Diversity, Photography and Me

There is a correlation between photography and diversity. Photographers are always seeking diversity through their photos and business focus, they have to if they want to be seen as different from the next photography in a highly competitive marketplace. Everyone knows that but ,it goes much further.

Take one photo and show it to 100 people, then get them to describe what they see and you will rarely get two people describing the photo exactly the same. So, a diverse range of perceptions and opinions, which you will find, are based on their own lived experiences.

Since becoming aware of this phenomenon in photography I have tried to embrace diversity in my photographs, hopefully to provide pleasure and awareness to others how see and potential purchase my work. I think that is where my move to minimalistic photography has come from, minimal subject matter should lessen the amount of interpretation the viewer requires. Not necessarily but I will work on it.

So how do you photograph diversity so that viewers will gain a similar understanding of what is before them? Well this is my major project for 2019 starting off with an exhibition showing the diversity in an areas population. This is a start of a three stage project that, I hope, will show just how diverse our population is and also, how we interact with this diversity on a daily basis.

Stage one has already started with the development of a data base of 120 different nationalities that help make up the population of Ipswich, Queensland. One representative will be chosen from each of these nationalities (selected by their own communities), they will be interview and photographed in a way that shows how they have integrated into an Australian way of life. Photographs will be selected to form an exhibition in October this year.

Stage two will comprise an extension to the initial stage with the same process but covering Queensland and along with an exhibition, a coffee table book showing all 220 nationalities represented in Queensland's population and providing a little more information about them.

Stage three is still on the drawing board so watch this space.