Meeting the objective
Could you discover a participatory approach or emulate the work of an inspirational photographer?
What did you do to participate
You don’t have to reach method actor commitments to embody a persona. But participation is dynamic, not passive. For example, what does Ramadan look like from the perspective of a person fasting? Can one visually communicate hunger, boredom, denial, fatigue, faith, solace? It is more abstract than composing the symbolism of a religion or ritual.
In order to communicate something informative, you need to experience something revealing in return.
Did you approach it objectively or personally
While objectivity has largely run its course within photography debate — in this instance did you consider participation as visual research, or did you approach the exercise as an intimate journey?
A more personal experience may read like a visual diary. Wheras if you approached it as an experiment it may be more dispassionate. Each strategy has merit for different contexts.
Was it comfortable engaging in a different perspective
If you go out fishing a comfy seat is definitely desirable! But beyond ergonomics, feel at ease in your own skin. Comfort can also be cerebral or emotional. Did you need to consider any ethical standpoints of the subject and perspective of your visual research?
On a practical level, don’t put yourself in any jeopardy. Part of having an agile brief in your mind is knowing the limits of what is feasible. Which in turn can creative structures to inspire and inform your choices.
Did you consider the safeguarding of yourself and others
If your research was less consequential, you might have employed some guerrilla tactics. But safety and accessibility should be part of your prep beforehand. Did you enquire with a representative of a space to gain access, or do any due diligence on where you were going, or what you were doing?
In some contexts there is a serious side to role-play. You cannot just go into a place of work, or someones home and just start pressing the shutter without potential consequences. If you consider a sensitive or vulnerable subject of research, you have a duty of care to those who end up in frame. What permissions did you require to conduct your research in a suitable manner? Likewise, the storage and distribution of any sensitive material you may have documented will likely have expectations around that.
Did you find emulating another insightful
From the laborious nature of a specialised setup, to the journey to get to a location, or the confidence required to be an invasive street photographer — using a distinctive concept of another is both an homage and something more experiential.
Did you have the patience to wait like your peer? Maybe having a lot of equipment stifled your creative instincts. Role-playing someones personal voice can take you from what they do and how, to why they do it, and why this may or may not be something you want going forward. In this context, the exercise evolves from imitation to visual research that informs your personal development.
Did you agree or reject the artist statement
Were you aesthetically drawn to the work of a peer, but couldn’t reconcile their statement with what you saw? This is perfectly fine, as you are free to interpret the work in your own way. It might be that the language is too pretentious, or searching for more highbrow meaning than it warrants. It may also simply be that a statement is not drafted with you as it’s target audience.
Conversely, the words might be more inspirational than the final result — giving you motivation to build on the idea and iterate new visual styles. Just remember to give such inspiration the recognition you would like if someone was emulating your work.
What’s next
Give yourself an honest appraisal of your approach and create some action points to build into your research methods for future use.