A Day in the Life of...A Mechanic

The mechanic was chosen as the focus of the collection of photos because of the admirable nature that is embedded in his work routine, and the importance to draw attention to a person whose selflessness goes unnoticed , because of its roots in common practice. The intended message of this photo essay is to convey the hardships this man endures such as the cold and dirty conditions in order to provide for his family, and how his routine even though considered normal is very admirable.

The angle of the photo between the bars, in which the mechanic is centered between them, was created to imply that he is imprisoned by his job, as the bars resembled those of a prison cell, in addition the stripes and pools of light which were created with the bars complemented the imprisonment image. The photo filter on this image was adjusted to add an orange tint to the photo this was done to add brightness to the image, to complement the plain expression on his face to imply that he is at ease with his job and his environment, despite being under a car.

This photo was staged with the intention of creating some variety in his position, by having him lying down as opposed to standing up; similarly the camera angle was taken so that the mechanic was raised above it slightly to convey that despite his vulnerable position that he is powerful and proud. To create a dark image the mechanic was placed under the car to make the photo appear darker in order to communicate a feeling of restriction with the dark lighting and car on top of him. All colour was taken from this photo and replaced in black and white. so it matches the rest of the collection. The photo was cropped to get rid of the feet and draw further attention to the mechanic. Another change to the photo was the decreasing of the brightness by 108% and the increase of contrast by 100%, this was done to add more clarity to the photo, as before the image appeared fuzzy.

The angle of this photo was taken so that the camera was looking down on the mechanic whilst he was on the phone to give an insight into the relationship of power between the mechanic and his customers, in which he is powerless, the muted lighting in the office also shows the lack of power because it created a softness to his face. The colour of the photo has been taken away and replaced with black and white to match the rest of the collection, creating unity. The image has also been cropped cutting off the background in order to ensure that the mechanic is the clear focus of the picture.

This image was staged because it can be argued that it was interesting to show in a backdrop of metal a delicate disposition to the mechanic through his crouched position whilst he ate, this was done to show his modesty respectability. The camera angle was positioned so that it was level with his position to convey modesty; the mass of light on him was used to complement the modest look. This image has been cropped to eliminate the car parts on the right so that it creates an interesting geometric element to the photo, with vertical lines in the background , and only a hint of curves from the car parts on the right . This picture has also been converted into black and white to match the rest of the collection.

To create a sense of perspective, in which the shot started off looking wide and narrowed gradually, was created by photographing from a great distance from the subject, so that the position of the car and the wall created a natural narrowing effect. To get a darker image the subject was placed at the back of the workshop where it was darker, to create a feeling of sincerity. This picture was not staged because the mechanic looked awkward when he tried to pose, therefore when left to act naturally he looked more at ease. The contrast was increased by 92% and the brightness was decreased by 30% using photo shop, this was done to add more clarity to the picture and highlight the darker tones and white. This effect was created to show the duality of the workplace , as it can be considered both a strenuous hardship and a positive method of providing for a family.

The photo was taken so that it captured a dark space of the workshop with light spilling through the door, this lighting was used to create a duality between hope and hopelessness, this impression was further created by using a wide shot to capture the varying light in the room. The brightness was decreased by 27% to make the workshop appear darker, this technique was used to imply that the workshop is an unpleasant place to be in , and that outside lies the promise of happiness when he leaves , which is conveyed by the light filtering through the door , another effect highlighted by this alteration.

A Day in the Life of....A Mechanic

The mechanic was chosen as the focus of this collection of photos because of the admirable nature that is embedded in his work routine, and the importance to draw attention to a person whose selflessness goes unnoticed, because of its roots in common practice. The intended message of this photo essay is top convey the hardships this man endures such as the cold and dirty conditions in order to provide for his family , and how his routine even though considered normal is very admirable.