My independent project went through several changes and was challenging but I am proud of the results of my final images. I produced six images as a response to the word ‘Division’ which I interpreted in relation to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). I chose this topic because it interests me and I wanted to explore it further. I also wanted to use my photographs to continue the conversation about mental health and how it is important to educate people on it.
As this module was the first time I had properly used professional photography equipment, I found it hugely beneficial that my workshop sessions gave me the opportunity to explore both the equipment and different types of photography such as Appropriation, Portraiture and Still Life, the latter being the most useful as it is what my independent project was about. When I was first creating the concept of my work, I decided that I was going to explore division in life and the photos were going to have a gradual progression from good division (such as the separation of rubbish from recycling) to harmful division (such as feeling compelled to separate and organise things due to mental illness). After speaking with my tutor, I decided to narrow down the subject to just mental illness, in particular OCD. This allowed me to explore the topic in detail and the photos became better linked thematically in my opinion.
According to Terry Barrett, there are several ways of interpreting a photograph. One which I believe fits with my independent project the best is the Aesthetically Evaluative Photographs. These are photographs which the photographer takes of subjects they believe “to be worthy of aesthetic observation and contemplation.” (Barrett, 1990, 82). This works with my final images because I want the viewer to think about my photographs in terms of the affect OCD can have on people’s lives and in different ways. Barrett also wrote that Aesthetically Evaluative Photographs of still life are commonly of “objects that are carefully selected and arranged by a photographer for maximum aesthetic interest.” (Barrett, 1990, 87). This is true for the subjects in my photographs as I wanted them to be neat and organised so everything was meticulously put in place to create a sense of rigid order and organisation.
During this project, I took photographs of several subjects and narrowed it down to the six best. I believe that, considering my limited knowledge of photography at the start of the semester, I have come a long way and my final photos are of a high standard. To begin with, the photogrsphs all link together well and all follow the theme of division in OCD. Some are more obvious than others such as ‘Pens’ which portrays three biros lined up to measure an equal distance apart along a ruler. Others are more subtle like the chocolate cake. I like this difference because it demonstrates that OCD can be easy to conceal from others and not obvious at first. If this photo was a standalone image, viewers may not recognise that it is demonstrating OCD. However, when alongside the other five images its message becomes clearer. One lighting design that I like in particular is for the ‘Pens’ image. I placed a table lamp behind the pens to make them backlit and partially lit on top. This coupled with a soft black vignette in Adobe Lightroom creates an ominous and eerie tone. This suggests that OCD is dangerous for your mind and is not something to be taken light heartedly. In this photograph I used leading lines with the ruler on a diagonal starting in the centre and then disappearing off the right side. This is to intrigue viewers into wondering where the ruler leads off to.
My final images include a range of camera angles. One which was inspired by the photographer Jim Golden is the high angle/ bird’s eye view shot looking down at the subject. In my first few practice images, I took a photograph of coins in lines based on their value. They were equal distances apart and in a grid formation. Unfortunately, due to the lighting I used and the shiny coins, the coins kept reflecting the light, causing them to become faceless. If I had more time, I would attempt that photograph again with a diffuser over the light. Luckily I was able to use Golden’s style in my photograph ‘Flapjack’. I like this shot because the viewer is able to see that it is cut evenly and neatly. I also made sure that I had the camera steady and level with the flapjack so that the lines weren’t slanted in the photo. As a result of using this angle, I got a really nice shot that demonstrates the division of food and the steady, level camera angle links to my specific theme of OCD.
Something that I like about the majority of my photos is the shallow depth of field on them, especially on the smaller objects. For example, I really love my photo of the lipsticks in a clear plastic box. The middle row is in focus and everything else is in various stages of blurriness. This forces the viewer to bring their attention to the isolated, focused section. This is probably my favourite photo from my final images. I really like the colours in the photo and the contrast between the reds and the blue. I enhanced the colours in Lightroom by increasing the Contrast and Vibrance.
Although I am happy with the majority of my photos, there are some aspects which I do not like as much. For example, I struggled with the exposure when taking the photo of the cake. The contrast between the white icing and the dark chocolate sponge meant that I had difficulty finding a balance with the ISO and aperture. I managed to improve it a bit in Lightroom but the definition of the icing is still a bit lost. If I remade this image, I would try to create some shadow so the pattern of the icing was more defined. Another improvement that I would make is to have a running colour theme throughout to link the photos better visually.
Overall, I am happy with the progress that I have made in this module and I am quite happy with how my final images turned out.
Bibliography
Barrett, T. (1990) Criticizing Photographs: An Introduction to Understanding Image [ebook], 3rd Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill. Available from https://monoskop.org/images/8/80/Barrett_Criticizing_Photographs_3ed_2000.pdf [accessed 18th April 2018].
Google.co.uk (undated) Division meaning. Available from https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=division+meaning&rlz=1C1DIMA_enGB716GB716&oq=division+meaning&aqs=chrome..69i57.3174j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 [accessed 9th March 2018].
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