In this project, I wanted to look at the way that my home has had to adjust to the presence of the family living there; the way that all of our possessions have to fit into a home that probably isn't nearly big enough; and the unique features it has taken on that only I would know about, having lived there for 21 years. This lead me to make a connection with Nigel Shafran's quote "My photographs are the ones that only I can make". I wanted to focus in on the unique eccentricities of my home.
I therefore started to look at photographers who principally work using a domestic style of photography - shooting their homes or homes that are close to them emotionally. This is where I started to look at the work of Nigel Shafran and Anna Fox, and took influence from their styles of shooting. Later on in the project I also took influence from Gillian Bostock's The Roddis House and normalroom.com.
In terms of the progression of the project, it took me quite a long time to refine when I was trying to create. The first images I shot didn't deliver the kind of message that I thought they were going to, finding this out through early feedback. They almost looked as if I was photographing an empty house, as opposed to somewhere that is full of life.
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| Rejected image from the first shoot |
I still feel that this is a strong image, but it is true that it may give off the wrong message to the viewer. It doesn't fit this particular project. Therefore, when I went back home for a second time, I decided to try and cram my images so full of details it is almost overwhelming. I wanted to capture all of the 'stuff' we have around the house, and how it has shaped how we occupy the space. I wanted to contrast these incredibly busy images with some with much simpler compositions. Upon receiving the second four films-worth of images, I realised in which direction I wanted to take this project.
The contrast between this image (which made it into my final edit) and the previous one sums up how the project progressed between the first and second shoots. This image certainly shows that the house is lived in! It was important to me that I showed the messy bits of the house, as this is a real family life. In my opinion, a comfortable, beautiful family home shows off it's possessions, not hides them away. If I had styled the images then it would have completely defied the point of this very real, truthful, and personal project. Therefore, on my third time photographing home, I needed to focus my attention on the rooms of the house that I hadn't looked at yet, and that perhaps aren't generally on display to the public. This included the garden, shed, bedrooms and bathrooms, making sure I had at least one image in the final edit of every room in the house. I also wanted to take a step back and look at making some simpler compositions in these images, whilst still demonstrating the way that the family has changed the space.
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| This image didn't make it into the final edit, but a slightly different composition of the same idea did. |
I do feel I have achieved a good balance in terms of compositions in my final edit. I wanted some frames that were filled with details and some that were easier on the eye, to act as a visual break in the project. I do feel that the project may have been improved by doing one more shoot at home, in order to re-shoot some of the images I wasn't as happy with the first time around. However, I wanted each time I went home to have a particular aim, focusing on a certain aesthetic every time. Therefore, I'm not sure whether another shoot would have provided me with anything fresh and new.
On the whole I am very happy with my final prints, I'm glad I did manage to do hand-prints in the end, as I feel it strengthened my connection with the project. It also meant I could retain creative control over the outcome of the images. I chose to make quite small prints - I wanted to give an overall impression of the house by focusing on its details, rather than, for example, 6-10 wider, less specific images or views. I also chose to use gloss paper - I normally use lustre but felt that the project suited gloss better. I did have a few issues when printing with newton rings appearing on my prints where the negative had been touching the glass in the negative holder. I managed to sort it out, by using folded up strips of paper stopping the glass touching the negative.
I plan to exhibit these prints in a grid, but with each image having it's own individual frame. I still want the images to be quite small, but I may have to see whether the 7x7" size they are now would just be too small for a gallery wall.
Overall, I feel this has been a very personal project for me, and it has helped me to acknowledge the positive feelings I have for my family and home. I am happy with the final outcome, and I do feel that they communicate the message I was aiming for - that this is my family home, and it is unique. I am happy that I have been able to maintain creative control by printing the images myself. Generally, I think the images work really well as a series, but the only thing I am unsure about is whether they are as successful if one image were to be viewed individually. However, it was never intended that I would create one standalone image that would communicate all my ideas about this project. I wanted to make a series that showed the eccentricities of my home in detail, building up a picture of the place. I do feel that I have fulfilled this aim. I also wanted people looking at these photos to conjure up images of their own family home and question their feelings about the subject. I hope that when my images are seen by the public they will evoke this kind of discussion.
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