From your Personal Investigation based on IDENTITY & COMMUNITY write an overview of what you learned so far (both as Yr 12 and Yr 13 student) and how you intend to develop your Personal Study.

5. Plan your first photo-shoot as a response to initial ideas. Must be published on the blog by Wed 2 Dec.

Themes and Techniques I have studied:

Life after lockdown/isolation, the natural world, repetition, pattern, rhythm, reflection and symmetry, Astrophotography, Street Photography, Candid Portraits, Studio shoots, photo montage, Landscapes, Macro, Romanticism, new topographics, Anthropocene, Identity, Community, Family archives.

I have mostly used digital photography to explore these themes and techniques, but recently have used video in the NFT project, as well as stitching a tapestry.

some artists I have researched and referenced are: Alfred Krupp, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Henri Cartier, Claude Cahun, Ansel Adams, Lewis Baltz, Jeremy Carroll, Lilli Waters, Mike Winkelmann

The software i enjoyed using the most, as well as where i feel i improved the most at using Adobe Lightroom, where i edit images to portray a certain feeling to the viewer. My favourite ay to edit images is with high contrast between colours and tones to create a more impactful image that draws the viewers eye. Aswel as this i have used Photoshop, InDesign and Premiere Pro

Identity Mind Map

My thought behind this id map is having multiple parts of your identity, mainly having a time to spend alone and your own identity, then the time you spend with other people and your social identity. I think the contrast between these images are interesting as they can portray two sides of the same person, as some images may appear to be introverted and lonely, but other images can make the person seem extroverted and sociable. Showing that a persons identity doesn’t have to be fixed and can change depending on the situation. These sets of images also shows the different emotions this person can be feeling as well as making the viewer feeling a certain way too. I also like the contrast between the posed and thought provoking images of the one person alone, and the candid and in-the-moment style of the social images, the almost un-professional style of photo makes the viewer relate to the image as if they were really there.

Statement of intent

What you want to explore?

I would like to explore the topic of identity, broadly as a whole, as well as how people can have multiple identities. The direction i would like to go with this is mainly Alone vs Social identity. I find this comparison interesting because of the contrast that can be created between the two through the actual contents of the image as well as how the image can be edited. Ideas like group photos with faces covered could show that they have a social identity as a group, but each individual has a separate identity and life of their own outside of that environment.

Why it matters to you?

I feel like this matters to me because it applies to me and my friends. We all have our own identities individually. But when we are together we have a group identity and show the social side of our identity, as well as our own personality and identity showing through too. I find that everyone has this contrast between their identity when they are by themselves and when they are with others, their personalities come together and show through the image, especially with friend groups, less with strangers. I think when people see the images created they will be able to relate to them, creating a deeper meaning and making the image more personal.

How you wish to develop your project?

I plan to have two contrasting styles of photography within my project, one being a crisp, aesthetic portraiture of a single subject. This will portray one side of a persons identity when they are alone. These images will be more though provoking, meaningful and perhaps metaphorical in their finished state. The other contrasting style will be a more casual, candid, almost less-professional style of portraiture, street and event photography. These will include multiple subjects and mostly be ‘old-school’ and ‘vintage’ looking, as if they were taken on a film camera. As well as these two contrasting styles, I may include images blending the two, with one subject alone, but in a social environment, showing that even though the person is in a social situation, they still have their individual identity. I will then edit these images to further bring out the meaning and emotion behind them.

One photographer that takes photos in the film-photography style i am going for is Caleb Triscari:

Another artist that takes photos in the style i am going for with individual identity is Noah Silliman:

First Shoot Plan

My first shoot will be a portrait or a shot from behind the subject of them alone. The location for this shoot will be a wide open area to show that the subject is alone with their thoughts and identity, showing that the photograph reflects them and only them. This will be the far end of St Ouens bay up on the hill. I will edit these images to be high in contrast between the lights and the darks to create a more moody photograph. I will also use warm tones to make the image more inviting for the viewer, to give an autumn type of feel to the image.