Abrasive blasting metal

This is very similar to the machine I was using to grit blast my metal. It shoots out grit at a very high speed, at a very high temperature, so it is very important for it to take place in an enclosed area using high strength rubber gloves for protection.

Here is an example of how grit blasting can be very effective for covering up a broken or worn area. This can be relative to my project in the sense that the life of a homeless person is covered up by the stereotype and perception many people already have of them. 

Making the shell of my book

I went into the workshop last week to create the steel shell i have planned to use for the shell of my book. I was in good hands under the supervision of the tutors in the workshop so I was shown how to use the tools necessary. A lot of the work involved trimming metal and filing edges to ensure there were not sharp edges. The complicated part was deciding what finish I would use for the metal. I was shown various sanding techniques as well as a technique called grit blasting.

Grit blasting was the technique I went with after a long time considering. I chose this technique due to the matte and rough effect it gives to the metal. I felt this was a relative technique to combine with my case study. It is also a technique used for when you want a bad piece of metal to look better so you cover it with grit and it masks any imperfections. After having been told this, I felt it was a perfect compliment to my book.

It came out pretty much as I would have liked it to, but there have been some marks made on it for whatever reason, but with my case study being the homeless and vulnerable, I did not mind the fact that the finish was not perfect. There are some spots on it that look scratched or look like fingermarks but after stepping back and looking at it again, I began to become keen of the imperfections.

This weekend I went to an engravers to talk through what I wanted done and it is currently getting engraved. I was told it will be posted to me when it is finished so I can only wait and hope it has come out as expected.

Front Cover of Book

So the front cover of my book is going to be metallic, as well as the spine and back of the book. I am getting the  text engraved to add a sense of importance to the product. It will be a tough cover for what is just a book but the connotations carry a lot more meaning. The metallic element makes the pages seem encased, thus giving the reader a real sense of revealing stories that are not necessarily meant to be read.

The first page of the book will also have the design of the front cover in black and white, as many books do in the commercial market.

Pagination of Final Book

I am making a B.L.A.D as a final outcome for my project. Here is the breakdown of the pages:

• 8 Profiles. Each profile will use 3 pages.  8 x 3 = 24
• Contents page x 1
• Introduction x 1
• Focus on the Volunteers x 4
• Thankyou page x 1
• Ralph Millward dedication page x 1

And with 10 blank pages between each profile it would make my book page count 102.

The wieght of the blank pages will be 150gsm, with the pages for the profiles being a mix of 110gsm and 150gsm. With this in mind I can work out the thickness of the book and begin the production of my metal book cover.

The Unequal Homeless

Front and back cover to recent book used for my current case study. Its draws on very interesting points relating to homelessness and gender.

The Unequal Homeless: Men on the Streets, Women in their Place

Book written by Joanne Passaro

"The Unequal Homeless explores the persistence, as opposed to the occurrence, of homelessness. With this focus, which is absent in most of the contemporary homelessness literature, the author shows how cultural expressions of beliefs about gender difference help to perpetuate the homelessness of particular groups of people in New York City.

The people who are persistently homeless in New York are, overwhelmingly, black men. The reason, Passaro contends, is that homelessness is not simply an economic predicament, but a cultural and moral location as well. Remaining homeless is a very different process from that of becoming homeless.

Based on field research in New York City, The Unequal Homeless examines the ways that gender, race and family status of homeless persons help determine their chances of survival. The author concludes that unless we abandon social and personal practices that give preferential treatment to homeless women--who are seen as "belonging" at home and hence are housed--homeless men will never escape the streets while homeless women will do so only if they embody traditional ideals of womanhood."

Reference: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1801473.The_Unequal_Homeless

Gender-specific Correlates of Sex Trade among Homeless and Marginally Housed Individuals in San Francisco

By Sheri D. Weiser, Samantha E. Dilworth, Torsten B. Neilands, Jennifer Cohen, David R. Bangsberg and Elise D. Riley

"Objective: Sex exchange is a well-established risk factor for HIV infection. Little is known about how correlates of sex trade differ by biologic sex and whether length of homelessness is associated with sex trade. We conducted a cross-sectional study among a sample of 1,148 homeless and marginally housed individuals in San Francisco to assess correlates of exchanging sex for money or drugs. Key independent variables included length of homelessness; use of crack, heroin or methamphetamine; HIV status; and sexual orientation. Analyses were restricted by biologic sex. In total, 39% of women and 30% of men reported a lifetime history of sex exchange. Methamphetamine use and greater length of homelessness were positively associated with a history of sex trade among women, while heroin use, recent mental health treatment, and homosexual or bisexual orientation were significantly associated with sex trade for men. Crack use was correlated with sex trade for both genders. Correlates of sex trade differ significantly according to biologic sex, and these differences should be considered in the design of effective HIV prevention programs. Our findings highlight the critical need to develop long-term services to improve housing status for homeless women, mental health services for homeless men, and drug treatment services for homeless adults involved in sex work."

Reference: http://www.springerlink.com/content/j834785043m2kg3p/

A comparison of homeless men and women: Different populations, different needs

By Carol S. North and Elizabeth M. Smith

"Homeless women are very different from homeless men, but few studies have reported data separately on them or compared them directly with men. This report on a study of 600 homeless men and 300 homeless women in St. Louis presents comparison data on these populations. The pivotal difference between homeless men and women was that unlike men, most women had young children in their custody. The women were also younger than men, more likely to be members of a minority group, and more often dependent on welfare. They had been homeless for a shorter period and spent less time in unsheltered locations. Compared to men, they had less frequent histories of substance abuse, incarceration, and felony conviction. Solitary women (without children with them), compared to women with children in their custody, were more likely to be white, had been homeless longer, and more often had a history of alcoholism or schizophrenia. On most variables, values for solitary women lay some-where between those for men and for women with children. The population of homeless women is therefore heterogeneous, with at least two subgroups. These groups are likely to benefit from intervention programs that are designed to address their specific problems and needs, which are not necessarily the same as those of homeless men."


Reference: http://www.springerlink.com/content/w3400u1ru0100v57/

Homeless mentally disordered offenders and violent crimes

By Daniel A. Martell

"This study examines the prevalence of homelessness in a cross-sectional sample of 150 patients retained in a maximum-security hospital for mentally disordered offenders in New York City. The homeless mentally ill comprise only 2% of the city's mentally ill population, yet they account for 50% of the admissions to this forensic facility from the community. Compared to population base rate estimates, forensic patients are homeless at 25 times the rate found in the rest of the city's mentally disordered population and are 50 times more likely to be homeless than the general population. Further, there is a significant association between homelessness at the time of the instant offense and charges for violent crimes, after controlling for age, sex, race, and diagnosis. These data suggest that homelessness greatly increases the risk that mentally disordered persons will be forensically hospitalized and is closely associated with indictments for violent criminal behavior. Alternative explanations for these findings are discussed, emphasizing risk, vulnerability, and criminalization perspectives."


Reference: http://www.springerlink.com/content/mm73u15030l34375/

Perceptions of and reactions to the homeless: A survey of fourth-grade, high school, and college students in a small Midwestern community

By Mark A. Barnett, Steven W. Quackenbush and Lisa K. Pierce


"A total of 459 fourth-graders, high school students, and undergraduates completed a Homelessness Questionnaire developed for use in this study. Although participants generally expressed positive and supportive attitudes toward the homeless, attributing homelessness to either social maladjustment (e.g., drug problem) or negative characteristics (e.g., laziness) within the homeless was positively associated with “fear of and anger toward the homeless” for all groups of participants. In addition, perceptions of and reactions to the homeless were influenced by both the participants’ gender and age group. Although high school and college students’ interest in helping the homeless was associated with various attitudes and reactions (e.g., feelings of sympathylsupport), their indication that they had ever helped homeless people (either directly or indirectly) was consistently associated only with the acknowledgement that their mother and father had ever helped homeless people (either directly or indirectly). Among these older participants, homelessness in the United States was rated as a more serious problem at the end of the questionnaire than at the beginning."


Reference: http://www.springerlink.com/content/p325g70505501808/

Teenage Paparazzo: I AM Hollywood Homeless

An interesting insight into the lives of the homeless community in the celebrity capital of the world.

Page Samples

Sample shots of page examples. First page is printed on Chromatico Digital Clear 150gsm. Second page is printed on Chromatico Digital Clear 110gsm. Third page is printed on Premium White 120gsm.

Becky Blanton - Life experience as a homeless woman

Very inspiring talk. And a realisation that being homeless is very much a situation that anyone could find themself in.

Westcliff Baptist Church. Christmas Service

Interview with photographer Paul Wenham-Clarke

Today I had a talk with the AoP Gold Award winner Paul Wenham-Clarke, with the topic of conversation predominantly about his recent commission by The Big Issue magazine. As I am quite new to photography I am quite skeptical about how to get the most out of my images, so a lot of my questions were about techniques to use when I am taking the shots.

Some important pointers were to always try and use a tripod whenever possible, as it is for a publication he expressed his thoughts on how important it was to use many different distances, but also to try and keep a consistent style through all of my shots in order of keeping continuity in the book. He touched on topics to consider such as my depth of field, cropping and lighting, all areas I will research and evaluate before shooting.

But the biggest point that Wenham-Clarke made was how delicate the subject matter is, and that in comparison to getting a good shot, the matter of dealing with the subjects delicately is a lot more important. He told of stories when he had gone to meet people who had agreed to photograph them and they had forgotten who he was, which in turn had made them, on some occasions, get violent.

The way about getting the information from them in terms of their background was also an important part. He advised never to ask questions like "so how did you end up homeless?", questions that could sound very rude and may lead to a negative output. His words were to just talk to the community, about anything at first, and if they want to talk to you about their past then they will in turn, but there is no need to ask silly questions.

PPRD. (Excuse the crop marks)

Open publication - Free publishing - More test

FMP Progress.

Although I have not got much paper work to show just yet, due to my good arm being in a sling for 3 weeks, I have organised meetings with photographer Paul Wenham Clarke, who has done commissioned work for The Big Issue recently, and Tom Morgan, the man in charge of the open breakfast that the Westbourne Baptist Church hold every friday for the homeless. Both of these experiences will be very insightful in their different ways. The invite to the breakfast will give me the chance to talk to a few of the homeless community and hopefully get some nice shots of them.

Shadow

D&AD Brief Outcome

So here's the half of the video that Ben Mercer and I got finished before we succumbed to illness and had to drop out of the running. We're both really disappointed we didn't get to see this one through because on watching this back just now we we're both really pleased with the outcome. If we'd had more time there would have been some additional footage on the third screen section and ideally the same process completed for a second song.

I think that the succession of food being hit with the hammer is a really effective portrayal of the notes and makes for interesting watching, especially with the changing of speeds that comes with the chorus and the faster sections of the song it creates various lengths of clip which give a different effect. I think that the middle section is also very effective as the speed of the movement juxtaposes with the slowness of the third screen. I think that the 3 different speeds across 3 different screens works really well and the addition of some stop frame work on the third screen would have brought in an extra element to the video which would have completed the set.