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Independent, Task

Landscape Photography – Response

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Photoshoot Plan

What – My plan is to photograph landscapes around Jersey that link to Romanticism- focusing on the coastline, woodlands and areas with dramatic weather changes. My idea is to capture images from contrasting perspectives, for example through trees, to experiment with how this effects the depth of an image.

Where – I aim to capture these photographs in locations such as Greve De Lecq beach, Noirmont woods, Queens Valley Reservoir and the coastline at Corbiere. I believe these settings will hold romanticized areas that will show the beauty of nature, for example cashing waves, dense forests etc.

When – I plan on conducting these photoshoots over the span of a few days to take advantage of the different weather forecasts. I aim on capturing clouded skies, sunsets, clear skies and dusk to explore how the range of the time of day images are taken effect their quality and the atmosphere they create.

How – To take full advantage of the differing lighting in my images, I plan on experimenting with the ISO on my camera as well as changing the white balance to suit the area I’m photographing. I will also change the image’s perspective by getting lower to the ground for some shots, and then higher looking over the landscape for others.

Why – I am conducting this romanticized rural landscape photoshoot to explore the secluded, natural environment of Jersey, capturing images relating to photographers such as Ansel Adams. I want to create drama and atmosphere in my images which I hope to do through the use of vivid contrasts and wide depths of field.

Contact Sheets

4 selected contact sheets – not all images included

Edited Images

During my editing process, after my first selection of favourite images, I experimented with adding a black and white filter. I did this in order to reflect the work of Ansel Adams, emphasising the dramatic dark and light tones I have captured. I really enjoy how these images look when black and white as I believe that the unsaturated filter adds a mysterious, impactful atmosphere to the images, demonstrating the natural world as a climactic experience for society to view. Additionally, making these images black and white has exaggerated the impression and emotions that these locations have surfaced- similar to the way Adams expressed his feelings on the surroundings of Yosemite National Park.

Final Image

I chose this image, taken at Queen’s Valley Reservoir, due to its wide range of tones, textures and interesting composition. The first element of my image that I really enjoy is the perspective it’s taken at, looking along the reservoir. I believe this composition forms a thick leading line from the foreground to the background of the image, guiding the observers eyeline through the landscape as it disappears into the distance. The wide depth of field that I have captured by experimenting with aperture settings exaggerates the vast scale of the landscape, creating a gripping atmosphere. Furthermore, my composition uses the rule of thirds as the foreground shows the glistening water surface, the middle of the image shows the span of dense trees and in the final third we see the bright sky. This composition technique reflects the landscape photography of Ansel Adams, emphasising the beautiful elements of the natural world in different stages- water, earth and air. Additionally, I really love the way the natural sunlight creates dramatic highlights over the water and shadows across the trees. This contrast in tones shows evidence of Ansel Adams’ Zone System, demonstrating zone 1/2 for the reflection of the trees on the water’s edge (as it is clearly the darkest point of the image however minimal texture can still be seen), and zone 8/9 on the water’s surface. This lighting/range of highlights and shadows creates a rippled texture across the reservoir which contrasts with the spiked texture of the tree tops. I used Adams’ Visualisation technique to imagine how this difference in texture would compliment each other, showing the fascinating patterns nature can make.

Ansel Adams Comparison

  • My Image
  • Adams’ Image

I have chosen to compare this image of mine to Ansel Adams’s “Monolith, the Face of Half Dome, Yosemite National Park,” 1927 due to their similarities in composition, subject and also their differences in texture and depth. I captured this specific image at La Corbiere Beach as it is a special place on the island for me and my family, full of nostalgia and childhood memories. It is clear Yosemite National Park was a special place to Adams as it was the main location for most of his landscape photography. Both images share similarities in composition, but both have independent aspects that make the images unique and contrasting, despite both being of rock-like structures. In my original image I captured the structure from a lower perspective in order to make it appear a lot taller than it was, which is a common technique Adams used in his work. Additionally, there is a similarity in the texture of the rock formations with both holding leading lines that fall down the edge of the cliff face. These irregular lines in Adams’ image, while they don’t reflect physical movement, emphasize the vast height of the mountain and create an effect as if the structure is growing taller and taller. In comparison, my image holds a rougher more jagged texture, as the leading lines have more jolted edges and sides- showing how the power of nature can manipulate the shapes and atmospheres of our surroundings.

Furthermore, there is a contrast within the colour and texture of each image’s sky which create differing moods. In the background of Adams’ photograph, he has captured a dark area of negative space making the sky seem as if it is an empty void, with little to no texture. Whereas in my image, I have captured the soft fluffy texture of clouds that disappear into the background creating a wider depth of field, as well as a brighter tone showing the main highlights in the image compared to Adams’ sky as his darkest part. However, I have taken inspiration from Adams’ Zone System in order to help me visualise the dramatic contrast in dark and light tones that I wanted to capture. For example, I have photographed zone 8/9 in my skyline which stands out behind zone 2/3 seen in the tones of the rocks. To create this effect while conducting my photoshoot I experimented with the ISO and shutter speed settings on my camera, this really helped me when editing my images in photoshop as I already captured quite dramatic differences in tone. Similarly, in Adams’ image we can see zone 0/1 in the dark abyss of the sky which contrasts greatly with zone 9/10 seen in the luminous white snow. These aspects of both images mirror the excitement and awe felt in each location, demonstrating how the beauty of nature comes in several forms, though similar; entirely different.

Independent, Task

Landscape Photography – Romanticism

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What is Romanticism?

Romanticism was a movement that ’emphasized the individual, the subjective, the irrational, the imaginative, the personal, the spontaneous, the emotional, the visionary, and the transcendental’. Romantic works were a reaction to the Age of Enlightenment and the advancing Industrial Age, a time in which science and rationalization began to take firmer hold in the public consciousness. It was an international movement that swept Western Europe and Russia at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries. It expanded to North America in the beginning of the 1830’s. Romantic literature challenged this new wave of ideas by glorifying stories rooted in emotion, nature, idealism, and the subjective experiences of common men and women. “Romanticism is precisely situated neither in choice of subject nor in exact truth, but in a way of feeling.” – Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867). Romantic artists were apt to make statements about anything (or nothing), dependent on how an individual artist felt about any given topic on any given day. Francisco de Goya’s work explored madness and oppression, while Caspar David Friedrich found endless inspiration in moonlight and fog. In the movement’s early years, these artists predominantly focused on landscape paintings, the will of the Romantic artist had the final say on the subject matter.

Romanticism in Art

  • Francisco de Goya
  • John Constable
  • Théodore Chassériau
  • Caspar David Friedrich
  • Horace Vernet
  • Thomas Cole

When looking at Romanticism in photography it is clear that artists are aiming to capture the dramatic emotions and atmosphere they feel when taking in their surroundings. For example, photographers such as Ansel Adams, Edward Weston and Fay Godwin capture awe inspiring images of tall mountains and winding paths to entrance the viewer into their romanticised setting. I aim to take influence from these photographer’s images and conduct a series of romanticised landscape photoshoots in specific areas around Jersey.

Romantic Landscape Mind Map

Independent, Task

Landscape Photography – Ansel Adams Study

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Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams (1902-1984) was an American photographer who captured dramatic black and white landscape images as a committed environmentalist. His love of nature, which led to him capturing some of the most influential landscape images in history, was sparked by his native area in California, Adams grew up in a house amid the dunes of the Golden Gate before the famous bridge linking the two headlands was built. The area around San Francisco was still wild then, and he would go on long hikes which helped him escape troubling aspects of his childhood, such as his unhappy schooling and his parents’ financial worries. Adams had so much appreciation for the natural world that he decided he wanted to capture it’s intense atmosphere through photography, it was important to him to show the drama and emotion he felt while exploring these beautiful areas.

The primary technique Adams used to photograph his greatest works was visualisation, the impact this concept had really changed the way photographers captured scenes and decided on their final images. The visualisation process included seeing the photograph’s final product in your mind, deciding the lighting, framing, tones, focus and all other aspects before actually taking the photo. Adams, when describing visualisation, said ‘We must explore what lies before our eyes for its significance, substance, shape, texture, and the relationship of tonal values. We must teach our eyes to become more perceptive.’ By using this technique, Adams has captured some of the greatest landscape images in history, clearly portraying a depth of emotions and connotations behind each photograph. An example where Adams used visualisation as his breakthrough was in 1927, when he wanted to capture the ‘majesty’ of the Half Dome rock formation at Yosemite National Park, but only had one plate left. Visualisation was used when Adams started picturing the image he wanted, ‘a brooding form, with deep shadows and a distant sharp white peak against a dark sky’, however he realised that a yellow filter would not capture the drama of the image as he saw it. Instead, he used a red filter with a long exposure to photograph the image he had imagined in his mind, he said he had achieved ‘my first conscious visualisation’, which allowed him to capture ‘not the way the subject appeared in reality but how it felt to me’.  Furthermore, Ansel Adams (along with Fred Archer) formed ‘The Zone System’ where they were able to perfectly control the contrast in their black and white photos, Adams’ base rule was: “Expose for the shadows; develop for the highlights.” The Zone System consists of 0-10 tonal shades (0 being pure black, 10 being pure white) which Adams used to determine the final development of his images. This technique has allowed photographers to have control over the darkest and lightest points of their image, manipulating the meaning and effect portrayed through highlights and shadow.

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Ansel Adams’ Photography

Image Analysis

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Ansel Adams | Yosemite Valley | Yosemite National Park | 1934

In this photograph Ansel Adams has captured the dramatic atmosphere of Yosemite National Park, with several dynamic features that really show the beauty of nature. The first element that really stands out is his use of the rule of thirds in the composition of this image. In the foreground we can see a dense forest forming 1/3 of the photograph, the middle of the image shows the colossal mountains and the last 3rd of the image depicts the clouded sky. Each section of the photograph holds a different tone, gradually getting lighter as the viewer’s eyeline moves up the photo. Adams has created an easily noticeable sequence through this technique, allowing the observer’s focus to travel through each section, appreciating every small detail of the beautiful nature Adams wanted to capture. Moreover, Adams has used his signature technique of ‘The Zone System’ to further the dramatic contrasts and establish a relationship between the darkest and lightest points of his image. For example, Adam’s has captured zone 0, the deepest tone, around the edges of his photograph which creates a vignette effect as the dark shadows gradient into the middle of the image. Additionally, we can see Adams has captured one of the brighter zones such as 9 or 10 in the centre of the image, highlighting the expanse of mountains going into the distance. This not only shows a wide depth of field, but also the use of this bright white tone connotes themes of biblical imagery, as if a God-like figure waits at the end of the mountains shining a white light to guide the way. It is clear that Adams used a higher f- number to capture this depth as the aperture would need to be larger in order for him to photograph every minuscule detail of the environment around him.

Furthermore, Adams has captured leading lines throughout this image, which act as outlines separating the jagged mountains from the sky. For example, in the mid-left of the photo the observer’s attention is brought to the dark, curved outline of the forest covered mountain which contrasts greatly with the brighter mountain wall behind it. Also, the range of shadows and highlights captured in each mountain’s peak really emphasises the emotion and astonishment Adams felt while taking in this natural environment, it exaggerates his feelings towards the beauty of nature. Another clear feature of this image that shows this dramatic contrast is Adams’ use of directing sunlight to highlight specific areas of his photo. In the mid-right of the image Adams has positioned his camera in a way to capture the bright natural light reflecting off of a waterfall- clearly creating a contrast between the dark shadows of the forest and the glowing water. In addition, there is a wide variety of textures created in this image that further Adams’ theme of the importance and elegance of the natural world. The harsh pointed lines of the mountain peaks form an irregular and spikey texture however the thick scope of trees below provides a more bristly feathered texture, as they all lie closely to each other forming a sort of blanket. This contrast and range in textures creates a powerful atmosphere as they exaggerate the breath-taking feeling, and contrasting emotions, Adams felt while admiring this surrounding.

Independent, Task

Landscape Photography – Introduction

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What is landscape photography?

Landscape photography is the study of the great outdoors, capturing images showing the essence of nature and the world around us. Usually, landscape photography will focus on the natural environment, however many photographers also capture industrial and man-made environments- showing the contrast between the artificial and nature. Great landscape photography really immerses the viewer into the image, allowing them to feel involved in the scene they are observing and transporting them to the location at hand.

Rural landscape photography focuses on capturing images showing the stories and life in nature and the environment around us, usually one not familiar to many people, possibly secluded or desolate. These images will use different perspectives, lighting and locations to capture areas of a landscape in a less obvious way than usual.

Rural Landscape Photography Moodboard

Independent, Task

Photo-Montage Portraits

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What is photo-montage?

Photo-montage is a photographic/art technique where two or more images are overlapped and rearranged together to create a brand new image. In 1916, John Heartfield and George Grosz experimented with pasting pictures together to promote anti-Nazi and anti-fascist statements, this resulted in the photo-montage art technique. Photo-montage is often used as a means of expressing political dissent, it was initially used in 1915 by Dadaists in their protests against the First World War.  The term “photo-montage” became widely known at the end of World War 1, around 1918 or 1919, and was used between a wide variety of art forms. For example, the Surrealists adopted the photo-montage technique due to it’s ability to bring together various different images to create an abstract representation of the workings of the unconscious mind. Recently, photo-montage has been used in psychedelic art by contemporary artists and photographers to reflect political messages, about topics such as climate change, in a visual way that is easy to understand yet also very impactful.

Photo-Montage Mood Board

Hannah Höch

Hannah Höch (1889-1978) was a German Dada artist known for her incisively political collages and photo-montages, a form she helped pioneer. Hannah Höch appropriated and recombined images and text from mass media to critique popular culture, the failings of the Weimar Republic, and the socially constructed roles of women. In 1917, Höch became associated with the Berlin Dada Group, which was a group of primarily male artists who critiqued and mocked German society and culture post World War 1. Her photo-montages received critical acclaim even with her male peers patronizing views, which still restricted women from having any real professional status from being depicted as ‘amateurs’.

Höch created her brilliant photo-montages by cutting out images from popular magazines and illustrated journals and layering them together to form impactful political pieces. The main themes Höch explored in her work were based around gender and identity, she humorously criticized Weimar Germany’s concept of the ‘New Woman’ who was allegedly man’s equal. Much of her work included feminist symbols and rebellious ideas that went against societies norms, she was extremely influential throughout her life and her work still impacts the world/societies views today.

Image Analysis

Hannah Höch | Indian Dancer | From an Ethnographic Museum | 1930

This photo-montage created by Hannah Höch is an extremely strong example of her political, revolutionary ideas about societies views on women. Her collaged model is the actress Renée Falconetti, appearing in a publicity still for Carl Theodor Dreyer’s 1928 film The Passion of Joan of Arc. Firstly, by Höch using such a famous face as the subject of her piece, it symbolizes that the patriarchal society she lived in shunned women of all professions and classes, even famous actresses. The composition of this piece shows half of Falconetti’s face is replaced with the ear, eye, and mouth of a wooden dance mask from Cameroon. I believe this choice of layering pieces of a mask over the subject’s face symbolizes how most ideas and suggestions from women were masked over and covered up for men to take the credit in Höch’s society. It signifies the expectations and assumptions that men had about women, to be hidden away and silenced for their controversial ideas. I really like the way Höch mocks this in her piece as she presents the masking of women as physical, not mental. Above her head rests a crown of cutlery; cut-out shapes of spoons and knives, set against glinting metallic foil. This choice clearly represents the status of women in contemporary German society, painting the model as a goddess of domestic finery by using such mundane kitchen utensils ridicules the common trivial phrase ‘a woman’s place is the kitchen’.

Technically the photo-montage holds little notable photographic techniques, however Höch’s choice of subject image has clear harsh lighting due to the bold shadow formed under her chin. The main highlights fall across the cut-out shapes of cutlery above her head which create a considerable tonal range and contrast between light and dark. This gives the impression that ideas closer to a woman’s heart were shadowed and hidden away from society, whereas the views placed in their head- about women’s role in civilization being only to provide for their husband’s- were publicized and highlighted. Furthermore, the repetition of the cutlery shapes connotes the idea that these concepts on women have been around for generations, Höch clearly believed they would continue if people didn’t start making a change to the way society ignored and disrespected women. Additionally, the plain blue-grey background, along with the overall dull colour palette of this piece, provides a clear link to Höch’s perspective on the community’s minds being blank towards the discrimination of women and their identities.

Photoshoot Plan

Who – I plan on photographing my friends Caitlin, Mai and Lauren for this photo-montage shoot due to their confidence in front of the camera. Additionally, all three girls have different looks and styles which will help portray my ideas about the triviality of society’s beauty standards.

What – I will capture images of my models in front of a black backdrop, looking straight at the camera lens with quite a blank facial expression. I then plan on gathering some images of celebrities and models from fashion magazines and cutting out certain facial features to layer over my primary images.

Where – I will conduct this photoshoot in the school’s art dry room, due to the photography studio being currently used as a drama classroom and therefore out of use.

How – I will take these images using the 1 point lighting technique with a standing LED soft box light to create a clear focal point on my subject’s face as well as a very dark black background to help it stand out, I also plan on capturing these images as mid-shots/head-shots.

Why – My aim in producing this photoshoot is to portray the effects modern media has on women’s perception of their faces and bodies, I wish to show how media’s constant flaunting of artificial women can have an effect on what society believes is the beauty standard they should conform to.

Contact Sheets

Selected Images

Photo-Montages

I created these photo-montages to highlight the effect modern media, such as magazines, has on women’s perception of themselves. I wanted to create the impression that the media’s constant portrayal of superficial women has influenced society’s expectations of ‘the perfect woman’, similar to the work of Hannah Hoch. I cut out features such as model’s eyes to layer over my portraits, connoting the common concept that girls with brown eyes want blue eyes and girls with blue eyes want brown etc; showing that nobody ever thinks they’re perfect, even when somebody else does. However, I decided I wanted to emphasise my subject’s lips also, so I cut out magazine model’s lips that were considerably bigger than my model’s to create this exaggerated effect. I believe this demonstrates the unrealistic expectations that all women must have big pouty lips to be beautiful, as modern media suggests with their excessive flaunting of them. Furthermore, as well as cutting out facial features from these popular magazines, I also found words and phrases that showed what women are compared to what their perceived to be. For example, in my first photo-montage I cut out the phrase ‘she performed’ to imply that women sometimes have to put up a façade in order to be heard or get their point across. Nevertheless, I paired this phrase with the words ‘loud mouth’ as it suggests women will get criticized for trying to voice their opinion in a society that is not open to their new ideas, linking to Hoch’s work on a woman’s place in society. Additionally, I cut out phrases such as ‘glowing skin’, ‘beauty’ and different well-known brands to show the things that the media believes women want, the things that this modern society thrive off of. Lastly, I chose to stick several model’s eyes around my subject’s head in order to demonstrate the idea that because of the world’s constant changing trends and styles, women may believe that society is always watching them and that the eyes of the people around them are consistently picking out their flaws and imperfections, clearly showing how modern media can influence are thoughts about ourselves.

Controlled Conditions

Identity and Place – Self-Reflection

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After completing this project, my first thoughts overall are positive due to my thorough artist research, display of photography techniques and development of ideas. While working on this project, I discovered the relevance of saving family memories and the importance of communication during photoshoots. At several points at the time of my shoots, I found it difficult to get across my ideas to my grandparents which resulted in the beginning of these photoshoots producing images with little use. To overcome this, I showed my grandparents examples of the photographer’s work I was inspired by so they had an idea of what I was attempting to capture. One of the most important things I learnt personally was the impact of family in my life and the effect photography has to portray individual messages. I would say the biggest obstacle I overcame was definitely my overthinking at the start of this project. It was important for me to make a decision on my theme and initial ideas early on in the process so that I had a clear plan to stick to throughout. I am very pleased that I made this early decision as it definitely benefitted my time management and allowed me to research photographers promptly. I would say my greatest strength in this project was my ability to form storylines with groups of images, I believe I successfully connoted feelings of warmth and family love with my different sequences. In the future I hope to, again, stick to a set plan and idea from the start of the project and to have confidence in my initial ideas.

Controlled Conditions

Identity and Place – Final Images

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Final Images

‘Identify With What, Who and Where You Love’

I have chosen these final images due to their strong link to family identity and their reflection of my grandparents love. Additionally, I decided to subtitle this project ‘Identify With What, Who and Where You Love’ as I believe it completely encompasses my project’s aim to highlight the importance of how family relationships, childhood memories and nostalgic surroundings all have an immense impact on somebody’s identity over time.

Firstly, I chose three image sequences from my Julian Germain inspired photoshoot which feature my grandparents doing the activities they value the most. My effective use of vibrancy and colour illustrates the joy and contentment they receive from even the smallest things, such as fixing a flower arrangement or cooking up a family dinner. Furthermore, I believe my composition of these sequences powerfully alludes to the cyclical theme of love and how a certain thing one does, such as gardening, can hold so many positive memories that when its repeated over and over again it reminds us of the moments that shaped our life. I plan on positioning these three sequences in the order seen above, as each lead on from the other reflecting the changing time of day in a repetitive pattern. As my photographs document afternoon into evening, my arrangement of images grow warmer as they go on. This orange glow that surrounds each photo paints a welcoming safe atmosphere around my grandparents home, giving the impression they feel comfortable and at ease.

My final two chosen arrangements are from my David Hilliard inspired photoshoot, using multi-panel compositions to reflect specific moments of my family’s past. I selected these two arrangements due to their link to special areas of my grandparents home which remind me of my childhood as well as reminding them of theirs. The first piece shows my grandmother cooking in the kitchen, depicting her passion for providing for her loved ones. I love the way my David Hilliard inspired editing emphasises the contrast between the dark blue sky to the bright orange wall. This reflects the idea that even if its cold and dark outside, warmth and love will radiate through the home that holds my family’s memories. The second arrangement highlights the importance of place influencing identity over time- as these chairs have been around in my family for decades they echo remembrance to the moments that have shaped our lives.

Julian Germain Comparison

Julian Germain | For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness
My Original Images | Identify with what, who and where you love

I have decided to compare these three images by Julian Germain to one of my favourite sequences as they hold many similarities as well as some differences. Firstly, the most obvious similarity is that both arrangements show someone either cooking, eating or drinking- reflecting the trivial aspects of everyday life. Additionally, the compositions of each image are related in the way that the first of each set shows a still life image, the second displays someone cooking and the third presents these subjects as the main focal point. Germain’s project ‘for every minute you are angry you lose 60 seconds of happiness’ has a very naturalistic candid nature, his images resonate with the observer in a way of reminding them about appreciating the small things in life. I have mirrored this idea in my images by presenting my grandparents in their home environment, conducting activities they feel talented at and proud of. This strongly links to Germain’s ideas on presenting people without self-importance and showing how what someone may see as tedious or mundane, others may pride their whole identity on. Furthermore, our pieces link in terms of repetition and theme of colour- although Germain uses a motif teal colour in his images and I have used the repetition of orange, we can still see the similarity in how colour can represent meaning. For example, the blues seen in Germain’s images create a calm serene atmosphere, reflecting his subjects contentment in life. However, the bright sunset orange tones in my sequence evoke a warm feeling from the observer and successfully radiates the hospitable atmosphere inside my grandparents home.

David Hilliard Comparison

One clear similarity between David Hilliard’s image and mine is their focus on place, an area that has obvious meaning and past. Both images show old chairs with stories behind them, connoting the idea that your identity may be influenced by the rooms in your home holding special memories from childhood, or even present normalities you anticipate seeing everyday. Hilliard’s image implies his relationship with his father is breaking down, made clear by his use of composition separating where he would sit from the rest of the room; perhaps symbolising his fathers disconnection to their life. However, as my project focuses on the positive aspects of family relationships, my image displays two chairs close together, symbolising my grandparents closeness and love for each other. Furthermore, Hilliard has captured an image with more cold colours and a central theme of emptiness, whereas I have photographed a busier image with hot colours revolving around the topic of intimacy and affection. This contrast effectively shows the difference between families identities and how they maintain or dispute relationships with each other. Moreover, there is a similarity within the lines of each image, Hilliard has captured the thin straight lines of his window which could epitomise the little family he has left. Nevertheless, I have photographed the repeated thick lines from the blinds, indicating towards my large family and strong relationships we have with one another. Although mine and David Hilliard’s work have differences, both still emphasise the theme of identity while embodying the contrast between a positive family relationship, and an negative one.

Review and Reflection

My aims and intentions for this ‘Identity and Place’ project were to reflect the importance of family relationships, love and upbringing having an effect on somebody’s identity. I wanted to capture images depicting how my grandparent’s home is a place of safety and nostalgia, holding memories of family for generations. Additionally, I wanted to explore how certain lighting choices, settings and motivations impacted the atmosphere and message of an image, I found it important to display the joyful mood of their home to mirror the positive relationship I have with my family. I believe my final outcomes successfully present identity as a concept influenced by those we love and care for. My use of candid portrait photography effectively shows the naturalism of my grandparents happiness and expresses the idea that contentment can come from the smallest of things. During my photoshoots inspired by photographers such as Julian Germain and David Hilliard, I produced images with confidence, showing the significance of our surroundings shaping our lives. I love how my images use a diverse range of camera angles, colours and perspective to solidify the idea of identity linking with family and the nostalgic memories surrounding my grandparent’s home. If I were to further develop this project, or in future projects similar to this, I would like to study painters and graphic designers as well as just photographers to explore a wider range of photographic techniques.

Controlled Conditions

Identity and Place – Editing and Experimentation

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Julian Germain Inspired Photoshoot

During my editing process of these 3 sequences I decided to keep it quite minimalistic, only heightening or lowering the saturation and brightness so that each group fit together better. Similar to the work of Julian Germain, I wanted to focus on creating a warm, happy environment within each group of images. When editing, I found it important to keep saturation of bright colours high, in order to reflect the joyful energy that overwhelms you when entering my grandparents home. I really enjoy how each sequence has a strong contrast between highlight and shadow, I think this range of tones creates quite an impactful image that quickly catches the observer’s eye while also helping them to understand the influence family has on identity- as if the light overweighs the shadow and makes it clear how important family relationships are.

Experimenting With Multi Exposure

I decided to experiment with creating two multi-exposure images to see whether telling the story was as easy with each image overlapping each other, to them being next to each other. I produced these two images on Photoshop by copying each layer and then pasting them over one another, lessening the opacity each time. I really like how multi-exposure images look and how they can tell a story through repetition- the work of visual artists such as Man Ray are very inspirational to me when creating these types of pieces. I believe that someone’s identity can be very much influenced not only by their surroundings, but what they choose to do in them. When creating these experiments it was clear to me that my grandparents identify immensely with the hobbies they do, I think these multi-exposure pieces really emphasise the importance of these activities to them and show the overwhelming joy the receive from doing what they love. Additionally, the images overlapping each other symbolises the many layers of meaning these scenes hold, like they are echoes of the past that my grandparents remember each time they start the cycle of activities again. Furthermore, I really like how in the second image the focus is on the cookery books yet the other 2 images are layered on top of them. I decided to make this editing choice because of my grandmother’s freedom in the kitchen- she owns so many recipe books yet never ends up sticking to the recipes inside them. This multi-exposure technique symbolises the overcoming love my grandmother has for cooking and how she would prefer to make up her own exciting meals rather than following what someone else tells her to do in a book. These two images hold many interesting ideas and connotations, however I believe the multi-exposure editing actually makes it quite difficult to really see what each images is, and the quality of the images themselves. I think when evaluating my ideas for my final pieces, these images wouldn’t flow as nicely when telling my grandparents story as the prior sequences would.

David Hilliard Inspired Photoshoot

When editing these three images from my David Hilliard inspired photoshoot I decided to, again do minimal editing, but also experiment with how vibrancy and colour can effect the mood or atmosphere of an image. These three images hold many vibrant colours, with the repetition of orange in the kitchen walls providing the clear dominant colour throughout. To keep this vibrancy, I slightly heightened the saturation of each image to really emphasise the bright atmosphere inside my grandparents home- which has impacted my family’s identity for the better through times of sorrow and loss. In addition, I wanted to make sure each element of this special room, such as mugs and kitchen utensils in the background, were easily recognisable. This was because my grandparents are not the biggest fans of change, nearly everything in their kitchen has been their since I was a toddler; the memories they all hold of us baking together when I was little are very special to me. In order to keep these things noticeable, I used the ‘sharpen’ tool on Photoshop for better clarity in each photograph.

Experimenting With Black and White

I chose to edit these specific three arrangements in black and white to experiment further with how colour can effect the atmosphere of an image- however in these images I believe the lack of colour actually influences the message and meaning of the photos. The unsaturated filter mirrors the photographs that were taken when my grandparents were children themselves, the black and white image is nostalgic to them and holds many happy memories. In fact, many of the images on the walls of my grandparents home were taken before colour cameras, so this editing links strongly to their childhood and their home itself. I love how the black and white filter emphasises the strong dark and light tones in these photos, it allows the observer to see a range of shadows that fall across each image. Furthermore, this editing clearly shows that the top two images have quite unbalanced tones, leaning more towards the shadow than highlight, whereas the bottom sequence is balanced between light and dark. Moreover, I chose these particular three images because of their link to my family’s identity, they hold many fond memories from past gatherings and childhood. The image exhibiting my grandparent’s chairs is very special to me, the area is a place in their home they will nearly always be and I love how the black and white editing allows the image to link with their past. Additionally, I chose to edit the bottom image due to its sentimentality towards my whole family’s life, with pictures on each wall depicting former achievements and the room’s joyful memories of family BBQs where we would set out drinks tables along with mountains of food. I think this unsaturated editing has added lots of links to the past to these images, however it has also taken away the warm happy atmosphere- it is possible the black and white filter has added a more gloomy mood to the photos so when choosing final images I will need to consider which option is best.

Controlled Conditions

Identity and Place – David Hilliard Shoot

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Why David Hilliard?

David Hilliard’s work ‘The Tale is True’ holds several elements of my project’s message, showing the importance of family shaping our identities and how a certain place can impact a family’s entire perception of themselves. I love how Hilliard sets his images out in multi panel arrangements to tell a story as the observer’s gaze drifts over each photograph- I hope to mirror this technique when capturing and editing the images from this shoot. Furthermore, I am very inspired by Hilliard’s work as it tells a personal story between him and his father, something which I can reflect when photographing the personal link between me and my grandparents. Additionally, I want to mirror the way Hilliard takes many candid images because of their naturalistic atmosphere and inclusive nature. I think his use of staging images to look un-staged creates a very movie-like look in his photos, it is as if we are looking in on these people’s lives and they don’t even know we are there. Also, I aim to take inspiration from Hilliard’s intimate settings he captures his images in, I believe the use of place reflecting a person’s life/mood produces very personal link to identity.

Photoshoot Plan

Who – As they are the main focus of my identity project, I plan on photographing my grandparents in response to David Hilliard’s work. As I captured images of them in my last shoot, I believe my grandparents will be able to keep a candid nature while I photograph them.

What – My aim is to capture images of my grandparents on a normal weekend, doing the things they love to do in their safe home environment. I hope to photograph them reading and cooking while also taking photos of places in their home that are special to them.

Where – I will be conducting this photoshoot at my grandparents home in St Brelade due to its personal link to my family and our identity. I aim to capture images in different rooms around their home that have special memories linked with them.

When – I will conduct this photoshoot on Saturday 23rd January as the predicted sun will make it easier to light my images with natural sunlight coming in through the windows. I will also stay until evening to make use of the orange tinted lights around their home which will create a warmer atmosphere.

How – Similar to my last shoot, I aim to take photographs using natural lighting provided by sunlight and lamps around the house to produce images with a candid naturalistic nature. I will ask my grandparents to go about their day as if I was not taking photos of them to further this effect. Additionally, to capture multi-panel images like Hilliard, I will photograph rooms from 2 or 3 different perspectives so that I can edit them next to each other, creating a sequence.

Why – My aim in producing this photoshoot is to reflect the work of David Hilliard, creating multi-panel arrangements that tell stories about my family’s past and how they identify today. I want to show the importance of place and how someone’s home can hold so many memories.

Contact Sheets

Selected Images

I am extremely happy with how the images from this shoot turned out, I believe they successfully mirror the work of David Hilliard while also mirroring my personal photography experimentation. Firstly, I love how each sequence tells a different story, for example the multi-panel arrangements of my grandmother in the kitchen reflects her identity as an amateur cook, constantly providing meals for her family and doing what she loves. Due to the bright orange walls and colourful nature of my grandparents kitchen, the vibrancy of these photos is very high; representing the joy my grandmother gets from making up her own recipes and experimenting in the kitchen daily. The orange hue suggests the room holds a warm environment, reflecting the love that goes into everything they do. Additionally, the three arrangements depicting my grandfather on his iPad tells the story of family connecting all over the world. My grandparents spend lots of time on Facebook, checking up on and seeing what family and friends who may live far away are doing. I like how in these images the light from the screen reflects onto my grandfather’s face, connoting the idea that speaking with his loved ones holds such a prominent place inside him that when he does it he lights up a room. The multi-panel format I have used to arrange these images also suggests the people he is talking to are far away- physically in another country, but also mentally from losing connections with the people from his past. Furthermore, I have selected 2 sequences that present certain rooms in my grandparent’s home which hold personal memories. The first shows their downstairs spare room, a place that holds several photos of their younger selves, my family’s past memories and images of Jersey they remember from their childhood. The second ‘place’ based image shows my grandparents chairs, the place they can be found the most, usually reading the newspaper or calling family to say hello. These two areas of their home are very special to them and to me, the memories they hold have shaped our identities, the childhood nostalgia still influences us now. From a technical perspective, I really enjoy the use of lines in these images from the first’s green wardrobe and the second’s folded curtains. The lines represent an everlasting chain of family love, repeated throughout the home like the generations that grew up there.

Controlled Conditions

Identity and Place – David Hilliard Case Study

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David Hilliard

David Hilliard is an American fine arts photographer who studied at the Yale School Of Art in 1994. Hilliard’s work is heavily inspired by the people around him and his personal life, his images document the simple aspects of life and the normality seen everyday inside someone’s home. This successfully links to my interpretation of this identity project as I also plan on photographing my grandparents during their generic day, showing how even the smallest things can make you happy and form who you are. Nevertheless, many of Hilliard’s photographs are staged to seem naturalistic, evoking a performative quality and a middle ground between fact and fiction. His work consists of panoramic style images which he forms out of various single photos, Hilliard explains here http://davidhilliard.com/info_pages/about.html how his images allow him to guide the observer’s focus through each photo, I really love the storytelling created in his work.

From the images above, it is clear Hilliard focuses on capturing very personal photographs that guide the observer through a private moment in his/someone else’s life. He not only photographs scenes dedicated to a specific subject, but also captures areas around their homes in rooms that may hold a special memory, or have a certain link to their lives. In Hilliard’s project ‘The Tale is True’, a series of images unfolding the story of father and son struggling to maintain their relationship, Hilliard wrote ‘it’s my intention that the photographs serve as a testament to perseverance; within even the bleakest of histories there exists threads of enduring hope, reminding us that even in the face of great adversity, we adapt and endure.’ I love the message behind Hilliard’s images and hope to take inspiration when furthering my identity project.

Image Analysis

David Hilliard | The Tale Is True | Smoke | 2012

David Hilliard’s project ‘The Tale Is True’ deconstructs issues surrounding familial relationships and the struggle to secure a sense of self and place in a chaotic world. Over 20 years, Hilliard documented images of him and his father, exploring their relationship and the process of aging. Most images in this series were taken at their Cape Cod family home, a place of legacy and tradition, serving as a symbol of identity and history. I love the use of perspective and distance in this image’s composition, alike Hilliard’s iconic work, the use of this panoramic style editing creates a fluidity and link between the images, when put together tells a personal story. In the left image, Hilliard has captured a self portrait sat at his dining room table and in the right he has photographed an empty chair at the end of this table. The distance between himself and this empty chair could symbolise his relationship with his father has deteriorated, possibly showing how he feels more alone as his father ages. Additionally, I really like the use of shadows in this image, especially the one that falls on the wall behind the chair. The shadow clearly shows that the image was taken during daylight, I love how Hilliard uses natural lighting from inside and outside his home to light his images. However, I think this shadow also tells the story of Hilliard’s father’s life- perhaps this was his chair, maybe it still is but as he has aged he may not be comfortable on it anymore? This shadow creates repetition of shape in the image, symbolising echoes of the past, present and future all being the same; it gives the impression that his father’s days may be or seem repetitive as he gets older. Furthermore, Hilliard’s capturing of lines in this image, for example the lines created by the torn plaster on the right wall, connote the idea that him and his father may be trying desperately to get things back to how they used to be. The tearing wall creates jagged lines which may represent his father’s health and the conflict in patterns with the table cloth and carpet may show Hilliard’s overwhelmed mind at a time when his family relationships may be crumbling.