Reflection

This final, reflective, post is an attempt to signpost the learning points that I have covered throughout the course. In completing this module I have developed and strengthened a way of expressing my photographic voice. I now realise that through the use of staged images and everyday found objects/scenes I can create complex scenarios and narratives that explore my ideas and emotions. Using this narrative technique I place my work in context of other photographers such as Christina De Middel. Assignments 1, 3, and 5, strongly reflect my personal approach to investigation of an archive or memory through narrative storytelling.

I've learnt how to approach a project more systematically by gathering material from the historical archive in order to thoroughly research a subject. The sourced information provides a thinking space to explore ideas and more importantly jumping off points for photographic projects. I used this technique after prompting from my tutor to 'dig deeper' on assignment 1. The research into the local history archive certainly proved fruitful in inspiring me to move my project further. I think that the revised work for assignment 1 is much stronger than my initial output. My notes on the revised project can be read here.

I've spent some time looking at practitioners that investigate hidden histories and archives. E.J. Bellocq, William E Jones and Nicky Bird have either created secret archives or re-interpreted existing ones - sometimes making new work in response. I've learnt through reading Keith Jenkins that history is only an interpretation of sources by historians and as such can be open to cultural and political bias.  This has helped to strengthen my approach when reading and analysing critical texts. I've learnt how to consider both the bias of the writer and to weigh up both sides of an argument. Here I've analysed an essay on photography.

I continue to try and pre-visualise my work and often sketch out a rough shooting script for my projects. This is something that my tutor has encouraged me to keep up and the sketches for some of my assignment work can be seen here.

I learnt how to take into consideration the use of text and fonts from a design perspective. I learnt how to make magazine spreads for commercial use to a professional standard here.

I've visited a number of galleries both on official OCA study days and by myself. I have tried to review the exhibitions and reflected on how the work made me feel and if I was inspired to make any work in response. Home Truths & Omer Fast.

Looking back on this years work I can see that I have moved a long way, both creatively and academically. I feel confident about moving forward although I know that I still have a lot to learn and, in particular, I want to get a much better understanding of the language of visual culture and how this influences contemporary photography today.

Assessment Preparation

I've spent most of the last month preparing for assessment. Pulling together all the work from the module and presenting it in a coherent and easily navigable manner is a crucial final step - one that shouldn't be taken lightly. I had a phone chat with my tutor, Keith Roberts, about my presentation plans and I explained my approach. I want to make envelopes from thick tracing paper for each of the assignment's printed output. The reasoning for this is because of the different sized formats that I used over the course of the module. They would all rattle around inside a portfolio box big enough for the largest piece of work (A3). I had two different sized photo-books for assignments 1 & 5; an A4 printed image for my assignment 2 book cover, assignment 3, as mentioned, is printed on A3 sized photo paper. Hopefully the envelopes would help to pull the visual look of the presentation together.

To accompany each envelope is a wire-bound A4 binder containing my essays, original images sent to my tutor, the tutor feedback, my response, and notes and sketches for each assignment.

The whole lot was to go into a bespoke portfolio box to keep everything held in place but I was cautioned against overworking the presentation. This is good advice (I tend to tinker far too much) along with the caution to not present with material that looks like it came out of Rymans. I guess it is up to me to decide where on the spectrum my presentation will sit.

I ditched the bespoke portfolio box idea and the separate envelopes and binders will now be packaged up securely in bubble wrap and boxed for transit by courier. I'm not sure how assessment material is dealt with exactly but I'm hoping that an assessor will find all my materials laid out neatly on a table rather than having to unpack it all themselves.

I had a few false starts with the making of the envelopes but once I got into the swing of it they didn't take too long.

Each envelope and binder has a matching Polaroid indicating it's number.

I'd bought a wire binding machine earlier in the year for making these binders. All the material for each assignment is neatly held together and hopefully will be easy for the assessor to navigate. The black covers match my physical learning log which will also be submitted.

Print outs and notes from my learning log. I've also put small numbered tabs against pages which directly relate to assignments.

There is also a small navigation card to direct the assessor through the presentation and providing the URL for my blog. The fourth assignment is the critical review and the final revised version has a clear facing cover to visually connect with the opaque envelopes.

Seeing it all laid out on the table it looks quite simple and not over fussy. This is the overall look that I'd planned for. The sheer amount of work that is contained in those binders and envelopes (not to mention my blog) is quite staggering now I think back on it. I've found working at level 2 quite a jump. It was worth it though. I've really enjoyed working on this module and the help from my tutor has been exceptional. I really hope I've managed to find a path through the pitfalls and avoided overworking the presentation - time will tell.