Criterial Review

I chose to explore a theme can be described as a true objective documentary work but for me the work became subjective work with a subtle reflection of myself. At first, i naïvely thought that i work would take the shape of a traditional objective documentary work such as Walker Evans but as my work developed i realised that i had the opportunity to create something more than that. A work that looked like an objective work but had a personal and intimate connection and create a familiarity that connected the viewer. Through my previous projects, i have been able to develop the skills i need to produce a well rounded project although i am still learning and likely always will be.

Key practitioners who have influenced my work have been Alec Soth and John Spinks. Throughout this project i have referred their work, particularly 'The New Village' and 'Sleeping by the Mississippi' to create a focused and meaningful project. They also helped me to justify my use of film as they both use large format cameras which create beautifully soft work but also create a deeper meaning to their work.

Using the medium format camera was a big step in my photographic education as it allowed me to learn a new skill whilst overcoming technical problems . Most of these issues were ones created by myself however such as not using the correct settings on the Mayima however these mistakes they allow me to develop a deeper understanding of exposure and how to control light such as using the light meter. Through learning from these mistakes and be patient with my work i have become a stronger photographer and created a fulfilling project.

Looking back at my project and project concept, i feel that i have largely kept to concept but also allowed it to develop and take on new meanings. As a have previously mentioned, i feel that at the beginning of this project i was naïve as to how much meaning my project could have but after looking into practitioners such as Spinks, i took advantage of the possible depth of my work introducing theory such as Erving Goffman to underpin it.

If i were to continue this project an develop it further, i think that it would interesting to revisit Hamworthy in five, ten or fifteen years time to see how much it has changed and redocument it whilst look back at the past. This will allow a new light to shine on Hamworthy in the way that Stephan Shores photobook ' Uncommon Places' has. This, i hope, will create a real and true feeling of what it is like to be a part of a small community such as Hamworthy in which others can relate to.

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