Love Me- Zed Nelson, natalie kirk (books/web)

Love Me- Zed Nelson

Over a period of five years, travelling to seventeen countries, across five continents, photographer Zed Nelson has produced his latest work entitled LOve Me.

In the series Nelson explores the world we have created in which the way you look can have enormous social and psychological rewards and downfalls. A world in which our constant strive for perfection is so great that plastic surgery and the odd 'nip and tuck' is fast becoming the norm.

The series presents images of Beauty Queens to Business Men, Hou

se Wifes to Plastic Surgeons, all sharing one common beli

ef that in changing your appearance on the outside others around you will accept and admire you as 'beautiful'.

One image that stood out for me was that of Anthony Mascola, age 46. Nelson shot him as he was just hours away from undergoing liposuction surgery to his abdomen and chin. The image is accompanied by a quote which reads:

"I'm competing with me 20 years younger than me"

What is it that makes this man feel inadequate to those younger than he? Is it a natural part of growing old to feel as if you want to turn the clock back? Is it just that now you can. Perhaps the fact that cosmetic surgery has become so accepted is part of it's attraction, it's almost seen as a quick fix, a way of solving all your problems, a way of gaining that confidence you so desire.

Another quote with the work is that of philosopher Alain de Botton:

Every society has notions of what one should believe and how one should behave in order to avoid suspicion and unpopularity. Some of theses societal conventions are given explicit formulation an a legal code, others are more intuitively held in a vast body of ethical and practical judgements described as 'common sense' which dictates what we should wear, which financial values we should adopt, whom we should esteem, which etiquette we should follow and what domestic life we should lead.

We refrain from questioning the status quo because we associate what is popular with what is right.

To me Nelsons work is hugely important, it brings our attention to the lengths in which people will go to to achieve their notion of what is right and what is beautiful.

It also makes us consider our own insecurities and vanity. Where has this strive for perfection and acceptance come from?What is it that we're aspiring to? What is beauty?

Photography Identity- Age: We Too Shall Grow Old

We Too Shall Grow Old- Natalie Kirk

In 1980s photographer John Willis visited nursing homes and the elderly people who reside there.

The images are black and white, ambiently lit. They look delicate, fragile, like the subjects.


Willis questions our perception of what it's like growing old in our contempory society. The work isn't intenet on speaking out against nursing homes, but it does raise the question that, while there is a genuine need for them and the services they provide, are they, we, doing enough to help? Does our society need to improve its means to properly care for our elderly, whether in a nursing home or not?


We have a responsibility to care for elderly yet it feels like society has forgotten those in need of our help and thier contributions to our society, sadly it seems easier for it to be that way but, it isn't right and it isn't fair.
Willis' goal for this work was to inspire people to act on behalf of the elderly, individually or on a larger scale. "If compassion and empathy for others is not enough to make us act then I suggest we remember that we too shall grow old."-John Willis

Famous Female Faces; Photography as evidence of domestic and public incidenthttp://womensaid.org

Famous Female Faces; Photography as evidence of domestic and public incident

Natalie Kirk

In 2007 photographer Rankin worked alongside the charity Women's Aid in a campaign against domestic violence. ACT Campaign.

Rankin shot images of famous female faces made up to show the effects of domestic violence. The campaign wanted to emphasise the fact that domestic violence can affect every woman no matter her age or situation. The images depict the affects of a violent relationship.

The fact that celebrities are used makes you instantly engage with the image, you recognise the face - "Oh it's Mequita from T4"- You take notice and it gets people talking -"Have you seen that photo of Fern Britton with a black eye? It's for that domestic violence campaign"- The power of celebrity will get people recognising and talking about your campaign, which is of course what you want, you want the attention and the hype for your cause. You want people to remember. But...does the fact that it is a celebrity somehow detract from the harsh reality of the affects of domestic abuse? Are the images somehow easier to look at because really you know it's not real, it's make up, this is what could happen to someone in an abusive relationship not what has happened to this person.

If it was a stranger in the images, someone who was a victim, someone you didn't recognise, would people talk about them in the same way? Would the images be harder to look at or more shocking because they're real, this is what has happened to someone, this person has suffered. Would they get the same kind of attention or be remembered in the same way?

I feel that the campaign is for an amazingly worth while cause and raising awarness of domestic abuse is a much needed education for our society, using the help of celebrities in the campaign deffinately catches people's attention easily. However, I can't decide whether or not it slightly detracts from the severity of the situation, if it somehow demeans the victims? At the end of the day the celebrities can wipe off all the make up, it's not a reallity for them.

The campaign wanted to raise awarness that domestic abuse is going on all around us but it also hopes to encourage victims to come forward and talk. As a victim, would you be more inspired by a celebrity putting on make up depicting your experiences or, by a real victim having the courage to come formard herself?