Inspiration for Photoshoot!

Searching for inspiration images for my photo shoot has been exciting!

I came across Sue Bryce - an Australian photographer who has been photographing women for over 25 years. She's says in the biography set ion of her website that she, 'wants to give women a feeling of being beautiful.  

 http://www.inbedwithsue.com/about-sue/

Sue met with Jill Brzenzinski-Conley, a 35 year old women with stage 4 incurable spread breast cancer that has now spread to her bones and invited her to take part in a high fashion style shoot in Paris.

Jill says of the experience, 'I felt like Cinderella, not a breast cancer patient, they made me feel like a supremodel'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2274504/Sue-Bryce-photography-Double-mastectomy-patient-Jill-Brzezinski-Conley-poses-stunning-fashion-shoot.html

I feel that the images taken are amazing, they depicted a woman without a care in the world. They creates a sense of empowerment.

Images taken from Daily Mail website.

Videographer Hailey Bartholomew also followed both Sue and Jill during their journey to Paris and produced a video. 

Click link for video http://vimeo.com/57648966

Initial concepts for Window display

Initial concepts have started to come together for the window display. Using the theme of cancer cells I have inteprated this theme using recycled materials.

The reason behind his is, Anthropolgie use a lot of recycled materials within their window displays. Paper is featured heavily within their displays, in particular old books. The brand prove that a big budget is not needed to produce such eye catching and spectacular window displays.

 I am going to take inspiration from this and use as much recycled material within my project in particular the window display.

Below is a link displaying a whole variety of Anthropolgie windows which are made from recycled materials.

http://retaildesignblog.net/2011/08/10/anthropologie-window-displays/

Anthropolgie Window display - Recycling tyres for Earth Green day 2011

Suspended rocks - Autumn 2012

Milk cartons

I have began to experiment using different house hold objects that can be recycled, to produce a variety of samples that I could eventually develop further into a window display.

Below is a series of initial concepts that I have began to work upon in preparation for my final outcome.

Initial concept sketch showing inspiration images,  sample and sketches

Another initial concept sketch, showing inspiration image, sketch with annotation and possible merchandise.

So…how does your £3 nomakeupselfie donation help Cancer research?…well let me tell you...

Today, Thursday 20th March I went to the Cancer Research Institute in Manchester. I wanted to understand the process of how cancer develops and I also wanted to know more knowledge about the disease and how it can be treated.

Stuart Pepper, Chief laboratory Officer, introduced himself to the group and I. Luckily it was only a small group of 4 of us , myself and 3 others, who wanted to see the facilities as they are holding a fund raising event through their employers.

The Manchester Institute, started before Cancer research Uk and the site has over a hundreds years heritage into the research of cancer.

£12m per year is raised to help fund the Institute and this helps to govern a group of 12 research groups , which eventually will be expanding to 17 groups. The research groups are made up of 250 scientists. The Institute is situated next to Christies hospital, Manchester and is affiliated with the University of Manchester.

Due to the funding raised via Cancer research UK , the institute is a very independent due to this. Through the research, they are trying to understand cancer, find new ways to treat and diagnose it  which in turn leads to patient  benefits and they also also trying to detect cancer earlier.

Statistic time!

In the UK 333,000 people are diagnosed with cancer. This means 1 in 3 people will develop during their life time and this will result in 1 in 4 deaths. There are over 200 different types of cancer. (Cancer Research UK, 2014)

THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING HOW CELLS WORK

Every minute of each day the following cells are produced

• 300 million new red blood cells 
• 12,000 new gut cells
• 40,000 new skin cells

This is a tight control process and its the process of how our bodies work. In order for this process to work , proteins inside the cells sends signals.

These signals are controlled by DNA , this is made up of a double helix and is known as a human GENO (very important!!)  Damage to the DNA results in a domino effect.

Cancer happens when the instructions inside the cells are faulty. it takes only one cell for this whole sequence to go wrong and this results in a tumour/ cancer growth.

Any way , enough of the scientific theory, however to understand the tour properly you need to understand the background knowledge of how cancer develops.

So here is images from todays tour. A very big thank you to Stuart Pepper, Steve Bagley and of course Hannah Leaton. It has certainly helped me understand things more clearer.

Cancer cell image inside the stairwell - loved the separate panels, hmmm i feel inspired!

Microscope which takes magnifies the cells and takes photographs of the cell development over a 5 day period. this is crucial research as it shows how a call develops over a time period

same microscope as above. These are houses underneath the main offices in the basement and have to be kept at a certain temperature in order for the cells to reproduce.

Another imaging microscope

Cancer cell imaging in process

Slide of a liver cancer cell with added dye to enable the naked eye to see it

this slide has over 100 different cells formations on it.

cancer cell imaging in process

This is another microscopic imaging machine. This image shows how a cell travels which s also key into research. 

A whole room was taken up by this huge microscope (same as above) Laser light beams are used to enable the scientists to get a closer look inside.

Manchester Institute of Cancer research.

Site of new Manchester Cancer research centre being built. I was shown into the visitors centre, were an artists impression and slideshow was shown. The design also integrates the community and allows them to participate in visiting the centre.

Right this is such an important part of cancer research. This machine is a GENO machine. It helps to find out what causes the GENO within a person to make them develop cancer.. This machine costs £250,000 and is used 4 times a month, once a week or 52 times a year.  Over 20,000 people are treated at Christies each year and by using the GENO machine, this helps determine the exact treatment to use to help treat that persons particular cancer.

A scientist within the lab!

Inside the Lab

This robot will decanter out experiments into small petri dishes (see images to gain an insight into how small the space is) This robot costs around £160,000 and can decanter over 96 samples at once.

An example of petri dishes used within the robot above.

More samples of petri dishes

Another example of petri dishes. This sample can hold over 196 experiments. This enables different drugs to be added to a particular cancer sample to experiment how the drugs reacts and whether it is successful or not.

Name badge and research report 2012-13.

By donating to cancer research Uk, your donation will go towards laboratories like the one shown above. The insight after today's tour has helped me understand even more about the disease. 

A very very big thank you to all at the Manchester Institute for allowing me to take my own photographs on the tour and also for their time and help.

Now, Lets get creative!!!!

'nomakeup' Selfie drives awareness campaign!

#nomakeupselfie - Me, my daughter & dad xx

“Cancer is out there so awareness needs to be raised and I think the selfies are a great way to do it.

                                                                                                 Karl Riley, 2014

(as quoted in http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/think-cancer-awareness-selfies-taking/story-20829056-detail/story.html#ixzz2wRTqtNqY)

Over the past 24 hours, what has saw as one person's 2 minutes of harmless fun, has turned into a nation wide awareness campaign for cancer awareness.

#nomakeupselfie now has its own facebook group 'entitled 'No Make Up Selfie For Cancer Awareness and with over 150,0000 like and hundreds of uploaded photos showing women fresh faced and wearing 'no make up'. However as men are feeling a little left out, the reverse has happened and pictures of men WEARING MAKE UP have started to follow.

This shows the magic of social media and how strong a message can be broadcasted across the different social media channels.  Following on from the recent 'neknomination' craze that hit facebook last month, this latest craze has attarcted clebertites to foolow suit an a spokesperson for Cancer research UK commented saying:

 “We’ve been asked quite a lot overnight whether this was something started by us – unfortunately it wasn’t. However we welcome anything that raises a cancer awareness, so we certainly fully support the no make-up selfie campaign.”

However, there has been a series of negative backlash to the campaign. Many say that selfie ‘s can’t cure cancer, so why bother?

A selfie may not cure cancer, but this craze has got you talking? Like it or loathe it, it has attracted a series of donations that Cancer Research UK will benefit from as the saying goes, ‘Any publicity is good publicity!’

I have collected together a series of selfie’s from some of my friends and family, so a BIG THANK YOU to you all!

#nomakeupselfie - Kelly

#nomakeupselfie - Meg

#nomakeupselfie - Laura

#nomakeupselfie - Zoe & her mum 

#nomakeupselfie - Leanne

#nomakeupselfie - jojo 

#nomakeupselfie MAN STYLE - Ricky Gervais

#nomakeupselfie MAN STYLE - the lovely chris!!

#nomakeupselfie

A big thank you to all my friends and family for their permission in allowing me to use their photos!

to donate follow this link - http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/

or text BEAT to 7099 which gives a £3 donation!

inspirations = paintings, paintings and more paintings

Now the fun part has started!

I have begun to research into cancer cells, their form, texture, patterns and colour combinations in preparation to my visit to the cancer research lab in Manchester next week.

I am working in a small A5 sketchbook at the moment to collect my findings. This sketchbook will record research, statistics, anything that I am inspired by within this project and also my own experiments and samples that I have created.

Below are a series of images that I have already created which have been inspired by cancer cells.

Hope you enjoy them!

My inspirations!

Prostrate cancer cells 

Corpora Amylacea - (prostrate cancer)

Esophageal cancer cells

(l) abdominal cells and DNA filtering

More esophageal cancer

More esophageal cancer

Breathless Breastless project!!

Through conducting my research for my honours project, I came across this remarkable group of artists.

'Breathless, Breastless Project'

A team of talented artists are working together with breast cancer survivors to create a powerful exhibition in Aberdeen  to raise awareness to the long term effects after treatment has stopped, It will also touch base on families are effected to, as I know from personal experience the devastating effect it has.


I am in touch with Louise who is the organiser within the project, and she very kindly has given me permission to share the project page.  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Breathless-Breastless-Project/164445467028874?id=164445467028874&sk=info

 After viewing the work in progress so far I am so touched by the moving images produced so far.  some artists have used new technology (iPads) to create their images but none the less, they are very inspirational.

Well done Guys - this is a fantastic exhibition , it gives me an even more a reason to go and visit scotland now :)

Devastating news…Forever in my heart Dad x

Friday 24th January 2014 is now a date that will forever captured within my memory.

Dad at My brothers wedding - April 2013

My precious dad fell asleep following a very courageous and brave fight against oesophageal cancer.
I am absolutely devastated but I know now that dad is now free of pain and can rest peacefully. He fought this terrible disease for over 20 months but now it has claimed his life.

Having nursed dad with my grandmother since the end of November following the placement of a stent within his oesophagus to aid his oral intake, my BA degree has taken a back step in particular design work and research as my dads health has been paramount. I know how proud my dad was when I completed my foundation degree and also at my graduation ceremony in June.

Dad & I at My FdA Graduation - July 2013

My aim and drive now dad has passed away is to finish my degree with as high a mark as possible and to do it in Memory of Dad!! This is for you Kid!!

Despite the set backs  I have occurred I have however still continued to apply for certain roles within the design industry. As I have previously been employed as a mock up artist / artworker within a greeting card / stationary importers, I have a wide knowledge and length of experience that I feel will aid my chance of employment. Within this period of employment I gained of a whole knowledge of how to present designs / ideas to a client, how to receive and research a brief from a client, produce a series of artwork using adobe products for mass production within the Far East -( this I feel is a vital tool as most companies now outsource to the far east for a matter of different reasons i.e. cost.), the use of pan tones within the industry and also the different between pantone colours and CMYK printing.

http://www.eurowrap.co.uk

By combining the experience I have from my employment together with the skills i have learnt from within both the BA (So far) and foundation degree I have feel that I will be able to gain a very good position within a current design company.

I have gained part time employment within a letting agents to cover maternity leave , and hopefully this will extend once my degree will finish. My employer is particularly interested in the skills I have within google sketch up and AUTO Cad. The design skills he is also interested in to aid the profile of the company and to out reach the status of Iccommodate - the lettings agents.

Previous applications that I have applied for are as follows:-
 • Artworker
 • Creative Graphic designer - Awaiting the client to return from the annual trade fair in Frankfurt
 • Interior designer
 • Graduate scheme in Merchandising and Buying with TKMaxx - due to dads il health I have missed the second part of the recruitment process
 • Multi-channel assistant merchandiser at Matalan
 • Trainee buyer - industrial placement at Matalan

These are just a variety of roles that I have applied for, however I am also making a decision about how I can further progress my education by gaining a PCGE or via 'Teach first'. I have gained an interest in maybe becoming a college lecturer within the design industry and teaching ages 16+.

 Dad, I and My Brother after Race for Life - July 2012 (3 months after he was first diagnosed)

First online blog..

“Go Confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.”

Thoreau

And so I begin my online blog….

Having passed my Foundation Degree with a Distinction, my aim is now to pass BA with a first! Think Positive and this can be achieved!..

FdA Graduation - July 2013

Already I am looking for graduate schemes to apply for and jobs / careers paths I may want to embark upon once my university course has finished.

My initial thoughts are those of a buyer / merchandiser and within a successful company that I can proceed throughout, however I am not giving up upon my dream of becoming a designer either!

First day back today and it wasn’t as painful as I imagined, a 1,500 word assignment for next monday! ekk but Im being positive and I know I CAN DO this!!

I have already thought about my industry module and started the ball rolling…Thanks to my lovely friend who recommend a few websites to me to look at  so here goes.. JD Williams, Next, and an application through Graduate jobs for Rayware have started this module off.

My aim is to search and apply for at least 3 jobs a week and If I can manage it and organise myself Im going to try and obtain a placement within the industry!! fingers crossed!!