You could ask yourself the following questions

My HNC has begun again, second year.

For one of the briefs I have asked myself the following questions and, kindly, given myself some answers too.

Who are you?
Elgan Lewis Bruce, 30, married, father of one son, homeowner, full-time employee of a publishing company where I lay-out business-to-business magazine pages all day, frustrated gardener, keen photographer, avid reader, short by modern standards, fond of melancholy, largely anti-social except on special occasions when I am virulently anti-social, hypocritical environmentalist, cyclist, enthusiastic cook, over-enthusiastic eater, possessor of somewhat more body fat than I'd like but newborn son is preventing the remedy, son, brother, grandson, descendant of Robert the Bruce of Scotland, Bob Dylan addict trying to find other sources of musical enjoyment, politically left-leaning, fond of Gordon Brown because I am largely contrary, voter (only missed one since 18), reluctant driver, friend to spiders, fond of birds (feathered), Bill Oddie and Kate Humble, annoyed by rampant spread of humanity over past hundred years or so to the extent that the balance has shifted to the machine (I'm with RS Thomas on this) and would like somebody to do something about it with the minimum of fuss so that we can all get on with our lives quietly, disinterested in computer games except the free card game on the PC, shit chess player to my frustration, a bit of a romantic at heart, like buying the wife flowers, suffer from a bit of a bad back and sore thumbs from various rugby related injuries in my youth, keen sleeper, vivid dreamer, procrastinator of professional standard.

What is your work about?
It is as confused as I am, and seeks some clarity.

What area of photography are you interested in?
The area which is least concerned with profit.

Why do you want to practice photography?
I want to create my own version of my reality – see below.

Where do you see yourself in the future?
I don't have that facility.

What was the first image you saw that got you interested in photography?
Probably something taken by my father. He is very keen on photography and was always taking photos of us as youngsters.

Who was it by and how did it influence you?
One of the photos my dad took shows me looking through a window at my elder sister who is outside in the snow, looking at me from the other side of the window. It's ingrained in my memory, even though I can't remember the actual event. In some ways, all I want to do is take a photograph like that which, even though it isn't a great exposure, is part of my mythology, the story I have created about myself. We all have stories about ourselves which make us the people we are. This photograph is vital in my understanding of how I grew up. I want to create little myths with my photographs.

Which other art forms are you interested in (film, sculpture, painting, poetry, literature, theatre etc)?
I'm interested in all art forms. I don't necessarily like all art forms, but they are all intriguing in their own way. I've been to a number of operas: they should be the zenith of artistic endeavour in music, theatre, dance, but somehow they always fall a little short, even when they are brilliant. I enjoy the theatre, but the actors always try a little too hard. The art form I admire most is poetry, more so than photography, though I feel that photography and poetry are very closely linked artistically. Both tend to have a small frame to work within; both are more technically demanding than generally thought; both offer subjective viewpoints on the world which can be, at their best, deeply moving. Both hide as much as they show, and benefit from closer study. Both seem somehow luxurious, but at the same time vital. Dylan Thomas wrote: “The photograph is married to the eye / grafts on its bride one-sided skins of truth.” The difference is that poetry's truth shows both sides.