Reeds 5
Reeds 5 – 2 votes – “I like 5, lots of ambiguity.”
Reeds 7
Reeds 7 – 1 vote – “I like 7 and the contrast in colours vs other photos (reeds light, water dark and the ripples.”
Reeds 11
Reeds 11 – 1 vote – “I like 11 very much with the sense of movement. What does 11 look like with more contrast?”
Personally, I like Reeds 3 and 10. In three I like the diagonal composition and the way the bulrushes curve as they blow in the wind. I also like the blur of the movement. I like the abstract nature of 10 and the shapes and reflections of the reeds.
Reeds 3
Reeds 10
My tutor’s feedback was as follows:
“These are beautiful Alison – and sensitive. You and your viewers will interpret the images personally – it’s very personal and with abstract images with no narrative it’s important you follow your instincts.
I’d ask you to consider the following…
Is there a narrative? A story of some kind – there often is. We talked a bit about Helen Sear in the tutorial and although she makes abstract art, her images are still about something – forests, how humans relate to trees, etc etc – (worth taking a look at).
Image by Helen Sear
Image by Helen Sear
What are you trying to say with your images?
In answer to this question I refer back to my previous post that said:
“My intention in this work is to give a sense of the stillness, movement, shapes, textures, light, shade, mood and character of Loch Cill Chriosd. I intend to revisit the water at different times of day, in different weather conditions and different seasons.” To elaborate further and in the context of my original Research Project Proposal it is about my experience of The Road to Elgol and so this work is about my experience of Loch Cill Chriosd. This brings me back to previous considerations about how I transfer and convey my experience and emotions through my imagery to my audience? For me this is crux of my work. From the comments I received I feel I had some success in doing that but need to work harder at that aspect of my work. So, what am I trying to say in my images? This is a beautiful place, mysterious, broody, sometimes threatening and often gloomy, dark and wet!
“Then… what do you want your audience to be thinking, or feeling when they look at your work – and how can you engage them in this way?”
This is a difficult question. I think I want my audience to experience the feelings I do, referred to above. I want people to say – yes this is what Skye is like – full of mystery and beauty – this is how I experience Skye too. It is not often like the super-saturated images available across the Island for tourists to take home. I hope to engage them through providing more realistic and emotive imagery.
I am travelling back to Skye this weekend and hope to spend some sustained time at Loch Cill Chriosd. I have written some notes/ideas in My Sketchbook:
- Take images at different times of day, in different weathers and different seasons
- Produce some colour images
- Use slower shutter speeds
- Use faster shutter speeds
- Take wider vistas
- Find new viewing points
As I have more time I am also going to pursue some other ideas:
- Views from my Window – documenting the ever-changing landscape outside the house
- Try out some ideas influenced by Hiroshi Sugimoto
- Try some Elina Brotherus-type images of me in the landscape
- Produce some videos of me working in the landscape and showing my working methodology
- Focus on getting my feelings and emotions into my work and across to the viewer
