Final Project for Summer Intermediate Photography

My final project for the summer evolved into something totally different from what I originally thought it would be.  Part of the reason for the change was that my daughter didn't want to be in the photographs this time... I think she was a little tired of the weekly photo shoots.  She held still for a few pictures, but then was off to find something more interesting to do.  After all, her cousin was staying with us for the week.  I then spent an afternoon driving around the countryside looking for interesting scenes to create a background for composite photographs like Maggie Taylor creates.  I spent the next two days photographing anything I thought might be interesting subject matter, and also began working on the composites.  While I did make some interesting backdrops, nothing was coming together for the subject matter.  I was really running out of time.

When I went to class, I told Wendy, our instructor, of my difficulties with my project.  Wendy showed me the work of Barbara Jo Revelle who made an exhibit with every photograph she had ever taken of her family, unedited and also included scans of her children's toys.  Wendy said that you can capture the essence of a person through their belongings.  I went home and started collecting all of my daughter's stuffed animals, and after taking the laundry off the clothesline, thought it might be interesting to string the animals up on the clothesline.  Interesting, but still not what I was looking for.

It wasn't until I was driving to class the day before I was scheduled to print for the final critique that it hit me what I could base my final project on.  I decided to show who my daughter was through the things she left behind.  The toys in the sink, her bath mess, the paintings on the walls, the plate with her sandwich crusts from lunch....I also scanned her hair, her favorite rubber boots, and her favorite companion, George.

I think this project was probably one of my most successful yet, and  I think the concept behind the project is probably what made it successful.  In the past I have been skeptical as to whether I wanted to show any part of my house-I mean, we have five kids- our house is messy and always a work in progress.  I wasn't sure I wanted to show our bare cement floor in our bedroom, but I did anyway.  Our bathroom is in desperate need of an update... oh well.  After the years of me in school and the bad economy, we are lucky to have a house at all.  Maybe my new perspective will help me create stronger work in my classes to come.  We'll see.  All I know is that real life is interesting- and at our house, definitely not glamorous!