Statutes Fair

On Tuesday I went out to photograph the Statutes in Burton. I headed out before the stalls and rides had opened. As soon as I went out I saw an elderly lady struggling to get past one of the large rides. I could see her coming down the street looking fragile and small compared to these large bright attractions, she was clearly a local continuing a weekly routine trying to navigate her way around these obstacles. I saw her reach for the handrail and took the shot.

I was very much walking around the fair and observing what was going on, looking for interesting things that could possible happen or were taking place. It was quiet in the town but I saw a group of school kids heading towards me. I was stood next to a trailer full of sweets. I thought something may happen. They stopped to admire the sweets and this one child just stood and stared at me. I suppose it would make more sense if the kid was the other way around, facing the sweets.

I always seem to be drawn to taking photographs that are packed full of detail and reflection give so much detail and create interesting photographs.

This final photograph I took was a portrait, which is completely different to all the other photos I took. I looked at my photographs and that of the other students and I didn't feel that mine had any strength to them. The only thing that grouped them together was that they were all taken at the fair.

If you looked at some of these photographs on there own, you wouldn't think they were about the fair at all. When I went out to take these photos I was not thinking anything about trying to group the photos together, I wasn't thinking of a meaning to them. I'm sure if I had gone out and taken loads of photos I could have picked 5 out that had the same underlining meaning or feeling but that shouldn't be the way it works. In professional practice that may not be possible.

I think that during the college course I took photographs and then thought about them afterwards, what they meant and why I took them and then went out to re-shoot.

I have clearly done that again with these photos. I'd like to try and work the other way, to go out with an intention of knowing exactly what I want to photograph and getting it, for when we are given such short deadlines.

This could be why I have found myself struggling with ideas for the book. I'm aware it's a short deadline and I've been thinking too hard about, worried that all the photos I take are not so good or not knowing what to do with them. Instead I should be photographing and then process them in order to get the idea.