Topic 11 - After Photography - Reflection

How have your ideas around ‘authenticity’ and ‘truth’ evolved as your photography has become more sophisticated?

-       Authenticity and truth have been key focuses for my photographic practice. I considered photojournalism and particularly the Magnum photographers important inspirations for my work.

-       Since those early inspirations I have diversified the types of work I look at and have found the line between storytelling and truth blur. I am finding the concept of narrative photography particularly interesting, where the images are produced in a creative or directed way but still communicate a story. A good example is the portrait, in the past I would have waited for the right moment, for someone to fill the space I wanted to capture. Or I would have stopped people on the road and produced a portrait. Now, I prearrange times and meeting points with subjects. I position them within the frame, wait for the right light. I took inspiration from Alec Soth when developing my approach to photography. He is a Magnum photographer but controls his subjects and the narratives in his work through organisation rather than chance.

-       I think that I am more likely to consider the audience when making images in my current practice. I feel asking myself questions like ‘what will the audience understand from this image?’ or ‘how will an audience member connect with this image?’ lead to better consideration, connection and communication through the photograph, even if this means choosing how the subject is sat, or whether they are engaged or disengaged with the camera.

Have you ever ‘designed events to be photographed’? Or have you ever been aware that your presence, with a camera, has had a direct influence on a turn of events that might otherwise not have happened, had you not been there with a camera?

-       My current practice is predominantly ‘designed’. Through communication with my subjects both before and during the photographic process I set up and create the image in collaboration with a person. There are aspects of my practice which are less designed, for example if I am photographing in the landscape, I am not sure what I am going to discover. However, I research and area or place before visiting so I can gain a better understanding of what I am going to photograph.

-       The camera is always an intrusive machine. It feels that people in the modern day have an obsession with being captured by a camera, whether that be moving or still images. As children and young people, we are trained to ‘smile for the camera’ which lays the foundations for a dynamic between camera and subject that is difficult to break. The concept of the smile in a photograph is that other people will see an image and will see a person ‘looking their best’. As we grow as people this relationship between subject and machine continues to strengthen to the point where smiling the natural reaction to someone pointing a camera at us, even if we do not feel happy.

-       If the camera is not used as an influential tool would people feel obliged to smile?

-       This also makes me consider if there is a predominant relationship between photography and perceived positivity?

-       Photographers have captured sadness, illness and death, however what is the relationship between the average, enthusiast photographer and works like Araki’s Sentimental Journey/Winter’s Journey?

-       To what extent does the family album and snapshot aid our memory of a loved one? Due to the positive nature of general imagery could this cloud the judgement of a person? Not everyone will have read Camera Lucida, how far is the educated photographic community blinded by Barthes’ references to his mother and how we then associate photographs with emotion and memory?

Topic 10 – Photography, Power and Others - Reflection

Reflect on the ‘triangle’ model in relation to your own current practice: do you feel that there is any kind of imbalance in terms of the relationships between the three ‘corners’?

I think photographers has always had an inappropriate amount of power. A subject, whether willing or unwilling to be photographed generally has a weaker standpoint than the person photographing.

The power imbalance is generated by the gaze and the concept that a photographer is taking a sustained look at a person or object that they are interested in capturing. This could lead to a more in-depth discussion of the male and female gaze introduced by Berger:

-        ‘according to usage and conventions which are at last being questioned but have by no means been overcome - men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at’ (Berger, 1972).

I don’t think I have treated my female subjects differently to male subjects, but there has always been a power dynamic going on. I have always controlled my subject and represented them how I wanted them to be seen rather than discussed how they would either liked to be seen or how do they not want to be seen. This is a complex question for a subject as they are aware people will look at them through the photograph that is taken but they a limited in the way they can impact the reading of this. Intuitively a subject is aware of the gaze, whether it be male, female, gender neutral, young, old, experienced, or unexperienced, and sometimes they fear it.

When discussing the gaze Sturken and Cartwright write:

-        ‘A gaze is, in one sense, a kind of look. You may turn your gaze upon objects, places, or other. Whereas a glance is quick, a gaze is sustained. In its verb form, to gaze is to look intently.’ (Sturken and Cartwright. 2018).

Potentially subjects are concerned that an image will reveal something they do not want others to know and could be judged against, for example social class or political belief. Could it be the audience is concerned they will be judge, grouped, and stereotyped so they are complied with other in a list.

More complex still, the subject could be concerned about the relationship with the photographer and how the image will be used, linked into this is the subject’s relationship with social media, a platform of diverse imagery, in which they enjoy looking and experiencing the representations of others. These representations could be negative and due to the saturation of content glanced at by views (I use the term glance as there can be a limit to the context and length of the image/video) they do not want to be put into a similar situation themselves. This leads to a restriction of the gaze through limiting content of themselves.

Think about any previous experience out shooting: have there ever been any moments when you felt that what you were doing, or had done, was unjust or inappropriate? If so, what prompted this?

I photographed on the streets of New York and had recently seen the work of Bruce Gilden. I photographed a man pushing a trolley. Despite having his permission, I didn’t consider how they wanted to be represented or how they valued their representation through my camera.

At the time I didn’t think anything of it and was proud of the image for a while. However, when looking and reflecting on the image now there is a significant power imbalance because from what I could tell the man was homeless, and I was playing on what I considered to be my power, a young traveller who felt invincible behind the camera to demand something.

I think I try to justify my taking of the image as I was looking to gaze and understand this person’s lifestyle. However, this is not the case as it was just one image and if I had cared I would have spent more time with the person to understand how we could have collaborated and created an image together that we were both comfortable with.

What did this experience teach you about your approaches, both practically and conceptually?

I learnt from this and other experiences to spend time with the people that were kind enough to give me time to talk about my ideas and projects. I now dedicate time to my subjects to consider how they feel having their photograph taken. It is more of a challenge to discuss project ideas, but this has also forced me to simplify and detail projects before discussing them.

Subjects have also helped shape projects, in my current work about Reading I am relying on the subjects to be collaborators for the work and give me locations to photograph too.

This leads to another layer of importance and connection with the subject in order for them to trust me and the way I will represent them and places they consider special.

Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. London., Penguin Books, 1972.

Sturken, Marita, and Lisa Cartwright. Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture. 3rd ed., New York, Oxford University Press, 2018.

Topic 9 - Nature and Culture - Reflection

What is your understanding of the word ‘nature’. How is this term problematic?

-       I believe the word nature to be complex especially when it comes to images. The word Nature is regularly linked to the environment and the global goal of reducing impact on the rising global temperature. I think that nature can be further reaching than this and could consider the idea of human nature or the nature of an object (for example the two-dimensional nature of a photograph).

-       When it comes to images I think that Dorothea Born’s writing in Source accurately describes the nature of photographs, particularly when focused on a climate change or from a more generic activism standpoint.

-       ‘So while they are effective in creating awareness, catastrophic images can also have a demotivating effect and not necessarily foster individual engagement to counter climate change.’ (Born, 2019)

-       I think it is important to try and point out natural disasters of any kind, but photographers need to have the understanding that they can instigate a dialogue on the subject and are not going to change the world.

-       It is also important to realise that images could turn people away from the problem or discussion. It is not possible to force the audience to view and understand an image in a particular way and oversaturation of a style or concept could lead to disengagement.

How does location and environment feature in your work? 

-       As I am exploring and examining a specific place and groups of people within this place the geographic features and environmental elements are key.

-       The environment elements of Reading will be featured through different places in the town and the places people consider to be unique. This will cross a range of different areas and varying conditions.

-       I have focused on Reading as a location because of its reputation and the continued reinforcement of negative rumours towards and about the town. In his book Perspectives on Place Jesse Alexander writes:

-       ‘Perhaps the enhancement of the edgelands is not so much because they are closer to an idea of wilderness or sense of isolation but rather because they make up the least well-documented and most ignored bits of the country.’ (Alexander, 2015).

-       I feel Reading fits with this and the town whilst not on the edge of anything, could be considered an outsider when compared to the closest two big cities, Bristol to the West and London to the East. This has meant it has gone undocumented and ignored in the most part by modern audiences.

What is the relationship between your practice and human consumption?

-       I want people to consume my images and build a relationship with Reading to the point where they feel they could explore outside of their usual surroundings and areas.

-       Alexander also writes about Keith Arnatt’s A.O.N.B (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), 1982 – 1984 project:

-       ‘Arnatt’s photographs stubbornly resist conventional notions of beauty and representations of this part of the country’ (Alexander, 2015).

-       I’d like my work on reading to resist conventions when it comes to the representation of place. This could be in terms of concept and the style of the images I use to communicate my ideas. I want to avoid the potential mocking nature of Arnatt’s photographs and have a more positive but questioning relationship presented in the work.

-       I also plan to involve the communities of Reading in my project. I am doing this through a survey but feel that there might be space to further this collaboration by including residents’ photographs in an exhibition of work to promote the project and its ideals.

-       Penelope Umbrico explores the inclusion of other photographer’s work in her projects, particularly Suns from Sunsets from Flickr.

-       ‘The artist’s preoccupation with photography lies in the idea of the medium as a collective practice, something we can all contribute to and to which individual authorship has no relevance.’ (Alexander, 2015).

-       I believe this is partially true. Whilst I agree that photography, especially when people are involved, is a collaborative format there is still the curator or a photographer leading the project and concept.

Alexander, J.A.P. (2015). Perspectives on place : theory and practice in landscape photography. London: Fairchild Books.

Born, D. (2019). Nature Gone Wild? Source: the photographic review, 99(1369-2224), pp.22–25.

ROBERTS, Michael Symmons and Paul FARLEY. 2011. Edgelands Journeys into England’s True Wilderness. London Jonathan Cape.

Topic 8 - Audiences and Institutions - Reflection

-       How has your on practice been shaped, manipulated perhaps, by the makers of the technology you employ and/or the spaces in which you share your work?

The main space for me to share my work has been on Instagram. This has impacted my work as I will not really share a body of work or images in a sequence. The medium encourages the single image and the quick snapshot to encapsulate a moment.

I have shared work through my website but never feel I produce enough work in order to post it and communicate a rounded project.

-       What institutions do you wish to engage with to further your photography?

-       How / Will your skillset and practice need to develop in order to be accepted within that institution?

I want to engage with more galleries and physical locations to share work. Digital and online is quick and easy but it is not fulfilling and can be frustrating. I also think the magazine style publication would be somewhere I would like to explore sharing work, HAPAX is a good example of the type of magazine I would like my work to feature in.

In order to be accepted within the institutions I want my work to be shown in, I need more rounded and complete stories that have an interest to a range of different people, mainly in the photography world but also outside too.

I need to be proactive in seeking out opportunities and speak to people in these places. Paris Photo was a great opportunity to do this and I found the people I spoke to engaging and supportive. It certainly started to shift my expectation and stereotype of the industry being intimidating and cold, deep down I think I knew this already, however when you are in front of someone that you respect and admire it can be tricky to get over the concept.

-       If you do not consider yourself to be a ‘professional’ photographer, what do you think you need to do or achieve for this? If that is not something you desire or aspire to, how would you like to be referred to, and how will you achieve that?

To be considered as a ‘professional photographer’ I need to have my work published in a book which could be bought by members of the public. I do not think it is important that I earn money to be considered a professional, but I need to contribute to the global art-based photographic community in some way.

Topic 8 - Audiences and Institutions - Activity

• ‘To get us think about tastes in photography, and perhaps visual culture more broadly, post whatever aspect of photography you can’t stand, and would like to banish to George Orwell’s ‘Room 101’.

  It might be a certain technique you find grating or overused, or a cliched subject you could gladly live without seeing an example of ever again,

• The ‘selfie’ (it’s a self-portrait, get over yourself…) in a mirror, particularly the celebrity self-portrait in bathroom mirrors.

Topic 7 - Words and Pictures - Reflection

-       To what extent has text been part of your practice to this point?

Text has formed some part of my work in the past generally through titles and written communication to support the images. I have also used it to influence project ideas and starting points. This is becoming more important for me as I mature as a photographer as I can interpret text in different ways and then explore it photographically.

-       When have you found it most important or effective?

I have found text to be most effective at the end of a series of photographs, for example a written essay in the back of a book. This usually helps give an understanding to the image and encourages me to look back through the work to see how the words could bring new interpretations.

I think it is also important to have a piece of text at the beginning of an exhibition to set the scene for what an audience will see and experience when walking through a gallery.

-       Can you think of instances where your use of text – titles or captions perhaps – has ‘intimated’ too much to the viewer?

In several examples of my work I have over written titles to try and force the audience to experience the image in a certain way. A good example of this could be social media and the titles or hashtags that accompany and image.

-       Have you ever experienced text undermining your photographs?

During my degree I wrote a disappointing and gushing introduction to a book a created which was a study of a church community in Plymouth.

I also collaborated with an English student who wrote an article that supported images I had created. This was a particularly poor experience because they didn’t represent the image effectively and the article ended up being misrepresentative of the images and the subject matter.

In the future I need to be more selective with the people I choose to write text and consider what I am trying to communicate in my images so I can then write about it effectively.

Topic 7 - Words and Pictures - Activity

This image is supposed to convey and reinforce ideas of stereotypical gender roles between man and woman. Sunak is closer to the camera and seemingly looks bigger than Murty, which connotes traditional values of males being the dominant or important person in a relationship. Murty is looking at Sunak with support, admiration and pride, reinforcing the previous connotation. They are both dressed in stereotypically gendered clothing, blue for Sunak and salmon pink for Murty.

The text has dramatically influenced this reading of the photograph and further reinforces the negative connotations surrounding relationships, gender, and gender roles. The image caption defines Murty as Sunak’s wife, which suggests she is lesser and an object.

The subheading of the front-page expresses the message of family and stereotypical gender identities, which further explains the image. The term ‘wokery’ comes from ‘woke’ which is defined as: ‘alert to and concerned about social injustice and discrimination’  (Oxford University Press, 1989), but is presented as a negative in relation to the Labour leader Keir Starmer. This further reinforces the stereotpyes presented in the image and text.

An alternative reading could relate to the text above the headline, Barthes doesn’t address the multifaceted nature of newspaper front covers and the potential confusion that could happen when connotations are mixed, for example, whilst Murty looks at Sunak with ‘love’ how do we know she still fancies him?

Oxford University Press (1989). The Oxford English dictionary. 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press; Oxford.

Topic 6 - Reading Week

This week has been a reading week for the course and time to work on Assignment One - Reflective Presentation.

It has been a tough week with lots of thinking, recording and rerecording of the presentation. As a task it has helped me focus my ideas and practice. I feel I am thinking more clearly about the work I want to produce and have plans and ideas moving forward.

The presentation has challenged my use of theory and made me consider my previous practice in a critical fashion. I have been quite harsh on my previous work to challenge myself to take a new approach and not slip into the same ways of working that I have used in the past.

Topic 5 - Interdisciplinary Practice - Reflection

-       Other than photography, what art forms and creative media do you take inspiration from?

-       How have you directly draw from non-photographic disciplines to develop your practice?

I take inspiration from a range of different sources. When it comes to portraiture, I find painting and sculpture good sources for ideas. Painting mainly for how identity can be communicated and how people of different backgrounds were represented. With sculpture, the way that pose and power is communicated interest me. It makes me think about how these elements could be used in photography to represent a person or group of people.

I also find text more useful than I did previously, I believe that words can help guide an audience and can help set them up for the work they are looking at. I have tried to use text with images in the past to guide the audience but it has not always been successful.

-       How would you describe the distinctive, essential qualities of photography? Are any of these characteristics the reason for you choosing it as your means of expression?

Photography is the visual communicator. When I first started taking photographs I was fascinated by the machine and the idea of digital images. As I have matured I am more interested in the way a photograph can communicate different things to different people, which I appreciate is not unique to photography, but the forced perspective, rules for images and then the breaking of those rules makes me want to continue using photography to explore and learn.

Topic 5 - Interdisciplinary Practice - Activity

How are why does your practice relate to a particular discipline?

My photographic practice has similarities to the geographical planning and reviews completed as part of council’s self-assessment of the areas that they control. I have been reading the ‘Reading – Historic Area Assessment, Reading HAA – February 2023.’ A 226-page document on the historic environment, its character and heritage assets in the town. This text, statistical and image-based approach to reviewing the town helps me highlight areas that could be good or valuable to photograph.

What I find most interesting about the publication is that each section of the town is broken down and the buildings are assigned based on their ‘…Relative Contributions to Character’.

These do not consider how people in the town feel about the buildings that are being categorised, but the opinion of the company doing the study for the council, with the view to future development/redevelopment.

-       How does this link to my practice?

I want to connect with people to understand their perception and opinions on Reading, what if one of their favourite buildings was designated as a ‘detracting contributor’?

Is this study based on what is popular within town planning and development? What about what is unique to Reading?

-       JACKSON, Sam, Charles WAGNER and Mary NEALE. 2023. Reading - Historic Area Assessment. Reading Borough Council. Abingdon: Built Heritage Consultancy. Available at: https://images.reading.gov.uk/2023/05/Reading-HSHAZ-Historic-Area-Assessment-2022-Approved-27.2.23.pdf [accessed 24 Oct 2023].

Topic 4 - Reading Photographs - Reflection

-       What challenged you?

During this topic I have been challenged by the variance and variety of responses to images. Even though we can have a set of guidelines or a checklist in order to read an image, each audience member will use them, prioritise them and interpret them and the results of them in different ways.

-       What surprised you?

I was surprised by the similarities in approach to reading a photograph, for example the different suggested writings by John A. Walker, Paul Martin Lester and Liz Wells, all had similarities between the approaches and conclusions. They all write and discuss different areas of photography and give different examples. I think my favourite concept discussed is Wells’ writing on taste and the idea of ‘connoisseurship’. She references A. D. Coleman and says:

‘A. D. Coleman reminds us that the term, connoisseurship, originally “simply distinguished between those who had actually laid eyes on particular works of art, thereby truly ‘becoming acquainted with’ them (the original definition of the term’s Latinate roots, cognoscere) and those who knew them only second-hand, through written descriptions or etched and engraved renditions[1]’ – and later, of course, through the photographic reproduction (slides, book illustrations, postcards).’ (Wells, p.433)

I agree with what Wells says is elitist connotations of this statement, but it rings true that a person that has experienced all that the art world has to offer, even within the sphere of their own country, may have a better and deeper experience than those who have not got access to these opportunities. A good example could be those isolated (to a point) in the North or far South West, their opinion and perspective of an image will be different due to the second-hand nature of seeing images away from the gallery walls. Equally a person living in the isolated parts of the world may not have experienced images of other places at all, as they focus more of their lives on survival. Does this make them any less of a connoisseur? I think that connoisseurship looks to divide cultures and peoples, so that the elite classes can feel a sense of ownership and authority over those that cannot afford to visit and experience artwork of all types first-hand. Wells suggests two further points in her essay,

1.

‘…connoisseurs being viewed as steeped in knowledge and therefore able to exercise discrimination within particular field of expertise. Such notions clearly support power infrastructures within national and international economic and institutional art networks,’

2.

‘…as Poggioli suggested, “sons”[2] rebelled against their father figures. This implies a singular historical trajectory within which younger generations of artists and critics act as a vanguard challenging the previously established.’ (Wells, p.433)

-       What do you feel you learned?

This week I have learnt that it is important to consider a range of different perspectives when analysing an image or set of images. Utilising checklists from Bate, Lester or Walker can help give insight into the singular perspective, however discussion and debate are essential for exploring and highlighting the ideas of others and potential further reading, understanding and interpretation.

Talking about interpreting photographs has led me to consider my own position within society and how this can impact my opinions and perspective. It is and continues to be a challenge to refocus the lens of my mind away from the privileged white, middleclass, male perspective I have gained over the years studying and taking photographs. This is something I want to continue challenging, progressing and engaging with to give a better and more rounded view of the world.

Bibliography

WELLS, L. (2002) The Photography Reader Routledge: London. P. 433

[1] A.D. Coleman (2000) ‘Connoisseurship in the digital era’ in Photo Americas 200, Portland, Oregon: Photo Americas, p. 2

[2] Poggioli, R. (1981) Theory of the Avant-Grade, Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press.

Topic 4 - Reading Photographs - Discussion

Consider these two examples of different Afghan women who are of a similar age.

Write a short post in the forum below (maximum 200 words) reflecting on how you read these two images. What are their similarities and how do they differ? You are free to research further before considering your response. You should also take into account the different dates, the photographers and the titles used here.

I’m reading this image from a white, middle class, male perspective. I have seen both images before and understand that they both come from times of conflict in Afghanistan. The first during a civil war, the second during the Allied invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Due to the wide exposure of McCurry’s image, I think that we conclude both are of young women and draw similarities between the clothing they wear.

McCurry’s image seems to be of a younger person whose clothing appears to be damaged and could reference the conflict in the country at the time. There appears to be fear in her eyes and a look of distrust on her face. This could be attributed to the conflict but could also relate the fact she is being photographed by a white, western man who may not have taken the time to understand her situation or the consequences of being photographed. This differs from Bieber’s photograph, she writes about her experience on her website:

‘Aisha, the social worker, my translator and I were in a non decript [sic] room. At a certain point I felt it was becoming a bit stressful for Aisha. I decided to put my camera down and poke with her through my translater – women to women.’ (JBieber, 2015)

With this understanding about how the photograph was created, with the care given to the subject, I think it is possible to read a more relaxed expression in the face of Bibi Aisha. This is also reinforced by the fact that her name has been used as the title, rather than a generic description of national identity and gender.

JBieber (2015). Aisha - jodi bieber. [online] jodi bieber. Available at: https://www.jodibieber.com/aisha/ [Accessed 16 Oct. 2023].

Topic 4 - Reading Photographs - Advert analysis

Write a few lines about what the brand or organisation is trying to communicate about the product or service being advertised. Don’t labour this task: the prose can be as loose as you like, bullet points or note form is fine. Make sure you credit the source

This advert for Hugo Boss ‘Tonic’ is communicating a number of things to me.

1.     The connection and overlap of the botted fragrance and actor Chris Hemsworth suggest to me that if I buy this fragrance, I have the potential to become successful like Hemsworth.

2.     Hemsworth is handsome, so potentially this could offer the target audience a false promise, buy this, become this. It could also be targeting partners (wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, etc), who have the desire to turn their partner into Hemsworth both with the idea of their partner gaining success or so they can imagine Hemsworth whilst their partner is wearing the fragrance.

3.     Following on from the buy this, become this concept, it makes me think I can become successful in New York, a cut throat city where it is difficult to become famous, popular or get to the top of the high buildings in the background.

4.     By featuring a bridge and Hemsworth on ‘our’ side of the bridge it suggests that he could have come from nothing and as a result of the product, has crossed the bridge to what might have felt unachievable before, life in Manhattan, notoriously desirable but rarely affordable. This makes Hemsworth more relatable and the product less ‘elite’ and unreachable, widening the potential target audience.

5.     #MANOFTODAY suggests a person who has their finger on the pulse, in a City like New York people might find this important as they could feel this might lead to social and economic success for themselves or the person they buy the fragrance for.

Andrewprokos.com. (2020). Worldwide Ad Campaign for Hugo Boss Men’s Fragrance - Photographer... [online] Available at: https://andrewprokos.com/news/hugo-boss-worldwide-ad-campaign-prokos/ [Accessed 15 Oct. 2023].

Topic 3 - Authorship and Collaboration - Reflection

Topic 3: Authorship and Collaboration

Reflection

-       How have you allowed the input of others to shape your practice?

Throughout this topic I have collaborated with another member of the FASTNET cohort on Objects of Memory – ordinary possessions that have become irreplaceable. I chose this topic as I felt that there is a selection of objects in my home that have stories behind them and whilst they may not be used as much as they once were they hold a relevance to life and memory that is irreplaceable.

By letting my collaborator take the lead with the theme of this topic I have put myself in a position where I am responding to a set brief and the vision of other person which then helped shape my practice.

We also discussed approaches to the theme, which developed over time based on the images that we both produced. This led to further direction and input from my collaborator as they led and made decisions to shape the final outcome of the work.

We also shared edits of each other’s work, including the images used, position and size of the photographs, this allowed me to see an alternative perspective on my work.

-       What is your attitude to drawing on the ideas of other people, or their work?

I think it is important to draw on the ideas and practice of other practitioners, especially from a wide range of sources. Research can spark and develop new ideas and methods when creating images. I think that through studying the work of others you can improve your practice as a photographer. I feel my practice as a photographer has improved through looking at photographers like Alec Soth and Paul Graham.

When it comes to collaboration, there are multiple forms, working with others to form a project or respond to a brief can lead to interesting outcomes which, like in my experience, can alter the perspective of the participants. Collaboration can also take the form of a photographer working with a subject in order to create an image, particularly a portrait. The sitter has to participate and contribute in order for the work to be created, their input can make the difference. The same works for the collaboration between two equal sources but the power balance between photographer and subject can be different and less equal but can still influence the ideas and outcomes of the creative.

I like input from others on the development of my photographic work. Feedback can also bring different perspectives and improve research sources, particularly with regard to diversity and experimental techniques.

-       Where do you see the line between ‘collaboration’ and ‘plagiarism’?

Collaboration and plagiarism are very different. Collaboration is a process that involves parties working together in order to create an outcome with a range of different levels of participation, however there is agreed aim, strategy and use of the outcomes.

Plagiarism differs as it involves one party using the work of another person without their permission.

The lines might blur when something like documentary photography is involved. Potentially, if a subject does not have the ability or is not considered worthy to give consent for the use or publication of an image it may not be a plagiarised image but could be seen as morally unacceptable. Examples of this could be seen in early photographic examples where a photographer has explored and photographed in unexplored (by a western audience) places.

Topic 3 - Authorship and Collaboration - Presentation

This piece of collaborative work was conducted between two people. We communicated between the UK and Hong Kong which was a challenge as the time difference meant that communicating was complicated.

It was a good experience to work with another photographer, particularly in the editing and positioning of work for the project.

Topic 2: Methods and Meanings Reflection

What has challenged you?

-       This week and topic has challenged me through the production of my images and creating photographs that communicate my ideas and give me results that I am happy with. On reflection and with the support of peers I need to reach out and produce some portraits of people and communities in Reading in order to start the project and produce a more effective piece of work that reflects me trying to find my place in the town.

What has surprised you?

-       I have been surprised by the lack of confidence in my own idea, particularly in how uncomfortable I felt when I presented images and when it was challenged. I realised that I have a swirling mess of ideas and no true starting point for the work, which also surprised me.

What do you feel you learned?

-       I learnt I need to get out and take photographs. This week in particular felt like the shove I needed to get out the door and start producing images, rather than just talking about ideas and concepts from the safety of my office and behind a screen.

-       I learnt that whilst I can have rules and methods in my work it may not always lead me to produce photographs that I like or communicate the concept of the project. On reflection I set myself rules when going out to shoot, but potentially shooting first and considering my practice second might be a more successful outcome for the work.

-       Reflecting on my images and the week in general has led me to a focus, I still want to maintain the focus on Reading however I would like to start focusing on the people and communities that make up Reading. I have accessed the Reading Borough Council ‘Services in social clubs and activities’ page which could lead to further contacts and potential photographs. I have also contacted two artist studios, to seek permission to photograph different artists who live and work in Reading.

-       I learnt that I am trying to find my identity with the place that I live and whilst this may start out as an introspective project, I aim to turn it outwards.

What methods and methodologies have you consciously applied in your practice to date to communicate a concept or an intended meaning?

-       Reflecting on my practice, worryingly, I cannot think of methods I have consciously applied to my work, especially to convey meaning. When I have produced portraits in the past I have photographed people in their own homes or places of work in order to communicate more about them. However, this is not always straight forward or consistent.

Can you identify and describe methods in your practice that convey meaning, which you might not have intended at the time?

-       On reflection of the self-portrait I produced for Topic 1: Windows and Mirrors. I believe I have created a sense of disconnect between myself and Rachael. At the time this was not intended, I wanted to show the closeness of our family and the connections we share, however, when looking at the image again there is a distance between us which an audience member reading the photograph might interpret as disconnection or rift in the family dynamic. This has made me think about how I am photographing people and forced me to pay closer attention to what is being communicated through body language and positioning.

Have any of the practitioners you have looked at this week (including your peers) given you any inspiration for strategies or methods you might ‘impose’ upon yourself to expand the creative possibilities of your own work?

-       Robert Darch’s use of lighting has inspired me, the isolation of subject gives the audience focus on what the person is trying to communicate. This also links to the poetic nature of his story telling that makes me consider how I might include and communicate a narrative within my project work. By having a narrative running through the work, I could expand the creative possibilities of the work so rather than being just documenting the things and people around Reading I can have them communicate something to the audience too.

Methods and Methodologies - Robert Darch - The Island

Technical Considerations

-       Dark photographs – overexposed, foreboding

-       Visible grain – friction

-       High contrast – difference

-       Portraits with haunted looks – demonstrating the feeling/response to Brexit

-       A lot of the images could be anywhere, there are elements that remind me to places I have been, but I have never been to the places photographed. The everyday of England

-       Black and white, misty, foreboding, grainy landscapes – challenging the idealistic representation of the rolling green hills of England aesthetic popularised by conservative ideals and how people might stereotype England.

‘Fifty years on from now, Britain will still be the country of long shadows on county [cricket] grounds, warm beer, invincible green suburbs, dog lovers, and—as George Orwell said—old maids bicycling to Holy Communion through the morning mist.’

John Major, speech to the Conservative Group for Europe, 22 April 1993;

‘They are shot in black-and-white, and suffused with an almost palpable melancholy. “When I tried monochrome before, it felt like I was trying to force it,” recalls Darch. “But here it made sense symbolically and aesthetically.”’

-        Joe Lloyd, 2020 Robert Darch’s poetic response to the Brexit vote https://www.1854.photography/2020/04/the-island-robert-darch/ Accessed: 04/10/2023.

The method of using his own and other people’s emotions as influence, combined with his method of documenting the landscape and storytelling, gives the audience a greater understanding for what he is trying to communicate.

Rather than trying to explain or rationalise what happened I started taking pictures that reflected how I felt about the freedoms we had lost and what I imagined the future would hold’

The Guardian (2022) ‘I feel for this generation.’: Welcome to Brexit island – In Pictures. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2022/dec/13/i-feel-for-this-generation-welcome-to-brexit-island-in-pictures Accessed: 04/10/2023.

Research strategies

Darch draws on feelings and life experience to influence his work. In ‘The Island’ he revisits areas around where he grew up and where he lives in order to create a response to the results of the Brexit vote.

Presentation choices

Darch presents The Island in book form. ON opening the cover the viewer is greated by a dark blue (Torito Dark Blue) page with the title and name. The following page has a date 23.06.2016 also on dark blue. This is the only colour in the book and could be a reference to the blue in the Union Jack flag, the deep inky blue of the night sky or the deep isolating parts of the sea. All of which could set the audience up for understanding themes of isolation created by the Brexit vote and a sense of loss.

‘On 23 June 2016, the UK’s electorate voted to leave the European Union. For Robert Darch, the morning after remains etched in the memory. “I woke up feeling this overwhelming sense of heaviness, and the sadness that we’d lost something,” he recounts.’

Joe Lloyd, 2020 Robert Darch’s poetic response to the Brexit vote https://www.1854.photography/2020/04/the-island-robert-darch/ Accessed: 04/10/2023.

Intentions and conceptual underpinning

Darch’s work is a response to Brexit and the feeling of loss and isolation he experienced on the morning of the vote’s result. The work takes the audience on a journey through the landscape and introduces us to various people. All of the work maintains the feeling of loss and a sense of someone trying to bring together and understand what is going to happen next. Key images in the series that represent this for me are the photograph of a woman, showing vulnerability and surrounded by unknown darkness. The unknown figure of a person stood halfway along a track, suggesting the isolation that the UK may now experience and the image of a person, on the edge of a cliff top, peering out over the edge into the vast mass of water. This represents the unknown and reminds me of a sense of uncontrolled falling, the kind you experience in a dream or when you tip backwards a little bit too far on a chair, the stomach lurches and for a split second you are between falling and fallen, a euphoric and terrifying mid-point of complete unknowing, you know you are dreaming or have that hope that you can rebalance the chair, but you might also not.

All this was refined into the following prose:

In his project The Island, Robert Darch uses black and white images to give a sense of foreboding, isolation and sadness in response to the result of the Brexit vote in 2016. There is a darkness to the work which could be attributed to overexposing the images or prints and this, along subject matter of the project, reinforce these feelings.

A key image in the series is of a person, on the edge of a cliff, peering out into a mass of water. I feel this represents the unknown and reminds me of a sense of uncontrolled falling, the kind you experience when you tip backwards too far on a chair, the stomach lurches and for a second you are between falling and fallen, a euphoric and terrifying mid-point of complete unknowing, you know you have that hope that you can rebalance the chair, but also not.

Darch presents The Island in book form. On opening the cover the viewer is greeted by a dark blue page with the title and his name. The following page has a date 23.06.2016 also on dark blue. The silver grey of the text stands out and is reminiscent of the grey that runs throughout the images in the book. The blue pages could be a reference the Union Jack flag, the inky blue of the night sky or the deep isolating parts of the sea. All of which set the audience up for understanding themes of isolation created by the Brexit vote and a sense of loss presented in the work.

https://www.robertdarch.com/the-island-1

Topic 2: Methods and Meaning

Fig. 1: Shafran 2008-9. From the series Compost Pictures 2008-9.

When it comes to the photographic ‘faux pas’ there are lots of options. The blinking portrarit, tress coming out the top of a subject’s head, a finger over the lens, purposeful under or over exposure of an image (American Night by Paul Graham comes to mind).

The topic makes me reflect on a conversation I had with my Dad. I had received a £5 Photoworks voucher for subscribing to their mailing list and used it to buy a copy of Nigel Shafran’s Compost Pictures 2008-9. I was very proud of myself because I had got what I considered to be an exciting and intriguing set of images (albeit a publication supporting an exhibition) for free, using my £5 voucher.

I took it home whilst on holiday from university and was looking through when my Dad asked to see what I was looking at. After looking through the images he asked how much I had paid and when I told him it was free with a voucher he laughed and said ‘I’m glad you didn’t waste real money on photographs of rubbish.’

I was taken aback by this because I considered the images to be careful studies of unintended sculpture and particularly of a subject matter that most people want to get rid of or ignore.

My idea for a response to the photographic ‘faux pas’ is the concept of photographing the mundane or every day and how it can be misunderstood. Without spending time or reading into a photographer’s motivations for an image or set of images, photographs with this aesthetic can be dismissed, derided or ignored. Could this present a wider issue between photographer and audience? Is the ‘faux pas’ the fault of the audience or the photographer? I think in the case of my Dad and Shafran’s Compost Pictures, there is an element of disconnect between a person that has used photography to document key family life moments and things he is interested in, to the photographer who is trying to reach out and communicate with an audience. The ‘faux pas’ is the mundane and how it is communicated but I hope to use it to open up debate about the photographer/audience relationship and explore it within my own photographic practice.

List of Figures

Figure 1: Nigel Shafran. 2010. Compost Pictures 2008-9. Brighton: Photoworks.

Bibliography

McMullin, D. (1980). ‘An Interview with John Baldessari,’

Topic 1: Mirrors and Windows

I believe the mirror and window analogy to be good for photography. It relates to the concept of seeing a window into another world, as people experienced with The Underwood travel System (Haberstich, 2012), and also as a reflection of the photographer, their stereotypes, concepts, framing  and positioning choices and reasons for producing the image. Photography can be more complex than just mirrors and windows though. It allows for an understanding and starting point into discussions of photography, however there can be greater and more complex readings of photographic images. A good example of this is reflected on by Soutter in ‘Why art photography?’

‘Foster describes photography as perpetually restaging the trauma of our missed encounter with the real. Thus, following Roland Barthes, he regards all photographs as traumatic on some level, piercing our sense of self.’ (Soutter, 2018.)

This offers up a deep and complex suggestion that people’s relationship with photograph goes beyond seeing through a mirror or merely reflecting back information. It gives emotion, particularly in the negative, and the idea of psychological elements at play within photography. I can relate to this in my image, I once photographed Rachael and made her cry, she has never since allow me to photograph her in a formal setting, so to a point I am trying to repair previous trauma.

When it comes to my practice as a photographer I lean more towards the window side of the analogy. I like to observe and learn through my photographs and the images of others. I want to bring these experiences to audiences and share my perspective. I am keenly aware that through displaying my own view I am also providing a reflection of myself in the image and the things I find important. My mirrors/reflections image is carefully constructed. I reveal some things about myself and my family but not others, reflecting and giving a window onto aspects of our lives that I want to show, or potentially, what I think people will want to know.

I like the metaphor of the camera and photography being like a passport. The camera can give access to locations, people, industries and ideas that would not be normally open. The image does this to an extent too and the passport analogy reinforces the window, giving access and a view.

What is your motivation for photography? What do you want to learn about and how can photography help you get a greater understanding of it?

Photography has been a true constant in my life, I am motivated by the opportunity to explore, get lost and communicate. I want to learn to be freer with my work, I have a set of ideas and perspectives that work well for me but need challenging. I also want to learn to be a better writer on photography. Photography will help me gain a greater understanding of wider practices, ethical and sustainable discussions and new concepts that will develop me as a practitioner and creative.

HABERSTICH, David. 2012 ‘Photography Changes What We Long To See’ in HEIFERMAN, Marvin (ed.) 2012 Photography changes everything. New York: Aperture.

POYNOR, Rick. 2015 ‘Exposure: Portrait of Space by Lee Miller’ 20 September [online] Available at: https://designobserver.com/feature/exposure-portrait-of-space-by-lee-miller/39101

SOUTTER, Lucy. 2018 What art photography? Oxford: Routledge

SZARKOWSKI, John. 1978 ‘Mirrors and windows: American photography since 1960.’ New York: The Museum of Modern Art.