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.