NEW DIRECTION

After loosing motivation for taking photos for my project I decided to schedule in a meeting with my supervisor to chat about my ideas and previous work in this project to give myself a new direction and motivation.

I wanted to find a central theme/title to ground my project and give myself something to focus all my ideas around. Previously, my shoots, research and ideas have surrounded around the theme of capturing memory and nostalgia. I've been documenting my memories of my hometown and time spent with friends throughout these past few weeks.

From my discussion with my tutor and research afterwards I've decided that my new direction is focusing on 'what a memory is' and what classifies as one. I want to explore the idea of a memory and why we document them, which is evident in the previous shoots of done, during the summer when spending time with friends and the documentation of my hometown as well.

From this I will continue to document my memories, of my hometown, spending time with friends and family, as well as moving back to university and memories I make there.

To give my project a different layer I've decided to use different photographic technologies to represent different types of memory and nostalgia, with digital/iPhone photography to represent the now, memories that aren't usually lost. I want to explore the idea of the present memory, analysing the documentation of memory now, through our social media accounts and question whether they are real memories if we don't spend time away from the photo and just upload them straight away.

I will continue to use disposable cameras to represent the quick snapshots of memories that I've done previous research about. Capturing the fleeting memories that are less aesthetically pleasing and more to do with the memories and emotional ties. These photos will often include friends and family as we go about our day and stop quickly for a snapshot of the occasion.

I will use also use analogue photography to continue the nostalgic tone and quality. Although this may be similar to the previous, I will have more power and control over the quality of images I produce and will use this style of photography to represent the middle ground between digital and disposable cameras. Images that may be posed, but not too forced, still snapshots of time spent in places that spark my nostalgia, and with people I'm making memories with.

Each aspect of the different photographic technologies will make up the basis of my exhibition, with each different room/section correlating with the different type of memory we deal with in photography.

From now, I'm going to read up on memory and nostalgia in photography and what makes something a memory. I have planned a few shoots of places that spark nostalgia for me in my hometown before I move back to Leeds. As well as capturing photos when hanging out with friends (which is now allowed, up to 6 outside) as we enjoy spending time with each other after such a long time away.