Critique Don't Know Our Story

vtrjames

vtrjames

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490
Name
James
Edit My Images
Yes
Evening all,

I took this photo last night as I intend on starting a project over the next year or two where I hope to portray both the hard and good times experienced by those in the South Wales Valleys (in particular the Rhondda). The photo below is a block of flats ear marked for demolition. The flats are / were council owned. Recently, the residents have been removed and re-homed elsewhere. The composition was a bit difficult. I was stood on a banking trying to lean over far enough to get the flats straight on. Unfortunately, I've caught a bush / shrub in the foreground that I've been unable to clone out. Much of this project will be based around the buildings of the valleys and the stories that they tell. Architecture photography is totally new to me so if I the more advice I can get, the better. I'd be extremely appreciative if you could critique the image for me and provide some tips for the future.


Don't Know Our Story by VTR James, on Flickr

Thanks very much,
Jaes
 
I lime this,a good start to a story, but it needs to be a series. Looking forward to more.
 
Thanks Byker. I'm writing up a project brief tonight as I'd like to get my thoughts on paper before snapping a way at any old thing.

James
 
They'll be some interesting comparisons to make, maybe danziger travelled around poverty Britain, nick hedges, liz hingley.

Quite jealous. This has the makings of a great project.
 
Byker, would you be able to point me in the direction of such work? I'm currently writing my brief and it's already turning into quite a story. I'm genuinely looking forward to getting stuck into this.

James
 
Thanks Byker! I haven't a clue where to begin. As soon as I saw the sign on the flats, it immediately gave me an idea for the project.

James
 
Well, there's a story right there. Find out the old inhabitants, get their story, why the sign. So there's portraits, stories, where they are now, new location and comparisons. See if you can get inside before it's demolished, if possible linking stories to flats. Then there's the demolition, plans for the future.

Then you could expand into the area. What's changing, for better for worse, unemployment, shops boarded up or opening up, type of shops pawn shops, loan shops or higher quality shops. Maybe even the way people dress, so kinda a portrait of the area.

So many ways to take this.

I'd really like to see something based around that building though. That's really interesting.
 
I think you're on to something there. It'll be interesting to see whether I can track down any of the families that once lived there and called it home.

Portraiture is not something I'm too clued up on either so this will really push my learning.

James
 
Byker, the project is well and truly off the ground. The council have put me in touch with the landlord who now owns the flat, I'm in contact with one of the previous residents and somebody who lives next to the flats is also in touch.

Here it goes...
 
Brilliant. Really looking forward to this. Great work.
So the way forward is to treat it as a journalist. Talk to them, get the story and their confidence, then take an image of where they are now. Then, their story will take you forward in a direction.
 
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