I want to explore fears, especially universal fears such as isolation and the dark. Imagery of insects is also a common fear which I think blends well with the dark. A lot of mine and others’ actions and decisions are dictated by fears. Fears of failing, being alone or potentially embarrassment but also, on a smaller scale: darkness. Darkness fuels fears as its essentially the unknown; you don’t know what’s in the room with you. This will be linking with the themes of ‘Observe, Seek and Challenge’ in a few ways such as making note of what’s associated with fears and linked themes and I will be finding locations and situations that would fit the theme.

To develop my project I will be taking photographs inspired by numerous artists: Todd Hido, Rut Blees Luxemburg, Raymond Meeks, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Jose Conceptes and in part even Cindy Sherman. These will be abstractions, urban liminal spaces and potentially even some framed photographs to somewhat resemble a scene from a horror film. A large part of the photographs will be overarching aesthetic choices across all the images such as being in black and white with main focuses being light and their subsequent shadows.

I would like to present final outcomes in a photobook so that I can create a narrative without set time limits that would be present in a film. I want to document the experience of walking into a dark, dingy house with the feelings of a spider on your back and something resembling a silhouette sat in the corner and interspace with photographs of urban spaces to disrupt and create uncertainty. I will start with images resembling film stills of someone entering a building and interacting with it. From there I will begin to explore more abstract imagery of feelings associated with such locations and any spaces that catch my attention.

Any photographs of people will have their identity obscured. Any pointers to identity such as the face or full body shots will be obscured or left out because it isn’t the identity of the people that matter as much as it the experience and feelings associated. For every place I photograph I will make sure that the light is the main interest. All objects, people and locations will need to be in some way abstracted or obscured to emphasise the uncertainty. I wont be taking any photographs in a studio. Instead I will be taking images on location both inside rooms and outside the buildings. Text wont be spaced throughout as a fear induced mentality is irrational and illogical. I might manipulate a few of the images and try some collage techniques. In terms of AI technology I might try it out since it can create nonsensical and dream like outcomes which I could use but I’m not entirely convinced it will work out. If I make use of photoshop to create manipulated images then I will need to create a more surreal/dream like sequence focused on the irrational aspect of fear. If I don’t and I create more candid looking outcomes then the project will be more about the fear inducing imagery and ideas as opposed to the headspace.

For my personal study, I am focusing on the different lives that we all live. I am aiming to portray different ages and lifestyles, capturing moments from different peoples lives. I will be focussing on the friends and family that I have. I will aim take photographs of:

• Younger family playing
• Parents at work
• Parents at home in natural environment
• Friends in school
• Friends going out

I have chosen this area of photography because it feels natural and it portrays the message that everyone lives a different life, this is what I intend to depict in this project. Photographs like this by professionals are what I find most interesting and intriguing due to the possible stories that are being shown.

For this project of observe, seek and challenge, I am using previous personal experiences to inspire it. I will bring my camera out with me when in the right environments and capture photographs of moments I have observed and think would make for a good photo. I will also be going out of my way seeking out the lives of those around me to photograph parts of their life. This is similar to Andrew Kung’s work, where he captures moments of peoples lives, exploring the themes of family, intimacy etc. in the same style as I am aiming to do.

My photographs will be taken both indoors and outdoors, capturing different moments of life, also varying in the time of day. My images will be ‘windows’, so they will be taken documentary style, following the lives of those around me and simply observing and capturing scenarios. This is similar to the photographer Tom Wood who has inspired that aspect of my project.

Once my photoshoots are complete, I will edit my images in Lightroom and on Photoshop, adjusting the levels, curves, exposure, texture etc. To finish it off, I may make the final images black and white to empathise the meaning of the images and to keep the focus of the main subjects. However, I am going to wait until I have completed all of my photoshoots to assess whether or not I think this would be the best fit. I have taken inspiration from Andriana Nativio as her images are presented in black and white which I find to be very alluring, and it draws your attention to focus solely on the image presented and the emotions and meanings behind it.

My personal study will be presented in the form of a book, presented one image at a time.

For my project, I would like to explore my love of cars. Specifically, I want to investigate why I love cars and where that love comes from, by displaying the soul of my own car, the Ferrariesta, and other Fords that relate either directly to it, or that relate to me in where I have found my love of cars as I have grown up. I want to show where a car’s soul actually is, outside of the badge, the status symbol and the price. I want to show what I see in these cars where others simply see a metal box on wheels. I want to display how a car’s soul is fundamentally a reflection of its driver, through all of the intricacies that connect a person to a car, and ultimately question the true value of every car, by showing you what the Ferrariesta means to me.

My first artist I am going to look at is Justine Kurland.

Justine Kurland is a contemporary fine art photographer from New York born in 1969. When Justine Kurland was 15 she ran away from home to Manhattan to live with her aunt, this is where she took an interest in art. Justine Kurland is inspired by both her past experiences of being a child and a teenager and also her current experiences of adult life. These experiences inspire her to recreate the memories she has. She spends a lot of her time searching for models and areas to set up her tableaux photoshoot.

Justine Kurland’s photoshoot called “live dangerously” is about revealing bold and dynamic ways that females inhabit nature. Justine Kurland’s photoshoots are of young females setting off smoke bombs, skinny dipping and climbing trees. This is a way to show how females are rebel against the patriarchal institutions and to

I am inspired by Justine Kurland, she is a contemporary fine art photographer. She is known for her elaborate staging of photographs on how people interact with each other. She has become famous for working with children, men, women and mixing youth with nature. She takes pictures of feral and unsupervised children running around in the wilderness and these images inspired her book “Spirit West”. She has travelled through America specifically Virginia and California. Justine Kurland used her past experiences

Audit of all my work.

Portraits

What I did- For this topic of portraiture I used the studio in school to take my images. I experimented with three different types of lighting, which were;

• Rembrandt
• Chiaroscuro
• Butterfly Lighting

I also experimented with different backgrounds (black and white) and I also experimented with editing (creating black and white copies and coloured copies). I also had my models do different poses, that I think looked best.

Rembrandt

Rembrandt lighting is used to create shadows and contrast, and the ‘triangle of light’, beneath someone’s eye. This causes an element of drama and psychological depth onto the individual, who’s photo is being taken. Rembrandt lighting is an effective device to draw the eye.  It is widely used in promotional photographs of film stars showing them in a dramatic and eye-catching way. An example of these film stars is Marylin Monroe and Keanu Revees;

How I did it-

Light: Lighting styles are determined by the positioning of your light source.  Rembrandt lighting is created by the single light source being at a 40 to 45-degree angle and higher than the subject. Use cans use both flashlights and continuous lights.

Lens: Use a 35mm or 50mm if space is at a premium, or if you’re looking at including more of the subject than just the head and shoulders. A 50mm works really nicely for portraits and will give a nice depth of field if you’re shooting at a shallow aperture. But a 35mm will give you a wider point of view and is great to fit more of the body in of your subject.

Butterfly Lighting

Butterfly lighting is a type of portrait lighting technique used primarily in a studio setting. Its name comes from the butterfly-shaped shadow that forms under the nose because the light comes from above the camera. You may also hear it called ‘paramount lighting’ or ‘glamour lighting’. Butterfly lighting is used for portraits, because it is a lighting that flatters almost everyone, as it can highlight cheekbones and create shadows under them, as well as under the neck, which makes the model look thinner. This makes it the most commonly used lighting setups. This lighting has also been used for famous stars, from classic Hollywood and that’s why it’s also called Paramount lighting.

How I did it-

Lighting: Butterfly lighting requires a key light that can be a flash unit or continuous. If continuous, it can be artificial or natural. In other words, you can use strobes, speed lights, LEDs or even the sun. A butterfly lighting effect refers to the setup and not to the quality of light – it can be soft or hard light depending on the effect you want. If you want to create a soft light, you’ll need to use modifiers. A beauty dish is perfect for glamour photography as it distributes the light evenly and smooths the skin. You can also use a softbox or an umbrella. Instead, if you want to have hard light, you can leave the light source as it is. Alternatively, you can use grid spots to direct it and create different effects.

Experimentation: Once you have the key light set up, it’s time to fill the shadows. You can use a reflector to bounce the light back up and soften the shadow under the chin and the one from under the nose. To do so, position the reflector under the subject’s face. Start at waist level and see how it looks. If the shadows are still strong, move it closer to the face and so on. Experiment with different positions to achieve different effects. You can also change the colour of the reflector. A white one will give you a neutral tone, while a golden one gives a warming overcast. Once you’re happy with your butterfly lighting, direct the model to have a striking fashion pose or whatever the desired pose or expression you’re looking for. Just keep in mind that the subject’s face needs to be towards the light in order to have the butterfly shadow under the nose.

Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro is a visual element of art, which is defined as a bold contrast between light and dark. It is called chiaroscuro, because it is an Italian word meaning light dark. A certain amount of chiaroscuro is the effect of light modelling in painting where 3-dimensional volume is suggested by highlights and shadows. It first appeared in 15th century painting in Italy and Flanders (Holland), but true chiaroscuro
developed during the 16th century, in Mannerism and in Baroque art. Dark subjects were dramatically lighted by a shaft of light from a single constricted and often unseen source was a compositional device seen in the paintings of old masters such as Caravaggio and Rembrandt.

How I did it-

Chiaroscuro lighting uses one key light and a variation using a reflector that reflects light from the key light back onto the sitter.

My Images

Rembrandt

Butterfly Lighting

Chiaroscuro

Evaluation

What went well- I think these images came out really well, because I displayed the different types of lighting well and my models made the images more exciting by doing different poses. I also like the editing in these images, especially the black and white copies. I also really enjoyed taking these images, because I much prefer taking pictures of people, rather than landscapes for example.

Even Better If- Next time, I would want to experiment with more models and poses. I would also like to create more black and white copies of my images, because I much prefer black and white images over coloured images.

Environmental Portraiture

What I did- For this photoshoot, I took photographs of people in their natural environments eg. work and school.

How I did it- I visited shops through town, such as the market, Love Bird Pottery Shop, Next, Schuh etc. I visited these specific places, because this was where my friends were working, so I was able to get photos of them there. I also wanted to take photos of my friends, so that I could get them to pose, and not feel awkward about it. I also went round school and took photos of students and teachers in their natural environment.

Environmental portraits can reveal somebodies life, like where they work, or what their home is like, or what they do at home. These portraits can be used to have an insight on another’s life, or to have an insight on a profession. These portraits can also be called historical, as they may show jobs, which are no longer professions, or show how homes used to look and what people would do in their homes. The images also shows people not in the present. These environmental portraits help feel a connection between the photographer and the person getting their picture taken, unlike how it would be on a phone.

My Images

Evaluation

What went well- I really enjoyed this photoshoot, because I really enjoy taking images of people. However, this also allowed me to move around and take pictures in different places, with different scenery, which I also really enjoyed. I also enjoyed being able to pose my models how I wished, because this allowed me to make my images exactly how I want them. I also enjoyed editing these photos and making black and white copies.

Even better if- Next time, I would make sure to check my camera settings, because some of my images are slightly blurry. I would also create more black and white copies of my images. Another thing I would do differently is maybe photograph strangers, so I can get out my comfort zone, and I would go to other places than school and work. I may also try different places of work eg restaurants, offices etc. instead of just retail.

Femininity & Masculinity

What I did- For this photoshoot I explored what was meant by masculinity and femininity. I explored their different stereotypes and the meanings behind them.

How I did it- I took photoshoots in the studio, as well as outside. I used different poses and props to display the different stereotypes. For example, I made a boy pose with his muscles, because a stereotype is that men are strong. I also had girls pose with makeup and other girl related products to present the feminine stereotype. I also used different lighting (pink and blue) to portray the stereotypes.

My Images

Evaluation

What went well- I really enjoyed this topic, because it was something I was able to write a lot about and really dive into, because it really interested me and I enjoyed it. I also enjoyed the freedom I had for my images, because I could display femininity and masculinity in any way I wanted. I also enjoyed how I was taking photos of people, because that is my favourite photographs to take, because I am able to have them pose the way I’d like and I just find the photos more interesting. I also enjoyed editing these images and creating black and white versions of these images. I also enjoyed the use of props in some of these images.

Even better if- Next time, I would try and experiment with masculinity slightly more, and I would work on my lighting technique slightly more, so I don’t create shadows on the background.

Anthropocene

What I did- For the Anthropocene topic, I explored three issues, which were; abandoned buildings, litter on the beach and industrialisation.

How I did it- For abandoned buildings, I took inspiration from John Divola, and I explored different abandoned buildings in Jersey, such as St Saviours Hospital and Bouley Bay Hotel. I took pictures of the rubble left there.

For the litter theme, I went to Harve Des Pas beach, and I walked along the beach looking for litter and cigarette butts and I took photos of all the litter I saw. Then, I used the litter I had found and collected on the beach to make patterned photos out of it in the studio, in response to Barry Rosenthal.

Finally, I took photos of industrialisation, especially in town.

My Images

Evaluation

What went well- I really enjoyed taking pictures of the abandoned buildings, which is different for me, because I much prefer portraiture. I think I enjoyed this because I enjoyed exploring these abandoned buildings. I also enjoyed editing these images in colour and black and white. I also experimented with photoshop for this topic, which I thought went really well. I used things such as AI.

Even Better if- However, I didn’t enjoy taking photos of litter and industrialisation as much, because I found it quite boring, because I was quite uninterested, so I would not want to do this again.

St Malo

What I did- I took street photographs, which are candid shots of people going about their day to day lives.

How I did it-I observed the people around me and waited for the decisive moment (Henri Cartier-Breson).

My Images

Evaluation

What went well- I really enjoyed this trip to St Malo, and I really enjoyed taking these street photography images, because I much prefer taking images of people. I also captured lots of good images, using head shots and hip shots, so I could try and go undetected. I also experimented with photoshop at lot in this topic, more than any other topic. I experimented with motion blurring, colour selecting, and lots of different ways to crop my images. I also enjoyed making this zine, but usually I do not enjoy making them.

Even better if- If I were to do this again, I would try get a few more closer up shots, while still trying to be undetected, and I would try to get more photographs with peoples faces in, rather than their backs.

Jersey Harbours

What I did- I visited the harbour, as well as the fisheries in it and the maritime museum. I also visited the fish shop, where they sold all the fish. I took photos of anything that I saw that related to what I had been researching, such as the cod fisheries in the maritime museum. I also took images of people, boats, the harbour, fish, graffiti, information, maps and anything else I found interesting.

How I did it- I started at one end of the harbour, at the maritime museum and made my way down, making sure I took pictures of everything. I also asked people if I could take portraits of them.

My Images

Evaluation

What went well- I really enjoyed taking pictures of the fish, because I thought they came out really well, and I enjoyed being able to visit the fisheries with all the alive shellfish still inside. I also enjoyed visiting the maritime museum, but I didn’t enjoy taking photos in there and none of them came out very well. I also enjoyed editing these images. I also asked people if I could take portraits of them. I enjoyed taking these portraits, because it was a lot more fun that taking images of the harbour and I much prefer taking images of people.

Even better if- Next time, I wouldn’t visit the maritime museum, because the photos weren’t very good. I also wouldn’t want to walk round the whole harbour again, as I found it very boring. I only enjoyed taking images of the fish, rather than the boats and the rest of the harbour.