Due to the fact that I have only been able to visit Ireland once since the start of the term due to the fact that I haven’t been able to book time off of work, there hasn’t been much progress in terms of the photographic elements. Instead it seems to be a case of going back through the images that I have taken already and seeing if I can apply the newly settled themes for them to hopefully elicit a different reaction.
Show above is one of the images I have displayed at the crits. The developing themes and concepts were tied more into traditional Irish landscapes, acting as a placeholder for wanting to shoot Western Ireland. The intent behind the imagery, at the time anyway, was to capture more rural locations so that it could then be compared directly to imagery of Ireland's cities, which have experienced a massive economic boom in terms of architecture and culture in the last 10-20 years. The aim behind this was to show how Western Ireland stuck more closely to that concept of a ‘traditional Ireland’ by having rugged, natural terrain side by side with these new post modern forms.
Whilst I think that the photo is quite visually pleasing, it is part of a project that asks to demand more from its photos in terms of what they are trying to convey and I think that at this current point in time, the photo whilst working on a technical level, lacks the connecting themes that would strengthen its inclusion in my work. This isn’t to say that the image is completely useless though, as seeing how strong this and other photos like it came out after getting them developed, it did act as the catalyst for where I want to take the project in terms of the pilgrimage paths, as I want to take photos in a similar vein, I just need to be less carefree with the shooting process next time and apply a bit more of a methodical approach with what I actually intend to shoot
Alongside this photographic development, feedback from lecturers also highlighted the vastness of the original concept. It ultimately felt like too large of a task to handle that could have taken me in any manner of directions. Not to mention as well, that the idea of Western Ireland being more ‘traditionally Irish’ is a completely subjective opinion that belongs to me, as it is a place that I have never actually visited, so I could have gone and argued this point only for it to actually be shown that my opinion was completely wrong. In the end, although the lecturers didn’t say it, I think trying to argue that mindset would have actually come off more as ignorant rather than trying to offer an enlightening opinion.