Final Hand In.

So this week marks the culmination of my photographic module at Goldsmiths. I'm dangerously close to the end of my degree now and teaching has already ended. Yesterday was final hand in day which included the submission of over £600 worth of coursework and portfolio prints, not to mention the cost and effort that went into getting final exhibition quality A2 prints & framing. The work has yet to be installed (pictures of that event will no doubt follow in due course), but just having my body of work in one place, in all its total glory, involved an overwhelmingly satisfying feeling of achievement. Here are the two most prominent features of my submission: My portfolio book & final exhibition selection.

Dave Goodman

A quick portrait of Captain-G for Evie's magazine.

Evie Goodman... The Sister.

I thought long and hard about the setting for her portrait. After weeks of confusion and indecision I took her advice and waited for her sweet 16th... For the most pink-embellished sleepover girls night in, ever. Take a look at the finer details in the background of the shot, some of the pink paraphernalia is ludicrous. By all accounts the girls had many a laugh amongst their night of birthday celebrations (which I assume to be largely Chick flick-esc. and thus do not want to hear about) and equally, I'm sure it was a success (but I did not wish to stick around to find out either to be fair). They were even lucky enough to be graced with my drunken gormless face as I returned from Beluga a beaten man, upon 3 in the morn.

I'm going to return to this post, probably at a later date, to write something a bit more personal about Evie & our tempestuous history as rival siblings, but until then, make what you will of her portrait to add to my collection...

Andrew Parkes: Accounting...

As per.

I am making a perfect bound, hardback Photo book, which is proving to be expensive, however the end result will be priceless and look the absolute Don. I am therefore collating all those I care for in my life to form the body of work in which my noisy style will emanate from. Deadlines are looming for this project rapidly and so I'm going to pick up the pace.

This time it involves a VERY familiar face to the posts of Timblography, which says a little about the relevance of his inclusion. In fact Parkes is one of the best influences going and easily one of the highest calibre human beings I have ever met. Long live our brilliant polar oppositional dynamic and his OCD, Grandfatheral character aspirations. It is hard to avoid becoming horribly sycophantic when I reflect on the last few years of trauma & tribulation we have experienced as effectively brothers in crime. Alas we could not contrast any more if we tried (bar an undying love for metal of course). One more thing I will add just before I cease this mushy bromance business... Without the fella i'd have no idea how to pay the bills whatsoever. Which is a big deal.

Thurnham.

Only I know what was running through my mind whilst on this ride. A night of ridiculous events must be balanced with nothingness almost immediately or I begin to melt inside. Isolation is constantly fixated upon my mind when doing this. Clichéd as it may seem, the exposure of these shots are almost certainly an example of pathetic fallacy.

A Seal in Deal? Shotgun.

The weather was appalling, the standard Sunday depression wasn't up to much either. I tried Bluewater for some retail therapy... Alas that plan fell on its face quick-sharp due to my insane lack of funds. So I bowled on down in the torrential rain to Deal of all places. The rain had thankfully eased off by the time I arrived, & I continued my love affair with Kentish coastline and its architecture, thusly. Lucky for me a cheeky seal popped his head up to say hello as well, which was an unexpected treat to say the least! It's worth mentioning that this style of shoot, I do for myself only. They have little to do with my course and simply serve as an excuse to divulge in escapism. I find the whole process, from travelling to final editing, therapeutic. It's rewarding for me to admire the results instead of desperately trying to make progress on my dissertation in the city week.

Enjoy the moody beauty that is the winter coastline folks....

United Colors Of Benetton Press Assistant.

This is my cousin, Lucy. She graduated from the London College Fashion, did some hard graft internships and as a result, landed herself with this beauty of an occupation working for a high-end Italian clothing designer. She's in charge of dishing out samples and press releases to try and gain exposure for the brand in top publications. Her office is situated in the heart of posh-town London & I'm talking just a stones throw from Oxford Circus. The whole area is a place I aspire to end up working in one day, with top media establishments and advertising agencies littering every street.

The main room adjacent to your standard computer office was like a photography studio in itself, which proved lovely to shoot in. With a huge samples shipment just in, the office was a wash with the new 2010 range of Benetton clothing that had yet to go on general sale and needed unpacking and sorting for sample distribution. It was all very exciting and it's fair to say I spent a lot of time post shoot, trying all the small-Italian-man gents range on. 

My family is relatively small and I only really have one proper cousin. This meant that Lucy & I spent a lot of time growing up together and remain very close. I've recently heard of a few aspirations and future opportunities she's taking a punt at, and am very proud of her. 

It's also worth mentioning that being in constant contact with the press, her list of connections to EVERY magazine featured behind her (& many many more), is ludicrous! I am more then expectant to be hooked up by her with a sick internship when my degree comes to a close.

As for the composition of this shot, the obvious point to be made would be how little of the frame she takes up. I just became obsessed with the idea of including as much of the room as possible to give the audience a general feel for her working environment. It's a bit of a non-place, secular to the real world and the bubble perspective of an ultra-wide angle reflects this beautifully I think. I've uploaded a slighter larger version of the portrait to allow for the small details to be seen viewed on screen.

Finally, I hope by now you have realised how much I hate posed smiles in portraits. Lucy is one of theee bubbliest, enthusiastic women you are ever likely to meet, so there's no mood intended with a straight face. Put simply: no matter how glossy, business is business.

Timblography's 100th Post: Clinic Presents Special...

WARNING LONG POST-

Thursday saw the Clinic Presents: MAGIC night held @ The Amersham Arms New Cross. 

They had the whole joint opened up to them this time, which meant biggg capacity which needless to say, they packed out. The night saw a great variety of talent showcased, producing pretty diverse (to say the least) moods throughout the evening. From the ambience of poetic exploration and creative literary expression upstairs in the gallery... To the exceptional intensity of Talons downstairs, at the end of the night. Local Illustration talent was exhibited downstairs in carefully installed, hanging sequences. The calibre of photographic and illustration contributions had also been hugely increased, certain pieces completely blew me away in fact. I'd have never normally come across the artists if it hadn't been for Clinic showcasing them in the private view, which is an achievement of the night in itself. I think it's also worth mentioning that I hope the guys continue to showcase the local, less established artists even as Clinic grows in popularity. All in all sets from Jamie 'N' Commons (resident artist), HREDA, On Histories Of Rosenberg & Talons, were floor filling & high energy. 

By all accounts that I'd heard, everyone who came down had a lovely night, leaving everyone with a well rounded night of smiles and boozy goodness.


Please enjoy the nearly 40 images that is my documentation of the night. This post is a Timblography milestone and thus dominates in length as it should. Where conditions were really dark & I avoided flash, my focus is appalling. Still making school boy errors in the dark it seems. Some are better then others though so keep an open mind!