Overall, I think the feedback was positive, but some areas needed to be addressed. One key point that seems to be a reoccurring theme for me is remembering to reflect on each situation and not just expecting my audience – in this case the final assessors, to understand where I am coming from and the journey I have made to get there. I don’t find this aspect easy as I often make decisions and analyse issues relative quickly and don’t always document my thinking. Looking back and thinking through my processes may improve my approach in future.
Learning to adapt to the ever-changing environment post COVID has been part of my journey through this degree and the final modules. The lockdown here in New Zealand was a major advantage to me as it was just after the start of BoW and CS and I’d managed to complete a number of initial photo sessions and so my project was set, but that didn’t mean I didn’t have to make changes and decisions around other aspects of my project, such as the introduction of the book as a submission for assessment rather than prints and the change of location for my exhibition for SYP.
When planning the exhibition, I had originally thought about the Arts Museum that I had previously exhibited at both with a fellow local photographer and through the local camera club. I had the contacts and so an approach was made and accepted, but I also planned for a backup at a gallery that just focused on local artists. Here I planned to just exhibit platinum and palladium prints. The site was small and so the cost would not be as high as I would just produce fifteen handmade platinum and palladium prints.
Alternative printing techniques has been an interest of mine for many years, having my own darkroom I have experimented over the years, but this project has really enabled me to explore the technique of platinum and palladium more. Traditional B&W silver gelatine printing and now digital has always been the realm of documentary photography and although the tones for platinum and palladium are monochrome, they are a lot warmer in tone but still retain the principle of social documentary and I felt that they lend themselves more to my project. I also wanted to look at a technique that was potentially as old at the community’s history.
The collaboration elements have brought their own challenges, but I have enjoyed working with others and discussing my project and ideas. Through these discussions other ideas have been considered and I have documented them and either incorporated or dismissed. I think I was extremely lucking when I contacted and started working with Jim Graydon as the writer for the foreword for my book, mainly due to the fact that he had already experienced the area and had research the people of Ngawi and was equally as passionate about the place as I was.
Working with fellow students was a very different experience. The student who was more my age seemed to understand deadlines and the need to respond so that went well, the other I was hanging around but also planning for alternatives if it did not happen. I had enjoyed the exchange and forming networks, but not the unknown, would something turn up? But as I had planned for things well in advance, so I had lots of time to change my approach if the collaboration work was not successful or did not fit with my narrative.
The use of the maquette was something new to me and a technique I will use again in the future. Creating the space and being able to place the images in a 3D model allowed me to explore different styles and approaches to the narrative of my project. I explored the on-line virtual tools but found the feel too artificial and sometime very frustrating to move images around, with the physical space I could simply pick and place.
After trying several different styles, I did finally select on the more traditional approach which ensured that regardless of where you started in the gallery the narrative of place, male v female was always maintained. The use of the simple black frames contains the image so that it can be seen as a standalone narrative and hopefully sold, but it is not too large to hinder the viewer from seeing the link between the images on either side.
As an exercise it was suggested I look at key words that would describe my BoW compared to the final project I have created for SYP. These could be the same of course but as the project has grown there may be changes. The following table details my initial thoughts:
| Key words for BoW | Key words for SYP |
| Rural | Place |
| Community | Community |
| Mental Health | Space |
| Suicide | Gender |
| Art therapy | Gentle |
| PhotoVoice | Tough |
| Social documentary | Resilient |
| Supportive | |
| Isolation | |
| Protective | |
| Welcoming |
An interesting exercise and it simply shows how the work has changed from one considering mental health in rural environments to actually finding a community that is strong and supportive, that deals with what life and the environments throws at them and are also willing to welcome others in provided they are prepared to work towards the community.
Michele Usher 