To start the process of creating my photobook i had to decide my focus following the theme of nostalgia. Initially, I was going to do Childhood vs Teen life as i wanted to explore the comparison and contrast. However once my teenage images began to form I realised I didnt need to physically include the childhood images to show the contrast as the teen images themselves are dramatic and emotive.

During this project I carried out multiple shoots which included two artist inspired shoots:

• Justine Kurland
• Jim Goldberg

Once I was content with the amount of images I had to work with, I started to sift out the less successful outcomes and began work on the successful ones.

On Lightroom, I edited the images to look how I had envisioned them to and selected my favourite outcomes.

I then used my 29 selected outcomes to begin my photobook layout and playing around with the different positions and orders to place them in.

Once I completed the layout and was happy with how the book looked i ordered a physical copy of my book.

My book was successful in many ways such as the overall images are visually appealing and powerful outcomes however after receiving my book i realised that some of my double page spreads were ruined by the fold in the centre of them which caused some portraits to look distorted etc. This was helpful though as in future I know to be more cautious with which images to use for double page spreads. Overall, this project was a success and taught me what to be aware of when creating a photobook.

process:

At the beginning of my project I knew that I wanted to base it around architecture some how. As I travelled around Jersey I began to notice the range of architecture pieces that we have and how there is such a contrast in many buildings. I decided to focus on the evolution of architecture in Jersey and how much it has been changing from older historical buildings that were efficient, to newer modern builds that feel are more just there to please the human eye. I did a total of seven photoshoots for my personal study with each trying to capture something new to add to my story. Some of my shoots focused on the modern side and some on the old side, however, some just became random without a plan as I decided to photograph buildings that I liked or thought would add contrast to my project. Within my project I also thought about the environmental changes that follow. Some houses have become more environmentally friendly with things such as solar panels etc. However, some builds create a large amount of waste which is damaging the planet more and more. Throughout my final book, I have shown a large amount of old and modern images. I think that this really allows the viewer to have a new perspective on architecture.

what went well:

Within my personal study, I think that there are a few things that went well. Firstly, I like the way that I have presented my book. I think that because I have mixed the old buildings up with the modern ones it make the contrast of both types much more visible. I also like how some of my old architecture images are in black and white, next to modern ones in colour as it makes both the images’ detail stand out. I also think that my book is clear on what it is about and shows the viewer what hidden architecture Jersey has to offer which many of us don’t see. Secondly, I think that my range of images show how much architecture is changing without us really realising. I think that the old images that I took appear to have more historical value and maybe mean much more than just a home etc, whereas the modern ones feel like there are there to impress others and fit into the more desired architecture style these days. Whilst I think these modern buildings are astounding, I see more value in the older ones as they meant more to people back then and have become almost a competition of who can have the most modern, pleasing home. Lastly, I am happy with how my final prints turned out and think that how I have presented them makes the detail within stand out.

possible improvements:

Overall, I think that there were only a few things that I wish I did differently. Firstly, I think that I could have photographed more older buildings to show viewers what Jersey used to look like compared to now. Saying this, I think this almost adds to my project as it shows how much it is changing at such a fast rate, losing the valuable architecture that we once had. Secondly, I think that whilst I did seven shoots, I think I could have explored the Island more as I didn’t really capture many images from a range of places. Following this, I also think that I could have added in some of the architecture that was damaged after the recent storm Ciarán. I think that this could have added depth to my projects to show that places that we feel safe in can change dramatically from things when we don’t necessarily expect it.

overall:

Overall, I am happy with my project and think that it portrays my theme of the evolution of architecture in Jersey well. I hope that from this project people will see more clearly how fast it is changing and that it is becoming something that some people don’t value as much anymore compared to how people used to.