National Trust
The national trust is for places of historic interest or natural beauty.
Who are the National Trust?
• It is a conservation organisation based in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and is Europe's largest conversation charity.
• It is a charity organisation that works to protect and preserve historic places and spaces.
• It was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley and Sir Robert Hunter.
• Care for things such as coastlines, historic buildings, gardens and collections, forests, woods, fens, beaches, farmland, downs, moorland, islands, archaeological remains, castles, nature reserves, villages. All are open for the public.
• Its membership status currently stands at 5.1 million members.
• Professional staff run the properties and wider organisation.
• National Trust are the nation’s largest farm owner with more than 250,000 hectares of land and more than 1,500 tenant farmers.
• They care for the largest collection of historic gardens and parks in Europe, with 180 registered parks and gardens, looks after more than 250,000 hectares of land, over 300 historic houses, nearly one million works of art, 49 industrial monuments and mills and looks after over 780 miles of coastline, including British landmarks such as the White Cliffs of Dover, the Giant's Causeway and the Needles.
Examples of similar organisations in both the UK and overseas
UK:
Aberdeen City Heritage Trust
Heritage Trust Network
Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland
The Architectural Heritage Fund
The Association of Preservation Trusts
Heritage Trust Network
Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland
The Architectural Heritage Fund
The Association of Preservation Trusts
Ulster Architectural Heritage Society
The Vivat Trust
Welsh Traditional Buildings Forum
The Vivat Trust
Welsh Traditional Buildings Forum
The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales
Southern Organisation for Action in Rural Areas (SOAR)
Southern Organisation for Action in Rural Areas (SOAR)
Edinburgh World Heritage
FIFE Historic Buildings Trust
Glasgow City Heritage Trust
FIFE Historic Buildings Trust
Glasgow City Heritage Trust
Sefton Park, Palm House, Liverpool
Sir John Soane's Museum, London
Sir John Soane's Museum, London
OVERSEAS:
• ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites)
- is an international non-governmental organisation dedicated to the conservation of the world's historic monuments and sites. The headquarters location is in Paris, France.
• UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation)
- to contribute to peace and security in the world by promoting collaboration among nations through education, science, culture and communication.
• Heritage New Zealand (Pouhere Taonga)
- is a Crown entity with a membership of around 20,000 people that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand.
The National Trust movement began in the late nineteenth century and since then, the movement has grown to include countries from across the globe. Australia to Malta, Taiwan to Zimbabwe.
The National Trust's Sister Organisations Include:
The National Trust for Scotland, An Taisce - The National Trust for Ireland, Bahamas National Trust, Czech National Trust o.p.s., Barbados National Trust, Falkland Islands Museum and National Trust, Fiji National Trust, Bermuda National Trust, Grenada National Trust, Haiti National Trust, National Trust for Land and Culture (B.C.) Society (British Columbia, Canada), Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, Manx National Trust (Isle of Man), National Trust for Historic Preservation (USA), National Trust for the Cayman Islands, National Trust of Zimbabwe, National Trust of Australia.
National Trust are also partnered along with other companies to look after these special places that benefit millions of people.
They work along side Cotswold Outdoor to help people make the most of the outdoors.
They also partnered with natural pet food maker Forthglade.
They work with Alzheimer’s Society on an ambitious three-year collaboration to make all 500 National Trust historic and countryside sites dementia-friendly.
As technology is evolving, National Trust put robots to test at farming, located at Wimpole Estate in Cambridgeshire. It also helps to tackle weeds, monitor crops and protect wildlife.
They also work with Beatrix Potter's publisher Frederick Warne to keep the writer's legacy alive and look after the countryside she loved.
Who Is The National Trust's Target Audience / Demographic? And ways in which the heritage sector is adapting to the internet together with changing demographics?
Target Audience for national trust is around 18-35 year olds
Their Current Audience are young families and grey coin (older retired people)
The National Trust has over 5.6 million members, 65,000 volunteers and 14,000 staff.
When searching into the Target audience it was found that they are now aiming to attract a younger audience, however there isn't much activities offered at the moment to gain this target audience. Nonetheless with the current situation and with more young people giving their time to the nature there is a high chance to gain this audience.
One way the heritage sector is adapting to the internet is through the use of social media, such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. They have their main facebook page along with pages for the individual locations. This structure is also used with their instagram pages. I think this is an effective tool for sectors such as National Trust as it will build more awareness and will not only benefit the company but also making it easier for people to access information quicker. The use of these platforms is key to changing demographics as social media is now the most effective form of communication for young people.
Examples of other ways National Trust is adapting to the Internet is through website, blog, documentary and podcasts.
Using the internet is a great way of helping to engage with new and old supporters. It benefits the company as they have an opportunity to create wider group of different people.
Opportunities/Activities that The National Trust offers:
-Hikes or Walking trails
-running
-family bike ride
-Dog walking
-Rock climbing
-Tours
-Cave exploring
-Animal/bird watching
-Surfing
Below are some properties and locations managed by the National Trust itself. With the support of members, National Trust are able to protect over 500 places for everyone to enjoy now and in the future.
- Barrington Court
- Bath Assembly Rooms
- Coleridge Cottage
- Dunster Castle
- Grantham House
- Hardwick Chesterfield, Derbyshire
- Packwood House Lapworth, Warwickshire
- Bembridge Windmill
- Mottistone Gardens
- Carlyle’s House
- Fenton House & Garden
- Ham House & Garden
- Lyme Park House & Garden
- Mount Stewart House
- Patterson’s Spade Mill
- Rowallane Garden
Examples of National Trust campaigns and designs/styles that have been repeated over time:
Here are some examples of campaigns I've found. The most common style/design I see in these campaigns is that they include greenery landscape image along with pets and people engaging in their activities.
I decided to watch the George Clarke's National Trust Unlocked on Channel4 to gain a further visual understanding of what National Trust is and what is offers. From watching this show I now have a wider understanding of them and also got an insight into how they are coping during these times. It also helped me to think about what I could photograph and how I can showcase their style. Below are a few notes I took.
- 'The staff taking care of national trust is part of the history'
- 'Its not about the places it's about the people, the ones who created those places and the people who love them and maintain them today.'
- The national trust looks after over 300 houses across the UK
- They care for the largest collection of historic gardens and parks in Europe, care for more than 200 gardens and parks
My Idea & Concept
My idea is to photograph the people and activities that National Trust offers such as gardening, walks, pet walks in parks, gardens, around historical buildings etc.
Four Initial Locations are:
-Holland Park
-St Dunstan in the East
-Morden Hall park
-Petts wood and Hawkswood
Equipment List
- camera
- spare battery
- spare sd card
- grey card
- tripod
Inspirations
Imogen Cunningham https://www.imogencunningham.com/library/
Imogen Cunningham was an American photographer, who also studied the chemistry behind photography while also taking pictures. She has photographed a wide range of subjects from portraits in soft focus to capturing plants, flowers, nudes and industrial landscapes in sharp focus. I think her images are elegant but also abstract and it gives a sense of calmness. Although her images are all black and white, there are great details within each of her images bringing the subject to life. This is something I want to achieve in my images potentially with flowers and trees as I feel it will work best.
Joe Cornish http://www.joecornishphotographer.com/gallery/travel/
Joe Cornish is a British landscape photographer. I think his photographs are very captivating and I like really like his style in showcasing these sceneries. Each of his images portray a different sense of mood with the use of colour and different composition.
Charlie Waite https://www.charliewaite.com/gallery/show/category/united-kingdom
Charlie Waite is a landscape photographer known for taking photographs with his "painterly" approach in using light and shade. In some images he showcases the vibrant colours within it and in others he took a black and white approach, either way I think he done well in portraying the each of the locations and they all give out a surreal feeling. I really like his use of lighting, I think he used his lighting well in all his photographs, bringing out other elements such as shadow.
Cristina Mittermeier https://cristinamittermeier.com/about/biography/
Cristina Mittermeier is an adventurer, conservationist, writer and photographer. She quoted, “My work is about building a greater awareness of the responsibility of what it means to be human. It is about understanding that the history of every living thing that has ever existed on this planet also lives within us (...)”. I decided to look at some of her photographs focusing on wildlife and landscape. Her images are clean, sharp and show the simple details of the subject. This inspired me to take the approach of capturing some close up shots of my subject, which will add more interest.
Eliot Dudik https://www.eliotdudik.com
Eliot Dudik is an American photographer & book artist. His work explores the connection between culture, place, and history. It was interesting to see how he captured basic things such as trees, forests etc. This helped me to think of ways that I can present the similar subjects I want to photograph. His images give me a sense of peacefulness and I like how he uses people to give the photograph a deeper meaning.
Lighting styles - For this project my aim is to shoot my locations on clear days with blue skies. This will be all down to the weather as there is a high chance for unexpected changes. However I still think this form of lighting will work best and complement with the landscape and close up shots. I had a look a examples of paintings and other artworks to gather inspiration.
Pre-visualised images for each location using the layout provided
Moodboard:
Route Plan:
Carbon Impact: Using the website : https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx
to and from Holland Park = 30.2 Miles
to and from St Dunstan Garden = 21.6 Miles
to and from Morden Hall Park = 37.6 Miles
to and from Pettswood and hawkswood = 30.4 Miles
Total Miles = 119.8 Miles = 0.03 tonnes of Co2 emissions.
Costing estimate:
This would be the total estimate for the job planned. This is an estimate for eight days of shooting, two days for each location) including an assistant, travel and food.
Photographer fee = ( 800x8) = 6400
Assistant fee = (250x8) = 2000
Travel = 90
Sundries = 100
Phones and = 100
admin
Food = 70
Props = 40
Models = approx. 1,000 x4 = 4000
Total = 12,800
Call Sheet:
Treatment:
Final Invoice:
The following Invoice is to shoot 24 pictures for National Trust using the brief from Images That Persuade in United Kingdom.
Invoice Date: 14/03/2021
Client: The National Trust
No Of Shots Commissioned: 24
Client: The National Trust
No Of Shots Commissioned: 24
Per Day Total
Shoot Fees x 8 Days. £ 800 £6,400.00
Assistant x 8 Days. £ 250 £2000
Cost of Travel £90
Cost of Food £60
Model x 4 Days approx. £4000
£1,000
Sundries £100.00
Phones and admin £100.00
Sundries £100.00
Phones and admin £100.00
Sub total: £12,750.00
All costs are subject to a full and final brief and VAT @ 20% The client is fully responsible for all and any copyright issues.
Reccie/Test:
I decided to take my chance on viewing two of my location to see if it will fit within the National Trust style.
Holland Park
I tested some final picks in the landscape layout that I initially wanted to place in:
After receiving feedback from the session I will now try out different images in the layout and also see which images would work better with the main image as some didn't stand out well against the background in the first attempt.
What Went Well:
- I think that this location itself is very captivating and has many interesting part, such as trees, flowers, waterfall, historic buildings and wildlife. I believe it could fit with the national trust theme of nature.
- the weather was also good which allowed me to explore without worry.
What Didn't Go Well:
- the park was often busy with locals therefore keeping at a social distance was difficult.
What I'd Change:
-the images don't look engaging enough, as I would've considered to include models for my images, but due to covid this limits my idea.
St Dustan in the East
What Went Well:
-I think the test shoot was successful. I was able to explore around the location and see what would work best. The weather was good, allowing me to capture good images on the day. I managed to fit the detail images together with the main image in layout, from the help of the pre visualisation that was made for this location beforehand.
What Didn't Go Well:
-The image of the bird feeder didn't work well in the layout, so I will need to consider finding another image that will represent the location.
What I'd Change:
-Although I was able to capture people in my images, I would still consider to have models in it for a more controlled shoot.
The third location initially was Morden Hall Park however due to the restriction I am unable to travel there so I then decided to do a test shoot at a local park to still allow myself to visualise for the layout. I had a look at the link below of spring at Morden Hall Park to get inspiration of possible things to capture during this time.
- the Wandle trail. Both walking and cycling routes
- Wildlife and blossom, rose garden, bluebell, chestnut trees
What Went Well:
- I think the test shoot went well. I think it helped me know what to photograph if I was to go to a similar location such as the Morden hall park.
- Being familiar with the park I was able to explore freely and find hidden elements to fill the detail shots.
What Didn't Go Well:
- The park itself didn't have much in it to capture however I still managed to find elements that would work together.
What I'd Change:
- I will try to go earlier as the sun was setting which resulted to having some dark images.
- Again I would consider to have a model for the main shot as I feel to wasn't engaging and looked dull.
The fourth location was initially Petts wood and Hawkwood however for this I will complete a detailed pre-visualisation of my idea as I'm also restricted with travelling to this location. To get inspiration for my images I began to do further research into the location itself.
From viewing National Trust page about Petts woods and Hawkwood I can see that like many places it has its own history. William Pett first supplied oaks from Petts Wood to his shipyards on the River Thames at Deptford and Woolwich. To present this moment I would consider to photograph the oaks and trees in the location. There's also historic monuments in the park that will be worth capturing and will be useful to promote the location. Petts wood and Hawkwood also has a lot of wildlife and wildflowers to take in, such as variety of native trees - oak, beech, ash, alder and hazel alongside planted species like Scots pine, larch and sweet chestnut. Cows and sheep also graze the open fields. I would like to photograph the flowers and wildlife to represent the location. Also for my main image I would plan to capture the woodland with a model promoting walking and to show them having a peaceful moment.
Here is a moodboard of inspired images for how and what I would like to photograph.
Final layout with pre-visualisation/tests and Final Evaluation
Main Image and Picture Box Images:
What Worked?:
Overall, I am satisfied with the outcome I have. I think that my three test posters together have a constant theme and style that could suit the client's brief. The images of the trees, flowers and historical attractions such as monuments, particularly became a good link for all the posters. Although not having a model due to the current situation, I still had the chance to capture photographs of dog walks and walks in the park which added some interest within the posters. I was able to test two of my initial location for this unit. I also think that the final images fitted well into the layouts provided, with the five picture boxes working well as detail shots making ti easy on the eye. I think that I successfully planned four initial location that would work well for showcasing my idea of photographing the people and activities that National Trust offers such as walks and pet walks in parks, gardens and around historical buildings.
What Didn’t Work?:
I was restricted to visiting some locations and also having to find models during the lockdown. This limited my location choices and my ideas. Weather was okay on the day that I planned to visit the location however it was very unpredictable as there was some cloudy and rainy moments. Also because of covid these public places had an earlier closing times which meant I had less time then planned to explore the locations.
What Would You Do Differently Next Time?:
There are definitely things I would change and to be done differently for next time. Unfortunately I wasn't able to visit my two last locations that I planned for. I believe it would have been a successful for my idea. Due to Covid I was unable to shoot models for this project and it was difficult to use f+f during these times as some were keyworkers and others did not feel comfortable with the current situation. I think that all though there were some issues and restrictions, which were out of my control, I was still able to complete shoots for this project that I am happy with.
