Great work Anne.
I really enjoyed reading your report. Yes, with photography, more than with any other art form (with the exception of video) we are able to enter into the lives of strangers. There is an entire industry built around this relatively new concept. I will be interested in seeing how this theme pops its head out in your work.
I would also like to take this opportunity to answer a question you posted in your last assignment. When it comes to blurring a photograph you have the following options.
1. A soft blur where most primary elements are still recognizable
2. A hard blur that creates an abstract feeling to the photograph
Soft and hard blurs both have their place within photography. A soft blur gives a film like or dream like quality to your work. A hard blur focuses more on color and shapes rather than the context of the shot. The problem with your last shot is that it was somewhere in between, and your viewers were left guessing at what that object in the upper center of your photograph was. As a viewer I was really distracted and couldn’t figure out what the object was. I knew what everything else was, but that one object close to the center of your photograph played a primary role and confused me as a viewer. The problem is that you knew what the object was. You can probably still identify it in the shot. However, before seeing your second shot, I had no idea what it was. My recommendation to you therefore would be to either use less blur or go all the way and blur the entire scene and focus more on colors and shapes.
Best of luck with your future assignments! You’re off to a great start.