Assignment 3: The (in)decisive moment

In order to show the Assignment with as little clutter as possible this assignment shows just the selected images together with some thoughts and reflection.

The research taken for this assignment is available on the blog post here.

My discussion on method, process, selection and other influences/research along with the bibliography can be found here.

Transient Kitchen Moments

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Head down, chopping, frying, baking, boiling, tasting, cleaning (sometimes). I rarely look properly, I never see. These images are moments where I tried to see – to stop what I was doing, to focus on something in front of me, pick up my phone and take an image.

After a short time of doing this I began to see more connections, more opportunities, my head started to wire itself differently when I was in the kitchen and so I started to see more. It was weird.

Are these decisive moments? Every image I took only had an opportunity to exist because I decided to take it at the precise time. They are everyday and they are banal. Some would not have been possible a few seconds later; a similar opportunity may exist tomorrow but not exactly the same.

It’s ok to hate these or ‘not get it’. I sometimes think the same way about some of them BUT each one was a moment where I looked and saw in detail what was in front of me and each time I did research into masters of the banal & everyday the more I began to enjoy what for me is a completely alien subject. The fear that these are just complete tosh is probably why it’s taken me so long to actually submit them – BUT if I can’t take a risk at this stage in the course then I’ll never improve my understanding of photography.

All images were taken with a phone on auto and have not been edited or cropped. Framing was something I tried to pay more attention to in this assignment – I didn’t always get what I was seeing but I tried harder to make the composition as close a replica as possible.

I was going to jot down my thoughts under each image as to what I saw or why I took it but I didn’t want to bog down the images or tell the viewer what to look at.

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Reflection

Overthought it. Thats the big one for me here. Although these were on the a face of it just snapshots in our kitchen, the thinking behind it was mentally challenging not least the ‘what have I done!!’ moments – it was great challenging myself to do something alien BUT I’m conscious that taking 6-8 weeks on this is way too long especially on the first year of the course. So next time DON’T overthink it.

I’ve started to include the assessment criteria now so each exercise will also reflect on these criteria which will also help me when it comes to assessment – or at least it should.

Assessment Criteria

LO1 demonstrate an understanding of photographic techniques and image
making

I think I’d score low on this assignment purely because of my decision to use the phone for the images. This was a considered choice though.

LO2 present a selected body of photographic work

I think the work fulfills the muddy criteria of the (in)decisive moment

LO3 develop and communicate your ideas as a photographer

I think my two blog posts on the subject give a clear explanation as to why I chose the path I did on this assignment and show how I have developed my knowledge and thinking. I am conscious that I do not perhaps show my ideas visually and tend to keep this stuff in my head. A note to work on this next time!

LO4 demonstrate a critical and contextual understanding of photography and
reflect on your own learning

Hopefully a strong point for me. I feel that I grow with each assignment and project and include information on how and why in my blog posts.