1. 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

• 3 words

Friends, Family, Identity

• A sentence

A visual transition through time starting from my parents when they first came to the island and ending with myself as well as my friends, picturing friendship on the island.

• A paragraph

A photographic journey of island life which will begin with showing my parents when they first came to the island in the 1990s, how they developed friendships which turned into family. This will lead to my life of being brought up around friends and creating my own friendship through island life.

Design

Paper and ink

For that paper that will be in my photobook, I think the most fitting colour would be black as I plan to include still life images into the surrounding spaces of some of the photos that I include. Have the paper black will make the editing a lot easier and I feel that it will also give a more neat and tidy look to the final product. I also think that black will make my images stand out more as there is a contrast between the colour in each image and what will be the background colour.

Format, size and orientation, binding and cover

I want my photobook to be landscape as I feel that it will be most fitting for the photos I want to have in my book, I will have a hard cover with no dust cover as I feel that it will take away from the photos I would like to display at the front and back of my book. For the front and back cover I think that I will experiment with different collages, I have some ideas on what images will be featured on the cover of my photobook, mainly of my mum and dad, I am also deciding if I should include some of my own photos which have been taken for this project.

Title 

For my photo book I have decided to name it Inisfáil, which is an Irish word meaning ‘Island of destiny’. I believe that this name is fitting for my book as it is about the development of family and relationships on a small island like Jersey.

Editing and sequencing

For my editing I am taking inspiration from Carolle Benitah as well as Borthe Piontek, they both used manipulation techniques to help tell deeper story to their images. They both did this by hand, using physical objects to help make adaptations but I will be using photoshop. There will variation between each image but will all be linked by colour or the way I have edited the photographs.

Images and text

Throughout my photobook there will be a mix of archival images as well as photographs which I have taken myself for this specific collection. Some of my photographs will be editing in different styles which I will try to include features to make sure that they are all link and make a cohesive sequence. My plan is to make the images show a story through time and how living on an island like Jersey can disconnect you from family but also help you make a new one through friends that you meet along the way. In my photobook I hope to add some text on empty pages, I am going to try and get quotes or special massages that parts of my family say often or really like. I feel that this will help make a more structured and supported narrative behind my photos.