Contact sheet

The photographs have been taken in 4 separate shoots

These photographs are the ones I considered usable based on sharpness and exposure.

I 5 starred my favourite photographs after comparing angle, shadows and sharpness more in depth.

Experimentation

I increased the contrast, saturation and vibrance as well as the shadows and blacks as I wanted to make the photograph look extreme and surreal. I decreased the highlights and the whites as i though it was a bit too much for the eyes considering the amount of colour. I decreased the texture and clarity in order to make the photograph feel more soft and liquid.

I converted the photograph to black and white as I felt colour to be unnecessary for communicating the message but rather a distraction. I used a radial filter in order to preserve the sharpness of the central image as I distort the surroundings by increasing texture and using dehaze. I wanted the photograph to look dark and gritty, a bit hard on the eyes, a total opposite of the pervious photograph as I created them to be displayed together.

For both photographs I used a glass to create the ring around the main object. I wanted to create a distortion, a ripple in reality to represent the polar extremes of delusion.

Final outcomes

I decided to include the essay in the final book as I though it would help me convey the point as well give some background and context to the photographs. The front cover was supposed to be inviting, a declaration of transparency as eyes are the window to the soul. The photographs on pages 12 and 13 portray the idea of the anima and the animus, or the femininity and masculinity, within the shadow. Page 16 touches on the theory of the tabula rasa, we are born without the filter we call the ego, however, on page 17 we can see the transition into the persona, formed by the preconceived notions, the filter of what is acceptable or desirable by its standards. The prism on page 23 is explained by the quote, it represent the idea that the fragmentation of the psyche happens due to the egos filters. The strands of DNA are meant to represent the collective subconscious and the universal elements originated in the inherited structure of the brain, all the parts of you encoded in you DNA, passed on for generation. The last photograph I thought would be a good closing as everything that begins must also end.

I feel that the photobook was able to convey the message successfully in combination with the essay. However, a lot of the meaning derives from the way the viewer interprets the photos for themselves. The message could potentially be delivered better if the photographs contained titles to narrow down the field for interpretation. On the other hand, the purpose of the photobook was to explore the subconscious and photographs open to interpretation offer the viewer the opportunity to take a dive into their own subconscious. It is similar to the work of the reference artist Roger Ballen, who inspired this project, in the way it explores the darker parts of the subconscious such as hallucination and delusion and the psychological shadow. The main difference between mine and Ballens work is that I portray the positive side of duality through colour as well as symbolism. Another difference is that I used editing tools quite heavily in order to portray the concepts in an abstract form. Evaluating the technical side of the project, I feel that I could have played more with lighting in order to communicate the nature of duality. Some photographs could have also been taken with more pressure on the technical aspects most specifically shutter speed and aperture as well as focus. Some pictures came out not focused enough or a bit blurred due to low shutter speed and movement while shooting handheld. Exposure could have also been improved by adjusting the shutter speed and the ISO depending on the conditions. For the future I will definitely use a camera stand as offers stability and gives me the opportunity to properly adjust my camera settings to a certain environment. Overall I am happy with my outcome, a few adjustments could have been made to improve the quality of my work however I feel the imperfections in the project help serve the overall purpose in that it relates to our own flaws.

Digital Gallery

Throughout my project, i took roughly around 500-600 images. I didn’t stick to a schedule of doing planned photoshoots, instead I took my camera around whenever i was with my friends and took images when something interesting caught my eye. Lighting and setting was a key element whilst using this method as i feel those are the main components for creating an eye-catching photograph.

My photoshoots consisted of three main settings; car drives, forests/parks, and in houses. Other images i took were photographed at random places, either around town or further out in Jersey.

CAR DRIVES

This is an example of one of my better outcomes of photographs taken on car drives. I like this photo because there is a viewpoint, the subject is making eye contact, and there is a distinctive square-shape around her head which catches the viewers eye. The background is devoid of any unwanted objects, and the colour of her hair and eyes is brought out by the blander colours surrounding her.

This image is part of a mini-photoshoot I took outside this shop. Although i liked how the silhouette looked in contrast to the bright lights of the shop, i felt there were too many focus points which made the photo look chaotic and messy.

FORESTS/PARKS

When out at night in forests with my friends, it was more difficult to get the outcome i wanted with my images due to lighting – therefore I had to adjust the ISO and shutter speed whilst taking my photos. This is an example of one of the better images i took whilst at this forest, a setting where i composed the most photographs. I like this photo because of the silhouette of the trees and singular star in the sky that catches the viewers eye if they look hard enough. I also think the red from the fire illuminating my friends faces looks good with the photo as the colours correspond well to each other.

This image is an example of wrong ISO and shutter speed and the outcome it will have when taken in dark lighting. I was disappointed with this image as i felt it could’ve turned out well and had good elements of colour and focus, but was too blurry to use in my photobook.

HOUSES

This image is an example of a better outcome because it represents my theme well. A persons bedroom and how they decorate it is a reflection of their identity, so by capturing photos of my friends in their rooms i can communicate my theme without directly showing it as portrayal of youth culture through small details. Lighting is also a key element in producing a good photo and i felt the lighting in this image was the right colour and brightness to get the image i wanted.

Since the main source of lighting in the room was only coming from a certain point, i had to take into consideration angles i photographed at whilst making my image. This photo is an example of how a poor angle can reflect badly on lighting – the image itself is too dark, and places the focus on the lamp, whereas instead i wanted myself to be the viewpoint of the image.