Letter to myself

I find this sort of thing really difficult, hence my lack of regular blog posts. My brain turns to mush when I try to be self-analytical but here goes:

I'm lacking a certain amount of confidence with my photography at the moment, and i'm constantly wondering if i'm on the right track.

Am I missing the point? My idea/interest in documentary photography is to find subjects that I personally find fascinating or intriguing while at the same time hopefully make for good photographs/photo stories.

This is how I approached my unit 1.1 photo essay (the weighing room). 

Looking at other students' work and plenty of  other work out there, I can see that the idea of 'concerned' docu photography is totally lacking in my thought process and outlook. 

Does this make me unsuitable?

Do I  lack the concern for other peoples'  misfortunes or predicaments?

Am I too parochial in my interests?

AM I A MONSTER? (only joking)

I'd love to be interested enough in Albanian gypsies to want to go and live with them, observe them, photograph them. In short: to experience their life and hardships. But I don't want to.

But it's good other people do - that's the great thing about doc photography.

The feedback from my photo essay I initially found pleasing, then slightly ambiguous.

It was described as a straightforward photo story without the conceptual approach that others have made. 

I haven't got a concept: is that good/bad? I don't no. Should I have one? where can I get one?

Which ever way this blog may come across, I have to say I'm really enjoying this course. It's making me think about my photography and why I want to do it.

It's made me start a notebook of what interests me ( and what I think would make good, interesting photo stories) . I'm now researching and approaching people/organisations and gently persuading them that who they are/what they do needs documenting.

That's something I wouldn't of dreamt of doing even a year ago.

My only doubt is that these stories would be of no interest to others.

Still, I'm going to do them, just so I don't look back and say "shoulda done that".