A New Life: Stories and Photographs from a New World is an opportunity to explore how we feel at the moment.
We’re all in different situations. For many, this new life is anxiety-inducing, for others, nothing much has changed and for a few things got better.
How this new life has affected yours?
From adopting new habits, to working in different ways, and affecting our relationships with friends and family we cannot deny that the world around us has not changed.
The purpose of this assignment is to look at our lives in the present moment with its good and bad sides and think about our hopes for the future.
To help you in your storytelling we are going to explore documentary photography.
What's Documentary Photography
Documentary photography is a style of photography that depicts historical events as well as everyday life, people, objects, places and is often used in reportage.
The photographer becomes an eyewitness to what is happening in society.
In 2017, I worked as a care worker in Newham. It was the most difficult job I have ever done. The working conditions and salary were so bad that I decided to stop after three months. But then I wanted to show the reality of the job by making a photo documentary.
In February 2018, I contacted hundreds of care agencies but only one accepted to let me document the work of their care workers as well as the elders they were looking after for my project The Care Factory.
How to Create Powerful Images
Femmes by Martine Franck
“Taking a portrait of someone – be it man or woman – starts with a conversation.”
If you ask someone to take their portrait and they refuse, ask them if you can take a photograph of their hands.
Because it is more difficult to take interesting photos of hands-only try to create a juxtaposition by placing the hands on something that is meaningful.
Martin’s picture was taken at the Tactile gallery at the Louvre museum. It tells a story and the juxtaposition between the hands and the sculpture is intriguing and mysterious.
The photograph is powerful because there’s emotion, and the caption is very important has it gives context to the picture.
“It is important for me to try and catch the person when they are listening or when they are in a pensive mood or have forgotten my presence. I rarely ask a person to pose for me as I prefer that they reveal themselves as they wish. For me the eyes and the hands are most important and when possible I like to use natural light.”
To create a more engaging photo give context to your subject by choosing a background that is related to it and fill the frame with it.
Look for geometry and patterns to create more dynamic images.
“I feel concerned by what happens in the world…. I don’t want to merely document; I want to know why a certain thing disturbs or attracts me and how a situation can affect the person involved.”
Photograph what matters to you. Show empathy for your subject and be compassionate. A good photographer is not only an observer but an active changing force.
Hand gestures will make your photographs more interesting.
It’s playful, conveys emotion, and tells a story.
If your subject feels uncomfortable in front of a camera, ask for hand gestures. It will create movement, surprise, and most importantly they will relax.
For example, you can ask them:
- “I love your hat – where did you get it?”
- “Can you show me your glasses?”
“A photograph isn’t necessarily a lie, but nor is it the truth. It’s more of a fleeting, subjective impression. What I most like about photography is the moment that you can’t anticipate: you have to be constantly watching for it, ready to welcome the unexpected.”
Be mindful of the present moment and opportunities will arise naturally. And don’t worry if your photograph are blurry as long as they have an emotional impact.
Dorothea Lange and the Art of the Caption
Dorothea Lange is best known for images of the Depression-era America which capture the plight of sharecroppers, displaced farmers and migrant workers in the 1930s.
Combining art and documentation, she produced beautiful, moving, and campaigning images, developing her signature style of photography.
Combining art and documentation, she produced beautiful, moving, and campaigning images, developing her signature style of photography. Forming a personal relationship with her subjects, her images were accompanied bycaptions which relate information gleaned from her conversations with them.
In this way, she thereby considerably enriched the informative quality of the visual archive and produced a form of oral history for future generations.
Show the negative and positive side
The pandemic was an opportunity for me to support my community with my photography courses. As a result, I met fantastic people who shared their personal stories. It helped me grow as a photography facilitator and on a human level.
On the other hand, it makes me feel anxious when people don’t wear their mask in the tube, or in shops as it is very simple.
The New Life Assignment
Shoot & share three photographs of your new life with a short text.
Tips:
- What makes you feel anxious about the current situation?
- Is there anything positive in your new life?
- How your daily routine has changed?
- What are your hopes for the future?
Have fun!
Pierre