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Introduction
http://www.ilivehere.co.uk/statistics-holme-wood-bradford-18617.html
In my project, I would like to explore current housing conditions and its relationship with inhabitants of particular areas of Bradford. I choose areas which are often stereotyped – famous for being deprived. Places of no charm, where nothing good is going on. Places that are isolated from its surroundings. I want to portrait it and discover the correlation between the architecture, individuality, and social behaviour.
Aims and goals
I would like to produce high quality, series of images exploring the subject in an innovative and experimental way. I wish to get more experience , learn more and establish myself in the field of a contemporary social documentary photographer. I want my series to be thought provocative, engaging with the audience and have an impact on social change. My goal is to distribute my work online and fish for an opportunity to get funding to expand the project or have the work recognised.
Research
Looking at British social documentary photographers :
http://www.fine-photographs.co.uk/index.php/life-work/21-edwin-smith-social-documentary
“Much of Smith’s work may be thought of as celebrating architecture, but photographing a building also creates a documentary record. In the case of more vernacular, transient subjects, like ‘The vestry of a parish church, Carlow, Ireland, May 1965’ (ESP pl.128), the photography is as much documentary as architectural. There is an established place for buildings and interiors in practice that is predominantly documentary, such as appeared in Walker Evans’”
http://visualarts.britishcouncil.org/exhibitions/exhibition/no-such-thing-as-society-photography-in-britain-1968-1987-2008
“The early 70s saw the emergence of new and independent approaches to documentary photography which focused on social realism. The leading exponent, Tony Ray-Jones, captured the comedies of social class and the absurdities of human behaviour within the constraints of British culture.
The human costs of de-industrialisation and globalisation were the great central themes of the documentary photographers active in the North of England in the late 70s and 80s. The social disasters captured in Chris Killip’s work extended into the darkly coloured, claustrophobic interiors of DHSS offices photographed by Paul Graham, and Martin Parr’s lively coloured documents of holiday makers in New Brighton, Liverpool.”
One of the areas I want explore is Holme wood
http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/beasts-of-burden/7005150.article
“Holme Wood is a large 1950s housing estate consisting mainly of low-rise terraced and semi-detached units. It has large swathes of grassy, open space.”
http://alove.salvationarmy.org.uk/region/yorkshire/bradford-holmewood
“HolmeWood itself is a large council estate located on the outskirts of Bradford. The statistics for Holme wood look dire. It has some of the highest crime rates, NEET (Not in employment, Education or Training) rates, children living in poverty and benefit claims, and some of the lowest GCSE results in the country. This means that often, being salt and light for the people that live there is tough, demanding and unforgiving work.”
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Holmewood
“A crap council estate in Bradford with an even worse population of scrappers and chavs.
Ryan: Hey Conor, You going to Holmewood Gala?
Conor: Hell no bro, that place is full of Holmewoodians
Chav1: CUMING SCRAPPIN IN OMEWUD?
CHAV2: YEH MUSH, BARE METAL”
“Holme Wood has a high level of residents with either no qualifications or qualifications equal to 1 or more GCSE at grade D or below, than the national average.”
“The rate of claiming any benefit (which includes in work benefits) is more than 25% higher in Holme Wood than the national average, suggesting that many people maybe under employed or on a low salary.”
“Holme Wood has 20% less Higher and Intermediate managerial, administrative or professional households than the national average.”
I’ve looked at the general issue of living on housing estates in the UK
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/estate-of-the-nation-the-real-life-of-uks-789762
“Most worryingly, the Fabian Society study says kids brought up in these ghettos are worse off than 50 years ago.
They’re twice as likely to suffer mental health problems, 11 times more likely to be out of work and nine times more likely to live in an unemployed household.
And despite the government ploughing millions into regeneration, they will also die younger than children brought up in private housing.”
Production Methods/ Presentation
For this project, I’ll use my DSLR Canon 60d and use my 17-85mm lens as they are my only zoom ones and will fit the project.
I’m thinking about the final look and have not yet decided is it going to be colour or B&W.
But the aim is to have consistency in colour balance. This is why the project will depend on the weather conditions. I’ll try to shoot under a cloudy sky and try to avoid contrast.
Target Audience
My audience would depend on the commercial value of the project.
I think this will be gallery viewers, photo magazine readers, people interested in arts. I would like this images to engage in wider debate about social issues of Bradford and beyond in UK so I would like those images to be used by parties of influence like JRF (https://www.jrf.org.uk/media-centre) foundation or even by local councillors or organisation working in the area so in those in mind my target audience might switch from then one valuing artistic and documentary values to one where images are evidence of living conditions and that would be stockholders of various organisations , workers etc .
BA (hons) 