I decided to name my book ‘Chasing Dreams’ because I feel like it gives the reader an idea of the contents, and the meaning of my images. It also links with my front cover, which is an archived image of me as a child. I chose to edit the images in a dreamy style to link to the idea of childhood, and how for me, I remember places feeling magical. I chose the back image to be the shells, because it connects to the beach on the front cover, and the leading lines follow in a direction that lead through the image; foreshadowing the idea of having something to chase.
Whilst making the book, I decided to add test from a series of poems I had read to me as a child. The collection is from the Flower Fairies. They link well with the nostalgic theme, but also are based on nature and connect with the images. I selected the poems I would want, using just some sentences, or the full poem, and spreading them across pages or just on one. I carefully decided which images I would use, and made sure I kept a reasonable amount without over using them. Again, these poems and fairies are very nostalgic to me, and they help my boo feel personal in some senses.
Unlike Kawauchi, I used a variety of layouts to create an unorganised flow throughout the book. I made sure there wasn’t too much repetition of layouts, and that my best images were on double pages spreads.
I experimented placing different images next to each other to make sure there was a story being told, whilst creating an aesthetic that linked between images.
I decided to put my essay at the end of the book because it authenticates my thought process behind my images, and how I was inspired by the Japanese aethetics.
Overall, I am pleased with the outcome of my book because it captures the dream-like aesthetic I was aiming for, whilst creating a visceral and surreal feeling. Its meaning is slightly ambiguous, which I really enjoy because it gives the reader a reason to think about the meaning and what the story is. I made sure my edits all had similar colour tones, exposures and light, shadows and depth to keep each shoot alike. One thing I may have changed would be taking more photos to give a greater variety of images, like Kawauchi. However her collection in Illuminance were taken over fifteen years, so I think I would struggle to create such a wide range. I feel like I have captured nostalgia and childhood dreams in my own way, and I am happy with the overall outcome.
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:
Overall, my story is based around childhood memories through a nostalgic sense/ emotion.
Design
I want my book to be a hardcover:
I will be using BLURB to print my book
1) because it will be a strong book that will last longer
2) Hardcovers have a nicer feel to them, and the heaviness of Kawauchi’s adds to the story
The paper I want to use is glossy, because a majority of my images have a composition with light in them. With golssy paper, I think the colours, vibrancy and light will be stronger and more impactful than matt. The shape of the book will be landscape, either 8×11 or 11×14 (inches). I am going to choose a to have end papers to protect the first and last pages, and also give the book a ‘start’ and ‘finish’. If it is possible, I would like to use signatures, like ‘ILLUMINANCE’ due to the fact i don’t want a slope in the pages.
Unlike kawauchi, I want an inconsistent layout of photos. I am using portrait and landscape, and might layer one on another to lead the story. However, I do not want to create a messy or over complicated layout, so I will make sure to design it carefully.
I may add in some handwirtten text about my images, with writing such as why a place is nostalgic to me, or what the memories hold from my childhood.
Title ideas:
Treasures of the past
In case I forget
Golden Days
Remember When
Walking in my footsteps
Walking in the footsteps of dreams
Dreamy Bliss
Hidden corners of childhood
Echoes of innocence: Tracing Dreams through childhood footsteps
Selecting – I flagged all the images I wanted to choose to edit using ‘X’ and ‘P’
Example
These are the photos I am going to edit from shoot 3:
Basic Editing
Again, I am trying to show my childhood experiences in places I have grown up at. I will edit these similarly to the rest, keeping the dreamy editing technique.
‘Cool Matt’ preset – then further editing
I chose not to edit this too much because the ‘Cool Matt’ created enough of an edit
I rated the images from this shoot with red, yellow and green so I can choose which images are the best.
Red Images (unedited or images I won’t use)
Yellow Images (ones that I might use but I don’t think are the best)
Green Images (photos that I will use in my photobook)
Selecting – I flagged all the images I wanted to choose to edit using ‘X’ and ‘P’
These are the photos I am going to edit from shoot 2:
Basic Editing
I used the preset ‘Flat and Green’ for these images because it means I can start with a basic edit. Each image will have the same colour and hues to start with, keeping a consistency throughout my images. I don’t want any to look as if they have been edited drastically different to each other. Kawauchi’s snow images are very white and exposed, I attempted to do this but less intense because I want to keep my editing style included.
I rated the images from this shoot with red, yellow and green so I can choose which images are the best.
Red Images (unedited or images I won’t use)
Yellow Images (ones that I might use but I don’t think are the best)
Green Images (photos that I will use in my photobook)
Moodboard of my final basic edited images
Further Editing in Photoshop
I want to do further editing on some of these images, adding light orbs and sun beams because when I took this shoot the lighting was not the best.
I experimented with ‘Filters > Render > Lens Flare…’ to add a light orb.
For this edit I duplicated the layer, added the light in a place where orbs were ‘created ‘reflected’ at another point on the image. I then used the Polygon Lasso Tool to select half the image. I then created a layer via copy. I hid the duplicated layer, and blended the seam with a low opacity eraser. This leaves some small orbs in the corner, subtly adding to the nostalgic sense.
Selecting – I flagged all the images I wanted to choose to edit using ‘X’ and ‘P’
examples
These are the photos I am going to edit from shoot 1:
Basic Editing
Although Kawauchi uses the same sized images in her photobooks, I have decided to use portrait and landscape to keep a variety throughout the book. I also feel like the unorganised look of the different presentations could link to my theme of these images being through the ‘eyes’ of me as a child.
I used the preset ‘cool mat’ for these images because it has the blue tones Kawauchi uses, and it means I can start with a basic edit. Each image will have the same colour and hues to start with, keeping a consistency throughout my images. I don’t want any to look as if they have been edited drastically different to each other.
I wanted to achieve a ‘dreamy’ look on some of my images to draw the nostalgic emotion, and present my images how I would have viewed these places as a child.
I rated the images from this shoot with red, yellow and green so I can choose which images are the best.
Red Images (unedited or images I won’t use)
Yellow Images (ones that I might use but I don’t think are the best)
Green Images (photos that I will use in my photobook)
Moodboard of my final basic edited images
Further Editing in Photoshop
I want to do further editing on some of these images, adding light orbs and sun beams because when I took this shoot the lighting was not the best.
I experimented with ‘Filters > Render > Lens Flare…’ to add a light orb.
Here are some options:
This is my favourite outcome from the edits
I have done this with a few more Images just to add the same style of light Kawauchi uses, and make the photos brighter. It also captures the magical and dreamy effect I want – from a child’s view
My Images compares with Kawauchi
I’m not sure if I am going to include these images as they are the only ones I have of food. Although they feel nostalgic to me, I am going to wait and experiment to see if they will work within the photobook. I may also take some extra photographs of food that is nostalgic to me, like Kawauchi.
‘It’s not enough that [the photograph] is beautiful. If it doesn’t move my heart, it won’t move anyone else’s heart.’ – Rinko Kawauchi
Ever since photography made its way to Japan in the Edo period (1615-1868), it has evolved and inspired many photographers around the world. It’s simple, yet fascinating style, has the ability to draw a multitude of emotions and feelings through its compositions. In this study, I will be exploring the photographer Rinko Kawauchi, investigating how she uses her camera to present inexplicable comfort and surrealism. Additionally, I will analyse Japanese photographers such as Masahisa Fukase and Daido Moriyama,discovering how their work has influenced and advanced Kawauchi’s work.
Photography began on the southern island of Kyushu, and knowledge about the subject was scarce. This meant that early enthusiasts relied on their own encounters with foreign professionals to gain the skills. The Daguerreotype, was the first successful photography process, whereby a highly detailed image was created on a sheet of copper and plated with a fine coat of silver. There was no use of negatives and this process was a direct-positive process. This method reached Japan in 1846, but it took different clans around four years to create a successful Daguerreotype. Photography was completely black and white during the nineteenth century. Japanese photographs, that were typically used for tourism, were frequently treated with applications of colour. They transformed basic images to bright, eye capturing images through the use of oil paints: turning cherry blossom trees pink and draping wisteria blue. Japanese photographers carried these traditions through the years, even after the invention of colour photography, because it was part of the culture to have to freedom to colour images freely, using their imagination [1]. The idea of a portable souvenir was popular for visiting travellers, and the tourists seemed to be interested in perceived ideas of traditional Japanese culture, rather than their society. The unique aesthetic of Japan caused a need for escapism for the tourists, avoiding the modernizing industrial society. The photographs captured a beautiful utopia, displaying temples, shines, cherry blossoms and more. From Mount Fuji; a popular tourist destination that presented an almost fantasy world [2]. A century later, photography was used as an ‘eye witness’ for the bombing in Nagasaki, 1945, capturing the devastating events.
Unknown, Cherry Blossoms by Shrine, c. 1890-1910, hand-colored albumen print, Ronin Gallery.
In 1863, Felice Beato, an Italian-British photographer, ventured to Japan, joining his friend in Yokohama. Their mission was to commercialise “Japonisme” for the western viewers that visited the country. In his time working there, he introduced the hand-coloured photographs, working with popular and talented Japanese painters [2]. In the late 1960s, Yoshio Watanabe, one of the most well-known photographers, (after photographing Ise Shrine in World War Two), raised the question, “What should a photographer be?”, when the Tokyo demonstrators were in mass protest of the renewal of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty. Two eras of photographers advocated for a public evaluation of the wartime accountability associated with the medium. This resulted in the exhibition Shashin 100 nen-Nihonjin ni yoru shashin hyogen no rekishiten (A Century of Japanese Photography). This was one of the most crucial photography shows in the twentieth century and it displayed one hundred years of Japanese photographers’ works. This art movement was the first presentation to reflect on their contributions to Japanese fascism during World War II. The book produced from this movement was the first great volume to give Japanese photography an international audience. [3]
Felice Beato
Rinko Kawauchi was not raised in a creative atmosphere, and she would find herself escaping to read at the library. Although she wasn’t interested in images as a child, she was interested in koro-pok-guru. Books would take her into a different reality, and this was the start of her creative journey. Today her photos now correlate to the experience she had as a child, leading the viewer on a journey and escaping the harsh life surrounding us, transporting the viewer into Kawauchi’s mind and how she sees the world in a more beautiful and still way [4]. Her interest in books is seen in her priority of creating an experience through a photobook; such as Illuminance. She states that ‘books connect us to the present’ [5] because of the choice the viewer has in flipping the page; it allows you to have control over your experience. Through this, Kawauchi intends for the reader to grow a ‘connection to (her) images’ [5]. Whilst in high school her first photograph was taken with a compact camera. It was an image of the sea, and she felt that she had no connection with the camera. Having taken photography classes, she later found an emotional experience which linked her to her images. She was self-motivated to create her own style because she felt she couldn’t express her work through a commercial photography job [4]. The necessity for her own style and meaning could have been influenced by the Japanese aesthetic Wabi-Sabi; the aesthetic defined as the beauty of things, “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete” [6]. Kawauchi’s movement, captured in her stills connects with this aesthetic, framing the everyday experiences, whether ugly or beautiful, death or new life. Wabi-Sabi considers things to be beautiful in their transience, correlating to her work, such as Illuminance, holding a timeline of journeys throughout fifteen years of her life. Witnessing the blooming of a flower, the light hitting steps, or the death of an animal, Kawauchi uses this Japanese aesthetic to present her ethnicity and the beauty of life through her work.
Kawachi’s work has a theme of fragility throughout Illuminance, and other series of hers, which is presented through her use of light. Many of her images are flooded with warming light or reflection, illuminating the photograph. The effect of this presents subjects in her images as frail, rather than hard and stable, linking with her motif of telling the story of life through her work. The fast-paced movement of life could be viewed as delicate, because time disappears quickly, and death is always in the imminent future. This idea connects with Kawauchi’s work, capturing stillness during times of movement in life, and might be her attempt to pause and admire what is in front of her. I am exploring nostalgia in my work, presenting the loss of childhood memories and the reflection of places that revive these memories. Kawauchi’s use of metaphors and meaning throughout Illuminance has inspired me to use light and compositions to grasp the emotional and visceral feeling of this loss. Being able to hold a moment in your hand on a piece of paper in a book, with its physical qualities, creates an intimate and personal escape for the reader to take a moment and step away from life, falling into the emotions that the images provoke. This feeling correlates with Wabi-Sabi and the aesthetics of the impermanent moments.
Rinko Kawauchi – From ILLUMINANCE
Kawauchi has been widely influenced by historical photographers, such as Masahisa Fukase and Daido Moriyama. Both photographers have left an impactful mark on the capturing of the Japanese landscape, with their influence on Kawauchi’s work being clear. Although her work is unique for its unique style, there are obvious imprints of the typical elements of these two Japanese photographers. Fukase is well known for his very personal, emotional images. One of his series named, ‘Ravens’, published in 1986, was influenced by an melancholy experience which he endured. His divorce triggered the series to be developed, resulting in a range of emotional photos. The series took eleven years to make, collecting a sum of images that portrayed the feelings he felt. I find this very similar to Kawauchi’s work, because his images tell a story beyond the composition [7]. It is not just one or two shoots that completed the series, but images from a journey over the course of a mournful part of his life. There is a similar theme of solitude, morality and the passage of time, seen in both of their works, capturing the ordinary as extraordinary and meaningful; they transform their experiences into a use for introspection, embracing the impermanence discovered in everyday life [8]. Fukase has the ability to capture the movement of life in collections of still images, influencing Kawauchi to do the same, attaining emotional depth and beauty.
“Karasu” (Ravens), 1977
‘To focus on reality or be concerned with memory, choices that, at first glance, seem opposite are, in fact, identical twins for me’ – Daido Moriyama
Daido Moriyama was also a popular Japanese artist in the 1960’s and 1970s, who inspired movement. He is admired for his raw and gritty street photography. Moriyama’s work is primarily black and white, enriched with depth, shadow and rather chaotic compositions, heavily juxtaposing with Kawauchi’s more soft, milky and contemplative style. However, although their work is compositionally opposite, there is a resemblance of their shared interest with the ordinary and the visceral. Moriyama’s tendency to capture the frenzy of movement and chaos in the streets has the possibility of inspiring Kawauchi’s preference for spontaneous and candid shots, both inciting the rawness of authenticity in human experiences. Moriyama’s style can be viewed as avant-garde, provoking movement and new ideas. Moriyama breaks the traditional norms of Japanese photography with his contemporary approach, distinguished by his bold angles and dramatic subjects. His style was primarily inspired by the influence of American artists, such as Andy Warhol, which left an obvious mark in his adventurous take on photography [9]. This drastic change from the tradition of Japanese photography is what could have aided Kawauchi in finding her own aesthetic style, different from many Japanese artists, creating a uniqueness to her work.
Daido Moriyama – TSUGARU
Overall, it is clear that Kawauchi has developed a distinctive style, inspired by her Japanese culture and the surroundings that she has been brought up in. From reviewing her interviews, I believe that in some ways, her work is exploring the creative realm that she used to escape and enter other realities as a child. In an interview she stated, ‘Our family was under pressure… and I felt it too, so to escape reality I did lots of reading’ [4], which presents the beginning of her escapism through the creative realm. She also stated, ‘People often say that I have a child’s eye’ [10], implying that Kawauchi has an awareness of her need to revive her childlike imagination in her photography. The aesthetics of her culture obviously plays a key role in influencing her work, such as the early Daguerreotypes coloured to create a romanticised, idealistic and colourful worlds that are presented as utopias. Her work holds a resemblance of these historical images, shown through her attempt to present her world as serene and peaceful, similar to these postcards created to draw the viewer in. The aesthetics of Wabi-Sabi flow throughout history, and into her work, inspiring Kawauchi to evolve the Japanese style into her own contemporary approach.
Rinko Kawauchi’s photobook named ‘Illuminance’ doesn’t have a consistent story throughout. However, each double page spread contains its own story. The book is pieced together by images that Kawauchi has taken throughout a long period of time; around 15 years of work that is both commissioned and personal projects. She lets the viewer interpret the images by presenting the images with no comments. The genre of her photobook is possibly surrealism, childhood memories or just everyday life experiences. She has a variety of subject matters, ranging from light, nature, water, people and more.
‘In Illuminance, Kawauchi continues her exploration of the extraordinary in the mundane, drawn to the fundamental cycles of life and the seemingly inadvertent, fractal-like organization of the natural world into formal patterns.’ [1]
Rinko Kawauchi
“The world is connected by what we cannot see,”
“in times of despair if we hold on to the things we believe are beautiful in life, that energy will change and affect the world in a positive way.” – Kawauchi [2]
Kawauchi’s book seems to be a form of hope, evoking emotions that show what she finds important for her. An example of this was when she ventured out into the aftermath of a tsunami and earthquake in her country. She used her Rolleiflex and captured shots of the scene, in her simple but effective milky-hued style. Her book is possibly aimed at people who feel the same emotions as her about life, attempting to find hope in the small beauties of life.
3. Deconstruct the narrative, concept and design of the book and apply theory above when considering:
The book immediately feels heavy and tick, due to its folded pages and hard cover. Kawauchi has probably done this purposefully, not only to produce a strong long-lasting book, but to represent the amount of images and time it took her to capture all the photos.
The cover has a soft touch to it, with a cotton cover. This creates a warm and safe emotion when holding the book. There is also texture in the title, which is imprinted dots placed together to make the name. The title is a reflective surface, meaning it catches and reflects the light. By doing this, it is presenting a snippet of what is in the book: many images are focused on light. The title is quite literal, because one of Kawauchi’s main photography style if focusing on light, and capturing it in create and contemporary ways. However, the title could also be symbolic of Kawauchi illuminating life, and the beauty of it.
Every image is in a square format on an A4 page, placed in the same spot to keep a consistency throughout. It creates a polaroid feel, adding to the sense of nostalgia, as if you are holding a printed polaroid. The folded pages help give this feel.
The book is held together by Japanese binding, keeping Kawauchi’s culture in every aspect of the book. It is carefully constructed from design to the order of the photos. She has reversed the signatures in the binding of the book to create a folded page. At first it seems confusing, however it also lead me to think there was something hidden in the pages, also linking each photo to each other as if they are ‘attached’. She has also used swiss binding, which I find opens the book up more, possibly making the viewer feel like they are entering her world through the book.
The book carries a recurring motif of circles from start to finish, commencing with what appears to be a solar eclipse and concluding with a photograph from the same series later on. While the sun remains concealed in the initial image, it emerges in the final one, suggesting that Kuwauchi could have created a hidden meaning that this book sheds light on her career or the viewer because they have been immersed into her creative life and skills. Each page establishes a visual continuity with the next, whether through circular forms, hand motifs, shared color palettes, similar textures, or juxtaposed elements. While there isn’t a singular broad theme that is fully explained in her photography, the images collectively evoke a palpable impact, drawing emotions through her distinctive aesthetic. Overall, her artistic output incorporates elements of surrealism, as her images transport the viewer into an alternate realm, evoking novel and profound emotions.
Analysis of a page
(I have included further analysis in my earlier blog post ‘Rinko Kawauchi’)
It took me a while to understand the meaning behind these two images, but I came to understand that both images represent some sort of death. The image on the left presents prolonged death by choice, as cigarettes are used to satisfy its user, but is followed by consequences such as death. The image on the right also shows death, but not by choice. It is also a death generated by humans, with the intention to satisfy a user (the fish will be sold for enjoyment). I think Kawauchi was really clever placing these images together, each creating an idea of possible suffocation, maybe relating to how she feels as a photographer. I also took into consideration that this was her first book sold worldwide, and this could be her illustrating how she felt subject to Japan.
Bibliography
[1] Rinko Kawauchi. (n.d.). Illuminance. [online] Available at: https://rinkokawauchi.com/en/publications/430/#:~:text=In%20Illuminance%2C%20Kawauchi%20continues%20her [Accessed 29 Jan. 2024].
[2] TIME. (2011). Rinko Kawauchi’s Illuminance. [online] Available at: https://time.com/3776240/rinko-kawauchis-illuminance/ [Accessed 29 Jan. 2024].
Often people ask what I’m photographing, which is a hard question to answer. And the best what I’ve come up with is I just say: Life today – William Eggleston
David Chandler wrote an essay for the end of Kawauchi’s ‘illuminance’, and has compared William Eggleston’s work to hers. Chandler stated ‘Within the repertoire, this in itself is nothing new: making the ordinary extraordinaryhas been a common ambition (with varying rates of success) at least since William Eggleston decided that life’s epic voyages were now largely circumscribed, but not necessarily limited, by the spaces and object of everyday, material culture.‘
I find this analysis of their work interesting because it draws in the idea of surrealism, by creating an intensified and rich image out of an ordinary object, place or person. Not only is it creating an interesting image, but Chandler is stating that it is difficult to break free from the ordinary, and Eggleston has managed to do this, followed by Kawauchi.
Analysis of Eggleston’s work
Eggleston is known for his vibrant images, and for creating coloured images to become a new art form. Although I wont be capturing images in his style, I enjoy his work and the surreal and visceral emotion his images bring; like Rinko Kawauchi. He only captures an image of one thing. He never repeats an image, which makes his work so individual.
He tends to use the rule of thirds in his images to centre his composition and create main focal points.
The colours he use tends to be warm vivid oranges, reds and yellows. He also creates contrasts to them with warm summer blues using the sky. This draws in a calming and nostalgic emotion, almost creating a comfort in his retro style images. Most of the lighting he uses will be natural, possibly using reflectors to aim the light at his subjects. The contrast in colours min his images bring out the subjects as if the colour is jumping out at you, which makes his images powerful and impactful of the viewer.
It is clear that Eggleston’s main purpose behind his images is to present the ordinary as extraordinary and find a way to present life as a colourful journey. After looking at his work on a deeper level I have decided I might try to bring vivid colours into my photoshoot to create contrasts with more dull images and brighten up my photobook.
Comparison of Kawauchi’s work with Eggleston’s to inspire my photos
Visceral – relating to deep inward feelings rather than to the intellect
Surrealism – Surrealism aims to revolutionise human experience. It is a style in art and literature in which ideas, images, and objects are combined in a strange way, like in a dream.
Who is she?
Born in Shinga, Japan, Kawauchi is a popular and admired photographer. She is most known for her ability to capture the moments in everyday life using a soft palette. She has studied photography and graphic design at the Seian University of Art and Design. After graduating in 1933, she spent a period of working as a freelance photographer in advertising and released three photobooks. These were released in 2001 and were called UTATANE, HANABI, and HANOKO. Her hard work resulted in gaining fame practically overnight, and since then she has created several photobooks with work that has been shown across the world.
I wanted to capture a visceral sense and emotion through my image, rather then showing nostalgia through objects or basic images. I want to draw an emotion through the photos in my book, not just a pretty photo to look at. The emotions I want to achieve is nostalgic love and happiness, transporting the viewer to a personal time in their life or childhood that is different for each person. However, I am going to focus on capturing photos that feel close to my childhood, and do this inspired by Kawauchi’s style.
Illuminance
Ten years after releasing her photobooks (Utatane, Hanabi, and Hanako) she published Illuminance which is the most recent volume of Kuwauchi’s work. This book is the first to be published outside of Japan, widening her audience and giving her work more of an opportunity to be appreciated.
This book is carefully constructed from design to the order of the photos. She has reversed the signatures in the binding of the book to create a folded page. At first it seems confusing, however it also lead me to think there was something hidden in the pages, also linking each photo to each other as if they are ‘attached’. She has also used swiss binding, which I find opens the book up more, possibly making the viewer feel like they are entering her world through the book.
The book has a theme of circles throughout, beginning with what looks like a solar eclipse, and ending with a photo from the same shoot later on. The sun is hidden in the first one, but showing in the last, and I feel like Kuwauchi could have created a hidden meaning that this book sheds light on her career or the viewer because they have been immersed into her creative life and skills. Each page links to the photo next to it, whether they both have circular shapes, hands, the same colour tones, the same textures, or link by being opposites. There is not an overall theme presented through her photography, but the images create a visceral sense, drawing emotions through her aesthetic. Her work also shows surrealism with these emotions because her images immerse you into a new world, creating new emotions and feelings.
Analysis of pages
Both of these images seem to juxtapose at a first glance, however taking a closer look you can see both images have a swirl in the centre thirds. They both are natural subjects, one created through its natural movement, whereas the other is flowers, but created in that shape through a man made shape. Kawauchi might have done this purposefully to present the beauty of the world whether natural or man made, or she could have just placed the two images together because they have similar leading lines and shapes. This is what I enjoy about her work, the fact that she has left the image to be interpreted by the viewer, with no writing to be influenced by.
It took me a while to understand the meaning behind these two images, but I came to understand that both images represent some sort of death. The image on the left presents prolonged death by choice, as cigarettes are used to satisfy its user, but is followed by consequences such as death. The image on the right also shows death, but not by choice. It is also a death generated by humans, with the intention to satisfy a user (the fish will be sold for enjoyment). I think Kawauchi was really clever placing these images together, each creating an idea of possible suffocation, maybe relating to how she feels as a photographer. I also took into consideration that this was her first book sold worldwide, and this could be her illustrating how she felt subject to Japan.
I’ve decided to take more visceral images in the style of Rinko Kawauchi because I’m aiming to create a nostalgic emotion through my photobook, rather than an image.
What
Why
How
When
Where
I want to find objects and places that create the sense of nostalgia and draw the emotions that bring back my childhood memories.
I will do this to create the feelings I want to portray through my photobook as a whole
I’m going to make sure I bring my camera around with me and capture the things that create this visceral and surreal effect.
I want to make sure there is good lighting such as sunset or sunrise because they give a natural orange tint that I can then adapt when editing
I will plan some shoots at places that are nostalgic for me such as St Ouens beach/ woods, the sand dunes, old school areas, Les Quennevais precinct etc.
Planned shoots over the holiday break:
St Ouens woods – trees, shells, swings, the sea, full landscapes, close up/ macro lense
Sand Dunes& woods – Capturing the light through the trees, Judy Kurland style in the trees, footprints/ my dogs pawprints
Rinko Kawauchi
Rinko Kawauchi
St Ouens bay – capturing the motion of the sea and creating hidden meanings through it, the movement with slow shutter speed.
