Brief overview to Nick, Jim and Shawn and a progress review from all three tutors.
NICK:
When I spoke to Nick previously we talked about the way in which I could make the physical contact between my brothers more uncomfortable and create more tension. Therefore I directed my brothers to touch each others faces and make the contact more intense. Nick felt that the most recent work contained a lot of tension, almost showing separation between my brothers and a discomfort in them being asked to hug, and touch each others faces.
Nick suggested I think about the way I feel in-between shoots, the way that I feel when I am back in Brighton but not in an organised shoot setting. The way in which photographers such as Tereza Cervenova shoots places or objects in order to convey messages or ideas about her person experience of situations.
Nick also felt that the photographs were stronger compared to the moving image. He felt the moving image was too literal, that the themes and messages could be too easily interpreted through the piece of work and the way in which I feel could be represented in a different way, through objects, places and not just a literal framing technique.
PROGRESSION THOUGHTS: Perhaps I could go and shoot back home, and look more at my surroundings, I could walk to places we used to live, old schools, parks, or places of interest. Be more patient and wait for moments around those places that could make me feel a certain way. Go for a walk to Dads old house, or places where a lot of things happened between my brothers and myself, have a think about the way I felt at those times and the way I feel now.
JIM:
Jim had not seen the work I had made so far, but was very interested in the portraits on the beach of the two boys, particularly the dead on portraits of them and thought that they could work well at a diptic, perhaps with an image of an embrace next to/ alongside them. He really liked my breach embrace portrait that was off centre, however had an issue with the depth of field (think about this technique, is there a reason you use it? Open up to 5.6 so you have more freedom with focusing).
Jim also noticed aspects of subtlety in the photographs that I had no noticed, such as the way in which Rowan furrowed his brow more than Jack naturally, he seams to have a harsher face and Jim articulated that this makes him seam more emotional (think about this, very interesting). He also noticed the way in which Rowan holds Jacks face in comparison to the Jack holding Rowans – his hands are held tighter, so jacks skin puckers more, you can tell that he is the older brother. (Nick also made a comment on this – v v interesting power dynamic that they may not even be aware of, an actual physical representation of dominance). Perhaps this type of subtle aspect would be interesting if i was also being photographed in this way, they are both older so what is the power dynamic there?
PROGRESSION THOUGHTS: Embrace shirtless, having even more discomfort, but also honesty and vulnerability involved. Having them turn around and face away from the camera, looking at the back of their heads. Continuing to involve myself, but more deeply, having my own face squished, having myself topless like them? Think about this.
SHAWN:
Shawn had not seen the work before so I gave him a brief overview of the relationship I have with my brothers and what I am trying to do with the work. He was very enthusiastic about the moving image piece, and was speaking about how I am going to present the work, saying that is it ready for exhibiting, to have it on three separate screens and not on the same one as a split screen. This was encouraging as I do feel that the moving image embodies a lot of the themes, perhaps there is another way to involve it/ another direction it could go.
Shawn really got me thinking about the power dynamic between me and my brothers, when I was speaking, I realised something:
“This is the first time I have ever been able to tell my brothers what to do, or control them in any way, before, I was just a powerless spectator, now I direct them and they do as they are told for that little window when we shoot.”
I hadn’t realised that that is what was happening. Shawn asked me what it was like in between the shoots and I realised that the dynamic goes back to normal, I am again the little sister and they the older brothers, but during the shooting window I am the one in control and they are the subjects. I think that this could be a very interesting thing to consider.
PROGRESSION THOUGHTS: Involving myself more, having more portraits with them squishing my face and seeing what kind of power dynamic that visually creates. Seeing how far I can push them, can I make them do something uncomfortable as I am in control when we are shooting? (Not revenge, just interesting) Perhaps get them to dress like me as I had thought before, or just get them to wear a dress to see how much I have the power behind the camera. Also consider how the dynamic goes back to ‘normal’ in-between shots.
PEOPLE TO LOOK AT/ READ:
Gillian Wearing: Dresses as her brother.
Johan Huizinga: Homo ludens – contextual research, about human behaviour and power dynamics.
Jamie Hawkesworth: Boys embracing photograph.
phoebebowdige.photo.blog 