For my photography project I am looking at photographing plastic pollution and looking at plastic within the home and in spaces which I am living. My plan is to find different bits of plastic lying and make collages of the different plastic I find in my house or workplace. I want to photograph the plastic in an abstract and different style, taking documentary style photos to show the plastic in places which are an inconvenience to humans. I want my photographs to represent the interference of plastic in the natural world and the homes of animals, which is where a lot of plastic pollution ends up. I plan on capturing the plastic in and amongst the human environment so for example in my bed or over the sofa to show the plastic out of place and reflect on how we would feel if there was plastic pollution all over our own environments. Plastic can be found almost anywhere and much of our day to day activities require us to use or at least come across some sort of plastic however this is rapidly damaging the environment. Alongside the images I plan on taking, I also want to incorporate environmental facts and research into climate change and plastic pollution.
The methodology of my project should be straightforward, I plan on using the resources that are available to me such as the camera and lighting equipment, this won’t cost me anything as it is free to use through the Uni. I shall also be using pre used plastic that I find around my house and on the streets etc so I won’t be investing any more money on new plastic, adding to the plastic issue. I also plan on using my surroundings and my own house so I will not have to travel that far making my project all round feasible with minimal if any cost.
While researching my project I have been looking at artists/photographers such as Mandy Barker and Andy Hughes who’s have both done projects which look at plastic in the ocean/environment. I particularly like the work of Andy Hughes as he takes the bits of plastic which he is photographing and uses different angles and compositions to make the images more interesting. I have also been looking at still life photography and the best ways to capture my images using different lighting and lenses. I want to experiment with different backgrounds along with different lighting techniques to create different mood scenes when I am photographing. I’ve also considered experimenting using plastic with a live model and creating interesting images using both still life and portrait photography.
I shouldn’t need to get too much permission when taking these photographs as the subject with mainly be plastic inanimate objects. If I decide to experiment with a live model, then I would need to ask their permission. I will also need to make sure that all the subject matter I use is either my own personal belongings or if I have borrowed objects that they are either no longer in use or I have permission to use. Any plastic rubbish I collect, and use will also be properly recycled after use as the basis of my project is to showcase the damage of plastic pollution and its effect on our climate crisis through my images and research.
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