Assembling assignment 1.

I have finished photographing for assignment 1; a day in the life.  I chose to document my fathers daily life.  I am now at the point where I am ready to edit and assemble the sequence.  The final number needed is 6 to 10 images.  Referring back to a country doctor  by Eugene Smith, I was considering the sequencing of photographs in this landmark photo essay and it seems to me that I should consider my agenda first when considering what photographs I should include and also in what order.

Agenda.

Through this essay I want to look at the issues that surround aging and illness.  I want to show how my father’s illness affected him, us his family and how he responded to it.  I want to show him as a fit and able individual who is well able to look after himself.  I guess one of the issues I want to explore is how having an illness changes the way people see you.  I know this from my own personal experience.  I was struck by people’s reactions both good and not so good when the word stroke was used and I include myself in that statement.

Structure.

I need an establishing shot to introduce my father and what has happened to him.

I want to show how his illness has meant he has had to change some things in his life.

I want to show how because of his age it is easy to treat him differently, one phrase he used himself was “does he take sugar” the title of the radio 4 documentary series about disability and the way we look at disability.

I want to show him as we, his family and friend see him.

I want to establish that he is a fit, hardworking man who lives alone but is well capable of looking after himself.

I want to finish by off by showing that there is hope for the future.

Order of images.

I was thinking of my opener and how because this series is called a day in the life that maybe I should assemble the images in a linear sequence.  However looking at a country doctor, which is basically a day in the life, I don’t see that is the case.  Smith’s opener is a dark moody shot of the doctor walking across a field on his way to work.  It could just as easily have been taken in the afternoon.  It seems to me that the image was used as an opener for dramatic effect first and foremost.  Right now I am thinking of this image as my opener:

I may change my mind but I feel that this both introduces him and the fact that he is suffering from some type of illness and is in hospital.  Metaphorically his facial expression says reflection, remembering, pondering and perhaps perplexed?

Another image that I was thinking of including is this one:

Because it uses the word elderly.  I don’t think my father looks elderly, now maybe that’s just me, perhaps I am not objective enough but I think the word is elderly is an interesting addition here.  I don’t think this works so well as an opener, his facial expression, his smile is a little light-hearted.  It perhaps could be read for an expression of bewilderment?

 

Metaphorically this is interesting, look at his body language.

Same here.

I could go on and on but for now I think what I will do is print a proof sheet and ponder the images on paper, have them like a deck of cards and shuffle them around and around in different order.