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Personal Investigation – Presenting Final Images

May 17, 2022 Sophie M Leave a comment

Experimentation

I first began by creating two virtual galleries after completing my ‘Identity Coursework Personal Investigation’, I wanted to experiment with using photoshop to see how my printed images may look when mounted up. I started by taking three images from my Robert Darch inspired shoot and exploring how different layout options may tell different narratives. I wanted there to be a synchronicity between images, as if they follow after each other in a similar location – possibly all taken in the same place but representing the different emotions of anxiety. I experimented with the sizes of each image also, seeing how when I changed the layout so one image was bigger than the other it created a contrasting atmosphere. Nevertheless, the image below is a final display of my first virtual gallery, where I decided to keep a synchronized and cohesive design which fit with the classic style of imagery, a symmetrical layout suited the images best. This was also the decision I came to when exploring my imagery from my Pictorialism/Josef Sudek inspired shoot, where I created a display using the same gallery format to compare how the different techniques of photography created a different mood when presented in the same setting. I think that when mounting up my final prints for this project I will explore a smaller size and layout of my Pictorialism images due to their delicacy and fragility, the images come across as soft and light, so I believe using a more compact layout will contrast the boldness of the Robert Darch imagery well.

Gallery 1:

Gallery 2:

Final Personal Investigation Prints:

Sequence One: After creating and ordering my photobook I made a selection of my final images that I wanted to be printed for display. I planned on printing a range of A3 A4 and A5 sized photos that I could set out in sequences and narratives. I first planned how I wanted to set out some A3 prints; I knew I wanted to use my Robert Darch inspired imagery for my largest prints due to the amount of detail within them, therefore I decided to print four photos that each held different moods and atmospheres from this shoot. The first image was inspired by Darch’s photographic techniques of capturing the warmth and comfort of a surrounding that may otherwise be seen as unnerving, yet it also holds a link to Pictorialism with its soft blurred focus. I wanted to include this image as a contrast to the others, but also as a reminder of this idea of ‘seeing the world through rose-tinted glasses’ that features in the images to come – the perfect world that just doesn’t quite seem real. The other three images are sharply focused, holding small details from reflections and providing an atmosphere of escape and adventure – for me, this sequence is an introduction to ‘Wonderland’ in the way it hints at the anxiety to come, without giving away the completed book’s full narrative. I decided to mount up these images using foam board to create a 3D frame effect, first sticking my image on a piece and using Stanley knife to cut it out, and then sticking this piece on to a larger foam board rectangle which created this frame effect. When I display my images I hope to have them stuck on the wall one after the other, leaving a small amount of space between each one to separate them and keep this theme of a clean look.

Sequence Two: For my second sequence I wanted to create a display of the more ‘nightmare’ style images, having the idea to create a triptych of mirrors and clocks to introduce the idea of ‘anxiety creeping into Wonderland’. I began by choosing three images in an A5 format to print and experiment with, I then played around with the order of images and the layout, deciding to begin with the darkest image. I liked this layout due to its subtle hints towards hope, like a light at the end of a tunnel, with each image holding circular compositions that seem to lead into another world. The first image conveys clouded vision, seeing only part of a solution or problem that has been clouded over by anxiety and worry. The second is what can be seen once that fog has faded, what lies beyond the fear and doubt when we can see clearly into the future. The final part of the triptych is an image of a clock with the reflection of a candle on it, there is a dark blue hue which gets interrupted by the orange candle flame, hinting towards a brighter future or a flicker of hope in the distance. I wanted to print these images smaller than the others due to their boldness and vibrancy, I think that having this pop of true fantasy and this break from reality helps to convey a sense of fluidity between my other sequences, as if they are all somehow linked through the world they are set in. I mounted up this triptych using a long thin strip of foam board as the backing with my images also on foam board so they stuck out from the background. I really like this way of displaying photographs as I believe it gives the impression of a frame, but also allows for artistic expression as we can measure and decide how big or small, what size and orientation we want the frame to be.

Sequence Three: My third sequence is the combination of a singular mounted image with a diptych juxtaposition layout. I wanted to create a separated narrative that holds themes of nature, growth and evolving – allowing me to experiment with how I wanted to display each theme. The sequence begins with a singular display of one of my Pictorialism inspired images, a flower growing over a pond surrounded by the natural environment. Next I wanted to layout a juxtaposition between nature, nature left untouched compared to nature in an unnatural environment – nevertheless I also recognised the juxtaposing ideas between how colder colours would go with the ‘unnatural’ and warmer with the ‘natural’, which is of course not how I edited these photos. I really loved how these ideas contrasted each other and each image, I want the truth to lie in the message of nature in the ‘unnatural’ environment is used to adapting to change, it is able to still thrive after being cut down (holding links to my struggles with anxiety and picking myself back up again etc). The juxtaposition is not necessarily about cold and warm, or sad and happy, but more to do with the change in mood between letting go and continuing to grow. I plan to present these three prints next to each other on the wall due to their similarities in colour, theme, subject and message – there is a softness and innocence that is disrupted by coldness which I believe to be ambiguous in meaning and observing. I mounted these images onto 3D foam board and experimented with whether the diptych should be presented on a landscape or portrait strip – due to my second sequence being on a landscape strip I decided to contrast it with this portrait orientation, also allowing me to set my images out in a cleaner shape.

Sequence Four: I have named my final sequence ‘A Window into Childhood’, having the idea to present four images in a rectangular sequence depicting childhood nightmares and fears. I chose to print these four images in A4 size to set them out on one of the larger pieces of foamboard, again I wanted to use the technique of sticking each image on foamboard before onto the background piece to create a 3D effect like the images are jumping off of the page. I believe this layout and technique worked well when presenting these images as the nightmare-style imagery contrasts the Pictorialism images so much it is useful for a clean and ordered layout to not distract from the chaos on each page. I started by laying out my dark blue images in each corner of the board to set out how I wanted the disruption to occur, next I chose two soft focus images that had connotations of childhood and calmness to juxtapose these images from above, below and on either side. Altogether I wanted to create contrasting ideas of the reality of childhood, anxiety was not a constant state I was in, it fluctuated between strong and weak and it was never something I knew was anxiety at the time. The nightmares are clouded with over-exposed highlights coming from the Pictorialism images and ideas of truth vs manipulation are created – there is a sort of comfort in knowing the extent of how anxiety is effecting the images, it disappears and reappears but it is never constant. I wanted to create a window-type layout as if the observer were looking into the past, nature can seem so different in the light and in the dark, I wanted to create an atmosphere of safety and fear opposing each other so strongly that it seemed unreal – questions as to whether childhood fears were all in our head or actually haunting us daily.

Final Prints – Previous Projects:

The presentation of my previous final prints was important to me as I wanted to create themed responses that related to the project’s themselves. For example the outcomes from my abstract unit, where I captured close ups of flowers and the natural environment, had quite a classic format and style – the black and white filter created a vintage atmosphere around the images. Therefore, when deciding how I wanted to mount up these final prints I experimented with how either a black or white background would make the images stand out – the black background was a similar tone the the darkness surrounding the subjects of each image, so using white foamboard was the obvious choice to create the best effect behind the prints. I explored how making some images more 3D with extra foamboard would contrast others that were flatter, however due to their symmetry and composition I made the final decision to keep every image the same distance of foamboard away from the background. I really like how the black and white of the foamboard frame to the shadows in the images contrast each other, the sharp edges create a triptych with a classic and original style. From my portrait project I chose 3 images that were captured during my experiments with chiaroscuro lighting, I believe they show photographic skill without the need for heavy editing or manipulation. I mounted the first diptych on several pieces of foamboard to create a 3D effect as it complimented the style of photography used and allowed both images to stand out against the bold white. The final image from my portrait project had a mysterious atmosphere surrounding it, I knew I wanted to experiment with creating a window mount for this image so after measuring it and deciding how much boarder I wanted around the image I created this final display. During my abstract unit I also studied the work of Saul Leiter, responding to his images capturing raindrops and experimenting with soft focus and blur. My final two print sequences are mounted on black boards due to their dark surroundings and mysterious atmospheres – I wanted to try and create a window mount display of my ‘umbrella’ images, sequencing the photos in an abstract narrative and using this classic mounting technique to reflect their style. Overall I am extremely happy with my final prints from each project, there is a range of technique and style that shows my strengths and best outcomes throughout the course – altogether I think the mounting up and framing of each image reflects its style and atmosphere successfully.

Independent, Reading

Personal Investigation – Final Photobook

May 16, 2022 Sophie M Leave a comment

Online Link: Here is an online link to my final photobook – ‘Escaping Wonderland’.

Book Specification:

Narrative: What is your story?
Describe in:

3 words

Escaping, Comfort, Reality.

A sentence

In a ‘Wonderland’ reality where everything is dreamlike and calm, often reality hits and anxiety creeps through again.

A paragraph

Within my photobook I want to convey themes of comfort, security and warmth – an ethereal display of locations where I feel at ease within nature and/or areas at home. My narrative will tell the story of my imagination, a dreamlike collection of images in a Pictorialist style that get disrupted by waves of anxiety being represented by darker colder images. My narrative will consist of juxtapositions, comparing the feeling of unease to instant comfort – the photobook will be a journey through ‘Wonderland’ (representing a world where anxiety is calmed but reality isn’t quite real, certain comforts may feel a little too perfect). With landscape images being broken up by still-lives of flowers and objects, it is as if this perfect world of calm and tranquillity is breaking down to reality; escapism can only be a comfort for so long before reality hits.

Design: Consider the following

How you want your book to look and feel?

Paper and ink – Premium Lustre
Format, size and orientation – Standard Portraits
Binding and cover – Hardcover Image Wrap
Title – Escaping Wonderland
Design and layout – Clean & Rustic
Editing and sequencing – Use of Juxtapositions, Contrasting Colours
Images and text – Use of Alice in Wonderland quotes & Own Writing

‘Evaluation’

Front Cover:

I wanted to create a title that summarised the key themes within my photobook; escapism, anxiety and imagination. Alice in Wonderland was always a film I loved watching, the fantasy world of giant flowers and talking rabbits was one I would find myself wanting to escape into when the world seemed scary or stressful, hence my title ‘Escaping Wonderland’ – bringing together ideas of running away to a world that is almost-too-perfect, at times unnerving. The whole concept of escaping is usually chaotic, similar to the events and inhabitants of Wonderland – therefore I wanted to juxtapose this fanciful expectation with a very simple and plain front and back cover. I had the idea to use the same soft pink colour, that was a motif throughout the images in my book, to be the block background colour. When deciding where to place my title, I wanted it to be visible, but not too imposing and bold so it kept the same soft theme. I decided to write in dark grey and use the font Times New Roman for my title as I believe it looks clean, but also quite whimsical as the letters flick at the ends.

Page Layouts:

I wanted to follow quite a classic photobook layout when I first started creating my book, placing one image on the right hand side of a double spread and leaving the left side blank. I liked how this created quite a clean and neat look, it helped with creating a calm atmosphere that I could disrupt easily with a ‘nightmare-style’ image or juxtaposition spread. Firstly, I planned on creating a display of my images that was free, without a set sequence or narrative, just a demonstration of locations where I feel safe and have positive childhood memories – I wanted the darker blue images to break up this soft display by being placed randomly on pages throughout the book. Nevertheless, after experimenting with how I could sequence my images to create a narrative, and having the idea to bring text into my book also, I found a natural storyline of exploration that I could have beginning at ‘childhood’. I knew I wanted my book to begin with an image I captured at Reg’s Garden, the public garden space I would visit with my grandparents full of fairy tales and nature, which showed a sign saying ‘please enter visitors welcome’ which I coupled with the phrase ‘a comforting invitation’ on the left hand side. I wanted the inclusion of text to be natural, but also haunting, as if the book was sometimes warning the reader of anxiety creeping in on the next page with sentences such as ‘the water is clear, safe…wait’. The next display of images in my book hints towards child-like imagination, as if I were entering this magical world through a doorway – the images after this one are all inside this fantasy world without anxiety. The layout of juxtapositions range from cold vs warm to natural vs unnatural to reality vs fantasy – I wanted these reminders of the ‘real world’ to pop up during the photobook, it was important for me to show truth in how I have dealt with anxiety, and how sometimes running off into a world of my own (my it be by overthinking or escapism) is not always the best option. I wanted to create a contrast in colours between blue and peach through the book, with phrases next to them such as ‘but it creeps in time after time’ hinting towards anxious thoughts etc. Altogether, my photobook has an ambiguous layout, there is a narrative to follow, but the reader doesn’t have to follow it if they don’t want to – there is always another story within that they may connect with more, maybe the Sudek-inspired images are more sad than optimistic for them for example, it is for the reader to decide what to take from the book.

Strongest Double Spreads:

Throughout my photobook I wanted to create both strong and subtle juxtapositions, may it be through colour contrast, atmosphere or subject – I wanted the images to oppose each other. One of my favourite examples of juxtapositions in my book is the first double page spread below, showing two images with branches creeping into the frame – one light, and one dark. There is a clear contrast in colour with these images, but also in atmosphere; the left image holds lots of highlights and bright horizons giving it a welcoming and positive mood, however the right side image holds darker connotations with its deep blue hue and silhouette-like shadows. Additionally, this juxtaposition gives the impression of ‘anxiety creeping in’, as the branches in both images are twisted and reflect ideologies around horror films/nightmares. There is a subtle overlapping of theme which I also love between these images, the hint of orange that covers the right image’s branches could be seen as a reflection of reality in this darker world – I want the images to seem like different versions of each other at different times, one optimistic and one nightmarish. Furthermore, I wanted to create a spread in the book which represented how much I’d grown in confidence over the years, trying to stop letting anxiety get to me so much. The second spread I have included is how I conveyed that idea, using two of my dream-like images of flowers next to each other, one in its natural environment and one adapting to a new space. The soft focus and pastel colours of the images creates a warm and cosy environment, however sometimes growth is not easy, which is a reminder I wanted to give. With my idea of using text throughout the book, I decided to use the phrase ‘Growth, wait’ to go along side this spread and convey the idea of ‘fear of change’ – sometimes growing too much too quickly is overwhelming, which is what I wanted to show. My final juxtaposition holds similar connotations to the first, of nightmares creeping in when anxiety seems to have disappeared. I really liked the similarity of composition between these images, there seems to be a circular space in the middle of both almost as if it leads to another world, or another escape route. The composition of these images also reflects the idea of this scene being the same, but happening in another reality of either calmness or terror, I wanted to create a contrast that was still recognisable and questioned the idea of ‘fantasy vs reality’. I am extremely happy with the outcome of this photobook, the links to my childhood and memories allowed me to explore how I could represent them through manipulation, or just capturing them as I see them in truth.

My use of Quotes:

I wanted to highlight the idea of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ throughout my book, while some images where clear reflections of Wonderland themes (such as distorted clocks and mirrors) I still wanted to use text to further these themes. I researched quotes from Alice in Wonderland and wrote down ones I thought could relate to certain images/locations I had captured. For example, the first spread below shows two strange objects which could be mistaken for different things if not looked at closely, this spread reminded me of the quote ‘Curiouser and Curiouser’ as the observer may question what these images are actually capturing. Also, the soft focus and dim light makes the images seem mysterious and unrealistic, there is curiosity in their meaning. The second use of Alice in Wonderland quotes falls next to a singular image that I captured of the branches over the pond at Reg’s Garden. I really enjoy how this image is so ambiguous, it is abstract in its composition and use of aperture to focus behind the front branches which I wanted to seem mystical and creepy. This blur also allows the observer to look beyond the main subject of the branches to see the water and landscape behind, I really liked how strange this composition was and how much of an abstract texture it created. Next to this image I wanted to use the quote ‘if I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense’ as it reminded me of the weirdness that had been captured, the blurred focus and disjointed composition reflected this phrase entirely.

Independent, Task

Newspaper Evaluation

May 10, 2022 Sophie M Leave a comment

IDENTITY & COMMUNITY Newspaper

The images seen on the pages of this newspaper supplement are extracted from a variety of projects and final outcomes produced over a two-year academic programme of study by a group of A-Level photography students at Hautlieu School. In their final year the themes of Identity and Community offered a specific focus and through a series of creative challenges students developed a body of work that were inspired, partly from visiting heritage institutions to learn about aspects of Jersey’s unique history of immigration and exploring migrant communities and neighbourhoods in St Helier in a series of photo-walks. In the classroom additional inspiration was provided from workshops on NFTs (non-fungible token) and digital art, embroidery and textile art, animation and film-making, zine and photobook design led by professional artists, designers and teachers.

As part of the research and contextual studies students were asked to engage with some of the key questions raised by the Government of Jersey’s Island Identity project and explore through their own photographic studies how they interpret and identify distinctive qualities of island life. What can we learn from looking at a set of photographs produced by young islanders? At first sight they show us a seemingly random set of images of places, people and objects – some familiar, others surprising. On closer inspection each image is a visual sign and also a conundrum. For example, a fish stuffed in a plastic bottle may ask us to consider more closely our marine environment, commercial fishing or food consumption. As a combined sequence of images they represent different views that in many ways comment on a wider discussion on some of the primary objectives explored in the Island Identity project, such as ‘how we see ourselves’ and ‘how others see us.’

The newspaper was kindly sponsored by Deputy Carolyn Labey, Minister for International Development and Assistant Chief Minister who in her foreword shares her personal thoughts on what makes Jersey special to her in context of the Island Identity project led by her department. She says, ‘identity involves searching our soul, engaging with difficult issues, and asking not only who we are, but how others see us and what a vision for the future might look like. The perspective of students and young people in this debate is critical. Identity is a broad and far-reaching concept, one unique to all of us. This collection of images recognises both our differences and our commonalties. These times may be uncertain, but in my view the topic – ‘what Jersey means to you’ – is a fundamentally optimistic and forward-looking one.’

The Identity and Community newspaper is the fourth supplement produced in collaboration between Hautlieu School Photography Department and Jersey Evening Post. In 2018 the first issue was The Future of St Helier and last year the themes of Love & Rebellion explored experiences of isolation and lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic. Photographer and teacher Martin Toft, comments: ‘The question of ‘what makes Jersey special’ matters a great deal to every islander and as visual signs, the images printed on these pages are an attempt – not so much to provide answers – but rather asking questions about the essence of this island we call home, and how it actively will overcome current challenges in shaping a prosperous future for all.’

Various workshops and school trips for inspirations, recording and experimenting with new images and ideas of making

Evaluation:

Task: Write an evaluation, reflecting on the experience of being part of making a newspaper and working on IDENTITY & COMMUNITY project and put it here at the top of the blog post, titled: IDENTITY & COMMUNITY. Specifically, select your images and spreads for comments.

The 4 of my images that have been used in the newspaper are placed in contrast next to other students work. I really like how the first spread hints towards ideas of our environment being tampered with and destroyed, the juxtaposition between a lighter and a flower implies themes of global warming and climate change. Additionally I think the contrast is strong due to texture and colour, with the other students image on the left being harsh and focused compared to my Pictorialism style – it connotes ideas of the fragility of nature, being something we need to keep safe. The second spread, with my image on the right, has an atmosphere of power – contrasting old and new, abandoned and governed. I like the way the spread shows the power of nature compared to ‘man’, yet the irony of a strong independent woman by its side – parodic representation of ‘the human power’? There are similar warm tones in both images, yet a darker and colder atmosphere surrounds the image on the left, juxtaposing the content mood of my photograph. Altogether I really like how this image has been displayed next to one so different, yet holding subtle similarities. The third spread uses an image of a greenhouse which I took during our Year 12 Anthropocene project, displayed next to another students image of bricks. There is a clear contrast in colour with these images, the left holding red and orange hues juxtaposing with the desaturated greens and blues of my image – implying a sense of nature vs man. The abandoned nature of both images creates the impression of being forgotten, desolate landscapes disrupted by mans creation – yet my image hints towards nature fighting back, this contrast strongly shows the power of nature even when hope seems lost. The final spread uses an image of a tree branch from my most recent project on the left, placed next to two images from another student of expansive landscapes. All images on this spread hold strong orange tones and display features of the natural environment – yet there is a sense of looming fear and destruction. Each image is a sort-of hint towards a more industrialised environment, my image starting the set with a dark mysterious atmosphere around nature, moving across to an image showing mankind within natures freedom, then finishing with a futuristic display of when this ‘nature’s freedom’ no longer exists.

Independent, Reading

Personal Study – Final Essay on Photo Therapy

April 7, 2022 Sophie M Leave a comment

In what way have Robert Darch and Josef Sudek used their photography as a form of therapy?

“Photographs, which cannot themselves explain anything, are inexhaustible invitations to deduction, speculation, and fantasy.” – Susan Sontag, On Photography, 1977.

The concept of escapism; the tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, running away to a world where sorrows are only distant memories. Photographers Robert Darch and Josef Sudek explore this idea within their work, questioning how they can use photography as a form of therapy to convey their mental/physical illness through still-lives and landscapes. The use of photo therapy has grown substantially in recent years, pioneers of the style Rosy Martin and Jo Spence have worked together since 1984 exploring its concepts and benefits. In ‘The Photography Reader; Liz Wells’, a collection of essays from Martin and Spence describe how “out of the myriad fragments thus mirrored to us, first unconsciously as babies, then as we are growing into language and culture, aspects of our identities are constructed.” They use photo therapy as a method of coming to terms with and accepting themselves, in their essay ‘Psychic Realism as a Healing Art?’ it is stated that “what photo therapy engages with is primarily the ‘needy child’ within all of us that still needs to be seen and heard. The therapist has to become the advocate of this ‘child’ and to encourage her to recreate and witness her own history, to feel safe enough to protest, and then learn to become her own inner nurturer.”

In my personal investigation I aim to use photography as a medium to explore how I have coped with anxiety throughout my life, focusing on the idea of finding safety and comfort in certain places around my home, family member’s homes and areas around the island that have always made me feel calm. The whole concept of anxiety has been quite normalised in today’s society, having both positive and negative effects, as some feel less alone while others feel less seen. Highlighting this topic, by studying the positive areas of life where I have felt most safe, is very important to me; what matters to me most is creating a truthful display on a personal topic. Analysing the work of Robert Darch and Josef Sudek reveals the methods of photo therapy that I wish to reflect, juxtaposing images of flowers cut down from their mother plant (adapting to their environment in vases), with pictorialism inspired natural landscapes. These photographers have the ability to convey deeper meanings, ambiguous stories and ideas in their work; locations and places that tell the stories of their lives, Darch especially revealing his pain and want for an escape. One must consider the subject’s relationship with themself, for instance the links between past and present, and how locations shape a person’s true self, exploring photography as a means of healing.

How can a Pictorialist style demonstrate an atmosphere of nostalgia and comfort? Aspects of the Pictorialism movement have been reflected in several photographic works long after the movement ‘ended’, nevertheless have morphed and adapted to fit our changing times. During the 1880’s, when Pictorialism first begun, it was a reaction against mechanization and industrialization, dismayed at increasing industrial exploitation of photography through commercialisation. Writer and lecturer Stephen Bull describes Pictorialism as “the imitation of painting in an attempt to raise photography up to the same status as art that characterises the Pictorialist movement”. Photographs resembled paintings, being manipulated in the dark room by scratching and marking their prints to imitate the texture of a canvas – photographers used a soft focus to capture landscapes and portraits by smearing Vaseline onto their camera lens. This method allowed for the creation of dream-like artwork on spiritual subject matters, taking inspiration from Allegorical paintings which personified envy, love and glory. It was a means of exploring the unreal, the weird and the mystical – though photo therapy was not a concept during the time, there are links to its ability of escaping the banal of everyday life into another world. In her 1977 collection of essays ‘On Photography’, Susan Sontag describes how “photographs are a way of imprisoning reality…One can’t possess reality; one can possess images–one can’t possess the present, but one can possess the past.” I believe this can relate strongly to the values of Pictorialism, reality is presented in a fanciful style, ‘imprisoning reality’ that has been manipulated into fantasy which results in possession of an altered reality. One may question whether Pictorialism can even be considered as reality at all?

A.L. Coburn, Fifth Avenue from the St Regis | *Morning 1908* by Clarence H White | Mary Warner à contre-jour, 1908 – Heinrich Kuhn

Photography can be a freeing medium, much like painting in the way it can cleanse the soul of creative ideas that need to be reflected on paper. The extent of the freedom of the camera all depends on what the photographer wishes to reveal; they have the ability to hide certain truths, or in contrast have complete unfiltered honesty. British photographer Robert Darch explores how to reveal the truths of his past through landscape photography. Darch’s website states “his practice is motivated by the experience of place, in which the physical geography and material cultures of places merge with impressions from contemporary culture that equally influence perception. From these varied sources, both real and imagined, he constructs narratives that help contextualise a personal response to place.” When Darch was just 22 years old he suffered from a minor stroke which has had an impact on his life ever since. Completing his Photographic Arts degree at the time, he had to continue his studies from home when his health did not improve – his home was as much a prison as a safe space. Darch viewed his illness as a space, a location he could not escape physically; so, he had to do so mentally. In 2020, Robert Darch published his second photobook which he titled ‘Vale’ – a name with many meanings such as letting go, or even a hidden valley tucked away in the mountains. Ambiguity is something that first drew me to Darch’s work, his ability to capture the most idyllic ethereal landscapes but make them appear almost eerie in their solitude makes observers question whether this world is real. Are these areas from Darch’s childhood that we are getting a glimpse of all they seem to be? Do these locations hold more hurt than hope, always being there for Darch through such a low point in his life? An extract from ‘The Vale of Despond’, by Curator Dan Cox, reads “The fictional worlds into which Darch escaped, exhibited characteristics which were at once benign and threatening…Vale is a result of this percolation and loss. It is the fictional space where Darch can relive and re-imagine a lost period in his life, journeys with friends both through physical spaces and through time.” What Darch is able to encapsulate is a feeling of dream-like nostalgia, his work in ‘Vale’ is persuasive and welcoming but as the book goes on, the flickers of discomfort creep in.

In regard to photo therapy, Darch’s use of photography to escape from the harsh reality of his past allows him to heal from it, seeing it in a different perspective to truly understand his feelings and emotions. I want to use this idea of ‘photographic healing’ to reflect on my experience of anxiety, documenting the locations where I feel safe and secure within myself to understand how they’ve shaped my personality and life. Darch’s use of light in his ‘Vale’ work conveys a sense of optimism, like the sun beams are rays of joy or hope; artificial light can only be seen in the last few images in his photobook, perhaps hinting towards closing this fake reality. Natural landscapes are dream-like in Darch’s photographic eyes, soft focus and light tones compliment the misty woodlands and sunlight reflects off ponds and lakes to create a world of picturesque fantasy. Pain and suffering are escaped from; the warm hues that cover each image fill the landscapes with comfort and peace, Darch’s use of colour (bold oranges, yellows and greens) reveals his desire for security and safety within this rural atmosphere. A quote from Darch, in an interview with FotoRoom, reads “the warmth of the summer is tempered by an internal melancholy of loss, and the poetic narrative is in direct response to the emotions, feelings and thoughts cultivated during the period of isolation I experienced.” The confessional tone and atmosphere created in ‘Vale’ was therapeutic to Darch, he was able to physically show other people this world of fantasy that he would escape to – what once was his secret, could now be seen by the rest of the world; honesty and truth revealed. As I responded to Darch’s work, I wanted to convey the same sense of intimacy and imagination. Taking inspiration from Pictorialism, my aim was to create similar sepia blurred landscapes using Vaseline to create the iconic dream-like mood – however, I had the idea to steam up my camera lens with my breath, as if physically breathing life into my personal story. Using this technique allowed me to form deeper connections with my work, it was remedial to physically create this escapism that my youthful anxiety craved.

Why do some photographers focus their energy and photographic art on one specific location? Perhaps it holds a happy memory, or maybe it is the only place they can get inspired, whatever the reason; it’s therapeutic. Concentrating on one singular place, similar to Josef Sudek’s work ‘The Window of my Studio’, allows the photographer to experiment with changing what they can see, healing can come from changing your perspective on the truth. Czech photographer Josef Sudek is well-known for his still-life photography, he captures orchestrated scenes of flowers, vases and abstract objects on the windowsill of his studio in Prague. Sudek’s images are mysterious and eerie, they hold an atmosphere of loss, but at the same time show hint towards hope for a brighter future. Looking into Sudek’s past it is clear that this photographic style was healing, he served in the Austro-Hungarian Army during the First World War, when he was wounded and subsequently lost his right arm to amputation. After this sudden change to how he lived his life every day, Sudek turned to Photography and became a member of the Prague Club for Amateur Photographers from 1920-24, nevertheless he struggled with feeling isolated form the rest of the world. Russell Lord, from the New Orleans Museaum of Art, described Sudek as follows; “for Sudek, who grew increasingly reclusive over the decades, his studio, the window, and the small garden beyond became an important sanctuary, and a way to express his own tentative relationship with the external world. Sometimes perfectly transparent, sometimes coated with frost or water droplets, the glass window both frames the outside world and serves as a barrier from it.” Seclusion: Sudek struggled with this most, ‘The Window of my Studio’ served as a retreat from the judgement and staring eyes of 20^th century society, he created a series of images from the only place he felt safe and at one with himself. Though at the time Sudek may not have intended on creating imagery holding themes of anxiety, I can recognise similarities to the feeling of loneliness and uncertainty as if his window is his foggy, misconstrued version of the outside world.

Susan Sontag describes how “photographed images do not seem to be statements about the world so much as pieces of it, miniatures of reality that anyone can make or acquire” – to me, Sudek’s photography reveals his small corner of the world, his small corner of reality. It is clear that throughout Sudek’s work there has been a strong influence from Pictorialism, his work holds the same dream-like, soft atmospheres that many other Pictorialist photographers captured, for example the work of Alfred Stieglitz and his study of clouds in ‘Equivalents’. Sudek’s use of windows, documenting overcast murky days through frosted glass, additionally adds to his Pictorialist style – his use of light and aperture settings creates this soft blur around his flower subjects, almost replicating that of an oil painting. As Sudek was creating and photographing during the change of an art movement from Pictorialism to Modernism throughout the 1930’s and 1940’s, his work holds an almost vintage feel when compared to those being created during the same time period. Delicacy contrasted with harsh shadows is an element of Sudek’s work that beguiles the observer, is it an image of hope or a reminder of tragedy? Are we meant to focus on the survival of nature in an unnatural environment, or the looming enigma behind the glass? Twisted shadows of trees, the misty soft texture, repetitive streams of rain drops; it’s the creation of the fantasy world where Sudek wished to escape from. We can look through, but also look beyond his subject – the negative space that surrounds each flower could be symbolic of Sudek’s past woes and struggles – each element is subjective. My response to Sudek’s work has been very experimentational, I wanted to take a similar abstract approach using a large aperture setting to create a high depth of field however still breathing onto the lens to create a mystical Pictorialist quality. Furthermore, I wanted to take advantage of the natural light source which formed many golden highlights over my images, taking a colourful but gentle palette instead of monochromatic allowed me to explore how colour affected the mood of my images. The fanciful escapist themes that I wanted to present were emphasised by such pastel warm colours, Sudek’s work provided the concept of how one can explore serenity juxtaposed with confinement.

Josef Sudek, The Window of my Studio (1940’s)

We are led to believe that imagery can bear witness to reality, sometimes that reality is twisted and manipulated, forming what could be seen as an entirely different world; yet who’s to say this is a bad thing? Both photographers have gone through difficult points in their lives, with Darch suffering from a stroke at a young age and Sudek losing his arm during the war. Creating these fantasy realities has helped them to escape, to heal and to learn. In respect to my Personal Investigation, both artists have used photography as a method of escapism from an illness/disorder that had impaired them throughout their life – I have explored how elements of their images may have deeper meanings in regards to symbolism of weakness or hope. Although Sudek’s images are not known to have been made with his impairment in mind, I can still recognise themes of optimism in a time of isolation through his project; as if the flowers are symbols of life continuing, adapting in a new environment – they are still able to survive in a singular glass of water. Nevertheless, Darch’s work noticeably conveys a sense of escaping from reality through vibrant colours, dream-like compositions and golden hues that relay this idea of ‘the light at the end of the tunnel’. Though Darch reflects his sickness throughout his project, it is done subtly, with Darch himself stating “during the illness I no longer wanted to turn the camera inwards, to linger on the reality of my situation, preferring to lose myself in fictional constructs of the mind”. This fictionality in his work is honest and raw, giving the observer a glimpse into his own imaginative mind. In my own work I wanted to use locations from my past as a catalyst for a tribute to my childhood escapes, the worlds I would create to get away from anxious thoughts and feelings. Nevertheless, to interject moments of reflection and calmness, I wanted to use Sudek inspired imagery of flowers, some wilted, others blooming wilding – all to relay the concept of hope, of carrying on and taking a moment to revaluate my perspective. In her essay ‘Frames of Mind; Photography, Memory and Identity’, Patricia Marcella Anwandter questions “what do we choose to remember and how do we reinforce it? Who are we in relationship to who we were?” – I have mimicked the work of Darch and Sudek’s photo therapy to answer and heal from these questions.

My Response:

Bibliography:

Wells, L. (ed), Martin, R & Spence, J (2003), The Photography Reader. London. Routledge; Taylor & Francis Ltd

Martin, R & Spence J. (1988), Psychic Realism as a Healing Art. London. Ten8, No 30 Spellbound

Bull, S. (2009), Photography. London: Routledge; Taylor & Francis Ltd

Sontag, S. (1977), ‘In Plato’s cave’ in On Photography. London: Penguin Books

Darch, R. (2020), Vale. Devon. LIDO Books

Cox, D. (2020), The Vale of Despond. London. LIDO Books

FotoRoom. (2020), Beauty & Unease Coexist in Robert Darch’s Vale Series. [Online] at; Beauty and Unease Coexist in Robert Darch’s Vale Series | FotoRoom

Balcar, M (ed), Sudek, J. (2007), The Window of my Studio. Torst.

Lord, R. (2018), Analysis of The Window of my Studio. [Online] New Orleans Museum of Art at: Object Lesson: The Window of My Studio by Josef Sudek – New Orleans Museum of Art (noma.org)

Stieglitz, A. (1925-1934), Equivalents. [Online] at: https://archive.artic.edu/stieglitz/equivalents/

Marcella Anwandter, P. (2006), Frames of Mind; Photography, Memory and Identity. CUREJ: College Undergraduate Research Electronic Journal, University of Pennsylvania.

Independent, Reading

Personal Study – Essay Plan

April 7, 2022 Sophie M Leave a comment

Essay Question Ideas:

Artists – Robert Darch & Josef Sudek

How can reality be presented and altered through the medium of photography?

How can the concept of escapism be represented through the medium of photography?

In what way have Robert Darch and Josef Sudek explored the concept of escapism in their work/ photography?

In what way have Robert Darch and Josef Sudek used their photography as a form of therapy?

In what way have Robert Darch and Josef Sudek explored the concept of ‘the real world’ in their photography?

Essay Structure Plan:

Introduction (250-500 words): What is your area study? Which artists will you be analysing and why? How will you be responding to their work and essay question?

Discuss the concept of escapism, what does it mean to me/to the world?
Area of study = anxiety shaping identity, celebrating the locations I would escape to/the worlds I would create to feel safe and calm in etc.
Responding using still life and landscape photography.
Taking inspiration from Robert Darch and Josef Sudek – describe summary of their work.
Discuss Rosy Martin and Jo Spence ideas on Photo Therapy, use extracts from their essay ‘Psychic Realism as a Healing Art?’.

Pg 1 (500 words): Historical/ theoretical context within art, photography, visual and popular culture relevant to your area of study. Make links to art movements/ isms and some of the methods employed by critics and historian.

Add images from Pictorialism movement – *A.L. Coburn, Fifth Avenue from the St Regis*

Explore how Pictorialism has impacted my project, how I think it links to both Darch and Sudek’s work.
Historical facts and ideas on Pictorialism – what influenced it? What’s its main concepts/message? How are Pictorialist images created, discuss use of Vaseline/manipulation in dark room etc.
Themes of Pictorialism that I want to replicate, eg; dream-like atmosphere/fantasy, altering reality similar to how I would alter my reality to escape to different worlds, escaping anxious thoughts etc.
Bring in idea of Susan Sontag opinions of photography, use quotes from series of essays ‘On Photography’ .

Pg 2 (500 words): Analyse first artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.

Add images from Robert Darch’s ‘Vale’ Photobook

Discuss freedom of photography, how photographers can show us what they want to show us.
Robert Darch information, who is he? What’s his backstory? Why did he inspire me?
Use quotes from his website/from essays written on his work, eg; Dan Cox.
Analyse why Darch takes the photos he takes, what do they mean to him? Explore how his work has deeper meanings to do with childhood and past memories.
Analyse Darch’s photography style, his compositions/tone/lighting/shadows etc – why do they matter?
What did I do to respond to Darch’s work, how did I use him as inspiration>

Pg 3 (500 words): Analyse second artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.

Add images from Josef Sudek’s ‘The Window of my Studio’ series

Discuss use of location in photography, question the values of a place connecting to photographers memories or life story.
Introduce Josef Sudek, his series ‘The Window of my Studio’ – how does it relate to my project? What do I see when I analyse his work?
Give Sudek’s background, who is he/what did he do/what was he famous for?
Talk about how Sudek’s injury and amputation may have hindered his life both physically and mentally, perhaps photograph was his escape from the outside world.
Use quote from critics of Sudek eg; Russell Lord discussing how Sudek isolated himself from society and became completely interested in capturing scenes from his window.
Analyse what techniques he uses, his links to Pictorialism and use of soft focus.
How I respond with my project, what similar styles did I use etc?

Conclusion (250-500 words): Draw parallels, explore differences/ similarities between artists/photographers and that of your own work that you have produced

Display selection of both Darch and Sudek inspired images from myself

Conclude by comparing both photographers use of photography as a healing art, how do they do it? Why did they do it?
Draw points together by mentioning photographer’s pasts, and how this influenced their imagery.
Discuss how I have responded with my work, what techniques I used and what they all mean to me, use ideas from critics and photographers to discuss similarities between artists.
Historical factors and movements (Pictorialism) that have been inspirations throughout project.
Close with idea from Patricia Marcella Anwandter about how photography reflects memory, and is therefore healing to the photographer.

Bibliography: List all relevant sources used

List online websites
List essays I have read and quoted
Photobooks that inspired me throughout
Use Harvard System of Referencing to create bibliography

How to format references;

Photography book used = Zanele Muholi.

How to set out Bibliography –

Muholi, Z. (2020). Zanele Muholi, Tate. London: Tate Publishing.

In your text cite author’s surname, the year of
publication and the page reference immediately
after the quoted material e.g. Where a section of
your main text directly quotes another source, or
else uses ideas which have been drawn from
another source, the end of that quote should have
an entry like this
…which is the point that Liz Wells’ makes when she
says ‘one of the central principles of the
documentary aesthetic was that a photograph
should be untouched, so that its veracity, its
genuineness, might be maintained’ (Wells 1998:40)

Themes and Ideas to Discuss:

Symbolism and metaphors

Windows = light, wellbeing, to grow, opening to another world

Mirrors = reflections of past, future etc

Comparison – Vale shows the idyllic escapism from anxiety, into different realities/worlds as one would in childhood imagination, whereas Sudek’s images, to me, represent the present hopes towards escaping – flowers and nature are cut down from their original source however they still thrive using a vase of water as a new way of living, its adapting to surroundings just like I have had to do when finding places to feel safe with anxiety.

Changes; possibly edit my Sudek inspired image in colour but softer vibrancy and clarity – inspiration from pictorialism – could mention in essay about the inspiration Sudek has taken from the pictorialism movement.

Quotes of Possible Use?

“It’s hyperreal and dreamlike,” Darch says. “I daydreamed a lot as a kid, I still do as an adult, and definitely in those years when I was isolated, I was inside, I was in my mind all the time.”

‘So successful has been the camera’s role in beautifying the world that photographs, rather than the world, have become the standard of the beautiful.’ Susan Sontag

“To suffer is one thing; another thing is living with the photographed images of suffering, which does not necessarily strengthen conscience and the ability to be compassionate. It can also corrupt them. Once one has seen such images, one has started down the road of seeing more – and more. Images transfix. Images anesthetize.”
― Susan Sontag, On Photography

“In the real world, something is happening and no one knows what is going to happen. In the image-world, it has happened, and it will forever happen in that way.”
― Susan Sontag, On Photography

“Photographs, which cannot themselves explain anything, are inexhaustible invitations to deduction, speculation, and fantasy.”
― Susan Sontag, On Photography

Independent, Reading

Personal Investigation – Photoshoot 3/4 Josef Sudek

April 3, 2022 Sophie M Leave a comment

Initial aims for shoot:

My initial aims for this Josef Sudek inspired photoshoot were to combine the technique I discovered while on my ‘Photoshoot 2 – Pictorialism’ , creating a dream-like bur, with Sudek’s iconic display of flowers in clear vases being captured on window sills. I wanted to combine these ideas to create a whimsical depiction of nature, however showing how it can adapt to its surroundings – as if these flowers are symbols of hope. I planned on capturing my shoot using the windows inside my home, however I found it difficult to replicate Sudek’s compositions due to my windows not having such a large space underneath for the flowers to sit. Therefore, I had the plan to use my grandparents home to capture my images, a place still close to my heart that held meanings in location as well as subject. I aimed to conduct my shoot during the afternoon as I wanted there to be enough light to illuminate the subject, but not too much so that it became a silhouette. I planned on using the downstairs bedroom window which looks out onto the garden as I knew there were netting curtains that I could experiment with across the windows, I wanted to see whether this background still allowed for the observer to ‘look through’ the image. I had the idea to use an array of either singular flowers or bunches of flowers in the vase, I wanted to use a selection of types of flowers, and also a set of flowers that were more wilted to compare the effects and atmospheres they created.

Initial Shoot Experiments

This first shoot was conducted at my grandparents house, using their curtains to create a set of images with an abstract background. I wanted to mirror Sudek’s use of the rain which lined his windows/background but to experiment with a different pattern to see whether this created a similar mood. The lighting of the room was very cold on my shoot day, the sun was behind clouds which actually made it easier to capture the flowers without risk of them becoming silhouettes, however this also meant the warm pink tones that I had captured in my Photoshoot 1 and Photoshoot 2 were not replicated. I knew that I would have to heavily edit the tones and hues of these photographs in order to mirror my fantasy/dream-like theme, nevertheless I captured several images with strong compositions that I knew could be of use when creating my final selection.

Second Shoot Experiments

I decided there was a need to do a sub-shoot using the same theme and ideas, however this time using a different location where I could better reflect Sudek’s work. I discussed my idea of shooting in front of a panelled window with my friends and was lucky enough to be able to use one of their bedroom windows to conduct my shoot, it was a subtle reflection of Sudek’s location and gave me the opportunity to experiment with compositions lined up with the window panels. I began my shoot without steaming up my camera lens for a few images so when editing I could experiment with how I could manipulate the image to seem blurred in a Pictorialism style, without manually doing it on the day. I then used my technique of creating a fog over the lens with my breath to take the rest of the images, nevertheless there was still a blue hue that washed over my photos. I also wanted to replicate Sudek’s capturing of rain in the background of his images, however on the day of this photoshoot there was no rain forecast, so I came up with the idea of pouring a glass of water over the outside of the glass to look like raindrops rolling down the window. This idea was very successful and allowed me to experiment with aperture to focus on either the flower or the raindrops – I wanted to create a set of images that were delicate and soft, breaking up the fantasy world from previous shoots with hints of reality breaking down.

Juxtaposition Shoot Experiment

After going through my images from each photoshoot, I realized there were not enough nightmare style images to disrupt my photobook design, I wanted to have a book full of juxtapositions and disjointed hues of blue and peach that contrasted each other, conveying a sense of anxiety creeping in. Therefore, I decided on conducting a 4th photoshoot based on the idea of ‘nightmares’, bringing in the idea of Alice in Wonderland by photographing mirrors and clocks that could be placed next to images of foggy streams to link to the theme of escapism. I undertook this photoshoot around my home, capturing old photographs of my younger self/of family members using the blurry method, as well as capturing sharp images of them to contrast which looked better next to my other shoots. I wanted to focus some images on the idea of reflections, using a small mirror in my bedroom to act as symbol for clearing the mind, starting by capturing it fogged up and then capturing it from the same position once the mist disappeared. I used this photoshoot as an opportunity for experimentation, I knew that I would only choose a small selection of images to be presented in my final collection, however I still wanted to see how many ways I would portray the idea of ‘a nightmare’.

Editing

For the first flower experimental shoot I knew there would need to be a lot of manipulation in Lightroom to make the images fit my whimsical theme. I used this as an opportunity to use the different features of Lightroom that I had previously not used as much, such as turning down the clarity of the image and dehazing it to create an over-exposed style. I then saw how turning up the temperature and tint of the image would give it the same peach/pink filter that washed over my other shoots, creating this fantasy display similar to an old blurred photograph. After exploring how turning up or down the contrast/exposure/highlights of the image affected its atmosphere, I found the perfect balance of editing which created my final image. For the second flower shoot, there was still a blue hue that washed over the images due to the artificial indoor lighting being cold, therefore during the editing process I had to, again, turn up the temperature and tint of my images to fit my theme. Even though I had steamed up my lens for most of this shoot, I still used the dehaze and clarity feature to create more of a dreamlike blur over the photos, I believe this successfully replicated Sudek’s work while also bringing in my own personal fantasy style. The nightmare shoot images were mostly cold and lacked in vibrancy, however when editing the two images of my mirror I wanted to experiment with how increasing the blue hue created a mystical and dark atmosphere. All of my images have a fantasy theme, may it be soft positive dreams of childhood or mysterious dark memories rooted in anxiety – this shoot let me edit in an abstract style to separate my subjects from reality. I increased the contrast of this shoot to create sharp edges underneath the blur as there was a lot of shadows and darker tones that I could draw focus to – the circular composition of my mirror image is inviting and unsettling, which were the main ideas I wanted to convey during this shoot.

Final Sudek Inspired Images

Final Juxtaposition Images

Comparison to Sudek:

Josef Sudek | The Window of my Studio 1941-1954 | Comparison

Josef Sudek | La Dernière Rose (1959) | Artsy — *Josef Sudek | The Window of my Studio 1941-1954 | Comparison*

Sudek’s images are dark, they have a sense of mystery to them, and a sense of loss. Nevertheless, when I look at Sudek’s work, though there is loss, there is also hope – flowers are symbolic of life, it is as if Sudek (even in his confinement to his studio) is telling his observer there is still life wroth living – possibly he is trying to convince himself of this fact also. Comparing my work to Sudek’s, there is a clear link in subject and location – I have tried to replicate his surroundings as best I could with the weather circumstances etc – yet there is a contrast in atmosphere. My images are soft focused and bright, there is a content and calming mood within them as if the over-exposed highlights are beams of sunlight bringing joy and hope. Contrastingly, Sudek’s images are cold and dark – even without saturation it is clear that there is a gloomy atmosphere surrounding his subjects – hinting towards his own isolation. I wanted to create this difference to convey a sense of optimism, even though Sudek may be documenting a difficult time in his life there is still faith in nature and finding a way to adapt – this faith and hope is what I wanted to draw the most focus to in my images, they still give an impression of isolation, however this loneliness is surrounded by warmth and brightness as if its optimism for the future. Additionally, Sudek’s use of soft focus is replicated in my work, yet I have taken it to the extreme using my Pictorialism inspired technique – there is an impression of reality breaking down in both mine and Sudek’s work, with abstract shapes in the background creating an eerie atmosphere. Overall, I am really happy with how my Josef Sudek inspired photoshoot turned out, I have been able to experiment with different editing techniques and compositions, having to explore different ways of conveying a theme of anxiety, escapism and safety.

Independent, Reading

Personal Investigation – Photoshoot Two Pictorialism

April 2, 2022 Sophie M Leave a comment

Initial aims for shoot:

I wanted to create a set of images that combined the work of Robert Darch and Josef Sudek, mirroring techniques and themes used in Pictorialism photography. I plan on using the main location of Reg’s Garden, a community garden that I used to visit as a child with my grandparents, capturing areas where I would escape into imaginary worlds. I also plan on using my grandparents home for several images, using locations such as the kitchen, hallway and spare bedroom. In these rooms I hope to capture a sense of memory, past and nostalgia by photographing mirrors and doorways, windows that look into the past and provide a view to the future. The theme of safety is one I want to focus on in this shoot, the Pictorialist style will hopefully create a mystical yet welcoming atmosphere, using a soft blurred focus to distort any harsh textures or shadows in each image. I plan on conducting this photoshoot during the mid-afternoon, I want to take full advantage of the bright weather to create exaggerated highlights in my images. Experimenting with the Pictorialism technique is something I really want to explore in this shoot, I plan to bring Vaseline with me on the day to smear over the camera lens, however I would like to try using different materials to create the staple blurred filter over my images. This shoot will serve as an exploration of childhood imagination, physically capturing the Wonderland-like world I escaped to, whether I was happy, sad, confused or anxious – I want to display the dream-like state of ‘playing make believe’.

Editing:

I began editing in Adobe Lightroom, going through each image and flagging it if it portrayed the right atmosphere and theme I wanted to put across. Aesthetics was a feature that had importance in this shoot, I wanted my images to have a whimsical fantasy style that gave the impression of an almost ‘too perfect’ world. I looked for warm tones and orange hues when flagging my images, I found they were more successful when resembling colours of late evening sunsets as it created a cosy and welcoming atmosphere. After flagging my favourite images, I went through them again rating them from 1 -5 and focused on finding the meaning behind each image, when I took this image what did I have in mind? Does that message/idea come across successfully? Additionally, I wanted several images to hold a sort-of ‘escape route’ within them, may it be a door or a window, a clearing in the trees or a bridge to walk across – anything that could lead to this mystical world. Negative space that I captured in my images sometimes served as this ‘escape’, when sorting through and choosing which would be my final images to edit it was clear that keeping this fanciful narrative helped create my desired effect. Below is my selection of 5 star images, I considered colour, composition, meaning and light to create this selection and give the impression of an idyllic world full of imagination.

How I replicated Pictorialism:

I had planned on using Vaseline smeared over the camera lens to mimic that of Pictorialism, nevertheless when I began setting up for this shoot I though of a different idea and technique to create this imagery style. I wanted to create a gradual blur, some images slightly misty and foggy and others completely distorted, to compare how much I wanted to change the atmosphere of my surroundings in each image. Using Vaseline, although effective, was not the most practical material to create this gradual effect, as I would need to keep removing and reapplying the gel to the lens when I wanted less or more blur. Therefore, I thought of using my breath to steam up the lens, as the effect would ware off after a few seconds and I could take multiple shots of the same location as it gradually loses its blur. This allowed me to experiment with how much the lens should be steamed up when photographing to create enough blur to be distorted and dream-like, however not so much that the subject cannot be recognised as a bench or statue. As this project has such a personal connection to me, it was as if I was breathing life into these images to create this other-worldly effect – experimenting with how an image can be manipulated without editing it harshly in Photoshop or Lightroom was something I really wanted to explore. This Pictorialism imagery gives the impression of memories, foggy and blurred but still remembered as happy and content – there is a calmness to this shoot that when mixed with the oil-painting-style imagery portrays an imaginary world where anxiety disappears and childhood can live on.

Experimentation:

The images above and below were both taken in my grandparents home, it was the secondary location to Reg’s garden, holding memories of childhood and happiness. However, during the time of this shoot the lighting and weather was dull and cloudy, blue undertones and shadows made the images seem desolate and forgotten – which was no the atmosphere I wanted to create. When photographing I though of changing the ISO and white balance to create a warmer tone, however I was undecided as to whether the images would make it into my final selection, so did not make the changes. This gave me opportunity while editing to manipulate the highlights, temperature and tint of these photos in order for their colour pallet to match the rest of the blurred images. Instead of keeping the cold blues and putting these images with the ‘nightmare-style’ shoot, it made no sense to take a photo of a happy, loving place and change its whole meaning – therefore slightly warming the temperature and tones helped create my desired mood of welcoming. My grandparents home has always been a place where I have felt safe, as a child I would create stories in every room and escape from the outside world, using props such as cutting boards for boats or shields and curtains to keep the ‘monsters outside’ – all of these memories are now foggy yet still so clear, I wanted to use a Pictorialist style to show this.

Final Edited Images

Overall I am very pleased with how the final edits of this shoot turned out, using breath to manipulate the camera lens and capture a distorted scene allowed me to experiment with how a Pictorialist style can represent a fantasy world. Themes of serenity, perfection, calmness and persuasion were all ideas I wanted to keep in mind during the shoot. Using the style of Robert Darch by capturing nature in all of its beauty, and of Josef Sudek by taking his use of misty blurred surroundings, altogether created this display of fantasy. Using pink and orange tones that replicated a sunset throughout created this warm welcoming atmosphere, which will be disrupted by the harsh ‘nightmare’ shoot images which will break up my photobook. I am using Darch’s technique of progressing narrative through colours and tones, in The Vale of Despond by Dan Cox he describes this in Darch’s work; “A change in the palette of the images, another influence from the cinematic, signals this move, with cooler blues and yellows fading into greys, as the space becomes increasingly hostile.” I plan on creating a third photoshoot delving more into the world of Josef Sudek, being influenced by his study of flowers on a window sill and linking it to themes of adapting to my surroundings and to change. I want to progress these ideas further by experimenting more with the Pictorialism blur and using it to capture scenes in Sudek’s style.

Independent, Reading, Task

Personal Investigation – Photoshoot One Robert Darch

April 1, 2022 Sophie M Leave a comment

Initial aims for shoot:

During my initial planning for this photoshoot I aimed to create images focused solely on nature and the environment, I wanted to capture specific areas around the island where nature has felt both comforting and unnerving to me- juxtaposing ideas of contentment and anxiety. I planned on keeping to locations where memories of childhood lay, such as St Catherine’s Woods and Le Creux Woods – I knew there were possible photographic spots full of twisted trees that I wanted to capture so I made sure to shoot on a bright sunny day to take full advantage of the shadows that would be created. I wanted to reflect the work of Robert Darch using natural sunlight to create a sense of optimism and hope in my images, I planned on beginning my shoot early in the morning to capture some more golden tones around the landscapes. Similar to Darch’s style, I will use an aperture setting of about F/16 to create a balance between depth of field and sharpness ensuring that each element of the image is in focus. Nevertheless, to contrast this and provide a break in the synchronicity, I plan on capturing several ‘nightmare-style’ images with cold blue hues and darker tones throughout. In these images I will experiment with using a wider aperture of F/2.8 to focus on a specific branch or leaf, then using a very narrow aperture to compare which style creates a more eerie atmosphere.

Editing:

I began editing my images in Adobe Lightroom, flagging the images I liked best due to composition, lighting, atmosphere and repetition. I found that the images I captured at St Catherine’s Woods were more successful then those taken at Le Creux due to the location holding more expansive landscapes that related to Darch’s work greater. After flagging my images, I rated them from a score of 1 to 5 to create a final selection of the strongest ‘unedited’ images – then I went in and touched up exposure, vibrancy and contrast to enhance the comforting ‘dream-like’ atmosphere I wanted to create. The theme and intertextual idea of Alice in Wonderland came to me during this shoot, I thought of combining a series of the whimsical Josef Sudek photos with vibrant Darch inspired landscapes to create this fantasy ‘Wonderland’ influenced world where one could escape to in times of panic. It was always an idea I wanted to portray however I didn’t yet know how ‘make’ this world, throughout this photoshoot I tried to capture areas that seemed a little too perfect to stay compatible with ideas of Wonderland and dreams.

When undertaking the 1-5 rating of my images I focused on selecting those that best gave the impression of escaping into another world, may it be over a bridge or through a gap in the trees – I wanted each image to have a sort-of ‘clearing for an escape’. Composition wise, I looked for geometric shapes within my images, many had hints of circles that opened out into an expanse of sky, or distant trees. I was really drawn to these photographs as I believe they tell a greater story for the observer, like there if still more to be seen beyond the image – yet it also allows them to come up with the end of this story themselves. I also aimed to include images with lots of repetition, to keep with this ‘too perfect’ idea, like this magical world is not all it seems to be. Images with repetitive trees contorted around each other that seem to just keep going and going into the background of the image always fascinated me and made me think of fantasy worlds – I wanted to include the themes of escapism, but through natures captivating features. Hues and colour pallets in each image we mostly warm and vibrant, I did minimal editing to keep a cohesive pallet throughout of oranges, greens and yellows. However, when shooting the more ‘nightmare-style’ photos I wanted to use colder, more blue hues. I edited my images, which were taken late evening, by turning down the temperature and adjusting the amount of shadows and highlights to create a more mysterious brooding atmosphere. I aim for this contrast to confuse the observer, making them think of why such warm and welcoming images have been disrupted by these dark reminders of reality and fear creeping in.

Experimentation:

This was one of the first images I captured for my project, on a walk through a familiar woodland one evening I found this branch covered in raindrops. At first I was focused on its beauty, I tried capturing it from different angles and using a wide aperture to blur the background, however when it came to editing I couldn’t decide which atmosphere it created more. Looking at the image it made me feel quite unnerved, the branches closing in from the right have an almost claustrophobic feel to them, I saw a more ‘nightmare-inspired’ atmosphere than a calming one. Nevertheless, this meant editing had to be more thorough to fit with my idea of harsh blue tones breaking up the warmth of other images. I began by decreasing the temperature to -68 so I was able to work with the blue tones, I then increased the contrast to create a sharper image and decreased the exposure slightly however the image had too many purple undertones from the original sunset haze. Therefore I slightly decreased the tint of the image to create more green undertones so the image wouldn’t look too unnatural. After touching up the dark and light tones in the image I was really happy with how it turned out, from beginning my edit with a pink, soft image which I had edited to fit with the ‘dreamlike’ photographs, it was interesting to then completely try to change the mood by using a colder palette.

Final Edited Images:

So much inspiration was taken from Darch’s photobook ‘Vale’, I wanted to create that same welcoming but also disconcerting atmosphere. Some quotes that inspired me, from critics discussing ‘Vale’; “Vale is the latest photobook by the artist, which he has self-published. Images of old trees, verdant valleys and hot summer hazes denote an archetypal British countryside and typify the narrative. Alongside this, disconcerting elements peek from behind; something can be felt amongst the trees. The beauty of nature faces a ghostlike, fractured, and melancholic stillness. There is more at play under the surface of this pastoral landscape.” “The work draws from the lived experiences of ill-health. Darch found comfort in fictional worlds, domestic interiors, and the natural landscapes around him. Vale is a compilation of these multiple worlds, allowing the realities, dreams, fictions and memories to blend together in a space of escapism and meditation. Vale cannot be found on a map. It is not a topographical reality, but a semi-fictional one Darch has lived in for the last decade.” – Isaac Huxtable – 2021. It is these fictional worlds that I wish to continue creating in each photoshoot, I plan on undertaking my second shoot by focusing on this theme of ‘dreams’ and using a pictorialism influence to make some Robert Darch inspired images seem even more mystical and unreal.

Independent, Reading

Personal Study – Art Movements and Isms

March 29, 2022 Sophie M Leave a comment

Pictorialism

Time period; 1880 – 1920’s

Key characteristics/ conventions; Reacted against mechanization and industrialization, dismayed at increasing industrial exploitation of photography through commercialisation. Championed evocative photographs and individual expression, constructed images looking for harmony of matter, mind and spirit – subjective and spiritual motive. Pictorialism is an approach to photography that emphasizes beauty of subject matter, tonality, and composition rather than the documentation of reality. Images had a foggy, mystical-type quality of fantasy that highlighted the aesthetically pleasing elements of an image.

Influences; Allegorical paintings – figurative mode of representation conveying meaning other than the literal. Communicates through symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation – the underling meaning has moral, social, religious or political significance.

Artists associated; Alfred Stieglitz (Equivalent; clouds study), Peter Henry Emerson, Hugo Henneberg, George Davidson (Reflections 1899), Charles Job (Pulborough Bridge), Alvin Landon Coburn, Henry Peach Robinson, F. Holland Day, Robert Demachy, Edward Steichen.

Key works; Alfred Horlsey Hinton (Fleeting and Far 1903), George Davidson (Reflections 1899), Joseph Gale (Cottage Garden 1890), H P Robinson (He Never Told His Love 1884), Alfred Stieglitz (Equivalent; clouds study).

Methods/ techniques/ processes; Making photographs that resembled paintings, manipulating images in the darkroom, scratching and marking their prints to imitate the texture of the canvas, using soft focus, blurry or fuzzy imagery based on allegorical and spiritual subject matter. Photographers smeared Vaseline onto their camera lens to create a dream-like effect over their images, making them look like hand-made art.

Allegorical Paintings

An allegory is the description of a subject in the guise of another subject. An allegorical painting might include figures emblematic of different emotional states of mind – for example envy or love – or personifying other abstract concepts, such as sight, glory, beauty, Revolution, or France. These are called allegorical figures. The interpretation of an allegory therefore depends first on the identification of such figures, but even then the meaning can remain elusive. Allegorical subjects were frequently painted from the Renaissance until around 1800, although they were probably most often used in medals and engraved frontispieces to books. Single allegorical figures were also painted, sometimes in series, each figure representing, for example, one of the Liberal Arts or the Virtues.

Pictorialism Photography

Straight Photography/ Realism

Time period; Began in 1915

Key characteristics/ conventions; Photographers believed in the intrinsic qualities of the photographic medium, making use of its ability to provide accurate and descriptive records of the visual world. These photographers strove to make pictures that were ‘photographic’ rather than ‘painterly’, they did not want to treat photography as a kind of monochrome painting. They abhorred handwork and soft focus and championed crisp focus with a wide depth of field. Realism, which is closely associated with Straight Photography, has claims of having a special relationship with reality and it’s premise, that the cameras ability to record objectively the actual world as it appears in front of the lens was unquestioned. The key characteristic of this style was to reflect a person/landscape/object with complete honesty and ‘realism., without heavy editing or manipulation.

Influences; Social Reform Photography – he rural poor or the urban environment were not subjects for Pictorial photographers. But when a Danish immigrant, Jacob Riis, published his book ‘How the Other Half Lives’ about the slums of Manhattan, a new kind of realism was born with a socialist dimension. A number of photographers such as Dorothea Lange and Lewis W Hine began to document the effects of industrialisation and urbanisation on working-class Americans. This work influenced what we now call photojournalism.

Artists associated; Walker Evans (1903-1975) was often considered to be the leading American documentary photographer of the 20th century. He rejected pictorialism and wanted to establish a new photographic art based on a detached and disinterested look. His most celebrated work is his images of three Sharecropper families in the American South during the 1930’s depression. Paul Strand, Jacob Riis, Dorothea Lange.

Key works; Frederick Henry Evans; ‘A Sea of Steps’, Wells Cathedral, Steps to Chapter House (1903). Paul Strand; Bowls (1917), Ansel Adams; Monolith, the Face of Half Dome (1927), László Moholy-Nagy; Funkturm Berlin (Berlin Radio Tower, 1929), Manuel Alvarez Bravo; Ladder of Ladders (1931).

Methods/ techniques/ processes; Straight photographers visualized the image before taking the photo. Edward Weston defined this term in 1921 and stated: “Get your lighting and exposure correct at the start and both the developing and printing can be practically automatic.” The aim is to create an image which is not manipulated, either in the taking of the image or by darkroom or digital processes, but sharply depict the scene or subject as the camera sees it.

Straight Photography

Modernism

Time period; 1900-1960’s

Key characteristics/ conventions; Some things that were questioned in modernist photography, art and literature is what is the difference between wrong and right, what will America’s future be, what is truth, and what does it mean to be an American. One of the major changes in the modernist era is a break from tradition which focuses on being bold and experimenting with new style and form and the collapse of old social and behavioural norms. Practitioners of each new style were determined to develop a visual language that was both original and representative of the times.

Influences; Modernists drew inspiration from the philosophical investigations of 19th century writers, in addition to experimental forerunners in their own mediums. An investigation into the key areas of Modernism reveals influences among a variety of 19th and early 20th century thinkers and artists. The American poet Walt Whitman revolutionized the concept of poetic form, and his “Leaves of Grass” served as a foundational text for Modernist poetry. French writer Arthur Rimbaud inspired Modernists with his symbolic poems and unconventional, obscene subject matter.

Artists associated; Alfred Stieglitz, Dora Maar, Edward Steichen, André Kertész, Man Ray, Otto Umbehr (Umbo), Walker Evans, Iwao Yamawaki, Hannes Meyer, Richard Neutra, Paul Strand, Tina Modotti.

Key works; Salvador Dali (Metamorphosis of Narcissus), Raoul Haussmann (The Art Critic), Wall Street (1915), Abstractions (Twin Lakes, Connecticut 1916), Blind (Paul Strand 1916), The Steerage (Alfred Stieglitz), Workers Parade (Tina Modotti 1926).

Methods/ techniques/ processes; Although many different styles are encompassed by the term, there are certain underlying principles that define modernist art: A rejection of history and conservative values (such as realistic depiction of subjects); innovation and experimentation with form (the shapes, colours and lines that make up the work) with a tendency to abstraction; and an emphasis on materials, techniques and processes. Modernism has also been driven by various social and political agendas. These were often utopian, and modernism was in general associated with ideal visions of human life and society and a belief in progress.

Modernism Photography

Post-Modernism

Time period; Began during 1960’s/1970’s

Key characteristics/ conventions; Postmodernism can be seen as a reaction against the ideas and values of modernism, as well as a description of the period that followed modernism’s dominance in cultural theory and practice in the early and middle decades of the twentieth century. The term is associated with scepticism, irony and philosophical critiques of the concepts of universal truths and objective reality. While modernism was based on idealism and reason, postmodernism was born of scepticism and a suspicion of reason. It challenged the notion that there are universal certainties or truths. Postmodern art drew on philosophy of the mid to late twentieth century, and advocated that individual experience and interpretation of our experience was more concrete than abstract principles. While the modernists championed clarity and simplicity; postmodernism embraced complex and often contradictory layers of meaning.

Influences; Jacques Lacan (1901–1981), was a prominent French psychoanalyst and theorist. His ideas had a huge impact on critical theory in the twentieth century and were particularly influential on post-structuralist philosophy and the development of postmodernism. Lacan re-examined the psychiatry of Sigmund Freud, giving it a contemporary intellectual significance. He questioned the conventional boundaries between the rational and irrational by suggesting that the unconscious rather than being primitive, is just as complex and sophisticated in its structure as the conscious. He proposed that the unconscious is structured like a language which allows a discourse between the unconscious and conscious and ensures that the unconscious plays a role in our experience of the world.

Artists associated; William Eggleston, Cindy Sherman, Jeff Wall, Guy Bourdin, Goran Sekulovski, Lee Friedlander, Andreas Gursky, Jacky Redgate, Robyn Stacey, Yasumasa Morimura.

Key works; Untitled Films Stills (Cindy Sherman), Ice (Robyn Stacey 1989), A requiem: spinning a thread between the light and the earth 1946 (Yasumasa Morimura), Campbells Tomato Juice Box (Andy Warhol).

Methods/ techniques/ processes; Its main characteristics include anti-authoritarianism, or refusal to recognize the authority of any single style or definition of what art should be; and the collapsing of the distinction between high culture and mass or popular culture, and between art and everyday life. Postmodern art can be also characterized by a deliberate use of earlier styles and conventions, and an eclectic mixing of different artistic and popular styles and mediums.

Postmodern Photography

Further Information

Difference Between Modernism and Postmodernism

Modernism & Postmodernism

William Eggleston

Independent, Reading

Personal Investigation – Decontructing Photobooks

March 6, 2022 Sophie M Leave a comment

Dragana Jurisic ‘YU; The Lost Country’

1. Research a photo-book and describe the story it is communicating with reference to subject-matter, genre and approach to image-making.

The book I have chosen to look at, in terms of design and composition, is Dragana Jurisic ‘YU; The Lost Country’. The story Jurisic is communicating guides the viewer through a pilgrimage, unfolding before them a myriad of lives and emotions onto the map of where Yugoslavia once lay. Through-out the series of photographs documenting new life and the remnants of past atrocities in the former conglomerate, Jurisic rhythmically inserts with almost Wes Anderson-like technicolour shots of her travel reading, where sprawling diary notes live in the margins telling of the encounters which shook, infuriated and moved her.

2. Who is the photographer? Why did he/she make it? (intentions/ reasons) Who is it for? (audience) How was it received? (any press, reviews, awards, legacy etc.)

The creator of ‘The Lost Country’ is Dragana Jurisic, a photographer from the former Yugoslavia now based in Dublin. She decided to create ‘The Lost Country’ as she knew her homeland would soon be only a memory and she did not want to forget anything about it; she also wanted to preserve this memory for millions of Yugoslavs who would later live in exile. She thought of art as a reliving of experience.

Reviews – “It is a haunted, as well as haunting book; the fallout of the past buried, rather than faced.” (Sean O’Hagan for The Guardian)

The idea of art based on other bits of art in not a new one and a lot of current work seems to relate to pre-existing works by other people. But this is different. The show has an emotional charge that is antithesis of academicism. The exhibition uses the language of contemporary art to achieve something that is rare in a lot of contemporary art: it is emotional, frank, autobiographical and honest. (Andy Parson for Visual Artist Ireland News-sheet, January 2014)

The result of this ambitious journey is the wonderful exhibition YU: The Lost Country, a visual journey into the past and present punctuated by West’s prose and Jurisic’s own words. The attempt to answer the universal question about identity in a very personal way. And since Jurisic herself follows Roland Barthes’ assertion that “photography is more akin to magic than to art”, it is no surprise that many of the photos have an otherworldly feel to them and leaves the viewer wondering about their own memories and identity. (Jensine-Bethna Wall for Irish News Review, September, 2014)

Between the silences which seem to envelope the older generation and the ennui of the young, Jurisic’s YU is the landscape of still and mournful places, in which the weight of the past forces itself upon everything. Rebecca West valiantly fought to believe in the future of Yugoslavia. Dragana Jurisic traces the effects and aftershocks of its disintegration in the subtlety of her colours, her capacity for intimacy and the intelligence and empathy with which she sees what was once Yugoslavia. Jurisic’s YU is still a place which, in West’s words, can induce a ‘bad, headachy dream’. (Colin Graham for SOURCE Photographic Review, July 2013)

Jurisic’s work utilises style and form that resonates truthfully, yet transcends photo-journalism by creating subjective metaphors too profound to be considered objective […] This works brilliantly for Jurisic; her feelings about the disconnection from the land seem justified, merely by being photographed. Some of her works hold such movingly profound metaphors, her genius is in the relationship of what was discovered ‘as it were’ and the artists construction of what lies in front of the camera. (Sandy O’Dune for TRI-HARD, November, 2014)

3. Deconstruct the narrative, concept and design of the book and apply theory above when considering: Book in hand: how does it feel? Smell, sniff the paper. Paper and ink: use of different paper/ textures/ colour or B&W or both. Format, size and orientation: portraiture/ landscape/ square/ A5, A4, A3 / number of pages.

The book is around an A5 size, easy to hold and flick through; the cover feels rough as it is lined with a cotton material, with small ridges creating a disrupted texture. The paper smells stale and feels thin with a slight glossy quality; the edges of each page are coloured with a dark blue paint-like material that creates an overall darkness around the book. All images inside the book are in colour, with a misty theme of blues and whites – disrupted by flashes of colourful street photography dotted about between pages. Most images are formatted in the same square orientation on the right side of a double spread, the other side holds an extract of text which is usually a quote from Jurisic herself, or just showing the location in which the image was captured. This traditional layout makes the book appear clean and pure – possibly hinting towards Jurisic’s message on the opposition between how now her hometown is being neglected and destroyed.

Binding: soft/hard cover. image wrap/dust jacket. perfect binding/saddle stitch/swiss binding/ Japanese stab-binding/ leperello

Jurisic’s book is a hardcover, without any dust jacket, lined with a rough cotton that has a printed image of trees on the front, and a blank dark blue fabric on the back. There is a use of saddle stitch binding, with five stitches up the centre of the book, joining each page together. The hardcover is of a medium thickness and is rounded at the edges due to the fabric lining, the printed image on the front appears ambiguous and sombre – a possible hint to the message inside to come.

Title: literal or poetic / relevant or intriguing.

The title ‘YU: The Lost Country’ is exciting and conveys a sense of adventure/fantasy for the audience as if it were an action video game like ‘The Lost City’, nevertheless its meaning is dark and holds links to themes of war, poverty and ruin. Jurisic has titled her photobook with a relevant phrase, literally telling her audience they are about to see the reminisce of her memories from a country that now no longer exists.

Structure and architecture: how design/ repeating motifs/ or specific features develops a concept or construct a narrative.

Each page in Jurisic’s photobook has quite a cleanly, pristine feel to it, with plain white boarders making a constant feature which surround her sharp-focused images. Additionally, her layering of text intertwining throughout the pages is always positioned on the bottom left hand side of each double spread, creating a theme of systematicity and order. This conveys Jurisic’s narrative of highlighting the devastation brought onto her country from an ever growing world of regulations, showing a continuation of both memories and identity.

Images and text: are they linked? Introduction/ essay/ statement by artists or others. Use of captions (if any.)

Jurisic documents her journey, retracing the steps of Rebecca West’s 1937 novel Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, through what was Yugoslavia, where she was born, but a “country” which no longer exists. The text used throughout the book is a combination of phrases from West’s novel and Jurisic’s own memories, examples of the photobook’s texts; “I have learned now that it might follow, because an empire passed, that a world full of strong men and women and rich food and heady wine might nevertheless seem like a shadow-show.” (Rebecca West). “It was a flat-topped rock, uneven in shape, rising to something like six feet above the ground, and it was red-brown and gleaming, for it was entirely covered with the blood of the beasts that had been sacrificed on it during the night.” (Rebecca West). As West’s novel gets told, Jurisic links her own past to these events, her images reflect and respond to West’s ideas while still staying true to what Jurisic remembers of her own childhood in Yugoslavia.

Further information links;

Dragana Jurisic; on ‘The Lost Country’

The Backstory – ‘YU; The Lost Country’

Vimeo link – Photobook Presentation

Experimentation

Gallery 1:

Gallery 2:

Final Personal Investigation Prints:

Final Prints – Previous Projects:

Book Specification:

‘Evaluation’

Front Cover:

Page Layouts:

Strongest Double Spreads:

My use of Quotes:

IDENTITY & COMMUNITY Newspaper

Evaluation:

Essay Question Ideas:

Essay Structure Plan:

How to format references;

Themes and Ideas to Discuss:

Quotes of Possible Use?

Initial aims for shoot:

Initial Shoot Experiments

Second Shoot Experiments

Juxtaposition Shoot Experiment

Editing

Final Sudek Inspired Images

Final Juxtaposition Images

Comparison to Sudek:

Initial aims for shoot:

Editing:

How I replicated Pictorialism:

Experimentation:

Final Edited Images

Initial aims for shoot:

Editing:

Experimentation:

Final Edited Images:

Pictorialism

Allegorical Paintings

Pictorialism Photography

Straight Photography/ Realism

Straight Photography

Modernism

Modernism Photography

Post-Modernism

Postmodern Photography

Further Information

Dragana Jurisic ‘YU; The Lost Country’

Further information links;

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