Developing The Ability To Describe My Work

I'm going to take a stab at this. I definitely need a lot of assistance in this department! I don't even feel like I have a solid style to my work yet. Here goes to developing that over the rest of the year.

For class the instructor gave us a sheet with the following questions for us to answer about our work. I will try to answer them....

1.  Thoroughly describe the content of your work. This is not about intention or motivation - just the end product. What, specifically is in the photograph? Complete this exercise for one specific photograph. Then after you complete one photograph, describe a body of work or series of images - still just the description of what is in the work.

 This is an image of my little sister. She is in the bathroom looking at her up-do in the mirror. The focus is on the top of her head while the rest of the image remains out of focus. The image is fairly neutral with the exception of the blue shirt she is wearing and the blue light coming from the  hallway.

2.  What is the purpose or intention of the work? Are you trying to inform? Evaluate? Entertain? Sell? Illustrate?

       a. What are the components of the photograph(s) that you feel support this intention?

       b. Are there components of the process (planning, shooting, printing, etc.) that supports this intention?

3.  List 10 adjectives that describe your work.

4.  Imagine for a moment that you meet a prospective client in an elevator. This may be a gallery owner, an art director, a magazine editor, etc. You don't have your book with you and he or she wants to know what type of photography you do. In 1-2 sentences, how do you answer?

5. After receiving a business card from your contact in the elevator, you wish to follow up with an email and a link to your online portfolio. In 50 words, expand your elevator speech to further describe your work.

6.  Select a few samples of images you feel are representative of your 'style'.

       a.   Have a classmate describe these images  (take notes)

       b.   Have a friend or relative without a photography/media arts background describe them.

       c.   Have a stranger describe them.

       d.   What are the similarities and/or differences in their descriptions? Did you learn anything new?

              Was anything surprising?

7. In summary, in 1-2 sentences, describe your photographic style.