Identity can be defined as an individuals disposition or personality, or possessing a similarity or oneness with someone or something. A person’s identity can be influenced by a number of things, such as ‘place’, the environment that you live in, your upbringing or a sense of belonging. This means that the people or things you surround yourself with have large impacts on your life, and shape you into the person you presently are.
Plan- As I’m looking at the theme of lack of identity I wanted my first photo shoot to be simple head shots and photographs with a lot of editing. I want to cut out the face of the model and blur it out to introduce ‘lack of identity’ through that way. I’m going to photograph my friend in the studio with very light and bright lighting in the studio.
contact sheet–
I picked out my best photos and wanted to edit them on Photoshop by turning them mostly black and white inspired by the artist I chose to study. I also overlayed my images with different watercolour backgrounds to disguise the face and I cut out each image and layered them on top of each other. I later edited the final edits and digitally drew a line over the eyes as it’s the way I wanted to present lack of identity which is the theme I chose.
different editing to help select my final image;
The first type of editing I wanted to try out is just simple drawing over the face by simply picking out my 3 favourite photos an draw red over the eyes with the ‘pencil tool’ to disguise the identity.
The second option for editing my images I wanted to try out is using the ‘liquify’ tool. I changed the brush to a small size and dragged the face face around till it created this swirl that looked right and completely changed her identity, if not erased it. I was happy with how my editing with this tool turned out because it got rid o her identity.
I wanted to combine the two for my last editing time. I used the ‘liquify’ tool again but this time I only selected and dragged her eyes which is similar to the first edit but dragging her eyes instead of drawing over them.
I used the quick selection tool and selected my friends face completely. I then used the ctrl+t option to select that part and I dragged it out of frame to create this lack of identity idea. I really like how these turned out as doing it digitally was quicker than printing my images out and cutting her face out. This makes the viewer think about what kind of face was there previously and why isn’t it there anymore. I wanted to present lack or loss of identity through loads of editing because as students it can be so hard to figure out who you are or who you want to be in the future as we’re still so young and have so much to yet experience and figure out about ourselves.
Final image and analysis+personal response
I used one-point lighting for these images and edited them in black and white as the photographer I chose (Jack Davison) to link my ideas to photographer their images in black and white. I feel like it makes it the photos look more dull and mysterious which fits perfectly with my idea of lack of identity. I tried to edit it in a way that shows different tones and shades of dark . My friends face is directly composted in the middle of the photo as I wanted her to be in the center and the main eye-catching subject. No distractions in the background helps with making her the only focus. I wanted to use 3 images lined next to each other as I think it gives you more to look at instead of just one image. By using 3 images I wanted to show that everyone has a view different personalities or even identities and it fits into my idea of lack of identity as people try to discover what they’re actually like and why we act different around others.
I like how I used the’ liquify tool’ because it links back to my chosen photographers work. I used more editing in my images whereas he uses more props such as hands and flowers to cover the face already. I only dragged the eyes out as I still wanted some of the face to be revealed, by erasing her eyes it took a big part of her identity away as you can’t really make out what she looks like anymore. I want the meaning behind it to be that sometimes we can be blind towards who we actually are and as young people or students we haven’t yet truly discovered our identity or who we yet will be.
I achieved what I wanted to do and I presented my idea of lack of identity very well through the way I edited my images. I think I linked my work back to my chosen photographer well, as Jack Davison also blurs his models faces out and cuts out parts of the faces into weird shapes. I cropped most of my images down so it’s just very focused on the face instead of the whole body and a background as it’s the style the photographer works with too.
Claude Cahun (1894 – 1954) was a French surrealist photographer, sculptor and writer. Born Lucy Renee Mathilde Schwob, they adopted the pseudonym Cahun in 1917, and are best known for their self-portraits, in which they assumed a variety of different and eclectic personas. Cahun’s work challenged the traditional concepts of gender roles, and in their autobiography they state: ‘Masculine? Feminine? It depends on the situation. Neuter is the only gender that always suits me.‘ It is likely Cahun would have identified as non-binary today.
In 1937, they settled in Jersey with their partner Suzanne Malherbe (pseudonym Marcel Moore). Following the German occupation of the island in 1940, both Cahun and Moore became active as resistance workers and propagandists, working extensively to produce anti-German fliers, which they would place discreetly in soldiers’ pockets or in cigarette packages. Their resistance efforts were not only political, but also artistic; using their creative abilities to undermine and manipulate the authority they hated. In many ways, Cahun’s life was marked by a sense of role reversal, and like many early queer pioneers, their public identity became a commentary upon the public’s opinions of sexuality, gender, beauty, and logic. Their adoption of a gender neutral name and their androgynous self-portraits display a revolutionary way of thinking and creating, experimenting with the audience’s understanding of photography as a documentation of reality.
CINDY SHERMAN
Cindy Sherman (1954 – ) is an American artist whose work consists primarily of photographic self-portraits, depicting herself in many different contexts and as various imagined characters. In 1972, Sherman enrolled in the visual arts department at Buffalo State College, where she began painting. During this time, she began to explore the ideas which became a hallmark of her work: She dressed herself as different characters, cobbled together from thrift-store clothing. Sherman works in series, typically photographing herself in a range of costumes. To create her photographs, Sherman shoots alone in her studio, assuming multiple roles as author, director, make-up artist, hairstylist, wardrobe mistress, and model. She explained to The New York Times in 1990, “I feel I’m anonymous in my work. When I look at the pictures, I never see myself; they aren’t self-portraits. Sometimes I disappear.” She describes her process as intuitive, and that she responds to elements of a setting such as light, mood, location, and costume, and will continue to change external elements until she finds what she wants.
Sherman’s work is often linked to feminism, since her photos call attention to the objectification of women in the media. Sherman’s 1981 series Centerfolds contains pseudo-voyeuristic images of young women. Her 2008 series Society Pictures addresses the obsession with female youth and beauty in American society. Her most recent series, the 2016 Imitation of Life, explores the glamour that can be found within mature women. By using stylized, vintage costumes and heavy makeup, Sherman is rendered as a subject that looks almost artificial, aside from her conspicuously-placed, aged hands, which point to the reality behind the illusion. Sherman has identified an uncertainty toward the Untitled series’ relationship with the male gaze.
IMAGE COMPARISON
Despite the fact that these two photographs were taken almost 50 years apart, the message behind each of them is strikingly similar; that identity can be whatever you want it to be. Both photographers explore what it means to be perceived and judged by others, and, perhaps more harshly, by yourself. They have stripped themselves of all things, both physical and emotional, in order to transform themselves into re-invented and more developed versions of their previous selves, with both of them taking on the roles of various different personas and characters. For the brief moments during which they are in front of the camera, they are able to let go of what they and society thinks they ‘should’ be, and express themselves through their art form. Both images have been shot in plain black and white tones, with Sherman adding the effect in order to accurately portray her character’s time of relevance. They have also both been shot against a black backdrop, which means we can assume that they were captured in a studio of some kind. The black backdrop also allows the viewer to see Cahun and Sherman clearly, with nothing in the background of the images becoming a distraction to the eye. Additionally, it strips the photograph of any depth, making both images appear flat and two dimensional. Furthermore, the two subjects have very pale complexions, which contrasts heavily to the dark background. As these pictures were captured in a studio, it is highly likely that artificial lighting was used to illuminate the subjects, and we can see that by the way the light is spread evenly over Sherman, we can assume that 3 point lighting was used. Another similarity is that both Cahun and Sherman have used makeup to exaggerate their features as a way to emphasise their respective characters. For example, we can see that Cahun has drawn on her bottom eyelashes in order to make her eyes appear larger and more doe-like, and Sherman has applied a heavy amount of contour to her cheekbones. This can be linked to the theme of identity as makeup is often used by people to create an entirely new face, or alter the one they had before.
The term ‘identity’ is defined as the fact of being who or what a person or thing is, and a close similarity or affinity. An individual’s identity can be influenced by their environment and their upbringing, as well as social factors such as culture, political standing, friendships and relationships. Additionally, an individual’s identity may be defined by their loss or lack of it; if an individual is unsure about who they are or who they want to be, then this in itself is also their identity. An identity is something that everyone has, regardless of whether they know it or not.
MOODBOARDS
My first initial ideas for my two photoshoots were to explore the themes of identity loss and gender identity. I think that especially in recent years, society as a whole has learned to be a lot more open and accepting of people’s choices about how they wish to be seen, not only by themselves but by the rest of the world too. Additionally, social media and the internet has had a heavy influence on topics such as self-confidence and the idea of the ‘perfect’ life. This could be tied into the theme of identity loss as what is being posted online is not always the truth; these people have lost themselves in the world of perfection so much that they do not know who they are any more. With the LGBTQ+ community slowly but surely being widely accepted across the world, the strict, traditional gender roles which have been in place for generations are becoming less and less prevalent, allowing these lines of restriction to be blurred and crossed by all members of society. Freedom of expression is something which everyone is entitled to, and I think it would be interesting to document the different ways in which individuals achieve this.
Cahun organises the photoshoot and brings preps, such as the ripped piece of paper then, she takes the photo which pretty much the final image. Where as, Schmitz-Garcia takes the photo then edits after using scannographies. this, shows that there is more of a process with Schmitz-Garcia’s photographs. This is partly due to the fact that equipment has been evolved, so there is more potential.
Schmitz-Garcia’s used a dark environment then lights up the face, usually there a a green tint. Schmitz-Garcia uses a more increased saturation. Cahun uses a more natural looking light, during the day.
Schmitz-Garcia’s looks like it would be a long shutter speed as the image is manipulated. Although it is slightly underexposed. Cahun uses a fast shutter speed to make sure there is no blur, also it is perfectly exposed.
Contextual
Cahun is representing more obscure identities within here photographs, it has a high historical context as it was in 1900s-1950s.
Schmitz-Garcia’s is displaying multi-personality disorder in the modern world, which is more relevant to our current time period, which is why i’d like to focus on it more.
Visual
Cahun’s photos are mostly in black and white, as it was the standard in the 1900s. Her shots tend to have an empty background, which makes you focus on the subject more.
Schmitz-Garcia’s photos are coloured but use more dull colours as they’re taken in low light, and have a more serious context. There seems to be some grain in her final results. This is due to the effect that the scanner creates. Schmitz-Garcia’s focus point takes up more of the whole space, as the image is moved out of place.
Conceptual
Schmitz-Garcia’s concept was to stretch the image to visually show different facial expressions and manipulate the figure, it shows something similar to what people with multiple personality disorder would display.
Cahun’s concept was to question identity, gender and the subconscious mind. Successfully she did it by using mirrors, teared paper, outfits and other props to piece together her individual identity and photograph it.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, identity is;
The distinguishing character or personality of an individual
Claude Cahun
Claude Cahun, born Lucy Schwob was a innovative french photographer who came to jersey to escape growing antisemitism. Cahun was a lesbian who experimented greatly with the idea of gender in her photography. It is suggested that Cahun was transgender which is further supported by her hyper masculine look in her self portraits. Its evident that her ideas on gender and sexuality have greatly inspired her work
MIND MAP OF IDEAS
This project is based on the themes of identity and place. To explore this theme I am basing my project around body image as I feel that unfortunately its an issue that has a profound effect on many peoples identity. Whilst researching this topic I came across “The Epilogue” by Laia Abril which showcases the effects of eating disorders.
Comparing Cahun and Abril
This photo by Cahun depicts her own head inside a glass jar. I’m not entirely sure how this was done but it seems that she has taken a photo of herself and put the physical copy inside a glass dome creating the effect that just her head is inside the dome. This early form of Photoshop sets Cahun apart from other artists of her time and makes her photography instantly recognisable. The head encased in glass give the photo an eerie feel which stays true to her other work. Cahun’s work are often self portraits and this one is no different however instead of picturing herself in a heavily emphasised masculine light she adds feminine touches such as lipstick and fashionably thin drawn on eyebrows. This connotes the idea that women are trapped by the patriarchy furthering her radical views on gender and women as a subordinate group. The glass surrounding her could signify how women are to be put on display and look beautiful but not actually do anything of substance. The lighting is quite natural, probably taken during the day as there is a steady stream of light coming in.
This photo comes from Abrils collection “Femincides” the word used for a sex based hate crime, and documents the sex based murders of 5 women in Reunion island. It is a portrait of a woman’s face cropped so as to focus just on the eyes. It is likely that this was done because of the idea that the eyes are the window to the soul and so by doing this creates an idea of honesty. Like Cahun’s photo, an effort has been made to increase the look of femininity through use of make up with mascara and plucked eyebrows. Like Cahun’s, this photo is in black and white but unlike Cahun’s this was done purposefully to create a more jarring look and to further accentuate the fact that this woman was murdered. The graininess of the photo paired with the black and white is very similar to photos of victims in true crime documentaries
MOODBOARD
The Epilogue mixes together photos of ordinary objects around the house of a victim of bulimia as well as photos of severely underweight bodies. The above photo is of the scales belonging to Cammy Robinson who passed away due to her struggle with bulimia. On seeing this image I decided to base my project on objects that link to body image rather than taking photos of malnourished people as I feel like the image of the scales can be equally harrowing and I am to evoke emotion rather than just shock.
My idea at the moment is to take a head-shot of someone- (preferably a female in late teens as although eating disorders effect all genders they’re most prevalent in teenage girls) and surround the photo with photos of scales with different weights.
MOCK UPS
On Photoshop using stock images from google I made a mock-up of a potential final image
Reflecting on this image I wouldn’t want to include feet in the photo as I think it distracts from the seriousness of the project. I would also make the head-shot more visible either by making the scales around the model more transparent or removing them completely.
I had another go at mocking up an image but this time used the scales used in Laia Abril’s epilogue without feet. The plain backdrop of the white scales makes the image look stark and clinical which is the aesthetic look i am trying to achieve. The white of the scales also make the model more visible compared to my previous mock up. I really like how this image has turned out and I plan to create a similar version with my own photographs.
SHOOT PLAN
WHAT
WHEN
WHERE
WHY
OTHER NOTES
Zuzanna-model for shoot
19/01/21 10:15 am
Photography studio- using white backdrop
Centrepiece of portrait
Reminder to bring tube top to show shoulders
Scales-
21/01/21 4:00pm
At home- diy white backdrop using card
To be multiplied and used as overlay for portrait
Borrowing scales- WHITE to blend in with rest of portrait
CONTACT SHEET
I had this shoot in the photography studio so that I could have a good white backdrop that would be easy to Photoshop with. I used 1 barns-door light to make the images clear but also not have the images look too artificial as the projects focus of body image is very natural. I felt this photo shoot went really well and I left the shoot with some really good photos that I think will work well put into Photoshop. Some of the photos are not as sharp as I wanted and are a tad blurry whilst others I purposefully made excessively blurry as I would like to try layering a sharp image over a blurry image for a dramatic effect. In quite a few of the photos, the models top is visible but I will crop this out in Photoshop when I use them. The photos in red outline are my favorite and will be put into another contact sheet in order to finish my selection process and choose my final image.
third
second
best image
After selecting my favourite images I used photoshop to tidy them up. Using the spot healing brush I removed blemishes from the skin. I also tidied up messy hair by sampling background colour using the eye dropper tool.
My three selected images with blemishes removed
SECOND SHOOT
The second shoot took place at my house. I crafted a white infinity backdrop using white A3 card. I borrowed two different scales, one being a more neutral, traditional scale more like the set of scales featured in Laia Abril’s Epilogue, and the other being more modern and grey toned which I was unsure about using as I didn’t know how well the colour would blend with the more beige toned photos of my model.
The DIY infinity backdrop
Outlined in red is are my chosen images
NEW IDEA
Whilst conducting my second photoshoot I saw an apple in the fruit bowl and had the idea to take a series of shots of the apple on the scales to add a bit of colour to the project. I realised that this would perhaps distract from the focal image of the model as I felt the feet in my first mock up did so I have created an alternative idea. I have decided to do a series of photos in the style of the Kuleshov effect in order to evoke more emotion from the images. To do this I am going to use two of the same portrait images of my model with a photo of the apple between the two.
Outlined in red is my chosen image
MORE EDITING
Clearing hair using eraser tool
To create my final pieces I had two different methods. The first was very similar to my second mock up. I used the quick selection tool to get a rough outline of my model which I then pasted on to a new photoshop document. Because this was done very roughly a lot of the hair that I had previously tidied up had become very messy and choppy again. To fix this I used the eraser tool to smooth the hair out and make it look more natural. After this I opened my best white scale image onto photoshop lowered the opacity so that the model underneath would be visible. I then used the rectangular marquee tool to cut out the scales in a way that kept it looking sharp and clean and pasted it onto the open document that already contained my model. I made multiple copies of the scales to layer over the model and then adjusted brightness, contrast and vibrancy to make the end image look better. After completing my first image I repeated the process but using the grey scales instead of the white. I did this for each of my selected photos with varied sized scales resulting in at least 2 versions per model. Whilst doing this process I accidently duplicated the model instead of just the scales but really liked the effect it made so have kept it as a final image. Creating my Kuleshov tableaus was more difficult as it needed to be much more precise. The first thing I did was open one of my model photos and crop it to a square taking note of the size of the width and length of the photo. I then created a new document using measurements taken from the model photo, the length of the original photo and width three times the width of the original. I dragged the photo I had onto this open document and then dragged on my chosen apple photo. This posed a problem as the apple photo was much smaller than the one of my model. To solve this I used ctrt T bring it up to size making sure to hold shift so as to retain the shape. I then copied and pasted the model to put on the other size. After this I had a small amount of white space that I then cropped out, completing the image. I did this with each model photo.
FINAL IMAGES
This photo has come out well but does have quite a dark dirty feel to it because of the darker set of scales and the pattern to the right. This is not necessarily a bad thing as it does convey the dark feelings around body image. I really like how the scales perfectly frame the models right eye, this was not intentional and although it may seem strange without the balance of the left eye doing the same I think the photo wouldn’t be as powerful if both eyes were framed. To improve I would edit the hair better as it looks quite choppy and unnatural in this photo and would perhaps change the brightness to give a lighter feel more similar to Abril’s work.The tint on this photo is strange with almost green undertones that I don’t think fit the idea very well . The positioning and size of the scales also is not that great as the large gaps make it look disjointed and where the eye was framed nicely in my previous image, this one looks very out of place as too much of the eye is outside of the metal bit. Next time the scales should be smaller to allow for smaller gaps between scales and should be positioned in regards to facial features. The editing of her hair is much better in this photo as it is much smoother so looks more natural.This image looks much too busy. I wouldn’t blame this on the amount of scales in the picture as I think it is the right amount but instead on the darkness of the scales. To rectify this I would lower the opacity of the scales. The positioning of the scales is better than the previous however the hair is once again too choppy. Again, the scales seem too dark which has created that greenish tint again. The positioning of the scales are completely off on this as none of the models features are accentuated by scale placement. This may be my least favourite image.This image really managed to encapsulate the idea I had for this project. The editing is is very natural looking and the placement of scales is my favourite so far. The scales perfectly frame the features of the model without being too busy or favouring one feature over the other. The only thing I would change would be to make the image slightly lighter to be even closure to Abril’s work but other than that I think its perfect.This image has a very similar scale placement as the previous image that I was really happy with however it lacks the symmetry that made the last photo so powerful. Like many of the other images that used the darker scales, this image seems too busy as the dark lines of the scales begin to distract from the model. To improve this I would move around the scales to cover the most important features such as the eyes and also lower the opacity of the scales. This is my favourite image as I feel it manages to emulate Abril best. This image is the same as the last white scale image but with heightened brightness and lowered contrast which creates a much softer and gentler image than the rest. This image was made by accident after accidently connecting the scales and model and pasting the wrong image. Even though it was a mistake it is one of my favourite images as it creates a very bizarre and interesting picture. I interpret it as a way to escape from eating disorders as the model at the bottom of the screen is not as covered by the scales anymore. The only scales covering her are positioned over her head showing how the effects of an eating disorder will never really leave your mind. The models are centrally positioned but not completely straight which I think shows how an eating disorder is never straight forward.Considering this as an example of the Kuleshov effect, it doesn’t really work as the model seems to be showing positive emotion which defeats the purpose of creating meaning through the object displayed.Like the previous series, this one doesn’t work as well as it could due to there already being an expression on the models face. Although compared to the last series the emotion is much more dulled down, you can quite easily find a positive expression on her face.As an example of the Kuleshov effect I think this series works best as the model is expressionless which allows onlookers to crate meaning by themselves.
COMPARISION TO CAHUN
My image uses artificial light to create a light and airy feel whilst Cahun seems to use natural light with a darker tone.
My image uses very light, washed out colours in order to convey the feelings of depression that comes with eating disorders whilst Cahun’s is in black and white. Although this probably wasn’t a conscious decision as the only way photos would get colour back then was through tinting, the black and white suits the photo well, showing the dark undercurrents of the photo.
Both photos are very centrally positioned, using faces as a focal image in order to draw attention to them
Both photos convey a feeling of being trapped. In my photo this is shown through the repetition of the scales which allegorically represent an eating disorder that completely controls and traps victims whilst the glass jar around Cahuns head could represent how the patriarchy has trapped her and forced her to repress herself.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion I feel like I managed to create a good set of images that have strong links to Claude Cahun and Laia Abril while still managing to present my own unique ideas around identity. I hope that the message in my photos is helpful to anyone suffering with an eating disorder and help people without one gain a greater understanding of the topic. I have really enjoyed doing this project as it introduced me to some brilliant photographers and also allowed me to express myself through photography, something I feel I haven’t done before.
Identity is the essence that defines an individual. It can be qualities such as beliefs, personality, looks, gender, sexuality, job role, etc. It can be defined by the way you express and feel about yourself.
Other people may also have a different view on your identity than you which can be positive or destructive. It is scary to think that every person sees you in different ways, see other aspects of your personality and behaviour that you may not even have noticed; have different memories and viewpoints about you.
Identity affects people in various ways, but some aspects of your identity may be due to nurture and cultural upbringing as Tabula Rasa states that one is born as a blank canvas and the way you think, and behaviours are shaped by the people around you who you have grown and looked up to.
Others may argue that identity can be due to nature. For example, you are born with a specific set of genes that are more likely to influence your behaviour and identity and how other people may see you.
In my opinion, I agree to a certain extent that identity is down to nurture. But I think the way you see yourself is the most important base of your identity as you’re the only one that knows yourself the best and not other people. However, other opinions of you may affect the way you think and feel about yourself.
For this project I will attempt to portray the way that others opinions and behaviours towards me has affected me, the way I saw and see myself then and now, and how destructive others opinions may have in your life. As Billie Eilish states in her son ‘Everything I wanted’, “…if they knew what they said would go straight to my head, what would they say instead?”
Claud Cahun
Claude Cahun (25 October 1894 – 8 December 1954) was originally named Lucy Renee Mathilde Schwob. She was a French lesbian photographer who enjoyed sculpting and writing.
Shwod adopted the name Claude Cahun in 1917 and since then has been exploring self portraits were, they explore themes such as sexual and gender identity in their work. However, their work was mostly frown upon due to homosexuality being seen as shameful and disgraceful in the 20th century and beyond, but their portraits were very strong with some people adoring their work and others hating on it. The view on homosexuality was so frightful people would usually be beaten up, stoned, tormented and their family would neglect them and have so association with them.
In the image at the top, we can see Claude’s transition from a stereotypical girl to a boy with short hair. Due to the reflection of Claude in the mirror we can clearly see that they saw themselves as a boy/lesbian and looks into the camera in a sort of prideful but seductive way suggesting that they know who they are. To strengthen this point, we can see they are wearing typical male clothes. Also, the reflection may show that they were living a double life, one that they were born in some way and the other they identify as something else.
Photo analysis:
Substance:
Due to the time the photographer existed; we can assume that this image was originally in a film format due to digital cameras only being invented in 1975.
The image was taken inside of their or someone’s apartment to what seems in the living room.
It was taken for personal work on self identity and gender, and it could be argued it was a sort of silent protest towards society at the time as images like this were mostly negatively viewed.
Composition:
The main focal point of this image is obviously Claude and their reflection in the mirror.
Author has powerfully used the rule of thirds to compose this image as the model and reflection are positioned in the center.
The main colours of this image are black and white tones. He purposely used the black and white technique to create this image to create a sense of light vs dark and may also have used it to show how there is beauty during times of tribulation and times of joy.
Lighting:
The light in this black and white image seems to be coming from the front as there are shadows behind their head which could suggest that the light is indeed coming from the front. Evidently, the light seems to be quite natural as there is little evidence that could suggest the artist used a flash or artificial lighting as there isn’t evidence of a flash reflection
There are soft shadows and dark tones throughout the image. For example, the bottom of the picture is darker than the top. The image is natural, but the camera seems to have focused on the bright sides first as the image seems to be a bit naturally underexposed as there are soft lights and soft shadows throughout the image.
The artist may have taken this image during light or evening hours as the light suggests that it was taken in a dim environment or sunny but rather more a cloudy environment as all the details is quite perfectly shown.
Techniques and editing: (evidently black and white filter or camera were used)
A fast shutter speed was powerfully used to produce this image as the subject (Claude) has been shot to a razor-sharp focus.
The depth of field for this image appears to be quite large as most of the image is fixed. This was used to capture as most of the setting as possible while keeping a crisp detail to the image.
The artist may have purposely naturally underexposed the image to keep it in focus and so it isn’t too bright or too dark just natural.
The camera is still as this is a self portrait and all the details are in focus suggesting that the camera was stationary; a tripod was likely used.
Atmosphere:
The photograph makes me feel amazed at how confident and courageous the artist was to portray and express their sexual identity in a patriarchal society.
The photograph seems to be communicating a message of freedom of speech and expression as the artists explored with self identity portraits in a society that shames homosexuality for decades.
My response to this image is just how inspirational this artist was to my project in to exploring identity.
Response:
I will attempt to use the same black and white techniques to capture my shots to make it alike the original artist.
In order to incorporate elements into my own work I will need to make sure most or some of my subjects are in portrait
Similarly, Cahun has influenced my shots by following his key theme which is the theme of gender and sexual identity, the alignment of subjects and personal nature in their work have also influenced the way I set up my portrait images and identity photographs.
I love their work as it is very personal project for the photographer; the artist is basically telling their story even though there is danger that they could be imprisoned for being lesbian.
Lara Gilks
Lara Gilks is a photographer that comes from Wellington, New Zealand. She came to photography around 2009 when she received her first camera. According to sources (laragilks.com/about), she utilises “elements of nature, water, light, beauty” that are often mixed with aspects that are ambiguous, weird, scary and disturbing. She apparently works “at the precipice between perfection and imperfection, human and inhuman, and dream and reality”.
In an interview for PhotoForum, August 2019, she states that she puts “incongruous elements into beautiful landscapes” in order to create a sense of tension and playfulness as she also mentions her choice of models; children “with masks and other props”. She also mentions something interesting which is that “people will experience the images in their own way influenced by their own stories”. When she mentioned the need of tension in her images, she mentions that she wants “the sense of being out of place and absurd yet somehow normal.”
Lara has explored with identity in different ways, so much so that she has a blog post called, “identity and disclosure”. In here she explains the lack of identity due to social media. We know this because she states, “The brink of a digital identity crisis – where the digital era tests the limits of identity – what is safe to disclose and what must be concealed. There are questions of trust and vulnerability – the stakes are high.
Photo analysis:
Substance:
This image was clearly taken with a DSLR in 2018 as it is in a digital format.
This photograph was taken outside by a lake. We can also assume it was taken in the evening due to the brightness of the clouds, but this could have been manipulated using software like Lightroom.
This was clearly taken for personal work as it was part of Lara’s series “white lies”. Her description for this project was a simple quote from Alan Moore, “You wear a mask for so long, you begin to forget who you were beneath it.”
Composition:
The focus for this image is the “Horse Bride” which delivers a sense of strangeness and wonder at the experience of marriage.
Author has powerfully used the rule of thirds to compose this image as the model and background have been purposely adjusted so that the model at the center along with the background.
The main colours of this image are black and white tones. She purposely used the black and white techniques to add to the theme of tension, ambiguity, strangeness, incongruous.
Considering the description for white lies, the audience may also assume that many people marry a fake spouse; people who have been wearing a mask for so long. In addition, the fact that the image is in black and white may also reveal that marriage is not always dreamy and colourful; it can be dark and obscure. We can assume this is the case as Lara has said before that her photographs are open for interpretation.
Lighting:
The light in this black and white image seems to be coming from the natural environment as shoot was done outside. The light however seems to be coming from the front as it is lighting the Horse Bride and background quite well.
Soft shadows and dark tones are present in the shot. The bottom of the image is darker than the top, for instance. The picture is natural, but first the camera seems to have concentrated on the bright sides as the image seems to be a little naturally underexposed as the image is full of subtle lights and soft shadows.
The artist may have taken this illustration during the day, during light or evening hours.
Techniques and editing: (evidently black and white filter or camera were used)
Evidently, a fast shutter speed was used due to the waves being fixed to a focused position.
As most of the image is set, the depth of field for this image seems to be very high. This was used to catch as much of the environment as possible while retaining a crisp picture detail.
The artist may have naturally underexposed the picture purposefully to keep it in view, because it’s not too light or just normal and not too dim.
As this is a portrait, the camera is still, in focus and all the specifics show that the camera was stationary; a tripod was presumably used.
Atmosphere:
The photograph makes me feel quite interested and confused as I have never seen a Horse Bride before, especially standing by a lake. This is evident that Lara has achieved her aim of strangeness through this image.
This image, clearly is open for interpretation and considering that inside the wedding dress is Lara’s son this may suggest that there is a prince trapped in the body of a mare getting ready for marriage but decided to take a moment by the lake to think of things.
Successfully, this image has achieved what it was created for which is to make the audience question what is going on. I know this because Lara states that Horse Bride is intended to challenge and provoke such ideas.
Response:
To keep it the same as the original artist, I would strive to use the same black and white methods to take my shots.
I would need to ensure that most of any of my subjects are distorted and have their faces hidden in order to integrate concepts into my own work.
Lara has influenced my work on identity by giving me the idea of making the audience question what is happening in the photograph.
This is one of my favourite pieces of photography as I find it very creative due to the nature and contents of the image. It’s an image open to interpretation and communicates a series of different messages. It’s also very strange which just adds to creativity.
Similarities
• Both artists have used a series of black and white images to communicate a similar message: that there may be light in the darkness, there is 2 sides to every story and not everything is a perfect, colourful world.
• Both artists clearly play with the theme of identity with Claud exploring gender identity and Lara hiding the model’s face / identity.
• Both have composed their images in a similar way. For example, both have placed their models in the centre or close to the centre.
• Lara attempts to create tension through her images. For example, the Horse Bride image encapsulates all my feelings of strangeness and wonder at the experience of marriage. In a similar way, Claud creates tension in society with her images as homosexuality in a patriarchal society was unacceptable.
Differences
• Claud focuses on gender identity and explores with my gender roles such as weightlifter in a photograph of hers. However, Lara focuses more on trying to make the audience question the nature and meaning of her images.
• Most of Claud’s images are taken in indoor places whereas Lara’s images are taken in a naturalistic environment.
• Lara uses elements of obscurity, strangeness, unique and quite dark. This can be shown through her image of the Horse Bride. Claud Cahun however attempts to use self portrait and self identity methods to create an image that demonstrates who they are as a person and sometimes compare it to society and how society has this “ideal” way that people should behave.
Manipulation – “Manipulation was an artform in which you failed. Better luck next time.”
This is my #1 outcome.
My main purpose for this project was to “to capture various portraits and to try and convey a message/story to the audience. I will be touching sensitive topics in my life such as; bullying, insecurities, gender, sexuality, and more.” Therefore, I believe I have achieved this through this artwork called, “Manipulation”.
This is one of my most personal photographs ever made to this day as it explains a bit about my life. For example, this photograph is a clear representation of what I have been going through for quite some time as I was recently in a situation where someone did whatever they could to control and manipulate me. This can be clearly shown using models creating a sense of puppetry / puppet show and the fact that you cannot see the male model’s face shows that not many people knew who the manipulator was.
However, there are some broken strings which to me represent a few of those manipulative methods being broken and on the process of setting me free to be my own person and have my own identity. In addition, the use of double exposure on the “puppets” represent madness because you tend to lose your mind in such situations.
In comparison to my key artists, Claud Cahun and Lara Gilks, this image is very open for interpretation. This is because one of my aims for this project was to create something like Gilk’s Horse Bride and have the audience interpret the image according to their own experience and link the audience to the photographer due to relation to the viewer, ultimately creating a bond between the artists and the viewer; sort of telling them that they’re not alone. As well, the use of a female model as the puppet may convey domestic abuse that a lot of female face.
Also, the shot is in black and white clearly showing similarity to Claud Cahun as their images are all in black and white. Both Claud Cahun and I have used harsh shadows and tones to show how difficult it can be to be our own person and have our own identity in a judgemental society; sometimes we are so pressured to act and look a certain way by society which makes us feel entangled in these strings and imprisoned at times.
Cut you off
Faceless
Stalker much
These are a trinity of images which try to show how other opinions have shaped and reconstructed my identity.
As you can see, the text in my images is a series of anonymous messages I received from people that know me, but I still do not know who sent most of these messages.
In “Cut you off”, there’s a message saying, “It’s funny cuz you acc think we like you but we’re j pretending… go AWAY.” This message came from someone that I know that clearly doesn’t like me. I did everything in my power to at least be civil with them, this was until I figured the friend group was talking about me behind my backs and so I cut them off. Hence the name, “Cut you off“.
In addition, “Stalker much” the messages that are going through my models clearly show how much these messages have got to me. Also, the female model looks like they are sort of guarding or looking over the male model. I did this in purpose in order to try and create a sense of the psychic staring effect; when you have that sense of being watched to which the messages suggest that people paid close attention to me and even saw who was texting me. The colourful double exposure, alike “Manipulation” was done to show madness and or how multiple people seem to be watching over me.
Similarly, “Faceless” is a photograph where the identity of my model is hidden, blurred out and shaken while they’re holding a message that reads, “Your 1000% gay, stop being in denial.”. This message was one of many that made me question who I was, what my sexuality was and made me question everything about myself and it got to a point where I genuinely hated everything about myself because no matter what I did, that was the ONLY slur that people tell me, it even got to a point where my old tutor had to ask my friends if I was gay because of the way I dress. That shattered me and confused me so, enjoy the series of images that attempt to show how I have felt during these times.
In relation to my key artists, most of my images are in black and white which relates to Claud’s images, the composition of these images remains quite close to both Lara and Cahun as my models are near the centre, my images also have a go at talking about identity / lack of identity which relates to Cahun. Also, it may be argued these images could be interpreted differently according to the viewers own experience which successfully links to Lara’s ideas. However, the use of messages in these images may reduce this effect as not every viewer has probably received similar messages.
Ghostin
This is my final outcome, it contains a series of messages that read, “gross”, “gay”, “there is no way you’re straight” and “he’s definitely a bottom.” These are just messages that people have said to me.
This relates to Lara Gilk’s approach to identity as I have incorporated elements of ambiguity, strangeness and obscurity. This was done through the ghost effect where the model appears to have multiple faded exposures of themselves.
In comparison to Claud, there isn’t much correlation except the fact that we both have attempted to talk about identity and what it means for us.
These messages are mostly blurred and over-layered one another which has a go at showing 2 different perspectives, one being that overtime these messages don’t hurt you anymore and two, over time the messages get deeper and harder to see on the surface but they’re still there. Obviously, the perception may change due to the viewers own experience. Like my favourite show, 12 Monkeys, states, “There are many endings and the right one? The right one is the one you choose.” Therefore, this image was created to purposely let the viewer pick the ending for this project on identity, let it be happy or sad. After all, the author is still deciding on what ending to this story to choose from.
How I edited these images:
For this project on identity I have used Photoshop to adjust the black and white filters for most of my images, I have also used it to create and bend the strings in “Manipulation” to make it more realistic and add to movement as there is little evidence that the model is moving so I tried to bend these strings to add to this effect. I have also used the “blur more” tool to blur the strings and ellipses around the fingers so that it looks like it was part of the original image, and in “Stalker much” I used these methods to blur the text to achieve the same outcome.
In addition, I have used photoshop to add the text to my images, change the opacity and adjust it to “Darken” so that it removes the background and displays just the text. Also, setting it to darken means that when it comes into contact with a darker background, it fades away. This and the eraser tool helped create the effect in “Stalker much” and make it seem like the text is actually in the background.
For the other images, I have used the “Glitch Lab” app on my phone to:
add the glitch effects around “Faceless”.
remove the faces in “stalker much” and “Faceless”. There was also a filter called “stripe shift” which helped cut off the face in “Cut you off.”
For “Ghostin” I used the pre-set “Troubled waves” to create the blue/green filter so it looks quite old and gives a cemetery, cold feeling enhancing the name “Ghostin”.
Snapseed was also used to sharpen the text in “Ghostin” so it’s clearer and more readable.
Step 4: Create your own location or choose a template.
Step 5: Upload your images, put them in your exhibition, name it and give it a description. For mine, I justified my photographs.
Step 6: Present / view your Exhibition.
Why I decided to do a Virtual Gallery:
I decided to do a Virtual Reality Gallery again because I feel it links very well with the theme of Identity. This is because the viewer is placed in a corner of a room and has to find the 5 outcomes that are in that VR building. This relates to identity as it puts the viewer in a way, in the artist’s/my shoes in the search to find my identity.
I am very happy with the final images of this project on the theme of identity. I love how I have successfully talked about past experiences in my life and managed to turn it into art. This project has really helped me turn my pain into a series of beautiful and artistic images.
The planning went really well and I said everything I needed to say through these images. But, next time i’ll make sure to think about props and how to use them successfully as you can see in my contact sheets some comments didn’t stick quite well. Also, the background for “Manipulation” could have been done faster if we thought about the colour of the props and background which is always important to think about.
I have clearly related my images to the key artists and have shown a great understanding of photo analysis, use of lighting and have shown great expertise with photo manipulation.
I strongly believe I have achieved the main purpose for this project which was to mix identity and portraiture. I have powerfully touched on areas like identity, sexual identity, how others opinions may change how you see yourself and I admire the way that I left the audience on a cliff hanger; having them decide what the final image “Ghostin” could mean to the whole project. For example, as explained above it could mean that the artists has moved past these hurts and the criticism they have had in the past is becoming nothing but a memory, or, the criticism is taking over the artist slowly becoming one. This could mean that the audience chooses the identity of the artist; are they someone strong, who’s moved past the experiences or is their identity confused?
The fact I am basically getting the audience to choose my identity adds irony as the project talked about rude and negative these comments could be to someone, talking about being driven into madness and having the constant fear that you’re being watched. This at last makes strain which identifies with how Lara needed her crowd to feel the feeling of being strange and crazy yet some way or another ordinary.
In conclusion, I am very excited to share this project with you, viewer. I hope you can relate or find comfort in my photographs.
The two images above form Claude Cahun and Carole Benitah both explore identity. This is because in the pictures Their appears to be a lack of identity due to the simplicity of both pictures. In Claude’s picture you can only see her head in some sort of object that appears to be made of either plastic or glass as there are reflections coming off this making it difficult to fully see Claude’s face. Moreover, you can only see her head in the picture as well which gives this a lack of identity as you can’t really see much of the person in the picture.
As for Carole’s picture, the faces in the picture are covered in what appears to be red stitching on every face with the strings coming off them tangled up. This shows a lack of identity just like Claude’s picture even though they aren’t to similar because due to the faces being covered up you don’t really have a see for what the emotions on the people’s faces are meaning you couldn’t really imagine what their expressing if they are. Either happy or miserable.
Looking at both of the images, the pictures look similar in the format of how they were taken. They both appear to have a fairly fast shutter speed of 1/125 as there isn’t much movement that is blurred in the images. Another comparison in hoe the pictures where taken, they both appear to of have an aperture of f16 in both pictures as the background and the main appeal of the pictures are both clear visually. As for the ISO, it appears to have a low sensitivity of 200 because you can see some sort of speckles in the pictures but I think this is due to the when the pictures where taken as cameras weren’t as good as they are now.
Photo montaging is an artistic technique were two or more images are combined to make a new composition.
This technique gained attention in the early 20th century were artists would use it to make political statements around WWI and WWII. Below is one of Raoul Hausman’s pieces were he explores the political aura around WWII.
Raoul Hausman
Hannah Hoch
Hannah Hoch is one of the originators of Photomontage.
She was a part of the Dada art movement which was a part of the European avant-garde movement in the early 20th century.
Her work focused on evoking thought and bringing light to social issues in the early 20th century. Her work acted as an aid to feminism movements of the time.
Hannah Hoch
Her work is surreal and colourful. It includes an abundance of montaging in creative ways where certain human features will be used to form something else. The use of facial features being woven together is a way of challenging the identity and the dichotomy of female power.
Her pieces are given context and validity through her method of extracting segments from popular media to use in her montages.
I grouped some similar images into diptychs and triptychs according to colour scheme, physical similarities. I also used similar bordering and presentation methods that J Grant Brittain uses.
The following is an image comparison between one of my pieces and one of J Grant Brittain’s pieces.
J Grant Brittain
Michael Kenealy
The above images both focus on the identity of the subject by portraying their personality through capturing their facial expressions. Both images are desaturated and have high contrast to accentuate shadows around the face and therefore accentuating the facial features of the subjects. Both images are collaged into sets of 9 coinciding images. Both images feature a mixture of compositions where the subject interacts with the lens and some where the subject ignores the camera.
Grants image is shot with fluorescent lighting in a professional environment whereas my composition is shot with natural lighting in a less professional environment. This also creates difference in the texture of the images, mine has a rougher texture whereas Grants image has a smoother texture to it.
For the above composition I shot the skateboarder in front of an urban graffiti background in a skatepark, I focused on showcasing his culture and style like J Grant Brittain. The gaze and side angle shot creates a sense of confidence, control and passion the skateboarder portrays to his environment.
I shot the image in black and white and used high contrast and clarity to accentuate the features of the subject for example the area around his eye feature high contrast and clarity which captures that emotion in his eyes. The high clarity and contrast also gives the image a sharp and rough texture.
I used a wide aperture to obtain a sharp focus on the subjects face and separate him from the background and create a slight bokeh effect. I used the grid on my camera to frame my subjects head in the centre of the shot.
In conclusion I believe I captured the identity through his cultural passion for skateboarding well with stylistic, J Grant Brittain type images and presented them in an artistic way.
