Sean Christopher Mc Bean

                 As part of my Better Lives Unit, I was tasked with delving into what it means to photograph a portrait. Having studied  photography in my past I was already familiar with the basics; but remained extremely invested in narrowing down the focus to that of creating a portrait. Throughout the duration of our course we explored the enigmatic definition of a portrait and how one would go about creating one specific to their style. We were exposed to work from renowned photographers of many different times and backgrounds. This made for the expansion of what I thought a portrait photograph to develop into something much more grand. As our course continued it became more and more apparent that a portrait is created out of a specified collusion of feelings and physical elements. Things aren’t always reliant on perfection of the photo or subject in that moment, but much more reliant on whether or not the feelings you’re trying to convey are able to be felt by those who view it. 

                  This being said, when given the assignment to take photos ourselves I realized that it was time to slow down. With the threat of the corona virus confining everyone to their homes and evoking confusion amongst the population, I decided to use my time locked away on learning how to capture a moment as holistically as I can. Doing things that create a rhythmic schedule, diffuse stress, and neglect the enforcement of any parameters on my time spent photographing. I began to implement a slower process when I documented my time at home and begin to truly explore the personable nature associated with a portrait. I decided to work using a large format analog camera, which in itself put me into the position of slowing down, and spent time focusing on capturing images of my surroundings and flat mates with as little pressure as possible. 

                   The photo above is the one that I shared once our task was complete. Remaining true to the process I mentioned earlier, this photo came about through patience and pressure-less experimentation. I spent a large amount of time capturing moments that occurred naturally and provided me with the opportunity to be taken. The photo is of my partner in our flat during quarantine simply resting. It was taken on my large format camera and developed in my bathroom which extended the time spent on the photo and made the process even more personal.                                                                

                  All in all, I enjoyed the exploration of portraiture through this course. Things didn’t necessarily go according to plan, with the disruption of the UCU strikes and the Corona Virus, but I was able to come out with a greater understanding of how I would like to approach photography and more specifically portraiture on a personal front. 

The three major themes, sustainability, diversity, and social responsibility, explored in the better lives unit have proven to be essential to the creation of genuinely interesting ideas coming from emerging artists and the team of individuals who work behind the scenes to get their art to the places it needs to be. Having spent so much time learning of the disparities woven throughout the fashion industry I think the fact that these three themes where discussed in such a thorough manner is commendable and I enjoyed it.

                  Discussing topics such as diversity on the runway, economic imbalances, representation and its importance is important to me, especially being a socially aware individual of color coming from the US. These topics held impact as not only do I live some of the experiences discussed but it meant a lot to hear what others are feeling in response to the knowledge being presented to them. It was important for me to see how individuals who aren’t a part of a minority learn how to understand their privileges and take responsibility in trying to combat inequality.     

                  Personally I’ve interpreted the themes sustainability and social responsibility as an intersection. Throughout the duration of this unit I’ve noticed that there is a strong connection between all the themes but in particular sustainability and social responsibility. We’ve been provided the information as students about the extreme negatives that can come out of the fashion industry. We’ve also been made aware that a large part of what is going to influence the change to stop those negatives is us. It’s important that we, as an upcoming wave of creatives in London, know that it’s our job to try and produce art in a manner that is respectable and healthy for the world that surrounds us. In order to continue and improve in a positive manner we have to be responsible and aware. 

                  Throughout my career there will be numerous occasions in which I will need to refer back to some of the lessons I’ve picked up from the three major themes. In order to do my job as PR in ways that will promote the continuous improvement of the industry I must pay attention to these themes and always revisit the perspectives understood through my knowledge of them, whilst maintaining room for alteration as things change dramatically with time. 

                   Throughout the duration of the Better Lives unit, I’ve been provided with a surplus amount of information regarding the development and prospective outcomes of what working together in new and innovative ways will do to the fashion industry. Of the many lectures bestowed upon me the one that held the most impact was the very first. I distinctly remember attempting multiple times to grab a cup of coffee and having to retract to my seat to continue listening. The delivery of the lecture, provided by Julia Crew and titled Power, was extremely honest and straightforward. One of the beginning slides details how the fashion industry, as much as it is based in inventiveness & peculiarity, is bred out of a system of capitalism. Having understood this previously and aware of the major disparities between capitalism and oneness; I was immediately intrigued by the ways in which my university, a capitalistic entity, was going to approach this topic and go on further to link it to the power systems that control the fashion industry.                     

                   As the lecture continued I was enlightened to things I didn’t even know I wanted to know. There’s a time when Julia is speaking about the blatant imbalance of wealth amongst the globe and shows the faces of the as she called it “male, pale, and stale” group of individuals who hold some of the world’s most wealth. It’s maddening to think that that amount of wealth is wrapped up in such a tiny, monotonous group of people. I enjoyed completely how honest and thorough she was with explaining the negative impact these power imbalances have and how they have affected everyone. Fashion can become very sugar coated at times and it’s good that everyone has the access to information that will allow them the space to view the industry from all of its angles.                                                                                 

                   In totality I think this lecture provided me with an even clearer way of thinking when it comes to maneuvering within the fashion industry. Being aware of the information provided on pivotal topics such as the intersection of media influence and capitalism, amongst many other variations of that combination, makes it a bit easier to decipher what to do and what not to do as someone who is attempting to enjoy and be a part of the fashion community/industry. Julia touched on some very important and seldom spoken about aspects of the fashion industry both as a consumer and constituent. Placing a bit more responsibility on us as consumers I think is a big part of how change is going to occur and Julia spoke about the how much that is dependent on us. The industry is a very complex network and having been explained both the positive and negative aspects to it I think provides me with a much more solid foundation to be able to implement change for the better in whatever way I can.