When selecting photos and planning  for my final presentation I have been looking at how Miyako Ishiuchi (my original artist reference) displayed her work. The photos in the Frida series were taken for a catalog which we can see bellow.

I like how minimal the layout is with no writing or patterns taking away from the impact of the image. The background surrounding the photo is white which brings out the rich colours in the silk. the background in the actual photograph is an off white colour and has shadowed areas, if the photo was displayed without a pure white boarder we might not notice these small details. These two images were selected to be placed together because they both display the different parts of the same item.

The photographs in the last two images have been displayed in white frames and hung on walls in different arrangements. Again they have been displayed in a very minimal way to keep a focus on the colour in the image. I love how the yellow background in the second display matches the colour in the image perfectly and brings the two frames together. I took inspiration from this for my own edits and used the eyedropper tool to sample the colours in the image onto the background.

Final Images:

I took these two images of coin purses from the same shoot and chose to arrange them together as a set. Both the photos have a very similar colour schemes and I wanted to use this to link them together. I used the eye drop tool to select a red/ brown colour which matched both photos and made a new page, filling it with the selected colour. I then dragged the images onto the page and arranged them so that there was negative space in between filled with the colour.

I will cut out and glue these two photographs on to white foam board because I want the colours to stand out on their own, I also think this will give them the clean minimal look i was going for.

I chose these four photos of old coin purses for my final images because i think they show how how my ideas have developed through the project and display what i have learnt from studying my chosen photographers. The link to the theme of secrets, codes and conventions due to the  museum style and unknown history in the items I have photographed. I wanted the photos to display what the antiques look like in real life and show their imperfections rather than re touching them to look perfect.

Another photo I have chosen to print is this one of a radio repeated multiple ties on a yellow background, again this shows an old item which has a story and a secret however also links to the theme of code in the way signals are transmitted to radios. I want to frame this image in a black window mount which will compliment the black parts of them image.

I used the VSCO cam app to edit some of my photos from my Ishiuchi inspired photoshoot because I wanted them to have a specific filtered look. I edited all the photos in two different filters so I could decide which looked best as a group.

bellow shows the process to took to edit the photo, I tinted the background to a slightly pink/ purple colour to resemble Miyako Ishiuchi’s style.

 

I wanted the photos to show off the personality of the purses rather than looking like perfect studio images. This is why I cropped the image so it just focuses in on detail of a specific area.

After editing them on the app I then moved them into photoshop and stared to arrange them in groups with other images that had similar colours.

Photoshoot Shoot Plan

Concept: I am going to take photos inspired byJim Goldens collections work, this is his most popular work and has a very unique style. I want to create the same impact as his photos where the unique and intreeging items are shown

Location: I will take photos In front of a white infinity screen which I will make by draping a sheet over the sofa to make a curve and give the photos a clean and professional look.

Lighting: I will use natural lighting which will come in through a south facing skylight, this means the room will be very bright but not in direct sunlight.

Camera settings: I will use the manual setting on my camera so  I can change the exposure and shutter speed depending on the lighting and the item I am photographing.

Props: I will need a plain white background and possibly a tri-pod to create a studio style setup. I will also need to gather the collections of items which tell a story about their owners passion and life.

I want to develop my work from my last photoshoot and move on to documenting items linked to technologies from the past, this links to the title secrets codes and conventions because of the codes that are transmitted using technology and how this has changed over time. It also links to the idea of secrets in possessions like my previous shoots and will continue on the theme of my project.

I am going to take photos inspired by Jim Golden and try to achieve a studio style of photo which carefully arranged items. I  will use a white or block colour background which will complement the colours of the items I am capturin

Concept: I am going to take photos inspired by Jim Golden and try to achieve a studio style of photo which carefully arranged items. I  will use a white or block colour background which will complement the colours of the items I am capturing

Location: I will take photos at my grandparents house using com of their old items, i will set up an infinity screen or white background that i can take minimal pictures of the items in front of.

Lighting: I will use natural lighting which will come in from a south facing window, this should reduce the amount of shadows however some will still need ti be edited out.

Camera settings: I will use the manual setting on my camera so i can change the exposure and shutter speed depending on the lighting and the item i am photographing.

Props: I will need a plain white background and possibly a tri-pod to create a studio style setup. I will also need to gather items which either relate to the history of technologies or that have a hidden story or make the viewer intrigued about it. An example could be diary entries or unique items which could tell a story about their owner and their life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TECHNICAL: This photo was taken using controlled studio lights, these would have been fluorescent or led lights to give a bright and perfect block colour to the background of the images. There are no shadows in this image which tells us a soft box was used to defuse the light. A flash could have also been used to make sure there was and equal distribution of light and no shadows. For this reason the photo looks very clean and professional, all the items in the image took as they would in real life. A wide angle lens could have been used to get all of the items in the frame however from the photo of his set up there is a very tall tri-pod which would have been used with a standard lens. A high f-stop would have been used so that all of the objects spread across the image could all be in focus. The objects in the image would have been stationary meaning even if it shutter speed was slower to make the photo brighter they would still turn out sharp because the camera was on a tri-pod. The image is very clean and sharp meaning a low iso was used, this was possible because of the strong lighting in the studio.

CONTEXT: As well as taking promotional images for companies Jim Golden also takes pictures of people’s personal collections of items. these photos have a lot more personal value and can give us an in site to their owners life. This specific image looks like an advert or sponsored image due to the branding incorporated into it, however it has the same style as his other photos with a more personal touch. In the picture we can see different pieces of stylised cycling equipment, they all have a specific colour scheme because of the leather pieces.

VISUAL: The block background colour of this image is important to help the bicycle parts stand out, any colour could have been chosen but this blue helps the orange tones in the leather to pop. orange and blue are opposite colour on the colour wheel which means they compliment each other helping to bring the photo together. By using a limited range of colours Jim Golden’s photos look very minimal despite them having so many elements and focus points. The objects in the fame have been placed in a very organised rectangle shape, each item has been placed so that there is not large bits of empty space between them. The bike has been placed in the centre of the arrangement, which helps to create some symmetry in the image.

Jim Golden photographer specialises in still life and photography of products, this is because of his experience in the advertising world after working as a retoucher for years. He was originally from New York but moved to Portland when he made the move to shooting. He received a BFA in photo degree and a minor in design but taught himself hoe to light from the ground by looking at the work of his favourite photographers. He focuses of capturing the true essence of a subject rather than impose a false sense of beauty on it. I am interested in his moving images which bring his usual clean still life photos to life in a simple sequence of shots put together to show motion:  https://jimgoldenstudio.com/Portfolio/Moving-Images/thumbs

I like his photos of collections, where he recorded  things that other people have hang onto and collect. This links to my theme of secrets codes and conventions because it helps to tell the secrets and storeys of the owner of the items, a persons possessions can tell us a lot about them and their life. it also links back to my first artist reference Ishiuchi Miyako. His series called ‘relics of technology’ also relates to my project because it links to the historic documentary style of Ishiuchi Miyako. instead of focusing on individual items in natural positions he creates more clinical and organised images.

Concept: I am going to take photos inspiration from the style of photos taken by Ishiuchi Miyako of Frida’s possessions. Instead I am going to photograph my grans purse collection, I think this will give the same effect as they are old and have a sense of mystery and secrecy around them. i think the idea that these relics are not rare and in a way a forgotten treasure now will help to tie this photoshoot to the title of secrets codes and conventions.

Location: I will take photos In front of a white infinity screen which I will make by draping a sheet over the sofa to make a curve and give the photos a clean and professional look, it will also help the beauty of the individual items to stand out and look the same style asIshiuchi Miyako’s work. 

Lighting: I will use natural lighting which will come in through a south facing skylight, this means the room will be very bright but not in direct sunlight.

Camera settings: I will use the manual setting on my camera so i can change the exposure and shutter speed depending on the lighting and the item i am photographing.

Props: I will need a plain white background and possibly a tri-pod to create a studio style setup. I will also need to gather the coin purses I will be taking pictures of for this shoot.

Yokosuka Story 1977 was Miyako Ishiuchi’s first significant body of work, capturing the small port town where she grew up. Although in Japan the town  was the site of a large US Naval base, and was invaded with American culture. she captured social conventions in a country distorted by memories of the second world war. In this series we can see why her work is often called unsentimental and full of secrets and mystery. A lot of the photos were taken during winter with limited light and printed grainy with a high contrast. In this series she explored many parts of the town including narrow streets and residential housing including shots of people in an informal documentary approach.

“I am interested in the way that time records itself into things and people’”- Miyako Ishiuchi

In the same way I have explored the house and possessions left after their owners death.

I edited each individual photo with the C1 filter on VSCO cam to enhance the colours and give them a vintage effect. I took the idea for the filter from the way I Ishiuchi Miyako edits her work to enhance the existing colours without making it look false. I then transferred the the photos to photoshop where is used the clone tool to disguise imperfections in the background which distracted from the focus of the image. I edited all three of the photos the same before moving them into a new document and arranging them in vertical format. I had intended to put the images in order as if the book was being opened an pages turned over, however it looked a lot better with the symmetrical shapes at the top and bottom.

I chose to take photos of this service book because it was one of the hidden items found in the house. During the occupation in Jersey radios were banned because they were seen as a for of communication, however people kept them hidden in their houses despite the risk. The owner of the house I was  taking photos in had a radio and and regularly listened to french and UK stations. She wrote down questions and answers from a quiz in an old service book because resources were limited. I love how the book and other items in her house have a story behind them which which will remain an untold secret.

I found many diaries in her house from her and relatives before her, this one in the picture bellow was from 1946 which was the year after the island was liberated. She wrote mainly about farming which was a big aspect of her life. I have edited this image by selecting the background and making it black and white, I also increased the contrast and darkened the selected area to help the diary stand out.

I wanted to edit in the style of Miyako Ishiuchi’s Yokosuka story series. The photos are low key with a high contrast and grained texture. I achieved the gain effect by creating a new layer and filling it with black, i then went of filter and added noise. I played around with the percentage and made it monochromatic before inverting the layer and changing the blend mode to multiply.

I edited the next few photos in a similar way but played around with the levels and blend mods to achieve different finishes. I also noticed some of her photos had a slight sepia tone so incorporated this into some of my edits.

Photo shoot Plan:

Concept: After looking at the photos by Ishiuchi Miyako that she took of Frida’s clothes and possessions 15 year after her death. I have decided to document the positions of a family friend who passed away a few month ago, her possessions create a sense of mystery about her lifestyle and hold a lot of untold secrets. By doing this I hope to take photos which provoke the same feelings as Ishiuchi’s does and hold a similar meaning. I am not aiming to imitate her photos at this stage i just want to capture them in their existing surroundings bcause I think this will give more context and relate to the idea of revealing secrets of the past.

Location: I will take photos in her house to show the objects in their natural location and surroundings, this should help show the personality of all the possessions together. I will also use the house as a subject because i think this can show a lot about a person.

Lighting: I will use natural lighting which will come in from a different windows, this will show the house and items how they would normally be seen.

Camera settings: I will use the manual setting on my camera so I can change the exposure and shutter speed depending on the lighting and the item I am photographing.

Props: I am taking documentary style photos which means I will take photos of what I find rather than moving them into a studio and using additional props.

After doing the shoot and reviewing the photos I have realised that they look similar to Mikako Ishiuchi’s Yokosuka Story series, I am going to research this area in more detail and edit these photos in the same style.

Miyako Ishiuchi, is a Japanese photographer born in 1947, she studied in the design department at Tama Art University where she specialised in textile dying and weaving. we can see her interest in textiles in here photography  focusing on the eccentric clothes of Frida Kahlo 

TECHNICAL: This photo was taken in a studio set up which would of had controlled artificial lighting.  a diffuser could have been used over the lights to distribute the light and to make the shadows softer. There are soft shadows around the dress which help to define it and make it stand out from the background. The photo has a high contrast which helps to show the details in the dress and makes the colours look richer. The photo is all in focus meaning it has a high aperture. It was taken using a hand held camera which would have needed a fast shutter speed to avoid motion in the image. the white colours in the image look slightly blue/purple toned however i think this is due to a filter rather than white balance.

VISUAL: This image is very minimal in terms of colours and has 3 predominant shades, turquoise, orange and an off white colour. There is a lot of texture in the image which shows of the fine details in the material. The item in photo looks 3D and stands out from the background, this helps to show the dress as it would look in real life. The skirt of the dress goes out the bottom of the frame giving the image a relaxed feel. It was probably taken from above because the dress would be lying on the background.

CONTEXTUAL: This photo was taken in 2013 of a dress owned by Frida Kahlo from earlier than 1954, this means it is a modern viewpoint on a vintage item. This is a reason for it being displayed like a museum piece.

CONCEPTUAL:

This series by Ishiuchi Miyako named ‘Frida’  was taken in 2013 to record of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo’s wardrobe and belongings. She died in 1954 and her husband Diego Rivera began placing her personal belongings into the bathroom of their Mexico City house, “The Blue House”, this later became the Museo Frida Kahlo. following his instructions the room remained sealed until fifteen years after his death. In 2004 it was finally opened and over 300 unseen relics were discovered. The museum invited Ishiuchi Miyako to photograph and document the artefacts for a catalogue.

This links to the theme of secrets because after her husbands death the contents of the room was unknown for over 15 years. Each individual item held its own story about their owner and I want to used this idea for my own photos.

Frida Kahlo was a famous Mexican artist in the 20th century who is well known for her portraits and work on artefacts and nature. she is also admired as a feminist icon due to her bold artwork and political views. she, and her husband were strong communists and she incorporated her beliefs in a lot of her work. 

 

Secrets: Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

Codes: A system of words, letters, figures, or symbols used to represent others, especially for the purposes of secrecy.

Conventions: A way in which something is usually done.

After looking through the starting points suggested by Edexcel I looked up some of the photographers and compiled images which interested me at first glance into a mind map. From here I will narrow it down and focus on on photographer for the start of my project.