Superheroes & video game champions: The MCM Expo (London’s Comic Con)

As suggested in my previous post I went to the MCM Expo, the English equivalent of the USA’s Comic Con festival, on Saturday. It was so fun. I met some really cool superheroes, checked out some amazing costumes, and had some nostalgic chats about comic characters with some hardcore fans.

I made a shot list which I did follow but the images that I think work the most are the ones that demonstrate the fans’ difference. The problem is is that some of them can be read as mocking portrayals of it which isn’t quite what I intended when I took the photos (e.g. male with comic book).

I do think the finger pointing photo is the most interesting shot out of them all however, mostly because of the interaction between my ‘accusatory’ finger and the angry face…

Sepp Blatter doesn’t win Fifa Presidency…LoL JOKE!!!

The full candidate list for the Fifa Presidency. AFP/Getty or summink

Great photograph.

Some quotes from the man himself from the Sepp Blatter Quotes site:

“What I am most proud of is the legacy of hope that FIFA and football leaves around the world. It makes all of the efforts and energy I pour into this job worth it.”

“Fifa cannot sit by and see greed rule the football world. Nor shall we.”

“FIFA’s goal of making the world a better place through football cannot be achieved through our efforts alone – equally important is the power which every fan of the beautiful game has at their disposal.”

There are some more examples of his amazing rhetoric in his shambles press conference from a couple of days ago too. I personally enjoy his use of the word ‘family’ and his fantastic reasoning that because he is The President of Fifa he is not able to answer any questions regarding accusations against him and other members within the Fifa body. Wowee.

The portrait of anonymity (post about Roderick Henderson’s work)

I came across the work of Roderik Henderson after my MA coursemate Simon Bates flagged his work up. I’ve been looking through his work and I just wanted to do a little post about some of his portraits because I think they are really great.

His  series entitled Island is comprised of images which are taken of people from a community in Holland, and are set in the lifts that they use to go to and back from work.  If you look at the images you’ll see that what he has  produced is a series in which he has intentionally given the viewer  almost no insight into who the people are,  because of the location that he has decided to shoot his portraits in and because of the way that he has positioned his subjects in relation to the viewer. The cold, metallic surface of the lift is the perfect place to situate a series of portraits so scarce in personal information.

I just thought this was rather interesting given what I’ve been trying to do with the portraits on my current course assignment; I’ve chosen people with locations that will suggest something about them and what they do. But how much does this actually say about them as a person, besides the visually obvious? And when does this excercise become not worthwhile?

I thought Henderson’s intention was a provocative place to come, given my portrait assignment. It’s fascinating to see an artist who has worked so hard to make sure that what is visual does not actually give that ‘window into the soul’ that the portrait so often tries to convey.

 

 

Street photos: acting, tourists, and memories of the banlieue

 

 

Couple, Regent's Park

 

Capturing the spontaneous moment is difficult. It says so on the tin (and if it doesn’t then some poor sod should carve it in with their nails in frustration). I’ve been thinking on the things I should be aware of for next time, and the variables which give a decent chance of a street photograph to happen. I give you:

Max’s Street Photography Suggestions for Max

**Go to places at the times where the people are, don’t wait for them to come to you.

**Try not to look as if you are seriously taking these photos. Try walking around, do whatever —-> squint your eyes and act as if there’s some funny dust in the air slightly near where your subjects are. Do some acting. Just don’t let them know that they are the main subject (unless you want that to be a key part of the photo that is.)

**Try to look unfocused, even if you are on a seriously frustrating LCC course assignment and especially if you are trying to frame kids in your photos —-> (looking rather intense whilst sneakily taking pictures of someone else’s kids AIN’T a good look Max, especially in Britain!)

**Don’t stick out like a sore thumb. Getting the shot is hard enough, so if you don’t feel that you’re blending in then it’s even harder. (Unless you’re Bruce Gilden – but then you think he sits in the ‘different’ box anyway).

You can make yourself less noticeable by tweaking with the following variables:

• The size of your camera
• Your dress
• Your people skills on the day (obviously don’t be confrontational, and if they’re checking you out then smile at them and they will be less likely to think you’re weird)
• Your acting & movement  (move around a lot, pretend you’re looking at other things – it’s kinda important to make think that you’re not taking a photo of them)
• The kind of location you’re shooting in

**Location is really key, especially if you are you and are shooting with a large  “HEY GUYS! **WAVE, WAVE** LOOK AT ME, I’M A PHOTOGRAPHER!!” kind of DSLR. Tourist areas great to shoot in because:

1. Everyone else has a camera the size of yours – they’re less likely to notice that you’re strapped with gear
2. Everyone is taking photos of each other – this is perfect camouflage for your snapping
3. Tourist spots are tourist spots because they are usually visually interesting landmarks. These can provide interesting backdrops to your ‘moment’
4. There are tons of people walking willy nilly about. And they are moving and floating into all kinds of weird and wonderful arrangements in front of your lens.

Oh yeah, the last thing is quite important too – try and not go into areas that you don’t feel safe shooting in. Max, do you remember that time back in the day when you thought you needed to go to the banlieue in Paris in order to get some authentic ‘street’ shots? Thought so :-p  !! There’s enough of the above to stress about as it is without adding anything else onto your brain…

I don’t think this checklist is by any means comprehensive at all, so please feel free to chip in with your comments and experiences if you have any…