Exhibition Layout

In preparation for our degree shows, we have been asked to design a mock exhibition to get a feel for when we come to create our own shows. 

Using a website called Exhibbit, you are able to create a virtual gallery space, giving you a feel for the layout and feel of what my exhibition could/would look like...

The simplicity of this layout is something that I would like to keep in mind for my own exhibition, keeping more focus on the actual images rather than looking too much into the layout and design on the show.

The square format of the images works very well for this show, showing the images a window into the golf course and the subjects.

As I have mentioned Alec Soth before, I had a look into some exhibitions he has held and found that the simplicity I speak of works well, shown in a real world exhibition...

The clean, open look of this layout is not too distracting for the viewer. Also with all my images being the same format and size, it keeps a flow going throughout the walk.

Framing My Work

I think that best layout for my images would be printed and framed, rather than on a canvas. I feel that the colour and brightness of the images would be toned down or lost if they were to be put on a canvas.

With them being square format, I would like to aim for a 40x40in print on each image, all dependent on if the file sizes permit this.

Developing My Final Images

So as my final deadline approaches, it's time to make my decision on the final layout of my images. Having had my feedback session just before the Easter break, we spoke about whether to keep my images in a landscape aspect or to crop them in square format. Now I've had a little play about with the different ways they would look, I feel that the square format works best and keep the focus on the subjects, taking away any distractions threw up in the background. 

 

The distractions aren't too 'noisy' as there's not much going on in and around the golf course but some background trees and bushes give a slight over shadow to the portraits and I feel with the square layout, this works to keep this 'noise' to a minimum. The only thing that is a bit of a worry is the size of the files now they have been cropped. Something that I should have took into consideration when shooting, a mistake that I have made in previous shoots, namely my homeless work, where I should have work out the composition at the time of shooting. Hopefully they won't be affected too much when it comes to getting them printed on a larger scale. 

Similarities In My Work And Others

Rineke Dijkstra has cropped up a few times at the feedback sessions that have taken place at university throughout this module, and now my project is entering its final stages, I now know why. The portraits I have been creating are somewhat similar to some of the work she has created, not in terms of aesthetics, but from the awkwardness and uneasiness that crops up in her work, namely the beach portrait series.

With the reference to the awkwardness of the subjects, I feel that Dijkstra's works has a lot in common with the underlying theme I have come to discover in my project.

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Alec Soth is another photographer that had been recommended for me to look at. His work is something again that is similar to where my work has been heading, he shoots on a medium format camera, creating a square format image, the way in which I have edited my images.

Looking Into The Clothing Origins And History

Having done a quick Google search, I came across this website which gives quite a good insight into the way the fashion has changed over the years from the 16th century up until the modern day game, although it is rather quite sparse....

1700 – 1900

The earliest golf players made no special effort to find suitable apparel for their sport. It is more than likely that the original golf kit consisted of kilts and animal skins, the apparel worn by the bored Scottish shepherds who invented the game. By the time the European nobility developed a liking for the game, the apparel had changed to reflect the fashions popular amongst those who most frequently played the game. Golfers wore knee length breeches over stockings, sported tailcoats, and wore ruffled cravats around their necks.

1900-1925

Towards the end of the 19th century, the hems of men’s trousers travelled inexorably downwards, until long trousers had become the most popular item of clothing in all sectors of society. Rather than embrace this change, golfers decided to mask it by tucking their trousers into long socks. It was, therefore, not unusual to see early twentieth century golfers take to the links wearing a full morning suit, bar the hat, with their trouser bottoms stuffed into long socks. How the golfers coped with hot conditions is unknown, as few would have dared to discard their heavy jackets and ties, even under the muggiest of conditions.

1926-1950

By the 1920s, liberalisation of fashion for both genders had led to some changes in golf apparel. Golfers freed themselves of the most cumbersome item of clothing in their wardrobes, the formal jacket. Ties, however, were retained, along with the aforementioned practice of tucking trousers into socks. It was during this period that the V-neck sweater became popular amongst those golfers prone to taking a chill. Some of the more daring golfers ditched ties in favour of bow-ties, combining these with severely low-cut V-necks and brightly patterned socks, in an apparent nod towards the apparel of the common clown.

1950-1990

As the twentieth century rolled on, golfers belatedly realised that wearing their socks outside their trousers was much like wearing their underwear outside their trousers. While it would have come as no surprise if Golfers had enthusiastically embraced the habit of doing the latter, common sense prevailed and golfers began to wear full-length trousers over their socks. It was at around this time that they first started compensating for their increasingly sober apparel by injecting some colour into proceedings. Every colour imaginable was given a go by golfers during the 1970s, with golf’s fashionistos often succeeding in embracing the most eye-jarring colour combinations.

1990-Present

As the end of the twentieth century approached, golfers began to tone down on their use of primary colours, and were sometimes seen on the golf course not looking in the least bit ridiculous. The entry of companies like Nike into the golf market helped matters, as dedicated fashion designers strove to iron out the lunatic edge in golf fashion by introducing well-cut polo shirts and baseball caps to proceedings. Unfortunately, this state of affairs was not to prevail, and no sooner had mankind entered a new millennium, then retro fashions took hold of the golfing world, with ballooned trousers, garish colours, and visible socks making a comeback

http://heritage-classic-golf.com/golf-fashion-history/

Spanner In The Works?!

So after having a feedback session today, there's something now lodged in my head that could turn this project on its head...

So where's all the fuss I hear you ask? Well this type of shot is something that I said I wanted to avoid from the off, but after having today's feedback session, it has been suggested that I take a look at these sort of images and think about them. The process of her being fully engaged in what she's doing and about to do, the stance and professionalism of her whole look.  

Test Shots

And so the shooting has begun! Saturday's open day was an amazing experience for me personally, it has helped me gain vital knowledge about the game of golf itself but also where I need to go with this project over the next 4 weeks.

Unfortunately due to the rain, there wasn't much on display in terms of wacky clothing, just plenty of wet weather clothing! There was plenty of gamesmanship though, but I wouldn't of expected anything less...

This image shows the President of the club being pranked on the opening shot of the day. A flour ball, nicely done!! 

Now onto the portraiture side of things...

So as this was the first day of shooting, I still had a few things to experiment with, pose, lighting, background, portrait or landscape images etc...

The first image with the two ladies, although a great portrait, is something that I would like to avoid for shooting next time. The smile in it gives it the fun, snap-shot kind of feel and that's not the aesthetics I would like in these portraits. The awkwardness to the stances of each of the male images is more to where I would like these images to go. 

As for the portrait vs landscape argument, I really like both these images but I feel like the landscape layout lends to the whole basis of the image and gives you a better insight as to where the images are, obviously they're golfers but to have the inclusion of the course in the image only adds to the feel of things. I also need to make sure I use a bit of fill in flash for shooting next time, the middle image is perfect for my final outcomes but it is lacking in that lighting in vital areas... Duly noted!!