Steve Gaskin Photography Projects 2022_Photo Challenge

Projects 2022 - Photo Challenge

During the last year or so, myself and friend Andy have been setting challenges for ourselves approximately every six weeks. We take it in turns to choose a topic and once we have completed the project we meet up for coffee or lunch and review the results; we usually try and keep it to around six to eight images. The main object is to get us out taking pictures, but it also encourages us to think 'outside the box' and it has resulted in some very interesting titles, 'Wabi Sabi' was one very challenging topic (best Google it), along with 'D-Day' and 'Juxtaposition'. We were recently introduced to a book series entitled, "52 Assignments" and as we both enjoy street and documentary photography have decided to use some of the assignments for our project. I am recording the results of this years' challenges here on my website; I hope the results will be as interesting as previous years. Please scroll down the page for previous challenges.

Rules? What rules?

This months photo challenge with was No: 3 Rules. What Rules? "Shoot spontaneously without any regard for the rules. Alternatively choose a rule and deliberately try to break it."

Steve's images

At first I couldn't get too inspired about this topic, but strangely it does seem to work. It took a lovely walk in the forest yesterday morning to obtain the final few pictures; here they are with captions relating to rules that are broken.

Andy's images

It’s quite tough to deliberately break rules. People don’t really like pictures with their heads cut off 😜

"Up Close And Personal"

Assignment number '27' from our book was chosen at random by the lovely waitress at our local hostelry, and this challenged us to to explore the type of 'in your face' street photography made well known by the likes of Bruce Gilden and Gary Winogrand. This was quite a challenging assignment as the idea is not to use a long lens which might make you conspicuous; this means getting really close in order to capture candid images of people in every day life. Some suggested techniques are 'shoot from the hip' or a 'low camera angle' and to 'avoid eye contact'. Here are the pick of our attempts.

Steve's images

I took advantage of a local Transport Festival to get all but one of these shots. The event was ideal as people aren't surprised to see you with a camera; however, getting in close was still tricky and I'm pretty sure the lady with the blue dress 'clocked' me. The gentleman second from the left on the bottom row is a friend who came walking up to me and I just pointed my camera and 'snapped'; he was totally bemused that I'd taken a picture. My favourite is the lady with the ice cream as the timing was just perfect from my point of view.

Andy's images

Perhaps our first real foray into street photography. Going to events where there are more people around means they don’t spot a photographer in their midst.

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"Be Negative"

Our latest Photo Challenge was ‘Be Negative’ which was using the concept of negative space. The technique quoted was "Use negative space to impose a sense of scale, making your subject more or less significant" Not sure either of us really ‘cracked it’ but here are our attempts. Our next challenge is ‘up close and personal’ which promises to be just as challenging!

Steve's images

I had 'visualised' some subject matter that I felt could answer the brief and a visit to Gloucester cathedral provided me with some opportunities, the first five images were taken there. The final image which possibly works best was taken in the village of Newnham, ironically where Andy lives!

Andy's images

Large areas of the frame with no content - large areas of the frame often made up of light or dark shade or a solid colour. Here are my entries....Feeling positive

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"Turn Back Time"

The aim of the assignment is to try and recreate the "Golden Age" of street photography through a combination of observation and technique. Whilst colour isn't excluded, monochrome is perhaps most closely associated with the earlier days of street photography.

Steve's images

I was able to call on the help of friends for this challenge. The garage image is of the owner Bernard who maintains and restores classic cars and the couple were happy to 'dress up' for a photo shoot in a local village where some buildings were ideal for portraying the theme. The street pictures were taken in Monmouth outside an old pub and the Savoy cinema which is one of the oldest in Wales. In post production I used an application which can emulate old film types, Kodak Tri-X was chosen for these along with a sepia toning enhancement and for some a 'back in the day' style border was added.

Andy's images

The task sounded simple enough to begin with. But trying to take pictures reminiscent of a bygone age was a bit of a challenge. In the end I had to ask friends I was meeting at DEYA brewery in Cheltenham to come dressed in 60’s gear. The brewery tap room is quite psychedelic so fitted well. And my friends didn’t disappoint. For the image of Irma I went for that washed out look that reminded me of pictures from my past. My favourite is the one where Matt is about to consume the crocodile. Or maybe it’s the other way around.
The Severn Bridge is a favourite spot. The structure and the lifeboat just leaving the old car ferry jetty looks timeliness. And the busses were a lucky find local to me at Lydney Station. A bus graveyard if you like.

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