Ryan Free
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educational purposes only

 

By-proxy photostory

19/3/2017

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After becoming very interested in the by-proxy technique, I felt that i wanted to take it outside of the studio and do a whole shoot of someone using it. So I got in contact with a car mechanic which i thought would have been a good idea because his job is all hands on and after knowing him because he used to tune my gokart engine i thought I would give it a good shot! 
you an checkout the photostory on my website under 'The Mechanic' or click the button below. 

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THE MECHANIC
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Studio portraiture

19/3/2017

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experimenting with rollie retro 80's black and white negative film in the studio. exp 1989. 

The first two images are of my class mates in college 2015. The image was composed by me and focused by me but the subject pressed the shutter with a cable release. This is the by-proxy technique used by Broomberg and Chanarin. The images came out under exposed in the background, that was probably my lighting mistake, the foreground was lit ok but not the background. nice one Ryan. 

The bottom two image were shot in the studio and this is just an example of multiple exposure using a hasselblad and old film. 
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gemini kit

19/3/2017

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The gemini kit is a potable studio which consists of two bowens flashes, two stands for them, two attachments, power and sync cables, black and white backdrops and also a power pack to power the lights.

It is very easy to use the lights power is controlled by an arrow on the back of each one, a good example of someone who uses a high end portable studio is Annie Leibovitz, a fantasy photographer who combines landscapes and portraiture.

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An image i took in college of mat scott
reflector added

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Birmingham Street- Colour negative 6x6 and 35mm

18/3/2017

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Birmingham is a thriving and vibrant city to visit, with street performers, religious preachers and some very interesting places to see. It is certainly filled with emotion. My first impressions were that there is a lot of contrast aesthetically and consequently metaphorically. I decided to capture this city on colour film obviously the medium offers a true representation of the scene which is why i chose film over digital, also I don't shoot digital so... 
After the second visit I could see a connection between the changing physical landscape which is being manipulated everyday with modern buildings and the contrast of modern and old just took my interest as soon as I adventured to the outskirts.
I captured 180 frames in 3 visits and i am happy with the results so far but i can definitely push myself a bit more becuase i work best outside my comfort zone. 
Here are a selection of medium format and 35mm images captured within 3 weeks of each other in the town center and outskirts. - Context image and details. Hasselblad 500cm/Rollie 35 S/ Olympus OM-10. 
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Studio

3/3/2017

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I became very interested in the self portrait technique used by Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin. They used a technique called by-proxy self portraiture in their collaborative work called Ghetto, which is where the photographer frames and focuses the camera but the subject takes the image of them self with a cable release and at any time they want. This technique made the subjects feel more comfortable with getting their photo taken and it also meant they were engaged with the actual process of image making, which to me makes a portrait quite unique to each subject and very powerful.

I started experimenting with this technique and found it very impacting for studio work. If you think the whole scene is controlled by the photographer or their assistant so having this slight twist where the subject take some of the control is quite a nice touch i think when it comes to portraiture. 

Here are a few images from Ghetto, a series where Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin documented the lives of patients and a mental health clinic. they used this technique as it was quite hard to get each patient to understand what was going on, some may not have known that they were getting a photo taken and may not want one taken if they would have known. so there is an ethical limitation when it comes to mental health and images, so these two photographers came up with a very smooth idea, here are their results.
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​http://www.broombergchanarin.com/ghetto/

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Street photography

2/3/2017

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Studio Tear sheet 

2/3/2017

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Studio 

1/3/2017

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I have had a fair bit of experience in the photographic studio before coming to university. I was shown many techniques by my technicians who were a great help with helping me experiment in different ways. I learnt low-key and high-key lighting and also location lighting as well as hot shoe flash techniques such as fill in.  I shot a lot of digital in the studio using a hasselblad 500cm with a phase-one digital back tethered to a mac and using capture one software which is extremely professional, fast and outstanding detail. I loved learning how it is done in the industry early on because it meant i could use similar techniques in my work. 
I was inspired by various photographers such as Annie Leibovitz, Richard avedon, nick knight and many more. These are a few images I took a few years back, they were shot with a canon 700D with a 50mm 
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January 13th, 2017

14/1/2017

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Long exposure colour negative film 

Whilst travelling through Europe on my way to Switzerland, I stayed at a Eurocamp and I stayed up late that night looking up at the stars with a beer or two. I remembered I had colour film in my camera and a tripod to hand. I set the camera up pointing towards the tree in front of our chalet and the sky. I bracketed 30 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 30 and 2 minutes. Each exposure shows a different aesthetic, light trail, the longer exposure ones show movement of the earth through the stars light trails. This image I took was a 1 minute exposure shot on an Olympus-OM10 with a 50mm @ F/16. Kodak 200 colour negative. 
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January 13th, 2017

14/1/2017

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William eggleston

Eggleston photographed his home town, memphis- Tennessee he was interested in the infra ordinary- at war with he obvious. Eggleston used dye transfer process with E-6 colour film, he realised that colour was infra ordinary- a sin to photography as the prominent photographic film used in the 1960's and 70's was black and white. The camera is used to describe things, so using colour helped him describe more. Eggleston described his photography as democratic, meaning he is at war with the obvious.
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January 13th, 2017

13/1/2017

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Cross process e-6 slide film in c-41 chems

After looking at the works of Eggleston and Leiter I have fallen in love with colour film photography again. I have used it before and was not too impressed by it, due to the off colours probably because I hand processed the film at college and the chems were not replaced often so results were not amazing. I shot one roll of E-6 which I processed in C-41 chems and the colours came out very surreal. I found these negatives and re-scanned them and Looking at the colour I was amazed.  
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January 13th, 2017

13/1/2017

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Stow Horse Fair evaluation

The Stow Gypsy fair was a very enjoyable experience, i got to meet a few individuals and heard what they think about the fair and why it is important. The people all seemed very passionate about their tradition and loved to pose for photos, I was expecting a bit more of a challenge when it came to photographing them but most were more than happy. 
The amount of random bits and bobs they sold made me realise their way of living, they would sell pretty much anything to get money, from shoes to shooting jackets and live stock to caravans. The people seemed to be in expensive designer clothes which shows they are quite well off and they like to look good most of the time. ​
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January 13th, 2017

13/1/2017

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Austerity and prosperity evaluation

Austerity and prosperity.
University life is an extremely big change for a lot of people, and everyone handles the situation completely differently. I live with quite a diverse group of people, who come from farming backgrounds and working class families, and I would say from a less affluent background than Sophia who comes from a very affluent background. I noticed that she stood out from everyone else because of this and I decided to document every moment that she was seen prosperous; going out for the night or getting something new.  There have been arguments and fallouts due to the diversity in lives and I feel it is something quite important to capture. ​
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January 13th, 2017

13/1/2017

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Tales of gloucester evaluation

Tales Of Gloucester. 
​There was a group in an underpass ‘graffitiing’ their art work, cooking food on a barbecue and they had a rap battle. I thought that i had to photograph it,  at the time I was with George Walsh ​and we spoke to a guy called Ryan and we asked if we could photograph their day and they were perfectly fine with it. So we started photographing them, using flash and fast shutter speeds. We photographed the whole scene, the setting, the people and all the belongings they had. 


Here are some of the edited images of Motion Enterprise'. I tried to capture the scene as true as I could by not posing them as such but capturing them in a random moment. The use of flash was needed because of the low light under the tunnel, if I were to shoot under there again I would go earlier in the day when there is more available light or use a really fast lens, such as a 50mm F/1.4. I really enjoyed documenting the day of these artists and i'm glad I stopped when I did to ask. The works of Bruce Davidson’s ‘underground’  ​
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January 13th, 2017

13/1/2017

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Tewskbury Mop fair evaluation

The Event Tewksbury Mop Fair 
This event was interesting because I had never photographed a fair before only attended one and I was very curious to what results I will achieve. The events are in a controlled environment in terms of access but this results in a concentrated street full of people to be photographed. I have tried to capture the setting as close as possible to what it felt like to be there, with bright lights or children sitting around waiting for something, a man fixing the ride or looking into the reflection in a window of a house while waiting in a line. I used flash and when the light dropped towards the end of the evening I had a more Guildonion approach, which looking back I wish that I did that all day.  ​
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Latest work on website

3/1/2017

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Go check out my latest photstory on a car in the middle of the woods right near where I live in High Wycombe. 
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CASTLEFIELD WOODS SMALL PERSONAL PHOTO-STORY
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January 02nd, 2017

2/1/2017

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Ben Roberts- Occupied spaces

The occupy protests which have spread all over the world came to London by St pauls in Finsbury square, the press said at the time of the protests that thermal imaging picked up by helicopters showed that a lot of the tents were un-occupied which was quite ironic. So instead of photographing the protest, he went inside the tents and took images of the space that the protesters were living in before and after they were protesting. all of the images he shot have no people in them, this is staged photography and he deliberately took everyone out of the shot just to show the spaces that they occupied. What i like about this photography is that Roberts has played around with the whole meaning and story of the occupy protest, instead of focusing on the movement he focused on people individually and the spaces the occupied while at the protest. I can tell he has used a lot of flash in his photos, a very small aperture of around f/22 as everything is in focus and there are quite harsh shadows from certain objects. The flash is quite important in this as there would not be much ambient light in these tents, so the use of the flash also has a connotation to show a quick peek into the lives of the protesters, thats how i see it… Roberts has used s wide angle lens, my guess would be 24mm to get as much as possible in the frame. this would be a very good idea for a project to document at a festival or a protest, i will take this one into consideration when thinking of what to shoot later in the year. 
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January 01st, 2017

1/1/2017

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Kenneth O'holloran

Kenneth O'holloran documented fairs in Ireland he saw the events as rather than just trade, they are very social and cultural and bring a lot of people together for a 800 year plus tradition. The images below are from Muff fair, County Cavan.
 I think this work really looks into the cultural aspect of the fair, O'holloran has captured images of people wearing brightly coloured clothes which are not typically everyday wear, this can emphasise the fact that this day is very important for them and they want to be acknowledged but on the other hand none of them are smiling and seems like they don't want a picture to be taken this is called 'Dead pan' meaning no emotion. 
all the images seem to have been captured using just available light but the subject has been positioned very carefully, not many shadows on face, exposed for skin tone. A low F/stop has been used to achieve this effect allowing for more light and also creating a shallow depth of field meaning the subject has been isolated from the background. ​
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contact sheet

10/11/2016

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A simple contact sheet showing twelve images shot under differetn lighting conditions and created using Adobe Photoshop CC 2016. To create a contact sheet just like this, while in photoshop go to 'file-automate-contact sheet II- then choose folder of images- lastly change the size of the docuemnt-in this case it is A4 21cm x 29cm at 300 PPI. 
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Black and white film

6/11/2016

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While studying at Amersham college I had the opportunity to work with a variety of mediums. One such medium was film which became my main focus as I enjoy being in touch with the historical side of my practice. Analogue lets me explore the history and concept of a 200 year old legacy in which people’s ideas, through making photographs has shaped our society. Shoot film people!
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Kentmere 100 Shot on Voigtlander Bessa R During my time at university
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The Bang bang club!

2/11/2016

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All about Kevin Carter documenting the South African apartheid movement. Amazing film must watch! 
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Sounds of harlowe 'stories'

1/11/2016

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Formed in 2011, the alternative hip-hop collective blend elements of R&B, funk, soul and rock; resulting in their own signature brand of music. Combined with spontaneous, fiery live performances, Sounds Of Harlowe are not to be missed.

Dave from Motion Enterprise introduced me to the band on the 28th October at the Frog and Fiddle, Cheltenham. Friday the 28th October they were playing on stage, it was a £5 entry fee which I was more than willing to pay to support the band and it allowed me access to backstage. Everyone of them was willing to talk about their experiences and why they love music so much, so I talked for a while; taking down notes and quotes. Then I asked to 'document them', coming from artistic backgrounds they all understood that this was art work and they said they wanted to be photographed because it made them 'feel famous', it also means I get some good images for my portfolio. The night went on and they discussed ideas about future songs and adventures for an hour or so before they went on stage. meanwhile I was photographing their room; still life, context shots and portraits. I shot using a Canon 60D with a Canon 20mm USM, speedlite flash and various techniques such as extremes of apertures and various angles. I must admit it was a very exciting night and the music was incredible, and i'm more than happy I got to meet some amazing people. My purpose was to capture the scene as 'true' as I can and I hope these images have conveyed the night in that way. 

​​"Its not about the number of people in the room it's the atmosphere of the room" Soloman. O.B

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Photo stories

31/10/2016

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Jerome sessini

police have begun to demolish the migrant camp in Calais also known as the 'Jungle'. The camp was the home to 7,000 plus migrants living in extremely poor conditions in shanty town like tents. The process to demolish the camp has caused an uprising between the migrants, police and officials. 5 police and 1 photographer have been injured so far. After looking a this work it has opened my eyes to how violent the government are towards migrants seeking asylum in western society.

lorenzo meloni

Meloni returned to Lybia in June 2016, covering the Libyan unity government’s campaign to capture the city of Sirte from ISIS forces. The use of suicide car bombs and land mines has caused hundreds of casualties. On August 1st the United States confirmed that it has been supporting the battle for the city and carrying out air strikes against ISIS forces. This is what Meloni captured. I Think Meloni has documented the fight very well, I like how he has allowed space for the subjects to breath. This work has given me a better understanding of what the fight against ISIS is really like.

https://pro.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&ALID=2K1HRGP20GWB​

​Alessandra Sanguinetti

Nice, France- 14th July 2016. Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel intentionally drove a cargo truck down a street packed with spectators watching Bastille day fireworks. This 'Terror attack' injured 300 people and killed 85. Sanguinetti arrived the day after the attacks and photographed the scene and the people who had seen it or were affected from the attack asking them to write down on paper what their thoughts were and how they were feeling. This work reminds me of  Gillian Wearing's photographers in the street of different people holding signs of their thoughts. 

​​https://pro.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&ALID=2K1HRGP8MITQ

​Richard Kalvar

Eurosatory is a French international weapons fair for the defence industry, which takes place every two years in Paris. This year the fair welcomed 94 different countries and 50,000 visitors. Kalvar photographed people testing weapons, defence equipment and vehicles, giving an absurd look at the war industry defence. This work is interesting because i did not know these fair existed. I like the way Kalvar got very close to the subjects and documented this extremely diverse scene.  
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Motion Enterprise

27/10/2016

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Here are some of the edited images of Motion Enterprise' first shoot. I tried to capture the scene as true as I could by not posing them as such but capturing them in a random moment. The use of flash was needed because of the crappy low light under the tunnel, If I were to shoot under there again I would go earlier in the day when there is more available light or use a really fast lens, such as a 50mm F/1.4. I really enjoyed documenting the day of these artists and i'm glad I came across some really nice people. 
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Motion enterprise

23/10/2016

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There was a group in an underpass graffiiting their art work, cooking food on a barbecue and they had a rap battle. I thought that i had to photograph it,  at the time I was with George Walsh ​and we spoke to a guy called Ryan and we asked if we could photograph their day and they were perfectly fine with it. So we started photographing them, using flash and fast shutter speeds. We photographed the whole scene, the setting, the people and all the belongings they had. After speaking to them they told us about their *band that will be playing at the Frog and Fiddle on Friday 28th October, and we asked if we could photograph the band and them playing and they were perfectly happy with it. *Motion Enterprise and Sounds Of Harlowe.
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Contact

Wedding and bookings

I am available for Weddings, Festivals, Gigs, Band shoots, individual portrait shoots, family/ group shoots, videography, dance videos.


Being a Photojournalist I have been trained to work fast and accurately and along side the journalistic approach I am also capable of being able to create a project with you. The documentary side to my practice means that I have the patients and the vision of helping create long term projects, such as books, exhibitions, public talks, documentaries etc.

It is your ideas I am interested in. For a shoot if you have an idea, a vision, it is my aim to try and get as close as possible to what is in your head and bring it into reality. That way you are happy and we are all actively creating something new and meaningful.

Interested in creating something together? Unsure about something? Or simply want to ask me something photography related then give me a message, always motivated to listen.
  • Home
  • Artists
    • Local HipHop Scene (Cheltenham)
    • Naides
    • Rose
    • DeeJay Fade
    • Griz-O - Lucas
    • 'JPDL' (Jean- Pieere David Leognson)
    • Grove - Beth Griffin
    • The Mouse Outfit
    • Bboy - Victor Jay
    • Farai - Jack Steger
    • Two to a Room
    • Sketchster
  • Commercial
  • Wedding Services
  • Contact
  • Limited Edition Prints
    • Contact Sheet
    • Darkroom Prints
    • Digital Prints
  • Archive
    • L'Auberge (Calais Migrant Crysis)
    • The Mechanic (Piddington)
    • Keep Your Coins, I want Change (London)
    • Louis Parsons (Cheltenham)
    • The Landscape (High Wycombe)
    • Experimentation (Cheltenham) >
      • Large Format
      • Studio
      • Infrared
      • Pinhole
      • Self Portraiture >
        • Chronology
  • About/CV
  • Blog