The following is in answer to Jesse Alexander's critique of my Ass 5 submission.
Hi Jesse,
Thank you for the feedback and am pleased you like the concept of the assignment.
I have a copy of Geoff Dyer’s The Ongoing Moment which, at your suggestion, I have re-read. This work must influence any photographer who is working on a continuing theme. The subject of this assignment could indeed be continued, and is open ended for that reason. The only limit on the number of images was the one imposed in the assignments remit of fifteen images. Much the work that I have submitted for the last two modules has, by design, been open ended with left room for further investigation and study. In this module all of the submitted assignments have room for development. The FSA submission is only a small part of the research I carried out. The Trolly submission was one of a number of ideas I had and was not the first submission. The single image narrative is a subject I love and is nearer to Cartier-Bresson’s decisive moment than to Dyer’s ongoing moment. I carry a camera wherever I go and am constantly on the look for that moment. Local Communities are in constant change and the challenge is to record it.
In the Landscape Module I left all of the assignments open ended so that I could return to them.
My selection of photographic technique for each picture was very much dictated by the location and the available light. The stained glass restorers work piece was backlit by flash as under normal light the old glass looked dark and gloomy. The cycle gears were front lit by flash to bring out the harsh metallic quality of the subject and to show clearly the grimy hands of the repairer. The dentist shot was taken using the surgery lights, while the fisherman shot was taken using natural light. Each one presented a different problem that required a different answer.
With the exception of the flee market image and the Harbour Master’s hand, all the pictures were staged. Even these two subjects were aware of me taking their pictures.
I have changed the last picture for one of a tailor. I took a number of images that have not been used.
The idea of this exercise was that of an exhibition within Deal; a town so small that the ownership of most of these hands would be pretty well known without the benefit of faces.
As I said, I wanted to expand the idea presented in Assignment One, which was one of Who serves Deal. Although I wanted the individuals to be anonymous I wanted their rolls to be evident. Perhaps I didn’t make this clear. I agree that this could be an open and on going project but the remit of the Assignment was for 15 images. As I said above, I took more than fifteen images an it was from these spares that I made a selection.
Your criticism about the clarity of my blog is well founded, but unfortunately I haven’t a clue how to reorganise it. Twice I have attempted to reorganise my blog and improve its look and accessibility. This has not worked out well, with me crashing the blog each time and spend much time rebuilding it. I was brought up in the days of Imperial and Olivetti typewriters, carbon paper and correction fluid. The blog may not be brilliant but it is as good as it is going to be.
I would appreciate the benefit of a pre assessment tutorial.
Regards,
Barney Case,
