Edited audio

https://soundcloud.com/joshua-manley-526579250/car-wash-audio-mixdown

Straight Images / Edits

Contact sheets

Storylines

Storylines within car wash

One of the workers lives at the car wash

One of the boys on day off got drunk and come into work hungover 

Conflict within car wash due to Different ages & Some feel that they should be paid more than others 

How do they get spoken to by customers? Descrimination?

Nicknames - easier to communicate, fits in to society 

Got kicked out house because he wasn't working, come to England to work and send money back home to prove himself 

Got no family so came here for a better life 

Deidication to family, give up his happiness for his family. Work hard and long just to earn money to send to family. 

Previous works - all hard physical labour.

What do they know about brexit 

Education/upbringing - none or poor of both 

Families 

Interviews

INTERVIEW 1
https://soundcloud.com/joshua-manley-526579250/interview1

INTERVIEW 2
https://soundcloud.com/joshua-manley-526579250/interview2

I feel that these interviews are very successful as it allows me to have some background information on the workers, understanding there life experiences and what they've been through. This also helps me form connections to them and for them to feel more relaxed around me. It confirmed the reasons to why they migrated to the country. What I found interesting was how they both seemed very happy and content with there lives which I didn't really expect. I admired their commitment for providing for their families, showing their very selfless nature. 

Plans for Audio

Audio - car pulling up/ doors opening and shutting, introduce location and show the routine of getting car wash

People speaking in background in different language 

Short phrases from interviews to provide a bit of context and identity... also could include translator - authentic 

Stereo speaker L & R - use both sides with voices from interviews, perhaps more immersive? 

Schedule

Monday - work on relationship with boys, more comfortable. Record audio around car wash. Maybe take some photos 

Tuesday - edit audio - atmospheric sounds and interviews together. 

Wednesday - start taking photos 

Thursday - edit photos 

Friday - tutorial, progression and plan how I will display. AUDIO 

Tutorial notes

Interview with each photo - short but adds to the atmosphere and identity 

Edit together with atmospheric sounds on logic 

Sophie calle - 

Text next to photos - short and punchy 

Maybe give handouts with more information 

Location recce

What makes a home a home

Many say home is where the heart is, and an apartment, house, or dorm room does not necessarily make a place a home. A home is a place where you can feel comfortable and safe. ... A homecan be from actually living in a house to camping out in the mountains for a few days.

The feeling of being "at home" can't be bought, however, because it comes from an intimate relationship between us and our most personal place. Like other love affairs, this one shapes us just as we shape it. A place can also become a home with the people you surround yourself with. It doesn’t just have to be about how the place feels, but how the people around you are influencing you.

For one of the workers the car wash is a 'home'. To him, the car wash provides him with shelter, a secure and safe place. He has very minimal facilities but he has the basics which allows him to wash himself and clothes, sleep as well a fridge and hob to cook food. Often he has people visit him where they keep him company. This shows how the car wash is a home to him as it allows him to have the basics of living. Without the car wash he would be homeless and on the streets with no job and money for food. The car wash is his life, from the daytime where he works until when it closes where this industrial cold workplace shifts into a home. 

Environmental photography

An environmental portrait is a portrait taken of a person or people in a situation that they live in and a place that says something about who they are. It is often a place of work, rest or play.

https://digital-photography-school.com/environmental-portraits/

An environmental portrait is a portraitexecuted in the subject's usual environment, such as in their home or workplace, and typically illuminates the subject's life and surroundings. The term is most frequently used of a genre of photography.

they give context to the subject you’re photographing
they give points of interest to shots (something you need to watch as you don’t want to distract from your subject too much)
they help your subject relax
they often give the viewer of your shots real insight into the personality and lifestyle of your subject

These shots sit somewhere between the purposely posed shots of a studio portrait (they are posed and they are unmistakably ‘portraits’) and candid shots which capture people almost incidentally as they go through their daily life.

Main Artist influence - Jonathan bielaski

Jonathan Bielaski

http://www.jonathanbielaski.com/index/G0000Gb6n4bRtxDA

Environmental portraiture captures the essence of a subject in its natural habitat. Every one of Jonathan Bielaski’s photos tell a story of a person’s journey. The focus is greater than the person – it’s the reality of who they are at this time in their life – the background reflecting their personality.

"With making any portrait I do–I like to sit down with the subject and learn about them: what they do, where they come from and where they want to go. I ask them to take me though a typical day, show me some of there favourite places and tools. I really try to get to know them. Sometimes this is done on the same day of the shoot and sometimes it is done beforehand, but the best thing that I have learned to do is listen. By listening, you learn and find the small details that makes them who they are."

"To me a perfect environmental portrait is a portrait that tells a story, you are learning something about the person in the portrait with out the use of words. The background and foreground are just as important as the person in telling the story but they are the supporting cast and the person is the lead roll. On their own they could make good images but together they make a great image."

In these two images bielaski uses his environmental portraiture style very effectively. He has used a wide aperture in order to keep a lot of the scene in focus which is very important. As through the mise en scene the viewer gets an insight to the subjects background and his profession. In this case, the abundance of metals, hard materials and racks of tools and equipment coincide with the central action of the subject hitting a heated piece of metal. All of the aforementioned combined come together to imply that the subject is a blacksmith and gives him a contextual identity. This rather masculine job is enhanced by the use of dark earth tones which add a sense of grit and harshness through the shadows. In the first imagine bielaski uses a candid approach catching the subject natural working in his environment. Alike the metals in the scene, the man's stance is very straight, firm and rigid as carries out his work. It could be considered that the hard metals correspond with the masculinity of the man and resemble each other. The blur of the right arm and hammer implies motion which appears rather strong and aggressive when put into context. The glowing heated metal stands out from the rest of the relatively dark scene and acts as a focal point, drawing the viewers attention to the centre of the piece. Despite the busy scene, the subject still remains the focal point of the piece.

Similarly to this, in the second image bielaski uses a much more posed approach of portraiture. Despite the different technique, the piece still has the same outcome where the man is conveyed to be stereotypically masculine which is once again enhanced through the natural, earthy colour scheme. He is placed once again in his place of work and put in the centre of the frame. There is a light source being directed from the left side which allows him to stand out significantly. Another way in which he has done this is by using a lower aperture which increases the depth of field by blurring out the background, leaving the subject in focus. The man's pose continues his masculine aura which is further through his straight, emotionless, stern face and posture. The eye contact being made with the camera intensifies the piece and the use of the prop of a cigar once again reinforces his masculinity. 

In this photography there are several factors which come together to provide a sense of geographical location and identity. The outside setting appears rather tropical due to the warm colour scheme and palm trees in the background. Also the bags hanging from the trees could be considered to be holding fruit or crops which goes hand in hand with the big industrial machine that the subject is standing in front of. This then illustrates the subject's job being a farmer or harvester. The ethnicity of the subject provides a further insight to the placement of the photo and could be considered to be taken in perhaps the South American region. Due to the stereotypical association of hard labour and long hours with this type of job, the straight facial expression and slouched posture of the subject could suggest that the subject is far from happy with his job. Overall, the main aspect of the which provides the viewer with the most insight and information about the subject is the setting and props, the subject himself just adds a different dimension to the piece as it describes how content he is, or in this case not so much, with his job.

I really like the environmental portraiture technique and feel that it would be very relevant to my project. I believe that I could incorporate bielaski's tendency to photograph his subject in two separate ways to my project - firstly in a candid style where they are often seen working and then also the posed portrait as well where he tends to focus more on the subject. I feel that these approaches work very well side by side each other and compliment each other. I also like the way that everything in the scene relates to the subject and all contribute to form a certain identity and character profile for the subject. The scene, costume and props is what provides the subject with a sense of identity. 

Candid and documentary

In this project I would like to explore documentary, photojournalism, candid style of photography which allows me to capture natural outcomes and explore cultures and social demographics.
Taking photos of people when they have no idea that you're doing it is called candid photography. One of the beauties of photography is being able to catch someone in the act. It adds life to your pictures. A candid photograph is a photograph captured without creating a posed appearance. This is achieved in many ways, for example:

• when the subject is in motion,
• by avoiding prior preparation of the subject,
• by surprising the subject,
• by not distracting the subject during the process of taking photos.

Thus, the candid character of a photo is unrelated to the subject's knowledge about or consent to the fact that photos are being taken, and unrelated to the subject's permission for subsequent usage such as distribution. The crucial factor is the actual absence of posing. If the subject is absolutely unaware of being photographed and does not even expect it, then such photography is secret photography, which is a special case of candid photography. Some professional photographers develop candid photography into an art form. Henri Cartier-Bresson might be considered the master of the art of candid photography, capturing the "decisive moment" in everyday life over a span of several decades. Arthur Fellig, better known as Weegee, was one of the great photographers to document life in the streets of New York to often capture life — and death — at their rawest edges.

Almost all successful photographers in the field of candid photography master the art of making people relax and feel at ease around the camera, they master the art of blending in at parties, of finding acceptance despite an obvious intrusive element - the camera. How subjects react to photographer's presence with the camera depends on how knowledgeable the artist is on the craft, the approach and the execution of the shot. 

Documentary photography usually refers to a popular form of photography used to chronicle both significant and relevant to history and historical events and everyday life. It is typically covered in professional photojournalism, or real life reportage, but it may also be an amateur, artistic, or academic pursuit.

Artist Research Log

Research Log/

Influencing artists and styles.

Paul Taggart

http://www.paultaggart.com

Julian Lass

http://www.julianlass.com

"It is the point of the year where winter is nearing an end and spring is yet to begin, the brambles and nettles are still in hibernation and buds are appearing on the trees. I have with me a map of the area which shows contour lines, footpaths, boundaries, and I set off along newly cut hedgerows following a strip of ancient trees that once marked the parish border but is no longer marked on my map. Further, five tall trees that line the edge of my field of view are also not shown, and I am unable to orientate myself. So, I walk like a sleepwalker until I notice a shadowy companion, a white pick-up truck, headlights on, slowly following me on the other side of the trees, marking a border between me and the field I have just crossed, the suspicion of the farmer aroused by the lone figure crossing his land, the non-denizen foreigner in the midst of stability. Underneath my bare feet the grass is wet with dew and I circle the marshy ground, but I am too close, and I fight the urge to see where I am from the point of view of my map, a God's eye view. It is impossible to see unless one goes into the air, or looks down from a hill, and there are no hills here. From ground level I see only patches of raised earth, and morassy ditches, so that walking across I fall into the marsh by mistake. Deeply exhausted, with my gaze fixed on the horizon, I start to sing, which gives me hope."

Donal Mccann

http://www.donalmccann.com/environmentalportraits.html

Roman Shalenkin

https://500px.com/shalenkin

Sophie Calle

https://www.perrotin.com/artists/Sophie_Calle/1#news

Tutorial notes

 Document access and character permission

Artist research - for both content&technique

How will I present it ???

Sound???? - work like Julian's 

Sound could give the place identity 

Water jets, rain, voices, motors, mechanical 

Daunting noises?????

Contrast of money - cars(expensive) vs poor 

Freddy bought his own car 

Freddy is site manager- gain authority 

Shoes bought for them 

Types of research - primary

Interviews - record audio 

People would act differently with camera 

Audio around car wash 

 

USP - contrast between labour and home 

Role of car wash 

HISTORY OF WORKERS

Initial ideas

Space place and history initial ideas

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A place being built - construction - in this idea I could demonstrate the construction of a space being converted into a place. For example, I could focus on the construction sites and show the process of the construction however due to the time limitation I wouldn't be able to show the whole process. In opposition to this I could look at the demolition of properties, destroying a place and turning it back into a space. This could be considered to in some kind of way to be getting rid of the history but you could also say that despite a place being destroyed the history of it is permanent and always lives on.

In this idea I thought about investigating how the literally space of a building can become a homely place through the tenants making their stamp on the property. They also create their own sense of history within their homes through how they customise it as well as spending a lot of time living their, providing a sense of attachment. With this idea I would initially like to take a photo of families standing outside their houses almost like a family portrait which would allow the audience to associate the owners to the house. Then I would take further photos which would Illustrate the parts of the place which are unique to the owners and also imply a sense of their history. Anything relating to their history could range from dents in the sofa, marks on the walls, measuring how tall children are on the wall, stains and many things that imply time passing by.

This idea was focussing on the history aspect of the brief and how that spaces can become a particular place due to the history it has with certain people. I could get old family pictures and recreate them. That place that in the photo become meaningful due to its history. I could try and take the photo from a very similar angle and perspective and then photograph it on film in order to give it that sense of authenticity and vintage aesthetic. I could present the two photos side by side as references to each other and see what kind of effects that I could create with it. Perhaps ripping the two photographs in half and place the halves of each photography and see how they resemble each other. Despite time passing, it still remains the same 

Another potential idea that I had but probably wouldn't be able to carry out through time restrictions was where I would photography a space before, during and after a festival. Before would show a landscape, a field which just looks like an empty space. Then during when the festival taking place where there is masses of people and stages, tents and pop up shops. Then after when all there is left is litter and rubbish, showing the aftermath of the festival 

This photography project would take a documentary approach where I would document the day to day lives of workers at a car wash that I have already gained access to. All the workers originate from Romania and can barely speak any English. They all have migrated to England to work earn money in order to provide for their families back at home. There are 6 workers (3 are related) who work 10 hours a day, are paid below minimum wage and don't have the best working conditions. However they cannot afford to leave this job as they do not qualify for many others. I have already established a couple of potential story lines within the car wash but the one that intrigues me the most is the one where one of the workers lives at the car wash as he doesn't have and can't afford a place to stay. This demonstrates that the car wash shifts from being a workplace for all the workers to being home to one. I want to investigate the transformation and difference between the car wash when it's open to when it's closed and observe the shift in the space's role it plays in the workers lives. 

Notes:

Shift 

money, work and labour to a homely environment

Opposites 

Toll it takes on the workers - hands 

Contextual research - Car Washes

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3360199/Number-automatic-car-wash-sites-halved-15-years-hand-wash-businesses-boom.html

The Association estimates that the Treasury may be missing out on at least £200 million a year because many set-ups hire unregistered foreign workers while failing to pay taxes, National Insurance or business rates.

Association chairman Brian Madderson said: ‘Over the last 10 years, this has almost killed off the mechanical rollover car wash.' -  Garage owners said that the number of car-washing machines has more than halved in the past 15 years.

In a report submitted to the government’s Valuation Office Agency (VOA), the industry body said that hand car washing now employs up to 30,000 people and ‘provides a haven for illegal and unregistered foreign workers’.

‘About 70 per cent of all retail washes are now done by hand and the great majority of these people are completely unregulated.'

It said that the sharp increase in hand car washes was linked to a rapid rise in immigration from eastern Europe in the mid-2000s.
‘In the absence of available skilled work, many migrant workers have taken semi-skilled work including roles that are considered unattractive to the local population'

https://www.thesun.co.uk/archives/news/937697/squeegee-slaves/

Contextual research - Immigration

Economic and labour market factors are a major driver of international migration

http://www.migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/election-2015-briefing-why-do-international-migrants-come-to-the-uk/
The UK’s labour market is thought to be a significant draw for migrants from both within the EU and from non-EU countries. economic growth and the demand for specialists in certain occupations increase demand for both high- and low-skilled labour.

Income inequality in the UK over the past decades also appears to have played a role in attracting high-skilled immigrants, because it means that these people can often command high incomes in the UK. For low-wage jobs, the UK’s flexible labour market and a range of other policies have played a role in drawing in workers from the European Union. (Note that UK immigration policies do not allow employers to bring non-EU workers to the country for low skilled jobs).

EU citizens were particularly likely to report coming for work, while non-EU citizens are more likely to report coming for family or study. Among EU citizens, the highest shares coming for work were seen among citizens of new Eastern European member states.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37109747

The labour market data showed the number of workers from the eight eastern European countries was nearly four times the level recorded 10 years ago - when the number stood at just over 250,000.

It showed there were 266,000 Bulgarians and Romanians in employment in the UK - a rise of around 87,000

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/immigration-brexit-uk-eu-up-down-stats-bulgaria-romania-record-high-referendum-a7594851.html

The Government says it wants net immigration to fall below 100,000, meaning the level is well over twice its target.

The rise in immigration from Bulgaria and Romania was partially offset by a fall in the number of migrants from the “Ascension 8” countries like Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania – a small fall of 10,000. Immigration from the rest of the EU was broadly flat.

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/566717/UKIP-Bulgaria-Romania-Immigration-migrants-Brexit-vote-record-high-UK-Britain-EU-passport

The move to the UK was the most popular choice for Romanians who made up as much as 10% of immigration levels.

"The main reason people are coming to the UK is for work, and there has been a significant increase in people looking for work, particularly from the EU."

Statement of intent

Schedule

Schedule 

16th End Week 1 - research into Romania, why they come to England, artists and techniques and some documentation 

Budgeting 

23rd End Week 2 - interviews and sound recording 

30th End Week 3 - shooting & editing - contrast role of car wash

6th End Week 4 -  how am I presenting finished product - audio or text with photos?