Connecting your work with your research

One of the main reasons that you have to do your research is so that you learn how other Photographers work and produce their images. The more you research and learn about photographers the greater your knowledge of the subject. With this, will come the potential to see the huge variety of ways in which photography is produced using a vast array of different approaches and MTP's. All of this knowledge will help you generate ideas for your own work.

Nothing is new

Everyone is influenced by someone else, nothing is entirely new, there will always be elements of people's work that they have borrowed from someone else and this is something you need to adopt for your own photography.

So look at as much photography as you can, especially 'Significant' photography, photography that is recognised as being of some importance. Generally this tends to be Historical photography and contemporary 'Art' Photography. Read about it and discover why it's seen as being significant and important.

As much as possible, the Photographers that we direct you to look at as part of your research fall into this bracket and because of their significance, it usually means they've been written about, discussed and interviewed.

Influence 

It's pointless if you do some research and then you produce work that doesn't connect with the research in anyway. Your work needs to connect and by that we mean you borrow an element of their work and apply it to your own. Avoid copying the idea/images and ended up with images at the end of your project that are virtually the same.

Instead, look to adopt different aspect of their work...

Lighting; Compositions; use of materials, techniques or processes, subject, approach, concept, theme, genre etc and apply it to your idea.

When do do this - make sure that you acknowledge the connection between the work... Write a paragraph about how you've been influenced Note this is often found in your plans.