Oral Presentation – PHO701

Week 7: Reflections

| Phil Hill
Liquid Image - Micro Project
Figure 1. Balsamic Vinegar and Water Liquid image from the week 6&7 Micro Project. (Hill, 2019).

I enjoyed producing the images for the micro project. It was a complete departure from what I have been shooting for my current work in progress portfolio, focusing on an abstract series of images as opposed to the location portraits I have been photographing.

Where I feel that the images could have been improved was how distracted with the production of the oral presentation I have been and not taken the care and time over the images that  might have done if I was completely focused on it in the same way that I am for my main practice and project. The feedback received for the set has been generally good and I had much encouragement to continue the series and create something with the minimal nature of the water image. Sequencing was the main area of development that I should consider. This is an area that I feel needs much refinement over the whole of the MA as selecting and editing my work has never been my strong point. I feel that when presenting my wider project ideas it may become crucial to seek the support from my peers and tutors.

At the moment, the images sit somewhere in the experiment category, as I know that they are created with simple liquids, I do not feel that there is enough depth to the set in order to take it any further as it stands. That said, during the webinar with my peers and Paul, some other photographers and artists who work in a similar way were suggested to me and I could now start to see how a project with these images may develop. I do feel that given the time, I would like to explore the concept and see where it could lead with a style and type of photography that I have never done before.

I have been working fairly consistently on my research project, continuing to shoot carnivals. Salisbury on 24/10, and have reflected on these images here.

Work In progress portfolio

To support the practice I am also working my way through ‘Bowling alone.’ I am finding this book on the subject very much based on the economics of the subject and how it ultimately impacts the productivity of a society. Interestingly, I do find that our world tends to be defined the economics of it and the capitalist nature of our culture. Putnam also notes that civic engagement has decreased as education has risen over the past 30 years (as written in 2000). People now have the skills to function within a society that historically would have been nurtured through clubs, organizations and associations. I am also interested in Putnam’s reference to social philosophy and will look into this side of things to support my project.​*​

Bowling Alone Notes (Evernote)
  1. ​*​
    Putnma, R. (2000). Bowling Alone. New York: Simon & Schuster, p.60.

Week 5 & 6: Oral Presentation and Tutorial feedback

| Phil Hill
2nd Draft Oral Presentation used in the webinar with Michelle. (Hill, 2019)
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

Oral Presentation Notes
Edited Oral Presentation
Initial Draft: Oral Presentation
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
31/10 Webinar Notes (Evernote)