• Title: literal or poetic / relevant or intriguing.
• Narrative: what is the story/ subject-matter. How is it told?
• Structure and architecture: how design/ repeating motifs/ or specific features develops a concept or construct a narrative.
• Design and layout: image size on pages/ single page, double-spread/ images/ grid, fold- outs/ inserts.
• Editing and sequencing: selection of images/ juxtaposition of photographs/ editing process.
• Images and text: are they linked? Introduction/ essay/ statement by artists or others.  Use of captions (if any.)

OUT OF THE BLUE, Virginie Rebetez.

Book in hand:

The book isn’t heavy to hold, instead it’s weight fits its size. The cover has a rough feel to it and it has that new book smell.

Paper and Ink:

Most of the book is in colour. The pages are smoother than the cover and have a very slight glossy look to them. At the back of the book when the photos end, the paper changes. It becomes pink, showing photocopies of police reports and other legal documents. Black markers have been used to censor any private information.

Format:

A4 size portrait.

Binding:

Hardcover binding.

Cover:

Linen cover. Gives the book texture. The cover has a wrap around image of the side of Suzanne’s face.

Title:

OUT OF THE BLUE. The title refers to an event that occur without warning or provocation, specifically the disapearence of Suzanne Lyall.

This shoot went really well. I used this shoot to create some new narratives in order to create variety in my images. I wanted to focus on the idea of women feeling like they have to get surgery and become plastic to look good. I also wanted to focus of the doll fighting back and overcoming her stereotype.

Mood Board:

David Kirscher is a photographer based out of Paris and Madrid. His work is very diverse ranging from fashion and editorial work with models to even just photographing his friends in different situations. His passion for photography started when he was 15. Whether he is shooting with professional models and artificial light or with friends and natural light, he says the bottom line is always the same: how to tell a story with pictures. He says he likes to play with the boundary between fiction and reality, He likes to photograph travels, parties, love scenes, black and white or colour photography, mostly analog, but also digital.

Kirscher works on the assumption that if a picture doesn’t make him feel any emotion, it won’t to anybody. It is certainly not true, but knowing that he has a liking for extreme feelings, it is quite a challenge.

Kirscher says that Cinema is definitely what inspires him the most. He can spend hours analysing frame by frame the light work in a movie, the color of a carpet matching with a lipstick, an outfit, the shape of a lamp reflecting in an eyeball. His portfolio is rather diverse because this is the way he is. He loves soul, jazz, techno, opera, metal, pop, piano, rock ‘n’ roll. There is no overall message. He just tries to be true to himself. And don’t cheat.

Usually for editing, he tries to make the editing process not too visible. And natural. Natural is intimate. He says even in 2019, with all the editing tools and filters we have, natural doesn’t mean anything anymore. So he tries to make it not too visible. No vignette, over-saturation or HDR look. He likes to work with analogue cameras because depending on the film roll, it naturally defines the look you will get.

Kirscher says to create a safe space for his models, communication is the key. He always explain what he’s doing, and try to go step by step, and never force anybody to do anything. He also likes to put some music on. Music is important, it goes through walls. Information from https://beloved-stories.com/david-kirscher-exploring-intimacy-through-photography/?fbclid=IwAR2LoYfRQmJJskTWK5AG_JS9A_-aqKixJt6TT_489jcDEoPHv1FTK45zUhA and https://www.arismoskov.com/index.php/event-experience/310-david-kirscher

Image Analysis:

Technical:

This image looks like it was taken with a red light to capture the raw moment and to create a romantic and sensual aesthetic. The exposure of this photo is neatural which gives the photo detail and sharpness. The aperture for this photo is very quite high and the depth of field is quite sharp. Also, the ISO will be around 400 and the white balance looks to be either daylight or shade.

Visual:

The colour of this photo is very saturated and is quite dark to give it a ominous and mysterious look to it. Also the cropping of this photo leads the eye to the people lying and hugging on the bed. Also, the people being the main focus in the photo makes it stand out a lot.

Contextual:

David’s work is very intimate and shows raw emotions and feelings. The context of intimacy is prevalent in his work and gives the viewer a feeling of intimacy and closeness.

Conceptual:

Natural is intimate. He works on the assumption that if a picture doesn’t make him feel any emotion, it won’t to anybody. No matter who he is working with, he says the bottom line is always the same: how to tell a story with pictures.

After uploading and editing photos, I went back and looked at both swell and red string again and decided that I liked the physical aspect of both the projects, so decided to get some physical photos that I would be able to use. I also decided it would do two more shoots to gain even more images.

These are the final images I have made and edited from the second photo shoot:

Plan

I intend on carrying out a photoshoot to take images of an overgrown bunker overlooking the St Ounes beach. As a response to Andreas Gursky, I will be editing and splicing the images together to form an artificial landscape.

Photoshoot

Selection & Edits

Evaluation

I believe the edited outcome of the photoshoot was a success as I was able to create an improved artificial landscape compared to that of my second photoshoot at Fort Henry. I will be including the panoramic manipulated landscape in my photobook. However, due to the length and detail of the image, I will print it out separately as a foldout for the photobook.

This is the editing process of one of the images from the second photo shoot; it involved a lot of experimenting and therefore the image change aesthetic multiple times.

This shoot went really well. I set up a fake doll’s kitchen with a stereotypical kitchen set. I then printed out patterns for the wallpaper and floor along with things to stick onto the walls just to enhance the appearance. I used blue tack to keep the doll in place and took images of it using the kitchen. I then used some Halloween fake blood and make up to make the more gory images.

The images that I construct in my personal study is borrowing elements from tableaux-vivant. This is because I’m constructing scenes or realities in which to take my photos using objects. Tableux vivants originated in the medieval era. Actors would re-enact famous bible scenes during mass, this then evolved into actors creating live versions of famous paintings during the Renaissance era. These actors reacted paintings of Greuze, David and Isabey. Tableux viviant acting was also popular at weddings and other events. Tableux viviants became less popular in the early 19th century due to the realism movement. However, in the 20th century, actresses re-enacted nude classic paintings but then tableaux started to die out because of the invention of film, however, became popular within photography. In terms of photography, Jean-Francois Chevrier as the first to use tableaux in association which was during the 1970’s and 80’s. Photographer’s then began replicating famous paintings in constructing new meanings. Previously in my coursework, I studied Tableux viviants and reconstructed fairy tales with modern day twists. The difference with this project is that I won’t be doing it with real people but with dolls and doll house sets. 

My work also has roots in Surrealism which is all about unleashing the unconscious mind and I believe my work does this but also has socio-political connotations because they also comment on politics and society. Surrealism grew out of the World Wars in the early 20^th century and Dadaism. According to Breton’s Surrealism Manifesto (1924) the new art form is a means on linking the conscious to the unconscious so everyday life will be joined up with the subconscious in ‘ an absolute reality, a surreality.’  Some of my previous work has involved quite scary looking images and I’ve planned on doing the same with this project but by taking it another step with editing. My project is surreal in the way that the realities I plan on constructing will appear dreamlike and there is a socio-political message behind them. My Socio-political message is that society and social media has developed an unattainable and unrealistic beauty expectation for women.