I have decided to that I am going to take documentary style photographs of my sisters surfing journey. I will be taking images that demonstrate ‘a day in the life’ of a teenager surfer, looking at the work of W. Eugene Smith specifically ‘The Country Doctor.’ as well as Alec Soth and surf photographer Thomas Lodin

Artists:

W. Eugene Smith, Thomas Lodin, Alec Soth

Alec Soth

W. Eugene Smith

Thomas Lodin

For this project I want to explore my sisters passion and relationship with surfing as she prepares for the European Champions. This idea matters to me because me and my sister have a close bond and supported each other throughout our different sporting careers. We have also shared many memories throughout our childhood, spending time at the beach in the sea and surfing together which gives this project a sense of nostalgia.

I will begin my project by taking images of the surf related objects in my sisters room such as surf books, magazines and her trophies and medals. I will then try and take as many shoots as possible of my sister surfing which ay be a challenge as I will have to reply on the weather and the surf conditions.

My first thought is to produce a photobook as I can experiment with different layouts and compositions. A photobook is also a good way to present documentary style photography as it can tell a story. I will also print and mount up my images.

I am interpreting the theme of observe, seek and challenge though this as I am following and observing my sisters surfing preparation and training for one of her biggest competitions yet which. I am an insider in this study as I am very close to my sister and spend most of our time together. By seeking into this journey I am also learning more about how much preparation and work my sister and her teammate will have to do in order to get fit and ready for the Euros. This study is going to be a challenge as there are many factors out of my control such as the surf conditions. It is also links to the theme of challenge as my sister will have to overcome many challenges through all her taring sessions leading up to the competition. I will be looking at artists such as; W. Eugene Smith, Alec Soth, Thomas Lodin and Tom Wood.

Most of my shoots will take place at the beach as I will mainly taking action shot s of my sister and images that fit in with the surf aesthetic.

For photographing object, I am going to capture them as they are in my sister room. I may also try and do a shoot which will involve taking close up images of the surfboards, hopefully creating abstract images.

For editing I will use Lightroom classic for the basic edits. I will then use Photoshop to carry out more of the experimentational edits.

The 2024 photography exam paper:

https://hautlieucreative.co.uk/photo24exam/wp-content/uploads/sites/76/2024/02/Edexcel-9PYO-EST-2024_redux-1-1.pdf

Observe: Notice or perceive (something) and register it as being significant.

Seek: Attempt to find (something)

Attempt or desire to obtain or achieve (something).

Challenge: A call to someone to participate in a competitive situation

dispute the truth

I created a mind map of my initial ideas with words that I think associate with the main themes which has helped me created a better understanding of what my final outcomes could be.

Exploring Nature

Observing People

OBSERVE

VERB

1. a person who watches or notices something: ”to a casual observer, he was at peace.
2. a person who follows events closely and comments publicly on them.”some observers expect interest rates to rise”
3. a person posted in an official capacity to an area to monitor political or military events.”elections scrutinized by international observers”
   

SYNONYMS: spectator, onlooker, watcher, voyeur, looker-on, fly on the wall, viewer, witness, eyewitness, bystander, sightseer, commentator, onlooker, reporter, blogger, monitor.

SEEK

VERB

1. attempt to find (something):“they came here to seek shelter from biting winter winds”
   Synonyms: look for, be on the lookout for, search for, try to find, look about for.
2. attempt or desire to obtain or achieve (something):“the new regime sought his extradition” · “her parents had never sought to interfere with her freedom”
   Synonyms: pursue, go after, go for, try, attempt, endeavour, strive
3. ask for (something) from someone:“he sought help from the police”
   SIMILAR: ask for, request solicit, call on, invite, entre, beg for
4. (SEEK SOMEONE/SOMETHING OUT) search for and find someone or something: “it’s his job to seek out new customers”
   SIMILAR: discover, detect find (out), unearth, uncover, disinte
   

CHALLENGE

NOUN

1. a call to someone to participate in a competitive situation or fight to decide who is superior in terms of ability or strength: “he accepted the challenge”
   Synonyms: dare, provocation, summons
2. a call to prove or justify something: “a challenge to the legality of the banning order”
   Synonyms: opposition, defiance, ultimatum, confrontation with.

VERB

1. invite (someone) to engage in a contest: “he challenged one of my men to a duel” · “organizations challenged the government in by-elections”
   Synonyms: dare, summon, invite, bid, throw down the gauntlet, to defy someone to do something
2. dispute the truth or validity of: “it is possible to challenge the report’s assumptions”
   Synonyms: question, take exception to, confront, dispute, take issue with

MINDMAP

MOODBOARD

INITIAL IDEAS

OBSERVE: I want to create photographs as a form of observation; observing individuals like my friends and documenting them in a way that captures teenage life. I also want to explore capturing photographs of my family and nostalgic environments to communicate a sense of myself, drawing upon the previous nostalgia project.

SEEK: I will explore the ‘seek’ aspect of the project theme through the concept of teenage life. Drawing upon past projects of identity and femininity vs. masculinity, I want to show exploration of finding yourself during your teenage years and finding a sense of belonging within friendships. I will explore aspects of exploration and disguise through documenting teenage girls challenging elements of the male gaze.

CHALLENGE: Through my project I could aim to challenge gender stereotypes; particularly those directed upon girls and femininity. Challenging these stereotypes by creating sets of images showing typical views of femininity on teenage girls contrasting against atypical behaviours which oppose these ideas of femininity.