Hero's Journey: Interim Critique

My group members liked the idea that I presented of creating a book for my photos in order to present a fluid storyline. They suggested that I bind the book with ribbon or string or in some other interesting way that would evoke the fantasy and fairytale that I am trying to capture in my photos. They suggested that I put the photos together in a way that creates a story that is easy to follow, and I plan to do a bit more shooting in order to fill the holes in my storyline. They also suggested that I begin and end the book with photos of the same object, so as to portray the circular nature of the hero's journey and to create unity to ground the story.

My Creative Practice

     Generally, the concepts that I tend to explore when creating compositions are related to the world around me and to the process of experimentation and discovery. I like to explore the natural world and photograph the natural world, but I also like to use Photoshop to manipulate natural elements and create a composition that is more complex and thought-provoking than a photo alone. Formally, I rely upon my use of Photoshop and I think that my use of line, color, and texture in Photoshop help to create my distinct style. I habitually draw lines on my photographs and use masking to superimpose photos upon one another. Also, I like to work with vibrant colors in an aesthetically pleasing manner. When taking photos, I tend to use a very open aperture because I love the way that a shallow depth of field brings out details that are otherwise difficult to see. I enjoy playing with focus and depth in my photographs. Moving into the rest of the year, I'd like to experiment a bit more with film photography and work on communicating conceptual intentions through photographs. I'd like to get to a place where I can take photos that instantly communicate a larger, more important message that I'm trying to get across. So, I plan to work on the methods that I employ to communicate my ideas to my viewers.

The Hero's Journey: Planning

For the upcoming storytelling project, I plan to move away from my use of Photoshop and instead shoot on location this upcoming weekend in a setting reminiscent of fairytales. I would like to find a wooded area or go to a lake or river to shoot these photos. I'll bring a friend or two with me who I will include in my photographs, and I will bring several objects that speak to the fairytale theme. I'm thinking of using a key, a watch, a clock, and any other antiquated objects that I can find and photograph in an interesting way. This week, I will spend time photographing objects that I can find in a variety of lightings and settings in order to figure out the type of compositions that I aim to produce in my series. I will also research several common fairytales, stories, and myths to see whether or not there is one particular story that interests me that I would like to use as inspiration for my series.