Next image in my new series; going to shoot some more this week in outdoors environments to make my series a coherent piece!

My two new self portrait images for my latest university assignment which I have based around me and my emotions.
Any feedback would be helpful!

This term hasn't been a good one for me in terms of university work; I've lost all motivation to do work and have found myself in my own little motivation and emotionless bubble but these last two weeks I will pull it all back together. 
Due in two weeks:

• visual practice assignment
• 2500 word essay 

Once those are handed in that's my first year done and dusted with. 

For now, here's one of my images for my visual practice assignment which I've chosen to do as self portraits. 

Taken from my phone, this image is suppose to represent me coming through from a 'dark' time and breaking into the light and finding myself again. I need to produce more images which represent different emotions still and create them in a similar style. 

Today I had a small talk on the European Exchange part of my course which happens in my second year of study which I am extremely interested in doing! If I did make it onto the programme I could live in the country of my choice anywhere from 3 months this a year.

Three institutions I am interested in going to are

• Academy of Fine Arts Poznan, Poland
• Fachochschule Dortmund, Germany
• University of the Arts Bremen, Germany

My next step is to research further into each of these institutions, the cities and create a personal statement and portfolio which I can give to my university that'll show my interest in applying for the programme! I need a first and second choice university.
Ideally I'd like one of the institutions in Germany but I will have to cross my fingers and see what happens.


I have also received my questions for my critical practise module this term and I have to produce a 2,500 word essay on.

Questions I feel I would be able to answer the best are:

1. Produce an interpretive encounter with a photograph making use of the concepts presented in lectures and seminars.

2. Is the purpose of documentary photography to persuade or to record? Consider this in relation to two documentary images of your choice.

3. Outline Szarkowski's Formalist program for photography and refer to specific photographs and photographers. Discuss the problems of Formalism and again refer to specific examples.

My next plan after this will be to write down miniature structures to each of the questions, see what texts and notes I already have on the texts that link to the questions and see then which would be the easiest afterwards.

There is nothing as mysterious as a fact clearly described.

Garry Winogrand

This is the starting point for my next visual practise module so with this in mind, I've been out and have taken a few rolls of film to see what I could come up with.

My aim was to go out and take photographs around Basford recording 'facts clearly described'.

 

 

 

Once these have all been checked over with my tutor, I will be hand printing them in the colour darkroom and hopefully using them towards my final selection of images. My next step is to return to Basford with a camera, some film and a 50mm lens to take more photographs and also work on some research looking at the likes of Walker Evans and William Eggleston.

I've been back at university two weeks this term and already I've had to do a presentation on a chapter based on photography as art in my critical practise seminar which took up the whole two hours. Even though I did critical practise in college, I'm beginning to enjoy it a lot more now at university; reading about different views and movements in both photography and art.

I've also been set my next assignment for my reps and cons module so I will do a proper update once I have images to show for it!

The first term at university has gone really well!

In my critical practise module I got a low 2.1 in the grading criteria being covered in my presentation; not bad considering I had to go first in a group of 14 people and in my visual assignment I got two high 2.1 and a low First in the 3 criteria being covered.

I got described as having a 'good work ethic' from my sketchbook; staying awake from the Wednesday at 10:30am and not sleeping until 2am on the Friday seems to do me well so I can't complain! I want to try and improve my work ethic though from having to collect all of my research then putting it together in the end on a mad all-nighter and to try and put in a sketchbook as I go along so I'm not in a manic rush to get it all done.

I am now back in Peterborough and I'm planning on starting a new project based around tragedies which have happened in Stanground, where I live, to keep myself motivated. I'm tempted to do this on colour film too so I can use the colour darkroom!  

Other updates:
My student finance has at long last been sorted and money they owe me has been paid, so hopefully it's smooth sailing now.
My theory test for driving has been booked for the 27th of this month and my instructor thinks I'm ready to be put in for my practical once my theory's been taken!
I also have accommodation next to sorted for next year and I shall be living with 4 other photography students; 1 in my year and the others currently in the second year.