Formative Feedback

Today was our last formative feedback session. I feel like it went very well. Even before it started Anthony turned to me and exclaimed “wow your work has come a long way!”

On the feedback sheet I received various comments (in italics are my comments). Under the ‘Have you considered?’ section:

• Fine art style photography / exaggerated editing/ commercial photography.
• Closer macro shots
• Film of making the drinks
• Photographing the process in the studio

Most of these I have – I just don’t think it would work with the stories I am trying to tell.

Under the ‘I’m not sure about?’ section:

• The picnic photo – that is quite different from the others
• The darker images
• Are you continuing any other media with photos?

I understand that the picnic photo looks different but I think part of that is an editing issue which should improve its difference.

 

Under the ‘Maybe take a look/read’ section:

• Curious Pear is a duo who are freelance writers and photographers a lot of their work is diptych, which I really like. Sometimes there is more of an obvious connection than others for example some are of the food being prepared or of the maker of the food and then the pairing is of the food itself. Such as this image. Others are two images they have put together from their travels, such as queueing for food then where they went after. I think it is a really nice way of showing two elements of the photograph and it works very well on Instagram. However, for my project this would not work as I have everything in the one image. I could have done my whole project with two images; on one side the cocktail and the other object related to it. I don’t think that would have worked, with the still life images I created as I really feel like they transport a viewer.
• Signebay: I love this photographers work, the tones are so beautiful and it is all taken on an iphone. Each photograph is clearly well thought out, I feel some of the items aren’t needed or are just their for the aesthetic for example the purple flowers in this image. Are they for colour? Probably but she is not going to eat them so why be on the same plate as the pastry or is it to show that she went out in the garden? Doubtful as blackberries aren’t in season. However, with this image it really looks like she is about to have breakfast in bed and read her book. The book isn’t the right way for the viewer to read it, so it looks like it is their only for her. It is in the centre of the bed so she can just get in too. Although now I have taken my images for the project it is good to look at these if I want to continue the project afterwards.

• Other flat lay work, I feel like I have looked into this a lot.

 

During the discussion we discussed my work further and how I would be presenting it. The group liked the mixed frames idea, one suggestion was to mirror the sizes of the photo to the size of the drink. However, I think it will be harder to find frames and many photos will be the same size.

My ‘To-do list’ from the session is:

• Consider just including the menu and recipes in the ‘menu’ and not the project idea. This is because the menu is part of the work and not a tool to describe it and the work needs to speak for itself
• Stick to one image per cocktail (I wasn’t sure about the Aviation photograph) but from general preference I have chosen one.
• Get frames
• Design the layout for the menu – maybe enlist the help from 1st/2nd year designers
• Definitely have a icon of the glass next to the story of each cocktail. This helps with reference and mimics a cocktail menu more.
• Have a long and thin cocktail menu as this is similar to cocktail menus out there. Either thick card or leather bound.
• Think about the paper the images will be printed on