The word photography comes from the Greek words phos “light” and graphos “written” or “recorded”, so it is a writing with light or a recording made with light. The history of photography spans from the 19th to the 20th century, but has many antecedents in earlier times. It is one of the most revolutionary technologies that man has developed. Photography has made an impact on the sciences, the arts, and historical documentation. It also gave rise to other technologies, such as cinema, among others. The idea of capturing images and preserving them is something that humans have wanted since ancient times. It is what gave the appearance of painting, sculpture and, later, photography. There were old attempts to capture an image automatically, especially by means of the camera obscura principle, which is the same as that of photographic cameras. The camera obscura is a closed space, totally dark, in which light penetrates through an opening in one of its sides and projects an up side down image of what happens outside. This technique was known from the time of Aristotle or later from the Arab scholar Alhazén. From that work, scientists such as Giovanni Battista della Porta or Gerolamo Cardano experimented with the camera obscura in 1558. In the 16th century, the German Johann Zahn developed this technique in a wooden device, which was ready to become a camera. The first image obtained in history was made by the French scientist Nicephorus Niepce. He achieved results by prolonging exposure to light of pewter plates covered in bitumen, inside a dark room. The first image was in 1826 and took eight hours of exposure in broad daylight. In 1827 Niepce met Louis Daguerre and they signed a work agreement that left the latter with all the knowledge of Niepce’s photographic techniques after his death in 1833. Daguerre added to the mechanism a polished silver plate, on which the impressions, thus greatly reducing the exposure time. Later the daguerreotype appeared. This new technique allowed portraits to be taken, and was the best-known form of photography for a long time. However, other inventors were studying their own methods to obtained similar prints.
In the end I had two zines focusing on similar themes of family. Some images were shared by both zines as they followed the same central device of community but both end results being very different.
This was the first zine I made. Although I liked how the candid photos provided an intimate insight into family dynamics at family gatherings and dinners, I felt that they seemed to clumsy and not as put together as I would have liked as I also refrained from editing them too much which made the photos seem too amateur, which perhaps considering the nature and context of the concept of the zine is on brand. To amend this I remade the zine with more polished images and more of a plan on how to layout the images to create better syntagma.
Out of both zines this is my favourite. It is more polished than the first and is realistically better for a newspaper than a zine which is why I used it as my draft for our class island identity newspaper project. This project has been beneficial in educating me on my own family’s history, as well as teaching me new skills on media software such as InDesign.
I took all the photos that I wanted to use and, that I have already edited from the photoshoots in Photoshop, then I created a new collection set in Lightroom Classic to import the photos into.
The editing process is shown on the photoshoots blog posts.
After importing the photos into the photo-book collection I used the “pick” and “reject” method using the “P” and “X” keys.
Next, I used the different colours to visualise what type of photo each image was, e.g. aerial (yellow), underwater (blue), hillclimb (green), etc.
These are all of the images that I plan to use in the final book design.
My Book Specifications
Before I design the book I need to decide the specifications and think about the design.
This is information about how I will make the book and about the materials and requirements it needs.
How you want your book to look and feel.
Ideally, a hardback book would be nicer as it has a more genuine feel to it, and it lasts longer. However, it is more expensive compared to a regular, softback book.
Paper and ink
The premium paper will make the images better and isn’t to different to the standard paper, price wise.
Format, size and orientation
I will use a normal A4 book. (8×10 in)
Binding and cover
I will use a hardcover with an image wrap, with Mohawk proPhoto Pearl 140#.
Title
Bouley Bay
Design and layout
Single image full bleed
Single page image with white borders
Double page full bleed
Double page spread
Double page single image.
Editing and sequencing
I will try and create a zoom effect with the images and use certain objects to carry to flow of the book.
Images and text
There won’t be any text except for the essay at the back of the book.
2. Produce a mood-board of design ideas for inspiration. Look atBLURB online book making website, photo books from photographers or see previous books produced by Hautlieu students on the table in class.
This is a mood board of books that have inspired my design process. I found them Blurb’s bookshop page on their website.
I mostly chose these pages from these books as the display the images in a unique way that engages with the user.
I reorganised the order which I the photos would be in, in the photo-book. Then I clicked the book button where I chose to use the “Standard Portrait” book, then put the images in the order that looked the best.
I made use of the page setups to arrange the images to create an interesting composition. I mainly had two images on the double page spread and, they either linked with each other or were opposites.
To create a narrative I tried to create a zoom effect. I started by getting images that where of a general overview of the bay, then I focused on the pier, the water coming on to the pier, then I focused on the long exposure shots of the water on the rocks, which transitions to underwater photos. Once there is a brief introduction to the bay there it focuses on the hill climb which brings in the areas “character”. After I introduce the bay again by using the greens hill and the green around the waterfall in the bay, which shifts the focus back to the bays features like the L’Islet, and the heritage site. I often compared close ups of objects and match colours to create an interesting concept and presentation.
My favourite images are these below, I chose them as they are unique and interesting, and showcase great camera skills.
I achieved my goal, which was to accurately recorded a physical location through images. These images above are the strongest images I have taken which help showcase the environment that is Bouley Bay.
Unfortunately, I deleted all of my work, which meant the pervious book design disappeared. Therefore, I had to redesign the book, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing a I had too many images. This helped me reduce the size of the book and add more contrast, as the pervious version was more illustrative.
This result is more balanced as there is a greater mix of content and I feel that I have used a wide range of different page layouts to shift the viewers focus whilst looking a different images. My favourite pages are, 8-9, 14-15, 16-17, and 32-33.
I decided to add 2 more images. One would be a 2 page spread using full bleed and, then second would be a single image, which would probably be on a double page however, it would only use up one page. I plan to do this to a few more images earlier on in the book and eliminate some of my weaker images.
Creating the book cover
I decided to use an image that had a wide view of the bay which clearly shows where and what the book is about. I am using the image from the extra photoshoot I made with my drone. For the back of the book I wanted to have an abstract image where it is hard to work out where it was taken. Doing this makes lets the front cover have all of the attention. These are the two images I’m using for the book cover:
Left: Front Cover, Right: Back Cover
I needed to create a design for the spine, I thought I would blend the edges of the two images above to create a fade between them. After, I would add text to the front cover, and the spine.
I used layer masks to create a gradient fade on the edges that meet with the opposite image. Then used motion blur to smoothen the transition between the images. This will look better when I add the text to the image.
This is what it looks like without the text on the cover. As you can see it looks good, even without the text.
I have created a mood-board to gather inspiration on books about places to decide how to design a title. These are the designs that inspired me:
Using Photoshop I have made 3 different front cover designs, and just needed to chose with one I wanted to use. I used clipping and laying masks to help me design and layout my process throughout creating the cover.
I decided to use the design on the right as it is more ascetically pleasing than the others as, it is on one line and incorporates a more complex design whilst keeping it simple.
The design on the right I used blending option on the text such as, stroke and inner shadow, with a clipping mask of the image to let the image show through.
For the two similar covers, I used a layer mask to remove parts of the text to show the island, to give the simple look and complex effect.
I changed a few small details, such as moving the text up a bit. Then I added and replaced the image on the front of my book and on the spine to see what it looked like completed.
I added the text to the 2 files (spine image and front cover image) that I had open in Photoshop to my the final cover images.
I quickly made an inside cover page with just text on, which is the same as on the front cover.
Final design and layout
These are the rest of the pages in my photo book:
After some last small adjustments, I’ve come to my final presentation of the photo book. I removed the panorama of the bay, the image on page 54 (underwater image), and I change the bleed on some of the images to removed some of the borders, you can see the before (above) and after (below) of the changes that I’ve done.
I feel that this is the best design and layout, as it includes multiple double page spreads, 2 image layouts with borders, full bleed pages and single page spreads. I decide not to add my essay into the back of the book as I feel that it would ruin the “professional” look.
Below are the images I am using for the photobook. Most of these are old family photos from my grandmother and mum and dad. There are also some recreations of old family photos at the end and some title pages including the front and back covers.
Write a book specification and describe in detail what your book will be about in terms of narrative, concept and design with reference to the same elements of bookmaking as above.
Narrative:What is your story? Describe in:3 words
My Family Story
A sentence
Where my family comes from and who came before me
A paragraph
I want to find out about where I came from and who came before me. I was never able to make many memories with my grandfathers from both my Dad’s and Mum’s side of the family. I want to get an idea of who they were and get to know them through the images I find.
Design: Consider the following
How you want your book to look and feel
I want it to be dull on the outside but colourful on the inside. I want it to feel like a hard back photobook
Paper and ink
I want the ink and paper to be faded so it has a very retro album look. I want it to look like an album that was made years before
Format, size and orientation
I want it to be an A4 size and portrait orientation
Binding and cover
I want the cover to have an image of the negatives that my family photos were developed with
Title
Decouverte Du Moi. My family has French heritage so I decided to name it something French which translates to discovering myself
Design and layout
Single full bleed images
Single images non full bleed with white border
Editing and sequencing
I want to sequence the images like a family time line from the first images I have of my great grand parents to my parents and me.
Images and text
Above is the front and back cover of my photo book. To make it, I used the title Decouverte Du Moi and included my name and title again on the spine of the book. The covers are made up of all of the dates from the photos I used in the photo book. I added a light yellow filter to allow the dates to be seen clearly.
Above is the finalised layout of my photo book with the additions of the few recreations of images that I have made. I have experimented with different layouts of pages for example, instead of two photos just next to each other, I put one photo bigger than the other below or above the other one. I think this looks better than the draft I had before.
Above is my first recreation that I finished. I recreated an image of my uncle when he was a baby next to a car. It is not an exact copy however I wouldn’t want it to be a replica as I want the images to be inspirited recreations rather than replicas.
The next inspirited recreation was an image of my mum and uncle on the hood of a car. I recreated it in front of my uncles house as the original was taken in front of my great uncles house. I used my mums car in the image and I think it is a good outcome.
The last recreation is of an image of my uncle and mum when they were children. The image has a blue/ grey colour to it so I applied a colour scheme to the image in photoshop to make it more accurate. I cropped the image and I think it is another good outcome.
Above are some examples of different layouts for photos to make the pages look more exciting versus two photos next to each other.
Outcome
The outcome from the photo book project is a book which reflects me and my family. It shows moments from my family’s history in which happy moments have been made, as well as sad moments. From the best to the worst moments family carries on and i believe that shows a real power to do with photography as a way of recording moments as well as how together, family is strong and overcomes the toughest of challenges.
what? This time I’ll focus more in the fashion side show the beauty of Mexico. Shoots: Mexican objects, Garden of flowers (between the flowers), Family photo, Strong women Frida Kahlo or Carmen Miranda
how? Colours and patterns will be needed. Pay attention to details like the clothes, the accessories, make-up, background, lights…
when? March
where? I want each photo to be a different story so for me it would be more suitable if I do each photo in a distinct location, They mostly be in house but I want to be spontaneous so anywhere that reminds of Mexico or I think is a perfect place for one of my stories would be great.
Carmen Miranda
My full inspiration will be on Martinez Gutierrez. Her photos are so colourful and represent indigenous people in a modern way that will be my challenge to acquire. She uses a lot of fun makeup and outfits all well thought. Here are some images i would like to produce
The images seen on the pages of this newspaper supplement are extracted from a variety of projects and final outcomes produced over a two-year academic programme of study by a group of A-Level photography students at Hautlieu School. In their final year the themes of Identity and Community offered a specific focus and through a series of creative challenges students developed a body of work that were inspired, partly from visiting heritage institutions to learn about aspects of Jersey’s unique history of immigration and exploring migrant communities and neighbourhoods in St Helier in a series of photo-walks. In the classroom additional inspiration was provided from workshops on NFTs (non-fungible token) and digital art, embroidery and textile art, animation and film-making, zine and photobook design led by professional artists, designers and teachers.
As part of the research and contextual studies students were asked to engage with some of the key questions raised by the Government of Jersey’s Island Identity project and explore through their own photographic studies how they interpret and identify distinctive qualities of island life. What can we learn from looking at a set of photographs produced by young islanders? At first sight they show us a seemingly random set of images of places, people and objects – some familiar, others surprising. On closer inspection each image is a visual sign and also a conundrum. For example, a fish stuffed in a plastic bottle may ask us to consider more closely our marine environment, commercial fishing or food consumption. As a combined sequence of images they represent different views that in many ways comment on a wider discussion on some of the primary objectives explored in the Island Identity project, such as ‘how we see ourselves’ and ‘how others see us.’
The newspaper was kindly sponsored by Deputy Carolyn Labey, Minister for International Development and Assistant Chief Minister who in her foreword shares her personal thoughts on what makes Jersey special to her in context of the Island Identity project led by her department. She says, ‘identity involves searching our soul, engaging with difficult issues, and asking not only who we are, but how others see us and what a vision for the future might look like. The perspective of students and young people in this debate is critical. Identity is a broad and far-reaching concept, one unique to all of us. This collection of images recognises both our differences and our commonalties. These times may be uncertain, but in my view the topic – ‘what Jersey means to you’ – is a fundamentally optimistic and forward-looking one.’
The Identity and Community newspaper is the fourth supplement produced in collaboration between Hautlieu School Photography Department and Jersey Evening Post. In 2018 the first issue was The Future of St Helier and last year the themes of Love & Rebellion explored experiences of isolation and lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic. Photographer and teacher Martin Toft, comments: ‘The question of ‘what makes Jersey special’ matters a great deal to every islander and as visual signs, the images printed on these pages are an attempt – not so much to provide answers – but rather asking questions about the essence of this island we call home, and how it actively will overcome current challenges in shaping a prosperous future for all.’
Evaluation
With my 2 photographs of the paper bag and the lighter in the sand they were both influenced by Anthropocene and the island identity. The paper bag photograph was a reflection of my identity and the connection I have with Anthropocene of the island especially the littering of fast food packaging such as McDonalds. With the other image of the beach it shows an overlay of the beautiful views this island presents with a contrast of how people treat it with disrespect. These photographs become a representation of the hidden truth and how instead of it being hidden in the photographs they are the main focus of it.
As well as using new photographic images of my own, I will also be using old archival images from my family photo albums. For these photos in particular I took images from albums created by my grandparents revolving around their time moving houses and their jobs. As these were all physical copies, I had to re-photograph these images to allow me to edit them on Lightroom and Photoshop. I did this by placing the photographs on a white paper background, making it easier for me to cut out the background, with lots of light so there would be no visible shadows. I also took photographs of the documents that were in these albums, such as certificates, ID, work emails and advertisements for houses which my family moved into. These documents will add to the sense of of a family photo album that I am trying to create with my photo book as well as being useful in creating digital photomontages that replicate this appearance.
With these images I will rework them both digitally and manually, by hand, creating new meanings to these old photographs. This will also help these images to fit in with my new images I have made as part of the series, making them coherent as a set of photographs, as some of the images from the new photoshoots will be reworked also. Examples of ways I will use this archival material to produce images for my photobook include embroidered pieces as well as digital photomontages.
Once photographing all of my archival material, I then uploaded them to Adobe Lightroom. Here, I went through the photographs flagging the images I thought would best aid my photo book narrative. I then rated the flagged images out of 5, to further refine my selection. Once I had done this, I colour coded the images I had rated 4 or 5, with green being my best quality and most useful pieces of material and yellow being of lower quality but not useless however, as some may be useful for photo montages. From this selection process I decided which images I was going to edit and rework, these being the green images.
In order to edit my archival material digitally or print them out to be reworked, I had to use the perspective warp tool on Photoshop to make sure the photograph’s dimensions were straight and not stretched out. This allowed me to make the archival material the same image size as my newly produced images.
My initial aims for this Josef Sudek inspired photoshoot were to combine the technique I discovered while on my ‘Photoshoot 2 – Pictorialism’ , creating a dream-like bur, with Sudek’s iconic display of flowers in clear vases being captured on window sills. I wanted to combine these ideas to create a whimsical depiction of nature, however showing how it can adapt to its surroundings – as if these flowers are symbols of hope. I planned on capturing my shoot using the windows inside my home, however I found it difficult to replicate Sudek’s compositions due to my windows not having such a large space underneath for the flowers to sit. Therefore, I had the plan to use my grandparents home to capture my images, a place still close to my heart that held meanings in location as well as subject. I aimed to conduct my shoot during the afternoon as I wanted there to be enough light to illuminate the subject, but not too much so that it became a silhouette. I planned on using the downstairs bedroom window which looks out onto the garden as I knew there were netting curtains that I could experiment with across the windows, I wanted to see whether this background still allowed for the observer to ‘look through’ the image. I had the idea to use an array of either singular flowers or bunches of flowers in the vase, I wanted to use a selection of types of flowers, and also a set of flowers that were more wilted to compare the effects and atmospheres they created.
Initial Shoot Experiments
This first shoot was conducted at my grandparents house, using their curtains to create a set of images with an abstract background. I wanted to mirror Sudek’s use of the rain which lined his windows/background but to experiment with a different pattern to see whether this created a similar mood. The lighting of the room was very cold on my shoot day, the sun was behind clouds which actually made it easier to capture the flowers without risk of them becoming silhouettes, however this also meant the warm pink tones that I had captured in my Photoshoot 1 and Photoshoot 2 were not replicated. I knew that I would have to heavily edit the tones and hues of these photographs in order to mirror my fantasy/dream-like theme, nevertheless I captured several images with strong compositions that I knew could be of use when creating my final selection.
Second Shoot Experiments
I decided there was a need to do a sub-shoot using the same theme and ideas, however this time using a different location where I could better reflect Sudek’s work. I discussed my idea of shooting in front of a panelled window with my friends and was lucky enough to be able to use one of their bedroom windows to conduct my shoot, it was a subtle reflection of Sudek’s location and gave me the opportunity to experiment with compositions lined up with the window panels. I began my shoot without steaming up my camera lens for a few images so when editing I could experiment with how I could manipulate the image to seem blurred in a Pictorialism style, without manually doing it on the day. I then used my technique of creating a fog over the lens with my breath to take the rest of the images, nevertheless there was still a blue hue that washed over my photos. I also wanted to replicate Sudek’s capturing of rain in the background of his images, however on the day of this photoshoot there was no rain forecast, so I came up with the idea of pouring a glass of water over the outside of the glass to look like raindrops rolling down the window. This idea was very successful and allowed me to experiment with aperture to focus on either the flower or the raindrops – I wanted to create a set of images that were delicate and soft, breaking up the fantasy world from previous shoots with hints of reality breaking down.
Juxtaposition Shoot Experiment
After going through my images from each photoshoot, I realized there were not enough nightmare style images to disrupt my photobook design, I wanted to have a book full of juxtapositions and disjointed hues of blue and peach that contrasted each other, conveying a sense of anxiety creeping in. Therefore, I decided on conducting a 4th photoshoot based on the idea of ‘nightmares’, bringing in the idea of Alice in Wonderland by photographing mirrors and clocks that could be placed next to images of foggy streams to link to the theme of escapism. I undertook this photoshoot around my home, capturing old photographs of my younger self/of family members using the blurry method, as well as capturing sharp images of them to contrast which looked better next to my other shoots. I wanted to focus some images on the idea of reflections, using a small mirror in my bedroom to act as symbol for clearing the mind, starting by capturing it fogged up and then capturing it from the same position once the mist disappeared. I used this photoshoot as an opportunity for experimentation, I knew that I would only choose a small selection of images to be presented in my final collection, however I still wanted to see how many ways I would portray the idea of ‘a nightmare’.
Editing
For the first flower experimental shoot I knew there would need to be a lot of manipulation in Lightroom to make the images fit my whimsical theme. I used this as an opportunity to use the different features of Lightroom that I had previously not used as much, such as turning down the clarity of the image and dehazing it to create an over-exposed style. I then saw how turning up the temperature and tint of the image would give it the same peach/pink filter that washed over my other shoots, creating this fantasy display similar to an old blurred photograph. After exploring how turning up or down the contrast/exposure/highlights of the image affected its atmosphere, I found the perfect balance of editing which created my final image. For the second flower shoot, there was still a blue hue that washed over the images due to the artificial indoor lighting being cold, therefore during the editing process I had to, again, turn up the temperature and tint of my images to fit my theme. Even though I had steamed up my lens for most of this shoot, I still used the dehaze and clarity feature to create more of a dreamlike blur over the photos, I believe this successfully replicated Sudek’s work while also bringing in my own personal fantasy style. The nightmare shoot images were mostly cold and lacked in vibrancy, however when editing the two images of my mirror I wanted to experiment with how increasing the blue hue created a mystical and dark atmosphere. All of my images have a fantasy theme, may it be soft positive dreams of childhood or mysterious dark memories rooted in anxiety – this shoot let me edit in an abstract style to separate my subjects from reality. I increased the contrast of this shoot to create sharp edges underneath the blur as there was a lot of shadows and darker tones that I could draw focus to – the circular composition of my mirror image is inviting and unsettling, which were the main ideas I wanted to convey during this shoot.
Final Sudek Inspired Images
Final Juxtaposition Images
Comparison to Sudek:
Josef Sudek | The Window of my Studio 1941-1954 | Comparison
Josef Sudek | The Window of my Studio 1941-1954 | Comparison
Sudek’s images are dark, they have a sense of mystery to them, and a sense of loss. Nevertheless, when I look at Sudek’s work, though there is loss, there is also hope – flowers are symbolic of life, it is as if Sudek (even in his confinement to his studio) is telling his observer there is still life wroth living – possibly he is trying to convince himself of this fact also. Comparing my work to Sudek’s, there is a clear link in subject and location – I have tried to replicate his surroundings as best I could with the weather circumstances etc – yet there is a contrast in atmosphere. My images are soft focused and bright, there is a content and calming mood within them as if the over-exposed highlights are beams of sunlight bringing joy and hope. Contrastingly, Sudek’s images are cold and dark – even without saturation it is clear that there is a gloomy atmosphere surrounding his subjects – hinting towards his own isolation. I wanted to create this difference to convey a sense of optimism, even though Sudek may be documenting a difficult time in his life there is still faith in nature and finding a way to adapt – this faith and hope is what I wanted to draw the most focus to in my images, they still give an impression of isolation, however this loneliness is surrounded by warmth and brightness as if its optimism for the future. Additionally, Sudek’s use of soft focus is replicated in my work, yet I have taken it to the extreme using my Pictorialism inspired technique – there is an impression of reality breaking down in both mine and Sudek’s work, with abstract shapes in the background creating an eerie atmosphere. Overall, I am really happy with how my Josef Sudek inspired photoshoot turned out, I have been able to experiment with different editing techniques and compositions, having to explore different ways of conveying a theme of anxiety, escapism and safety.
I wanted to create a set of images that combined the work of Robert Darch and Josef Sudek, mirroring techniques and themes used in Pictorialism photography. I plan on using the main location of Reg’s Garden, a community garden that I used to visit as a child with my grandparents, capturing areas where I would escape into imaginary worlds. I also plan on using my grandparents home for several images, using locations such as the kitchen, hallway and spare bedroom. In these rooms I hope to capture a sense of memory, past and nostalgia by photographing mirrors and doorways, windows that look into the past and provide a view to the future. The theme of safety is one I want to focus on in this shoot, the Pictorialist style will hopefully create a mystical yet welcoming atmosphere, using a soft blurred focus to distort any harsh textures or shadows in each image. I plan on conducting this photoshoot during the mid-afternoon, I want to take full advantage of the bright weather to create exaggerated highlights in my images. Experimenting with the Pictorialism technique is something I really want to explore in this shoot, I plan to bring Vaseline with me on the day to smear over the camera lens, however I would like to try using different materials to create the staple blurred filter over my images. This shoot will serve as an exploration of childhood imagination, physically capturing the Wonderland-like world I escaped to, whether I was happy, sad, confused or anxious – I want to display the dream-like state of ‘playing make believe’.
Editing:
I began editing in Adobe Lightroom, going through each image and flagging it if it portrayed the right atmosphere and theme I wanted to put across. Aesthetics was a feature that had importance in this shoot, I wanted my images to have a whimsical fantasy style that gave the impression of an almost ‘too perfect’ world. I looked for warm tones and orange hues when flagging my images, I found they were more successful when resembling colours of late evening sunsets as it created a cosy and welcoming atmosphere. After flagging my favourite images, I went through them again rating them from 1 -5 and focused on finding the meaning behind each image, when I took this image what did I have in mind? Does that message/idea come across successfully? Additionally, I wanted several images to hold a sort-of ‘escape route’ within them, may it be a door or a window, a clearing in the trees or a bridge to walk across – anything that could lead to this mystical world. Negative space that I captured in my images sometimes served as this ‘escape’, when sorting through and choosing which would be my final images to edit it was clear that keeping this fanciful narrative helped create my desired effect. Below is my selection of 5 star images, I considered colour, composition, meaning and light to create this selection and give the impression of an idyllic world full of imagination.
How I replicated Pictorialism:
I had planned on using Vaseline smeared over the camera lens to mimic that of Pictorialism, nevertheless when I began setting up for this shoot I though of a different idea and technique to create this imagery style. I wanted to create a gradual blur, some images slightly misty and foggy and others completely distorted, to compare how much I wanted to change the atmosphere of my surroundings in each image. Using Vaseline, although effective, was not the most practical material to create this gradual effect, as I would need to keep removing and reapplying the gel to the lens when I wanted less or more blur. Therefore, I thought of using my breath to steam up the lens, as the effect would ware off after a few seconds and I could take multiple shots of the same location as it gradually loses its blur. This allowed me to experiment with how much the lens should be steamed up when photographing to create enough blur to be distorted and dream-like, however not so much that the subject cannot be recognised as a bench or statue. As this project has such a personal connection to me, it was as if I was breathing life into these images to create this other-worldly effect – experimenting with how an image can be manipulated without editing it harshly in Photoshop or Lightroom was something I really wanted to explore. This Pictorialism imagery gives the impression of memories, foggy and blurred but still remembered as happy and content – there is a calmness to this shoot that when mixed with the oil-painting-style imagery portrays an imaginary world where anxiety disappears and childhood can live on.
Experimentation:
The images above and below were both taken in my grandparents home, it was the secondary location to Reg’s garden, holding memories of childhood and happiness. However, during the time of this shoot the lighting and weather was dull and cloudy, blue undertones and shadows made the images seem desolate and forgotten – which was no the atmosphere I wanted to create. When photographing I though of changing the ISO and white balance to create a warmer tone, however I was undecided as to whether the images would make it into my final selection, so did not make the changes. This gave me opportunity while editing to manipulate the highlights, temperature and tint of these photos in order for their colour pallet to match the rest of the blurred images. Instead of keeping the cold blues and putting these images with the ‘nightmare-style’ shoot, it made no sense to take a photo of a happy, loving place and change its whole meaning – therefore slightly warming the temperature and tones helped create my desired mood of welcoming. My grandparents home has always been a place where I have felt safe, as a child I would create stories in every room and escape from the outside world, using props such as cutting boards for boats or shields and curtains to keep the ‘monsters outside’ – all of these memories are now foggy yet still so clear, I wanted to use a Pictorialist style to show this.
Final Edited Images
Overall I am very pleased with how the final edits of this shoot turned out, using breath to manipulate the camera lens and capture a distorted scene allowed me to experiment with how a Pictorialist style can represent a fantasy world. Themes of serenity, perfection, calmness and persuasion were all ideas I wanted to keep in mind during the shoot. Using the style of Robert Darch by capturing nature in all of its beauty, and of Josef Sudek by taking his use of misty blurred surroundings, altogether created this display of fantasy. Using pink and orange tones that replicated a sunset throughout created this warm welcoming atmosphere, which will be disrupted by the harsh ‘nightmare’ shoot images which will break up my photobook. I am using Darch’s technique of progressing narrative through colours and tones, in The Vale of Despond by Dan Cox he describes this in Darch’s work; “A change in the palette of the images, another influence from the cinematic, signals this move, with cooler blues and yellows fading into greys, as the space becomes increasingly hostile.” I plan on creating a third photoshoot delving more into the world of Josef Sudek, being influenced by his study of flowers on a window sill and linking it to themes of adapting to my surroundings and to change. I want to progress these ideas further by experimenting more with the Pictorialism blur and using it to capture scenes in Sudek’s style.
