Teeing Off, Green Jackets and Eagles

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This was a photoshoot from the first term of my final year at UCLan. We were given the task to promote a local independent retailer in Preston by creating a set of evoking and interesting images. My group was given The Golf Store, Marsh Lane, Preston.

 

 

 

We set our scene in the 1950’s, when golf became a sport, no longer just for the rich but for everyone.

 

The world of golf has its own glossary of terminology, with different words and phrases for every part of the game; from the scores (‘birdie’), to parts of the course (‘bunker’) to the equipment (‘mashie niblick’)

 

When researching all the terms we found plenty/too many terms to play on and inspire a series of photos. However there were three which stood out as holding a narrative, following the order in which they might come up in the game or tournament.

 

 

Tee / teeing ground / teeing off

The first shot played on any hole of the course and what players practice on the driving range. We have played on the word ‘tee’, replacing golf balls with tea cups and setting up and afternoon cuppa between 2 of our models

 

Sweet spot

The ideal area of the club with which to hit the ball for a perfect shot. Here we chose to recreate the iconic image of a golf ball in the mouth with white speckled gobstoppers that look similar to golf balls

 

Dance Floor

Another name for the putting green. The perfect location to pose in some 50’s style jive and swing dance moves

 

Eagle

An eagle is a score of 2 under par. Stella the eagle courtesy of Turbary Woods, was the perfect and a beautiful literal representation

 

Green Jacket

A green blazer is given and passed on to the winner of the tournament and captain of the golf club. A fashion shoot in Bon magazine inspired the shot where our model is emerging from the hedge which acts as a second green jacket

 

 

 

 

The photos were displayed in an exhibition we staged ourselves in Preston town centre, promoting the local independent retailers.

 

Generous THANK YOU’s go to my fellow stylists: Vickie Bertram, Emma Norminton, Sophie Tapsell and Kate Taylor, photographer Mark Prescott, the team at Turbary Woods Owl and Bird Sanctuary and Stella the eagle, star of the day.

 

All images copyright Vickie Bertram, Emma Norminton, Ellie Osborne, Sophie Tapsell and Kate Taylor 2010. 

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The Itch of the Golden Nit

Last night I watched a super little film called 'The Itch of the Golden Nit', made almost entirely by children. I came across the project the other day in the Telegraph magazine.  It’s the Tate Movie Project for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

They have got children involved at every stage possible, from creating the narrative and story, drawing and illustrating the artwork (all illustrations by children)  and recording sounds and the score. They have been holding workshops at art galleries all round the UK and touring the country with a mobile movie studio, a touring truck visiting schools, festivals inspire children

The project’s online presence seems interesting too. Through the Tate Movie website they have created this big community of kids (I think it said about 20 thousand or so!) open to all 5 -13 year olds,  and provided them with more opportunities to be involved in the film, from designing more characters to voting on who will voice the characters . The website is also designed to teach kids about the process and development of making a film, how all the elements come together.

The Itch of the Golden Nit was great to watch too. It was obviously made by children, but that was the real charm. It was so colourful; really bold. Such a fresh visual identity, naive but with a real complexity and sophistication about it too. 

The imaginations of the children are fantastic, the characters and narratives they created were genius. And I found myself laughing at some brilliant lines, perhaps it's just a childish side of me coming out. 

Either way I think the whole approach is, and has been great: fantastic ways to reach kids, what a brilliant way to inspire creativity and get them involved and excited.

The video above is from the Telegraph article, about The Making of the film.

You can watch the Itch of the Golden Nit on iPlayer.

First Class Batchelor of Arts with Honours

Well, I did it. I got through final year of Fashion Promotion at University of Central Lancashire. And passed with flying colours. (I like colour.) 


I got my results through the post just the other day to discover I have been awarded a First Class Honours Degree. Which makes me awfully happy indeed.


It's been a tough year, a bit up and down. But all in all I have enjoyed it, very much. And that number one makes it all the more worthwhile. I have loved the creativity and scope the course has provided, from branding, marketing, trends, graphics, styling, photography, visual merchandising and plenty more. So many career paths to choose from, but I have my eye set on trends and branding. I find both areas absolutely fascinating.


Over the course I certainly have pushed my own boundaries beyond what I imagined possible, it's odd looking back at where I was 4 years ago. The change has been a gradual one, but it now it feels huge.

So this is me and my A to Z, Ellen Osborne, the graduate, about to embark on life in the big wide world.

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Campus of greens and the future

 

We spent much of our Hong Kong extravaganza at the PolyU University itself and wandering between the buildings. It was a really beautiful campus, with lots of little thoughtful touches; such as buildings being named after highly respected community members and people who have donated significantly to the University.

 

It made me think about how the design and architecture has the potential to be so much more inspiring for a student.

 

There was so much green. Plants, trees, little patches of grass, it’s amazing how much difference that can make to the ambience and atmosphere. There was a beautiful tree with red berries; it really looked like a giant bonsai.

 

I loved the flags of the world and bunting cast wonderful shadows on the building behind. I think the idea was to make the international student community feel at home and welcome and demonstrate their global status. It looked great strung at a jaunty diagonal from the top of a building to the floor, which makes it less cheesy and therefore less obvious as a motive to promote their international relations.

 

In an obvious way the design and architecture gives a noticeably encouraging setting to learn inside of. But in an unconscious way too, I think that everything was enhanced by little touches, which perhaps people take for granted

 

The fluidity of the design and layout; the building’s positioning and walkways between each part of campus. I think it’s all still based around the idea of Feng shui and the ancient Chinese system of aesthetics. It’s not something I’ve ever really contemplated before but I find the concept really interesting.

 

Which reminds me Zada Hadid Architects are designing the new ‘Innovation Tower for PolyU’, their new building for the Institute of Design. (I think it's due to be ready in 2011 - but that could also be the construction date in stead.)

 

They are creating an accessible urban zone from a previously void area. Outdoor recreational facilities and forums will promote the diversity of civic spaces whilst also immersing people on a more intimate scale.

 

You can see some of the renderings below and read a bit more blurb about it on the Dezeen website.

 

I think it is another fab example of how the campus architecture can be designed to inspire and encourage the students. Zada Hadid even says of the project how it will “stimulate and project a vision of possibilities for its future, as well as reflect the history of the HK PolyU by encapsulating in its architecture the process of change.” - Probably a much better way of explaining what I am thinking.

 

I can't imagine a building as civic and majestic as this being created for UCLAN somehow (our Media Factory for example) let alone to be designed by architects as prestigious as Zada Hadid. It is such a fluid, innovative design, well representative of the name I feel.

 

 

Images: The jaunty international flag display, The beautiful giant bonsai with shiny red berries, a Chinese leaf cluster (that’s not a technical term), an oddly textured growth/fruit, a sheltered walkway from PolyU  into Kowloon, photo’s by me, ©Ellie Osborne 2010

 

& the Innovation Tower, PolyU by Zada Hadid, ©Zada Hadid Architects

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