SDA 2022 Entries

• Architectural Photography Award - A new category for 2022. Photography focusing on architecture and interior design including exterior or interior images. Both amateurs and professional photographers are invited to enter this Award.

‘pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female.’ – Laura Mulvey, ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’ (1973)

‘Our Own’ (2021) is an evocative photographic series that addresses the misconceptions of the female form perceived through the male gaze, finding a place for it within the male-created environment, brutalism. Portraying an unexpected relationship between the female body and brutalist architecture, I aim to shed new light on two of the most misrepresented topics in history.

The images incorporate shape with dynamic composition, whilst discarding voyeuristic attitudes that have dominated mainstream media, discovering how brutalist architecture both complements and contrasts against the female form. The models mimic the rigid and linear formations of the building through body language, enabling them to find their place amongst the male constructed buildings. Whilst they illustrate their ability to take on typically masculine characteristics, they also embrace their femininity and own their bodies, contrasting the male-created environment. Unlike the usual representation of the subordinate female, the model seizes authority of the frame, owning their narrative and directing the viewer to ideas of authority and female power. Their bodily compositions co-operate with angular geometrics forcing a paradigm shift away from the passive portrayal of the female form.

Building on my exploration of the female form in my photos, I purposefully chose a warm aesthetic. The warm tones alter the architecture’s demeanour; once being constricted to its cold, unwelcoming appearance, it can now be seen as an expressive artistic statement, like that of the female body. Sourcing locations for my photography series I located appropriate architecture ideal for my concept in Bristol and Cardiff. Locating my photographs around the brutalist buildings nestled among the cities disregarded corners, I used a deep depth of field to reach an equal balance of model and architecture. Some of my closer portraits use a shallow depth of field, using the model’s hands and facial features to mirror the harsh formations of the buildings. Though some images don’t include shadows, those that do highlight certain resemblances between the female form and those cast by the harsh lines of brutalist architecture.

I focused on the materials of the model's garments using organza, cotton, crêpe and chiffon. The garments played a key role in demonstrating the multistranded characteristics of femininity, juxtaposing the bold colours against the brutalist buildings.

I used the Canon tilt-shift lens in order to capture the correct angles for my photographs. I experimented with different cameras such as the Canon 6D iii and the 5D but the tilt-shift lens was the most accurate.

CO2 amount: 0.039 t

Travelled to Bristol on one occasion with the Universities legal sign off. I walked to all the other locations.

Coronavirus has affected us all, however, having to continue my final-year photography degree through the pandemic impacted it and me massively. Being situated in Cardiff, where the lockdown time restraint was longer, my choice of location, models and ways to travel changed significantly. I had to constantly re-plan and think of new ways to photograph legally. It was a struggle but I treated the time as a guide to pace myself in order to get the results.

Based in Cardiff, Wales, I specialise in fashion and editorial photography, using my camera as a tool of empowerment. Whilst blending the language of fashion and architecture, I offer a refreshing representation of the relationship between body and space, exploring questions and misconceptions of identity and female representation in contemporary society. Struggling with my own identity whilst growing up, I promised myself to create work that would enforce a change from the exploitative portrayal of womanhood. Finding solace behind the lens, I developed a visual language that embraces the obscure and expresses unflinching honesty. I aim to join the surge of female practitioners that empower young artists to reclaim female representation in the photographic industry.