On Monday June 7th, we discovered an exibition called ‘People Make Jersey’ at the Jersey Museum. This exibitionn explores the history of Inmigration who has influenced and changed jersey. And explores why people have moved in the island over the centuries. We learned about religious persecution and that due to Jersey’s geographical proximity to France, Jersey has provided a refuge and a place of safety for like French catholiques in the 19 century. We discovered that during periods of political appival Victor Hugo and other immigrates across Europe find a refuge in the island during the 19 century. We also learned about economic migration, that people have come to the island to have a better life for their families. They showed us legacy we can see in the island. We saw testimonies from inmigrants.
After completing this project, my first thoughts overall are positive due to my thorough artist research, display of photography techniques and development of ideas. While working on this project, I discovered the relevance of saving family memories and the importance of communication during photoshoots. At several points at the time of my shoots, I found it difficult to get across my ideas to my grandparents which resulted in the beginning of these photoshoots producing images with little use. To overcome this, I showed my grandparents examples of the photographer’s work I was inspired by so they had an idea of what I was attempting to capture. One of the most important things I learnt personally was the impact of family in my life and the effect photography has to portray individual messages. I would say the biggest obstacle I overcame was definitely my overthinking at the start of this project. It was important for me to make a decision on my theme and initial ideas early on in the process so that I had a clear plan to stick to throughout. I am very pleased that I made this early decision as it definitely benefitted my time management and allowed me to research photographers promptly. I would say my greatest strength in this project was my ability to form storylines with groups of images, I believe I successfully connoted feelings of warmth and family love with my different sequences. In the future I hope to, again, stick to a set plan and idea from the start of the project and to have confidence in my initial ideas.
Now that it’s over, what are my first thoughts about this overall project? Are they mostly positive or negative? My first thoughts about this project is that overall I think that I did well, although I know there are areas for improvement.
If positive, what comes to mind specifically? Negative? I think that some things I did well were my presentation of my ideas and my case study and comparison. I think I could’ve analysed and evaluated my own final images in more detail.
What were some of the most interesting discoveries I made while working on this project? I discovered that I prefer and find it easier to have a physical final piece that I can hold rather than an image on my blog.
What were the challenges? I think that the thing I found most challenging was my time management, and also making sure that I had everything completed to the best of my ability.
How did I come up with my final best solution? I took inspiration from a range of different photographers, but I also used my own imagination to experiment with different ideas.
What most got in the way of my progress if anything? I think that my time management was the biggest thing that got in the way of me making a lot of progress.
What obstacles did I overcome? I was struggling to come up with ideas for my final pieces, but once I had taken a break and thought about the type of message and feeling I wanted to present, I was fine.
What did I learn were my greatest strengths? My biggest areas for improvement? I think that my greatest strength was that I was able to produce two final pieces that I was proud of, despite changing my mind a lot. I think my biggest area for improvement is my time management skills, and putting as much detail as possible into my blog posts.
What would I do differently if I were to approach the same problem again? I would try to be as prepared as possible by making a checklist of everything I needed to produce and include in my blog posts, and tick them off as I went along. I would also try to make sure I had got enough done beforehand as possible, as it would put less strain on me during the controlled conditions.
How will I use what I have learned in the future? I will use what I have learned in the future by ensuring I know what is expected of me to produce, and make sure that I put as much effort in as possible.
Now that it’s over, what are my first thoughts about this overall project? Are they mostly positive or negative? My initial thoughts after the controlled conditions exam are both positive and negative.
If positive, what comes to mind specifically? Negative? In terms of positive, I think my written work was good quality as I spent most of my time on those pieces, however I think my actual photographs could have been better.
What were some of the most interesting discoveries I made while working on this project? I enjoyed learning about Francesca Woodman as she died at the early age of 22 so I think her life story was very interesting.
What were the challenges? I think the hardest part of the project was capturing the photos themselves, as we had a timed limit and COVID made it difficult to take images of people.
What is the most important thing I learned personally? I’ve learnt that I need to take my images earlier in case I don’t like the outcome and need to take them again. I also need to plan my final plan for my images in advanced.
How did I come up with my final best solution? I decided to use Woodman’s simple method of long exposure and black and white for her study and I edited my images inspired by Carolle Benitah on photoshop rather than physically.
What most got in the way of my progress if anything? COVID got in the way of my progress as the bus times were limited so travel was difficult and there was a lack of people I could take photographs of. Also the time limit made the project difficult.
What obstacles did I overcome? I managed to finish my project within the 5 hour time limit.
What did I learn were my greatest strengths? My biggest areas for improvement? I think my strengths are my written work and detailed analysis and my weakness was my photographs and editing.
What would I do differently if I were to approach the same problem again? I would explore more ideas for my final photographs and prepare more in advanced with taking the photos.
What could I do differently from a personal standpoint the next time I work? Manage my time better in the 2 weeks leading to the exam and become more motivated to go above my expectations.
What can I improve? Taking physical photographs and exploring ideas.
How will I use what I have learned in the future? I will plan my photoshoots in the weeks leading to the exam and practice photoshop techniques.
I believe my attempt at recreating Carolle Benitah’s work with the theme of identity and place was successful as you can see clear similarities between my work and the work of Benitah, and I think I executed my ideas clearly by using inspiration of Carolle Benitah but adding my own ideas and methods to the images. I decided to colour over the eyes in each image as Benitah, herself often does this and I believe it adds a sense of curiosity and mystery as to how the individual has changed throughout their past purely through their appearance, and removing the eyes removes the emotion from the face, which allows the viewer to focus on the blank expression and the change in appearance, rather than emotion or personality.
In terms of identity and place, I think my images represent this theme well as it displays the past of both my relatives and myself, and how this formed my identity. I decided to also show the past versions of my parents as they also helped to form my identity, and it also shows how their own identity has changed from their past.
Francesca Woodman Inspired Photoshoot
I decided to study Francesca Woodman’s work for this project as she focuses on the struggle of mental illness and especially depression. Myself and my family, as well as millions of others, have struggled with their mental health in different periods of time which is why I believe it is an important part of a person’s identity, as it can affect both physical and emotional aspects of someone’s identity. I decided to use Woodman’s common method of long exposure, I feel like this represents mental illness in the sense that it produces a ghost-like movement and some may say living with a mental illness is almost like a ghost living in the present world, as they can feel excluded and lonely.
I think my attempt at recreating Francesca Woodman’s work was successful as similarities can be identified, the main similarity being the use of long exposure to give the photographs an uneasy atmosphere. I also used Woodman’s theme of the monochromatic filters for the same reason.
There is also visual differences between my work and the work of Francesca Woodman, such as the natural lighting used by Woodman is slightly softer and not as bright. Her photos also contain a lot of empty space, whereas the only empty space in my images is in the sky.
If I was to re-shoot these images I would have done them in an empty building with natural, soft lighting in order to achieve the same sort of shadows that Woodman’s images display. I also believe the use of the negative space would have added to the ominous aesthetic of the images, so I would change my location in order to shoot these images again.
I have chosen these final images due to their strong link to family identity and their reflection of my grandparents love. Additionally, I decided to subtitle this project ‘Identify With What, Who and Where You Love’ as I believe it completely encompasses my project’s aim to highlight the importance of how family relationships, childhood memories and nostalgic surroundings all have an immense impact on somebody’s identity over time.
Firstly, I chose three image sequences from my Julian Germain inspired photoshoot which feature my grandparents doing the activities they value the most. My effective use of vibrancy and colour illustrates the joy and contentment they receive from even the smallest things, such as fixing a flower arrangement or cooking up a family dinner. Furthermore, I believe my composition of these sequences powerfully alludes to the cyclical theme of love and how a certain thing one does, such as gardening, can hold so many positive memories that when its repeated over and over again it reminds us of the moments that shaped our life. I plan on positioning these three sequences in the order seen above, as each lead on from the other reflecting the changing time of day in a repetitive pattern. As my photographs document afternoon into evening, my arrangement of images grow warmer as they go on. This orange glow that surrounds each photo paints a welcoming safe atmosphere around my grandparents home, giving the impression they feel comfortable and at ease.
My final two chosen arrangements are from my David Hilliard inspired photoshoot, using multi-panel compositions to reflect specific moments of my family’s past. I selected these two arrangements due to their link to special areas of my grandparents home which remind me of my childhood as well as reminding them of theirs. The first piece shows my grandmother cooking in the kitchen, depicting her passion for providing for her loved ones. I love the way my David Hilliard inspired editing emphasises the contrast between the dark blue sky to the bright orange wall. This reflects the idea that even if its cold and dark outside, warmth and love will radiate through the home that holds my family’s memories. The second arrangement highlights the importance of place influencing identity over time- as these chairs have been around in my family for decades they echo remembrance to the moments that have shaped our lives.
Julian Germain Comparison
Julian Germain | For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness
My Original Images | Identify with what, who and where you love
I have decided to compare these three images by Julian Germain to one of my favourite sequences as they hold many similarities as well as some differences. Firstly, the most obvious similarity is that both arrangements show someone either cooking, eating or drinking- reflecting the trivial aspects of everyday life. Additionally, the compositions of each image are related in the way that the first of each set shows a still life image, the second displays someone cooking and the third presents these subjects as the main focal point. Germain’s project ‘for every minute you are angry you lose 60 seconds of happiness’ has a very naturalistic candid nature, his images resonate with the observer in a way of reminding them about appreciating the small things in life. I have mirrored this idea in my images by presenting my grandparents in their home environment, conducting activities they feel talented at and proud of. This strongly links to Germain’s ideas on presenting people without self-importance and showing how what someone may see as tedious or mundane, others may pride their whole identity on. Furthermore, our pieces link in terms of repetition and theme of colour- although Germain uses a motif teal colour in his images and I have used the repetition of orange, we can still see the similarity in how colour can represent meaning. For example, the blues seen in Germain’s images create a calm serene atmosphere, reflecting his subjects contentment in life. However, the bright sunset orange tones in my sequence evoke a warm feeling from the observer and successfully radiates the hospitable atmosphere inside my grandparents home.
David Hilliard Comparison
One clear similarity between David Hilliard’s image and mine is their focus on place, an area that has obvious meaning and past. Both images show old chairs with stories behind them, connoting the idea that your identity may be influenced by the rooms in your home holding special memories from childhood, or even present normalities you anticipate seeing everyday. Hilliard’s image implies his relationship with his father is breaking down, made clear by his use of composition separating where he would sit from the rest of the room; perhaps symbolising his fathers disconnection to their life. However, as my project focuses on the positive aspects of family relationships, my image displays two chairs close together, symbolising my grandparents closeness and love for each other. Furthermore, Hilliard has captured an image with more cold colours and a central theme of emptiness, whereas I have photographed a busier image with hot colours revolving around the topic of intimacy and affection. This contrast effectively shows the difference between families identities and how they maintain or dispute relationships with each other. Moreover, there is a similarity within the lines of each image, Hilliard has captured the thin straight lines of his window which could epitomise the little family he has left. Nevertheless, I have photographed the repeated thick lines from the blinds, indicating towards my large family and strong relationships we have with one another. Although mine and David Hilliard’s work have differences, both still emphasise the theme of identity while embodying the contrast between a positive family relationship, and an negative one.
Review and Reflection
My aims and intentions for this ‘Identity and Place’ project were to reflect the importance of family relationships, love and upbringing having an effect on somebody’s identity. I wanted to capture images depicting how my grandparent’s home is a place of safety and nostalgia, holding memories of family for generations. Additionally, I wanted to explore how certain lighting choices, settings and motivations impacted the atmosphere and message of an image, I found it important to display the joyful mood of their home to mirror the positive relationship I have with my family. I believe my final outcomes successfully present identity as a concept influenced by those we love and care for. My use of candid portrait photography effectively shows the naturalism of my grandparents happiness and expresses the idea that contentment can come from the smallest of things. During my photoshoots inspired by photographers such as Julian Germain and David Hilliard, I produced images with confidence, showing the significance of our surroundings shaping our lives. I love how my images use a diverse range of camera angles, colours and perspective to solidify the idea of identity linking with family and the nostalgic memories surrounding my grandparent’s home. If I were to further develop this project, or in future projects similar to this, I would like to study painters and graphic designers as well as just photographers to explore a wider range of photographic techniques.
I believe my work is similar to the work of Francesca Woodman but they also have their differences. They are similar in the sense that they both use the method of long exposure to capture the movement of the model in the photo in an almost ghost-like way. They both also have a monochromatic theme, which adds to the ominous atmosphere, as well as the dark coloured clothing which features in my work and the work of woodman.
However, they are different in the sense that the natural lighting used by woodman is slightly softer than the one in my photo. The setting of Francesca Woodman’s photograph is also filled with empty, negative space whereas my image contains a lot of filled, positive space. The overall composition of Woodman’s images are a lot more simple than my own, as she takes her photographs in an empty room which I did not have access to within the time limit of the project.
“Pomplondin” – Carolle Benitah (from series ‘Photos-Souvenirs’ published 2016)
My Work
My recreation of Carolle Benitah’s work has both similarities and differences to Benitah’s images, for example they are similar in the sense that the images are brought to life with thin lines of colour, which juxtaposes against the monochrome background. I chose to add colour through the paintbrush tool on photoshop, whereas Benitah uses the traditional method of embroidery.
I used old family photos in my final photographs, which Benitah also uses in her work. I chose to combine my own photography into my work so I took simple portrait headshots of my mum, dad, and myself.
The main difference between my work and the work of Carolle Benitah is that I digitally edited my photographs, and Benitah edits her images physically.
If I was to do this project again I would have attempted Benitah’s method of embroidery to add colour to my photographs, as I feel like digitally editing colour onto the images removes a sense of rawness from the images, and I think the contrast in textures and patterns would have created more interest to the viewer.
First, I cropped my chosen image in order to focus on the focal point and to make the image more central and even.
I then changed the colour of the image to black and white as Woodman’s work is mostly in black and white. This adds the eerie aesthetic of Woodman’s style of photography.
Lastly, I edited the curves adjustments to achieve the sombre darkness contrasting with the lighter areas.
