Project Proposal #1

For my project I am considering documenting the spaces that have been occupied by weddings but after they are over.  I am interested in seeing what the aftermath looks like because everyone is use to seeing the picture perfect images of the wedding festivities.  I also want these images to be a social commentary on marriage in America.

A. I plan in using my Canon Rebel digital camera to take these photos.  I plan on exhibiting these photos by showing prints as well as either a video with music and captions or maybe a wedding album with captions.

B.  I am not sure that I want to take images with people in them but just simply the space after the wedding. I am sure there will be a few people left cleaning and whatnot but I don't want the people to be the main focus.  So if there are people in the images they will play a very small part.

C. As far as access goes I anticipate this being the biggest problem.  I am going to contact different venues and see if they will give me access to the spaces.  It may become an issue if they feel like I am violating privacy rights.  If I gain the trust of even one or two venues then I will be able to photograph probably every weekend. And maybe even during the week depending on if there are scheduled weddings.

I have had this idea in my head for a for a few semesters now and coming from a family where everyone is divorced it is a topic that I always have wanted to incorporate into my work.  I often wonder if the wedding is the high point of the marriage and what happens afterward?  Wedding seem like a show and what happens when it all falls apart?  I have photographed weddings before and I want to do something totally opposite than what I'm use to as far as content goes. I plan on first finding venues that will give me access to their spaces after the weddings.  Once I have done this I plan on photographing whenever there is a wedding.  I suppose it will mostly be the weekend nights which I am committed to dedicating that time to this. 

I hope that the end result will be able to get my somewhat serious issue across in a slightly humorous way.  I do not want it to be a sad body of work but something satirical.  Even though this issue is something close to me I am not saddened by it but more aware. I understand that a lot of people will end up divorced in the end and its something that I have accepted.  This may sound very negative but to me its the facts. 

As far as a budget goes I do not anticipate that this will be a problem.  The only cost will be printing and gas for transportation but other than that I do not expect any other costs.