Where to begin ......

So the time has finally arrived where we have to begin our Final Major Projects , luckily thanks to the advanced research strategies module i have a definite starting place . As you can see from my Advanced research strategies breif i have really struggled to find a direction and concentrate my ideas down into something i feel comfortable working with . I feel like that towards the end of that module i found my Final Ideas and concepts which is a relief but on the other hand because i spent so much time experimenting in the ideas stage i have no research to start me on a stong foot . i have to start from the beginning which i am happy to do . I intend to use online reasorces aswell as books , journals , newspapers , artist ect to inspire and guide me to a final outcome i am happy with and will be displaying in my end of year show. I am looking forward to working with my chosen themes of memories and  identity as i feel there will be loads of inspiring material already out there to start giving me food for thought. I want to leave university on a high so this project is going to be very personal to me and hopefully will be my best work yet !

Im going to start my reaserch off for this by having a refresher of my Project proposal and going from there . Here is a copy of my finalised project proposal for my last module , Then i just need to start reaserching and experimenting ! How exciting  !!!

Reaserch Project Proposal

BA (HONS) PHOTOGRAPHY

SALLY JENKINS

 

 RESEARCH PROJECT PROPOSAL

KEY WORDS:

 Personal, Identity, Past, Future, Digitalisation, Social Platforms , Curiosity, Social Documentary , Voyeurism, Portraiture, Tradition , Memories , Subjective , gallery space , Expressive , Contrast , Juxtaposition, Emotive, Relevant , Gender specific , Public Vs. Private , Panopticon  theory , Polemic , tangible, age .

OVERVIEW / TOPICS OF INTEREST(S)

I knew I wanted this project to be both personal and polemic, as a photography student I feel the need to comment on our ever developing society and lifestyles. Yet all my work has a personal and subjective manner. I have a love for portraiture and the majority of my work is based around this genre of photography. This project like my previous will be heavily based around this genre making my final piece a series of portraits. I also like to challenge the notions between traditional and contempry and how with the constant development of technology there is an unnoticed loss of tradition. In this upcoming project I want to study the physical becoming digital and whether through the use of social media platforms our memories should remain private or become public.

TITLE

Memories … Who Cares? The digitalisation of our memories.

INTRODUCTION / RESEARCH QUESTION

 Is there still a place for tangible memorabilia or have digital platforms replaced the need?

For the fourth coming negotiated major photographic project module I want to combine a number of interests that I have explored throughout my photographic career so far. I like to confront the ever changing realisation that the world is becoming digitalised, and what social changes might be happening as a result of. Also I have a keen interest in portraiture and social documentary which will massively influence the project at hand. As you can see through my advanced research strategies blogger that I have wanted to include family portraiture in my work for quite some time and I feel like now is the perfect opportunity to do so. "We are in danger," Martin Parr wrote, "of having a whole generation that has no family albums, because people just leave them on their computer, and then suddenly they will be deleted." I want to expand on this quote and explore more than just photography but also memorabilia and keep sakes .

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

• I intend to produce a series of high quality portraits fit for gallery exhibition.
• I will be exploring the place of memories in modern day society through the use of my own family and there memories.
• I intend to challenge the idea that our memories have become public rather than private and investigate if this is a positive thing or a loss of tradition.
• I intend to investigate if memory boxes or scrap booking is dead and instead of keeping items/ photographs of sentimental value we photograph them and share it online instead.
• I intend to experiment with video and sound alongside my still portraits. I feel that maybe the subject’s voice or the items them have kept in memory boxes would complement the imagery and make it more real/ personal to the viewer.

RATIONALE

As I have mentioned above I feel we are in the middle of a social change when it comes to saving our memories, I feel that this will be interesting to document .I have asked a handful of people if they keep memory box/memorabilia and the answers has varied .From birth to early adult hood parents generally capture, record and store memories of their offspring’s journey through life. I.e. First birthdays, first day at school, family gatherings, family holidays etc. As young people make the transition into adulthood , I’m finding that there is a tendency to start collecting their own memories which would include first concerts , autographs , love letters ,valentines cards etc. All first experiences without your parents and they generally develop from there. Through the transparency of Facebook and other social media platforms is there less of a need to collect object but instead record images through digital photography,

PREVIOUS RESEARCH

I have started collecting research on my online Blogger. I have briefly been looking into the phycology of why people collect but I would like to research this much further when the actual module begins. I have also looked at social media examples of the digitalisation of our memories through Facebook, Twitter and Instragram. Pervious to this advanced research strategies module I have had other projects with similar traditional vs. digital themes so I have a basic concept on some theory’s for example Roland Barthes, camera Lucida will be massively influential during my research stages .

GENERAL METHODOLOGY

I will be conducting this project like every other; I feel I have a work method that works. Alongside my final series of images and possible short films I will be keeping an online blog for all my research and developments. I intend to for this module keep a hand written reflective daily diary  that I can submit separate to the blog so I can hand in a physical and a digital all based around the subject at hand. I will spend set hours on library research, online research; blogging and development which will be pre-determined in my break down weekly planner (see blogger or print out). Then I will schedule time for test shoots, development shoots, post production (Photoshop), printing, framing and hanging.

QUALIFICATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS

 So far at this stage I don’t envisage any restrictions. Even though I will be using my own family as subjects I will still need to complete model release forms.  I have kept this project purposely close to home to avoid restrictions and so the module can run as smooth as possible. I feel like my family will be reliable and willing to help in any which way.

SPECIALIST NEEDS  - EQUIPMENT ACCESS, WORKSHOPS, TRAINING ETC

I currently own a canon 60D but I will be looking into borrow a better camera from university to conduct this project preferably the canon mark D Just so I get the best possible quality image and video. I will also be looking into borrowing some voice recording equipment form the music or film departments so that I can conduct a clear interview with my subjects over their belongings.  No special needs , workshops or training needed at this stage.

INITIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY: BOOKS & REASONING

Roland barthes- Camera Lucida

Susan Sontag – On photography

Ian Jeffreys – Photography a concise history

Thomas Hillard – Places to go, People to see

Damian Sutton- Photography, Cinema, Memories

Train your gaze – Rosewell Angier