Statement Of Intent

I have a passion for film photography and working in the darkroom, experimenting with techniques to create more atmospheric images. I want my images to evoke an emotional response and provoke questions in the mind of the viewer.

I am interested in photographing the process of the natural world reclaiming man made structures that once dominated their landscape. I like the idea of buildings and places once so full of activity now being gradually consumed by the nature. I also want to try to show atmosphere through my images, not just create a scientific document of the place but create a memory, try to convey how I felt when I was there.

Another important idea behind my photography is trying to be honest. I want to challenge preconceived ideas of places or people, change opinions and show the truth. For this reason, I believe traditional photography methods are more useful to my work. The historical idea that a photograph could be seen as evidence, an honest record of an event, has been undermined by digital photography and the post production tricks that we all take for granted now. This has broken the trust between the photographer and the viewer. I think traditional photography is perceived to have more integrity and sincerity.

The amount of time and effort and technical skill needed to produce a traditional print gives more value and artistic worth in my opinion, and makes it a work of art in its own right.

I am really looking forward to the opportunities that studying at degree level is going to give me, to improve my technical skills, and start experimenting properly with techniques. I want to develop a deeper understanding of current ideas in photography to enable me to reflect more deeply on my own work.