30th September 2015
My ‘few sentences’ on describing my subject interest that I spoke about with people yesterday:
“My interest in photography is people. I am to capture an authentic representation of the subjects character. My focus is exploring genuine connection between people & improving my communication skills, enabling the subject(s) to feel completely comfortable.”
After the group session yesterday I felt like I had gotten some valuable feedback around my subject and it helped me see further than I could by just stewing on it on my own. Here are a few more questions raised around my subject by others (to help hone in on what it is I am actually photographing):
- Will it be in studio or on location? – will they be environmental portraits? Or set up studio shots?
- Will the images be focussed on body language/expression?
- How long does it take to really know someone? A day to know about them – but a long time to truly know them?
- Will you be photographing different levels of relationship? e.g a work relationship between two people would be different to two best friends being photographed together
- Would a studio set up put limits on being able to capture genuine emotion? Or would the subject feel like they had to pose/be a certain way/directed by the photographer?
- How much will the environment the people are photographed in have an effect on the resulting image?
- Would a familiar environment relating to the subject(s) relationship show their relationship in a more authentic light?
- Will it be how YOU perceive authenticity? Or the subjects version of authenticity? e.g is how a person perceives themselves, different to how others perceive them?
- Is it possible to capture authenticity at all? Would asking the subject if they think it is a true representation of them answer this? However their are so many sides to people – who’s perception is the right one? Is their such a thing?
- Who + what are the people you will photograph? Pairs? Groups?
- Will cultural/racial consideration come into it?
- What about photographing relationships that are ‘not meant to be’? or are out of society’s social norm?
- Will the relationships be to do with things like area/region? or age? culture? religion? race? – groupings and stigmas
- Will they be trivial friendships or deep rooted friendships?
- Are you wanting to challenge prejudices?
- What about interdependency within society? Why do we need relationships? Can we survive on our own? Why are relationships important? Why do we rely on friendship groups?
- What roles matter the most?
- Are your activites related to the friends you have or are they personal choice?
- How much are we influenced by the people we are in relationship with?
- Does having connection with others bring spiritual enlightenment?
- Opposites attract?
- Stretching the boundaries/stigmas around relations
- What are your attitudes to partnerships?
- Would you photograph on location to give the relationship/subjects a context? OR would you throw them out of context to test their relationship?
- What are you investigating?
- Are you wanting to challenge stereotypes?
- Will their be any styling?
- How does portraiture in the media affect the way we see ourselves?
oliviafayewilford 