I took my National Identity First Shoot Images into college and got some positive feedback as well as idea’s for improvement.  It ended up taking a bit of bribery and about £20’s worth of fish and chips, but I managed to secure a second shoot.

College liked the football supporter with flag image (which i’ve not posted because the model isn’t comfortable with it) and the family on sofa shot.  Although they suggested a similar shot with the kitchen door closed and a few more signifiers (identity clues) around the room.

I also tried to play on the football hooligan a bit more, but I struggled with the location and lighting, it wasn’t ‘dark’ and sinister enough.

Here are my better shots from the shoot:

Again, I took these images to college.  I got very positive feedback on the family shots.  But the shots in the alleyway were too bright and urban.

In the end I decided to hand in the shot that my model doesn’t like and this family shot (I liked the proud look on the fathers face in amongst the other goings on in the room, a final comment from a lecturer was that I maybe needed to sit him up on a cushion to allow for the sag in the sofa, so there is less knees).  I received a Merit for my efforts:

Our 4th and final project for the  HNC Photography 1st year is National Identity.  We have been tasked with producing two documentary style images to portray a national identity.

I chose Englishness.  My brother in law is a very keen football supporter.  He is a Leicester City season ticket holder and gets behind the national team when they are on the TV.  Now i’m maybe being a bit unfair to him, bit with his shaved head he does look a little bit like a football hooligan. This is actually a long way from the truth and he is a wonderful husband to my sister as well as a fantastic Dad to my Nieces.  I thought the football supporter and doting Dad would make a good contrasting pair of images.  After a bit of persuasion I’ve managed to secure a date to go round and take a few shots.  My main inspiration has been Martin Parr a well known English documentary photographer.

Here are some of my better images from the shoot (there is an image that I really like, but the model isn’t keen on, so i’ve omitted it.  It is him from the waist up, topless showing tattoos, holding an England flag behind his head, almost screaming into the lens):

My favourite shots are the one i’ve not shown and the ones of the family sitting on the sofa.