Final Major Project -Term 6: A place and a function for contemporary photography – deciding.

For any new photographer – there comes a time when you think about where and what you are going to do with your images – especially if you intend to try to sell them. As with any product the right outlet is paramount – groceries don’t come from department stores etc. For those involved in conservation  photography there is always the worry that you are preaching to the converted – putting your images in a Magazine / Gallery that  focuses on that type of market achieves targeted sales but does not necessarily do anything to increase subject awareness ( if that is what is required)

Arguably, one of the most important functions of contemporary art is that it may promote critical or even moral discussions among its viewers (Barker 1999)

Filmmakers and scientists  are realising that that they are preaching to the converted on  issues related to conservation and   environmental change if they broadcast their messages in the standard outlets. How can they reach a broader audience without losing sight of the  message? I decided to design a quantitative survey to assess where my peers might be exposed to conservation messages and whether the source made a difference. The survey will run on Survey Monkey for 6 weeks (Survey Monkey is FOC if you use the Basic Plan which limits the number of questions / number of surveys) . I also designed the questions so that the response was simple and the results could be analysed without parametric analysis software packages. Whilst this strategy reduces the scientific validity of the result  it will suffice for the purposes of my curiosity, and the validation of my publishing decisions

The survey was tested on 2 friends plus it passed the survey monkey criteria for an effective survey design. I emailed peers and friend and placed it on the Uni student forum over Christmas. The timing was deliberate to capitalise on holiday down time.

Survey

Survey Questions

1. Do you spend over 60 % of your total time ( Home, Leisure and Work) in a Rural or Urban environment? Rural /Urban

 

2. Do you have children, under 18, in full time education?  Yes/ No

 

3. Do you have children, under 18, in full time education who are interested in the environment and /or  wildlife conservation? Yes /No

 

4. Are you interested in the environment and / or wildlife conservation? Yes /No

 

5. Are you a member of an environment and / or wildlife conservation organisation? Yes /No

 

6. Do you regularly (at least once a month) do any of the following?

• Read publications / Social Media Posts that have a focus on the environment and or wildlife conservation
• Attend events that have a focus on the environment and /or  wildlife conservation
• Have contact with organisations that have a focus on the environment and or  wildlife conservation  Yes / No

 

7. Have you read an advert / article / social media post etc.  or attended an
   event in the last month that is not connected with the environment and or
   wildlife conservation which has mentioned the environment and / or wildlife
   conservation? Yes / No

 

8. How would you rate the quantity / frequency of information about the environment and or wildlife conservation in the nonspecific information sources you are exposed to (e.g. Periodicals, Social Media, and Events)?  High / Average / Low

 

 

9. Has the exposure increased or reduced your interest? Increased / Reduced  / No Change

 

10. As a result, have you actively increased or decreased your environment and / or wildlife conservation information exposure? Increased / Decreased /   No Change

 

I will publish the results and my conclusions later in the term.

 

Bibliography

Barker, E. (1999). Contemporary cultures of display. New Haven: Yale University Press in association with the Open University