Photographers and research: The idea, the process, and the project

About

Research is a central component of photographic projects. It can make a project more compelling and stronger, and it's essential if you want your work to be considered by galleries, museums and publishers. But there are many ways to do it. It's not something to be afraid of, and it doesn't need to be academic.

In her forthcoming book, Photographers and Research: The Idea, the Process and the Project Shirley Read explores the different ways research can work and emphasises it as the lifeblood of photographic practice. By illuminating the nature and scope of research and its application to practical photography, her guide explores the ways in which research provides a critical framework to help develop awareness, extend subject knowledge, shape ideas, and inform the development of photographic work that has relevance. Through a range of richly illustrated case studies, the authors consider research as integral to the creative process, and explore ways that photographers have embedded research strategies into their creative practice. 

For this workshop, Shirley will explore the possibilities of research with two of the book's contributors - expedition photographer Martin Hartley and photographic artist Sian Bonnell.