On my first feedback session I presented my idea for the Circular Narrative project: to show the start, development and breakdown of a relationship through the notes.
I must admit I really struggled to come up with an interesting idea for this project, and I wasn’t all that confident about this initially, but gladly people seemed to like it.
I thought it could start with a note to self as a reminder about a blind date. Then the next note would be the date’s number. Then a reminder about lunch with the person, then anniversary dinner, pick up test from clinic, first scan at pre-natal unit, collect wedding invitations… then pick up kids from “Footy Totz”/drop suit at dry cleaners, arrange appointment with divorce lawyer, custody hearing, finishing with the same blank note.
Together we analysed in detail the original image, where it could be set, also paying attention to creases etc.
Amongst other things, it was mentioned that the desk where the notes were could be in an office and that I could make it a work environment relationship. Or that I could place the notes on a fridge and have it as a dialogue between two people, instead of just “notes to self/reminders”. I thought that was a good idea.
I started to shoot my idea and showed these images to the group on my next feedback session:
I was very happy to hear that people thought the photo above was the actual image I received! Means it’s pretty similar, which was the idea!! 🙂
This time around, Lawrence joined our group, which was cool.
The main feedback this time was that the story I was trying to cover was too long, and therefore it would be more challenging to convey this extensive time passage. They suggested I kept the “relationship theme”, but that made it a shorter one.
With that in mind, I thought it over. I came up with two dialogues, one office based (of somebody joining a team, being asked out, going out, and becoming colder with the colleague after the weekend) and a relationship between a doctor and a musician, who struggle to spend time together as their professions have opposite times – and use post it notes to communicate at home.
I took some shots for the latter story and showed them on the following session. At that point, I was advised to stick with this story and discard the office one.
I was told only to keep this open fridge picture if planning to include other “interruptions”.
The feedback session was very helpful, and many good ideas were given. Some of the things I’ve been told included “the notes are placed too neatly, mess them around a bit”, “Human reference (hand writing note), you should have more or none”, “‘We need to talk'”, amongst others.
Another point I’d have to think about was how to link the office picture I took with the kitchen environment. I thought maybe I could include a kitchen utensil on the desk shot (to be my second image), which would hopefully make it look like it was shot in a kitchen..? Another option would be to re-shoot my first image in the kitchen – although I’d need to figure out the logistics to make it work, due to the physical space of that room.
You shall see the result on the next post! 🙂
Tchau!
Areas of Photographic Practice A 