The theme given for the final project is “Observe Seek Challenge”. This is a very broad theme which can be interpreted in many different ways. By breaking it down into three individual words, I have been able to construct an idea of how I want to capture this theme in my project. By focussing on verbs “observe” and “seek” I can interpret the prompt as ways of exploration and perception. This links to elements of the human gaze, identifying the role that gender plays in our perception of the world around us. ‘The male gaze’ is a term which has developed from acts of feminism, depicting how men view women. It suggests a heteronormative view which reduces women down to that of sexual objects which exist for a man’s pleasure. However, there is arguably an ameliorative counterpart constructed of women’s view of other women. The ‘female gaze’ is a term developed which aims to oppose the negative stereotypes developed by men. It aims to view every woman as a whole, to emphasise her, to appreciate her sense of identity as an individual. It creates a sense of respect, allowing emotion and intimacy to be appreciated instead of ridiculed. 

My initial idea was to capture photographs depicting the teenage experience, showing life go by day-to-day. I wanted to communicate the sense of growing up and show elements of identity which are formed through exploration of yourself, seeking comfort. However, I have slightly shifted my focus to that of teenage girls. I believe I can be more successful with this as it makes the project more personal to me. By taking inspiration from previous projects (i.e., Identity, Femininity vs. Masculinity) I want to make portraits of my girl friends and portray our lives and a sense of girlhood. Through the ideas of perception and the different types of ‘gaze’, I aim to create images which portray both sides of the male and female gaze. I want to capture photographs which are slightly eccentric, emphasising and exploring the sexual nature of the ‘male gaze’. I can do this through ideas of ‘femme fatal’ which is a woman who is attractive and seductive. This can include capturing images using props like lipstick, wine glasses, cigarettes, etc. However, I also want to show aspects of hyperfemininty and innocence, which is another view of women created by men. For this I can use themes of floral and nature, dressing my friends in flowy dresses or skirts which are white to reflect the ideas of ‘innocence’. 

In addition, I will capture images which are more realistic of teenage girls. These are achievable images which I can take comfortably in normal gatherings between friends. This can be just normal hangouts, or even getting dressed up and doing makeup for example. This will portray ideas of girlhood and the teenage girl experience. For my outcomes of this project, I will select few final prints to frame and mount. I also want to create a photobook as my final outcome, allowing me to create documentation and story element of girlhood. A photobook creates a story and it communicates an intended message, my book will show young girls who are developing into womanhood. It will also show how these girls still have their childlike tendencies.