A focus on what I want to achieve...Practice with my digital camera

All images are copyright of Emma Garton 2014

The above images were taken by myself during another visit to see my Nan (my Father's Mother). I feel these images are more successful than any I have taken so far this term, mainly due to the amount of research I have undertaken by this point. I now feel I understand exactly what I want to gain from my final exhibition images and my work is definitely heading in the right direction. I also now feel much more comfortable with my camera, particularly with using different shutter speeds and apertures for different effects. I feel these photographs are beginning to work well as a series and flow well in terms of contrast and colour balance- something I have learned technically as the term has progressed. I also feel that these photographs convey much more about the person in terms of identity than the others did before. Highlighting old family photographs and juxtaposing them with ones I have taken (as seen in Angela Kelly's work) I feel works extremely well because it gives the viewer a real insight into the subject's life and background. It is also something I feel most people can relate to as we all tend to have family photographs framed around the house. This creates a sense of nostalgia for the viewer and re-ignites memories of past events, as well as people who may no longer be around. I feel the quality of these images is much more improved compared to the ones I first produced at the beginning of the term too, and they are really beginning to form a series of work that I would be happy to exhibit to the public. I am particularly happy with the "still life" photographs within this series, mainly because it is something I have been experimenting with since the beginning of the term and as time and research has taken place, I have found that in order to convey a slice of my Nan's true identity, these are vital in showing her past and how time has changed her as a person. 

For my final images, I need to decide on whether or not I prefer an objective view in which my viewer can place themselves within the images or whether I want to make it a much more personal project. How do I feel about such open and front facing portraits in terms of how important a portrait is in giving a sense of identity? I think I want to perhaps show a completely ambiguous image instead, one that still emphasizes the relationship between time, aging and memories but at the same time gives opportunity for the viewer to really delve into my work and place themselves and their own life experiences and memories within it. I feel the portraits shown above don't give the viewer the opportunity to do this so I need to consider this when thinking about my final prints. I also want to focus much more on the idea of Found imagery as a way of challenging ideas about time and memory. I feel this is quite a unique and interesting way of dealing with these concerns and would make the work I produce much more interesting to look at from a viewer's perspective because it will make them want to know more.