My strongest work in Assignment 2.2 Shutterscapes were the Aldeburgh Carnival photos with the focus on ‘English quirkiness’ and colour style inspired by Martin Parr. I was not able to do new photographs because continuing COVID uncertainties meant the 2020 and 2021 Carnival and other events were cancelled.
Shutterscapes II: Carnival Days brings the earlier 2017 photographs together as two reportage Photo Essays re-processed and re-framed to best represent different aspects of the carnival, sometimes humorous and sometimes intense. These images are now poignantly nostalgic, looking back at a time of freedom before ‘carnival was cancelled’, a time when mask-wearing in public was a quaint oriental habit and social distancing was anti-social. From a time when the future of the pandemic is still uncertain.
Experimenting with square and also other alternative formats is a very useful exercise I found, even if for some images I go back to the original – and maybe clarify some of the focus and contrast to achieve a new meaning or emphasis.
The work for this module is all part of an anticipated long term connection with Aldeburgh. Early 2022 I intend to send my work on the Carnival to the Carnival committee and see if they give any feedback on what is now something of a historic/nostalgic set of pictures. Once it is again COVID-safe to visit – possibly not until late 2021 because of the crowds once things open up again – I plan to discuss my work with some of the bookshops.
For high resolution of selected images see galleries on my SMUGUG Portfolio site:
1: Carnival Colour: Aldeburgh 2017
As well as the gallery and sales on Shutterstock from Assignment 2.2 Shutterscapes, I submitted first and final images to Cambridge Camera Club to see it they were suitable for the exhibition. But people thought that although they were good for documentary – life, confusion and coloured chaos being the essence of carnival – they were too busy for Exhibition photographs.
The first image of the women with dogs they thought too confusing – the humorous chaos of being pulled in different directions by dogs and shouting being the point of the photo as documentary.
The final image of the woman with the charity bucket they thought was problematic because the streamers were in front of the woman’s face. It would have been difficult to take a photograph without the streamers without disturbing the scene through moving in closer and/or asking her to pose.
Lead Photo selected because of its dynamic colour and chaotic activity. I cropped the origtinal image in to remove the red person on the right and put the pink woman’s mouth and face on the thirds line so that the eye goes straight to that. With an implied shout line to the women on the right – via the annoyed looking woman in the middle. 
Context shot og the crowds and stalls. The confused looking ‘man on holiday’ further emphasising the story of noise and chaos. 
Sequential shot – one of the first floats. Selected for brilliant colour. 
Sequential shot – selected because of clashing colours, but also disability inclusion that is an important feature of Aldeburgh and the carnival. 
Portrait shot of expectant onlookers. 
Portrait shot. Selected because of the lively expression on the qwoman’s face. I also liked the hand with the mobile phone behind – different ways of communicating. 
Portrait shot of colourful toy seller. And the woman behind filming on her phone. 
Portrait shot of colourful whistle seller. And the people behind. 
Sequential shot – one of many of the band. Chosen again to show attempts at diversity – though this man was the only non-white member of the band. 
Context shot. Chosen because I like the contrast between the caring policeman and the wandering child. Then the crowds of people lining the road behind. 
Sequential shot. Girl pointing to something interesting happening after all the waiting. 
Sequential shot. Carnival Queen. 
Sequential shot following up on the waiting wheel chair participants earlier. 
Sequential shot I like the different expressions on the girl’s face, and those of the dressed up gorilla and chimpanzee. 
sequential shot chosen for more clashing colour. 
Sequential shot. Colourful procession. 
Sequential shot near the end of the procession. Ending with colour red. 
After the procession paeople stand around and chat. Again colour clashes. I like the expression on the green man at the back. 
Ending shot after the procession – one of the main aims of carnval is to raise money for local charities. 
Final shot the carnival photographer reviews his images.
2: Carnival People: Aldeburgh 2017
As I was going through editing the colour images I thought I would see how they might look in black and white. I was quite surprised how different things looked. Very busy images were often simplified, and the focus was very much on peoples’ expressions and emotions rather than being drowned in colour.
I am also interested in black and white because it makes people look more anonymous. The images are not like the portraits they take on their phones. So potentially less ethically sensitive?
Carnival squared – the square crops have a much closer and intense focus. They make me think even more carefully what to leave in and what to leave out. My preconceptions were disrupted by the different format and I often noticed new things that I did not see before.
I think there is potentially an interesting Photobook. Inspired by Shirley Baker’s work on the North of England and Bruce Gilden’s bold flash street photography of New York. But looking at the draft below again after a break, I think the photographs are too small on the page, and I need to think a lot more about layout with much less frame, and varying the layout as in Assignment 5.2.1 Bridge.
Carnival_BW_coverspreads