I’ve taken a bit of a break from blogging due to settling myself into my course and along with it many new ways of thinking, thought processes, ideas and techniques. The greatest challenge hasn’t been taking photographs with film (90% of my images have so far turned out the way I wanted them to), developing isn’t too bad either, the problem challenge lies in the printing process; which for me has been more error than trial.

But none-the-less I’m enjoying everything about the course, especially the fact that through the majority of what has been said to me, I’ve found myself looking at photography in different ways. More than just taking ‘snaps’, I’m thinking much more about each shot, and planning further down the line the shots I want to take/make.

When I first stumbled across the work of David LaChapelle I thought of him as “just another celebrity photography” but hearing him talk about his life and work, made me understand that he is much more, and that there is so much more to taking photographs, and making them ‘art’.

The idea that much commercial photography may never be considered art, or at least to me, is now fine. As David said, “Work for magazines, do the commercial stuff; make money in order to do the art“.

LaChapelle’s work is incredible, the sheer amount of time and effort that goes into producing one image in itself has made me rethink what I do. Thanks to Pixie I had to the opportunity to hear him speak about this process, and how he got there. Amongst other things that have been stressed by my lecturers at this stage is to get to know other photographers. I spend my days looking at art, images, design and photographs, though generally not so much historical photographers. That won’t change too much to be honest, however, there is plenty of research to be done.

As LaChapelle said: “At one time, all art was contemporary“.

It’s odd being placed so out of my own comfort zone, re-learning, re-discovering, being placed with new people and attempting to make friends (which I find hard enough already) – and without sounding like I have an ego bigger than I should. And then there’s getting to know the lecturers; reading their books, Googling each in turn (and not resisting adding them to social networks), recognising their style, and what they might look for.

Thankfully we have been given opportunities to get to know each other, firstly through an overnight stay at Bushmills where were had a couple of talks, and also got to speak with Belfast-born Magnum photographer Donovan Wylie. That evening was spent in the pub, while, the following morning Donovan and the lecturers made breakfast in the self-service hostel for the dehydrated and poorly students.

I took took one photograph the whole 24hrs; one Donovan’s hands, with the pencil he has constantly clutched between his fingers, or behind his ear.

After 2 and a half weeks of adjusting to new things, it is beginning to come together. Where to go, not to eat in overpriced sandwich bar in the college building, and don’t bother waiting for the elevators; when they do eventually come, you’ll be squeezed into such an uncomfortably tight space you always wish you had walked anyway.

As well as slowly uncovering what is expected of me, much of which seems to be to read books (and, in many cases, reject the internet), look at the work of photographers (in books!) and get to know the life and times behind them and their work (for the history and theory knowledge at least).

As I embark on my first project, digital has been put on the back burner while all focus is put on film; online time reduced and time reading, making notes and working on my Research and Development Book (RDB) has been given priority, with added pressure not to produce pages that shout ‘I-know-this-is-being-assessed-so-here-is-my-fake-research’.

It’s strange going back to learning, my handwriting has only gotten worse, I have the attention span of a 2 year old, and don’t like the feeling of being ‘disconnected’ (eg, stuck in a library, staring at books with words older than me – a fault of the times I admit.

I plan to document my full progress through the course and its modules as time goes on.

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