Casualties

A Triptych I created for my Photography class at TAFE. The assignment was to be a political commentary using toys as props. During the plotting stage of these photographs I was reading a book my friend lent me called 'Raising my voice' by Malalai Joya. The book recounted her experiences in Afghanistan and the surrounding countries during her early years and the Soviet occupation and then later into her adult life and the war between the Taliban and America etc. This really inspired me to create these images based on the Afghani war.

I wanted to get across that its not the Taliban nor the American people who are the casualties of this war. Since the start of all this, including the Russian occupation of Afghanistan, there have been hundreds of thousands, and even possibly millions of deaths, nearly all being that of civilians. Between the few months when we hear about an Australian or American soldiers death [which is extremely sad, and my heart goes out to those families who have lost  members in this war] hundreds of civilians have died. I wanted to get that across in this triptych.

I know that peace is not an easy thing to come to. Its something which is so fragile it can be destroyed by even the smallest miscommunication and its is not something one person can create but we can all hope that one day some kind of agreement can be reached which will stop the tragic blood shed.

©Holly Cashman.

Any images on my blog are not to be reposted without linking back to here or without reference to me as the artist and not to be altered in any way without my written consent.

Under the Vine Tree I

 

People and Place

Photography 2011

~Digital Photography touched up with Adobe Photoshop~

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This series of photographs 'Under the Vine Tree' are of my Best Friend with her long time boyfriend. This was taken for my photography assignment which asked us to capture four photographs relating to the topics 'The Journey' or 'People and Place'. I hope that my choice of 'People and Place' is apparent. 

This was the very first time they or I had done anything like this! Both my best friend and her boyfriend had never modelled before but when I asked if they would my best friend was super excited! I was so glad because I don't have many people available to me that I could photograph and  I was worried like crazy that I wouldn't be able to complete the assignment but one week before the due date the day came and we had so much fun! I had never had a 'photo shoot' of sorts before and the closest I had ever been was snapping pictures of my sister when she wasn't expecting it (never went down well). I had taken photos of places and buildings and nature on many occasions but now I was expected to actually create the environment I was to depict with human figures! This seemed Unnatural! 

Thankfully my new found Models (who ironically have two nieces and a nephew planning to study modelling) were fantastically helpful! They kept offering suggestions and they inspired me by their natural actions, postures and movements so I just went with the flow. This was a god send considering I had no idea what I was doing and in fact could not sleep the previous night because I didn't know what I was going to do with them nor how I was going to position them.

 With hindsight I see that what really made these images what they are were the models and their environment. Every picture was taken in my best friend's home town where she grew up and this really helped me to capture what I intended to which was that sense of serenity and belong she felt being in a place she had always known since she was young and this was intensified by her being with the boy she has been with for years. 

In short they were great models, I couldn't have asked for better. I am very thankful to them giving up their only day off together to help me out.

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©Holly Cashman.

Any images on my blog are not to be reposted without linking back to here or without reference to me as the artist and not to be altered in any way without my written consent.

 

Under the Vine Tree III

People and Place

Photography 2011

~Digital Photography touched up with Adobe Photoshop~
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©Holly Cashman.

Any images on my blog are not to be reposted without linking back to here or without reference to me as the artist and not to be altered in any way without my written consent.

Under the Vine Tree II

 

People and Place

Photography 2011

~Digital Photography touched up with Adobe Photoshop~ 

_______________________________ 

©Holly Cashman.

Any images on my blog are not to be reposted without linking back to here or without reference to me as the artist and not to be altered in any way without my written consent.