Evaluation - Minor Project

This project was so hard to get motivated on. I had no ideas and really no interest in the course anymore. If I’m completely honest that’s the same view I have after the project, although I am really happy with my outcomes and proud of my prints, I feel they have been produced to hit a target rather than out of passion and enthusiasm. This is a sad thought but it’s the truth.

Apart from the lack of inspiration, I also ran into many problems, both technical and also the direction I wanted to take my work. The main issue at the start was subject matter, this took many weeks and a lot of dead ends to come up with a subject matter that I felt I could work with and something I felt confident that I would be able to carry over such a long period of time. As well as problems surrounding the direction I was taking my work, I also had technical difficulties that included breaking equipment. This was a major upset and something that I feel really set me back. However I overcame these problems and managed to get myself back on track.

I did get some positives out of the minor project experience. My main goal was to start thinking more about my images especially when using film. I began slowing down, considering composition and style of the image. The aim for this was to make some really well presented contact sheet with the intent of making the contact sheets my final prints. Although this turned out not to be the case, I think by the end I really achieved this and I was creating contact sheets that where thought out, told a story and were well executed. I feel that this is a skill that I will be able to take on into my major project should I choose to use film.

Time management is something that I have considered a lot in this project, and often made changes to keep me on track so that I didn't fall behind. This is something I have struggled with in the past but feel I have really kept on top of throughout this project. I have been able to do this by making decisions such as not to print in the darkroom but instead scanning and sending the images to print. This really saved me time and helped me to get my final prints exactly how I wanted them in a much more time effective manner.

If I was to start this project from the beginning I think that I would have not spent so much time worrying about the subject matter, and instead taken a camera and just experimented and explored the contact sheet idea more. I feel that if I did this I would have found a subject matter from my exploration and been able to get straight into the minor project without the bumps at the beginning.

Overall I think that this project has been a real struggle for me, but at the same time a learning curve. I have discovered that I should express myself through my photography, and do what I feel comfortable with rather than trying to please others. By doing this I am building a style for myself that I like to work to and represents me.  I have found this to be the most self-directed project that I have done so far, and I really like the freedom and independence that I have had in the last 9 weeks. I hope to carry this over into my major project.