First stages of documenting the Manchester rave scene. Project 13

In order for this project to be a success I must document all aspects of Manchester's 'rave' scene. I want to document those who make the nights as unique and atmospheric as they are; therefore I will start off by photographing those who make the night possible...the dj's and mc's .

However, I don't want to be photographing them from a distance, I want them to be aware of who I am and what i'm doing.

I used who and what I know to my advantage and have joined Project 13 as their head photographer. Project 13 is a unique and clever group who feature the next up and coming dj's from around Manchester, allowing them to play in a variety of clubs and secret locations throughout the city.

I am currently experimenting with expired film due to it's magical variation of unique colours when x processed through the c41 machine. I decided to mix things up a little and use a rear flash to capture the dj's movement. I initially did this purely due to the fact that dj's can often look very stiff when shot with a standard flash. I feel like the rear flash technique is incredible at simply making the image appear more alive and energetic.

The two photographs below are of an mc who goes by the name of T Man. I am a great admirer of his work and how he can get the crowd going even when the night may be a little dead. At this moment in time I want to photograph as many people as possible in order for my book to have a diverse number of one of a kind characters.

I noticed this one guy who was standing right at the front of the crowd, he was clearly on drugs and the music was making him dance to the beat. Initially I wasn't planning on taking a photograph of him as I was more into what Acre (one of the dj's) was playing, however, despite this when going to take a photograph of Mr Acre this guy turned around, looked me dead in the eye and smiled; a rather peculiar but friendly smile. I shot the photograph and edited it in a rather abstract style to reinforce is 'wired' mind set.

I believe that by photographing the characters I encounter on a night I will have a strong array of portraits which provide the reader with a true insight to what goes on in Manchester after dark.

Jim Goldberg's raised by wolves.

I have chosen to admire the work of Jim Goldberg, a personal favourite of mine when it comes to looking at documentary photography. His book/video titled 'Raised by Wolves' provides you with an in-depth insight into the lives of three runaways, these being Echo, Tweeky and Dave. Documenting their experiences with the police, social agencies and the struggles and beauties of life in general. 

Although the book is very very interesting to look through, with it's alternative styles of layout and structure, I did prefer the video he made as I believe it brought me closer to the three characters; hearing their voices and life stories merged alongside with stark and powerful made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. 

By hearing the characters voices you are immediately absorbed into their world; the viewer feels as if they are part of Goldberg's world. 

Although it is still early days with regards to this project, presenting my work as either a book or video is something I am highly interested in producing. However, further research and experimentation is needed.

Initial approach to documentary photography

Below are examples of recent and earlier approaches to documentary photography.

All four photographs are based around the concept of street photography; this being a style of photography I appreciate yet dislike at the same time. This being purely due to the fact that I like to have control over my photographs...I want to be a creator as well as observer. 

For me, giving the amount of time we have for this unit of work, I don't believe street photography would be a reliable focal point simply because of how unpredictable it can be... i'd rather just do it in my spare time. 

Instead I believe I will focus on Manchester's rave scene. This is something I am proudly part of and therefore would like to show the world the weird and wonderful nature of Manchester after dark.

Documentary and Reportage Photography

The principle of documentary/reportage photography has been the making of many photographic gods. Whether this be the street style documentation work of Bresson, to the reportage styled photographs seen in any newspaper or magazine, this approach to photography, with it's extremely broad and flexible character, means that almost anything can be regarded as a form of documentary photography.