(Link for trailer on Youtube... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7XdrVrrcGk)
When taking the
photos for our promotional documentary trailer we went to the location with the
aim of taking photos which would convey to the viewer the lives of a travelling
family of ‘Showmen’. Three of our group members being from Reading we decided
our subject would be the Carter’s Steam Fair, a family run company that travels around Southern
England, focusing around the Berkshire area.
Through the images we hope the audience are able to get a perspective of how the Showmen families
live during the period they are out of season. The photos show where all
their old as well as new equipment is kept behind closed gates in their work
yard, away from the public. As they are not in season of work we visited their
work yard where as you can see in the images, where they create their machinery
and art work. These images show the beauty of the artwork which the carter’s
family and employers put into building their steam fair. To portray the beauty
of the fair we captured the artwork and to demonstrate how the fair ground
business over the country is slowly running down we capture photos of rusty old
equipment, trucks, wagons and working stations.
Bellow are our favourite photos which we think are powerful and convey the correct message we want our Documentary to put across:
 This high angle shot of a rusty old wheel barrow we found in their work yard portrays the side of the fair ground which is running down. The high angle shot looking down at the wheel barrow highlights the fact that this is the not so happy and attractive side of a fair. Although this photograph shows the sad side of the fair, when editing this we felt like it was important to keep the colours vibrant so that continuity was carried out throughout all of our images. The photograph below is another example which we feel demonstrates how the fair keeps them self tucked away from society when not in season. I like the leading line the truck creates, it leads the eye to the empty grey road ahead, this creates a feeling of loneliness and conveys the message of how 'Showmen' live slightly segregated from society.People in todays society stereotype 'Showmen' as traveler and gypsies just because they live as a community and travel from place to place not only as a family but more importantly as a business, and this is something they should not be judged on.  |  This is the groups favourite photograph, we feel like this photo is very powerful. The extreme low angle looking up at the horse portrays the fact that although the business of steam fair is getting less popular, people are still passionate about keeping this business alive. The photo below is a photo we like because of the way it shows how the showmen are still hard at work creating the fair art work, getting it all prepared in their work yard over the winter ready in time for spring when the Carters fair starts. As well as showcasing their unique talents in a trade that seems to be slowly dying.  |
