Evaluation

Self Evaluation

Kelsey Avis

Being a Buddhist

I am evaluation  my project ideas and the decisions that I have made, the assignment advanced photographic research.

My major findings from the research and the ideas were that I wanted to do something that I would like to do as a career which is photojournalism; I wanted to focus on the Buddhist temple as I am interested in the culture. I was recommended to get close and intricate myself in to the temple but not to get too close.

I have made a couple of decisions toward what I will be doing with my final project. One major decision was that I will be visiting the temple frequently not only to events but to classes as well. I need to make decisions on when I will be visiting the temple which will be done in the near future with one of the monks.

With my budget I have only included Polaroid film and prints as I have not yet completely decided on how I will be displaying my project at the degree show but when I do decide I will be adding it to the budget.

PROPSAL

Kelsey Avis

Being a Buddhist

Précis

I have always thought different cultures to be quite interesting because of what they belief in, the way they dress and how different they are to my own culture. So when the Wat Phra Singh            Buddhist temple opened in my home town in 2012 I thought that it would be great way to learn about a different religion that I don’t really understand So I thought that documenting the temple would help me get a better understanding about what they belief in, but I never got the chance to until now.  I will be visiting the temple frequently so that I can document as much as I can in the time that I have. I would like to photograph the monks and their classes, pray sessions and events that the temple holds. I will also be taking portraits of the monks and the people who go to the temple.  When I am photographing the temple I will be the person on the outside looking in so that I will not be bias to what I am photographing.

Context

In my research I have looked at Steve McCurry, a photojournalist who is best known for his photograph of the Afghan girl photographed in 1984. Steve McCurry documents people and different cultures, he mainly focuses on war torn cultures but his photographs are not war based they are based on the people that it have been effected by war.  I find that his photography doesn’t just look like documentary photography but more artistic with the use of bright colours, content and layout these aspects draw you in to the emotions that the subject is feeling. Steve McCurry is a photographer who is an outsider looking in on the people he photographs he is not bias to what he is photographing.

I also looked at Munem wasif who documented his own culture in Bangladesh he photographs people who are suffering or enjoying life he does not discriminate what he is photographing. This is what I hope to do with the Buddhist temple. His photography looks more like documentary photography then Steve McCurry’s does, it’s not artistic or colourful it just shows what’s in the photograph. Were Steve McCurry is an outsider looking in Munem wasif is inside he is part of the culture he is photographing.

I have also looked into anthropology which is the study of people and culture which is what I will be doing while document the temple.

In the engaged observer- documentary photography since the sixties I found an interesting quote the first word I would remove from the folklore of journalism is the word objective.... The journalistic photographer can have no other then a personal approach”  I want this project to be personal; I want to learn more about the Buddhist religion and their culture.

The objection of documenting the Buddhist temple is to learn about another culture, about how a Buddhist monks life is like and why they belief in what Buddhism represents. By documenting the temple and the monks I hope get a better understanding of the religion and hope to meet some interesting people while I am doing it.

During this project I will need some equipment that will help me to document the temple the way I want it to be:

·       Digital SLR (Nikon D3100, Canon EOS 5d mark II)

·       Lenses Nikon/Cannon (canon 50mm f1.8, canon 70-300mm f4-5.6, sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 –Nikon fit )

·       Tripod

·       Polaroid (one600)

·       Out of date Polaroid film

Budget

Expenses	cost	Amount needed
Polaroid film (out of date)	About £20 for 10	30
prints	£20-£40 a print	unknown

Even after looking at what I may need for this project I may need to add to the budget as time goes on, so this is not an exact budget it may change in the future.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Being a Buddhist

Paul Williams with Anthony Tribe, 2000, Buddhist thought

This is an introduction to Buddhist thoughts, which takes readers completely unfamiliar with the subject as quickly as possible to an accurate appreciation and understanding of the main ideas tracing their development from the time of Buddha, and opening up the latest scholarly perspectives and controversies.

“For Buddhist, religion is purely a matter of understanding and practising the dhamma, understanding and practice which constitutes progress towards salvation” (Buddhist thought, Paul Williams with Anthony Tribe, 2000, p3) reading this quote made me want to learn more and maybe getting a better understanding from an monk who could help me understand more, it made me was to get firsthand experience and teachings from the Buddhist monks.

Liz wells, 2000, Photography a critical introduction

The book examines key debates in photographic theory and places them in their social and political context. It includes key debates in photographic theory and history, documentary photography and photojournalism and personal and popular photography the book provides a coherent introduction to the nature of photographic seeing.

I wanted to be able to make a photo mean something even though it is documentary i want some to look at it and see more than just a photograph. The book helped me to look more at what i want to photograph.

Abbott, 2010, Engaged observers- documentary photography since the sixties

Engaged observers focuses on nine photographers who have participated in the development of the documentary approach. Surveyed are Leonard Freed, Philip Jones Griffiths, W.Eugene Smith, Susan Meiselas, Marv Ellen Mark, Larry Towel, Sebastiao Salgado, Lauren Greenfield and James Nachtwey Each section opens with an introductory essay that sets the work in its evolving historical context

There was a quote that I found to be quite interesting and made me think about what I want from my own documentary photography “The first word I would remove from the folklore of journalism is the word objective .... The journalistic photographer can have no other then a personal approach” (Engaged observers- documentary photography since the sixties, Abbott, W.Eugene Smith, 2010, p373-p374) I always want my work to be personal be it to learn more or to be a better person not only that but I want to help others to have a better understanding of the world.  IT has influenced my idea as I have always wanted to learn more about Buddhism so reading that quote made me want to do something that is not personal but something that I have always been interested in.

Steve McCurry, 2013, Steve McCurry untold- the story behind the photographs

Steve McCurry untold- the story behind the photographs spans 30 years of his career and includes fascinating ephemera from his travels: diary entries, photos of him at work and some of the 20 plus passports he’s gone through over the decade. The book tells you the story behind the photographs, the journey and dangers he went through.

Steve McCurry was the main influence in my idea as he photographed different cultures around the world he has photographs based on Buddhism but they don’t look documentary but artistic. Steve McCurry untold- the story behind the photograph is full of journals and text that tell you the story behind some of his photographs

ethical review

Being a Buddhist

During this project I will stay safe by making sure that everything I do in not something that will be considered a danger since I will be working with the Buddhist monks at a temple which is quite safe. I will fully inform the Buddhist monks and the temple visitor of what my intention by talking to them and having the person that I will be mainly talking to translate if needed, if anyone doesn’t want their photograph taken I will respect their wishes. I will acquire informed consent by have the people that I take portraits of sign a model release form. There will be no harm to any of the participants including me. The project will not lead to any criminal prosecution of any participants including myself. There will be no deceit to anyone involved in this project I will tell anyone involved exactly what I am doing. I will be photograph the Buddhist temple which has nothing to do with patients, premises of health service or vulnerable groups.

Example of the model release form

In consideration of my engagement as a model (participant) upon the terms herewith stated, i herby give to ....................................(the photographer), the right to use my image.

Name of participant : ............................................................

Participants signature : .........................................................

Date:.................................................