Experimentation With Layout
Using Adobe Lightroom, I imported all of my final images from my personal study project for my photobook. Here I uploaded the images onto different pages and experimented with the layout of them, seeing which images worked best on opposite pages and complimented each other. I adjusted the size of the photographs on these pages, working out which images worked best as full bleeds and which looked better with a white border. From this I found that a full bleed portrait image next to a portrait with a white border looked best for my layout, with some double page spread full bleeds for landscape images. Although, on some pages I tried placing a landscape and portrait alongside each other and found it looked best when the landscape overlapped to pages displaying the portrait, or with two landscapes stacked on top of one another on one page, opposite to the portrait. In addition to this, I also experimented with the order of the pages and their ability to aid the narrative, as well as presented a balanced feel to the book. With this I found that the double page spread of my stitched family portrait, was a good anchor for the central page of my photos.
Final Layout
This is my final layout for my photobook named ‘Manufactured memories’ which includes over thirty images comprised of a montages, archival images and newly produced images, as well as my essay at the back of the book. I believe that this project went well, as I think I have produced a good amount of images that relate to the task of a personal study, as it is about my family, specifically my grandparents. In addition, I am happy with my layout and proud of the photobook I have produced.
For my front and back cover I used an image wrap of the photograph that will be central in my photobook. However for the cover I made the rest of my family, except from my grandparents, into silhouettes in Photoshop. I did this by using the quick select tool as well as the paintbrush tool to carefully fill in the areas I had stitched in white around. I believe this best represents the contents of my books as it displays the method of reworking images that will be presented throughout my book as well as highlighting who the book is focused on, this being my grandparents. The title manufactured memories was inspired from a quote by Joerg Colberg, featured in my essay, and describes the nature of most family photography and how my photobook aims to deconstruct this.
For these first pages, I decided to leave one page at the start of the book blank, allowing for my photographs to start on a double page and be equally distributed throughout the rest of the book. The first double page showcases two simple portraits of my grandparents, which were taken separately however work well together as it appears that they are looking at one another. The following page contains a candid image of my grandad taken at a family Christmas dinner, alongside a digitally edited archive image of him in his former workplace, with everyone’s but his face covered. On the third page I decided to place a close up of my grandparents hands and their rings next to a full bleed of an image of them both, in which I have stitched into and around them. The next pages display two landscape images overlapping, one being one of my own newly produced images, with county outlines stitched into them, and the other an archive image of my mum and my aunt taken during their moving of house. The 10th and 11th page are taken up by a full bleed, double page spread of a digital collage made featuring images and text relating to my grandad, on a bold red background.
The pages after this present a full bleed, digitally altered image of my great-grandparents, concealing the upper halves of their bodies, next to one of my own images of my mum and step-dad. Following this is a digitally altered archive image of my grandad at his former workplace, surrounded by multiple emails regarding his retirement. The next two pages feature three images, two being candids from Christmas dinner, and the other a digitally edited archive image of my grandparents, with hexagons and the Manchester worker bee surrounding them. The central page of my photographs contains a full bleed, double page spread of a family portrait I have stitched into. After this is another three image page with two landscapes on one side, one being a stitched into family portrait and another a Christmas dinner candid, alongside a newly produced portrait of my grandparents, also with hexagons and the Manchester worker bee surrounding them, however this time stitched in. Following these pages are a digitally altered image of my grandma with text in her own handwriting surrounding her, with her old college ID and certificate for her nursery course next to it.
Next is a full bleed, archival portrait of my grandparents, mum and aunt, with an outline of my grandparents stitched in, alongside a Christmas dinner candid. Following this is another full bleed, double spread collage, this time featuring images, text and documents about my grandma. After this is a digitally edited, archival image of my families old house they moved into after my grandad’s new job, next to an archival image of my mum and aunt standing in the doorway of the house they were moving out of. The next pages display another close up of my grandparents hands, this time featuring another ring my grandad gifted to her, with a full bleed, stitched into portrait I have taken next to it. Following this is a landscape image of my aunt and her son (my cousin), next to an archive image of my grandma, mum, aunt and my sister as a child. The final photographic pages in my book showcase a full bleed, digitally altered, archival image of my grandma who is surrounded by a repeated sentence in her own handwriting, followed by a new portrait taken of my grandma, aunt and mum.
After all of my images, I have included my essay regarding this project, with my influences, analysis’ and intentions. This piece of text is also supported by images from other artists and quotes from other literary sources, which are referenced within my bibliography. I added this in by copying and pasting my essay in paragraphs, fitting the images it references around the text.
Once completing the layout and design for my photobook I then uploaded it to the website blurb which will allow me to order the photobook and print it for me.