Following the exploration of Doug DuBois’s My Last Day At Seventeen which was scattered in my classroom, I decided to delve into learning more about DuBois as his work upon Russell Heights was very interesting and relevant to what I was trying to portray as a seventeen year old photography student.

Doug DuBois is a middle-aged American photographer from a middle-class background, making him some what of an ‘outsider’ to the life of an Irish council estate. Having already looked at one book, I decided to explore other pieces of work DuBois has produced, for instance, All the Days and the Nights, a British journal which examined family relations under stress. DuBois exploits his position as an outsider to photograph and capture alternative scenes which have links to what I am looking to portray.

DuBois’s style is heavily tableaux, particularly in My Last Day At Seventeen as the subjects he looks to capture are sensitive for some families or groups of people, so by grasping the co-operation of the subjects demonstrates he is not being disrespectful, a matter which takes time, effort and patience.

IMAGE ANALYSIS

Technically, the format of the image is slightly more rectangle than square in order to coincide with the sizing of the window pane which gives a visual on what happens beyond what we assume to be this young man’s home. The window creates the background of the image as it creates a physical yet transparent barrier between the home and the estate which could occur deliberately by the photographer as he looks to examine and analyse individuals alone away from their neighbors or peers. The limited view we have of the home reveals it is lived in as washing is hanging from the curtain pole as well as the tow mugs of tea,  with one potentially being for DuBois himself as he, as he explained in an interview with Lens Culture, created good friendships and relationships with those who lived in Russell Heights. The image produced definitely coincides with the rule of thirds as the fundamental subject in question is just slightly off center piece with a translucent vision of the estate which is the main subject of the book, suggesting the young man is very much a part of the estate and community it has to offer. As we know, DuBois uses tableaux techniques in order to capture his photographs, potentially meaning he has positioned the subject in this fashion to demonstrate a level of trouble or stress due to what happens in and around the estate. There is also a degree of irony as the young man’s body language connotes closure as he is keeping his arms close to his chess, however, in the background there is the curtains which are spread open, meaning the estate is always a welcoming and accepting place to live despite your troubles. As far as DuBois is concerned this allegation is true as his five-year project was greeted well with the occupants of the estate. The book was published in 2015 yet the curtains and other interior attributes appear quite dated, giving a crucial insight into the socio-economic status of the estate. However, despite this factor, DuBois captures vibrant and illuminating colours which creates a positive atmosphere despite the body language and extensive analysis.