Matthew Mills

Scott,G

“Professional photography cannot be discussed, embarked upon, engaged with or understood without first accepting that without a commercial environment, it would not exist. Photography would remain what it is for many-a hobby.”

This quote in itself explains how the ability to produce true and communicative work comes from the heart and the honesty that comes with that. A true connection can be produced in personal visual language when the subject has a wholesome connection to the photographer shooting and can be furthered by the raw style choices that are made. This can only be found in personal projects that link directly to the photographer and their personal experiences.

What considerations drive your own work?

Considerations that I take before developing a piece of work are the connections that I have for and to the work as a whole. If there is no personal connection to the work, it won’t be developed to its highest potential because of this lack of connection. This will also show the lack of development that has been shown in the work since it was produced. When considering what I should shoot, I try to keep a personal connection to the subject matter. For example, when choosing the collaborative project from 2022–2023, I chose allotments because of my personal connection to the location. This location has been a part of the family for many years, and this then led me down a personal journey of growth that helped develop the project. This changed my project in different ways, from a visual to a more immersive exhibition with video and audio to accompany the images that were printed. This development path was only found due to the connection between the images and the place. Another way that consideration would drive my work is on a more editorial basis; this would be choosing different styles that more closely link with the mood that I would want to give and image and portray my feeling through it, changing the visual effects that it gives the viewers.

References

Scott, G (2015) Professional Photography, The New Global Landscape Explained. London, Focal Press.