Final Edit Complete. 'The Invisible City' - Heart Of Glass

The Invisible City was a unique cinematic event staged in St Helens. LBM was on hand to document the main event. A collaboration with Abandon Normal Devices (AND) and Alexandra Park (St Helens) Management Limited, the former Pilkington Glass headquarters. Featuring the granddaddy of surveillance films Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. This short film acts as an archive to the installation, delivery and wrap up of the large outdoor screen operation. The main event consisted of a film programme, with a choice of viewing options including ‘drive-in’ and ‘viewing gallery’; and quasi-fictional tours of the Pilkington HQ, which flattened distinctions between famous and forgotten, public and private spaces in the building. The glass fronted office complex was used as a backdrop to ask questions related to transparency and invisibility in our society today.

As you know I have been photographing and filming a variety of locations, workers and monuments on site to develop a body of work that is part installation, part documentary.  The events curated by Heart of Glass for the film screenings hosted on the same site have allowed me to make new connections, re-visit old ones and establish some links for potential collaboration between a new, but rapidly growing arts institution in the St Helens area.

Ex PILKINGTONS GLASS HEADQUARTERS

I have begun to photograph and film the inner workings, remains and archives of the old Pilkingtons Glass HQ (currently Alexandra Business Park) in St Helens.

The site is a vast complex filled with historical rooms, objects and varied artefacts of by gone eras.  The site is also a working office space (in parts) for NHS, Game Designers, local businesses and charities who reside in the ‘Shell’ of the listed/dated brutalist architecture and 1960’s, 70’s, 80’s to present day décor.

It is my intention to publish a book and create an installation for exhibition that relates to the historical/current impact and legacy of the Pilkington ‘Empire’.  I also will investigate what contributed to its fall from grace, discover what remains there are and how the site will fare in the future.

I would like to photograph and interview any ex members of staff/workers and record their stories and hopefully create a form of digital archive of people’s history with the site.  It is also my intention to collaborate with other creatives, musicians, writers and artists to create a body of work which contributes to the final publication and exhibition.

If you are an ex worker or local resident who has a history or connection to Pilkingtons I would like to hear from you.

Please contact me at;

Kevin Casey

e-mail info@lensbasedmedia.org

web www.lensbasedmedia.org

twitter @info_lbm

Colour Grading ' The Invisible City' - Heart Of Glass Documentation

 As stated in previous blog and social media posts LBM has begun to photograph and film the inner workings, remains and archives of the old Pilkingtons Glass HQ (Currently Alexandra Business Park) in St Helens.

The site is a vast complex, filled with historical rooms, objects and varied artefacts of by gone eras, but it is also a working office space (in parts) for NHS, game designers, local businesses and charities who reside in the 'Shell' of the grade 2 listed complex of brutalist architecture and it's 1960's-80's decor.

Because the site is so vast, rich in history and has many hidden aspects to it, it is intended to be an ongoing video and photography project with a view to exhibit and publish work(s).

LBM were also involved in a series of filming, screenings and facilitating performances for a weekend of surveillance themed and related events 'The Invisible City' Produced by Heart Of Glass in collaboration with Abandon Normal Devices (AND) and Alexandra Business Park (St Helens). The screen - shot (above)  is illustrating the final part of the edit, colour grading and LUT applications.  The film will be finished and online soon.

A new lens available for hire

LBM has acquired a speciality portrait prime lens, Zeiss Batis 85mm.

The lens is available for hire.  The all important specs are listed below.

* f/1.8 - f/22

* E-mount / Full Frame

* Auto / Manual focus

* Image Stabilization

Example images and demonstrations to follow soon.

Students and Cyanotypes

 Our learners have been prepping paper, creating digital negatives and printing/washing their images as part of the Darkroom Cyanotypes process.

Editing - Ex Pilkingtons Glass HQ (Multiple projects)

As the blog title suggests, just in the process of editing several projects all linked to the ex Pilkingtons Glass HQ (Currently Alexandra Business Park).

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Screen shot of today's editing; video footage and timeline 'The Invisible City' (Filmed by Jake Mitchell@LBM) Produced by Heart of Glass & Abandon Normal Devices: Photography edits Kevin Casey@LBM

LBM has begun to photograph and film the inner workings, remains and archives of the old Pilkingtons Glass HQ (Currently Alexandra Business Park) in St Helens.

The site is a vast complex, filled with historical rooms, objects and varied artefacts of by gone eras, but it is also a working office space (in parts) for NHS, game designers, local businesses and charities who reside in the 'Shell' of the grade 2 listed complex of brutalist architecture and it's 1960's-80's decor.

Because the site is so vast, rich in history and has many hidden aspects to it, it is intended to be an ongoing video and photography project with a view to exhibit and publish work(s).

LBM were also involved in a series of filming, screenings and facilitating performances for a weekend of surveillance themed and related events 'The Invisible City' Produced by Heart Of Glass in collaboration with Abandon Normal Devices (AND) and Alexandra Business Park (St Helens).

New Camera Added To LBM Equipment Hire package

LBM is now announcing the powerful Sony A7R2 to its arsenal.  The camera is available for hire, look below for those all important specifications.

Specifications:  Mirrorless System, 42.4 Megapixel, Full Frame Sensor, 4K Video (internal), Max ISO 102400, Face Detection Mode, AVCHD, H.264, XAVCS

The film of the photographs of the recording studio

Earlier this year LBM was asked to Photograph Opera singer Roy Weissensteiner record his second studio album at Parr St Recording Studios in Liverpool.  Here is a little video of the photographs edited to one of the featured tracks  "Caro Mio Ben". 

Learners Light Painting video

Here is a little video that our learners have made.  The video consists of all of their photographs taken while light painting with the PixelStick (available to hire).  They have pieced together all of their multiple photographs to create a stop frame animation movie.  Very impressed that a class of mixed ability were able to learn basic video and create a short edit in a x 1 day session.

Light painting with new learners

A few examples of some of the imagery created by college students that LBM has been teaching.  This session(s) is all about light painting but learners also are gaining an understanding in how to create the correct exposure using shutter speed, aperture and ISO to produce an image in low light level conditions.

In the next session our learners will learn to create a short animated film, using video editing techniques to create a 'stop frame motion' movie with their photographs.

On Location

Filming on location @ The Lady Lever Art Gallery (NML) Merseyside.

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Image taken with the Theta 360 S (available for hire), edited in RollWorld & Colour graded in Snapseed Apps.

Teaching & Workshop Resources

Daguerreotype, Wet Plate Collodion, Tintype.

These are our latest ebay and 2nd hand market purchases.  We are always collecting little photographic antiques and trinkets to show our learners as we believe there is no better way of describing and illustrating historical photographic processes than holding and actual object in your hand.   Early examples of creating photographic prints and negatives

Carbon Emissions & The PixelStick

LBM was asked by The University of Liverpool to produce a video that would highlight the production of carbon emissions & how the University aims to reduce it.

As most carbon emissions are invisible to the naked eye we chose to illustrate this difficult aesthetic by using a light painting, projection tool called The PixelStick.  Just like Carbon Emissions the projected image(s) can not be seen in full until a photographic exposure has been taken.  This also has a parallel with Carbon Emissions as it shows it has a trace or imprint on the landscape.

Back to school

Very excited to be teaching photography at South Sefton College again this year.  As an 'ice breaker' exercise we get each student to write down on a post it note what they would like to learn about photography and then pin it to the wall at the front of the class room, then discuss each others posts.  This gives a great insight into what your learners want and need and its also a good way for everyone to learn each others name.

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Above is a selection of the post it notes from last years students, some interesting insights into why people want to learn photography.

Cyanotype process in the Darkroom

Here is a brief overview of the Cyanotype process (available as a workshop or lesson from LBM) 

Cyanotype Results

LBM has been hiding away in the darkroom recently.  Here are a few images from a recent workshop demonstration that highlights the Cyanotype process.  (Video to follow shortly)

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Pixelstick Filming continued (Part 3)

'The Can Crush'  is another clip from a work/commission in progress using the amazing light painting tool the Pixelstick.

Back in the editing room

The latest screen grab of a photo-video work in progress.  The subject is the Cyanotype process (one of the oldest forms of photography ).  The finished video will give  the viewer an idea or highlight of the medium and what they will do as part of a workshop or lesson.  A little bit of help from Radio 6 music in the background to keep the inspirational juices flowing !

New lens added to LBM

SLR Magic 50mm f1.1 Cine Lens - Sony E mount

This 'Nifty Fifty' lens is a great Cine Lens that can also be used for manual photography.  The decoupled geared aperture ring makes it easier for follow focus while filming.  Available for hire, please check our rates. 

PixelStick Filming continued (part 2)

Here is another clip from a work/commission in progress using the amazing light painting tool the Pixelstick