Exercise:- Symbols.

"The idea of this project is to find symbols for a number of concepts.  Complete it by listing more than one symbol for each of the following subjects and add short notes saying how you might use them in a photograph.  You do not need to take photographs for this, although by all means do if you feel enthusiastic about one of your ideas.  The subjects are growth, excess, crime, silence and poverty".

At first I misread what was required for this exercise,  assuming symbols to be signs etc.  After looking at the course notes a second time, I believe I have a better understanding of what is meant by a symbol.

The above montage is made up of seven images all are of pawnbrokers, all were photographed in Hanley, a part of Stoke-on -Trent, all are within a hundred yards of each other.  I know a shop is not a symbol however so many pawnbrokers, so close together on one road must be symbolic of our time, as a whole they fit all of the criteria of this exercise.  Growth, they are taking over our high streets.  Excess, same as growth.  There abundance could give criminals an incentive, to commit a crime!  Poverty, they are cashing in because so many people are hard-up, finally on the day I took the photographs they were closed, it was Sunday, there was silence on the street they had taken over.