Melanie Byrne
I believe it is very important to make use of visual media to re-tell stories about family and places. My photography allows individuals to collectively come together to help and understand each other. I aim to learn from photographers in other cultural and geographical parts of the world who actively gather archival photographs to show how telling multiple personal histories contributes to the memory of shared experiences.
I work with others to learn what they see in a photograph and to co-author the meaning of photographs from a long time ago and the recent past. I believe every individual must have control over how they want to see and tell their own story; my photographs are not about me, but I want my photography to be a valuable and meaningful part of the everyday life around me.
Communication is very important to me. I have learned how photography is a two-way communication. I benefit from the trust of others and I must always reflect on how fair and aware my methods are. Curation carries the same responsibilities and as a photographer I take this into consideration when I am pre-planning my projects.
instagram.com/melanie.byrnephotography
www.melaniebyrnephotography.com
How Did We Get Here?
This project is constructed around the themes of anxiety and loneliness to raise awareness about mental health and the struggles many people face. The images are narrative in character, suggesting how people can adopt strategies of water therapy and retreat to the forest, as ways to support physical and mental wellbeing. Drawing on the Japanese practice of Shinrin Yoku, this series of photographs of young women and men in water or in the forest, encourages us to spend more time in nature and to appreciate it. Other consistent features include the wearing of white clothing, as white is a symbol of purity. Photography allows us to explore difficult topics such as mental health creatively and expansively. As a photographer, my work focuses on storytelling and on representing how the body may be culturally interpreted.
Photobook
This book is based on reflecting mental health through photography while referencing forest and water therapy. It was important for me to allow each photograph to make use of space and allow the viewers to appreciate each photograph uniquely. The cover holds a strong meaning on growth and how we as individuals grow and change each day.