Jason Hawkes (PA)

Jason Hawkes
Aerial Photographer
http://jasonhawkes.com/

An aerial photographer based in the UK, working worldwide. He shoots in variety:

• City skylines
• Nighttime aerial photography
• Transport
• Agriculture
• Nature/landscapes
• Energy

http://jasonhawkes.com/Behind-the-lens/BBC-Interview/1/

• He had an eye for patterns on the ground
• In the sky, a whole new perspective
• Try filling your frame just from the pattern
• It's good to get something man-made in, a person or a boat - for context/sense of scale
• Good to sometimes go for the 'big picture', dramatic.
• Use a stabilising mount, containing gyroscopes which compensate for movement/vibration of the helicopter.
• Safety - Keep a harness the door of the helicopter will be open and the helicopter will be flying at angles. 
• Have a good hire-time pilot, a lot of low and slow flying - the most dangerous. 

Pitching Assignment

Arts Council England



Lottery-funded grants for the arts are for individuals/organisations who use the arts in their work. For activities carried out over a set period which:

• Engage people in England in arts activities.
• Help artists and art organisations in England carry out their work.

This application is for a grant up to £15,000, lasting up to three years. 

What is the application looking for?

1. A concise description of the activity (no more than 100 words).

To photograph and artistically document/exhibit mans' fingerprint on English landscape from an aerial point of view. 

"You should include the main details about the nature 

of your activity, what will happen and who it is aimed 

at."

2. A brief summary of your recent, relevant artistic work, experience and achievements. 

Examples of university project work, how they developed. 

Relevant work experience? (Unsure to include, not relevant to this project?)

The sustainability video created for DMU - definitely to include, relevant subject matter, it benefits others (individual, organisational and the general environment), and was artistic.

"We ask you to provide this summary instead of a 

detailed artistic CV. This paragraph will tell us about 

your artistic track record and your career to date, 

so you should aim to present a clear, concise 

summary of your work."

3. Your proposed artistic activity, and what do you want to achieve by doing it?

To go into detail later, but what to achieve? In the end to create a visually and artistically stimulant exhibition, whilst pinpointing and making aware of the environmental issues constantly going on in the UK, let alone the globe. Possibly creating a video from the stills also, for potential web use - for environmental uses. 

4. Why is this activity important for you artistic development?

Project development and career kickstarter.

5. 5-10 sample stills, giving a flavour of your project.

6. Timetable and budget.

Include budget for:

• Helicopter hire
• Travel costs
• Equipment hire or cost (to buy?)
• Printing of images
• Venue cost/hire for exhibition

http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/apply-for-funding/grants-for-the-arts/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iuthog3S5KU

http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/apply-for-funding/grants-for-the-arts/how-apply/

http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/media/uploads/pdf/Gfta_how_to_apply_under_15k.pdf

http://www.sophie-wright.com/PDF/how_to_pitch_your_exhibit.pdf

Pitching Assignment

Initial notes / Idea

What angle to take, based on my current starting project?

My current project is largely based on landscape:
- so, best camera equipment would be large format down to print quality & lens techniques
- large prints for large impact. 

- perhaps take the subject matter from Keith Arnatt/Bryan Schutmaat, human fingerprint on landscape - but apply Minor White's style of estranged angles. 
- "An unnatural angle (from mans' P.O.V) of mans' fingerprint"?

- different points of view. Simply moving the cameras' angle, looking up/down.
- perhaps more extreme, aerial views.

- helicopter hire? costly, but possible if funded (being the point of the grant). need to organise a budget/timetable for that.

- what shots, where, and what is it for? just an art project? to exhibit, yes. 

http://jasonhawkes.com/Themed-Portfolios/Nature/8/
http://jasonhawkes.com/Behind-the-lens/BBC-Interview/1/
http://vimeo.com/jasonhawkes

Research:
- equipment necessary (perhaps not large format as originally planned for landscapes, it is simply impractical)
- helicopter access - prices/times/places/general access
- current artists - e.g Jason Hawkes (as above)
- travel costs
- other services needed

Pitching Assignment

Pitching Assignment



Options:

• 'Untitled' internship
• Arts Council England
• Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival
• Dance4
• Editorial (theoretical)
• Leicestershire & Rutland Police
• Seed Creativity

What suits me most? It's a toss up between: Untitled internship or Arts Council. 

Untitled: are looking for an intern. The pitch asks to choose between the following campaigns to promote, to research the client, mood board reference material, outline of the concept, time schedule and any supporting information of how you would tackle the project. 

• Jewellery Group - Domino
• Leicestershire Business Voice
• Benito Brow Bar

It would be great experience for potential studio hiring or even for freelance work, however my preference of work lies outside the studio.

Arts Council England: to apply for a funding grant. You need to provide:

• Brief and concise description of the activity you are asking for support (no more than 100 words).
• Brief summary of your recent relevant artistic work, experience and achievements. 
• What is your proposed artistic activity, and what do you want to achieve by doing it?
• Why is this activity important for your artistic development?
• Sample work, 5-10 stills. 
• Timetable and budget.

Am I able to base this on a project I'm currently starting (in the modules)? But then, these pitches will be judged (if actually submitted) not only based on your idea and if it's good enough, but your past experience/projects to prove you are capable to follow such a potentially large project. And having yet to graduate, I've yet to have the opportunity to prove so for many reasons - low student budget, lack of experience in general due to always being in full time education. So am I able to 'pretend' I'm at a later part in my career? If not, would it lower my marking over this pitch?

This would more so suit my artistic-based work, and also back up my current project work. 

Thoughts on submission ideas (FMP)

Upon reviewing the numerous competitions, the rules/styles and the work of the selected winners/finalists I have decided the best option for myself would be: IdeasTap Photographic Award.

Why? The competition seems to be open to a wider variety of styles. Although the competition says its best submissions follow a story, upon reviewing one previous winner/finalist (Max Downer), his work was is excellent, conceptual, but only loosely shows narrative. My own style tends to avoid much narrative and mainly falls in an artistic/conceptual category. 

It is this that leads me to working towards entering the IdeasTap Photographic Award, specifically the Conceptual category.

Reflections upon Keith Arnatt research (FMP)

I was originally going to run with one of Keith Arnaats' ideas that takes the rubbish out of the tip and into the studio, but when outside I found the complete opposite. A landscape photographers' version of studio is the landscape. In these picturesque settings are specks of imperfection, no thanks to man. The juxtaposition is somewhat visually intriguing, yet it's the light in which it is taken in that also gives the feel of the photograph. Especially in the first image shown here, beams of light peer through the trees and hit this torn piece of bin-bag (alongside the vines) in a way that almost make this image look like a 17th century painting. 

Reflections upon Bryan Schutmaat research

It was a big of a struggle to get to many sites that relate with Bryan Schutmaats' work, in regards to human impact on landscape - which is what I was interested to go off from his series based in Western America. Many area's around the UK tend to aim to preserve the landscape and architecture, although there are still many obvious stamps of human life within preserved area's. I aimed to simply find some sort of intrusion we (man) have in areas you'd hope not to find.

I found, in Salcey Forest, a small, simple, wooden bridge, harmless in it's aesthetic and its nature. But above was hovering a beast of metal construction, seemingly a part of the bridges construction, connected to the trees. It seemed a bit obstructive in its nature, perhaps unnecessary in its setting. A bit of an odd shape also, compared to its surrounding of natural foliage and network of branches; out of nowhere hangs this giant chunk of metal.

Playing along with the intrusion of man on the natural landscape, whilst at the top of the walkway construction I was met with fantastic views of the forest - yet still at just below eye level the barriers of weather-beaten wood were scrawlings of graffiti blocking the view. I thought it a possible aspect to follow, to ruin the standard/usual 'landscape' image with something a little more obtrusive.