For my project, I would like to explore my family, specifically my grandparents. My grandma sadly passed away on the 29th of August 1992, which left my grandad a widower and my mum without a mother at just 16 years old. Despite never meeting her, it has always felt as through something is missing from my mum’s side of the family. Her loss has been a very significant event in both of their lives, and I would want to create my project about. This project will explore life when my grandmother was alive, compared to how it is now, over 30 years later.  

My grandad, Zbigniew, was born in Bierna, Poland on the 9th of September, 1948. My grandma was born on the 31st of January, 1949. They got married on the 31st of August in 1974 and they had my mum, Małgorzata, on the 28th of March 1976. My grandma sadly passed away on the 29th of August 1992.

 This project will help me understand how my family dealt with my grandma’s death and the impact it had on me, although indirect. I remember many moments during my childhood when my mum spoke about my grandma with tears in her eyes, and I hope to further learn truly how much her death affected her life. I want my project to be meaningful, and although I am basing it on quite a commonly used topic, I wish it will be original and unique, with features that make it very specific to my family. 

I will begin my project by thinking about what I want to ask my mum and grandad and then filming an interview with each of them, hoping to find out more about their experience and feelings, especially my grandad’s. I will make sure to ask questions that can result in quotes that I can include my photobook as well as other aspects that can make it more personal. I will also look at different archives, helping me think of ideas for the photoshoots. I will also want to recreate some archival photos, to make my photobook richer in content. Moreover, I think it would be interesting to add a form of physical manipulation to some photos, for example sewing, adding embroidery in my grandma’s favourite colour. Furthermore, I would want to present my study in the form of a photobook, since I believe this will be the most effective method to showcase my work. Moreover, I want to keep the vintage feel of the archives, and I think a photobook would achieve this the best.

I will begin my study when my grandad comes over from Poland for the Christmas holidays, and since he will stay for 3 weeks it will give me enough time to collect the content I need. I wish I could go over to Poland as I could also include my grandad’s environment in my work, however I can always use some pictures I took during my summer task for this. I will take pictures both inside and outside and I want the pictures to be a mix of observational and staged. 

For me, nostalgia is the feeling of longing, and it perfectly describes what my mum and grandad feel when thinking on their life with my grandmother. I want to portray nostalgia in my work by showing old and new photographs that present life with and without my grandmother.