Through this activity I learnt that our sensitivity to noticing something can be improved, as explored in John Mason’s reading.
By intentionally telling myself I would notice graffiti over the next day I was more likely to pay attention to what I saw in my surroundings. Additionally, recording the graffiti as I noticed it allowed me to use a heightened form of noticing, as it involved physically capturing what I saw through videos.

I found while completing the activity that while the majority of graffiti I found was located on walls or the footpath, I found an abundance of graffiti in unconventional places. The tree that had been vandalised struck me as unusual as it was a piece of nature, unlike a lot of the walls and flat surfaces I had filmed. It made me realise that there is a lot that I don’t notice in my daily life or pass by without a thought.

When filming I attempted to depict my subject in a unique and interesting manner. By using both static and moving shots, I wanted to portray my subject in a unique way that was interesting to watch. I also found it difficult not to focus on framing each shot as I filmed rather than focusing on noticing my surroundings impartially. I think my videos capture to some extent what I set myself to notice- I would have liked to record more videos to capture the diverse nature of the subject, such as graffiti in classrooms or in my neighbourhood. I feel that this would have added another layer of depth to my project work.

I feel that my work also responded to the criteria of nonfiction media as it is based in reality, and has not been altered to look unrealistic. It also does not include any elements of fiction such as imaginary characters or events. I attempted to depict the world as I perceived it, as the David Shield reading emphasises the importance of reality and how it is documented.

Two questions that evolve for me about noticing and nonfiction through doing this work are:
– How can I make my work a diverse depiction of reality, with nonfiction in mind?
– What can I do to further attune my sensitivity to notice?