Mark Power

Magnum Photographer

After todays class discussions on narrative photography, i found it interesting to hear my tutor say that his opinion is that all photography has some sort of narrative, which i guess is true. This has made me little less worried about trying to come up with some amazing story to fit with an image. I now understand it can be much more simple than id thought. 

In class today we watched a video on war photography which showed the real truth and horrors of modern day war. We then watched a video on female genital mutilation, 
as well as looking into a photography website based around all of this kind of concept.

The videos and both photographers inspired me in many ways, and really had me thinking 
about narrative photography. However one main thing that has stuck with me since today's
session is why these horrific, and what seem to people of our culture, as unnecessary acts,
happen? The main explanation for this is Religion. Throughout today it's played on my mind 
and in fact I actually struggle to get my head around how powerful religion can be, and the
extreme things it can drive people to do.

I've come across a photographer which ties in with the theme of exploring religion, his name is 
Mark Power. His work really caught my eye while i was looking through a magnum 
photography book. After researching more into  Mark Power's photography, I've found he 
actually has a series of images based around the catholic religion. 

" I was drawn to a religious theme in spite of - or more likely because of - being a lapsed Catholic.  Finally completing the work in late 2012, MASS seeks to investigate the phenomenon of the Polish Catholic church and an intensity of faith which appears to cross borders of both class and age... often in settings of spectacular beauty.

Photographed from the 'Organista' (the raised area at the back of the church where the organist sits) during busy services, each 'Mass' image is paired with a close-up of a 'slot' found in the same church, into which the congregation are encouraged to put what little money they might have. "

I think these are stunning images and the intensity of the faith here which is what the photographer

explained he wanted to explore, is really captured just through the incredible interior of the churches.

The images really speak for them selves when it comes to portraying that intensity of the religion. 

http://www.markpower.co.uk/Projects 


It's really brilliant to look at Mark Powers images on his website, as he has such a vast range of photography projects. I think it is great the way in which your given a page of explanation of the story of motives behind the series of images before you go on to actually view them. I feel this is really important as through reading the text before viewing the images you are able to appreciate and understand more about the images as well as understand what the photographer is trying to tell us through the images.