Where to next? The last post was looking back, this post is looking ahead.
I'm thinking landscape at the moment. I'm mindful of...
- keeping things simple and succinct
- rural street photography
- environmental portraiture
- 'surrealism' in photography
- large format photography
- the Lakes landscape
- cliches
LANDSCAPE v PWDP
It's a toughy...I resented the 'genre' based nature of social documentary and no doubt I will have similar issues with 'landscape'. Here's where I'm at:
- My starting point was landscape...that is why I took the OCA route...I wanted to take photos of the Lakes that didn't look like all the others before them...
- The PWDP course seems to be more current, probably more fun to complete and in many ways more wide open.
- Large format photography doesn't necessarily sit neatly with PWDP.
- A number of projects I want to explore could be tackled within the landscape modules. I'm thinking Gursky, Epstein, Struth, Soth...
- The conceptual photography is an anomaly. I may carry out a couple of personal projects to satisfy this need if it doesn't 'slot' in to the landscape curriculum. See this post.
All being well, my Christmas present will be one of these two courses...
BLOGGING
I have enjoyed the blogging process hugely. Headline stats:
Pageviews: nearly 10,000 (most of my own probably!!)
Most viewed post: Life's a Beach
Number of Posts: 163
- I didn't keep a paper logbook for this course which I did regret...more from the continued appeals from tutors than having a real need for one. I will keep an electronic and paper log for my next course.
- Blogspot has limitations. I want to explore building a website with integrated blog as a number of other OCA students have adopted.
- I do not want one blog for each course...I'm interested in the 'timeline' and the development from the beginning...not just each course...I think this approach will be interesting as a long-term retrospective.
MOTIVATION
I want to come back to this earlier post written in March this year where I considered four interrelated factors: motivation, satisfaction, expectation and success.
Having reached no conclusion then, I have tried to sum up my thoughts succinctly and fairly honestly here!!
What motivates me is the making and creating...what drives me forward is maximising the potential of 'me' and possible success therein. By success I mean recognition. Recognition by who or what will change depending on my stage of development. My expectations will inevitably outstrip my success by the nature of who I am. This expectation is my driving force and biggest critic. My destination is unknown...this frustrates and delights me in equal measures. I know I want to exhibit my work at some point. I am not ready yet...I think I will know when I am. The dis-ease is my own fear of failing, fluctuating confidence and becoming too focussed. The cure will continue to be enjoyment, perseverance and patience...
