Week 10 kicked off with a discussion around Sameness and Difference - how to pictorially make what matters matter. Very interesting and a bit mind bending the discussion, but really helpful in analysing why one series might work stronger over another series. We discussed visual salience - where something stands out in relation to its neighbours - such as blue amongst red, or a man made object amongst natural objects, or a rough texture amongst smooth textures. And as is the case more often than not, a single image contains several salient items, in order to guide and or lead the viewer through the frame.

Even more relevant to where we are at, was how do you make Sameness and Difference work to enhance a series of images, or a portfolio. That is, in a series of say 12 images, do you just change a little something in each frame to show that that is the important or salient aspect, but risk boring the viewer; or do you change a lot in each image from one to another, but risk confusing the viewer and losing all relevance. Its a balance somehow !

Look at the image above. On first glance you might think ok, two women, embracing, one distant and staring, perhaps they both are, actually they look similar, could be twins, actually actually - they are exactly the same person ! This image comes forma series of work done by Kelli Connell and it is amazing. Well worth looking through. Clearly she has done some extensive photoshop work to make it all come together, but the posing and setup for each image would have been even more impressive. And of course the concept. So the sameness is obvious but its also in the color palette of the series and the moodiness of the images, and the subjects!; the differences are the day to day activities and situations they find themselves in. A great exploration of her relationship with herself perhaps ? or something else ....

Keeping this in mind I put up my first portfolio review images - the landscape section of the portfolio. The theme and concepts don't have to be as strong for this minor portfolio areas (inanimate and animate), but for Inanimate I am thinking around a series of Lake Eildon or perhaps a series on Trees. Will see.

LesWillPhoto - Blog

Workshop Experience : Semester B Week 10 Sameness and Difference