The Photographic Diary as a Reflexive Methodology for Documentary Practice

My chapter for The Reflexive Photographer is a critical analysis of an original photographic work produced during my graduate studies and an evaluation of the chosen methodology. The chapter samples the original photographic work but also makes a broader case for diaristic methodologies as tools for presenting documentary photographic work in a more subjective context, one that allows the influence of the photographer to be seen more transparently and dimensionally than is typical of traditional presentations of documentary photography. The chosen case study focuses on the experiences of an older couple living in a nursing home but it also interrogates the personal relationship that develops between the couple and myself - the photographic artist - and highlights the string of subjective decisions that guide the making of the work. The resulting work is examined not just as a portrait of the subjects but also a portrait of the photographer. The essay argues that the combination of documentary photographs with diaristic text exposes the ways documentary projects are negotiated and illuminates the personal and emotional factors come into play in authoring a work.