Research, influences and Development of Concept

Research

This is the research stage where I will display the inspirations for the shots I will take for my Covid-19
documentary. These images contain techniques that I may use when it comes to taking my photos.
These inspirations represent what I have looked at during this stage of the project.

David Levene https://www.theguardian.com/membership/2020/jun/21/picture-a-pandemic-how-

guardian-photographers-adapted-to-lockdown-life

I am inspired by this shot as I would like to find a way to showcase the empty streets in my council
area. I may try to take my shots during the day and at night to see what the effect would be either
way. I like the colour vibrancy with the pink to the blue on the road, as you would not normally see
this on a road. I like how the sky appears as a dark blue colour rather than black.
Lucy Hutchby (Willamson Carson) (https://www.williamsoncarson.co.uk/shoot-productions-
guidance-during-covid-19-may-2020/)

This photograph is an excellent interpretation of the current Covid pandemic situation. It shows a
lady looking out of the window, and it shows her wearing her mask on the outside. I like the use of
symmetry in this photograph and the way that this photo has been edited which shows an altered
reflection. I think Photoshop has been used here to edit this photograph. I like the addition of the
coronavirus to show that the outside is a bit more risky, dangerous and gives more exposure to
Covid. It highlights the relative safety of inside.

The short film Numb by Liv McNeil

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSkbd6hRkXo&feature=youtu.be).

At the beginning, it looks like the girl is looking at some of her achievements and highlights from her
life before lockdown. It references some of the things that she would be doing in ordinary times like
camp, going out with friends or going to prom. It then gets to the point where she logs onto her
computer to do some online school work and she’s sees a message from her teacher wishing her
health, happiness and safety, but after a while we can see that she is not happy. She gets frustrated
and cries out.

This is inspirational for me because it portrays a narrative, and I would like to have a narrative in my
photographs where I could tell a lot of the story in each photo.

Development of Concept
I intend to create 10 to 15 images which portray my interpretation of the circumstances surrounding
the Covid-19 pandemic.

I want to use the images I create to highlight the importance of the messages around Covid-19. I
would like to use my images to reinforce the messages given out by governments etc to stop the
spread of Covid-19 (as mentioned here: https://fstoppers.com/documentary/simple-ways-
photographers-can-help-world-during-crisis-covid-19-pandemic-466894). However, I also want to
tell the story of Covid-19; for example, I want to show how it is affecting people’s real lives and how
ordinary people are sticking to the rules (or not sticking to them sometimes). I want to show how
normal is not normal anymore. It should document the experience of Covid-19 as the photographs I
take will show how people are experiencing Covid-19 in my council area. I would also take some
photographs of what the environment is like when it is unusually empty.

As I am documenting the rules of Covid-19, I do not intend to document the whole person. I choose
to use portions of bodies, or body parts because it acts as a symbolic abstraction of the whole
person – we are not whole people any more, we are bodies who follow guidelines and our lives have
been torn apart.

Analysis and Critical Thinking

My project will be a narrative story of the effects of Covid 19 and how businesses and other areas of
the town are reacting to the coronavirus. I will now analyse the different aspects of my project.

Concept

The concept of this project is to create a series of photos which show the different effects of the
Covid-19 restrictions. I want to tell a story behind the restrictions and how it is affecting people’s
real lives.

The pandemic has inspired a lot of photographers to want to document it because it is so unusual. I
would like to use some of the projects I have seen to inspire my own project, but I would still like it
to be original. It might be difficult to find a balance.

I want to tell a story, but this might be hard because I am not allowed to leave my area, and the
restrictions here are not so tight as in other areas.

Aesthetic

I am going to try to use parts of bodies because it feels like the restrictions make us seem like not
whole people any more. I don’t see any difficulties in using body parts over whole people, but I think
that this could possibly change in the future.

I am aiming for the look of an old science fiction movie which is gloomy so I might shoot in black and
white. I would like to use colour pop but this might be difficult because it would rely on me being
able to use the software on campus. Black and white is simple and effective for getting the kind of
photographs that I want to take.

Narrative

I want to produce a narrative story of the current restrictions around covid-19 in my local area. The
narrative would show the restrictions in place in various locations. The narrative will show that
restrictions of freedom, how they are affecting people in real life, and how this is projects a feeling
of gloominess among people.

This will be a story with no ending as there seems to be no end to this situation.

Technical

I will be using my DSLR camera, tripod. I might also use my phone to get some shots so that others
don’t feel intimidated by the big camera and lens. I will set up shots with leading lines and using
depth of field. Burst mode and slow shutter speed to get shots as if they are in slow
motion/suspended in action.

Lighting will depend on the weather and shooting mostly taking place outside so I will probably use
natural light. If it is too sunny when I shoot, and I am trying to get a gloomy kind of feel, I would have
to alter this in post editing.

Planning

The plan for this project is to collect 10 final images to represent the Covid situation. This is a long
term assignment as we entered the second wave of Covid 19. My plan is to document my response
during these uncertain times. I plan to use a reportage style more than an abstract style. I will be a
bit spontaneous with my shooting, with some planning. It may be necessary to use my phone for
some of the shots as I want to take shots as and when they happen.

I will plan some shooting at locations, and for each of these I will fill out a shooting log to help me
evaluate what was good and bad about each shoot. After this, I will assess each image, rating them
and then make editing decisions based on whatever they need (if anything). Everything I shoot will
be put into a contact sheet.

All of the documentation at the end of this project will be uploaded to Weebly.

Rights and Ethics

If I was to photograph people, I would require a model release form. This protects me as a
photographer so that I can use my shots and upload them to other platforms without the model
objecting. It ensures that the model has full knowledge of what my intentions are with the shots,
and they are protected from having their image used in ways that they didn’t permit.

The model has the right to sue the photographer when the terms of the model release form have
been breached.

There is legislation to protect photographers and models. I am protected under the copyright
Designs and Patents Act 1988 which will not allow others to use my shots without permission. The
model has a right to privacy (except what they have agreed to on the release form) under the
Human Rights Act 1998. Also, if I choose to use models who are children, they are protected from
having inappropriate photos taken under the Protection of Children Act 1978.

I plan to shoot in a public place. I have a right to do this in places where I have a right of access.
There is no law prohibiting the photographing of people in public places, however there is an ethical
issue here as it would be appropriate to ask permission before taking photographs that could
identify another person.

I have to avoid plagiarism. I have chosen photos that I like and that have inspired me, but I don’t
want to copy them directly because this would be copyright infringement. It’s okay to use
photographs to give ideas about styles.

I have a responsibility to keep myself and other people safe when I am out taking photographs. I will
plan for health and safety to make sure that everyone is as safe as possible. I will look out for
hazards while I am out because it might not be possible to plan exactly for how the street will be
when I’m out shooting. I will follow all of the Covid-19 restrictions and guidelines in my area.

Sequential/Narrative Construction

The shots I plan to take to the tell the story are:

• Birdseye shot of my feet next to a sticker on the floor “2m distance”.

• Some shots of people in queues – one taken while in the queue, another distant shot of the
queue.
• Something to communicate that we feel trapped – perhaps a shot of a fence (?).
• Shot of people getting on the train with their masks on.
• Shot of someone waiting on the train standing next to a sign (or sitting).
• Supermarket shopping (maybe, subject to change).
• Empty street shot.

These are the shots that I plan to do to tell the story of Covid, but these are subject to change at any
time as the level of restrictions might change.