, photographing models/people in situations they usually wouldnt be photographed in just for creating cool images. I suppose thats what I was going for really
...
haha your probably right. Maybe I should have gone crazier so it looked more set up or gone the 100% realistic route.
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I think you're dead right here. It doesn't look real (and remember, we're now used to seeing real pictures of people being stoned to death, so it takes something to shock us) and it doesn't look whacky (eg, could have had them more beautiful, smacking up at a lovely dining table with fine champagne, while the baby sat in squalor on the floor of the abandoned building).

The story could be.....
"Crazy guy kidnaps mother and baby and takes them to abandoned building and makes her do heroin with baby in the room etc etc"
Click to expand...
I like it. Or if it’s supposed to look real, not whacky, she’s just popped in for a hit (you’d want her baby nice clothes in a posh buggy).
 
photomaker said:
Did you hype it too much? Well I've read both threads and what I saw was someone very excited about a project they have put everything into who is very proud of what they have achieved. I work in marketing and in the first instance if you don't promote yourself how or why would you expect anyone else too? I don't think the magazines will spend hours looking for new talent when they probably receive hundreds of promo shots from other photographers trying to get their break.

Anyway, that's my 2 pence. Are they great photos, yes. Are they controversial and groundbreaking, they're nothing like I've seen before and they've caught my attention. Did you hype it too much, no, create your own buzz and if you have the talent (which you seem to) then people will catch on.
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I do get why Luke's excited about these, and they are good ideas well shot.

But they're nothing new, the Benettona dverts in the early 1990's where pushing things far more than these have and they aren't new ideas.

Don't get me wrong, I think as a set they're great, but I don't think they match the hype created around them
 
As a fashion shoot i can see it, but i wonder who would use it to sell clothes. As a piece of social commentary it fails. It's fake and that's obvious.

Now, if you hadn't hyped the hell out of yourself i wouldn't be so harsh. But you did.

You're a good photographer. You don't need to vanish up your own arse.
 
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