What If...Rational and Developments.

In our group, we discussed our individual work, and how we could group all of the elements together to summarise our work- all of which were based on culture and community within the city.

Ideas we came up with were:

*Leeds: The Heart of the North*

*Leeds: The Home of the North*

*What makes Leeds such a vibrant and enjoyable place to live?*

We decided upon the latter, as posing a question would automatically help us in approaching people during market research, aswell as keeping the topic very open to opinions, with so many different aspects of Leeds to highlight and discuss- whilst this could be a negative thing, not being specific to a particular social event or leisure, we felt really positive about the range of opinions and areas of study this would provide us with.

What if...Rational.

Group Members:

*Alex Slippens

*Niall Cruickshank-Sutton

*Chris Lawson

*Kirsty Hardingham

*Sophie Wilson

The Problem:

*How do we convince/persuade people to come/live in Leeds?*

The Evidence:

*Research gathered- primary and secondary source photographs, facts, opinions, statistics.

We Intend to:

*Gather market research: questionnaires, interactions with businesses/pedestrians/residents of Leeds

*Send mailshots to appropriate companies/persons

*Create a stopmotion film (with accompanying music) to promote the people of Leeds and why they love to live here.

*Mock-up website design, promoting what Leeds has to offer from all perspectives.

*Active blog, allowing people to know all the latest news and events in Leeds- allowing people to comment about what the think of events, hotspots in Leeds.

*Twitter account, keeping people informed.

*Flyers/Lealets aimed at UCAS fairs for sixth form/college students.

What If...Research Developments.

In this afternoon's session, pre-briefing, we gathered and organised all of our primary and secondary source research from the past week to relate a certain theme, or key points.

word(s) to summarise my photographic images:

*emancipation, freedom.

words that best relate to my images:

*cultural

*vibrant

*youthful

*education

*nightlife

*industry

*prospects

*future

*arts

*music

*travel

Opinion which best relates to my images:

*"Leeds is a wonderful city. It's very vibrant, multi-cultural and has fantastic shopping and night life".*

Fact which best relates to my images:

*There are currently 1,500 bands in and around the city*

Statistic which best relates to my images:

*In 2010, University of Leeds was ranked as the 9th most targeted British University by graduate employers*

We then switched seats umong the class, so we could interpret someone else's work, and what it visually communicated to us, and which words/opinions/facts/statistics we thought most appropriate to the picture.

After this, we combined the elements, and within the class, we were grouped according to similarity in the summary of our work we wrote, mine being:

"leeds is a small city with big prospects (future & careers)"

and have been in placed in a group with:

*Alex Slippens

*Niall Cruickshank-Sutton

*Chris Lawson and

*Kirsty Hardingham

What If...

The Brief

What if a group of graphic design students get together, and decide to solve a problem?

Based on a common interest, research and knowledge, you must establish a "problem" that effects some sector of the general public in Leeds.

You must develop logical, original and adventerous research lines of enquiry in order to justify the relevance of the "problem"- which should inform a range of solutions.

The solution(s) must be resolved, designed and presented in the public domain and recorded appropriately.

Deliverables

Compelling fact based evidence should be presented to prove that the problem you are adressing is a genuine problem.

A photographic record of the solution to the problem as presented in the public domain.

Appropriate supporting work, worksheet, notebooks etc...

Considerations

This is a collaborative process so you must ensure as part of this you discuss, agree and share all responsibilties.

The research process should be gradual and provide the foundation for ideas and challenges, which eventually will inform the solution. It isn't possible to conclude the brief and then fill in the research gaps aftewards.

This is, effectively, a live brief so please be considerate, respectful, and legal in your activites.

Studio Deadline

Progress Crit: Friday 3rd December, 1:30pm (should, be this time, in groups have put together three "desgin direction" boards: 1 with problem, 1 with evidence, and 1 with how we shall solve this problem.)

Final Crit: Friday 10th December 10:00am, present entirety of work as a group.

Photography Workshop Experimentations.

Through today's introduction to SLR Photograpghy, I feel that I have learnt so much, and feel really enthusiastic about the progress I am sure I will make throughout this module brief, experimenting constantly with methods and techniques.

After learning the initial necessities of how to use the SLR camera's, we were demonstrated in various ways in which we could manipulate our images using light, coloured film tint, etc.

To start, I took several quick "snap shots" of my friend, Baljeet, with the yellow film taped over the light, pointing directly to her- creating a warm, golden glow over the entirety of the image.

Starting to use some of my red objects from previous visual language lessons, I started to experiment with both shadows and colour- with the coloured film over the lights creating a coloured shadow- in this case, blue and red (deminding me of old 3D film glasses!), and experimented with the angle of the shadow by manouvering the lights around the item, my favourite being the image in the middle- the angle creating a petal-like fanned-out shape.

Here, taking a step back, and looking at my red "party popper" item on white paper, looking at both natural shadow tones and shades, along with the shadow colour created by the red and blue film, once more, placing the lights in several different positions and varying in distance to either extend or condense the shadow.

I really love the warmth of colours the red and orange create it this picture- this time I captured the party popper from various angles to see what shadows were created from certain points, along with how it was effected by the direction of the light upon it.

Here I mixed both orange and red colourings by moving the red colour film sheet in at several different directions and gradient points to see what effect this would have on the image- i really like the vignette effect created on some of the images- I normally don't really like gradients used in photography, as i often find they can look too "fake", but the direction of the light on some of the images really helps to blend the colours together, creating a "sunset-like" colour palette.

Another use of gradients- this time with more contrasting colours- green and orange, again, I like the effect, but personally I would prefer the colours to be a slightly more subtle mix.

Here with two lights- one with the red and blue film casting a shadow, and one with a yellow light, creating a background tonal colour to the white paper- perhaps a few too many colours going on her for my liking, but it was really interesting to see how the primary colours would work with one another, along with the light and shadows.

Here, looking at a variety of ladybird buttons- all shot in manual mode with colour tints.

It's amazing to see just how much of a difference colour can make- whether it be the addition of a coloured sheet of paper, the shadow created by a blue and red light tint sheet, or photographing through an orange light tint, I really like the variation I could achieve, and will definately go on to explore these possibilities throughout the following months and for my module project submission.

My last experimentation of the day- manipulating the legibility of my images with decreasing the shutter speed- taking a longer time to register and capture the images, the picture captures movement (in this case it was me violently shaking a table to make the ladybird buttons rock!)- a process I am already quite fond of, this is a technique I would certainly like to experiment further with in aid of both the project outcomes, but also personal photographic skills development.

Photography Workshop.

Overview of SLR photography, hints, and tips.

Quality

The Quality of the image depends on two main factors. The ISO and the File Type.

ISO

100 ISO is the LEAST sensitive to light, but the BEST quality.

1600 ISO is the MOST sensitive to light, but the LEAST quality (noisy).

File Type (in the Quality menu) sets how much colour information and resolution the final image has.

Colour

The final colour of the image depends on two variables. The White Balance and the Picture Style.

White Balance

This adds a warming (amber) or cooling (blue) colour filter to the image in order to balance the whites with different light sources.

Picture Style

This defines what colour biases our images will have, whether they are saturated, black and white, sepia, etc.

Focus

There are 3 factors which effect whether an image is in focus or not. These are Auto Focus, the Focus Points within the frame and The Aperture.

Auto Focus

This must be switched on by the AF/MF button on the lens.

Focus Points

The focus points within the frame can be set manually or left automatically. You will see these as red lights within the viewfinder that flash and make a beeping sound when part of an image is in focus.

Aperture

Having a wide aperture, e.g. f4.0 gives a small depth of field. A narrow aperture e.g. f22 gives a large depth of field.

Movement

How much movement blur we achieve within our image depends on the shutter speed we set on the camera i.e.

SLOW shutter speeds will exaggerate the movement within your shot and cause light trails. It also picks up our own shaky hands (using a tripod to create "light graffiti" is advised!).

FAST shutter speeds will freeze movement.

Exposure

How light or dark an image is depends on 3 factors, the Shutter Speed, the Aperture, and the Exposure Compensation.

Shutter Speed

In Manual Mode setting a SLOW shutter sped will let in more light than a FAST shutter speed.

Aperture

In Manual Mode setting, a WIDE aperture e.g. 4.0 lets in more light than a NARROW aperture e.g f22

Exposure Compensation

How much EXTRA or LESS overall light we give to the image to make it brighter or darker.

Visual Language: Photography Workshop.

The Brief

Produce a set of ten photographic prints that explore your given colour:

red/blue/yellow/orange/green/blue/purple.

You must consider/document lighting, frame/format and it's relationship with other colours.

The Process

During the workshop you will be introduced to a range of tools and procedures available to you in photography. This will include a studio and camera induction, composition- frame and format, studio lighting methods and recording colour.

Having been introduced to these tools you should use your private study time and studio development to further develop your skills in response to the brief.

Context

Photography is a vital part of graphic design. Not only will you use photography as a practice in it's own right but you should also be aware of it's potential as you use it to document your work and as a recording process for research.

Considerations

When working photographically consider the relationships between the primary and secondary colours, simple variations/combinations of colours and the foreground/background.

Which colours together "pop" and which cancel each other out, and how can you control this?

Mandatory Requirements

In preperation for this session, you must have selectd from your coloured objects, with a minimum of five objects in your variations.

A digital camera.

Deliverables

A set/series of ten photographs that explore studio lighting, frame/format and documenting the relationship of colour.

A quantity of visual investigation/research.

Studio Deadline:

Tuesday 26th April 2011.

Collection100...20 statistics.

Secondary Source.

1. The voting figures for Leeds in the European Parliamentary Election in June 2009 were: Conservative 22.6%, Labour 21.4%,  UKIP 15.9%, Lib Dem 13.8%, BNP 10.0%, Green 9.4%- wikipedia 'Leeds'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Leeds

2. The majority of people in Leeds identify themselves as Christian. The proportion of Muslims is average for the country, and Leeds has the third-largest Jewish community in th United Kingdom, after those of London and Manchester. 16.8% of Leeds residents (in 2001 census) declared themselves as having "no religion", which is broadly in line with the figure for the entirety of the UK (also 8.1% "religion not stated")- wikipedia 'Leeds'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Leeds

3. 'The Complete University Guide in association with The Independent' in it's 2010/11 league tables put University of Leeds at 27th best in the country- wikipedia 'Leeds'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Leeds

4. In 2008, Leeds had an estimated population of 770,800 persons- wikipedia, 'Leeds'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Leeds

5. Of the 301, 614 households in Leeds, 33.3% were married couples living together, 31.6% were one-person households, 9.0% were co-habiting couples, and 9.8% were lone parents, following a similar trend to the rest of England- wikipedia, 'City of Leeds'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Leeds

6. For every 100 females in Leeds, there are approximately 93.5 males, and it is regarded as one of the most "female friendly" cities within the UK.

7. Of residents of Leeds aged between 16-74, 30.9% had no academic qualifications, higher than the 28.9% of the entirety of England- wikipedia, 'City of Leeds'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Leeds

8.

Religion (all people)	Value		Eng & Wal Rank/376 (proportion)	Regional Rank/21 (proportion)
Christian	492656		307	18
Buddhist	1587		125	2
Hindu	4183		100	3
Jewish	8267		19	1
Muslim	21394		66	5
Sikh	7586		32	1
Other	1530		243	6
No religion	120139		84	3
Religion not stated	58060		79	4

census 2001- http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/profiles/00da.asp

9.

Status (all people aged 16-74)	Value		Eng & Wal Rank/376 (proportion)	Regional Rank/21 (proportion)
Employed	306670		264	12
Unemployed	17280		131	13
Long-term unemployed	5191		125	12
Student (economically active)	18756		32	2
Retired	68751		257	19
Student (economically inactive)	36775		38	3
Looking after home/family	28606		335	19
Permanently sick or disabled	27589		149	13
Other inactive	16052		114	11

census 2001- http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/profiles/00da.asp

10. In 2003, approximately two million passengers travelled through Leeds Bradford Aiport- Facts and Figures, Leeds Bradford Airport

http://www.airportguides.co.uk/guides/leeds-bradford/factsandfigures.html

11. The area of Hyde Park is often associated with students, and in the Headingly Ward, the number of households occupied by students tops 20%, compared to the 3% in the city as a whole- Facts and Figures, Hyde Park

http://hydeparkleeds.co.uk/facts-and-figures-2/

12. The ethnicities within Leeds are as followed:

89.1% white

5.4% asian or asian british

2.0% black or black british

1.7% mixed race

1.8% chinese and other -wikipedia 'Leeds'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeds

13. Over 65% of the Leeds district is green belt land and the city centre is less than twenty miles (32km) from the Yorkshire Dales National Park- wikipedia 'Leeds'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeds

14. In 2002, 401,000 employees were registered in the Leeds district. Of these, 24.7% were in public administration, education and health, 23.9% were in banking finance and insurance, and 21.4% were in distribution, hotels and restaurants- wikipedia 'Leeds'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeds

15. Of the 40, 000 people who work in retailing in Leeds, 75% work in places which are not located in the city centre- wikipedia 'Leeds'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeds

16. 44% of people of whom are employed in the city live more than nine kilometres away- wikipedia 'Leeds'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeds

17. In 2010, University of Leeds was ranked as the 9th most targeted British University by graduate employers, a one place increase from 10th position in the previous 1009 rankings- wikipedia 'University of Leeds'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeds_University

18. Figures from 2008 show that 691 under-18s fell pregnant in Leeds. This is a rate of 50.6 conceptions for each 1,000 girls aged from 15-17, an increase from the 1007 rate of 48.1- Yorkshire Evening Post

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Rise-in-Leeds-teenage-pregnancy.6103069.jp

19.

 

* Crime rates show number of crimes per 1000 people- Leeds crime levels and statistics

http://maps.police.uk/view/kent/mid-kent/maidstone/leeds/

Crime rates* in this area for the last 12 months

20.

Top for female students:

1.Manchester Metropolitan University (12355)

2.University of Leeds (12040)

3.University of Manchester (11650)

4.Cardiff University (9440)

5.University of Ulster (9275)

6.University of Edinburgh (9175)

7.University of Birmingham (9055)

8.University of the West of England, Bristol (8435)

9.University of Nottingham (8420)

10.University of Glasgow (8345)

Top for male students:

1.University of Manchester (11175)

2.Manchester Metropolitan University (9705)

3.University of Leeds (9625)

4.University of Nottingham (8925)

5.University of Sheffield (7710)

6.Nottingham Trent University (7620)

7.Sheffield Hallam University (7445)

8.University of Birmingham (7300)

9.University of Edinburgh (7210)

10.University of the West of England, Bristol (7155)

Top for students living at home:

1.Manchester Metropolitan University (5710)

2.University of Wolverhampton (5485)

3.Glasgow Caledonian University (5230)

4.University of Glasgow (5115)

5.University of Westminster (4925)

6.University of Ulster (4175)

7.University of Hertfordshire (4020)

8.Queen Mary (3990)

9.Queen's University, Belfast (3975)

Top for ethnic minorities:

1.University of Westminster (6045)

2.Kingston University (5730)

3.Middlesex University (5615)

4.University of Hertfordshire (5105)

5.De Montfort University (4605)

6.University of Greenwich (4590)

7.Brunel University (4580)

8.Manchester Metropolitan University (4420)

9.Queen Mary (4400)

Top for mature students aged 21 or over

1.Manchester Metropolitan University (8720)

2.Middlesex University (7220)

3.University of Manchester (6910)

4.University of the West of England, Bristol (6455)

5.University of Edinburgh (6155)

6.University of Ulster (6135)

7.University of Greenwich (5945)

8.University of Leeds (5935)

9.University of Northumbria at Newcastle (5800)

Top for students with a disability

1.De Montfort University (1725)

2.University of Plymouth (1515)

3.Manchester Metropolitan University (1455)

4.University of Ulster (1405)

5.University of Leeds (1405)

6.University of Manchester (1395)

7.University of the Arts, London (1315)

8.University of Nottingham (1215)

9.University of Edinburgh (1190)

10.Oxford Brookes University (1135)

Lowest staff/student ratios

1.The Institute of Cancer Research (2.2)

2.London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (3.6)

3.University of London (Institutes and activities) (4.1)

4.Central School of Speech and Drama (5.9)

5.Cranfield University (5.9)

6.Scottish Agricultural College (6.2)

7.Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (6.8)

8.Trinity Laban (7.0)

9.Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (7.6)

10.Royal Academy of Music (8.5)

Top for graduate salaries in full-time work(05/06)

1.London School of Economics and Political Science (£27,694)

2.Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine (£26,822)

3.St George's, University of London (£26,655)

4.Cranfield University (£26,132)

5.King's College London (£23,782)

6.University College London (£23,614)

7.The Royal Veterinary College (£23,544)

8.Queen Mary (£23,491)

9.City University (£23,117)

10.University of Cambridge (£22,910)

Top for highest expenditure on facilites (£000s)

1.University of Oxford (13511)

2.University of Cambridge (11771)

3.University of Manchester (10479)

4.University of Nottingham (10216)

5.University of Southampton (8539)

6.University of Leeds (8435)

7.Durham University (8187)

8.University of Birmingham (8097)

9.University of Hertfordshire (8060)

10.University of Central England in Birmingham (7618)

NB: these figures all apply to first full-time degree students- The Times University Statistics.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/good_university_guide/article2249352.ece

Collection 100: 20 opinions.

 

1. From the outset, Leeds looks like an ordinary dull city but once you enter the culture of the city it's quite a nice place. Leeds has quiet a large history and offers much for most people and it offers a great variety of night life as well as historical attractions and museums. It really does depend on what you want for the place but it has much to offer. In my personal opinion Leeds is a much friendlier city than Manchester although there are still a few rough pockets, but, overall it's a generally safe place- Tom O' Neill, Freelance Photographer.

2. I've been to Leeds only once in my life. Overall, I enjoyed my visit to Leeds. It surpassed my expectations. I imagined it to be a dirty, grim city. It was not- Adrian Perks, Museum Worker.

3. I've never been, but I have always wanted to. As soon as i hear the word Leeds, i automatically think art, the University and the fabric stall at the indoor market!- Sacha Frampton, A level art student.

4.  The royal armouries are nice with the canals nearby!- Chloe Roberts, Lighting and Pyrotechnics technician.

5. I've never been to Leeds...but I'm still applying to Uni there! So when I think of Leeds I think UNIVERSITY- and freedom!- Holly Farthing, Fashion and Photography A-level student.

6. I like the fact that there's so much to do and that it's a very student friendly place. I dislike the fact that it seems practically impossible to find a job!- Kirsty Alderson, Graphic Design Student at Leeds College of Art.

7. Leeds is a great city. The city centre has excellent bars, restaurants and shopping, however, it also has some very good suburbs too- David, yahoo answers.

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090726132811AAFSOpC

8. I didn't know much about Leeds and thought it an unremarkable city, until my eyes were opened to the artistic sensibilities floushing in it's heart- Charli Remy-LeBeau, music student.

9. "My perception would be that Leeds is very busy, I'd say it would have a busy night life (though i've only been in the outskirts!) not very friendly though, everyone keeps to themselves- doing what they're doing with no time for chatting to your neighbour"- Tara Ayling-Whitehouse, fashion design student.

10. I thought Leeds was really cool, nice people and friendly- Georgina Christian, Fine Art University Student, studying in Sheffield.

11. A vibrant city, good nightlife- Daniel Finnerty, A-level student.

12. Energetic, happening, youthful place to be. Lots of nice eating places. Lots of entertainment opportunities. Possible good place to invest in various growing markets. Good place to look for employment. But also loud, expensive, run down in places and with a "loop" that seems to provide perpetual motion!- Paul Danks, Landlord and Quality Engineer.

13. I just remember it always being cold and windy- Simon Bonella-Foster, Assistant Manager at Lush, Telford.

14. I really like Leeds, it's very homely for me as it's just like Manchester, only more condensed. It has a lot to offer in terms of education, nightlife and shopping- the architecture is pretty nice too- Charlie Crosby, BA (Hons) Graphic Design student, Leeds College of Art.

15. Leeds is too cold- Hattie Warren, Drama Student at University of Birmingham.

16. It's a fine English City- 'Angel' via Yahoo Answers

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AqCFLUw1Qzg6E2.MRnczXIMTBgx.;_ylv=3?qid=20101127094258AAfIlOi

17. Before coming to Leeds with the fresh perspective of an (albeit, only slightly) more mature adult, I has always thoguht Leeds' primary function was to furnish my Mum's house with new Ikea furniture and my brother and I with Dimebar cake as a small bribe for our troubles. Only in later years have I learned Leeds means much more to me.

I suppose as a Yorkshire city boy, born and raised, I see a lot of similarities in Leeds to that of Sheffield- so in most cases I stuggle to be dazzled by Leeds as an individual. Unless you happen to venture futher astray to catch a glimpse of the different accents England has to offer, the cities seemingly blur into one.

In my youth, durind a rough transitional period with my Parent's divorce, I remember my Dad taking my brother and I to the Royal Armoury Muserum. This is perhaps my favourite memory of Leeds. Being a typical boy I found everything fascinating; from ancient spears to the very first hand cannon- I was amazed by it all. My Dad, a self-acclaimed 'walking encyclopedia' spewed facts out throughout, whether he knew what he was talking about or just reading the plaques, it was all wisdom to me- Bob Berry, Law Student, Newcastle.

18. I found it grey, full of concrete and cars and no sign of green. But I've only been there 100 times by rail, so I must have missed the nice bits. At least the rain isn't as bad as Manchester, and the people are not so miserable. But it's close. One might commit suicide in Leeds after 2 days- 'Sosgez of no potatoes' via Yahoo Answers

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AqCFLUw1Qzg6E2.MRnczXIMTBgx.;_ylv=3?qid=20101127094258AAfIlOi

19. Leeds is a wonderful city. It's very vibrant, multi-cultural and has fantastic shopping and night life- 'WeirdWiseWonderful' via Yahoo Answers

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AkBXJ7HQWVhP.xTKJ.hRDPwazKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20101127131429AAD2KRH

20. It's a nightmare to navigate around, and who put's a short stretch of motorway in a city centre and restricts it to 40mph...- 'Midnight Rider' via Yahoo Answers

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhnswizdwPfFmoxN_9qMd6UazKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20101127131429AAD2KRH

21. Some areas are nice but lots of places in Leeds have anti-social behaviour- usually you spot a lot of teenagers wobbling around shouting and laughing- 'halo 1,2, and 3' via Yahoo Answers

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhnswizdwPfFmoxN_9qMd6UazKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20101127131429AAD2KRH