Create ​at least two sets of photographs telling different versions of the same story. The aim of the assignment is to help you explore the convincing nature of documentary, even though what the viewer thinks they see may not in fact be true. Try to make both sets equally convincing so that it’s impossible to tell which version of the images is ‘true’.

It might be interesting to consider the project as evidence for a court case. What conflicting stories can you make your images convincingly tell? Would it stand up in court?

Choose a theme and aim for 5–7 images for each set, depending on your idea. Discuss this with your tutor.
Here are a few ideas:

• You could interpret this brief by showing the same scenario from two different angles. Does this alter how we read the situation?
• You may wish to create an alter ego by using snapshots of yourself or a friend. This could involve photographing them in two very different and potentially conflicting personas.
• You could make a parody of a dating website profile picture. Create different versions of the same person looking completely different in each one. Which one represents them best and how can we know?

Or you may prefer to use your own take on the theme. However you choose to interpret the brief, ensure the images are candid and ‘taken from real life’. Be experimental and take some risks. Perhaps you could make a list of ideas and choose the most challenging or absurd option to stretch yourself.
Send your sets of images to your tutor by the method you’ve agreed. Include an introduction of 300 words​ outlining what you set out to do and how you went about it.

Introduction

For this assignment I set out to create 2 sets of images that express the same year, 1998, taking inspiration from my mothers diary. With one set representing my mums point of view and the other, mine. 1998 was the last year of her life. From her point of view there were changing priorities and a gradual reduction in her physical, social and general well being. For me there were also changing priorities, difficult decisions and a balancing of the present and the future. I wanted to show these changes in ten images in two parallel series, both containing five chapters.

I began by researching still life paintings, photographs and photographers. I collected together objects that would represent the changing months, using the diary as my guide to our lives during the year. I began to visualise the images very early which helped to inform the composition and style. I selected objects in order to symbolise feelings and other abstract concepts, and changed the positions of some of them to reflect their changing importance. My research into Still Life photography took me into the realms of the Old Masters and symbolism  (LINK) which fitted well with my ideas. Further research into  photographers such as Irving Penn and Laura Letinsky introduced more contemporary styles and techniques. (LINK). In addition to the symbolism, I decided to reflect the move towards the end of her life with subtle shifts in the brightness of the images, reducing the exposure slightly for each one.  I reviewed the shots in both colour and black and white and concluded that the objects stood out better in black and white, and this also exposed some nice texture on the wall and from the table covering, which adds depth. It also avoided the strongly coloured flower becoming the focal point, which did not really add anything to the meaning of the series.

With hindsight I’m not sure that the project fits the brief entirely. The images are candid in the non photographic sense of being open and honest, but not in the photographic sense of not having been staged. They tell two different versions of the same story, both of which are “true”. But im not sure they explore the convincing nature of documentary.

Set one, shows my mother’s side of the story, set two my own. The latter were naturally busier as my life was more complex at the time, and I maintained this complexity by keeping the number of objects constant, but rearranging them or swapping them in and out. I also added a couple of objects from my mums set to my final image to show family traditions passing on and  the move from being the child of a mother, to truly being an “adult” and no longer having the generation above.

Information detailing the planing and creation the images can be found here (LINK) and further information relating to my mums diary here (LINK)

The story: 1998; The sides; Mum – Me

I see the images being viewed in vertical pairs, from left to right, so that the viewer can compare the two sides of the story as the year progressed. I had been visualising the presentation of the images from very early in this process and as part of this I wanted the two sets to move very slightly nearer to each other, to express the way in which we became closer over the this time period.

Hanging Plan: