DISPOSABLE SHOOT #3

This post follows on from my various digital shoots previous. This disposable shoot varies from the previous too as this camera was kept and forgotten about for an extended number of time, meaning I documented lots of different events as the lockdown started to ease and forgot about nearly all of the photos I had taken.

I sent this camera to a different developing and scanning company called Take It Easy, based in Leeds when I returned to the city, and I'm very pleased with the results.

Documenting Memorable Places to Me In My Hometown

All of the locations above represent childhood memories to me, playing on the various rides by the front, visiting the town square and relaxing by the beach. They all pull some kind of nostalgic quality for me when looking at them. I think that the use of a disposable camera contributed to this as I believe it worked really well at capturing the colours, tones and highlights caused by the sun, they also resemble a holiday postcard that you find when visiting some place new.

I particularly like the third image, of the children's ride all wrapped up, with the cinema I used to frequently visit (and still do when at home and not in these Covid times) which is a really important place as it's somewhere where I discovered my love of moving image and art. Even though it does seem sad, the rides all covered up and not able to use, it reminds me of the huge tourist attraction that my home is, as it's situated right next to Blackpool.

I'm very impressed with how the colours turned out on these, I love that they're all very warm toned, and sort of muted in some areas, with the blue sky still visible.

I do actually like that I've captured some figures going about their normal day as well, with the council man changing the bin, to people walking along the beach. All of these photos work so well to capture the true spirit of how I see my hometown and paint it in a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing light that I have always viewed it in.

Capturing Candid Moments With Friends As Lockdown Relaxes

Because of the amount of different occasions I took photos with my friends, I'm going to split them up into different events.

This first series has been seen in my digital shoot as well, but I must say I do prefer these. Again because of the colour that disposable/analogue photography emulates, and the fact that they feel way more authentic, with neither of my friends appearing ready for the photo at any point.

I love the framing of the first one in particular as it wasn't over thought but still frames my subjects as a focal point to the left hand side of the frame. I love that your eyes also get drawn to the couple walking a dog behind them, even though I don't know who they are, I think it works as on that day it was very busy with dog walkers and families milling around the green. I took the first three photos looking up at my subjects, as this was the position I was lying in, I wanted to truly and honestly capture the scene I was experiencing.

I definitely prefer the first three images as the sun sits almost behind my subjects, making the photo is less contrasted and colours a touch desaturated when comparing it to the last. Although, I do like the green of the trees behind them, but feel that the cars pull too much attention away from what I'm actually documenting.

These photos were taken before the previous, when we still weren't allowed to meet in more than a pair outdoors. I didn't know how these photos were going to turn out but I'm really pleased that I took a chance and captured these photos. Video calls have been a very important part of my life for the past, probably about 14 months now. Being able to stay in contact with friends and see them but be miles apart is so special and I've definitely made some amazing memories through virtual calls and chats.

This particular image is of a group of my friends who I previously hadn't spoken to (as a group) in over a year, because we all went our separate ways for university. However, during this past lockdown we decided to do a group call and have a big catch up as it has been some of our birthdays recently. It was such a fun experience to be able to connect with these people again and make some plans and memories that I'll hold on to for a long time.

I love how these photos turned out, they really resemble the past year, with group calls with friends and the importance of technology to connect people together. I love that the only light in this frame comes from my laptop which gives my subject almost a frame within a frame.

These next few photos of are the previous set of friends, but when we were allowed to meet up in a garden as a group of 6, these also have their digital counterparts seen on a previous blog post, and unlike beforehand, I prefer the digitals. Because of where we were situated (in a gazebo with limited light source) the disposable camera really struggled to work its magic on the colours and tones, as I had to use the flash. Although my digital images aren't too strong and have a lot of grain, because of my high ISO, I prefer how they captured specific reactions as I had more scope to zoom in and out of my subjects and only focus on specific points. I also prefer how the digitals picked up the colours, as we had coloured lights dotted around the gazebo, because of my use of the flash, the disposable camera washed out this colour.

I do however like the last photo here because it documents the reality of late teen hang outs, with the food and drink as the focal point, really representing the gritty teen angst and messiness.

These are the last set of photos with friends, taken at the pub when they first opened on Monday 12th April. These were the last three images taken on my roll of film for this camera, as seen by the burn at the end of the last one.

I love the first photo as it was completely candid. Again the light wasn't directly in front of my subjects so allowed for a nice muted, warm toned image to be created. I love how the colour looks around the glass in front of them, creating a warm hue surrounding it.

The second and third photos were taken straight after each other, more late into the evening as seen my the darkness of the image. I think they work really well as a pair as they capture the movement of my friend in a comedic manner. I particularly like the last image because of its imperfections, with a scratch on the photo and the burn, it really highlights the use of an older technology. Although these photos are perfectly or professionally shot I think they work within my theme, at resembling the long time we spent there, with the collection of glasses on the table, with the candid notion of memories and nostalgia as my other two subjects aren't acknowledging the camera.

Capturing Moments With Family

Because I had been living at home for several months over the past two lockdowns, I've managed to build a much stronger relationship to my family, in particular my sister who I now view as my best friend and I've captured some of these precious moments.

This first set is solely of me and my sister (and one of my older sister on a video call similar to the previous ones seen).

I love this first image, even though previous I have stated that I prefer more muted colours and tones, without the use of the flash. I think this photo is the prime example of what disposable photos usually look like, highlighted face and very dark background. We took this photo in my room, as you can see my tapestry slightly highlighted in the background. Even though this image doesn't exactly detail a specific memory itself, it reminds me of how much time I've spent with my sister over the past few months and how our bond has grown so strong.

The second photo is one that she took of me on one of our daily walks. Again, like the photos I've taken of my hometown, I love how this captures all the different aspects that previously we wouldn't bat an eye-lid at. My expression reflects the joy and peace that staying at home and going on walks by the beach with my family bring me, it's completely tranquil and feels exactly like home.

The third photo is a bit of an experiment, as I always see people taking 'selfies' with disposable/film cameras and thought I'd give it a go myself. It surprisingly came out a lot better than expected, with the same nice hue of colours. I think although a bit stupid at first glance it works well for my project as it embodies mine and my sisters close relationship.

The last photo is taken when I'm on FaceTime to my older sister (who doesn't live at home), which is almost a daily occurrence. Even though I don't live with this sister, I have again grown closer to her, calling her nearly everyday and checking in on each other, definitely something I wanted to document as it's meant so much to me over the past year.

The last set of photos were taken at my Grandparents house, in and around their conservatory. This was when I got to see my older sister for the first time in months and all three of us got to catch up. These photos again, have their digital counterparts, but I do prefer these.

I love the first photo, because even though I'm not directly involved in the conversation, I still am there in spirit, with it being my two sisters. I love the green hues and how the garden is reflected slightly in the glass. I think it's a lovely documentation of two people that I'm very close to catching up after a long time apart.

The second photo involves my cousins and Grandma, all of which I hadn't seen in over a year. I wanted these photos to be more candid and in the moment, having all of them ignore the camera in my hand. It's a really memorable photograph to me as my cousins have grown so much since I last saw them and the location, as I've mentioned previous is so nostalgic to me.

The third photo is very muted in colour compared to the others, due the positioning of my light source. I like how natural it is, with my Grandad curious about what my sister is doing on her phone. I like how this photo captures the garden in the back as well, somewhere again that is so important to me.

I absolutely love how nearly every photo of this roll came out, and although my point-and-shoot didn't work out I still love the memories I captured on this disposable camera. I'm going to carry on shooting my everyday activities with friends as I move back to Leeds and see if these change in any way to the ones I've shot at home.