Exhibiting your images
In many cases of social documentary the natural vehicle to bring the work to the public is
exhibition followed by or simultaneous with a book. There are a number of issues to be resolved:
• Who will stage the exhibition?
• Where will it be seen?
• Who will it be seen by?
The work itself will have been based around some decisions made before the shoot took place.
There must be a context and there will be a relationship between the subject and context that
you will explore. This may influence format and quality which may in turn impact on the nature
of the equipment involved. If your images are made using a mobile phone then you’re unlikely
to get A1 reproduction.
The aesthetic supporting the work may justify a departure from conventional sharp prints or
solid colour. It may be that the exhibited prints are from a professional level piece of equipment
and yet are printed postcard-sized – again an aesthetic consideration of the photographer.
All of these factors will support the condition of the work relative to the reality that you as
photographer want to convey. Your work may be seen as part of an installation where the viewer
becomes part of the experience. It may be placed exclusively online as a media-based piece. The
book may be interactive or stand separately from the exhibition. You’ll need to look at the cost
of bringing the work to the market – the viewers that are its intended destination – before the
project starts.