Blog Post 3
Regarding personal development, I have found that the Better Lives unit has given me the opportunity to develop skills in something new. I chose to do Contemporary portrait Photography, by choosing this course I have been able to develop technical skills such as lighting and making the most out of your camera, as well as how to master my own style within photography. I have also been introduced to a range of photographers, fashion based to documentary based, giving me wider variety of creative sources to use within my practices as a stylist.
Throughout this unprecedented time I feel that Contemporary Portrait photography was a great course to do as I have realised how important it is to stay creative at home, whether its taking documentary style photographs of the so called ‘groundhog’ day occurring at the moment, or being experimental with self portraits. I have found it has given me great time to find out what my style is and experiment with it always while keeping the Better Lives themes in mind.
For me, the theme social responsibility has influenced my work positively; right now especially I find it very important. As it is our social responsibility to keep into contact with our loved ones during this hard time and keep connected with our friends through face time or other means of digital social interaction. I also find that theme of social responsibility links in with a wider issue at the moment, being responsible for our NHS, and keeping the real heroes safe and protected.
For my final outcome within my photography course, I decided to focus on producing a range of three portraits being; a self-portrait, a portrait of someone within the house, and a portrait of someone not here. By having limited resources I found that it actually made me be more creative with my outcomes and creating an emotional story within them all. By taking a photograph of my best friend through face time it shows the distance between us right now physically and emotionally. I feel that inner conflict is shown throughout this image as there is obviously a feeling of fun and playfulness which we are wishing to be experiencing together physically, however we have had to compromise through a screen. I was heavily inspired by Bella Hadid’s 2020 shoot for Vogue Italia over face time for this portrait. I think this theme of inner conflict runs throughout all of my portraits. I experimented with mirrors during my own self-portrait, as I believe it created a depth, and a forever-ongoing feel to it, which relates heavily to the current time.
Overall, my personal development has been extremely positive throughout Better Lives, learning new skills while taking the themes into context and letting them influence my ways of working.
10th May 2020 @ 2:39 pm
I have chosen to peer review the third blog post of Frankie Bogg. Reading her review on her personal outcomes and development through Portrait Photography, it became apparent to me that she reflected her learning and adapted her own practise, keeping the current unforeseen circumstances in mind. As well as enhancing her technical skills; Bogg, F. 2020 “… such as lighting and making the most out of your camera”, it seems the majority of her personal development throughout this unit, was how she approaches her own creativity when at home.
I really enjoyed seeing how she approached the themes in her own way, as it was different to how I had perhaps. For example, she referred to her social responsibility currently, to be keeping in contact with loved ones and being responsible for keeping the heroes of the NHS ‘safe and protected’. I found this interesting as she had taken what she had learned through the practise of Photography and Better Lives, and showed understanding what it represents and means to her as a wider issue.
I have also expressed the difficulty in being creative and finding inspiration through this tough time being at home; so it was interesting to read how Frankie had found ways of experimenting and being creative with the camera. The playfulness of the third image, for me, really contrasts with the mood and candid angles of the first two. The lighting is a lot moodier and subdued in the “Self” and “Present” Portraits, yet the bright light and in the “Absent Portrait”, combined with the glasses and the fact it was taken through a FaceTime call with a friend, contrasts this. For me, I took this as a representation of perhaps the moods we have all perhaps experienced though this awful time. I thought this was really commendable how Frankie has managed to show ‘distance’, emotion and ‘inner conflict’ between friends, family, and also strangers who we are all keeping in our thoughts and prayers.
I think overall, I really enjoyed reflecting and reading Frankie’s positive development because of her own interpretation of the theme Social Responsibility, and therefore how I related to that. Bravo!