Link: 3 DAY BREDA

Overall I am very pleased with the outcome of my photo book. I have used ideas, themes and techniques from both Alex Webb and Paul M Smith which was part of my original plan. However, my initial idea to remove any Covid related objects or themes from the book did not work perfectly, with a couple of the images showing people with masks on. Despite this I believe that my work captures a few simple moments of pure freedom which was my overall goal. This can be seen through the vibrant editing of colour and the amusing / random staging and framing of the pictures. I’ve used B&W images in certain areas and less saturated ones in others to change the flow of the book a little bit as not all the images worked with high saturation. The comparison between day and night, boys and girls and drunk and sober images came out better than I could have ever imagined with some very similar images produced by the boys and girls and some that are very different. I had originally planned to have a complete full bleed book, however, I eventually readjusted the layout of certain images to fit the page differently which helped to further increase the flow of the book and create juxtaposition between specific photos. I feel like my book gives an insight into the life of an 18 year old and what they do with the freedom they are provided. This was one of the main reasons for making the photo book so I am pleased with the way it came out. In the end I am happy with the changes that have occurred since my initial statement of intent and also the aspects I have managed to keep the same. I enjoyed making this book as the entire process was intended to be fun, exciting and free of limitations.

I’ve compared images in the three categories that I planned in my statement of intent. The first was girls and boys where I conceitedly got images that looked very similar between the boys and girls and some that looked different. For example, on page 24/25 there or two triple people selfies taken at a similar angel the difference being that the girls are pulling serious faces and the boys are messing around. Another example is found on pages 10/11 where there’s a two person portrait from each parties but again, the girls are posing and the boys are being stupid. Then there are instances like pages 32/33 and 40/41 where both pictures are silly or both are more serious.

The Day and Night comparisons have worked well and some have come hand in hand with the drunk and sober comparison or the boys and girls one. Overall I think my photos and the way that they’re laid out says a lot about the different ways in which a group of lads and a group of girls use their freedom and the similarities too.

I have also used double page spreads for certain images that didn’t print correctly due to the photos being taken on a disposable camera. Although it may be a stretch, I believe that these photos represent that things can definitely go wrong without certain limitations and maybe 100% freedom isn’t the best option

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There were many images where I had to chose between high saturation or B&W. I made many of the beach images B&W as the beige sand didn’t look right when the saturation was lifted. Creating a mix of vibrant photos and B&W ones helps with the flow of the book and creates more contrast between images.

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This photo is a good example of my influence from Alex Webb through increased saturation, texture and contrast. There is an immediate improvement to the image and the vibrant and ‘happy’ colours help to emphasise a sense of freedom.

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There are instances where I’ve decided to make the images darker and use a different editing style. Although the saturation is still increased, I’ve reduced the shadows, blacks and whites in order for these two images to appear as if they are one when placed side by side.

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Another example of different editing style to connect images and show their similarities.

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Finally, I’ve compared similar images with drastically different editing techniques to amplify the difference between these scenarios. The sharp colour contrast should emphasise the contrast between these images.

Overall I want my book to have high saturation and B&W images and photos compared with similar editing styles and different ones. This will create a chaotic book that isn’t held back by any limitations, therefore the layout and flow of the book itself will be apart of my freedom theme.

beach

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This photoshoot was done in order to create images that would be calmer and less chaotic than the party photos from my birthday.

Birthday

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These are the main photos for my book which were influenced by Paul M Smith and follow the theme of freedom as I let anyone take the photos in any way they wanted with no limitations. I plan to increase the saturation of these pictures to amplify the idea of freedom which is an idea I got from Alex Webb’s work.

Paulina’s birthday

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Similar to the last photoshoot I have taken inspiration from Paul M Smith for the photos and will edit them in a similar way to Alex Webb. However, these photos are going to create a contrast between a boys and a girls 18th party and will demonstrate similarities and differences between them.

My chosen theme for my photo book is freedom. I am going to hold three parties and a day at the beach where I will allow my mates to take photos of anything they want without limitations. I want the photos themselves to represent freedom in the way they are taken as well as their subjects. I also want to contrast different types of freedom: sober / drunk, day / night, boys / girls. I do not want to involve any Covid related objects or themes in my book as I want to ignore Covid, which has undeniably limited the worlds freedom over the last year and a half, as if it does not exist within this small world I am creating in the book. The freedom to have fun is the main theme I am going to try and represent within my photo book. Simply, I want a book that holds happy and fun memories from a time in my life that will always be remembered as dull and restricted due to Covid. I also hope that it gives an insight into the life of an 18-year-old and is informative and enjoyable to any viewer. I am going to use Paul M Smiths themes of a ‘lads night out’ and Alex Webb’s editing style of high saturation to create my final images and show true, uninfluenced freedom.

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Smith made his photography debut with ‘Artist Rifles’ a series of photos of fake war scenarios created by his own experience in the army. ‘Artist Rifles was to become the first chapter in Paul’s interrogation of the many-headed beast that is masculinity, of what it means to be a man. The most immediate subject of this enquiry was naturally to confront his own reasoning for joining the army.’ The cloning of the protagonist creates a appropriate metaphor for the army’s effect on an individuals identity and creating group identities (Brothers in Arms) This duplication of himself is a very effective method to emphasize the struggles of male identity, fitting in and belonging to a group / community.

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Smith has used this technique multiple times after his Artist Rifles project with himself and others. For example his advertising campaign with Robin Williams or his second self portrait project ‘Make My Night’

‘Make My Night’ follows a group of lads on a night out consisting of good laughs, pranks, fights, drinking and, inevitably, the rough morning after. ‘ As before, he becomes the anonymous everyman but this time is more overtly the narrator as well as the protagonist of a frequently observed ritual.’ Unlike past projects where I have mimicked Smith’s repeated protagonist effect, this time I am going to use his staged ‘night out’ photos as inspiration for my images. I plan to show the stages of the night out, like Smith, from the bright eyed beginning to the sickly end. Smith uses his imagery to influence a positive view upon masculinity. I am interested in this view and what to incorporate a sense of it within my own work. Overall Smith’s work is very positive but it is likely that only the staging of the images will affect my photo book and less so with the meaning.

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Smith, like Alex Webb, also used high colour saturation to emphasize the freedom and vibrance of a night out. This will be another influence for the editing process of my images as well as the production of them.

Smith uses the repeated protagonist in order to show that it does not really matter who the subject is, it is about the meaning of masculinity to respect to anyone. I am going to try and emphasize this meaning through the comparison and contrast between a lads night out and a girls night out. I hope that this contrast will convey a similar message to Smith and that the difference between these two is easily understood.

Technical – Smith’s use of all natural lighting in this shot supports its realism by not using any artificial lighting. He has create a specific colour pallet / tonal range of blue, green and beige.

Visual – Smith has raised the saturation in order to vibrantly bring out the colours within this image. This creates a lighter and more enjoyable photo which suits the ‘lads at the footie’ style. He has used the space well and even had moments where his protagonist overlaps with himself which causes a much more difficult editing process.

conceptual – Like ‘make my night’, Smith’s project with Robbie Williams enforces a strong sense of masculinity upon the viewer and provides certain scenarios that follow more of a false representation of men but a funny / fantasized one.

Alex Webb is best known for his complex and vibrant color photographs of serendipitous or enigmatic moments, often in places with socio-political tensions. Over the past 45 years, Webb has worked in places as varied as the U.S.-Mexico border, Haiti, Istanbul, and, most recently, a number of U.S. cities. “My work is questioning and exploratory,” he says. “I believe in photographs that convey a certain level of ambiguity, that ask questions rather than provide answers.”

I was drawn to Webb’s photography due to his editing style with high saturation images to emphasize certain freedoms and limitations. Although my work holds no political agenda and most of Webb’s does, I have used a similar editing technique of bright, strong colours in order to convey similar meaning.

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Webb worked in Latin America and the Caribbean in his 20’s. This is where he transitions from B&W to colour photos and credits these two cultures for amplifying his love and interest of colour. He has produced 16 books during his career many of which were made with his wife who is also a photographer.

“I only know how to approach a place by walking. For what does a street photographer do but walk and watch and wait and talk, and then watch and wait some more, trying to remain confident that the unexpected, the unknown, or the secret heart of the known awaits just around the corner”

Alex Webb

Technical – Webb’s photos always consist of natural lighting or at least appear that way. He uses bright and saturated natural light to give his photos an upbeat feeling and also develops a large tonal range with his imagery.

Visual – The standout visual techniques in Webb’s work are his colour, framing and tones. He uses high saturation to give a physical representation of freedom through ‘happy’ colours. the mix of an orange/pink sky and large green wall in this photo draws the viewers attention immediately. The framing of the photo and positioning of the five people within the space adds to the ambiguity of the image and asks questions of what they are looking at, why they are stood there and who they are?

Conceptual – “we all are conditioned by our culture, our education, our experiences — what makes us who we are. Nonetheless, I make an effort to be as open as possible to alternative possibilities, possibilities that may contradict what I rationally might expect.” Webb attempts to show other cultures to his own without being biased to educate and inform the public

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Never Odd Or Even