Studio reflection – Uses of Photography by Luis Barra
As I was fairly new to photography, coming from a film background, I wanted to explore many uses of photography in my work while engaging the audience in a strong narrative to keep them engaged. To tell Carla’s story, I used several styles of photography such as portrait, urban and studio photography and my intention was to link each method with a different element of Carla and her dancing, for example using the urban setting for Carla the Woman, and using the studio setting for Carla the Artist. It was also important for me to construct a narrative, such as Carla preparing herself for a performance and explore concepts of femininity and dance. I outlined these concepts and narrative before I started the shoot, in order to frame my work along those guidelines. I think this helped to inform the types of shots and locations I wanted to capture, and I was able to give Carla some directions and ideas without dictating too much. I hope the viewer enjoys Carla’s dancing and can see her talent, but that they also gain an insight into dance as an art-form and Carla’s personal connection with her craft.
If I were to continue working on the project, I would have liked to make improvements to the technical qualities of imagery captured at the live dancing events. As these were shot in private venues, I was limited in the amount of lighting I could use, for example I was not able to use a flash as this would be distracting for the guests of the event. If I was able to improve the lighting quality of this content would be something I would continue to work on. On a conceptual level, I can see this work developing into a documentary style film work. Carla has such a strong connection between herself and her dancing, which she both performs and speaks to. I feel I was able to show Carla as a strong determined woman and if I were able to develop this further, I would like to show how she inspires other women, for example when she teaches dancing classes or performs in group shows. For the project on its smaller scale, it was best to focus on Carla, however if I were to expand it, I think it would be interesting to see her relationships with other dancers and her impact on the wider community.
As part of our Studio:
The work Cine Canton, by Ricky Chen: I thought successfully explored different uses of photography. Overall, Chen’s work had a very cinematic style, playing with light and composition to create a strong concept. Although the narrative did not focus on a specific person, like in my own work, the urban subject matter and discovering a city was a very relatable idea. The sequence and composition were strong, complemented by graphic text and backgrounds that were relevant to the urban landscapes. The variety of shots, from wide cityscapes to close-ups referenced the scale and layers of a city, this was a very clever method to communicate the concept.
Ruby Amoore’s work, A series of uncomfortable events, was such a unique project and very different to my own. Amoore used a more editorial, studio-style of photography and shot all images using similar constraints which helped to reinforce the idea of a series. The subdued colours, lighting and compositions have a nostalgic feel of vintage advertisements. However, the quirky subject matter combined with pastel backgrounds, makes something a little odd, or as the title suggests, uncomfortable. I think it was very clever to approach this concept with clear constraints and guidelines in order to create a series, even though each image was different. This was a fun and quirky project that left me with a smile and wanting to know why.
In the Reel to Real studio, I was drawn to the work Ruby, by Sarah Menegon which follows the story of Rubina Peters and explores the topic of arranged marriages. This was not a topic I knew much about previously, which was interesting, but I also enjoyed how personal the story is and how connected we feel to Ruby. Similar to my own work, the film focuses on one person and although they are telling different stories and subject matter, I feel they are both very personal works. The film uses natural, candid interview style footage that helps us to connect with Ruby and I found myself feeling like I was in conversation with her, this was a very engaging style. The juxtaposition of relaxed footage at Ruby’s home against photos and videos of her traditional family life, highlighted the differences of culture and tradition within the story.
