Daniel W. Coburn is an American photographer who doesn’t follow traditional methods of photography, often using a slow shutter speed to create purposefully blurred images along with a mix of well focused images to represent his ideas.

I am particularly inspired by his series ‘Next of Kin’ where he staged photographs of his immediate family members and explored various themes without sugar coating how he and his family are together, leaving him with a raw set of images rather than creating the stereotypical, picture-perfect photo album. Along with that, I also take inspiration from his series ‘The Hereditary Estate’ where he continues with the theme mentioned above whilst delving into the darker side of his family history, highlighting what would’ve otherwise been supressed. In this series, however, he chose to take exclusively black and white photos of objects and places rather than just focusing on his family members, creating a more emotional response, especially once compared to ‘Next of Kin’, almost making it seem as everyone has disappeared.

I plan on taking some photos in a similar style as Coburn, using careful composition of me and my parents mixed in with some images of personal items/places in order to create a meaningful set of photos.

Next of Kin Series: Examples

The Hereditary Estate Series: Examples

Question: In what way does being Portuguese in Jersey affect the sense of belonging?___________________________________________________________________

Jersey to me acts like a tutorial level in a video game; a safe, closed off area that allows me to learn and develop skills before I move on to the real world when I am ready. I value this idea as it is quite comforting at times to know that I have a place to explore with all kinds of people, however, I often find myself feeling quite insignificant due to the isolation that being on an island brings which is sometimes exaggerated due to the fact that I am Portuguese living on an English island. The disconnection from both the Portuguese culture and Jersey’s culture leave me in an awkward position as I find that I am too Portuguese for the English people and too English for the Portuguese people. I would like to explore the Portuguese experience in Jersey as it is something I have first-hand experience in and feel as though I could fully delve into, including both the positive and negatives rather than sugar-coating it. I’d like to specifically explore being Portuguese in Jersey whilst touching on the topic of mental health due to how isolating it can be at times. 

I’d like to begin by exploring the word ‘belonging’ both what it means and its implications. Belonging is often described as a feeling of security and acceptance, comfortably being able to exist within a space without fearing social rejection or being outcasted which I believe links into postmodernist photography due to how the definition of ‘the sense of belonging’ is subjective. Various individuals can have different ideas/interpretations of the phrase which can include both positive and negative connotations, making it an interesting feeling to explore, especially photographically as it has no limits. Postmodernism came about in the 1900’s and was considered controversial at the time. The style itself was created as a response to modernism, allowing room for references outside of the piece itself [i.e: context from the political world at the time] and combining previous movements [such as surrealism and expressionism] together to create, moving away from traditional rules in favour of new concepts rather than making pieces to be taken at face value, rejecting previous movements like the modernist movement did.  

For this project, I’ll be referencing postmodern photography within my work alongside the use of documentary photography as I believe in order for me to successfully create a project that represents ‘the sense of belonging’ in regard to culture, I’ll need to explore the realistic aspect of my project, capturing images of how life is for Portuguese people – such as my family and I – before being able to delve deeper, adding more postmodern aspects to my work later on as I attempt to capture more complex/creative images after fully delving into my work. I’ll be using a digital camera throughout my project along with a mix of older images from my parents in order to create a point of comparison whilst also experimenting with their images. 

Keywords for my project:

Photoshoot Ideas:

• Take some self portraits so I can start exploring what parts of me and my culture I feel comfortable sharing and what I can capture/portray through my images. These photos will be in my room so I can start my project in a comfortable environment before I delve off elsewhere in future photoshoots. I’m mainly going to be experimenting with colour, props and lighting to see what I feel would work best with my theme
• Take some images outside in some locations where I know my parents have taken photos before as I’d like to take images in places that are/have been significant to us. I’m not keen on recreating the images identically as it would be difficult with my parents’ work schedules, however, I may attempt to recreate some of the images with myself instead
• Take some images near/at some Portuguese cafes/shops in order to show some of the day to day life of the community rather than have a bunch of photos of myself. I think this would add some life to the project, making it more interesting
• Taking some environmental/documentary photos both at home and at my mum’s work as it would give me some raw images that would make my project feel more real and intimate, especially as the project wouldn’t be entirely made up of posed images
• Taking some photos of my family’s passports as well due to the fact mine is different due to the fact that mine is British which would show a contrast between us
• Possibly take images in English households and compare the different cultures?
• Blurry, windy, dark images on the beach? More abstract images outside
• Journal entries in Portuguese? Family albums/older images? Possibly compare life in Madeira to life in Jersey
• Maybe start at the airport? then La Plage, red park, etc etc then follow it down to now? Set it up like a map or something similar?
• Maybe some photos of my parent’s hands/arms? Representing how a lot of migrant communities tend to work hard at the jobs natives may not want? Maybe juxtapose this with a quote about ‘stealing jobs’? Either that or a tired face?

Some images that link to my ideas:

A crown dependency is territory that is self-governing under the authority/supervision of the British Crown meaning they have their own legal systems, legislative assemblies etc however are not a part of the UK. There are multiple Crown dependency’s in the modern day such as Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.

Jersey first became self-governing in 1204 after King John lost the Battle of Rouen against the French King Philippe-Auguste. At the time, the Channel islands were expected to have aligned themselves with France, however they decided to side with King John instead as it would grant them the right to be governed by their own laws, create the Jersey Royal Court [by allowing Jersey to choose their 12 best men to sit alongside the Bailiff] and a warden [which later became Governor] who was appointed by the King to organise the Island’s defence.

I went to my mum’s part time job and decided to photograph certain areas around the building that I thought would look interesting with my projects topic. I took these images on my phone as I wanted to take some test shots before bringing my camera to take better quality images as it would allow me to take quick photos and start thinking of some compositions along with some lighting issues that I could have [due to how dark the building can get] so next time I’ll be prepared to take better quality images with little to no issues.

Contact Sheets:

I didn’t take too many photos as I was aiming to see what was achievable with the limited/dim lighting which led to some basic compositions that I could later improve when I go back with my camera to reshoot the location. I tried to photograph areas that I thought would make interesting photos so that I would waste less time scouting interesting photos and more time photographing next time I return.

Best Shots: Post-editing

I think my mock images look really interesting already, especially due to the different types of lighting I’ve managed to achieve with a limited source. When I go back to take new images on my camera, I’m going to try and get more perspectives and take my time to make sure my images are in focus so I get a bigger selection of images that I can use in different ways throughout my project especially as I now have a better idea of what I can achieve and how my images will link together.

I wanted to begin my photoshoot in a personal place where I could comfortably explore aspects of me and my identity so I decided to take photos in my room. From here, I knew I would be able to generate ideas and play around with different types of lighting before exploring them further in future photoshoots.

Contact Sheets

I took some inspiration from my previous photoshoot a year ago on my identity and played around with new ideas and props. I really enjoyed this photoshoot as I played around with various items, lights, shadows and camera settings. For example, at the start of the photoshoot I used my phone as a light source to reflect green light onto my face, creating a basic overlay that I had total control over. Later on in my photoshoot, I used a post-it note to make a cone and create a mini spotlight to project onto me which I then used to explore different compositions that focused on my facial expressions. At the end of my photoshoot, I used a slow shutter speed whilst waving around a stick of incense in front of the camera and around my face which made a really interesting blurred red line across each image which I really like the look of.

I also put a lot of thought into my colour choices throughout the photoshoot, making sure to use yellows, reds and greens; the colours on the Portuguese flag. I thought it would be a subtle way of incorporating a big part of my identity into the photoshoot as the details may help to connect the images with my future shoots later on.

Best Shots: Post Editing

PICTORIALISM

Time Period:

1880’s-1920’s

Key characteristics/ conventions :

Aimed to make photography an art form, hands on process, aim was creating photos that resembled paintings/art using different techniques, floating existence, similar to music, ‘floating romance’?, dreamlike, staged images,

Artists associated:

Alfred Stieglitz, Julia Margaret Cameron, Peter Henry Emmerson & his theory on natural photography, the Vienna camera club, the brotherhood of the linked ring, Frank Eugene, Sally Mann [modern take on pictorialism]

Influences:

Allegorical Painting:

Key works:

Methods/ techniques/ processes:

Smearing Vaseline on lenses [making the images looks soft/fuzzy], manipulated images/negatives in the dark room [using chemicals], scratch the images/negatives using different tools,

REALISM / STRAIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

Time Period:

1920’s

Key characteristics/ conventions :

Sharp focus images that are full of detail, shadows, abstract forms, architecture, geometric forms, structured images

Artists associated:

Edward Weston, Walker Evans, Paul Strand, Alfred Stieglitz, Ansel Adams

Influences:

Picasso, Cubism:

Key works:

Methods/ techniques/ processes:

No manipulation, clear focus, ‘face reality,

Social Reform Photography

Time Period:

Early 1900’s

Key Characteristics:

Photos on issues happening at the time, documenting the urbanisation, not meant to look nice/pretty

Artists associated:

Dorothy Lange, Lewis W Hine, Jacob Riis,

Influences:

Key Works:

Methods/ techniques/ processes

Documentary photography, raw/real images,

MODERNISM

Time period:

Late 19th century – Early 20th century [photography itself was a modernist invention]

Key characteristics/ conventions :

Photojournalism, emphasised the truth/materiality of a work of art, believed meaning was embedded in work/created by the artist themselves [not interested in context], tried to produce timeless pieces that did not link to history/tradition, rejected older concepts + movements,

Artists associated:

Margaret Bourke-White, Ansel Adams,

Influences:

Against the enlightenment [pro science and technology], dadaism [Hannah Hoch], expressionism, surrealism,

Key works:

Methods/ techniques/ processes:

Form, composition, focuses on object rather than content,

POST-MODERNISM

Time Period:

1900s – 1960s

Key characteristics/ conventions :

Believed in individuals creating their own meanings for art, came about as a reaction to modernism, a backlash against modernity, references things outside of the artwork [i.e: context such as politics, psychology etc], a mix of various styles,

Artists associated:

Heidegger, Derrider, Lyotard

Influences:

Mix of different concepts, disenchantment from WW2

Key works:

Methods/ techniques/ processes:

Nihilistic, rationality, objectivity, universalism, relativism, identity, colonialism, eclecticism,

Stephen Shore: Brief Summary

3 Quotes from an interview:

• “One of the key indicators of success is ambition. With some students, I know they have more talent than they think they have, but they have little ambition”
• “A less mediated experience; it’s still about making a photo that is less the product of visual and artistic convention”
• “If you were an actor, you’d have to learn how to walk with a conscious mind. You’d have to walk consciously across a stage – being observed while trying to look natural… There is an essential difference between that actor looking natural and the stagehand who walks naturally onto the stage after the performance… And I’m convinced there’s something equivalent to this in photography.”

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I agree with Shore’s ideas about photography, particularly with his point about ambition as I believe someone can have talent in an area but if they don’t try to do better, they will not improve and will overtaken by those who are motivated to do their best. This also links with his point about consciously photographing as improvement only comes when a person actively chooses to do better – an individual has to consciously choose what they want to photograph and what they want that image to become if they want their images to look great rather than just photographing for the sake of doing so.

However, I’m not sure if I agree with Shore’s ideas about having photography be a less mediated experience as I think it’s up to the individual photographer to decide. On one hand, photography is not always about conveying a message or feeling as it can be as simple as appreciating a view or moment and wanting to revisit it later through the capture, yet, some images work a lot better with a meaning attached to it, making it feel more sentimental and real to the viewer/photographer themselves.

Image analysis:

Moodboard:

I began my Moodboard by looking at a variety of Portuguese photographers as I wanted to reference work from the culture and see what perspectives I could take for my project. I struggled at first as I wasn’t sure what to search for but eventually I began finding some inspiration.

Whilst searching, I did come across some non-Portuguese photographers with images that I thought looked interesting and decided to add them to my Moodboard too.

I’ve also decided to look at some street photography around corner shops as I know there are quite a few Portuguese corner shops around Jersey and I’d like to explore photographing people there in order to explore the social aspect for my project.

Jersey to me acts like a tutorial level in a video game; a safe, closed off area that allows me to learn and develop skills before I move on to the real world when I’m ready. I value this idea as it’s quite comforting at times to know that I have a place to explore with all kinds of people, however, I often find myself feeling quite insignificant due to the isolation that being on an island brings which is sometimes exaggerated due to the fact that I’m Portuguese living on an English island. The disconnection from both the Portuguese culture and Jersey’s culture leave me in an awkward position as I find that I’m too Portuguese for the English people and too English for the Portuguese people.

In my personal study, I’d like to explore my experience in Jersey as it’s something I have first hand experience in and think I could passionately make a personal study on. I’d specifically like to explore being Portuguese in Jersey whilst touching on the topic of mental health due to how isolating it can be at times. I have several ideas on how I could photograph this topic, however, I’m focusing on taking a variety of photos from self portraits to landscapes and possibly some environmental portraits in order to portray my topic to the best of my ability.

I plan on referencing some of Rui Palha’s work as I think his street photography in Portugal is very intriguing to look at. The lack of colour adds a mysterious aspect to his work whilst allowing different aspects of the image to stand out due to the contrasting black and white tones. Along with that, the lack of actual faces sticks out to me as he seems to photograph the back of people’s heads, taking away some of their identity which represents how he himself struggles to express his own feelings but enjoys capturing them through photography.