I have decided to research the work of Caleb Knipp. Caleb is an American photographer that is based in Japan. I have researched his project called ‘Hirose’.

Caleb’s ‘Hirose’ project mostly includes Landscape photography and is set on a farm which is very close to him as he is also an Organic Farmer. One photograph of Caleb’s that I like the most is his photograph of Bamboo Forest that is taken on the Natori side of the river (in the picture below). I like this photograph because I like the way that he has used the water to create a reflection of the trees. This has helped to give me the idea of using reflections in my photography.

Copyright: Caleb Knipp

Reference:

https://www.lensculture.com/explore?category_id=4&modal=project-34702-hirose

I have decided to change my project as I have thought of a project in which I feel more passionate about and have not had much time to photograph Brighton over Christmas holidays due to being at home. Therefore, my new topic is places in my hometown of fleet that I went to regularly when I was little.

For example, I will be taking photographs of the places that I went to during walks. I feel more passionate about this new project topic because it is more personal and allows me to take photographs of memories from my childhood.

As part of my research, I read the chapter ‘Selecting A Subject’ from the book ‘On being a photographer’ by Bill Jay and David Hurn. This chapter is presented as a conversation between Bill and David and talks about how they decide on their topic to photograph and what makes a good and engaging topic.

The key point that stands out the most in the chapter is when Bill Jay states ‘After you had told me in 1967 that my photographs were “boring”, … I could stop the struggle to be a photographer-like-other-photographers. … I began shooting anew, with a simple concentration on the subjects which most interested me’. This indicates that a photographer must be passionate about the theme in order to create interesting photographs.

As an outcome, this has helped me when choosing my subject by it allowing me to think more carefully about a subject that I am more interested and passionate about. Therefore, I am interested in my topic of Brighton because I enjoy the culture of the town and the different well-known landmarks and buildings.

Reference:

• Jay, B. Hurn, D. (1997). On being a Photographer: Selecting A Subject. Oregon: Lenswork publishing.