The Farm
The outcome of this project looks very different from where I set out at the beginning of October. This is in part due to the restrictions of COVID, but also due to some difficulty negotiating access with a few employers reluctant to allow employees to be photographed in their uniform. This is something I'm going to continue to work on my approach to in the hope that I can yield some positive results over the Christmas break leading in to term two.
After my first visit to the farm I quickly realised that the residents would be ideal for this brief. They are a self contained community still actively working during the pandemic. After my first trip I had the following images:
After a tutorial with Geraint we agreed that the portrait of Gareth (bottom left) needed reworking, and that perhaps John & Glen (bottom right) were slightly weaker. So with that in mind and the advice about engaging more of the environment in the portrait to help tell the story of the sitter and also not being afraid to get in close I went back to the farm and made my way around every workshop and field to maximise the number of sitters, but also to get a better feel for the people that use the farm and settled on the following final 7 and accompanying text.
Fishponds Farm (known affectionately as “The Farm” by those who use it) in Tonbridge, Kent is home to roughly 10 independent tradesmen and self-employed craftspeople. At first glance, you might think that 2020 would have had the most drastic impact on people like the residents of The Farm, in reality, many of them have never been busier! Cars still need an MOT or bodywork, local businesses still need timber and produce, and what better time to finally do up your kitchen than during lockdown? By engaging with local communities, the residents of The Farm are helping to build a better future for the surrounding towns and boroughs.
