Picture This on Channel 4

helios

Did anyone catch this show last night? It's a pop idol/come dance with me for Photography. Winning prize is an exhibition and a book published with the winners work.

bigeoino

it is indeed one of those X factor programmes.
I missed the first 1/3 but it was reasonably good.
This week they did portrait and to be honest I felt that the best most imaginative shot was taken by someone they evicted. there was nothing else really stunning (IMHO)
Agreed with the two evictees and felt the judging explanations were pretty rational (esp the band album cover comment!).
assume as they shrink the group further it'll be more interesting from a photography point of view - next week is documentary/ reporting

remember you can watch any channel 4 program on 4od (four on demand - need to download some software but worked in the republic - unlike the BBC stuff)

OnLooker

helios wrote: »

Did anyone catch this show last night? It's a pop idol/come dance with me for Photography. Winning prize is an exhibition and a book published with the winners work.

Yeah it looked good.

Next weeks should be interesting.

Rojo

Was just about to post about this! I tuned in a little bit late but thought it was pretty decent. :-)

Here's their site:

http://picturethis.channel4.com


You can take part with projects and stuff!

RCNPhotos

Taped it as I was watching the pretty good "Death Sentence". Kevin Bacon with a shaved head is a scary man indeed. But I'm gonna watch it now I think while I enjoy my breakfast.

trishw78

I saw this as well. Missed the first 10 or 20mins but it was fairly interesting I was surprised by who got kicked out.

helios

I thought it was alright, but I was a bit bored after a while. I didn't find the photos *that* interesting. The only person I didn't really like was yer man who did the photo of the Muslim family with the sign about the kids dancing because of crack. I found that he was a bit too calculating with his shots, and tried too hard to compose them...

Borderfox

Most of the time they didnt listen to the brief given to them and just produced whatever they wanted. The family with the drugs sign was so illegal and unethical I really would have thrown him out just for that. Some good ideas for the studio portrait especially the cryogenic idea, echoes a lot of good advice in particular listen to the client and keep it simple!!

trooney

Liked the idea of them pairing the guys up and sending them out to get a portrait shot of each other. Was thinking that could be an idea for a boards meet-up. Meet in a group. Pair off with somebody you don't know. Go take some portraits of each other to try reflect what you might have picked up on the others persona - bish bash bosh. Anybody? Haven't been 'on a meet' as yet. Maybe its time...

helios

trooney wrote: »

Liked the idea of them pairing the guys up and sending them out to get a portrait shot of each other. Was thinking that could be an idea for a boards meet-up. Meet in a group. Pair off with somebody you don't know. Go take some portraits of each other to try reflect what you might have picked up on the others persona - bish bash bosh. Anybody? Haven't been 'on a meet' as yet. Maybe its time...

It's a good idea, but I think you'll find that most people prefer being on one side of the camera, and it isn't the one that you're suggesting

trooney

helios wrote: »

It's a good idea, but I think you'll find that most people prefer being on one side of the camera, and it isn't the one that you're suggesting

I completely agree. I feel exactly the same. But it could still be a go-er. Maybe.

trishw78

I liked Germaine Greer's input I'd hate to work with some like that. Telling you that the photo was going to be crap before you even started

Rojo

trooney wrote: »

Liked the idea of them pairing the guys up and sending them out to get a portrait shot of each other. Was thinking that could be an idea for a boards meet-up. Meet in a group. Pair off with somebody you don't know. Go take some portraits of each other to try reflect what you might have picked up on the others persona - bish bash bosh. Anybody? Haven't been 'on a meet' as yet. Maybe its time...

We did that in college for our first task!

bigeoino

Borderfox wrote: »

The family with the drugs sign was so illegal and unethical I really would have thrown him out just for that.

Couldn't agree more! Its amazing that even when he was saying it someone wasn't shouting WRONG!

Benster

trishw78 wrote: »

I liked Germaine Greer's input I'd hate to work with some like that. Telling you that the photo was going to be crap before you even started

Heh, yeah, I laughed when she came out with that and also:

GG - "Why don't you try more light for a shorter exposure?"

Clueless Photog - "Er...ok?"

trooney

Benster wrote: »

Heh, yeah, I laughed when she came out with that and also:

GG - "Why don't you try more light for a shorter exposure?"

Clueless Photog - "Er...ok?"

If he knew anything he would've just come back with a witty rejoinder a la "Shurrup ye feckin eunuch!!"

kcphoto

Possibly it was how the program was edited but there were several clips of Martin Parr explaining that the protrait should be simple and without gimmicks and then mentioned nothing about the rope, teddy bears, etc. used in the photos.
Everyone of them seemed to have approached the portraits (of each other and Germaine Greer) with a pre-conceived idea of the image they wanted, which was in no way based on the personality or understanding of the subject. Greer had the most telling comment about this, suggesting they might as well have used a race horse as the subject.
I thought a portrait would be dictated by the subject , their personality and what you know of them.
Each of the photographers seemed to suffer from the need to express their vision rather than representing the subject of their portraits.

Again it may be down to editing but as it was presented, I also agree that asking someone to use their children in a photo and then photshopping in a sign suggesting they are on crack was completely out of order.

Ricky91t

Just watched it left my laptop downloading it off 4oD(broadband isnt the quickest)I really liked it the only other program like this was the "no experience required" sports photogapher episode.Just the fact there was a photography program on tv woud satisfy e
I remember there was a photography program on discovery home and lesuire a few years back.I mised every episode
Did anyone ever see it?
What was it like if you saw it?