Everything is finally finished! Below are the series of 6 photos that depict a sense of being ‘out of place’ and discomfort associated with cultural ambiguity:
Image 6 – Culture Double Exposure
Image 5 – Bridge Expression
Image 4 – Perspective
Image 3 – Shadow
Image 2 – Cultural Irony
Image 1 – Out of place
Due to the nature of my project I had to plan each of my photos quite intricately and therefore did not need to take hundreds upon hundreds of different photographs to see what I wanted. I always had a rough idea of exactly what I wanted, and therefore just had to experiment until I got there.
Due to the nature of my project I need to take a lot of test photographs so that I can get a better sense of how to properly depict the desired feelings of feeling ‘out of place’ into my photographs. these were taken to try and capture things/objects that don’t quite ‘fit’ for a feeling of confusion and uneasiness. Obviously these are just experiments and will probably not make the final project! Below is a more in-depth analysis of some of them:
I like how the black bird in the background is somewhat overshadowed by the commanding presence of the sea gulls in the foreground. The black bird is obviously separate from the group, and this organic moment provided a good representation of some of the feelings I wanted to evoke.
Although not matching with my project exactly, I wanted to capture this moment due to the seperation the two peole have – one being bathed in sunlight, and the other in complete darkness
The heart shaped balloon is adrift amongst a crowd of an otherwise unaware crowd – I felt it did well to capture a sense of not belonging. If I were to have a black and white theme to my project I would grey out everything except for the balloon and make the red colour a lot more prominent. However, I do not which to undergoe black and white, and so for consistency decided not to here.
Just an experimentation with ‘out of place’. I used a large pebble and placed it on a bollard using a low depth of field, and having the sunset in the background illuminate it as a silhouette.
Both photographs here are obviously objects that do not belong in the environment they were photographed. I used a wide angle with a low depth of field to focus on the coins to highlight that they do not belong in this environment, and are consequently out of place.
Again, these are all just experiments for the initial plan to take images of general objects that do not belong. However, in future I aim to take more photographs using objects associtated with the cultures I intend to depict, as it gives the image more context and adds further meaning.
Below is a more in-depth plan for the set of 6 or so photographs I plan to take for my project, and are more than likely to change when undergoing test shoots!:
1: Something subtly out of place that evokes a sense of confusion/uneasiness in the viewer (undecided if cultural objects will be introduced at this stage
2: Something more obviously out of place (i.e. chess pieces on backgammon board etc) with subtle references to Turkish culture
3: introduction of culture in an out of place setting – using objects
4: Perspective shot of mini Turkish rug – introduction of my silhouette in the distance so it almost looks as if I am standing on the rug which appears to be full size (highlighting sense of distance/disconnect with the culture). The person will most likely be me (or at the very least represent me) but the identity will not be revealed at this stage (i.e. a silhouette)
5: Me closer to the camera in a typical British-type setting (maybe Cathedral – perhaps wearing/holding something associated with turkish culture).
6: Self-portrait double exposure – uncomfortable expression (perhaps looking down?) – background will be of something British (maybe cathedral, flap, big ben, cultural objects etc) – whereas superimposed on my face will be something very culturally Turkish. This will hopefully present a stark contrast and create tension to evoke a sense of how I feel.
My intention with this series of photographs is to subtly evoke a sense of confusion and uneasiness that slowly reveals itself to stem from my lack of cultural identity. The first few images will show things that ‘stick out’ and are obviously not quite right. They will be associated with cultural objects (i.e. Turkish and British) that hopefully will encompass this sense of being out of place. The latter half of the series will introduce me into the photographs and will gradually reveal at the end (with the double exposure portrait) the true reasons for this lack of belonging with a complete clash of the two cultures overlaid onto my own expression.
Research possibility for my final shot in the series of photographs
Below I have pasted the notes I made for my individual project presentation. It goes over the theme itself, how it has previously been represented and a somewhat solidified plan of action (that I will add to and improve later!):
Project Presentation – Cultural Ambiguity PowerPoint Slides
Project Presentation
Produce a series of 6 to 8 photographs that investigate ideas of representation and identity in relation to your cultural position in society.
What is the theme? – Cultural Ambiguity
Being a Turkish Cypriot who has spent his whole life in England, it has been difficult finding my footing in a set cultural identity. Therefore, when thinking of how I could best represent my ‘cultural position in society’ it dawned on me that this would be a difficult task – not being able to speak Turkish has created a disconnect with my culture which evokes feelings of ambiguity and discomfort. Similarly, despite spending my whole life here in England, I feel as equally disconnected to this culture which produces further feelings of this lack of belonging.
To capture this sense of ‘cultural emptiness’ I aim to create a series of roughly 6-8 photographs that can hopefully effectively encompass this uncomfortable sense of being out of place, by using abstract and representative imagery to illustrate a lack of a cultural identity.
How has it been previously represented/how do you choose to represent it?
Culture:
Out of place:
Plan of action
Camera Lucida is an insurmountably significant resource for any budding photographer. It goes into great depth about the three practices of photography (To do, To look and To undergo), how photography has transformed ‘subject’ into ‘object’ (and the irony that comes with this notion) and how the photograph is a “a cunning dissociation of consciousness from identity” among many other valuable facts/notions of photography.
Perhaps the most significant for me and my personal project though was how Barthes stated how photography can only signify by using myth, by letting something specific stand for something abstract:
“Society, it seems, mistrusts pure meaning: It wants meaning, but at the same time it wants this meaning to be surrounded by a noise” (p.g. 36)
This has proved to be invaluable information when preparing for my project, as the very nature of my intended photo series is to evoke an emotional discourse through abstract and representational imagery. This ‘noise’ can very well be a series of cultural objects shot in an unconventional manner to produce the desired feelings in the image. Similarly the photos’ punctum can also be achieved using me as the subject in relation to cultural imagery.
Barthes, Roland. Camera Lucida New York: Hill and Wang, 1981.
We recently learnt the proper ways of using and incorporating flash on the Nikon D7000 cameras. Though highly useful I will not be using flash photography in my project as it does not fit in with the project idea.
Method, techniques and teachings – street photography
Many of her photographs appear to be straight forward on the surface but as we look and begin to read it, underlying meanings are brought to the surface. For example Identical Twins (1967) this photograph that we have already seen in the reading ‘The Photograph’. When we talk about the photographers photographing what they see through their eyes and that a part of them is always within the photograph whether it be physically or revealing something about themselves within the photograph. An example of this is ‘A Family on Their Law One Sunday in Westchester’ (1969). Arbus was in a state of depression at the time this photograph was taken which comes through in the photograph. Such as, the separation of the parents and child playing away from them, the tense, distressed look of the father with his head in his hands .– Lucy Le Lievre, 2014
http://www.photokaboom.com/photography/pdfs/Diane_Arbus_1.pdf
Photography- Alpay Dedezade 
