Getting the Shot

Getting the Shot was photographed in seaside locations and other popular public scenic spaces. In these images, men and women stand before similar backdrops, repeating almost standardized poses: turning their bodies, raising their hands, angling themselves toward the camera, then pausing in anticipation of a flattering image. In the context of contemporary social media, “getting the shot” is no longer simply a description of a photographic result; it has become a clear behavioural goal. People arrive at a place not only to see the landscape, but also to produce an image that can be shared and affirmed.

I photographed these figures over time and stitched them into elongated compositions, allowing dispersed individuals to form a continuous sequence of repeated bodies within a single image. Similar poses, framings, and camera-facing gestures accumulate across the work, gradually revealing how an apparently personal act of picture-taking is shaped by collective visual conventions. The landscape is no longer only something to be viewed; it also becomes a backdrop for image production and a device for confirming one’s presence.

The work reflects on a psychological condition that has become increasingly common in the age of social media. People hope to create an attractive image of themselves, yet also fear missing out on an experience, posture, or visual expression that has already been widely validated by others. This anxiety around “getting the shot” is not simply about whether a photograph looks good; it also involves a broader anxiety about participation, self-display, and visibility. By repeating familiar poses, searching for approved angles, and continually checking their appearance, people seem to complete a ritual through which the outing itself becomes socially legible.

Getting the Shot examines this photographic behaviour as something suspended between everyday life, performance, and self-management. Beneath its quiet humour, the work considers how contemporary visual culture shapes bodies, desire, and public space. In trying to secure an image of our own, we also enter a collective image in which everyone begins to look strikingly similar.