discovering a new technique for photo montage for projection / August 21, 2019 by Tracey Gibbs

In my second year studying at Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts we had a day working with amongst other things, artist Gavin Mitchell who’s work I found completely brilliant and so interesting. He blends the old and the new with a delicate humour and wryness which turns a multitude of found images into a new fabulous creation. OK you can see I liked it lol so much so I now am the lucky owner of one of his works a present for graduating from the Mr Gibbs.

Find his work here

https://gavinmitchell.net/

So back to the workshop and looking at projection and content creation, we had been asked to bring some imagery to play with , well with a career and study of photography going back a wee while ! I have in fact a huge plan chest filled with remnants of my early days from college through to the last commercial film shoot I did back in the 90’s! So I grabbed some that I thought looked interesting with a thought that some of my cohort may not have access to stuff as living in halls.

He also arrived with a wealth of stuff from old movie’s on film, trailers for films and a massive collection of old slides sourced from car-boots and many a bric a brac find both here in the UK and on his travels. Looking at overlaying them to create images with stories or indeed oddities .

At first I was tentative, as any photographer will tell you the thought of chopping up transparencies is well? just not done ! fact. The first three were combining some footage and stills from Gavin with some images I took for a property developer of the Manchester Tobacco Factory both before and after. Shot on a magic film called polarpan where you actually processed it yourself? I know ! the resulting images were a strong contrasting black and white . Exceptionally fragile and at times not a guaranteed outcome, we were edgy in the 90’s lol

still available to buy (must dig my processor out ) from one of my favourite places full of interesting photographic and video finds

https://www.profilmdirect.co.uk/polaroid-35mm-auto-process--slide-mounter-slide-mounts-polapan-and-polachrome-1521-p.asp

The shots gave me some great graphic windows with which to play with, placing behind them almost giants of humans going about their business.

Series Windows

I was loving this with the possibilities for projection work for bands or theatre work opening up my mind and making me braver, with a gentle nudge from Gavin I did it !

Using some outtakes from one of my earliest test shoots whilst working as a full time assistant at Avalon in Manchester and clips from processing of some really interesting branches in oil from a collaboration with a young artist who’s name along with the model has long been forgotten (research underway) I began to snip the larger medium format images and recreate as 35mm slides!

Girl in the Wood series

So new from old,I am now in the process of multiple layering of images to create new content for projection . Then scanning them in on my Flextight Precision II another part of my transition from analogue to digital as a photographer , yes you could do it in photoshop but how much more fun is it to be hands on and make something.

RESEARCH AND INSPIRATION MADRID DECEMBER 2018 / January 11, 2019 by Tracey Gibbs

Seems to be fast becoming a new Tracey ritual, the quest to absorb and study the work of one man ? yes it the rather exceptional work of Robert Wilson. Last year I whisked me and the Mr Gibbs off to Dusseldorf to see The Sandman, was an amazing experience front row ! Dusseldorf was fair but bitingly cold and for me not enough art to feast on. So no surprise that I had being keeping a close eye on his upcoming productions, there it was a window of time was there and the idea forming in my head. In true Tracey style I booked a hotel first to make sure we would be going and then counted down the days until the tickets for Turandot a the Teatro Real went on sale, a very nervous Tracey sat waiting for the go on the 15th October!

https://www.teatro-real.com/en/the-theatre/the-real/the-teatro-real

It was tense!! 365 people were in front of me ! there were only two dates we could do and those cheaper seats would be going fast. Success I had a rough idea where our seats were not bad, definitely not cheap but no choice I had to see something of his on a bigger scale . There we were our first proper opera and first time to Madrid! At least I had consulted the Mr G this time as last year I booked it in a random moment 5.30 am whilst staying somewhere teaching .

I am slightly ashamed to say I was unfamiliar with pre LIPA, there are just not enough superlatives to fully describe his work, indeed it could be foolish for me to attempt it? But nether the less I may try ,for me I find his work so rich in a truly visual way layer upon layer of intricately woven elements from light to colour to scenography ,he has very quickly become one of my main influencers in the creation and thoughts on creating lighting for the stage.one beautiful image after another akin to passing a leisurely heady afternoon with my tome of fashion photography my most loved photography genre VOGUE! Especially the September edition . At times almost reaching sensory overload but such a feast !

We had a few days to explore Madrid from what I can only say is one of best little hotels I have ever stayed at, in a great location for the big two museums close by . We did one a day as I don’t like rushing as then you could miss a gem. Both very easy walking distance from the hotel as was Madrid we discovered, very easy to walk around and so much great food!

MUSEO DEL PRADO

MUSEO THYSSEN-BORNEMISZA

MUSEO REINA SOFÍA

Food oh yes we did food ! tapas with attitude and so so delicious , luckily for us one of my dance students just so happens to be from Madrid so with her local recommendations we experienced some fantastic local cuisine , a highlight for me was the small seafood standing room only one opposite our hotel, oysters,scallops good plonk ! heaven

http://www.artriphotel.com/en

No trip to Spain for me is complete until I have drunk my body weight in Cortardo’s

Madrid did not dissapoint with seemingly dozens of Artisan coffee places nearby happy days

My next project has given me the tiniest of chances to encompass some of his techniques, well a chance to investigate them and have a go interpretating some of my own thoughts around his use of one place on the stage I sometimes feel we all don’t play with enough ... the cyclorama , that combined with the rich references to Baz Luhrmann film has given me the opportunity on the upcoming 3rd year dancers show Romeo & Juliet again at LIPA ,working closely with set designer Mailin Hellend to facilitate this a collaboration from the start. Along with a close working relationship with the director to bring the various choreographers involved pieces together as a narrative piece. I want to bring the rich highly decorated scenic elements along with the richly textured costumes by designer Charlotte Mcadam to life and full of the sense of place and time of day as in the movie . So with this and my dissertation based on his work I was and am completely justified in seeing this first outing of this production.

So here we were, waiting outside this grand opera house watching the well dressed of Madrid mingle with chinking glasses of champagne , to say I was excited would of course be an understatement. Sitting there surrounded by all the gold and glamour, unable to see anything of the front of house rig I just sat and soaked up the atmosphere.

It was amazing, so rich yet stark parred back to the purest movements and went so quick!

Two acts of continued joy for me and I have to say loved the singing ! a new one for me, the best way to really describe it is to say nothing but give you the link to the production images. A worthwhile trip? for sure loaded with ideas and yet more inspiration for both my upcoming show and eek dissertation.

https://robertwilson.smugmug.com/Turandot-Madrid-2018/?fbclid=IwAR0CPWqO2GDTbQbikrw3v9TkkASTO4c7W5rKqexTq2G9b

I did however lurk behind as long as possible in the auditorium to have a look at where and what maybe rigged front of house, only Robert Wilson could get away with turning the Royal Box into a rigging point!

you can see the LIPA production of Romeo & Juliet soon see link below to book

https://www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk/whats-on/romeo-and-juliet-2018.html

more can be seen on my Instagram feed if you like exploring like me

https://www.instagram.com/juliet/?hl=en

10 Days in Cairo / December 9, 2015 by Tracey Gibbs

I am a very fortunate photographer who gets to visit one of the worlds most vibrant if sometimes a little crazy cities Cairo. I have been traveling back and forth since 1997 so know her pretty well.

For the last few years I have been the official photographer for dancer Randa Kamel, covering her courses and festivals. These are intense weeks taking 100's of live action shots of dancers from all over the world and for Randa herself. With little sleep and a tad achy arms at the end, but immense fun.

My last trip in October led to 10 days of photography from dancers to my own personal work , also a very special trip for myself and a special group of wormen , but that is another blog .

Based in Zamalek the island in the middle of the Nile , proved a great location for all . With our hotel the Mayfair enchanting me to rediscover my love of spaces and details . Architecture is one of my passions and this deco building was just great to investigate through the lens.

With most days been based on the gorgeous 5 star boat the Nile Maxim, it was a great time . They were also kind enough to let me use the complex as a location for one of my dance portfolio sessions. As a thank you I did some interiors of the new Khulkhal Restaurant and of the fab Maxim .

Alongside this I had the chance to begin to build my commercial portfolio of work for clients in Egypt. I had met the CEO of Simonds Bakery a well known Cairo chain, in the summer and mentioned my commercial work . Alongside the bakery they had also recently opened a rather fabulous Sushi restaurant and needed some images to show the food on offer.

A day out of my 10 was spent taking images of the bakery process which was great with temptation all around ! Accompanied by general manager Don Ross , we travelled to the Arigato Sushi . I like to use daylight for a lot of my food and product photography , so with camera and reflector I set up a little set near a window . A great afternoon of capturing dish after dish of stunning food and the beginning of my Cairo portfolio .