Part 2. Project 3 – Photographing the unseen.

Exercise.

For this exercise I was asked to read three case studies from level 3 OCA Students who have explored themes that are not necessary visible. They have used a metaphor to portray their ideas rather than the straight forward method.

Following reading the studies I was asked to answer two questions:

  • Which of these projects resonates most with you and why?
  • How do you feel about the loss of authorial control that comes when the viewer projects their own experiences and emotions onto the images you’ve created?

The project that resonates with me the most is Ring Road by Dewald Botha, why?

Botha due to being from South Africa and now living in the busy, compact country of China, he often felt smothered, so by taking his camera in search of beauty and relief in this difficult area, became his therapy; this is very similar to myself, not due to a new compact area but from the point of mental health.

In 2015 my mental health deteriorated and I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, my life had been turned upside down, I went from being a confident, outgoing, strong person to a shy, afraid, recluse; a former of one’s self.

I was scared to walk next to the road as the sound of cars and noise brought on panic attacks and flashbacks, I lost all interest in hobbies including photography but still retained a certain aspect of Art within colouring.

Despite being unable to walk near the road, I knew that I needed to exercise my dog, so as our house backs onto a canal and within five minutes you are in the countryside and the calming, therapeutic environment of Gaia; Mother Nature, this is where I headed and found solitude; ‘My Safe Place’.

Whilst walking in the woods and fields, listening to the cries of the Buzzards, the sound of the wind rustling through the trees and feeling a sense of calm and safety, I began to capture images using my mobile phone, this lead to completing an online course in mobile phone photography; my passion for photography had been re-ignited.

Below are a few images captured using my iPhone during this time and represent

‘My Safe Place’

 

{“macroEnabled”:false,”qualityMode”:3,”deviceTilt”:-0.01801988668739796,”customExposureMode”:2,”extendedExposure”:false,”whiteBalanceProgram”:0,”focusMode”:2}
{“macroEnabled”:false,”qualityMode”:3,”deviceTilt”:-0.03400555451447573,”customExposureMode”:2,”extendedExposure”:false,”whiteBalanceProgram”:0,”focusMode”:2}
{“macroEnabled”:false,”qualityMode”:3,”deviceTilt”:-0.01225755084306002,”customExposureMode”:0,”extendedExposure”:false,”whiteBalanceProgram”:0,”focusMode”:0}

 

When I look at the images above I see calm, quiet, relaxation, nature, I picture myself walking with my dog, feeling free from all the pain and misery that PTSD has caused, my mind and body are at one; what other people will see into this will be completely different to me.

I will be developing the idea of ‘My Safe Place’ into a project / assignment including the use of audio over a visual slide show to re-inforce the concept.

 

The second part of the exercise asks how I would feel about the loss of authorial control over my images if the viewer projects their own experiences and emotions onto the image; The simple answer is:

  • I don’t mind, because art is for all to admire and appreciate, we all reflect on things differently and interpret what we see by incorporating our experiences of life. I know what makes me happy and photography is that. If somebody else projects their own interpretations on my images then I’m okay with that; we are all human.

Take Ring Road by Dewald Botha, I see images of empty spaces; greenery, reflections, nature, lines, shapes, shade, texture; I feel relaxed despite having the sounds of the cars and people overlaid. You almost get a sense of being hidden where nobody can see you; ‘your safe place’.