Time, oh time where does it go? Flowing through your fingers like sand… Guess I am getting kind of wistful due to the creative malaise I have been in and my subsequent disappointment at my lack of progress.
Inspiration
As with my previous assignment I started a Pinterest board based on Crowds and can be found here:
Several of the pinned images covey the sense of claustrophobia and panic that I want to try to convey in my images. I have never suffered from claustrophobia or panic attacks, however in the last few years I have found that I am considerably uncomfortable and irritated when in crowds. I grew up in London and left in the 80’s, but now commute in everyday to work. Though I am fortunate that do not need to use the bus or tube. I wish I could fathom why I feel this level of discomfort, it is disconcerting. Maybe it is a sign of age and me becoming a grumpy old man. Or maybe there is something else, something more subliminal. Though I guess it is down to the depression I suffer and cope with.
What defines a Crowd?
noun: crowd; plural noun: crowds
- a large number of people gathered together in a disorganized or unruly way.
synonyms: throng, horde, mob, rabble, large number, mass, multitude, host, army, herd, flock, drove, swarm, sea, stream, troupe, pack, press, crush, flood, collection, company, gathering, assembly, assemblage, array, congregation, convention, concourse
- an audience, especially one at a sporting event.
synonyms: audience, spectators, watchers, listeners, viewers, onlookers, patrons, house, gallery, stalls
- informal derogatory
a group of people who are linked by a common interest or activity.
synonyms: set, group, band, circle, company, fraternity, clique, coterie
- the mass or multitude of ordinary people.
noun: the crowd
synonyms: majority, multitude, common people, populace, general public, mob, masses, riff-raff, proletariat, rank and file, the commonality, the hoi polloi, the canaille, the great unwashed
- a large number of things regarded collectively.
(Google, 2016)
Intended Action:
Tomorrow is Friday 21st October and I am not working that day. It is my intention to take a trip into London and make a start on some of the images for Assignment 2. In my previous scouting mission I have tried to seek out some of the vantage points that I may use to take images from around the station:
As can be seen in the images above there are not great amounts of people, but it shows that I would be able to take images from above, at eye level or even low down if required.
I have this vision of crowds of people like a forest or crashing waves, masses of; heads, feet, bodies and belongings. Making it hard to progress or move as one would wish. Almost like an elemental force. I can very much imagine that mass hysteria in very large groups can appear like that. Psychological, hormonal and primal drives can take hold of people resulting in great behavioural changes. This is not to say that I will be able to obtain a full range of images, but I will try to produce something that will convey the essence of a crowd.
I also hope to move down into the tube station and the surrounding Waterloo Station area to help me fulfill my brief. I intend to use common compositional devices and basic camera techniques such as; “Rule of Thirds”, leading lines, aperture to control depth of field and shutter speed to imply movement. Also if possible to try to use a tripod and remote shutter release to help maintain steady well exposed images.
Reference:
Google (2016) Available at: https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=crowd%20definition (Accessed: 20 October 2016)
Perry Tatman Learning Log 