In Depth, The Tom hunter tribute project.

For the picbod# module, i wanted to study my relationship with my partner. However, for various reasons im at a point now where im getting very close to breaking point and im still not happy with the images we have created. A major problem for me is my composition in the images, they dont feel striking enough or dont explore the environment correctly. They say it takes a photographer 4 years to find their eye for such problems and if thats the case ive still got a little over 2 years still to go before i find mine. However i've only got 2 weeks left to produce and prepare an image and turn it into a digital and analogue artefact that can be submitted to the gallery show titled picturing the body.

I also have to consider cost and manufacturing time. If i want to make a book for example, i'd need to submit it for printing by mid week at the latest. For top quality digital prints i have 1 week before i need to submit images to a professional print company and i also need to factor in cost. So, being realistic im limited to two options. Either digital prints like above, or shoot on medium format film and do the printing myself. I can say now without any worry i'll be doing the latter. There is a freedom when you make your own prints. You have so much control on tone and contrast at such a late stage that a lot of developing can still be done to the work.

Think im getting ahead of myself? Me too. Should probably tell you my idea whilst were here......

I, in a panicked state decided to go back over the past 12 months and look at the photographers i've met or spoken to and the work i'd done in my own time as well as whilst at university. I was very concerned about my composition and post production and wanted to address both issues. As i flicked through my notes i came across Tom Hunter. For those not familiar with Tom's work go here...

toms work is brilliant and i enjoy it for many reasons. However for the inspiration tied to this module we only need to reference one image. This is Tom's version of 'the lady in the lake' a highly famous pre-raphaelite painting. He used the image as the basis of his composition and then brought it into his own neighbourhood. He used modern clothing and didn't fear to leave in the original skyline.

I considered this... Could i apply the same basic framework and find some paintings that i feel could also be used to represent my partner in some way? Could we pick a few paintings and have a go at replicating them ourselves, in my style. Not Toms, to give the work at least a flavour of originality?


We had a good look though quite a few genre's of painters and movements and have settled on 4-5 images as our start point. Im not promising i'll stick to them, more that they will form the basis of a simple exploratory shoot this afternoon when the sun's a bit lower in the sky. I also know i wont get the final images today. That will have to wait till wednesday, as i dont have a medium format camera here right now and i want a bit more control over what my model's wearing than just the clothes she'll turn up in. But the really important part of this is that, with maybe 4-5 days to spare i finally have an idea im happy with. I now know what im doing and what im working towards. I know that im going to shoot these images and that im going to make them work. They will then be a series of 3-4 prints, that i will develop and print myself and frame ready for the exhibition. I need to do a fair amount more in my sketchbook and ive written some critical essays on the photographer's i've looked at to this point that need tweaking and then sticking in, but i feel for the first time like ive got this under control. Which is nice... trust me.