Concept

For my personal study, I wanted to focus more on the area of the individual and making it more about my background within Jersey rather than the Island itself. I wanted this study to be very personal as I want the topic to be surrounding around me and to highlight mainly my identity.

I wanted to take on parts of the identity project for my inspiration as I believe that the discovery of myself and the struggles that are so personal to me, definitely make up the importance of what the island means to me and what the society has influenced. I was planning to direct my personal study down the route of being linked to my struggle with an eating disorder and depression. These topics have played a huge role in my life and still do challenge me to this day, so I believe this study to be incredibly personal to me with clear concepts of my experiences within Jersey regarding these areas.

Living in a small island community, being isolated from the mainland can have a psychological effect on islanders and their mental health. Being consumed by the routine of seeing the same people and living among the same formats of the island can really cause someone to spiral and fall into heavy depressive episode and many things can come off from that episode.

—- Mind map —-

—- Moodboard —-

—- Ideas —-

I wanted to adapt a similar approach to that of what Daniel Butt and Emma Price have done in previous Hautlieu Photobooks. They have both considered the idea of photographing singular objects in the centre of a flat coloured background. I thought I would follow this route similarly with capturing images of items that present my area of study.

I had the idea to photograph the medical wristbands that I had to wear during my stay in the hospital, medication that I was prescribed to help with my depression and appetite, bandages that I had to wear after blood tests and possibly some comfort items that I was allowed to have during my stay in hospital.

Reiner Riedler also followed this approach by photographing a variety of medical equipment and dropping a plain background behind the image. I would hopefully like to follow a similar route to this by trying my best to photograph medical equipment that I had to use on a daily basis.