Throughout this project, I responded to the brief "What do you see?" by exploring how photographic images can encourage interpretation rather than deliver fixed meaning. Preceding this project I was interested in how viewers project their own emotions, experiences, and assumptions onto an image, particularly when information is withheld or unclear. So rather than presenting a direct narrative, I wanted to create images that sit in a space of ambiguity, where meaning is unstable and dependent on the viewer. I feel that my final work reflects this intention through atmospheric, mysterious imagery that invites questioning rather than explanation.

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Initially, I struggled to define a sub theme that was both open enough to allow experimentation and structured enough to remain cohesive. This uncertainty became a productive part of the process, as it pushed me to experiment with instinct and what I was already drawn to and what felt authentic. After my experimental shoot, I became increasingly interested in the idea of absence - not as emptiness, but as something that implies presence (particularly human presence) through what remains. This concept allowed me to work loosely while still maintaining a strong conceptual thread across the project.

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One of the key decisions I made during this project was moving away from the use of human subjects and portraiture. Although I revisited the idea of including people multiple times, I ultimately felt that their absence created more space for interpretation. By implying that people were once present but are now gone or unreachable, the images become less about specific individuals and more about emotional and psychological states. This decision links closely to the brief, as it requires the viewer to actively engage with the image and construct their own narrative rather than passively consuming information. In this way, I felt I was trusting the audience and allowing their personal perspective to shape what they see through what I saw.

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I also experimented with mixed media during the development of this project. While these experiments were not carried forward into the final outcomes, they were still a valuable part of my creative process. Working with mixed media helped me to better understand the emotional weight within my images and how different materials and textures could alter interpretation. These early explorations informed my later photographic decisions by making me more aware of the mood, tone, and how images can be read emotionally rather than literally.

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I experimented with long exposure techniques and motion, which helped to emphasise the sense of lacking presence and uncertainty within the images. This technique also allowed elements within the frame to feel transient or unstable, reinforcing the idea that what is being seen is incomplete or fleeting. I also deliberately used weather conditions, particularly heavy fog, as a natural tool to obscure information and add mystery. Planning shoots around specific weather conditions was a big difference in how I approach photography, as I began to consider external factors as conceptual tools rather than obstacles.

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Another significant development was my decision to photograph during dusk and into darkness, an area I would typically avoid as I tend to rely on strong natural light when shooting on location. Through this experimentation, I learned more about the technical difference between lenses, particularly how my kit lens performed better than my zoom lens in low light conditions due to its wider aperture availability and therefore allowing more light to enter the camera. This knowledge improved my understanding of equipment choice beyond its obvious use and its impact on image quality and atmosphere.

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Throughout the project, I also became more intentional in my planning during shooting, rather than relying heavily on editing to resolve issues later. This was difficult initially, as I am used to problem solving in post production. However, by my final shoot I found that I needed very little editing and could focus primarily on subtle colour adjustments. This demonstrated a clear development in my technical confidence and decision making, as well as a more considered approach to photography itself.

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Overall, I believe the final images successfully respond to the brief by encouraging the viewers to question what they are seeing and why they interpret it in a particular way. The ambiguity within the images allows for multiple emotional readings - what one viewer may see as calm or comforting, anothing may find unsettling or isolating. This subjectivity is central to my response to "What do you see?" and reflects my intention to explore perception as something personal and unstable.

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If I were to continue or revisit this project, I would like to push the concept further by expanding the series or reintroducing mixed media in a more intentional way. I would also be interested in gathering more direct audience responses to further explore how different viewers interpret the same images. Overall, this project has been a valuable learning experience both conceptually and technically, allowing me to develop a more confident, thoughtful approach to photography and a deeper understanding of how images communicate beyond what is visible.