Photo-narrative

Back to school and back to work! We have two modules this semester; one the academic, written one; and the other is 'Visual Narrative'. The intro was yesterday, but we had our first workshop today ... its nice to be back doing stuff :)

Anyways, so, the task for today was to go off with our digital cameras and take a series of 10 photographs. If possible trying to think of a narrative, but not absolutely essential. I went wondering off by the old rail tracks by the harbourside and here are my 10 photos:


We then headed back to the studios to print those photos and then go on to try and develop some kind of narrative with them. It didn't have to be a linear narrative, but mine seems to have ended up that way. We could enlarge, reduce, cut bits out, do whatever really with the photos (having access to a photocopier) that helped tell the story. This is how mine stands at the moment (click to enlarge).

I shouldn't have to explain it but ... stroll; train racks, distracted by found objects; running people .... erm the rest I leave to your gory imaginations ;)

We've been told to go away and have a 'dialogue' with the work over the next few weeks. Hang it up on a wall and then go back and see every few days how we might change/improve it.

It was good fun doing this - a quick and easy way to make up stories - by taking what you have in front of you and just trying to make connections. I'm always scared of doing narratives as I always tell myself "I don't know how to write a story!", but this excercise reminded me that I don't need to be a genius plot-writer, just simple observation can sometimes lead to all manner of things :)