After tutorials and some really good feedback I feel I now have a clear vision of where I am going with the photography stills project.

Recently I did a test shoot in a forested area. The idea being that I immerse myself into the nature around me. I got Megan and Lawrence to throw a load of twigs all over me, and then take photos of it and experiment with compositions. This was when the idea was in it's conceptual stage, because basically I was told to go out and just take photos and see what ideas spring from experimenting. And I am certainly happy with the ideas that have sprung forth from this visual brainstorm.

My idea is that everything that exists is categorised under two criteria: Man and Nature. Therefore the relationship between the two goes incredibly far back into the history books. I intend to reflect upon this complicated relationship between man and nature and explore how maybe we can reconnect on a new level with the environment around us, especially in this day and age when earths resources are strained.

Research

My research of this relationship is based on the advise of my tutor - to look at the Green Man mythologies, and relate it to old pagan rituals and their traces in the woods. 

But what is a 'Green Man'?  

A Green man is a a sculpture or drawing or some other representation of a face that often has grass or roots springing forth from the mouth/ears of it. This is primarily interpreted as a symbol of rebirth, representing the cycle of growth each spring. Some speculate that the mythology of the Green Man developed independently in the traditions of separate ancient cultures and evolved into the wide variety of examples found throughout history.

This idea of 'rebirth' is a rather fitting metaphor for the relationship between nature and man and I really want to explore this within the photos I will be taking in the near future.

Visual Inspiration