Narrative agency making. Our-shared stories

Abstract

Narrative Agency Making is about putting the practice of photography in question. Who may photograph whom? Is there a way we can collectively shift the use of photography to become a tool for self-exploration of identity and heritage? The work is influenced by approaches from women working in the field of photography who have been socialised outside of Western culture. I try to make space in my photographic practice for personal concerns in relation to my respective community, starting with questioning who my community is and what community can mean. I’m working toward finding ways of engaging the people I photograph to be more involved in the making, sharing and telling of their own stories. There are many people involved in the making and publishing of a photograph: subject, photographer, redactor, commissioner, and publisher. They all have individual roles and corresponding accountabilities. When I work with others, it’s important for me that the story which is being told, shared, created or reproduced in an image, is one which is made respectfully, from its creation to publication.