How can you say that?” she asked in a voice drained of feeling. Naoko’s voice alerted me to the possibility that I had something I shouldn’t have.
The first project consisted of us being given a short extract from a novel. We was not told the name of the novel or even who the author was, the brief was to create an image in which is our response to the piece of text we have been given.
I studied the text for some time, designing possible images in which I thought it could be manipulated. My first design was showing insecurity through a female body, a convention that is accepted in today’s society, a stereotype representation.
But after capturing this later image and shooting various photographs my rabbit. I realised there is more to the text than I first observed. There is no link to mankind nor does it convey if it’s an animation or image of wildlife.
The image I have chosen to represent the extract in which I was given to me is defiantly a very personal interpretation.
The character of my rabbit is only known by myself and not to the viewer, however this image to me labels ‘feminicity’ and that element of ‘surprise’ that can be manipulated in the text.
Beautifully shot at the rabbits level, I wanted to capture as much emotion as possible and wanted to show the rabbit as a protagonist, with the audience being a second protagonist. Through black and white photography, I was able to replicate the intended emotion and behaviour and draw all focus to the facial expression visual.
This image to me mirrors the quote “how could you say that”, expressed by the rabbits surprised, however curious glare over the brick wall. As well as making the audience a character by being observed through eye contact, linking the line “Naoko’s voice alerted me to the possibility that I had something I shouldn’t have.”
Daniel Booker, Lens Media 