22/10 Oral Presentation feedback reflections

This week we were giving each other feedback on our oral presentations. I have been quite happy with how my oral presentation has been coming along. I have received generally good feedback when we discussed this in a peer critique on 22/10. One of the main points was that potentially, I was aiming to cover too much in my presentation  and I should consider getting into the topic of my research project sooner. 

I aimed to create my presentation in chronological order, looking at my former practice and how I have come to question my what I did and how this relates to debates taking place within photography today. Primarily, the role of privilege and the idea of decolonization. It was suggested that I could also work more to allow my images to do the talking, and referred to the presentation guidelines that point to not using it a story of me, or the history of art!

Although this is an important consideration, I feel that when I refer to the assessment criteria of the assignment that states:

Apply a critical awareness of the diversity of contemporary photographic practice to the development of your own work, and inform your practice through historical, philosophical, ethical and economic contextualization.

And:

Make personal observations and form critical opinions to analyse and appraise your own work, as well as the work of your peers and other practitioners.

It is important to look at my images throughout my career up to this point to show a critical awareness of how I have come to question my role in photography and how I can attempt to move on. I also chose to focus more of my previous practice and not so much on the research project as we will have the opportunity to add more detail and write a specific assignment related to this later on. I also have looked at the development of my work and this is important to contextualize where I am now, about to start my research project

31/10/19 Draft Oral Presentation.

After a webinar with Michelle, it is clear that I have some improvements to make in my presentation. Most agree that the ideas that I am aiming to discuss in relation to my work are good. The issues are that I am trying to cram too much into the presentation and this has had an impact on the flow and content. It has become too busy, with a large focus on my prior practice.

Another key area to develop is how I am using the quotes in my narration. At the moment I am using quotes to support and justify my points, where is would be more beneficial to discuss them in greater depth and in relation to my work, and the work of others.

Michelle also noted that the middle section had become confused with what I was aiming to say and that I should focus on the key ideas over the quick look at the chronology of my career.

Key Areas to Focus on:

• What has meaning and why it has meaning to me
• Look at reducing the projects that I am covering down to 3/4 so that I can go into them in greater detail.
• Move past my prior editorial practice quicker to get into the discussion
• Used links to support point instead of ‘unpacking them’ more fully