Reflection

On the day we decided to take photos of our space, it had been earlier that morning but had cleared up by the time we got there. This was a very interesting condition for taking photos, and throughout our time at the space, I was very interested in reflections which the puddles and the river created. 

There are many very different examples of reflection in these collection of photos, and it is a very interesting subject, especially when working with the idea of mystical creatures, as the reflections from the river differed slightly from the real object. This is something I think we could definitely looking into work with in more depth. 

Abandoned Space

YAY! we have finally found out final space. It is a blocked off bridge on the canal which runs through Leeds.

As you can see from this image taken from Google Maps, the bridge joins two unused spaces on either side of the river. The top side is blocked off with large concrete slabs, however it is possible to get onto the bridge as its metal design has spaces easily big enough for a person to crawl through. The bridge itself is in pretty bad condition - there are several holes in the floor which look right down to the water, however the steel frame work of it seems to be very secure, which makes one think that the bridge could still be in working order if the floor was redone. 

There are many different signs of abandonment on the bridge - decay, deterioration of the floor, rust on the steel, graffiti on the cement. However it is also possible to see that at one point this bridge would have been frequently used, which makes us wonder why it is now abandoned. 

The Cottingly Faires

In 1917 Else Wright and Frances Griffiths became worldy famous when they released a series of five photographs of faries in their home in Cottingley, near Bradford, England. Though their was a very mixed public reaction to the photos - as some accepted the images as genuine whereas others believed them to be faked, it was only in the early 1980s that the women admitted that four of the five photographs had been faked using cardboard cutouts of faries. However the fifth and final photograph was still said to be real, something which has never been confirmed, even almost a hundred years on.

The photographs were first brought into the public's eye after the Theosophical Society's leading member, Edward Gardner, recognised the potential significance of the photographs according to the movements central beliefs the "Theosophy is that humanity is undergoing a cycle of evolution, towards increasing 'perfection". It is this belief which made the images so famous at the time, and shows how the general publics actions have changed to that this would not be so effective today.

"... the fact that two young girls had not only been able to see fairies, which others had done, but had actually for the first time ever been able to materialise them at a density sufficient for their images to be recorded on a photographic plate, meant that it was possible that the next cycle of evolution was underway."

Gardner says that others had also seen faries, but this was the first true evidence that these creatures exisited. Though fairy sightings were much more common a hundred years ago, there are still 'true believes', and this website shows the passion that some people still have to believe in these creatures.
http://www.fairygardens.com/sightings/

This brings us back to the final photograph - which was said to be the only genuine one out of the series:

The fairy's wings appear to be transparent, making this photo different from the others. She is also standing still, meaning that her wings would not be blurry - something which was pointed out in the other photographs taken.  

The Cottingley Fairies - The Proof That The Photos Captured Fairies.

This is a video from youtube, showing a modern day reaction to the pictures.



There are some quotes which we found particularly interesting:

• 4:06 - today looking at these, its very hard to believe why anybody believed it
• 4.15 - she was very ashamed of it, ashamed of deception
• 4.49 - in those days the camera couldn't lie
• 7.15 - we might be looking at the only known photograph of real faries

The uncertainty of this photograph even in this modern day shows how there is still a tiny piece of everyone who wants to believe. By keeping this in mind when creating our own drawings and photographs, it may be possible to create images which are believable - even if its only for a few seconds.