Connecting essay 2

Artist- Julius D. High

My Shoot- What do you love...?

High's shoot focuses around what the subject feels that the word "Love" means.  This is an interesting question to pose to the viewer due to the fact that love can come in various forms and therefore means vastly different things to different people.  This adds a personal element to the series which is added to by the fact that Instax mini instant film is used here to take the images as this means that they cannot be altered in the same way as digital photos and are therefore truer to the subject on the day than an edited image may be.  The fact that two images are used enables the viewer to see various sides of the subject which is interesting as it allows the viewer to create a more personal connection with the subject.

My shoot focused around what subjects loved opposed to what they viewed love to mean. I felt that this was interesting due to the range of answers which I received ranging from people stating that they loved something seemingly important and deep such as "Knowledge" or something that may seem trivial to others such as "Ice cream".  This however is what my shoot was about as it enables the viewer to gain a better understanding of the subject by uncovering what they feel comfortable sharing and their personality.  Other personal aspects revealed in my shoot include the subjects handwriting which is shown due to the fact that they were instructed to write what they loved as well as their name in their own handwriting.  Their style is also shown with attention drawn to it as the images backgrounds are designed to compliment the subjects outfit and personality.

These shoots are both similar due to the fact that they both use Instant film cameras in order to create a more raw and personal link between the viewer and the images subject.  Other similarities include the fact that both artists required to subject to respond to a personal question.  My shoot was more personal in relation to learning about the subjects style and personality however High's shoot was more focused on a deeper understanding of the subject.