Today, I had the opportunity to visit An Ordinary Place, a gallery and studio that I recently learnt about.
I went partly to find out more about the space, but also because I’m at a point where I want to start making photographs again — not simply taking photographs, but developing work with a sense of purpose, direction and continuity.
For some time now, I’ve been thinking about how I want my photography to develop. I’m interested in people, identity, memory and the things that can remain unseen in ordinary life. I’m also increasingly drawn towards the possibilities of the studio: the controlled environment, the simplicity of the space, and the way that removing the distractions of the outside world can place greater emphasis on the person in front of the camera.
I plan to use the studio to develop my own projects. Nothing is decided yet, and I don’t want to get ahead of myself. But the possibility is exciting.
A studio would give me somewhere to experiment.
It would give me somewhere to work with people without necessarily knowing exactly where the photographs will lead in advance. Somewhere to try things, make mistakes, reconsider ideas and gradually discover what the work is actually about.
That last part is important to me.
I don’t want to approach photography with everything predetermined. Some of the most interesting photographs can emerge when the photographer and subject are given enough space to respond to one another.
I’m particularly interested in portraiture – and in what happens when a person is taken out of their familiar surroundings and placed in a simple space. What remains when the background, the context and the everyday distractions are stripped away?
Perhaps the answer is nothing.
Or perhaps it is the person themselves.
