Assignment 5: Landscape Elements

Now that I have decided to work this more from a social landscape perspective, I have spent a little time exploring the street and thinking about how the shape and position of things could help to build the narrative of the set.  This has not been easy and I am starting to worry that the subject simply might not be visually interesting enough.  Fellow students have been very positive about the strip photo, and I think this is a good element, however, I am concerned about the rest.  I cannot stress over this too much as the clock is ticking now.

I am also starting to think about a possible fall back should this simply be rejected.  Part of the problem with my deadline is that in 3 weeks I head out on vacation, scuba diving again.  I have used underwater photographs already in both TAOP and DPP, however, in neither case did I really consider the process of diving and all it entails, from a diver's perspective, but also from those who work in the dive base.  I need a couple of weeks vacation, but perhaps a mission will be fun.  I could see how a visual essay on diving could work, so maybe I have some insurance.

In any case back to the current assignment.  In the following shots I have been trying to explore how a photograph can say something about German society.  In particular, during the last year or so a number of new shops have appeared on the street, Body Kult, Naturheilpraxis, and an Immobilienburo.  All say a little about German society.  Body Kult has a couple of messages, first of all the contiued use of English to make things sound more modern (go figure) and the cult of fitness that makes the average German a good deal fitter than other citizenry of the world (my observation only).  Body Kult, is, however, one of those faddish things where they claim to be able to get you fit with 20 minutes of electro-therapy a week.  The NAturheilpraxis is the exact opposite, a purveyor of alternative natural medicines, something taken very seriously in Germany.  Finally the slow creep of the state agent has arrived.  Estate Agent offices are rare here, but growing in numbers, as people gradually shift from renting towards buying.

Each of these photos says something about Germany, but none is particularly interesting.  But maybe that is the point, this is an essay, not a glamour shoot.

Straying slightly away from the immediate confines of the street, this shot is just across the road looking back to my section of Richard-Strauss Strasse.  I may rework this to use a tele rather than a wide angle, to better emphasize the fruit stall.  The message here is again fitness, German's cycle a lot and use public transport.

The above two shots are details that highlight elements of German society.  Michaerl Jackson is very much missed, but also this shows how small adverts for cultural events are found all over.  This type of advert is never for a product, always for an event.  The second shot shows typical door furniture.  All house numbers in Germany use the same blue plaque, by law.   The plaque tells you what street you are on and the arrow tells you which way the numbers are ascending, very ordered, very practical.  The smaller sign explains who owns the building and how to contact them should you be interested in renting locally.  Details like these say quite a lot about how people live here.

I also spent some time in the side streets immediately adjoining my strip.  I am looking for images that lead the story along. Building work is continually done to improve the property, landlords have a duty and also a practical need to maintain rental property at the highest quality.  It would be very strange to find run down rental property here.  The world around is also very green, plants are continually being added and gardens are an integral part of shared rented accommodation. Even where there is no garden, people try to make one.

Vandalism is rare, but does happen, this little example about all I have seen locally.

Not sure about this one, but this van is a sign of the times as Germans begin to adopt the internet for shopping, even grocery shopping.  The irony is that they deliver until 10pm, 2 hours later than the shops are themselves legally permitted to operate.

I have odd feelings about these photos, I am struggling to understand if they are good enough.  They are very simple, very basic, but together I feel a story is beggining to form, which is the point of the set.

I am giving myself until next weekend, to complete the set.  I will try and get out to shoot every day this coming week and then work on the submission next weekend, I will then have one extra weekend to mull over things before submitting.  Maybe my diving idea is better, but my time runs out before I get back from the vacation, so in the end I think I am comitted now.