Every step of the way

I started off this project exploring shoes as an object, but as my work progressed I found myself finding meaning through the representation of the object of shoes itself. Looking deeper into what the shoe represents.

With the first assignment, taking photographs of our theme or subject of exploration I began with just snapping shots on a public transit. As I got more into the assignment I soon realized that the pair of shoes that someone wears could tell a story of their own. The essay on film photography and digital photo manipulation enhanced my thinking of photography as a whole. My understanding and knowledge of photographs itself was changed. I learnt how film photography has evolved dramatically into something totally new that we know as digital photography. Personally I believe any amateur can do digital photography, but in film photography you only have one shot and one needs to obtain true skills to produce an artistic photo. I have great respect like no other for those who shoot film.

With every course there is always something new and different to take from it. Being the first time using a video camera and editing videos it was quite a fun and tedious experience. I started with an idea in my head for the video assignment, but as my work progressed it only got better and more challenging. I experimented with the many functions and features taking my simple tapping shoe video into a rhythmic taping sensation.

Working through this course we needed to connect our theme throughout every assignment. As I researched more and more into shoes I started to find myself seeking the representation of shoes as the embodiment of our souls. Shoes are a symbol of the path we take. For my third assignment the performance piece I decided to find out what brands of shoes students wore. I went around tracing their shoes and writing down their brands.

My work progressed with the shoe prints I had drawn from my last assignment. With every shoe print I used it as step they took in life. For my final assignment I combined the shoe prints with photos of my own friends and family. I taped all my photos on to the wall, scattered and not in any particular order. Then I took the shoe prints and placed them some facing the opposite ways, some going the same direction and some on top of one another. Using each print to represent a person. The prints showed how some people in their lives will never meet, some will walk along the sides of one another and some will be closely connected may it be a friendship or relationship.

From the start of this course I have taken a simple everyday object and slowly turned into a representation of the steps that some one will take in life. So, never look down at something you take for granted.