Significance of a Photo

The photo below is probably the most significant photo I have ever taken!

Why would I make such a statement for what appears quite an ordinary photo?  In fact, ‘ordinary’ is quite a complement for it.  Visually its not particularly interesting, there is no real focal point, no clues towards a narrative, its not well processed, and its not particularly well composed.  Its the sort of photo that anyone could take but, truth be told, most people wouldn’t bother.

And so, if a photo can be void of these properties and yet remain significant then what is left to make it so?

In this instance, the significance lies in the reason for taking the photograph; which relates to the place, a childhood memory, and the theme I am connecting it with of something lost.  Over 35 years since this memory began, I decided to go back to this place and take a photo of it.  I didn’t particularly need to do this as I had my memory, so why did I?

When deciding to take this photo I began by pulling it from my memory bank and then let it float around for a while without letting any further thoughts settle upon it.  But I had decided that I needed to take a photograph to represent this memory and this is what I did.  It felt important to capture and contain this memory to make it more permanent and real – creating some kind of record or archive of a memory in my mind.

I appreciate that at the moment there is nothing to engage the audience with, therefore, I suspect that later I will need to find a way of doing this; most likely through words.  I do worry, however, that providing too much clarity as to its purpose & significance will begin to dilute its importance.  I will need to think some more about that.

Overall, what this has helped me to appreciate more is how ‘ significant’ a photograph can become even without containing the traditional methods of appealing to others.

A review of ‘Harmony – A New Way of Looking at our World’

Harmony – A New Way of Looking at our World (HRH The Prince of Wales, T. J. a. I. S., 2010. Harmony – A New Way of Looking at our World. 1st ed. London: Blue Door)

It is funny to reflect on how serendipity can work sometimes.  As I was thinking about my central theme for the Major Project of land values and our associated engagement with Land, I happened to be in a small town, that happened to have a charity bookstore, which I happened to enter, and within the art and photography section there happened to be this book about how and why our lost relationship with Nature is a root cause that ‘threatens our very civilization’.  The phrase ‘Nature’ in this book is the same as my phrase of ‘Land’ and the book covers many of the similar concepts that I have been considering.  I might not agree with everything in the book but it has been important to consider this very forthright philosophy from such a public person.  He acknowledges that by publishing this book he is opening himself up to sceptical ridicule from those in disagreement which emphasises the importance he puts on this subject matter.

This literature review is therefore not about art or photography but it is important to me as a reflective piece on a specific viewpoint that resonates with key parts of my central theme.

Prince Charles sets out in this book his philosophy around how continued disconnection from Nature is at the heart of the damage we continue to inflict upon it, and that a more spiritual and harmonious relationship with Nature is the route towards a sustainable future.

Chapter 1 – Harmony, begins to set out the principles of harmony in that Nature works best in balance and that we need to realise that us humans are integral to that harmonic balance and are not a more important element set above it.

There are a few examples in this book where Prince Charles almost makes a clear statement towards the concept of ‘Land Ethics’ and the inherent value of Nature, but each time he pulls up short from such clarity of position.  The principles of Land Ethics is that Nature is just as important as Man therefore we have no right to use and abuse Nature for our own purpose.  This is an extreme view at one side of the environmentalist’s argument for Nature’s protection which many pragmatists would probably disagree with.  By pulling back from making a clear statement on his position on this he perhaps remains credible to a wider, more pragmatic audience.

There are many principles of Harmony that Prince Charles describes that I agree with, and even others that I am beginning to move my opinion towards, but my modernistic upbringing with an inclination towards logical, scientific thinking struggles to accept the more spiritual and philosophical appreciations that he is advocating.

Chapter 2 – Nature, illustrates some of the changes occurring in Nature as a direct result of man’s actions.  His key point here is to highlight the inter-connection of Nature and how we need to appreciate more how our actions can have a domino effect of damage.

This alludes to the problem that no one wants to take responsibility for the damage we cause because we prefer to ignore the longer term implications of our actions and decisions.  He points accusingly towards the economic principles of success based on our over-consumption as an example of this, which is ‘the complete opposite to the way we need to live if we are to save our planet.

Again, I am finding myself agreeing with the general basis of his argument but, with a little soul searching, have to accept that I am part of the consumerist problem who takes little responsibility for the impact on Nature from the ‘small’ actions that I take.  To change the world’s economic principles seems far too large for me to personally resolve therefore I will wait to follow in others’ footsteps.  I ask myself, “will cancelling my order for the next iPad help to save the world?”.

Chapter 3 – The Golden Thread, tries to argue for the objectivity of beauty and thus the undeniable truth of Nature’s value.  This is a huge subject and one that I suspect many would disagree with.  The basis of this argument is the link between mathematics and the Fibonacci number sequence (1,2,3,5,8,13) being at the core of everything natural and beautiful.

Agreeing to this argument seems to suggest an acceptance that beauty is inherent and out with our judgement, which is further evidence of ‘Land Ethics’ and the challenges that this argument brings.

Chapter 4 – The Age of Disconnection, describes the background to our disconnection with Nature:

How the Scientific Revolution of the 17th Century saw the separation of Man, Nature, God and Creation.

How the Industrial Revolution of the 18th Century emphasised science and technology as the mainstream political and economic agenda.

How ‘Modernism’ in the 20th Century emphasised the speed and convenience of the machine.

Prince Charles argues that our continuation along this course of disconnection will eventually lead us towards a world that we might not prefer to create; a place of disconnection from everything, which lacks a communal sense of well-being and harmony.

His utopia is difficult to argue against but are we ready to make the seismic shifts in our lives to create it?  I suspect that this very large stone will take a very large time to turn and is not something that an individual can do on their own.

Chapter 5 – Renaissance, is where he is more specific about his philosophy of harmony and some of his practical proposals for achieving it.

Harmony requires a sense of proportion and balance to everything we do, acceptance that there is an interconnectivity to all life, an appreciation of the real beauty of Nature, and that we need to regarding Nature as a machine that we can abuse to breaking point.

Prince Charles goes on to outlines several practical proposals for a more harmonious life, such as more organic and sustainable food supplies, and providing more access to green and open spaces for improved well-being.

Again, I cannot argue against many of his principles of harmony or his proposals.  It is more a question of whether this concept remains a niche way of life or can become mainstream.  My hopes are still at conflict with my expectations.

Chapter 6 – Foundations, turns towards how big companies need to accept their corporate responsibility towards the environment and shift away from purely financial concerns as a measure of their success.

This is a very worthy cause as this will be a way in which the metaphorical stone can be turned more quickly.  It is, however, also where my scepticism grows towards our ability to achieve Prince Charles’s utopia.  Perhaps our response to the recent banking crisis of a need to change can be used to shift our common priorities between economic again and social well-being, but that door of opportunity is already beginning to close as past failures of the system are quickly forgotten.

The final Chapter 7 – Relationships, makes a concluding statement that we need to rethink and renew our spiritual relationship with Nature if we are to redress the balance between our place on this planet and that of Nature.

Concluding Thoughts

There are several principles that Prince Charles describes in his book ‘Harmony‘ which I tend to agree with and I am encouraged to read.  I particularly agree with his argument that we need to reconnect with Nature in order to increase our appreciation and value of it, but this is also the point of departure I have on how this might be achieved.

His aim towards a utopian, sustainable future is a commendable vision but one that could also be counter-productive if the individual remains unconvinced of their ability to influence such a great change.  This disconnection between the need for action and the ability to persuade the individual of the benefits to their own personal well-being is what can stagnate any progress at all.  An increased appreciation and value for Nature is an attainable action for anyone to make, which brings with it foreseeable benefits to the individual.  This doesn’t need a spiritual engagement with Nature, an acceptance of the objectivity of beauty, or an agreement that Nature must be treated as an equal to humans; all of which can discourage positive action just as easily as encourage it.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and the challenge it gave me to think more about my own investigations around Land Values and our engagement with Land.

A Changing Emphasis on my Approach

As I began playing with some of my ideas associated with Land Values I was of the opinion that my Major Project would reflect on how others value and engage with Land.  The premise being that it would become a commentary on how a lack of engagement and appreciation of the value of Land lies at the heart of our exploitation of the planet.  It was also intended to comment on how other environmentalist based photographers seem to concentrate on the more evocative examples of our destructive ways, rather than on things more local to an individual’s influence.

I have since decided that it might be a little naively ambitious to make such bold commentary on matters that I am only just beginning to investigate and appreciate; especially as I haven’t yet reflected on my own position with regards to how I value and engage with Land.  I have, therefore, decided that I need to start by having a more personal perspective on this theme if I am to convince others of its importance.  I already started moving this way as I developed some of my later Ideas and now think that this is the way to go for my Major Project.

This ‘About Me’ approach can then be used as the foundation from which I can begin to comment on how society in general values land; whether as part of my Major Project or beyond.

Idea 6: My View of Land’s Intrinsic Value

I have come realise from these Ideas that I am playing with that there is one thing missing, which is a reflection on how I personally use photography to engage with Land.

I use photography to take me to rural places I might not otherwise visit, to investigate areas away from the control of footpaths in search of the hidden beauty of Land.  I am, by the way, using the term Land to cover everything within the natural world; earth, water, plants, animals, etc.

As I have become more appreciative of the distinctions in the ways of which we value the beauty of Land, I am becoming less inclined to seek out the more obvious instrumental value of aesthetic appeal and, as I move towards a belief of Land’s intrinsic value and intrinsic beauty, then I am free to apply my own judgement as what I regard as intrinsically beautiful.

With this philosophy in mind, I decided to seek out what I considered to be the intrinsic beauty of Land’s struggle for survival in our open, natural environment.  On the only dry day of a very wet week over New Year I went to a place I am familiar with, namely Mansty Woods on the edge of Derwent Water near Keswick, in search of such beauty:

I am not sure, just yet, of how I might fit this into a contemporary approach to my photography, but I do feel that it is important to do so if I am to reveal the truth of who I am as a photographer.  I have some early thoughts about reflecting on the impact of increasingly adverse weather conditions on Land and how this might affect our longer term value for it, but I need to do more thinking about this in terms of how I might contextualise it.

Idea 5: Modern Society & Hidden Truths

This Idea stems from ‘Idea 3: Lost Views’ by using the concept of taking something out of a photograph to reveal a new truth, but this time extending the scope of the subject matter beyond wind farms.  I chose to focus this on our modern society and how it has become a constituent part of our disengagement with Land.

My first foray with this Idea came almost by chance when I decided to play around with a processing challenge image submitted by OCA student Dewald (Southliving) onto the Flickr OCA Group site.  I decided to have a go at this using my concept of removing something from the photo to reveal a new truth.  I liked the impact that this concept added to the original photo (the comment underneath the photo reads “If we lose our names and numbers will they still see us?”:

My next step was to go out and take images that caught my eye around the area I lived as well as Newcastle City Centre, and then see what I could do with them at the processing stage to reveal something new.

The following are early examples of this approach:

Free money?

Is someone always watching?

Is artificial best?

Wind turbines – saving our planet or just blocking our view of the Land?

The blackening out process on the above photos is fairly crude at this stage, which reflects their status as initial ideas.  I am also not sure of the way forward with this Idea just yet.  Should I continue to play with the connecting theme of a commentary on modern society or should I concentrate on just the theme of ‘Lost Views’ with the wind farms.  I am also beginning to think about the impact that the blackening out has on the aesthetic of the image and the distribution of positive and negative space.

Idea 4: Lost Relationships

I have been thinking of two main ways in which I can tackle this Idea.  The first is to approach it from an observational angle whereby I am commenting on how people in general no longer seem to engage with Land and have thus lost their relationship with it.  The other approach is to be more self-reflective of my own relationship with land and how I may have lost my own relationship with it.

I started playing with this idea from the first perspective, looking at how areas of potential for engagement with land are empty or under-used.  The following images are reflective of this approach.

At the moment these seem too remote, unclear of their intention and lack context or creativity.  I feel that the problem stems from the difference between a photograph of an empty football pitch that I might come across, and which is then used as an example of our lost relationship with land, and a photograph of an empty football pitch that has some connection with myself.  I am thus developing a growing preference to look at ways in which I can add that personal context.

I have since had the idea to re-visit my childhood play areas and photograph them as they are now, perhaps reflecting on the relationship between photograph and memory, as well as the changing way in which, as children, we were able to freely engage with land.  I am thinking about recording a journey I could take through my old estate which captures important & relevant locations of play and engagement with land, as well as areas of personal significance to my early childhood, thereby becoming a self-reflective piece on my own childhood set within the context of my relationship with land at that age (or the other way around(??)).  The practical problem I have with this idea is that I now live about 90 miles away from where I was brought up and would thus require some pre-planning and a specific journey (or two).

I therefore want to practice my approach to this idea in a more local setting, thinking about style, context and creativity of approach, before embarking on what will be a long physical journey South to make the actual images.  I therefore decided this weekend to go on a walk and experiment with ways in which I could generate a sense of a journey taken, the randomness of what is found along the way, and how the reality of memory isn’t always as well controlled as we might like it to be.  I know that I might need to explain this better but for now I have included the following images to show the sort of effect that I am thinking of using:

These are all shot at ‘stomach’ level pointing the camera roughly towards the scene / object I want to photograph but without looking at the composition beforehand.  The camera settings are roughly set around automatic thus removing further control from the photographer.  I am liking the way their ‘amateurishness’ gives a sense of a child with a camera not fully knowing what they are photographing or why – the same way our memories sometimes work, perhaps.

Idea 3: Lost Views

The intention of this Idea is to highlight and question the conflict between the value we give to pleasant views, against those views being spoilt by the placement of wind turbines which, we are told, are needed to preserve this Land.

The streamlined nature of design of these crisp white wind turbines catches the eye and it is almost impossible to look beyond or contemplate the impact they have on the lost view – they become the view.  Some may consider that an acceptable price to pay, others not so much, but the main intention of this Idea is to raise the question of what value should we give to Land and its pleasant views?

By removing these wind turbines from the photograph (by blackening them out) I want to reveal the truth about their impact on the view.  They are no longer appealing, eye-catching objects in the landscape but have become empty spaces from which the view of the landscape is no longer available.  The silhouette of their shape still makes them recognisable as the objects removed and thus acknowledge what is causing this lost view.  It is then left to the viewer to decide whether this ‘green energy’ measure should be valued, without question, above our value for Land to provide us with pleasant views.

The following images are examples of this developing concept:

Things to consider / develop:

As a photographer I have found it difficult to remove the importance of the wind turbines in the composition, mainly because of their striking presence – I am constantly asking myself how to incorporate them into the photo without them becoming the subject of the image?  The probably answer will be to find examples that heighten the appeal of the landscape over the presence of the wind turbines.  For example:-

The concept of a pleasant view is closely associated with the idealised notion of landscape art, with terms such as romantic and picturesque coming to mind.  I am, therefore, thinking about seeking out and creating such idealised examples of views of the land to emphasize the romantic and sentimental notion we sometimes have of land and how this heightens our value of it, but which is ‘lost’ by the permanent intrusion of these wind turbines.

If I progress with this idea then, hopefully, this will also overcome a second problem with this Idea which is, once I have successfully achieved my intended outcome from this Idea in a single photo, how will I create variety of thought and visual aesthetic within a set of images?

Idea 2: Objective Beauty

I haven’t progressed this idea too much at the moment as I would probably want to wait until we are out of the Winter months to select suitable objects to illustrate this idea.  The concept is based on the argument  that beauty can be objectively identified.  If this is true then a suitable subject matter could be described as having inherent beauty (and thus inherent worth), irrespective of anyone’s opinion.  And if so, then the ethical argument of some environmentalists is that Land has equal status / worth as man and, therefore, we have no right to destroy or remove it.

An example of the objective assessment of beauty is based on harmony, mathematics and the Fibonacci number sequence, and, wherever this occurs in nature we are to find the shape and patterns naturally appealing, which we will call beauty (as described in ‘Harmony – A new way of looking at our World’ by HRH The Prince of Wales, Tony Jupiter and Ian Skelly, 2010).

My Idea 2 is, therefore, to find natural objectives that fit the above principle to see if they do indeed seem to be beautiful.

I may come back to this Idea later in the year, even if just for an interesting side project.

Idea 1: Intrinsic Beauty

The intention with this idea is to consider beauty as a value judgement and ask whether it is an experience or an intrinsic property or both?  Whilst an experience may diminish over time, can an object’s intrinsic beauty also be lost over time?  These are the sort of questions I am trying to think about with this Idea.

To start with I have selected two Autumnal leafs and announced their beauty.  Whilst I am acknowledging that this presumption is challengeable, I am hoping to use this judgement as the starting point from which a viewer can challenge for themselves whether they agree that it is beautiful, why they think so, whether their judgement would change over time, and what do these opinions on beauty say about the subject of beauty.

In order to illustrate this Idea, I have used a time-lapse series of photos of two decaying leaves.  The first leaf is shown in the sequence of time as it gradually decays, whilst asking the viewer to determine when they believe that beauty has been lost (each photo will be numbered in order).  The second leaf is juxtaposed with the first leaf but shown in a random order of time thus removing the gradual process of decay from the decision of when beauty is lost.

.  There is no expected outcome other than to introduce the viewer to the concepts of instrumental beauty being linked to our joyous experience of beauty, intrinsic beauty being related to our personal judgement of something being beautiful just for being what it is, and also inherent beauty which is indisputably beautiful irrespective of our judgement.  The hope is that this set up will introduce the philosophical concept of beauty as an experience and a value judgement

The following are a series of fairly crude timelapse stills of both leaves in the process of decay.  They are to be seen as preliminary sketches.  If I want to take this Idea further then I will need to think much more about their presentation and whether they should be presented in some kind of a video series, etc, etc.

Lost Beauty or Intrinsic Beauty?

Things to consider / develop:

The leaves chosen for this initial Idea are from the last breath of Autumn and if I was to develop this series further then I would need to consider the timing of choosing each leaf throughout the season to best illustrate the idea.  I also know that my set-up for the still life photography will need to be more professional and colour controlled etc.

I also have thoughts to replace the second leaf with an inanimate object, such as a rock, which is not subject to the same process of decay.  In a TED video of a talk by Denis Dutton; namely, “A Darwinian theory of beauty”, he argues that Acheulean hand axes, (made 50 – 100,000 years before language), were used for more than functional objects, and their accepted aesthetic qualities were most likely the earliest form of art.  He uses this to argue that our eye for beauty is ‘a core part of human nature with deep evolutionary origins’, (http://www.ted.com/talks/denis_dutton_a_darwinian_theory_of_beauty.html).  By finding and using a similar object I can use it as a symbol of intrinsic, and almost inherent, beauty; from which the fragility of a decaying leaf can be compared.  I could also look to find a leaf of a similar shape as a hand axe to further demonstrate its own intrinsic beauty based on these ‘evolutionary origins’.

Initial Ideas

At the moment I have several ideas in mind for my Major Project, each one connected by the themes of value, beauty, and our engagement with land.  I have needed to play around with each idea to empty them from my mind and also to enable me to decide whether they have further potential or not.  At the moment I am trying to keep an open mind with them and not let my thoughts dictate my practice too much.

For simplicity, I am intending to describe each idea under separate posts whilst being collected under the Category of ‘Initial Ideas’.