FMP

Final Major Project

Inspiration and ideas


In relation to my individual practice I still wanted to base my fmp on a similar topic - mothers yet I wanted to change the way in which I take the photographs and also how they are seen and how the subjects are presented in the images.As most of my work is commercial client based I want to keep the customer happy and want them to like themselves in the image so it is mainly about making them look nice for the photograph where as these images for fmp I want them to have more meaning and realness to them rather than it being about smoothing out the skin or editing there faces. I don't want these images to be directed , the plan is to get the subjects to do what they normally do with their mothers and capture a tender moment that nobody else will see.

For my FMP I wanted to do a series of images which related to the theme of ‘motherhood’ I have a very close bond with my mother and Nan and I want to show this through other mother and daughter bonds.

 1.Portraits of mothers

2. Portraits of mothers ,with smaller images of details of them or an object which identifies them as a mother

3. Portraits of mothers and daughters( showing the bond and similarities with one another)

4.Portraits of a mother and daughter from birth to death, showing how you always need your mum no matter what age , and their will come a time where your mum needs you more.

5. Quotes on mothers – recreating them 

Artists Inspirations 

 Frauke Theilking 

Claudine doury

Martin Parr

Eve Arnold

Frames and Presentations 

I wanted to make people feel more involved with the images and feel as though they could relate to them in some way, in order to do this I wanted to recreate a living room from my own memory, a place which I remember being brought up with a loving and warm feeling. Here is a sketch of my ideas.

 Each frame would be different for each idea , for 2nd and fourth idea  I wanted the frames to look traditional and as though they would be sitting in someone's living room like a family portrait. For the other ideas I feel black frames would suit the images more perhaps.

Presentations Examples -Jim Goldberg - images with objects 

Test shoot 

with my nan , and new mother kerry, I am planning to reshoot these after more experiements. 

Shoot 3

Tracey&Edith 

 

Shoot 4 

Emily&lynne

                                                                      Lisa&Robin

 

Michelle , Gina & Finley 

Michelle came to me after having finley for a photoshoot , this session was about her and her closeness to her mother even more so after her battle with cancer , showing me a photograph of her and her mother when they shaved her hair. 

New edits

Jess&Blake 

Jess is now 18 but first came to me at 17 and pregnant with blake , a very shy and low confidence girl , she now comes to me feeling more comfortable about herself and her life, her son blake has been in and out of hospital since birth and she copes so well. 

                                                             Vikkie&Charlie

Patricia and Karen 

Portraits for photobook 

My original idea for my photobook was to present a portrait of each mother with a number above of how long they had been mothers for , I decided when designing my book that it wasnt needed and that the portraits were just enough. 

Layouts and frame presentations 

Final Image ideas 

Multiple aperture layouts 

After reviewing and listening to feedback off others I decided to get rid of the multiple layout idea and stick to one image each , as I felt the multiple aperture layouts focused more on the portrait of the mother , rather than the close bonds between the mother and child. In order to get the main focus on these images I was to have them separate as one piece, I decided to look at each of my favourite images and design a mockup with three of my favourite images as how they would be hung on the wall. Here are the mockups. 

After reviewing each set of images together and getting feedback from others I decided upon these three images for my final pieces as they are three different stages in lives age wise and work well together in this order as the two side images frame the others and compliment one another. 

When looking into frames I knew I wanted something more warm and homely looking rather than cold and less welcoming , although I like the look of black/white frames I felt they wouldn't compliment my images when testing them on loxley roes software so I decided upon the silver and gunmetal colour frames which are above which I felt complimented my frames more. 

Photo-books 

Business Card Holder 

For my exhibition I wanted to create a subtle and stylish yet homely feel in the way i presented my images business cards and books , I felt as though the plastic business card holders wudnt suit my cards or do them justice ,After researching several business card holders on ebay amazon and etsy I came across a lady who handmade these and thought they where perfect for what I was looking for. 

Tables - Budget - £50.00

I started researching tables online in order to find one to display my books and business cards on, I originally wanted a white shabby chic type table as it would compliment my images the best , I opted for white instead of grey incase the colour didn't match my frames. 

Ikea - £49.99

50cm 

After looking into tables I then realised I had made a mistake and was working backwards as after coming home from a day of hanging my images I then realised that the size of these tables were far too small and it would have to be at least 73cm (the size of the side tables next to my images) in order to look in place underneath my work, this meant I had even less time to find a table and get it delivered or pick it up before the exhibition. 

this came to 49.00 in the sale and would have to be sprayed white. 

I liked this but felt it would look too fussy under my frames. 

Table purchased - charity shop - £15.00 - White spray paint £20.00 - door knob £3.99 

Total costs of table 

£38.99 

Final Painted table with images 

Artist Statement 

‘Ties that Bind’ – Lauren Joyner

  Inspired by my own personal close bond with my Mother and Nan, This body of work is based around the subject of motherhood and the bond between mother and child from the very start of Life right through to adulthood. Focusing on those delicate tender moments in which are generally shown behind closed doors and not in public, the moments that represent a real relationship between mother and child. Throughout this project I have met and photographed several different mothers with and without their children, a mother without a mother herself, Young mothers, Older mothers each one of them had something in common, the love for their children and how the way they are with their own children is inspired through their relationship with their own mothers. This body of work does not only reflect my own relationship with my mother and Nan but many others too which has been my main aim to produce a series of Images which move people emotionally in the same way that it does myself and that hopefully they can relate to them in some way.

Evaluation 

After looking at the first test shoot from this brief I realise how far I have come with getting the images that I wanted to present.I have improved technically with getting more crisp and detailed images using a d700. I think if i  was to do this project again I would spend more time with the subject before photographing them just to really feel the relationship between the mother and child even more and make it shown more in the images.