Ideation

A community encompasses a group of connected people, usually by interest or geographical location (Smith et al, 2001). There are many different types of communities, and some are more accessible than others. This brief presented me with two main questions; the first being what communities I was part of and the second being what communities an important message must share. Charities were the first thing that came to mind.

What is CASPA?

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects behaviour patterns and communication (Okoye et al.2023). One in one hundred people in the UK are diagnosed with autism (BeyondAutism, N.D). Thanks to advancements in understanding of how the condition works, more children are being diagnosed with it earlier in life. The benefit of this is that early intervention can take place and measures can be put in place to support the child and their development. However, families of children with autism can feel overwhelmed or unsure on how to best support their child which is where charities like CASPA come into play.

CASPA supports over 500 individuals, providing a comprehensive range of services, this award-winning charity is in the London borough of Bromley (CASPA, N.D). They provide sessions for under 5s to over 18s. It is a charity that I have personally worked with a number of times in the past and one that I believe will make for an interesting project.

(Image 1 – This is a photo of my family and me at a fundraising event)

Aims & SMART Goals

My aim for this project is to construct a series of images in such a way that outsiders can look at them and understand the importance of CASPA and their values as a charity. As well as this, I want to create high-quality and technically accurate photos that they can use on their website and social media platforms as well.

S – To create a technically accurate photographic portfolio.

M – Ensure that the portfolio encompasses the entire community.

A – CASPA has many subcommunities within it.

R – It is a clear community and should provide me with technically accurate shots.

T – My deadline for taking all the photos shall be by the end of the Easter holidays.

Inspiration

Regarding photographers that I have used as inspiration, the first was Chris Steele-Perkins. His photography project ‘A Sense of Community:​ Wolverhampton in the 1970s​’ investigated the communities that were most affected by Enoch Powell’s speech on immigration (Howard, 2018). I chose to study this project because it captures the emotions of the community and the interactions between a range of members. Communities can have subcommunities within them and Steele – Perkins’ work doesn’t just focus solely on one part but manages to visually illustrate different parts of the community that fit together.

(Image 2 – ‘A Sense of Community: Wolverhampton in the 1970s’, Steele – Perkins, 2011)

 The other photographer that I studied is called Richard Kalvar. The project ‘Italia 50’ captured candid photographs of Italians nationwide (Kalvar, 2011). The objectivity and candid nature of these shots are admirable and something that I strive to replicate in several of my photographs as I want to capture the true emotions of the children who are part of CASPA.

(Image 3 – Richard Kalvar: Italia 150, Kalvar 2011)

Conclusion

In the coming weeks, I shall create a schedule and discuss with CASPA which sessions I am allowed to photograph and prepare for that.

Bibliography

BEYONDAUTISM, N.D. Statistics Available from: https://www.beyondautism.org.uk/about-autism/understanding-autism/statistics/

CASPA, N.D. About us Available from: https://caspabromley.org.uk/

HOWARD, E., 2018. A Sense of Community: Wolverhampton in the 1970s Available from: https://www.magnumphotos.com/arts-culture/society-arts-culture/chrs-steele-perkins-wolverhampton/

KALVAR, R., 2011. Richard Kalvar: Italia 150 Available from: https://www.magnumphotos.com/newsroom/society/richard-kalvar-italia-150/

OKOYE, C. et al., 2023. Early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder: A review and analysis of the risks and benefits. Cureus, 15(8),

SMITH, M.K. et al., 2001. Innovations in Knowledge Translation:
the SPHERU KT Casebook. Community,