Today, we had our group reviews and had a look at each other’s work so far. I found it interesting to see what other people had to say about my images without knowing my reasonings for taking them. I was quite surprised to learn that the majority viewed the photos as very emotive and described them with feelings of being ‘trapped’. This makes a lot of sense after looking at them again, as many of the photos are interior shots of windows and doors, with muted tones and colours – but I hadn’t particularly thought about this when taking the photos and it wasn’t intentional. Nonetheless, it might be quite interesting to take this idea forward. I could focus on taking photos that reflect how I feel that day to create some real emotion in my work.
I was glad that everyone noticed the consistent visual style of the work (lighting and colours etc.) as this was something I was intentionally aiming for, and I would like them to work well together in the form of a book. We talked briefly about how I might design a book, but this is something I need to do further research into first. A few of the photos were perceived by some as a bit too much of a ‘student house documentation’, so this is something I will try to avoid in future.
The large photo from the ‘Transcendent’ shoot was more difficult for the group to understand because it doesn’t link very much to the other images. This is understandable as it was just some experimentation inspired by a photographer I had looked at. Although I like these photos, I don’t think they really belong in this project and I think I will leave this idea behind.
Notes from the session:
People’s reading of the images was very emotional and acknowledged a consistency of colour and light. There was an immediate sense of difference between the smaller colour images and the larger b/w abstract test.
- Possibility of exploring different ways of photographing the everyday, e.g. at night with long shutter speed (using , or harsh flash.
- Need to articulate the context and purpose of the work. Reading suggestions: Gaston Bachelard ‘The Poetics of Space’, Mindfulness and ‘The Practice of Everyday Life’ by Michel de Certeau
- The abstract b/w big print wasn’t perceived as successful or accessible compared to the interior images
- To develop the work further, more reading necessary (see reading suggestions) and more picture making (see experimentation ideas)
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