For my first three layouts I wanted to explore typologies and how putting photographs in a triptych and diptych format in order to portray the narrative of the occupation of my Grandparents lifestyle. I decided to use the portraits which have emotional value and suggest important part of my Grandparents lifestyle as the first triptych. These photographs are being printed as A4 photographs and will be displayed with a 4cm gap between each photograph and will be either stuck onto foam board or put in a window mount on white card, as I believe white compliments the photographs the best. For my next triptych layout I printed out four landscape photographs of the interior of my Grandparents house, two in colour and one in black and white. The images are being printed as A5, and will be displayed in a similar format, 4cm gap between each photograph and displayed vertically. My final out come using typologies is a diptych which is a portrait of my Grandad and one of my Grandma. I printed one out as an A4 and one as an A5, the size difference of both will reinforce the ideology of power within family structure and how my Grandad has the most dominance. I will display the two images next to each other as a window mount or on white foam board with a 4cm gap between each photograph. These designs can be viewed below, as I created a layout of them using photoshop.
The next two display ideas are singular photographs, which would not work as a typology, and so I have deiced to display them on their own. The first photograph is of my family sat around a table at Christmas, showing the interaction of my lifestyle with my Grandparents lifestyle at a religious event. The photograph will be printed on A3 paper and displayed on white foam board. Below is a photograph of my Grandad praying, conceptually representing intimacy and the idea of religion on his lifestyle. The photograph is being printed as an A4 photograph as will displayed in the same way as the A3 photograph of my family. These full bleed photograph displays are visible below.
To show further experimentation and thought into the displaying of my photographs, I decided to create an eclectic display of all the outcomes. The chaotic design suggests that their lifestyle isn’t simple and has its ups and downs, and conceptually clearly presents my intended narrative. Personally, I really like the way in which this looks and will look at creating this on a large piece of foam board when the prints arrive, the design may change due to the size of the photographs, however I do want to see what this would look like with the real images and how impactful the narrative it displays is.
In the initial stages of my photo book design I wanted to ensure I maintained simplicity whilst making the narrative of my Grandparents lifestyle clearly presented. I started by experimenting with the sequencing of my imagery, combing interior and exterior with my portraits, trying to form a relationship between the two to create meaning to illustrate the lifestyle of my Grandparents. I decided to have two portraits or archives and then add an interior and or exterior to have a ‘break from the action’ to change the pace of the book. Although I liked the way in which it looked, I felt the sequencing of my photographs was not the clearest way of presenting my intended narrative, thus making me further explore the way in which I could sequence my photographs. In addition, in this first section of the book I wanted to include archival imagery which allowed a comparison between the past and present lifestyle to portray how their lifestyle has changed or stayed the same, thus emphasising how the time period they were brought up in has influenced their lifestyle. I felt this sequencing of archival imagery amongst present portraits was an affective way of showcasing my intended narrative and allowed a sense of flow within the book itself, therefore I am going to keep these archival images in this position of the sequence due to the reasons stated above. Due to the interior and exterior photographs not ‘fitting in’ well with this particular moment of my book I decided to move them into a new section, allowing for further experimentation.
Second Design:
Taking from the experimentation of my first design I took what went well and things needed to be changed to produce my second design. As mentioned in my book specification I wanted the book to start and end with a strong portrait of my Grandad as I felt it was a clear way of presenting my narrative at the beginning of the book, as well as using a similar portrait at the end to clarify and support the narrative, allowing the book to finish in a conclusive way. I then mainly had portrait and archival imagery in the first section, as this is what worked in my initial design. Occasionally, I did decided to implement 3/4 and double page spreads of interior and exterior to give a break from the action and present my narrative in a new light, however I did not over do this like in my first design. Moving onto the next section of my photo book I wanted to showcase the interaction of their lifestyle with mine at a family event, and so decided to utilise the photographs from Christmas. I occasionally added more archival imagery of family events in order to show the change in interaction of both lifestyles. Within this section I tended to stick with using single, 3/4 and double page spreads in order to show the interaction of lifestyles. I believe the way in which I sequenced these photographs was successful as it allows the narrative to flow, presenting a new way of looking at their lifestyle, with looking at aspects of religious events and how it impacts them. Moving onto the next section I wanted to use my interior and exterior images, as I believe these photographs are a clear way of presenting their lifestyle as well as them being some of my strongest outcomes. The sequencing of these images was kept simplistic, as I tended to show these photographs and then on the following page would be a portrait, to support the conceptual understanding of the location and my Grandparents relationship with it. In this version I decided to layout my essay within the book, I tended to have a combination of full page of text and the use of columns, to break up the chunk of text, making it seem more manageable, thus making viewers more likely to read the essay. To evaluate this design, I believe the overall sequence clearly presents my intended narrative of the occupation of lifestyle on my Grandparents, and flows smoothly with each image being an asset of presenting my intended narrative.
Fine Tuning My Design:
After the second design I am happy with the sequencing of my photographs in order to show my intended narrative. I decided to focus on fine tuning some of my spreads to make the photographs more effective in presenting my narrative, as well as improving the overall aesthetic of my photo book. A few of these artistic decision can be seen below, in order to show my experimentation in my design, as well as my decision making and thought process.
In my first fine tuning of my design I looked at the way in which I presented my double page spreads. For the most part I had a white boarder around the photograph, so it did not fill the whole page, I did this as it allowed the whole photograph to be showcased without anything being cut out, thus making my imagery more reliable in depicting reality. However, after consideration I felt that I was not achieving maximum impact of the photographs and so decided to get rid of the white boarder and have the photograph fill up the whole page. This meant that elements of the photograph was cut out, however I believe it allowed the sequence to flow a lot smoother as well as the photograph to have maximum impact on the side of story telling. The ‘cutting’ of the photograph was not highly impactful, as it did not cut out the main focus point of the chair it only cut out a slight part of the background, thus we were not loosing useful information, making this decision more affective. I decided to do this for my other double page spreads, in order to make all double pages look the same, in the sense to maintain my overall aesthetic. The old and new design are showcased below.
Old Spread
New Spread
The next fine tuning I wanted to focus on was the title page, this is because it is the first thing a viewer will see, thus I wanted it to be high effective and clear in depicting what is within the book. After consideration I decided upon the title ‘Mr Ronald Welling & Mrs M Welling’, I chose this as I felt it clearly presented what the narrative is about and conceptually begins to present my Grandad authority. Using the picture of the windowsill was a good artistic decision as the simplicity and inactive frame allows a sense of tranquil to be presented, suggesting an ameliorative and calm lifestyle. I wanted the text in white in the bottom left corner as I felt it was the most subtle place to have the text, emphasising the sense of calm. Initially I decided to use the typography of ‘Candara’ as I liked the way in which the letters were structured. However, after time and consideration I felt this effectiveness fell and so I decided to change the font to ‘Bookman Old Style’. This fonts structure reminded me of an envelope or address on an important letter. In a way it also reminds me of my Grandad’s writing, and therefore these two reasonings made this decision affective as it suggest the business side of my Grandad, due to the formal representations it holds.
Old Spread
New Spread
I then experimented with a different cover design using a photograph which more explicitly outlines the narrative of my book. I decided to use the archival imagery of my Grandparents wedding. I decided to change the front cover to a dust jacket, which has allowed this photograph to wrap around the book. The front cover holds my Grandad and the back cover holds my Grandma, suggesting the idea of my Grandad’s authority and my Grandma being the backbone of him in essence. Using the crop tool I accurately cropped the photograph so the dust jacket would fold on the same point of each of their eye, and on the fold in I placed their name ‘Mr Ronald Welling’ and ‘Mrs Welling’. Sticking to the title as stated above supports the idea of authority. In this design I decided to again experiment with text font and changed it to a more bold font which makes the title stand out a lot clearer. Personally, I much prefer this design as I feel it gets straight to the point and clearly presents my underlying theme and narrative. Therefore, I have decided to change my front cover to this design, as well as the text font.
My next piece of fine tuning was to do with the sequencing of my photographs in order to emphasises the authoritative conceptual representation of my Grandad. Initially, I had one portrait on each side so that they are next to each other, in order to emphasise relationship of the two subject, however I felt this was not sustained as much as the authority of my Grandad, and so decided to change the sequencing. The first image you see in the book is my Walker Evans inspired photograph of my Grandad on the right hand side, as the right is the page to which viewers first look at. Turning the page my Grandma is placed on the left page, as we do not immediately look on that side of the book, thus suggesting authority of my Grandad and the submissiveness of my Grandma, thus helping to portray my intended narrative.
Evaluation:
To evaluate, I believe I have been able to successfully sequence my photographs in order to present my intended narrative. Through experimentation, I have been able to see the layouts which are most successful, allowing the photographs to have maximum impact and flow nicely in order to showcase the underlying theme of lifestyle. In addition, I have been able to articulate my thought process and decision making as to why I have decided to sequence the photographs in a particular order and why I have chosen that page spread. The development of my photo book has been a long process and so I only showcased the major and most important changes, as well as details on each section and what its meant to showcase and suggest. From now to the final product, it is likely more minor changes will be made and will be discussed in my final photo book layout blog post.
This post presents my final outcomes for this personal investigation. Included below, not in any particular order, is every piece that I managed to produce for my study. I am satisfied with the final outcomes since it fulfils my desire to experiment with as many different techniques and methods as possible, both traditional and digital. Every outcome has helped me explore my mixed identity and the different cultures I have been exposed to during childhood. Ultimately, I wanted to investigate memories, displacement and identity through the use of archival imagery as well as different mediums in order to uncover my family story. Creating these pieces has helped me self reflect upon what I have left behind while shifting countries as well as remembering those moments.
The three images above are inspired by Claudia Ruiz Gustafson. To begin the narrative for my photo-book, I created collages that depict the family from both my mother’s and father’s side. The first image showcases the family from my mother’s side, all sat on the living room sofa staring directly at the camera. In order to create a collage, I scanned a colourful Peruvian fabric to be displayed as the background. This sends a clear message to the viewers that my mother comes from South America due to the textile art presented. This composition is inspired by Claudia who combines archival images with fabric in order to uncover her family’s personal story. Peru is the country with the longest tradition of textile production, going back over 10,000 years. They dyed alpaca fiber and wove it into specific patterns and shapes, representing the areas and the family the weaver was from. Peruvian textiles mainly consist of vibrant colours and striking designs. The second image juxtaposes with the first collage because now I am presenting the family on my father’s side. I wanted to display an image similar to the first composition where all family members are present. This photo depicts his family eating dinner in their house located in Mojácar, a place that they regularly visited during the holidays. My Grandparents now live there permanently since they reached retirement. In order to showcase where they are originally from, I decided to attach a British stamp in the right corner. The third digital collage tells the story of when my father moved to Peru. Since my father is a geography teacher, he takes the opportunity to go travelling whenever he can. Through applying to jobs in different countries, he ended up in Peru which is where he met my mother Isabel. The two images showcase the culture in Peru and the different locations he visited once he arrived. The photograph below depicts my father visiting Machu Picchu for the first time, an iconic landmark in Peru. On the right side is another piece of Peruvian fabric I decided to incorporated into my digital collages.
The two digital collages are also inspired by Claudia and depict the time when my family decided to move over to Singapore. I scanned two separate images and decided to combine them together through Photoshop. The archival images on the right display my mother and father looking after me as a baby. On the left side of each collage, I decided to combine the photographs with an iconic landmark from Singapore.
The following outcomes are also inspired by Claudia Ruiz Gustafson. I have created digital compositions which incorporate archival documents. The first image depicts a snapshot of my parent’s wedding and layered on top using blending mode lighten is their marriage certificate. The second image displays the day I was born. The right side contains my birth certificate and layered on top of the archival image is the band I had around my wrist in the hospital. The third image also incorporates an important document which is my mother’s Peruvian passport. Layered on top is an archival image which depicts the first few months we spent in Peru before we shifted countries. The fourth collage was created with a London postcard. London is a place we regularly visit because a few of our family members live there. I created this through Photoshop by erasing all the unnecessary space within the rectangular frame and replacing it with an archival image which depicts me and my father in front of London Bridge.
The three photographs above are current photos that I have captured in order to juxtapose with the archival collages. Claudia Ruiz Gustafson does this in her series Historias Fragmentadas to document and contrast different time periods. The first two images were taken in the same location in my house to display them as souvenirs. The first image depicts a handmade copper and bronze Ayacucho Church sculpture. I decided to photograph this sculpture because my mother’s family side are Christians and they regularly attend church. It is also displayed as a metaphor “hearing the wedding bells ring” as a sign of the upcoming marriage between my parents. The second image is also a souvenir from Peru and depicts three people closely bonded through textile. This represents me and my parents strong connection together as well as our connection to Peru since its where my mother and I were born and where my mother and father met. The third image depicts a current photograph of my mother’s hand wearing her wedding ring.
For these photo-manipulations, I used thread for my archival images to be sewn over with geometric patterns. I recreated the abstract aspect of Annegret Soltau’s work by joining facial features together with thread. In order not to destroy the original image, I photocopied all the photographs. I specifically chose a photograph which had a close up of my face in order to see the patterns through line. I think these photo manipulations were a success as I managed to recreate Annegret Soltau photomontages with my own archival images. I think this photo manipulation portrays the idea of identity, specifically questioning personal identity on an abstract scale. I liked the symbolism behind her work and wanted to incorporate that into my own work. I wanted the thread to act as a metaphor for the displacement in my life. the thread showcases that movement doesn’t necessarily mean freedom. Although constant movement can be exciting it doesn’t allow you to settle down in one place. It’s restricting in the way that you feel out of place, a sense of not feeling like you belong at “home”.
These collages are influenced by Carolle Benitah as well as Claudia Ruiz Gustafson. They depict countries where I used to live or places where I have visited during childhood. I have replicated Benitah’s series Photo Souvenirs by reworking old family snapshots. I have mainly used red graphic ink pen in order to draw illustrations on top of the images. I created these red marks as a metaphor for leaving my traces behind in each country.
These photo montages of my parents are inspired by John Stezaker who overlays images. I have recreated Stezaker famous series called Mask where he fuses sitters with natural landscapes or architecture in order to create a new outcome. I chose to recreate John Stezaker’s collages because I like the concept of hiding facial features of subjects. I photographed my parents together and used archival images from Peru to layer on top of their faces. These photographs were taken on their first trip together around Peru as a couple. I captured portraits of my parents since when I think of “home” I associate it with them since I haven’t had a long term house or place I have lived at. I chose to have the portraits in black and white in order to contrast with the colourful archival image concealing their faces. The landscape images on the foreground take the place of facial features beneath.
Similar to Claudia Ruiz Gustafson, I have continued my exploration of my cultural identity by creating photomontages which merges self portraits from present time with archival images to exhibit how my cultural identity has shaped me as an individual. I created these double exposures on Photoshop to be able to blend my self portraits with archival images that my parents have captured from Peru and England. The self portraits are head shots so I could focus on altering the area around the head. I captured the self portraits with a white backdrop behind me in order to have a cleaner background when doing a double exposed portrait. In order to create these digital collages, I opened two images on Photoshop: a self portrait and the image I intend to blend myself with. I then converted both images into black and white so the colour of my skin and the image blend together through tone. Having the image placed on top of the portrait, I used the blending mode lighten so some areas are transparent while others remain the same. To complete the edit, I adjust the contrast and exposure on both images to obtain a result where the human face is mixed with landscape or architecture. I would say that these final outcomes are a success because the digital collages create a “mysterious world, halfway between dream and reality”. I have enjoyed creating these illusions through photo manipulation techniques because it’s a creative way of making photo montages instead of physically altering the image.
Exploring my Grandparents lifestyle, based on their upbringing, occupation and relationship with each other as well as other family members.
A paragraphs
My photographic book looks at exploring the occupation of Ron Welling and Margret Welling’s lifestyle through portraits and objects. Being brought up in the 1940’s means their lifestyle is very different to mine. Traditionally, they were raised to believe that the husband has to provide for the family, as the wife stays at home as a house wife. On top of this, religion has impacted their lifestyle and the way in which they structure their days and has been apart of their life since a young age. My Granddad worked in the financial industry, after moving to Jersey in the year of 1984, and managed to make his fortune out of this industry, due to his hard work he not only managed to provide as the only financial support for his family, but also has provided a luxury retirement for himself and his wife which has clearly influenced their lifestyle.
Design: Consider the following
How you want your book to look and feel
I want my cover to be a hard back, suggesting an official book with official information like a hard back dictionary, the information in a dictionary can not be changed like my Grandparents lifestyle, suggesting a reliable source for their lifestyle, The book will feel smooth and the image wrap cover will allow this to be achieved, creating an overall nice book to hold. As it is a book about family the book will look like a coffee table book which are often found in open areas of homes, these coffee table books often are family albums. Therefore, my subtle cover will allow the coffee table ideology to be achieved.
Paper and ink
Due to my photographs sticking to a documentary style, I want the books to clearly depict reality and so I have decided to use matte paper. I also believe that having my main subject being my Grandad, who is an authoritative figure, the matte paper will conceptually present this as well as making the pages look like an important document showing his work life, it will also complement my black and white imagery.
Format, size and orientation
My book will be 20 x 25cm standard portrait, due to the majority of my imagery being portraits allowing for the full frame to clearly be presented and making clearer emphasis on my portrait photographs, allowing the conceptual representation to clearly be illustrated within my book.
Binding and cover
For my cover I am wanting to use an image warp, of one of my top interior imagery. The photograph is of a window looking out onto their garden, the curtains either side suggests the ideology of stage curtains and the window is the narrative about to be told, making this an effective image to use as it is their interior suggesting their lifestyle. With regards to binding I will have a saddle stitch which I took inspiration from Sam Harris’ book as I believe the subtle stitch will suit my narrative.
Title
Retirement
Mr Ronald Welling and Mrs M Welling
Structure and architecture
I want the structure of my photo book to maintain a simplistic theme, in order to not distract viewers from reality and the narrative trying to be portrayed. The photographs will be matched in a sense of whats happening in the frame, colour and texture in order to display the narrative of my Grandparents lifestyle. The double page spread will illustrate the key element of my Grandparents lifestyle, as well as having key portraits on a single page on the right with nothing on the left to emphasise the frame and conceptually what is happening. The photographs will be in a chronological order to display portraits, family event and then interior to clearly present a clear understanding of my narrative.
Design and layout
I will mainly use single page spreads for my portraits, with having nothing on the left to allow the main focus to be on the portrait suggesting an element of my Grandparents lifestyle. With archival imagery I will use two on a page and if I want a comparison I will use two images to a page. I will use more double page spreads rather than 3/4 page spreads to allow maximum effect on my imagery. I do not intend to having any inserts with texts, as I want the main focus to be on my imagery.
Editing and sequencing
The first photograph of my book will be a portrait of my Grandad on the right side of the double page, to illustrate the idea that he is the authoritative and main figure of the family. The next two pages will have a picture of my Grandma on the left hand side, making this artistic decision emphasise how my Grandma is more submissive as when you look at a photo book you look on the right hand side then the left, so she is less likely to be looked at. The last image will also be a portrait of my Grandad allow the sense of authority to be the closing statement of my book.
Images and text
I do not to add texts to my photographs as I believe that it will influence interpretations of my Grandparents lifestyle, which leads to an unreliable source of depicting their lifestyle.
The following images are a combination of images from several photo shoots I have done throughout this project; these images will be incorporated into my photo book to help break up the dark and warm toned images. The addition of a touch of colour to the almost duo-chromatic final design creates a more versatile and striking array of images. The mismatch of colour within the book is reflected in the front cover of the book itself.
This full bleed double page spread allows the viewer to see every detail of the image. It is a bold layout which enhances the power of the image.
A horizontal half double page spread is a good way to frame a more rectangular image. I have decided to have the image take up the entire top half of the double page spread to draw attention to the subject in this image.
This optical double page spread only contains an image on the right hand side, but due to the structure of the photo and the very left hand side trailing off into darkness, the empty black page on the left almost seems to be a continuation of the image on the right.
Single photo layouts:
This single photo layouts is composed of a small square image on a single page of a double page spread. This layout appears several times throughout the book as a series of more abstract images among the more clear portraits or still life imagery.
This single photo layout is a more simplistic one, involving only one image adjacent to the top or bottom of the left or right page. The stand alone image draws all focus to this image.
Multiple photo layouts:
This layout involves two images adjacent at the top of both pages in a double page spread. This layout helps to link two compositions together and allows the viewer to see the relationship between the images.
This layout involves a full bleed image on one page and a smaller image with borders around it on the other. This layouts allows the two images to be viewed together but both in their own ways. The busier photo is the larger one to allow the viewer to see everything in the photo while the complimentary portrait is smaller as it is more simplistic.
I selected a range of images to be printed and mounted using a range of different framing and mounting techniques. For this part of the exam, I decided to print images that I felt would work best as a collection, and would be most effective when individually framed. Below are the images which I will be framing once printed:
The images were printed in a range of A4, A3 and A5, which I selected based on the details of the image, and which images I felt would be the most eye-catching to the viewer of the selection.
I will be using a series of framing techniques in order to present these printed images. I will be using:
Foam board
Window mounts
Different methods of standing the image up vertically
I have printed 6photos, and will be physically framing them in a way that best presents the images.
The final results from the framing can be seen below:
I decided to wind mount 3 of my images, and stuck the remaining 3 onto foam board. I did this because I believed that some of the images suited a black background more, and I believed that the darker large images would sit we’ll with the small white outline of the window mount. I also believed that the 3 images I mounted on foam board worked well together as a group, and so I mounted them together.
For this piece, I decided to use the above 3 images in a group, as I believed that their colour schemes fit together well, and the red tones of the lower 2 images worked well with the bright white of the foam board. I also believed that the more soft, warmer colours of the top image worked in contrast with the more harsh, bold images below, therefore I grouped these images together to make the final piece. I also believe that these images work together conceptually, as each image reflects an example of rebelling against gender stereotypes, with the top image being a reflection of rebelling against conforming to stereotypical masculine roles, and the bottom 2 images showing a rejection of traditional feminine beauty standards. I believe that together, these image symbolise a break from traditional gender roles, and give a powerful message of empowerment to the individual rather than gender conformity. I believe the lack of dark background places all attention on the images themselves, and helps form them to work together, rather than stand out separate, in order to give the above mentioned meaning.
For the above images, I decided to use window mounts. I did this because I believed that the rich blacks of the image would be better emphasised using a boarder that was also black, while the white bordering of the window mount could act to stop the viewer from loosing focus when processing the detail in the image (the white outline acted as a way to contain the image). I presented each image individually as I believe that each image is strong and bold enough to work on its own, and presenting them in a series of group would retract from their individual detail and meaning. I used a 4cm barber around 2 of my images, and for the largest image (A3) I used a much larger boarder. I did this to separate the level of detail in the large image and to provide the viewer with some breathing room around the image, while at the same time placing maximum focus on the image itself due to the lack of detail around the edge of the image. I feel like such a large boarder helps to draw attention to the detail within the image, which I believe reflects the struggles of feeling trapped when being forced to conform to a gender role that doesn’t fit the individual, while at the same time feeling freed when allowed to experience more feminine aspects in private. To conclude, I feel like this image works well on a large window mount, and I believe that it draws maximum attention to the detail and meaning within the image.
My final layout for my Photo-book (including the essay portion) can be seen below:
The sequencing of my book represents the internal conflict experienced by an individual who is attempting to navigate their gender and identity in a society where there are still strict gender roles and norms. The book shows examples of both liberation of gender, such as the destruction of makeup, the mixing of both feminine and masculine features, and the don’t-care attitude presented by those who disregard society’s norms, and present themselves without apology. However, it also presents examples of the fear and anxiety that can be cause by expressing ones own gender identity, as the pressure and judgement of society causes individuals to hide how they want to portray themselves for fear of judgement. I feel like my book presents both of these themes well with the reoccurring colour of deep-red drawing attention to the anger, frustration and boldness of those who oppose society’s gender roles and norms.
I decided on using 2 images as double page spreads, because I felt like these images required 2 pages for the level of detail that they contained, or because the concept that they conveyed needed extra space for the viewer to focus their attention on to just that singular image. I feel like my first double page spread is effective at focusing on the emotion of the subject, and draws attention to the bored, tired expression on their face. I feel like this image conveys the delicate emotion that Phoebe Jane Barrett conveys in her own work, and due to this I feel like it was more effectively placed as a double page spread. In contrast to this, I decided on placing my second double page spread further along in the book, and this image focuses more on the concept rather than its visual aspects. The image of the broken Barbie dolls conveys the concept of what society’s toxic views of femininity can do to a woman, and displays this in a visually intriguing, but also conceptual way. It is for this reason that I chose these 2 images as my double page spreads.
For some of the images I left blank pages after or before, allowing the viewer to concentrate on a singular image over a 2 page spread. I did this with the images that. fit were strong enough on their own, and by adding a second image opposite them, I would risk overcrowding the viewer. I felt that by leaving spaces between the stronger images in my book, I provided a less cramped, more visually relaxed, enjoyable experience.
Overall, I feel like my book encompasses all of the important aspects that I was originally trying to covey. The end product works with a mixture of emotional and bold imagery, both taking inspiration from Cindy Sherman’s satirical, stylised approach, and Phoebe Jane Barrett intimate, delicate approach. I feel like I have effectively conveyed the struggles and triumphs of fighting back and rebelling against gender stereotypes and norms, while presenting new examples and interpretations of how individuals may rebel against, or feel forced to adhere to, gender stereotypes and identities.
For the physical properties of the book, I have decided to go with a hard cover, premium lustre paper, with a standard portrait orientation. I believe the paper is the most important part of the book, as it allows for the images to be presented with the best possible contrast and colours, and so I have selected premium lustre in order to emphasise the contrast in my images most effectively. Furthermore, I selected portrait orientation, as many of my images are portrait, and I feel like my images as a whole work better in portrait. I have also selected hardcover for its durability factors, as well as the level of quality it adds to the front cover which I feel is necessary due to my cover being more simplistic.
After editing the images from my 5th photo-shoot, I was able to come up with the following images as final results:
After editing my final images and comparing them with the images that I had already included in my book, I came to the conclusion that both the second and 3rd image (above) do not match the colour scheme of my book. I was unable to find a place that these two images would fit in, as especially regarding the 3rd image, my photo-book has a theme of cool colours, black and with imagery, with a theme of deep red continuing throughout the book. I felt like the 3rd image from my 5th photo-shoot was too warm to be included in the book, and so after editing, I decided to reject this image. Furthermore, I felt that the first image (of the spanner) was not strong enough to be presented on its own (on a single page with a blank page next, or on a double page spread), and yet I could not find a place where the image would fit next to another image. I felt like forcing this image to be included would disrupt the narrative of the book, and so I rejected both of these images, and kept the 2nd image (fists) in the book. I found that the 2 images that I rejected were valuable experimentation, but did not work in my final book.
