George’s Critical Research Journal

Edward Steichen (1904) The Pond—Moonrise.

Here it is, the beginning of something new, exciting, challenging, fear inducing, something I am going to lose sleep over and celebrate. With such conflict I find myself reverting back to areas of safety, the image above is a place of photographic safety. I first learnt about it on the BBC documentary The Genius of Photography, it was discussed and presented as the highest price ever paid for a photographed when auctioned. The young version of me was excited by the price tag however, I have regularly returned to this image to bask in the soft glow of the moon and marvel at the reflection.

As the moon rises in Steichen’s image, we never get to see the full moon, only the beginning of the rise. Parallels could be draw between this and beginning the MA at Falmouth and my return to studying again.