My current practice is based around the theme of non commercialised football/soccer in the UK. To date I have produced work of a documentary nature, driven by human presence although I have engaged with some work which focuses on objects associated with the game at grassroots level. 

Within the week 1 tasks set in the Surfaces and Strategies module I revisited the area of Edgeley in Stockport which has been a significant destination for my work. I rephotographed some of the places outside of the football ground Edgeley Park. Opportunities were somewhat limited due to the current lockdown measures however the task was both relevant and rewarding. I then visited for a second time this week with the intention of producing a number of images in order to produce work which encompasses a wider context. This had varying success but I have begun to understand how such processes work and might be relevant to my work. 

At this stage, the methodologies have taken a type of trial and error  approach. I have struggled with vantage points, and shooting at a range of focal lengths to experiment with different effects. I will definitely be experimenting further as more opportunities arise as locations become more accessible as lockdown begins to ease. 

Going forward, my approach will explore the themes of environments and objects. The often tired and dated nature of non league football stadiums in addition to a developing gaze I hope will lead to furthering my own voice as a photographer. 

The week’s theme of re-photography has been somewhat enlightening in considering the range of approaches in addition to how new and emerging technologies are utilised to record the passing of time and understand the implications of this. 

When looking at my own engagement with rephotography, I was able to consider my work in a much quieter sense, standing back and contemplating before shooting. This has been a relevant experience personally as my work is driven by people and chasing moments that audiences will identify with. 

Being able to then compare images was useful and provided an opportunity to see my work in a different way and shifting the relationship I have with the photographs I take. I found that matching vantage points was very difficult and contemplating the impact of this was useful. 

The last module I explored portrait photography and the idea of the deadpan face and its ability to raise further questions. My recent work has been challenging in that it has required looking deeper, contemplating the whole frame and composition.  

My research of late has been in the area of focusing on objects and environments as opposed to people and human activity at football matches. My research is currently in the direction of the work of William Egglesdon, Stephen Shore and William Christenberry. All of which provide a powerful blueprint for the future direction of my work in the short term. Coupled with recent emphasis on vantage point and light, I have been able to reflect on the choices I make and consider how my personal voice is emerging and could be improved throughout this module. 

The Shore Project by Britanny Marcoux is an interesting use of rephotography and has its roots in fandom and the audience as producer as opposed to being an audience alone. Made possible by digital platforms such as instagram as a point of exhibition. More research into this type of fandom will be part of my personal roadmap in this case. 

Chatonsky and his project Vertigo@Home was a little more complex than the Shore Project in that the combination of the scientific recording of google street view with the musical score used in the Hitchcock film. This led to the consideration of how to separate discourses within my work. Using colour and thinking about the reason for this as opposed to shooting black and white. A factor I was criticised on when submitting my previous portfolio. 

Baudrillard, J ( 1994) Simulacra AND Simulation, Michigan, The University of Michigan.

Chatonsky, G (2015) Vertigo@Home, [online] Available at: http://chatonsky.net/vertigo/ (Accessed: 8th June 2020)