My concept for this project is to show how tires are becoming a worldwide economic problem that is blocking our

path forward. I want to show the mounting number of tires which are wasted due to the costs of recycling them and the way in which the vast amount of unused tires is overwhelmingly growing. There must be an easier and more economically viable way of producing, using and disposing of what connects our motor vehicles to the road and I want to highlight this worrying problem.

I was brought to this concept because of my research I had carried out in my other half of the waste project that lead me to see the large scale problem that is tires. My concept evolved after various discussions and reflections.

My views on the issues that surround tires are strongly influenced by my love of cars but also my love of nature. I feel that cars have moved on so much in the last century in terms of technological advancements and materials used but the one thing that has stayed the same the majority of the time is the tire. The concept of the tire itself seems to be a good one until you take into consideration that they are not biodegradable and are not easily recycled and made in the first place. Even in my main passion (Motor racing) it is said that tires are the main limiting factor in terms of progression in speed and economy of the cars. I feel that there must be an answer to these issues with modern technology and materials.

According to the environmental protection agency, nearly 300 million tires and discarded a year in America. 75% of these tires are recycled or reused nut 25% of these tires are put into landfill sites. Recycled rubber cost half of what brand new rubber costs so companies mainly use recycled rubber. http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_6388893_products-made-recycled-tires.html

every day in uk over 100000 worn tires are taken off cars, vans and trucks. This totals about 40 million tires (440,000 tones) per year 1/3 of the 121 million (and increasing) in current use. About 70% of these tires are diverted from landfill. About 26% are reused as retreads. 46% are reclaimed for other forms of reuse or recycling; or are incinerated for energy recovery , which is a low-grade, undesirable option that cannot be achieved without pollution and contribution to climate change. The rest (28%) are landfilled or stockpiled, and represent a major waste problem.

* Earthworks Group, The Recycler s Handbook. ** Hickman, Doug. Recycling: What Goes Around Comes Around. June/July 1999, Vol.4(3).

Tires can recycled by breaking them down with chemicals. Tires are more commonly shredded down to smaller pieces. Vulcanization is a way of reusing rubber by adding sulfur which makes it more durable. Tire pyrolysis is the heating of tires in a reactor which then breaks down the molecules several times until they become an oily substance which can be used in fuel. Recycled rubber is used on roads, children's playground flooring, astro turf, trainers and much more. It can cost up to 2.50 per tire to be taken to be recycled. Some tire manufactures have policies on returning tires for retreading and replacement to reduce waste. No one has yet made a tire that never wears out or an equivalent.. Many people believe that bribery by oil, tire, electric and automotive manufactures has fueled this problem. It became illegal to put tires in landfill sites in the u.k in 2006. 1.6 millimeters of tread is the legal limit of a tire 1.9 million part worn tires were sold in 2010/11

 Rubber is mainly produced from latex that is a naturally occurring substance which comes from some tropical trees. The hevea tree produces a relatively unknown type of rubber called Guayule. Scientists in Germany have found that the milky sap from dandelions actually contains raw rubber which is similar to the the trees above. One of the only viable resolutions to tires is magnetic levitation which is used by some trains around the world. http://www.resource.uk.com/article/Techniques_Innovation/Tyre_c hanges#.UynxatzA7Hg http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/equipment/article/story/2013 /04/tire-makers-look-for-alternatives-to-natural-rubber.aspx

I set of by scouting some locations that I would possibly find tires around the Medway area and immediately found success in the small industrial estates doted around. These places ranged from tire fitting garages to vans advertising the need for tires, also random tires laying in areas of mess such as the road side gave me an idea as to how I could shoot some work. Although I dont feel I have exhausted the whole area in my search so far I think I have a strong base on witch I can start to think about how I am going to shoot and things of that nature. Bronica sqb medium format camera lenses (varying from 50mm-180mm) Tripod Cable shutter release Film (with different isos) Black card Nikon d90 Torch Phone Map

I began my journey through this project by looking at an artist that specializes in a an art form that was not photography. I did this in my last part of the waste project and It helped me very much. I Looked at the work of Andy Warhol which was made in the 1960s during the pop art movement. The work used bright colours with simplistic designs that are uncluttered and very well proportioned. The work often uses repetition which was something that hadn't really seen before in British art. The fact that the art is made with things that were seen in every day life made it somewhat refreshing. It is said that early British pop art was influenced by Britain's views on the United states of America therefor it reflects the economic views we had of the Americans. This work relates strongly to my concept both contextually and visually.

Edgar Martins has been one of my favorite photographers ever since I started this course and he has influenced me in a lot of ways I havent noticed until I have looked back at my work. His work has been a constant reference of mine in the background. Although I like a lot of different things when it comes to photography when I see a simple well-executed image that is uncluttered and evokes fond memories I find it to be almost perfect and most of Edgar Martins images tick all of these boxes. All of the images appear to have emptiness to them and I think by having distance in the image the viewer has to scan across the image taking in what little detail there is in. The objects and textures that are in Edgar Martins images are always well proportioned and colour plays a big part in the images even though it is often limited to certain areas.

My test shots seemed to be usable in terms of their composition but they were seen by others as a mish mash of different images that didn't t really relate to my concept in a suitable and firm way. I therefor looked at the images and tried to piece together what I could take from them and what I would want to leave behind and progress with different ideas and techniques.
The use of line was not really working The crop let too much into the image They didnt relate to my concept

My project seemed to be going well in my eyes but after my tutorials it was clear that some people may have struggled to see what I wanted them to. I therefore had to change my ideas and I then had less time to focus on shooting. Because of the restraints in terms of the area we where allowed to take these images in I think this really effected the final outcome of my project, if I was allowed to make these images anywhere it would have opened up the project and gave me a lot more in terms of work itself. I was let down by a tire shop so if I had a bigger area to shoot in this may not have been such a problem. If I were to do the project again I would try to focus on some studio based photography so that I had a range of images to choose from. However I feel that I have learned a lot from the first half of the waste project and I feel that I have put what I have learned into this assignment even if it did have its problems of its own. Overall I would say that I am pleased with the overall results from my project as I think it conveys my concept well.

The idea of being overwhelmed by the amount of tires Tires being static The tires blocking the way forward / the view An awkwardness to my images Nothing too clean and clinical

All of these points will help me to create images that fit my brief a lot better. It has taken me while to realize these points but I feel my images will be so much better even though it has taken away valuable time.

After my test shots I had some really good locations I could go back to and shoot again, or so I thought. A tire fitter that worked at one of the larger company's assured me that I would be allowed to take some shoots inside the warehouse full of tires If I just emailed the manager of the that warehouse but on doing this I was told that I wouldn'tt be able to do so, therefor I went had to find a somewhere that would be more accommodating for me taking pictures. I found another tire fitter shop that was more than happy to let me take pictures in and around the shop. Also I was able to take some tires away for free which I was happy about so I could shoot some different shots with them. The tire fitter there told me a great deal about the industry that he works in and how hard it is becoming as the amount of tires is mounting but he has to pay to get rid of old unwanted ones. With the tires that I got from this tire fitter I decided to take images of a closer nature so I made some space at home and went about shooting them at night with a flash gun. I found that these images worked quite well but I had to make the composition work a little bit harder as it was limiting because I only had 3 tires.

Edward Burtyskys work has always been lurking around whilst I have been working on this project but I initially dismissed it as I thought that it would be too similar to the work I wanted to create however I now realize that It has always been something that I have compared my work too and drawn inspiration from. The hard hitting nature of the images is not something I like bit it works well at being shocking and attention grabbing. the images are also very complex and have vast amounts of detail. The context of the images really relates to my work though as they all have huge implications of pollution and recycling. I am looking to be more discrete in my images but these images have helped me to realize why I want my images this way.

After receiving a lengthy lecture from Edmund Clark I began to realize how documentary photography could be full of artistic choices that covertly tell the story to the viewer. What I found so great about Clarks work was the fact that It all seemed so spontaneous. The work didn t seem staged or rehearsed in any way which I found refreshing as most work I look at seems as if it has had an age spent on it both post production and pre production. What I took from Edmund Clarks work was how simplistic the work is but I also appreciate how in depth Clarke was in his approach to getting access and finding locations to shoot at. Seeing as my choice of location has been limited to only the Medway area I feel that I should take the same time and care to find the right shots for my set of images I need to produce. I think I need to find an image when I am just scouting around instead of making an image from something.

Wolfgang Tillmans set on headlights seems to almost humanize the subject that are captured which is something that appeals to me because I have never taken this approach to photography. The simplicity of these photos is really what stands out to me from the set. Without over complicating the image it is refreshingly easy to look at as I dont feel like I have to look deeper and make my mind work double time trying to understand it. The use of line in these images also appeals to me as I find it to be one of the fundamental things I want in an image.

I think that my final images are truly strong images that convey my concept well. When I have asked for feedback on the everyone has agreed that they work well with my concept which I am happy with. Technically I think I they are very good, showing my progression with the use of film cameras and techniques. The one thing I am not so happy with is the state of my final prints. I feel these prints could have had more time spent on the and they would have been a little better but this will help me to create better images in the future.

From looking at my test shots and my final images I can clearly see progression and a firm grasp of my concept. The idea of blocking the viewing by using clever composition and camera position has really helped me to create some interesting images that will convey my message well. My technical practice has progressed well and I feel that my images are becoming more conceptual. Despite all of the good things that came out of this project I feel that I still have some work to do in terms of time management and things of this nature because I began to struggle towards the end of my project as I was having trouble with my concept. I feel that although my final images themselves work well I could of made the final prints to a better standard If I had more time, but this is something I can learn from and take into my next assignment. As with the other half of the waste assignment I feel that because I felt strongly about the subject matter it helped me to pull through the hard parts of this project. Altogether I would say that this assignment went well as I am happy with my progression through it and I feel that my message and concept are going to be put across to the viewer clearly. My final prints could be better and this is something I will look to put right in my next assignment.