The distinguishing character or personality of an individual defines identity. Identity is who you are, the way you think about yourself, the way you are viewed by the world and the characteristics that define you. How we define ourselves is a self-representation of our culture, interests, relationships and efficacy in doing the things that matter to us. Our sense of identity and belonging is impacted by various factors, including our experiences, community and our physical environment.
Identity also helps us to make decisions and to know how to behave. We’re constantly faced with complex decisions and circumstances. With no prior beliefs about what we should do, weighing all the options and making a decision would be near impossible. Having a sense of what kind of person you are makes it much easier to decide how you should behave, and to have confidence in your choice between options. This makes decisions that would otherwise be agonising virtually effortless. However, strong identities can also be dangerous. The drive to protect your identity can be overpowering. Sometimes we can get so caught up in this that we neglect other important things: like being open-minded, truth-seeking, and kind to others. It’s hard to think clearly and objectively about something that you identify strongly with, it is possible that this is the driving force behind a lot of conflict in the world.
After going through my edited images, I decided that the two above were my most successful images. I wanted two images: One where the subject was facing the camera and one where she was facing the mirror. I think these two images would work well together placed vertically- and to achieve that I cropped both images and rotated them slightly to align the centre where the frame of the mirror divides both sides.
To explain the reasoning one last time, these photographs represent how everybody around you has a different perspective and different angle of how they see you in their mind to how you may see yourself, for example when you look into a mirror. However this is meaningless- you only look one way. Its all about perspective. In these images, the in the centre on this images is a frame (the mirror frame), which divides these two perspectives. One successful feature of these images is that the two sides completely contrast in tones. The background of one is very dark and the other is very light. As for the burns and parts of images coming through in Image 1 simply show a form of distortion. Part of the subjects face is cut out, but just replaced with the same image below just slightly moved. In image 2, it represents reality- the mirror image colliding with how others see you, this is because it can be true. People can see you the way you see yourself even if you don’t realise that. ‘There is dark in light and light in dark’. One thing I could have done is also printing and burning these photographs on photographic paper, this would have creating a melting effect, in addition some warmer colours around the burnt point.
When deciding how to display my images on paper, I though about some creative things, however this could distract the viewer and had no real meaning. I want my images to be clear and the focus point.
I took a photo of a plain picture frame and placed my images on using photoshop, however I didn’t like this outcome- there’s not enough contrast and depth bringing my images forward, they are also very close together making the viewer almost looking at these images as a whole rather than evaluating each them separately.
I liked this display a lot more than the previous one, It separates the images as well as making it clear that they are part of one idea. The small white border contrasts the black paper and makes my photographs pop, keeping the same black and white theme.
During my editing process of these 3 sequences I decided to keep it quite minimalistic, only heightening or lowering the saturation and brightness so that each group fit together better. Similar to the work of Julian Germain, I wanted to focus on creating a warm, happy environment within each group of images. When editing, I found it important to keep saturation of bright colours high, in order to reflect the joyful energy that overwhelms you when entering my grandparents home. I really enjoy how each sequence has a strong contrast between highlight and shadow, I think this range of tones creates quite an impactful image that quickly catches the observer’s eye while also helping them to understand the influence family has on identity- as if the light overweighs the shadow and makes it clear how important family relationships are.
Experimenting With Multi Exposure
I decided to experiment with creating two multi-exposure images to see whether telling the story was as easy with each image overlapping each other, to them being next to each other. I produced these two images on Photoshop by copying each layer and then pasting them over one another, lessening the opacity each time. I really like how multi-exposure images look and how they can tell a story through repetition- the work of visual artists such as Man Ray are very inspirational to me when creating these types of pieces. I believe that someone’s identity can be very much influenced not only by their surroundings, but what they choose to do in them. When creating these experiments it was clear to me that my grandparents identify immensely with the hobbies they do, I think these multi-exposure pieces really emphasise the importance of these activities to them and show the overwhelming joy the receive from doing what they love. Additionally, the images overlapping each other symbolises the many layers of meaning these scenes hold, like they are echoes of the past that my grandparents remember each time they start the cycle of activities again. Furthermore, I really like how in the second image the focus is on the cookery books yet the other 2 images are layered on top of them. I decided to make this editing choice because of my grandmother’s freedom in the kitchen- she owns so many recipe books yet never ends up sticking to the recipes inside them. This multi-exposure technique symbolises the overcoming love my grandmother has for cooking and how she would prefer to make up her own exciting meals rather than following what someone else tells her to do in a book. These two images hold many interesting ideas and connotations, however I believe the multi-exposure editing actually makes it quite difficult to really see what each images is, and the quality of the images themselves. I think when evaluating my ideas for my final pieces, these images wouldn’t flow as nicely when telling my grandparents story as the prior sequences would.
David Hilliard Inspired Photoshoot
When editing these three images from my David Hilliard inspired photoshoot I decided to, again do minimal editing, but also experiment with how vibrancy and colour can effect the mood or atmosphere of an image. These three images hold many vibrant colours, with the repetition of orange in the kitchen walls providing the clear dominant colour throughout. To keep this vibrancy, I slightly heightened the saturation of each image to really emphasise the bright atmosphere inside my grandparents home- which has impacted my family’s identity for the better through times of sorrow and loss. In addition, I wanted to make sure each element of this special room, such as mugs and kitchen utensils in the background, were easily recognisable. This was because my grandparents are not the biggest fans of change, nearly everything in their kitchen has been their since I was a toddler; the memories they all hold of us baking together when I was little are very special to me. In order to keep these things noticeable, I used the ‘sharpen’ tool on Photoshop for better clarity in each photograph.
Experimenting With Black and White
I chose to edit these specific three arrangements in black and white to experiment further with how colour can effect the atmosphere of an image- however in these images I believe the lack of colour actually influences the message and meaning of the photos. The unsaturated filter mirrors the photographs that were taken when my grandparents were children themselves, the black and white image is nostalgic to them and holds many happy memories. In fact, many of the images on the walls of my grandparents home were taken before colour cameras, so this editing links strongly to their childhood and their home itself. I love how the black and white filter emphasises the strong dark and light tones in these photos, it allows the observer to see a range of shadows that fall across each image. Furthermore, this editing clearly shows that the top two images have quite unbalanced tones, leaning more towards the shadow than highlight, whereas the bottom sequence is balanced between light and dark. Moreover, I chose these particular three images because of their link to my family’s identity, they hold many fond memories from past gatherings and childhood. The image exhibiting my grandparent’s chairs is very special to me, the area is a place in their home they will nearly always be and I love how the black and white editing allows the image to link with their past. Additionally, I chose to edit the bottom image due to its sentimentality towards my whole family’s life, with pictures on each wall depicting former achievements and the room’s joyful memories of family BBQs where we would set out drinks tables along with mountains of food. I think this unsaturated editing has added lots of links to the past to these images, however it has also taken away the warm happy atmosphere- it is possible the black and white filter has added a more gloomy mood to the photos so when choosing final images I will need to consider which option is best.
Identity can be defined in many different ways. Identity can be described as the fact of being who or what a person or thing is, the way you are viewed by the world and the characteristics that define you. However people in photography normally portray the word identity as something that you truly are whether you show it to the world or not, for example being gay but not coming out. The photography based around identity tries to portray the real identity of the person being photographed and show who they truly are compared to how the world sees them. Identity photography can also be used to show objects, people or hobbies people love and they feel expresses them.
Claude Cahun
Examples of Claude Cahun’s work
Claude Cahun was born in France on the 24th October 1894 and was born as Lucy Schwob. Lucy Schwob later became Claude Cahun to be gender neutral. She was a lesbian, photographer, sculptor and writer. Cahun was born into a prominent intellectual Jewish family with a Mother who suffered mental health issues meaning she was brought up by her blind Grandmother. As a teenager Claude suffered from multiple mental health issues such as depression , anorexia and suicidal thoughts. Also at this time she met her love and future lifelong partner Suzanne Malherbe, however Claude’s Father married Malherbes mother making them step-sisters although this did not stop them. She began making photographic self-portraits as early as 1912 (aged 18), and continued taking images of herself through the 1930s. Her images portray a dizzying kaleidoscopic mix of mystery, exuberance, and sobriety. She had an obsession with examining gender, using herself as subject. A year later she published her first collaboration with Malherbe titled “Vues et visions”. In her self-portraits, she presented herself sometimes as a man, sometimes as a woman, and sometimes so heavily made-up and costumed that it was impossible to determine her persona’s gender. A series of self-portraits from 1927–29 show her masquerading as a feminized male wearing lipstick, painted-on heart-shaped rouge, and a shirt with painted-on black nipples that reads, “I am in training, don’t kiss me.” Cahun died on December 8th , 1954 and it wasn’t until 40 years later that her work was noticed and appreciated by people.
I will be taking photos of landscapes and buildings so I will not need anyone to be in the photo. I will be taking the pictures.
What
I want to take pictures of important places/landscapes and buildings around Jersey that are linked to me and my family.
Why
I want to focus on buildings and settings because I want to show more about how the location I live in affects me and what places have meaning to them. I want to show that the history and memories of certain places can impact how we view something and how it can relate to specific people.
Where
I will go to Corbiere Lighthouse because my mums parents (my grandparents) favourite place is Corbiere and they live in England so I associate Corbiere with my grandparents, which is part of me as my grandparents are part of my family history. Corbiere also has an impact on Jerseys identity and history as it is surrounded by bunkers from when the Germans occupied Jersey.
When
I will go on a day where the sky is grey and there is no sun because I want the images to feel isolated. I also want to have one main subject of the photo and the background to be empty and simple.
How
I will be using a digital camera.
Contact Sheet
I chose to go on a day where it was misty and foggy because I knew that the sky would be empty and smooth which is what I wanted, it also added a sinister mood to the photos. When taking the photos I tried to focus on the positioning as I wanted the same horizonal split shown in some of Alec Soth’s work. I found a bunker with a bench on the top which I thought would be good to photograph as it links to the idea of isolation especially as it was facing the empty sky. To take the above images I used my phone because it was too damp for my camera however the images still came out how I wanted.
What: Self-portraits with different “traditional clothes” of different cultures and then show myself.
When: Monday 25th of January.
Where: Like in the first shoot the place was not the most important so I took the images in a room in my house where could find a white wall I also used lamps.
Why:
To show the different I grow up in and show what they made me.
Contact Sheets
First Selection
Seconde test
Edited
To create these colour effects I used photoshop. To start I had to crop the selected images then paste them on a white sheet for that I had to change the image to layer then the copy and finally the pasted on the sheet. Then when the images were well placed I started with the colour. For that I select a layer then create a black and white mask. The problem is when we create a mask the software selects all the images so to cancel it I double clicked to have the option “create clipping mask” which selects only the chosen image. After that I chose the colour I wanted. But as I wanted the background to be a different colour than me I had to erase the colour on me and for that I use the “brush tool”. In the end to have colour on me I repeat the same process
Comparison
The first thing we notice is that they are roughly the same style just what I was looking for. We can notice the same colours as: pink, purple, red, green and blue. The work of Andy Warhol has several colour contrasts, you can see it on the hair, the skin, the background and the make-up of Marilyn Monroe. On my work I wanted to have a shadow so that when I change it colour, the shadow will change the colour to darker. However we have one thing in common and it is always the same poses what is done on purpose.
As I was using old family photos for this final piece, I wanted to incorporate my own photography into these images. Therefore, I took simple headshots of my mum, dad, and myself at different angles in order to show comparison between the past and present. I used softer lighting for these portraits as I was going to cut them out and wanted to avoid harsh shadows.
I believe the images highlighted in red are my least successful images as they don’t capture the blurry movement that Francesca Woodman displays in her work. Also, the rain on the lens covers the majority of the model in these images, which makes them more difficult to comprehend in terms of the idea that I wanted to achieve.
The photographs highlighted in green are my most successful images, in my opinion, because they share the similar ominous affect that in common in Woodman’s work. Although the raindrops on the lens were not intentional, I think in these images they add to the hazy aesthetic of which Woodman achieves in her work.
David Hilliard’s work ‘The Tale is True’ holds several elements of my project’s message, showing the importance of family shaping our identities and how a certain place can impact a family’s entire perception of themselves. I love how Hilliard sets his images out in multi panel arrangements to tell a story as the observer’s gaze drifts over each photograph- I hope to mirror this technique when capturing and editing the images from this shoot. Furthermore, I am very inspired by Hilliard’s work as it tells a personal story between him and his father, something which I can reflect when photographing the personal link between me and my grandparents. Additionally, I want to mirror the way Hilliard takes many candid images because of their naturalistic atmosphere and inclusive nature. I think his use of staging images to look un-staged creates a very movie-like look in his photos, it is as if we are looking in on these people’s lives and they don’t even know we are there. Also, I aim to take inspiration from Hilliard’s intimate settings he captures his images in, I believe the use of place reflecting a person’s life/mood produces very personal link to identity.
Photoshoot Plan
Who – As they are the main focus of my identity project, I plan on photographing my grandparents in response to David Hilliard’s work. As I captured images of them in my last shoot, I believe my grandparents will be able to keep a candid nature while I photograph them.
What – My aim is to capture images of my grandparents on a normal weekend, doing the things they love to do in their safe home environment. I hope to photograph them reading and cooking while also taking photos of places in their home that are special to them.
Where – I will be conducting this photoshoot at my grandparents home in St Brelade due to its personal link to my family and our identity. I aim to capture images in different rooms around their home that have special memories linked with them.
When – I will conduct this photoshoot on Saturday 23rd January as the predicted sun will make it easier to light my images with natural sunlight coming in through the windows. I will also stay until evening to make use of the orange tinted lights around their home which will create a warmer atmosphere.
How – Similar to my last shoot, I aim to take photographs using natural lighting provided by sunlight and lamps around the house to produce images with a candid naturalistic nature. I will ask my grandparents to go about their day as if I was not taking photos of them to further this effect. Additionally, to capture multi-panel images like Hilliard, I will photograph rooms from 2 or 3 different perspectives so that I can edit them next to each other, creating a sequence.
Why – My aim in producing this photoshoot is to reflect the work of David Hilliard, creating multi-panel arrangements that tell stories about my family’s past and how they identify today. I want to show the importance of place and how someone’s home can hold so many memories.
Contact Sheets
Selected Images
I am extremely happy with how the images from this shoot turned out, I believe they successfully mirror the work of David Hilliard while also mirroring my personal photography experimentation. Firstly, I love how each sequence tells a different story, for example the multi-panel arrangements of my grandmother in the kitchen reflects her identity as an amateur cook, constantly providing meals for her family and doing what she loves. Due to the bright orange walls and colourful nature of my grandparents kitchen, the vibrancy of these photos is very high; representing the joy my grandmother gets from making up her own recipes and experimenting in the kitchen daily. The orange hue suggests the room holds a warm environment, reflecting the love that goes into everything they do. Additionally, the three arrangements depicting my grandfather on his iPad tells the story of family connecting all over the world. My grandparents spend lots of time on Facebook, checking up on and seeing what family and friends who may live far away are doing. I like how in these images the light from the screen reflects onto my grandfather’s face, connoting the idea that speaking with his loved ones holds such a prominent place inside him that when he does it he lights up a room. The multi-panel format I have used to arrange these images also suggests the people he is talking to are far away- physically in another country, but also mentally from losing connections with the people from his past. Furthermore, I have selected 2 sequences that present certain rooms in my grandparent’s home which hold personal memories. The first shows their downstairs spare room, a place that holds several photos of their younger selves, my family’s past memories and images of Jersey they remember from their childhood. The second ‘place’ based image shows my grandparents chairs, the place they can be found the most, usually reading the newspaper or calling family to say hello. These two areas of their home are very special to them and to me, the memories they hold have shaped our identities, the childhood nostalgia still influences us now. From a technical perspective, I really enjoy the use of lines in these images from the first’s green wardrobe and the second’s folded curtains. The lines represent an everlasting chain of family love, repeated throughout the home like the generations that grew up there.
David Hilliard is an American fine arts photographer who studied at the Yale School Of Art in 1994. Hilliard’s work is heavily inspired by the people around him and his personal life, his images document the simple aspects of life and the normality seen everyday inside someone’s home. This successfully links to my interpretation of this identity project as I also plan on photographing my grandparents during their generic day, showing how even the smallest things can make you happy and form who you are. Nevertheless, many of Hilliard’s photographs are staged to seem naturalistic, evoking a performative quality and a middle ground between fact and fiction. His work consists of panoramic style images which he forms out of various single photos, Hilliard explains here http://davidhilliard.com/info_pages/about.html how his images allow him to guide the observer’s focus through each photo, I really love the storytelling created in his work.
From the images above, it is clear Hilliard focuses on capturing very personal photographs that guide the observer through a private moment in his/someone else’s life. He not only photographs scenes dedicated to a specific subject, but also captures areas around their homes in rooms that may hold a special memory, or have a certain link to their lives. In Hilliard’s project ‘The Tale is True’, a series of images unfolding the story of father and son struggling to maintain their relationship, Hilliard wrote ‘it’s my intention that the photographs serve as a testament to perseverance; within even the bleakest of histories there exists threads of enduring hope, reminding us that even in the face of great adversity, we adapt and endure.’ I love the message behind Hilliard’s images and hope to take inspiration when furthering my identity project.
Image Analysis
David Hilliard | The Tale Is True | Smoke | 2012
David Hilliard’s project ‘The Tale Is True’ deconstructs issues surrounding familial relationships and the struggle to secure a sense of self and place in a chaotic world. Over 20 years, Hilliard documented images of him and his father, exploring their relationship and the process of aging. Most images in this series were taken at their Cape Cod family home, a place of legacy and tradition, serving as a symbol of identity and history. I love the use of perspective and distance in this image’s composition, alike Hilliard’s iconic work, the use of this panoramic style editing creates a fluidity and link between the images, when put together tells a personal story. In the left image, Hilliard has captured a self portrait sat at his dining room table and in the right he has photographed an empty chair at the end of this table. The distance between himself and this empty chair could symbolise his relationship with his father has deteriorated, possibly showing how he feels more alone as his father ages. Additionally, I really like the use of shadows in this image, especially the one that falls on the wall behind the chair. The shadow clearly shows that the image was taken during daylight, I love how Hilliard uses natural lighting from inside and outside his home to light his images. However, I think this shadow also tells the story of Hilliard’s father’s life- perhaps this was his chair, maybe it still is but as he has aged he may not be comfortable on it anymore? This shadow creates repetition of shape in the image, symbolising echoes of the past, present and future all being the same; it gives the impression that his father’s days may be or seem repetitive as he gets older. Furthermore, Hilliard’s capturing of lines in this image, for example the lines created by the torn plaster on the right wall, connote the idea that him and his father may be trying desperately to get things back to how they used to be. The tearing wall creates jagged lines which may represent his father’s health and the conflict in patterns with the table cloth and carpet may show Hilliard’s overwhelmed mind at a time when his family relationships may be crumbling.
