To avoid my worse fear and main weakness – contact hospices and charities, I made a list and looked at the variety of research instead.
As we where asked to create a short presentation of the work we have done so far, I started to think about the plan B, if I cannot get myself to ring these hospices. I really hoped that there is a way around that, something else I can start to do.
Also the worry of writing the Project proposal was in the back of my mind.
The presentation included list of hospices, charities, organisations and other. The list is impressive in terms of the amount of help people can get in Hull. Therefore there is a chance that someone will not think I am being disrespectful and will allow me to collaborate with them.
There was a few interesting findings.
This seems like the best contemporary source for the subject matter.
Colin Gray as one of the main inspirations. His photographs are an interesting perspective to include very painful personal experience and produce such story-telling photographs.
Walter Schels and his portraits of people before and after death.
Graveyards
Hospitals
Abstract and surreal.
Sophie Calle and her still life photographs of what people left behind in the hotel rooms.
Framed memories and sentimental items.
The conclusion of the scroll through my quick research was that there are options to explore the subject matter and it can be diverse.
The next step was the group critics.
I was feeling slightly nervous, but excited to show that it is not just me being obsessed with death and funerals, peoples life.
Few points from group critics:
- Funeral crashing, end ceremony and celebration is a good material to photograph.
- Need to contact places researched and more important – find the right way how to approach them.
- Stories of people and families told through photographs.
- memorial objects – photos, items, clothing, hobbies, achievements.
- Odd [this is a strange note in my note book – is there anything odd in my project?]
- Discover how differently people deal with death.
- Remember that you don’t have to reveal every bit of information. For example, tell people, that you will be doing a memorial book, but also take images for your own project, using Dench or Parr’s style.
The Group critics helped me a lot, the ideas bounced about the room and that is a step forward in this trick project I have chosen.
ANETE SOODA PHOTO 