PHOTOBOOK: Write a book specification; narrative, concept and design + mood board of layout & design ideas.

NARRATIVE

Narrative is defined as ‘a spoken or written account of connected events; a story‘. The narrative of a book, film, or piece of art is an integral part of getting your audience to understand and empathise with the piece of work, and to bring out the intended emotions behind the piece. For my photobook, my narrative will not follow the traditional, linear route, but rather be a mix-match of images from various points in my life, such as old photographs of me when I was a child, to more recent images of me and my friends. My reasoning behind setting out my project this way is that most people consider their childhood to be a blur of memories all jumbled up together, with only a few defining moments that stand out to them. By doing this, I hope to allow members of my audience to relate and empathise with my project in a more personal way than if my photobook were a conventional, straightforward story about growing up.

DESIGN

For my project, I have taken inspiration from various artists who have published their own photobooks, such as Jim Goldberg (Raised By Wolves), Carolle Benitah (Photos Souvenirs), and Larry Clark (The Perfect Childhood). I was intrigued by the layout of these photobooks, especially Jim Goldberg’s Raised By Wolves, which includes old photographs and objects integrated between the new images of his subjects. In doing this, Goldberg allows his audience to empathise with his subjects in a more meaningful way. In my photobook, I will use different page layouts, such as some full-bleed pages where my image takes up the entire space.

MOODBOARD