Rationale

Elizabeth Chandler - BA(HONS) Photography - Level 5

Professional Frameworks - Editorial Photography

Project Rationale (Deadline Friday 30th November 2012)

The aim of this assignment is to produce a body of work (10-15 images) that have continuity through narrative which, together illustrate an editorial feature on a subject of my own choice. The images must be of high enough quality that the commissioning editor/picture editor would not hesitate to use them within their publication. 

With in-depth research and a number of feedback sessions I hope to develop an understanding about my subject/s in order to greater understand what the written article would cover. 

Extended captions must also be provided to accompany the images, these will help identify the person, subject and items within the images which play a vital role is telling the story.

My initial proposal for this assignment explained my intention to create a series of images based on an organisation which I feel there is little publicity about, and most people are unaware of the inner workings of. My main objective was to gain access to the dogs home and surround my project on the establishments available to me. Luckily I was able to gain access to some different institutions, however, two of them unfortunately had a set up which didn’t suit the aesthetics I aimed to achieve in my photography. The animals were behind glass as appose to bars/cages. In my final edit, in order to maintain consistency I only used images from one establishment, (Lancaster Animal Care) which I had visited on 2 separate occasions during this assignment.

I wanted to create a series of images which heavily consisted of powerful, emotion evoking portraits of the dogs, as briefly mentioned previously the bars/cages were of extreme importance to me as I had clear intentions in my mind prior to photographing. The series of portraits by Lee Jeffries titled ‘haunting portraits of the homeless’ were my initial significant research point. The way they eyes of the portraits were the main focus of the image, and also the tonality of them, were both things I endeavored  to achieve in my own images. The photographs had a lasting impact when I viewed them, and without screaming and shouting a demand for sympathy they generated a feeling of exactly that. Pictures of, and or focusing on ‘the eye/eyes’ are exceptionally powerful and extremely successful in evoking emotion. No facial expressions or words can truly do justice or effectively describe the information that is carried in a particular gaze. 

This was why the dogs eyes were such an important element for me. I suppose in a way, by focusing on such features I hope to bring out an element of human-like attributes in the animals. I don't want to give them human qualities, nor do I want to present them as 'human'. What I am interested in illustrating is this idea that they too have feelings, and like us are capable of experiencing similarly to us. “Although legally we separate human beings and animals through a designation of animals as property, animals‘ unique ability to suffer as other property cannot transforms our

actions toward them into acts of violence.”

This work is not a scientific experiment surrounding the extents of the two ideas mentioned above, I have no interest in attempting to 'prove' those statements to be true of false. I am simply hoping to illustrate the emotional engagement and make the viewer consider the welfare of the animal.

I could have tried to show supposed bad living conditions, but that wouldn’t have achieved what I intended.

The cages and bars were obviously an essential element required in order to frame the eyes, but also because I feel there is something un-natural about an animal behind bars. I imagine most humans experience a feeling of sadness when in these ‘cold’ and ‘un-homely’ environments. The fact that “humans feel a more intimate relationship with dogs than with any other animal” plays a big part in this. In a way we are more comfortable seeing animals in a zoo, although often these animals have a stronger connection with their natural environment. This is due to that immensely strong bond most people have with them as “the role of dogs as family members has become progressively important over time.” Additionally I think our preconceptions play a big part, we are used to seeing dogs being walked, playing fetch, curled up in front of a fire in a family home, ect whereas for many people the only time they will have ever seen, let’s say an elephant is at the zoo. In that sense I acknowledge that this overwhelming bond with dogs varies from one country to another. This idea of the dog playing an essential family role is more common place in Britain and America. Additionally, and also playing a part in the feeling of sadness is of course the subconscious idea and assumption that dogs, as with any animal (including zoo animals) should be ‘in the wild’ as god intended before they became domesticated/tamed. Again, as prevalent as this is, the connection with dogs is still possibly the strongest.

The extended captions I have chosen to accompany my images are a combination of statistics/quotes/facts and for the portrait images, a short profile about the dog photographed. With the statistics/quotes and facts I have tried to, in some examples juxtapose and in others reinforce the message. 

For example, the image I chose as my establishing shot depicts an empty kennel, there are enough clues in the image so that the viewer has no doubt that it is in-fact a kennel and the image sets the context for the rest of the series. However, when combined with the caption;

“Behind the doors of thousands of animal shelters, mass slaughters occur every day. These killings are hushed, masked with gentle words, rationalized away by big businesses eager to preserve their consumer base.”

The image takes on a potentially sinister reading, which doesn’t prepare the viewers for the heart warming portraits and detail shots to follow.

The caption;

“Humans feel a more intimate relationship with dogs than with any other animal.”

Is combined with a detail shot of the animals head and ears, from behind. An ironic combination showcasing that we can still feel emotionally close to dogs without requiring physical closeness.

Another image shows a dog toy with the text “GOOD BOY”, framed in the centre of the bars (to mimic the framing of the dogs eyes) I feel this works especially well with the chosen caption; 

“the role of dogs as family members has become progressively important over time.”

If I was to give the series an overall title I have decided on “The Dog’s Home - A Picture Story.” I think it summarises effectively without over complicating. 

Although the project is driven by research and there is bundles of critical underpinning, it isn’t necessary to understand, or even be aware of when viewing the images. Nor is that information required in order to experience a feeling of sympathy when viewing the photographs. 

My final sereis of 15 photographs consists of

1x establishing shot

6x detail shots

8x portraits

All of these are in landscape format, however I don’t think that will implicate the usability of them due to the way they have been composed. Additionally after looking at magazines who feature stories of a similar nature, I found that often the story images becomes a feature consisting of a fair few pages and lots of text, the photographs are usually printed full bleed overlapping the centre fold leaving one or two columns on either the left or the right hand side of the image for text.