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.

The link on stream for our NFT film can be accessed here.

https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/f3639853-dd9f-4944-81b2-4142795fe623

Mike Winkelmann

Michael Joseph Winkelmann, known professionally as Beeple, is an American digital artist, graphic designer, and animator.  Working under the name Beeple, his long-running project “Everydays,” a series of digital compositions that he makes and shares daily. In recent years, the “Everydays” have slowly turned to the theme of garish cartoon sensibility. Here are some examples of what Mikes “Everydays” work looks like…

Greg Mike

Populated by gleefully twisted characters, his world is unsettling, mischievous and uniquely captivating. Currently based in Atlanta, Greg Mike is a multi-platform studio specializing in branding, apparel design and visual production. His work is based around the unique colour world with cartoons that intrigue all age ranges.

Over the past year and a half we have studied different photography topics, I enjoyed the abstract and landscape photography the most.

Abstract Project

I studied the works of Jaromnir Funke, Ray Metzker, Keld Helmer-Petersen and Albert Renger-Patzsch.

Landscape Project

Rural landscapes

Started this project looking at different artists and learned a lot about compositions. Like the Golden Ratio and Rule of Thirds which helped me develop my photography skills and create interesting images which were more appealing to the eye and told more of a story in some situations.

These three artists caught my attention by the colours and shapes they had in their images specifically Charlie Waite and Lisa Wood.

Some of my outcomes:

Identity Project

We were given the theme of Identity to start a new project. I chose to look at the word identity it self and to not focus on my own identity to start with.

I looked at the different approaches from each photographer looking at Identity as a topic and took Alec Soth’s and Raina Matar’s styles to create my own outcomes focusing on my identity but also the way that outside influences have on our identity.

Some of my outcomes:

Industrial + Urban Landscapes

After researching many photographers like Alexander Apstol, Ed Rushca, Rut Blees and Lewis Baltz I chose to focus on The New Topographics which is a theme about landscapes which have now been man-altered like urban areas being turned into parking lots, suburban housing and warehouses. I also focused on old urban landscapes and was inspired by the works of Eugene Atget who took images of the constantly changing Paris architecture and streets.

Lewis Baltz:

Eugene Agtet:

Identity + Community

This project helped me with selection of my images and understanding more about why certain images go together or contrast and why photographers choose to sequence images together.

In this project I also used Lightroom for the first time and have found this helpful in my current work.

In all my work I have enjoyed looking at compositions and shapes within different landscapes and objects.

Me and Michael get given the topic ‘Education and Sport’ to make a poster on related to Jersey.

We used the island identity report to list facts and information about these topics, as well as images to visually show the islands education resources and sporting life.

We also answered these questions on the poster:

1. What makes Jersey special and why does it matter to you?
2. What does it mean to be ‘Jersey’, now and in the future?
3. What can we all do to solidify a cohesive and positive Island identity?
4. Are there barriers to a positive and inclusive Island identity? (What requires a greater focus and what is being missed?)

Below is the final product: