Photography Personal Statement Example 7

For me, photography is more than a way of making memories - it is an art form which allows me to express myself, with the only boundaries being the ones which I create. When I make a piece, I allow the viewer to come into my space and go on a journey with me. A degree in photography will allow me to develop the ability to confidently explore my ideas, make contextual links and references to artists and photographers, until it all comes together in a final piece which expresses those ideas in a sophisticated way.
Photography A level has allowed me to be more creative, and to take risks. For example, my AS exam theme was 'Home.', where I began by exploring the idea of home through everyday objects and researching the photographer Jan Groover who transforms everyday objects into still life images. I progressed to exploring larger ideas about the concept of a home. For example, I looked into the notion of space; I also considered that for some people living in a different space for a period of time might consider that space home, which led me to look at institutions such as hospitals and prisons. Through my research I came across Richard Ross, whose work includes a series of images called 'Juvenile in Justice' which depicted young offenders behind bars and explored the young offenders institute as their home, until their trials. I started to feel like home is a place you lay your head at night, a place you sleep and wake up, but it may not even be a place you necessarily like. Indeed, it can be a place where you are trapped. This led me to the idea of the graveyard as the home of the dead, a place where people are trapped at the end of their lives, regardless of their class or their wealth. This became my final response, which consisted of five different images, black and white darkroom double exposures, of Blackheath and photographs of graveyards.
Studying photography at A level has opened my eyes to the depth of the subject. I particularly admire the photography of Tom Wood, a street photographer, and work such as 'All zones off peak,' which was created over a period of eighteen years spent riding on buses in Liverpool. I love this work because we can all relate to the experience, and I admire the courage it must have taken to invade the very private space which people on public transport often occupy. I also made a response to his work by photographing my journeys on separate days, and printing them in ticket size.
Throughout the course I have worked hard to improve in my writing skills, and through this I have been able to increase in my ability to evaluate my work in depth and also come to my own conclusions. My communication skills have also evolved through studying BTEC art and design. I love the fact that the work created through art can be understood universally - there are no limits and no restrictions. I believe that a picture speaks a thousand languages to a thousand different people, each one new and different.
I have pursued my love for photography outside of education. For example, I have done freelance photography work, including photographing a youth event which was a gathering of four hundred youths, and included different events for the day to motivate and inspire them for the future, as well as many private events. Working on these commissions has given me an insight into what it might be like to be a photographer, and one day I would love to own my own photography business.
Studying photography has altered my perception of the world around me. I feel the need to capture every moment and interpret my surroundings in a way that no one else could. The ability to tell a story through light and composition is one I cherish. I love the fact that I can create an emotion within someone through a photograph.
I am extremely excited about pursuing the subject I love to undergraduate level, and I cannot wait for the challenges and opportunities of university life.