What options are there and what can you do?
Use your digital camera at the start as a note book rather than the equipment that you produce your interim and final images on.
Across any unit that requires the use of MTP's aim to use as many different types of camera in the production of your project to demonstrate control and use of a range of camera (You are aiming to be a photographer after all)! The options include...
Disposable cameras
The use of these cameras will get you using a very basic method of shooting that produces 24 colour prints. The film inside the camera differs from camera to camera giving you the opportunity to then research the films characteristics and properties via the films. Once you know what the film is inside the camera, search using the name of the film in Google followed by "Product data sheet"...
Fuji Reala Product data sheet
Then click on one of the PDF files that you're presented with. Print this off, read through it and use the general information about the films properties and characteristics. (Write up in your own language). Similarly do the same for the camera as the camera will have limitations that you need to be aware of before using. See here
So for instance around Feb/Mar time our students have to shoot a brief where they produce a Typology of small buildings and structures. Ideally this is one of the easier methods to use to start the project and whilst shooting on this camera they can potentially shoot the images on their Mobile Phone cameras and do a very similar things side by side. At this stage these are just test shoots that they use to explore the idea and develop the approach that they might use towards the end of the project when they then need to print the images in a digital photobook.
What you should do...
1. Plan and propose...
Explain what you're going to do, usually it's a good idea to be flexible with your initial idea. You know you're going to shoot for instance bus stops, corner shops, pubs or similar, but once you start you may change your idea realising that another option might be more realistic or better. In your plan say when you're going to do it, what type of light your hoping to shoot in (you could include weather reports), what problems you envisage, how you might compose the images (use a diagram), what camera you're going to use and why, how you might use it, what you're going to be taking pictures of and how quickly you hope to turn this part of the project around. Personally I'd advise shooting the images in one day and get it processed the next and then get in your sketchbook the same day - again this can be a part of your plan.
2. Shoot the images...
Go out and shoot the images - experiment with the idea, shoot some upright, some horizontal, some close up, some further away, remember at this stage you're just experimenting and coming up with ideas, it doesn't have to be right, this is just a test. The important thing is you're trying things out and experiencing different ways of making images and looking at the potential of this method. Try and get all of the images shot - don't waste the film and if necessary shoot a different theme or idea if you run out of subject matter.
3. Process the film
Get it back to the *shop or lab you bought it from and have it processed as soon as you can. If they ask if you want it digitized say no, you just want the prints and the negatives. *Boots is probably the best and most efficient at this.
4. Put the images in your sketchbook folder.
As soon as you can get the images stick them in your book. Don't necessarily stick every single image in the book, just those that allow you to show what you've done and have been successful. Include those that haven't been successful, but don't dwell on failures too much. Annotate the images if you feel compelled to do so, but keep annotations brief because the important part is yet to be done. It's useful if you number the images too.
5. Reflect on your work using the Gibbs method.
This is the important bit, this is where you need to look at the Unit criteria and start to write up your Gibbs reflection looking to address the criteria. The first sections of the Gibbs cycle see below...
Description, feelings and evaluation can be written up with just 2 or 3 paragraphs each, but the bit you need to focus on and write up in detail is the analysis section. Suggestions as to what you might write definitely need to include discussing expectations based on the camera and the films product data. The manufacturers say the camera and film will do x, y and z, but what is your experience now having used it?
Observations relating to Parallax error - is your thumb over the images - why?
Upright or horizontal - what worked best why?
Could the images be cropped square - consider Photobook format?
How did the camera cope with the light - exposure?
How did the light effect the image - what might you need to consider during subsequent shoots?
Do the prints show the characteristics as described in the product data sheets?
Do your images or the approach you've used look anything like the images/photographers you've researched, what aspect of their work/approach have you tried to include?
Discuss the context of your research and your images that you're now making - why might these images be interesting as a final product, what's the potential of your project?
Are you images affected by converging verticals - does it matter - what might you do to alleviate this issue?
What is the print quality like of the prints - could they be enlarged?
What do you reckon to these cameras - do they have any potential - explain?
Conclusion - Keep this simple or omit if you've drawn conclusions in your analysis.
Plan the next shoot using a different camera and repeat the process again.
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