Welcome back after Exams!

This summer term you will be working on an exciting new project BUNKER ARCHAEOLOGY based around the theme of the German Occupation of Jersey.

This project will give you an opportunity to explore an important period of the island’s recent history when Germany occupied Jersey during the second World War in 1940-45. Although these events took place long before you were born its historical legacy is embedded in the very fabric of the island’s landscape, identity and character. This project is about unlocking this legacy using photography as a tool to communicate:

• Reflecting on the past
• Responding to the present
• Influencing the future

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OVERVIEW

In order to explore such a complex historical period of time we have divided the project into 3 distinct areas of study:

LANDSCAPES > PEOPLE > OBJECTS.

In the next 7 weeks we will be exploring Jersey’s landscape of fortifications and bunkers in a series of workshops in order for you to develop a set of photographic skills, techniques, approaches and processes needed to begin to understand how narrative and storytelling are used in contemporary photography to tell very subjective or objective stories.

In the Autumn term we will continue to explore Occupation stories but basing it on personal stories and memories told by some of those islanders who experienced it. This study of people will include exploring your own family archives, histories and stories.

As your work evolve it is the expectation that you will be selecting your own area of study based on one, or a combination of these three starting points and develop a coherent body of work that is driven by a sense of narrative in your development as visual storytellers.

The project will form part of the A-Level coursework module, Personal Investigation as you now become Yr 13 students. The work that you produce in the summer term will lay the foundation when you return in September for the new academic year. PLEASE make sure you complete all tasks, including both theoretical and practical work and post in on the blog for assessment before Summer break.

Your final outcomes will include:

• Zine making – three individual 16-page zines (A5) with a layout of images, text and graphics forming a final set

• Essay – write a 2000 word illustrated essay based around your area of study

• Photobook – 40-60 page book with a sequence of images to form a narrative

• Final prints – a selection of your best image presented as prints or visual storyboards

Extension: Film – 3 minute moving-image piece using still-images, audio and text.

Timeline

Week 1:  Tue 4 June
Societe Jersiaise Photographic Archive – all day
Presentations, inspirations and workshop on using Photo-Archive as a creative resource, exploring history of German Occupation and looking at narrative using images in the collections.
Outcome: Research archives and select images for further study

Week 2:  Mon 10, Tue 11 June
On Location photo-shoots – all day
Each class will explore bunker sites on the West Coast of Jersey.
Outcome: A set of 200-300 images from photo-shoots

Week 3: Mon 17 – 23 June 
Hautlieu School – in lessons
Workshop on how to use Lightroom for processing and editing
Outcome: A set of 20-30 edited images

Week 4: 24 – 30 June 
Hautlieu School – in lessons
Workshop on combining archival material with your images
Outcome: Produce 3 different responses to photo-montage

Week 5: 1 – 7 July  
Hautlieu School – in lessons
Workshop on narrative and sequencing in photography
Outcome: Knowledge and understanding of storytelling

Week 6: 8 – 14 July 
Hautlieu School – in lessons
Workshop on design and layout including introduction to Indesign.
Outcome: Knowledge and understanding of working with images and text

Week 7: 15 – 19 July 
Hautlieu School – in lessons
Completing design and printing and binding zine
Outcome: Present final zine and hand in for assessment

Tasks:

Here is a PLANNER for a full overview of what you are required to do in the next 7 weeks. You are required to self-monitor your progress and will be asked to upload Tracking-Sheet with an update on a weekly basis to your blog.

This unit requires you to produce an appropriate number of blog posts which charts you project from start to finish including research, planning, analysis, recording, experimentation, evaluation, and presentation of creative outcomes.

Read here for full details of the workshop at Societe Jersiaise Photographic Archive Tue 4 June:

Week 1: 4 -9 June
Research Photo-Archives
Complete the following blog posts

RESEARCH > ANALYSIS
• Research archives at Societe Jersiaise
• Use mobile phone to record images from collections
• Write 500 words about your knowledge and
understanding of German Occupation of Jersey

ARTISTS REFERENCES > VISUAL INSPIRATIONS
• Select 10 images from your research in photo archives and note SJPA reference numbers and photographer (if known)
• High-res  files will be provided for further study in the classroom
• If photographer is known research online. Otherwise research and consider the image in the historical, political and social context of when it was made ie. WWII, Nazi oppression, political unrest, human sufferings etc.
• Select at least one contemporary photographer
that provides visual inspiration for your own shoots
(next week)

Follow these steps:
1. Produce a mood board with a selection of images and write an overview of photographer’s work, why you have chosen them and how it may help develop your own ideas and shoots for your project.
2. Select at least one image from each photographer and
analyse in depth using methodology of
TECHNICAL>VISUAL>CONTEXTUAL>CONCEPTUAL
3. Make a detailed shooting plan on how you intend to respond to your research and chosen photographers.

Extension task:
Select a second photographer from the
Photo-Archive and /or second contemporary photographer and follow the above instructions.

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A3 PIECES:

I chose this set of images for my A3 and A4 pieces as I wanted them to remain fairly consistent with one another, as during the mounting process I would be combining the two sets of images. The monochrome nature of the images means that they fit well with one another and seamlessly harmonize with each other to create a very pleasant overall mounted product. Furthermore, they fit well with each other as they feature the same set of models within them. The mood of both images are also very similar, being mostly dark with neutral facial expressions on both of the faces of the models.

A4 PIECES:

A5 PIECES:

I chose this set of 3 images for my A5 pieces as they all had their own unique and effective qualities. The first image was taken from the first formal studio photography session we did. The red filter which was applied over the top of the image means that the color palette of the image is very different, creating ominous themes and connotations with the image. The second piece was taken from the Tableaux Vivant project which I did earlier in the portrait project. It was the final product which I produced in response to my chosen artist, Arnis Balcuks. I put modern twists on the themes which the artist himself tackled in his own work. The final image was the final product for the portrait project, and an extension of the photo montage project which I did previously. I used the same editing techniques as in my previous photo montage which produced a very similar outcome.

When I went to do this photo shoot, my aim was to try capture photos that were similar to Hockney’s photos. I took pictures from different angles with the amount of light changing from angle to angle. I got the subject to move between photos so that there could be a sense of movement in some of the images. The subjects facial expressions changed throughout the photo shoot, and I could use these when I merge some of the photos together. On the whole I am happy with the outcome of this photo shoot as I have come out with some photos that I can use. If I were to do the photo shoot again I would do some photos indoors to and see what would come out of them.

Edits 1:

 

When I edit this image, I tried to find photos that would contrast each other so that it was obvious to the viewer that it was different photos on top of each other. I also moved photos out of position in order to give the image a sort of abstract feel and make the viewer concentrate on each part of the photo. I used IMG_8941 as the main background as the subject in the photo had their face straight looking at the camera, so I felt that it would be easiest to edit on. I then used IMG_8953 and IMG_8964 for the different eyes edited on. Each eyes had a different shading, and each one had a different white balance to it. I then aligned the eyes to the face and put one out of position as the eyes was looking in a different and I felt like the eye look in the right position in the place where it was positioned. I then used IMG_8942 for the mouth. I positioned the mouth under the background mouth, to give the image the distorted and lost effect that Hockney used. I then proceeded to use IMG_8930 for the left side of the face. I aligned the eye with the background one. I used this image to change the shading of the face and also to give the image that block effect in Hockney’s images. I used IMG_8935 for the right side of the hair. I did this to break up the background and also to make the block effect. I tried to make my edit as distorted and broken up as possible to make it look like Hockney’s work, but I made sure not to over do it or else it would end up like a mess and just make the image not attractive to look at.

Edit 2:

In this edit I used the same method as with the edit before. My target with this edit was to make it seem like it was moving, that is why I sort of divided the edit into three sections: the subject smiling; the subject with a straight face; and the subject with a sad face. I did the same thing and put other images on top to make the image distorted and sort of block like. I made sure that some segments were bigger than others and that they would contrast each other. There are different white balances that also make the segments contrast each other. I am happy with the outcome of the edit. I found it hard placing the segments in sections as I didn’t want to make the image seem like it was too busy and overcrowded. I also want to make sure that the subjects facial expressions were easily visible.

 

ACTION PLAN:

WHY: I am using the final outcomes of this photo shoot for my final piece of my mock exam. I am wanting to show the financial identity of jersey and its people, the streets of Jersey being dictated by the foot traffic these office workers create. Being completely quiet and empty in the morning, busy in the afternoon and quiet again in the evening when work is finished.

WHERE: The main photo shoot will take place in town, specifically on queens street as I feel it has the biggest contrast in foot traffic overall. It illustrates well the routine of the finance workers and the timings of their day.

WHEN: I am shooting my videos at 3 different times of day:

• starting at sunset, i am hoping to capture the empty streets of town before all the finance workers start their daily rush to work.
• the second video will be at midday, this will illustrate the busiest time of day.
• the last video will be captured during the evening, at sunset when town is again completely empty and quiet.

WHO: I will be photographing and taking videos of people within town that are involved in the financial sector, and anyone who happens to be present in town at that very moment.

HOW: I will be using my DSLR camera and the time lapse setting in order to capture my video. I will also be utilizing my tripod in order to keep the camera totally still whilst capturing the videos. Along side the montage, I will also be doing additional street photography to also have physical print copies for my final outcomes.

HOW IT RELATES TO IDENTITY: 

The main message which I will be trying to get across with my montage and final images is the dictation of life by work and the way in which the finance industry impacts the regular workers life. I have always noticed the stark contrast in traffic (both with vehicles and people) during different times of day. Peaking at different times during the day. It is a critical decider for the way in which people lead their lives. The city is totally silent and still in the early hours of the morning and evening, demonstrating the lack of identity within the regular workers life. Therefore my project will mainly be focusing on the lack of identity within society.

LEWIS BUSH: 

Even though my main inspiration (Lewis Bush) does not create film as his final piece of work, his overall message and themes which he explores is what I was most interested when looking at his work.

Lewis Bush is a photographer, writer, curator, and is a Lecturer on both MA Photojournalism and Documentary Photography and BA (Hons) Photojournalism and Documentary Photography courses at London College of Communication.

Lewis studied history at the University of Warwick, and then worked in public health as a consultant researcher with the United Nations Taskforce on HIV/AIDS. Returning to the UK he began to work as a photographer and studied documentary photography at LCC in 2012.

More recent works include Metropole (2015) which critiques the architectural transformation of London and the city’s growing inequality by subverting the imagery of London’s luxury and corporate developments, receiving international. Bush has recently completed Shadows of the State, which has involved tracking and mapping the covert radio stations used by intelligence agencies to transmit coded instructions to their agents overseas.

This is the theme which I was most relating to Jersey and the identity of people within it. The changes which we have experienced as the island has become ever more increasingly involved in the financial and corporate world. It creates a sort of blanket of expectation over the lives of many young people in Jersey, having the expectation of wanting to join one of these massive, multi million firms which operate here.  It is also very apparent that the corporate life style has taken over Jersey due to the changing foot traffic that ca be seen in St.Helier. It is ruled by the working hours of these companies and their staff.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF HIS WORK: 

VISUAL:

The first point of attraction in the image above is the light which floods down the image and into the staircase. There is a very distinct difference in the background, mid ground and foreground in the image. The background of the image is very clearly overexposed, yet it works well with the darkness that can be seen going down the steps in the foreground of the image. The image also follows the golden rule. If a spiral were to be drawn on the image, the man of on the right hand side of the image would fall in the correct spot in the image in order for it to be harmonious and work well. The angle from which the image was also taken from means that a sort of power play is created with the camera as it is pointed up towards the subjects. The monotone color pallet of the image also links back well to the overall theme of his work which is all about the architectural transformation of London and the city’s growing inequality by subverting the imagery of London’s luxury and corporate developments. The man who is walking down the steps is also representative of this, wearing very basic clothing, very typical of the regular office worker. His facial expression is also very dull and blank which could be representing the emptiness many corporate workers feel with their work.

TECHNICAL:

In terms of editing, the artist has very clearly cropped the image down in order to cut out the top and bottom of the image and focus in on on the subject in the mid ground of the image. During the editing process, a black and white filter has been placed over the top of the image to fit with the scheme of work that the artist is doing. I also think that the exposure might have been increased in the background of the image in order to allow for a lighter and brighter image. I think because the image is in many ways an environmental photo/street photography, the shutter speed used when taking the image was quite high to create a sharp and crisp image.

CONCEPTUAL/CONTEXTUAL:

Lewis’s photographic practice primarily explores ideas about the way power is created and exercised in the modern world and increasingly also engages with questions about how to represent issues which are nebulous and complex. In The Memory of History (2012) he traveled through 10 European countries documenting the way the past was being manipulated in the context of the economic crisis and recession. This project was subsequently widely published and was exhibited at the European Union’s permanent representation in London in 2014

source: https://www.arts.ac.uk/colleges/london-college-of-communication/people/lewis-bush

SCREENSHOTS: 

YouTube link –

USE OF SUPER TIME LAPSE: 

Time-lapse photography is a technique whereby the frequency at which film frames are captured (the frame rate) is much more spread out than the frequency used to view the sequence. When played at normal speed, time appears to be moving faster and thus lapsing. For example, an image of a scene may be captured at 1 frame per second, but then played back at 30 frames per second; the result is an apparent 30 times speed increase. In a similar manner, film can also be played at a much lower rate than it was captured at, slowing down an otherwise fast action, as in slow motion or high-speed photography.

In order for me to create my video montage, I felt it was necessary to use time lapse videos of the environment I was in. I felt that is was essential that I captured the sheer scale of the amount of people who aimlessly wonder through the streets of town. Speeding up the video I felt was able to illustrate this well withing a short time frame. I set up my camera in the middle of town where it was busiest at mid-day. I used the super time lapse setting on my camera which captured one frame every second. During this process I used a tripod as I wanted the film to be as steady and stationary as possible. I felt that motion disturbance would have ruined the overall effect of the video.

USE OF FAST MOTION FILM: 

Fast motion is the opposite of slow motion, in which the action shown on screen appears to be moving faster than the normal speed. This is done by filming the action at less that normal speed on the camera and then playing it at a normal speed.

This technique allows the audience to see actions or events that would usually take a long time to happen, or it allows the viewers to see actions or events in a manner that would typically bore the viewer if played at a standard speed. It can be used for a tense scene as it can help raise the suspense of the scene, however it can also be used as a comedic effect and placed alongside music.

As with the time lapse video, I again used a tripod in order to capture my video. It was a particularly difficult video to shoot as the weather conditions were very windy that night. In order to combat this, I placed a weight on the bottom of my tripod to give it as much stability as possible.

TYPES OF VIDEO CUTS: 

1. The Standard

The hard cut is the basic type of cut in editing. This type of cut is utilized when you want to cut from clip to clip without any type of transition, or where you cut from the end of one clip to the beginning of another.

2. Jump Cut

The jump cut is a technique which allows the editor to jump forward in time. We see an early version of this technique in Eisenstein‘s Battleship Potemkin, where the battleship fires a mortar round and we watch the destruction as various angles jump cut from one to another. In this very early version of the jump cut, contemporary audiences were introduced to a new way of time passage in film.

3. L Cut & J Cut

What L Cut means is that you are hearing the audio from the previous shot, even though we’ve moved on to another shot. So, the audience is is looking at clip B but still hearing audio from clip A.

A J Cut is essentially the opposite of the L Cut. Here we hear the audio before we see the video. So, the audience is is looking at clip A but still hearing audio from clip B.

 

ORIGINAL IMAGES: 

These images were captured as part of my initial photo shoot which I did in order to use to create my final photo montage. I captured images of various models, in different positions and stances in order to have variations to choose from when editing the final images. The second photo shoot which I conducted included my brother therefore I was unable to use them in my final montage as not enough images were of a satisfactory quality.

IMAGE ANALYSIS: 

VISUAL:

The main and most important aspect of this image is the different layers of the image which can be clearly and distinctly separated. In the foreground of the image we see the white powder particles being dispersed in a an even manner. The same is happening in the mid ground of the image. In the background we finally see the blurry figure of the subject. The position in which he is in indicates themes of happiness, joy and relief, almost as if he is letting go of something. The white particles floating in the air are highly contrasted with the black backdrop, they are very clear spherical shapes which attract the attention of the eye.

TECHNICAL:

(the technical analysis for this photo is the same as for my photo montage)

For this photo shoot, the main and single most important technical aspect was the use of flash photography whilst capturing my images. I really wanted to create a clear and crisp outline so that I could use very simple editing techniques later on to edit and blend the images together. During the photo shoot I also used a tripod to keep my camera as stable as possible, maneuvering it into angles which allowed me to capture various angles of the subject. At points the images which I took were quite overexposed to due to the flash and bright clothing of the model, but I was unable to change this as the flash of the camera cannot be made less bright. I relied on Photoshop and editing in order to fix the exposure of the images. Working outside with the white powdered sugar posed many challenges. Many of the photos were fairly blurry due to the powder getting on the lens. The powerful wind also meant that both the camera and tripod were blown over on many occasions.

CONCEPTUAL: 

(the conceptual analysis for this photo is the same as for my photo montage)

For this photo shoot I was again keen to get my family involved in the process as I felt I wanted to portray the theme of moving on and letting go. The representation of each of the elements in the images go as follows:

• The two models which I used in the photo shoot are my own mother and brother. I wanted to portray the change in our own lives and how we have moved on from a previous life which was less than ideal. It is a conflicting feeling relating it back to the love and passion I feel towards my heritage and tradition with the Latvian folk dance.
• The white shirt: used to represent a fresh start, a sort of blank canvas from which to start from. I wanted the subject to be dressed in a way which was very simplistic and basic as I wanted all the focus to be on the facial expression.
• The white powder: this is used to represent the past life. the action of throwing it into the air and allowing the wind to blow it away is representative of letting go and accepting a new beginning. I wanted to use something which would highly contrast with the dark backdrop of the night sky, making the smoke stand out even more.

VARIATIONS IN CONCEPT: 

Whilst doing the photo shoot, I was keen to show variations in concept in order to have a more varied choice whilst editing the images. I chose to use flower petals in this photo shoot as it changed the entire visual representation of the images. Instead of the white powder and clothes which represent purity, it changed to bright clothing and colorful flower petals which made the images carry other themes with them.

PHOTO SHOOT PLAN: 

WHY: I was conducting this photo shoot in order to capture my interpretation of place and identity, using models and the appropriate props in order to capture the images.

HOW: The images were taken using my regular DSLR camera with the aid of a tripod as it was a very windy night and I wanted the images to crisp and sharp.

WHERE: I took the images outside for 3 particular reasons:

• I was using powdered sugar which was messy and hard to clean up if done in a professional studio setting.
• The wind outside was beneficial as it dispersed the sugar in a way which I thought looked more natural and well fitted.
• Conducting the photo shoot outside meant I had a o of dark space which I could use in order to take the images.

WHEN: I took the images late at night (8-9pm) as this was the time of day when it was most windy and dark. I wanted a black backdrop for all my images to make the editing process easier later on.

WHO: I initially used two models, both my family members (as I was trying to link my whole family identity to this photo shoot).

INDIVIDUAL ELEMENTS OF MONTAGE:

One of my favorite parts of the “identity and place” unit was the photo montages which I created previously. It includes themes of surrealism and alternate reality which I find fascinating. Creating images which defy normality was something which I wanted to pursue for my final piece. My photo shop skills and the imagery which I captured, I thought would be adequate in order to achieve the outcomes which I wanted.

The Surrealists sought to channel the unconscious as a means to unlock the power of the imagination. Disdaining rationalism and literary realism, and powerfully influenced by psychoanalysis, the Surrealists believed the rational mind repressed the power of the imagination, weighing it down with taboos. Influenced also by Karl Marx, they hoped that the psyche had the power to reveal the contradictions in the everyday world and spur on revolution. Their emphasis on the power of personal imagination puts them in the tradition of Romanticism, but unlike their forebears, they believed that revelations could be found on the street and in everyday life. The Surrealist impulse to tap the unconscious mind, and their interests in myth and primitivism, went on to shape many later movements, and the style remains influential to this today.

source: https://www.theartstory.org/movement-surrealism.htm

In order to create a similar photo collage as the previous one I had to choose a variety of images which included different angles of the same model being in positions which all varied in different ways. I thought it was essential that I capture images which had a very crisp black outline around them as I wanted to make the editing process as easy as possible for myself, something which would have been very difficult of the backdrop had variations in texture of color.

FINAL OUTCOME:

After making a final selection from my images which I took I settled on 4 images which were most successful and fitted the criteria which I set in order for them to be used. They all incorporate a crisp, and even black backdrop which made it easy to edit out. The positioning of the arms and the plooms of smoke in the air were all varied which was ideal for filling in the black background of the base image which I used. After taking out the background from the other images and blending them together, I thought it was best suited that I also make the image back and white in order to link it better to my previous work .

EDITING TECHNIQUES:

The main editing tools which I used in order to create my final piece were:

• lasso tool – With the Lasso Tool, you can draw a free form selection outline around an object.
• the magic wand tool – Photoshop’s Magic Wand Tool selects areas of similar color with a single click. The “Tolerance” value in the Options Bar sets the range of colors that will be selected.
• eraser tool – The Eraser Tool in Photoshop permanently erases pixels on a layer. It can also be used to paint in a previous history state.
• warp tool –  the Perspective Crop Tool to both crop an image and fix common distortion or perspective problems.
• crop tool – the Crop Tool in Photoshop to crop an image and remove unwanted areas.
• smudge tool – The Smudge Tool in Photoshop smudges and smears the areas you paint over. It can also be used to create a finger painting effect.
• blur tool – The Blur Tool blurs and softens areas you paint over with the tool.
• adjustments setting (exposure, brightness, black&white)

In order to create my final piece I started by removing the backdrop from all the images apart from the base image. I did this by using a combination of the lasso tool and magic eraser tool.  I prefer the magic eraser tool as opposed to the lasso as it gives me a larger margin of error when working. It sometimes becomes very tricky using the lasso tool as it is very sensitive at points and clings onto unwanted areas. After removing a majority of the black backdrop, I moved onto to using the eraser tool in order to get the edges very crisp and free from all the black backdrop. I then used the smudge tool in order to make the edges less sharp and blend in better with the backdrop as I wanted all the images to appear as one large element as opposed to something which was stuck together.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

VISUAL:

One of the first and most striking aspects of this photo montage is the various facial expressions on the subject. The various positions in which the extremities are placed means a lot of drama and movement is created in the image. The action of throwing something is very apparent in the image. The clouds of white dust in the air are highly contrasted with the pitch black backdrop, creating variations of both tone and texture within the image. The distinctive contrast between the white shirt of the subject and white powder create very sharp outlines within the image which. The use of repetition within the image by using the same model over again creates themes of hallucination, surrealism and hyper reality as the imagery is far from realistic or plausible in the real world. The themes which come to mind when looking at this image is worry and stress as expressed by the models face and hand positioning, touching the face and hair. There are many elements and layers involved in the image which create confusion. The hands central in the image have a gesture which pulls the viewer in, a sort of hypnotizing movement that makes them focus in. The straight lines of the edges of the arms, guides the eyes from the bottom of the image to the top where the hands and face are located.

TECHNICAL: 

For this photo shoot, the main and single most important technical aspect was the use of flash photography whilst capturing my images. I really wanted to create a clear and crisp outline so that I could use very simple editing techniques later on to edit and blend the images together. During the photo shoot I also used a tripod to keep my camera as stable as possible, maneuvering it into angles which allowed me to capture various angles of the subject. At points the images which I took were quite overexposed to due to the flash and bright clothing of the model, but I was unable to change this as the flash of the camera cannot be made less bright. I relied on Photoshop and editing in order to fix the exposure of the images. Working outside with the white powdered sugar posed many challenges. Many of the photos were fairly blurry due to the powder getting on the lens. The powerful wind also meant that both the camera and tripod were blown over on many occasions.

CONCEPTUAL:

For this photo shoot I was again keen to get my family involved in the process as I felt I wanted to portray the theme of moving on and letting go. The representation of each of the elements in the images go as follows:

• The two models which I used in the photo shoot are my own mother and brother. I wanted to portray the change in our own lives and how we have moved on from a previous life which was less than ideal. It is a conflicting feeling relating it back to the love and passion I feel towards my heritage and tradition with the Latvian folk dance.
• The white shirt: used to represent a fresh start, a sort of blank canvas from which to start from. I wanted the subject to be dressed in a way which was very simplistic and basic as I wanted all the focus to be on the facial expression.
• The white powder: this is used to represent the past life. the action of throwing it into the air and allowing the wind to blow it away is representative of letting go and accepting a new beginning. I wanted to use something which would highly contrast with the dark backdrop of the night sky, making the smoke stand out even more.

CONTEXTUAL:

Both subjects in this photo shoot are my own personal family members. The woman (my mother) has a big love for animals, especially dogs. She holds a job as a nursery school teacher during the weekdays. She was born in Latvia, in a small town near the border of Russia in the 1970s. Her farther being a forest ranger, she grew up inside a forest, contributing to her love of nature and all things outdoors. She grew up in communist soviet state of Russia, therefore being very limited to any outside knowledge before the 1990s when the state finally collapsed and she was able to travel for the very first time to other European countries. Latvia, after being in financial collapse throughout the 2000s, made it very tough for my family to remain living it Latvia, legally moving to jersey in 2012. The other subject in the photo is my brother. Being a few years older than me, he has started his own professional career in mechanics.

RELATIONS TO PREVIOUS PHOTO MONTAGE:

The creation of my previous photo montage inspired me to create a similar piece again using different facial expressions and subjects in my new photo shoot. I used the same photo shoot and editing techniques as in the previous photo shoot, using flash photography in order to capture the images with a crisp and clear backdrop.  These two photo montages again create themes of surrealism and hyper reality as they are combined in ways which are impossible to recreate in real life. Both the photo montages which I created are very confusing and difficult to understand

CONTACT SHEETS:

I conducted 3 photo shoots in one night in order to have variations of different props and models. I felt that there was a need to capture many different photos to have a wider choice of selection when editing the images. It was essential that I captured different angles in order to fill up most of the empty black space in the base image. I wanted it to be as busy and confusing to the eye as my  previous photo montage.