I plan on exploring the enjoyment as well as the difficulties that come with doing sport and inspiring to becoming an athlete. Through the use of photography, I want to present my views on the game of basketball, using my team and other players as the subjects. I also want to explore a single and particularly passionate player in more depth and see how basketball has effected his life in positive and/or negative ways. Using a mixture of tableaux and documentary photos will help me present what its like to be a inspiring athlete. This would allow for viewers to think of similar experiences they have had, potentially giving them an insight into why they aren’t enjoying a certain sport, or anything in life as much as they use to.
I want to take photos of my team mate as each of them have there own reasons for playing, as well as there own struggles that keep them from being the best. Playing sports for most people is a hobby, but for some they put a lot of pressure on themselves to be the best, or to stay at the same level of there team mates, which can be difficult when problems like injuries, addictions, and mental problems arise.
Why does it matter?
This matters to me because my biggest passion in life is the sport of basketball and I want to shine a light on the young players who play the sport.
due to my deep interesting in this subject I believe I can capture the emotions from basketball and the players. I believe that photography is one of the best mediums show these emotions as it tells a story without words, using only visual elements, making it easily digestible, while also allowing the viewers to easily make there own interpretation of the photographs taken. This is important because most books or films lead the viewer rarely lead the viewer questioning things as it explains everything, however a photograph can only show so much allowing the viewer to fill the gaps with there own experiences.
How I wish to develop my project?
I plan on starting out with basic photography work like portraits of my team mates and taking photos on the court, showing the sport in a good light, and how enjoyable it can be as a hobby for young players. Then I plan on developing that work into a story with specific photos with a over obsessed basketball player, incorporating more staged tableaux into my work too add effect through photography. This is to have more control over how I want the images to look like, it also physically allows me to create this story. Developing my project like this also helps my with my story booklet, as I can put the photos in with a similar order that I will take them.
When and where you intend to begin your study?
I plan to start my study with looking at some case studies that will with help me link and develop my project. I’ve already got a few Ideas of photographers that I could use, e.g. Neil Leifer and Tom Wood. Following on by this I plan to take a photoshoot in the studio with my team mates.
For my personal study, it’s important that I choose to focus on something that I can explore in a vast way and come up with multiple different concepts for whilst also making it meaningful. I want to make this a study of internal reflection, with my own views and perceptions of life/ the world so that my work can be interpretive to others and subjective. I would like to shy away from more documentary photography showing realism and look for more abstract scenes or ideas as I want to be able to tell a true story that is manipulated so that the viewer of my work can perceive it in their own way and apply it into a different context that I hadn’t intended.
As this is the first time I have had to come up with a personal study entirely on my own, I want to make this body of work different from my other photoshoots that I have done as this is now going to include an element of privacy and a sense of vulnerability in my work. Now that we have done a short-term study on Mirrors and Windows, I can use my knowledge of this to determine what kind of concepts I want within my work to define the story, allowing me to choose a more subjective internal tone in my personal study. However, my work doesn’t particularly have a staged or fictional aspect to it in the form of tableaux photography as what I am demonstrating is a truthful, raw and real story.
INTENTION:
The intent within my personal study is going to be about the difficulties and struggles of growing up with a family member who, over time, deteriorates from gaining a mental illness. Specifically, the illness that I would like to represent is Bipolar disorder, something that can occur over time for a multitude of reasons, for example a neurological change within the brain. I think this concept will be very powerful within my work as it will be able to curate a narrative that develops throughout my final piece, as well as convey many emotions to the viewer through obscure metaphors and symbolism. As well as this, I find that creating an outlet where issues concerning mental health issues, such as photography, can be extremely progressive in removing stigma, shame or even helping to develop an understand about these kinds of things in society because they represent the reality behind the labels that people are given, as well as visually exhibiting every factor that comes along with this socially sensitive topic. Sometimes, the best way to educate about things, such as mental health is through visual art forms as it is easier to show the harsh reality behind it, as well as enabling people to communicate their own inner struggles through photography.
Bodies of work like this can begin to strike conversation about inner conflicts and battles in a form that allows the individual or people involved to express themselves in a way that words can’t describe. Mental health in men and boys, whilst slowly becoming more progressive and seen, is still stigmatised against due to phrases such as ‘Be a man’ for example. My work will be able to show that males do also suffer and the hands of these different illnesses and can be used as a form of awareness to show that this is reality, and that it truly is okay. Regardless, it also proves that things like this can happen to anyone, with them actively going through it or experiencing the second-hand repercussions of it every single day, proving that you never do know exactly what people are going through and that you must always be mindful of that.
My plan for this photoshoot is going to begin with going through old images of me and my brother and selecting ones that I think are the most appropriate for my final piece. I am going to photocopy these so that I can physically create something with them, whether that be burning selective pieces, using pen or painting over it. I think this will be very effective as it adds an element of art and graphic design into my work where I can then really get creative and use dynamic lines to tell a better story than the image could alone by itself. I will then photograph these images again so that I can put them onto the computer.
I am also going to go through many things that my parents have kept from me and my brother when we were younger, for example drawings or notes from childhood, so that I can also use these I my work because I would like to be able to highlight the way that mental health issues can completely take over and transform a person, being able to indicate that life wasn’t always like this and that these issues can develop, grow and fester so quickly out of nowhere that it occurs before your eyes before you realise. As this is something that has been occurring within my family life for a while now, being around 6-7 years, I think its not only incredibly important but that I owe it to myself to actively and clearly represent a difficult story that I have been part of that many people wouldn’t expect if I didn’t tell them, however this is something that affects millions of people on an day-to-day basis that makes it hard for them to cope with the demands of the world around them. This project is something I have thought about for a long time, knowing that this would be the topic I would like to focus on, because it is a part of me, and its a part of my family.
I gained the inspiration of using archived images such as family albums and distorting them from ‘Is that my blue butterfly?’ by Matthew Knapman, where he tears, scribbles, burns, bleeds, splatters ink, digitises and collages different images of his mother at a variety of ages and personal keepsakes of hers, in order to display the story of his mothers struggle with breast cancer, resulting in the loss of her life. I came across his personal study in the classroom when we began looking at what makes a personal study and deciding what grade boundaries we would give the one that we picked based off of their essay and their final piece. When I came across it, I instantly knew that I wanted to explore this theme of loss through different destructive methods as it will allow me to detail even further, the story that I intend to tell. Matthew Knapman gained inspiration from Jessa Fairbrother and Carolle Benitah, two artists who I plan to explore whilst also investigating the similar artists I can find and choosing whose work best correlates with my aim for my personal study, choosing who influences me the most.
I think one of the most important themes within my personal study is going to be nostalgia. The sentimental aspect behind my work, using old keepsakes from my childhood or archived images, is going to drive the story about the events that have occurred within my life that may have been unpleasant, but have shaped me as the person I am today, making it extremely important to tell this story in a clear yet respectful and truthful way. Alongside the theme of nostalgia comes a tone of grief, however, I want to convey the difficulty of grieving someone who is still here yet not the same person they one were or not who they are recalled to be. This sense of absence within my work is something I think will be very moving and striking, especially through the use of different art mediums, because not only will it make my work memorable and abstract, but it will be able to convey the multitude of emotions that I feel about the topic of mental health in regards to my brothers situation.
Justine Kurland was born in 1969 and is an American fine art photographer, based in New York City. She first gained public notice with her work in the group show, called Another Girl, Another Planet (1999), at New York’s Van Doren Waxter gallery. The show included her large c-print staged tableaux pictures of landscapes inhabited by young adolescent girls, half-sprites, half juvenile delinquents. This was her first exhibition of a photographic interest that lasted from 1997, when she began taking pictures of her mentor Laurie Simmons’s babysitter and her friends, to 2002. Altogether, Kurland published 69 pictures of girls in a series called “Girl Pictures.” The staged photos take place in urban and wilderness settings, with girls depicted as though to imply they are runaways, hopeful and independent. As landscapes she chose the ‘secret places’ of late childhood; wasteland on the edges of suburbia, ‘owned’ only by a feral nature and unsupervised children. Her book Spirit West (2000) featured similar work on a more ambitious scale. In early 2001 Kurland spent several months in New Zealand, where she created similar work with schoolgirls there.
About ‘Girl Pictures’
‘The girls were rebelling. The girls were acting out. The girls had run away from home, that much was clear. They were trying on a version of themselves that the world has thus far shown them was boy.’ Floating a raft down the Mississippi. Tucking smokes into the sleeve of a T-shirt. Having a rumble. Living off land. Cowboys, sailors, pirates, hitchhikers, hobos, train hoppers, explorers, catchers in the rye, lords of the flies- you name it, all the dominion of boys. If you wanted a place in the narrative, you had to imagine yourself inside of it. – Justine Kurland.
This is the first paragraph in Justine Kurland’s book, where she sets the narrative of her ‘Girl Pictures’ for the viewers. The narrative of this story is that these girls have ran away from home, so that they can explore and have fun and be whoever they wish to be. She sets this narrative in these tableaux images, by having the girls pose doing all these different activities, such as swimming in rivers, or camping in forests.
She also explains what she wants the viewers to take in from this book and from her images, which is that you too can be anything you dream of in your imagination. She states that they are pirates, cowboys etc, because in ‘Girl Pictures’ these girls aren’t just girls, they are whoever they want to be. She also states that they are trying on ‘boy,’ because in society standards it is more socially acceptable for boys to act in this rambunctious manor, rather than girls. This is due to stereotypes seen through genders. I feel like in this book ‘Girl Pictures’ she is trying to fight against these stereotypes of young girls, and this is an important matter to her and all other girls, because they have grown up being told they should be or behave a certain way due to their gender. She is fighting against these stereotypes, by having these young girls act in a way that is seen as more masculine and not socially acceptable for these girls.
Kurland also began dating women shortly after completing her ‘Girls’ series, working with an undercurrent of sex and female sexuality. As of 2018 she had been dating her current female partner for three years. I think that, because of her work fighting against stereotypes it impacted her and also allowed her to fight stereotypes and socials norms in her own personal life.
Girl Pictures
Analysis of one image
The lighting used in this image is artificial lighting, because the image is taken inside. The image also has a high level of control, because it is a staged tableaux image, where the girls position, distance and location was manipulated the way Justine Kurland thought best fitted. This image is a colour image and has quite warm tones throughout out, because of the warmness of the light (not a harsh florescent light). The layout of these girls was manipulated, so that there was a foreground, middle ground, and background, which leads the viewers eye around the page from front to back. This make the girls the main viewpoint of this image.
This photograph displays ‘run away’ girls living out of public restrooms, as they are exploring their sexuality and ‘trying on boy.’ This photo is largely about fighting against stereotypes, as they are acting in a way that is seen as more masculine, as they are travelling and acting in rambunctious ways.
This image is also a mirror image, because it is a reflection of Justine Kurland the photographer. It is a reflection of her and very internal to her, because she is a lesbian photographer, who also had to grow up in these stereotypes and during these social norms that girls had to behave a certain way, that was socially acceptable. It is also a tableaux image, even though it looks like a documentary candid image. This is because it is a staged image.
Doug Aitken- New Opposition
Doug Aitken is an American multidisciplinary artist. Aitken’s body of work ranges from photography, print media, sculpture, and architectural interventions, to narrative films, sound, single and multi-channel video works, installations, and live performance. He was born in 1968 in Redondo Beach, California. He moved to New York in 1994 where he had his first solo show at 303 Gallery. He is best known for his work with video, and the characteristics that define that medium are apparent within ‘New Opposition.’
Aitken has a large range of work, including an array of site- specific installations, sometimes synthesizing interactive media with architecture, for example New Horizon. He has also made video installations since the mid 1990s and has created them by employing multiple screens in architecturally provocative environments, for example the diamond sea (1997). He has also made outdoor film installations. He has also written books, done sound experiments, made sculptures, light boxes and taken photographs.
About ‘New Opposition’
Aitken is well known for his many photographs, which often explore spatial and temporal disruption and narrative suggestion like his installations. In ‘New Opposition’ the photographs do not work as the self-sufficient one-off frames, but rely on each other for meaning. The optical tricks that the landscapes form when put together give the impression to the viewer that they are either falling into the centre of the earth, or are on top of it looking down as if from the apex of a pyramid. The active involvement by the viewer and the three-dimensional sculptural sensations of the photographs can also be seen in the elaborate installations that often accompany hid videos.
‘The series New Opposition consists of three pieces and was started in 2001. I was interested in the fragmentation of the image. I wanted to formulate an image that was whole but also broken apart. So these are multiple images working as one. I wanted to find a way to blend together different moments in time, different spaces and different locations. I wanted to bring them together in a central unifying image. They are not portraits or cityscapes but more an entropic progression. As the series progresses it becomes increasingly abstracted and denser and you get a sense of motion. The elements in the last image are ones you might just walk past in dally life – there is nothing special about the land. You can imagine someone who is surveying the land taking them. I really like the idea of banality and repetition being used to generate the images, which are simple and unobstructed and not captivated by composition. The images create a cycle of different places, but they can all be tied together through the central unifying theme of the horizon, which cuts, perpendicular, through them. I was after a three-dimensional quality. Working as well are the ideas of montage and editing, basically filmic concepts, as is a repetition. I wanted the eyes to constantly search for the horizon. When the images are brought together they collapse and create a feeling of retreating or expanding.’ – Doug Aitken.
New Opposition
Analysis of an Image
The type of lighting used in this image was natural daylight in all four of the sections, because these are all landscape images. There is also shade within this image, especially in the top two sections of this image, because it looks like a rocky mountain range to me, which would create a lot of shade, due to the rocks blocking the sun. There is little control in this image, because Doug Aitken cannot manipulate the landscape. However, he can manipulated the position he is in, where he point the camera, his editing and the distance he wants to stand at, and this can alter the levels of light, shade and just how the images look. There is lots of warm tones throughout this image, as the colours in this image are sandy brown colours. However, the bottom right section is the exception and has more cool tones, as the colours in this image are blue and a chalky white. There are quite a few dark and light tones throughout these images, due to the shade and lighting within them. There is also a lot of texture throughout these image, as you can see the texture of all the different rocks. The image is also very 3D due to its editing and due to the chosen landscapes. There is also lines and a pattern of repetition in his work, because of the lines separating the four quadrants.
The composition of these images are organised and arranged into their four sections during the editing process. The images are cropped and the angle of them is manipulated to create these images. The viewpoint of this image is the horizon. There is also harmony between the images, as they are all similar landscapes, but there is also contrast between the bottom right section and the other sections, due to the change in tone and colour. The editing in this image also gives depth of surface illusion, as it looks like the images are falling.
Doug Aitken wanted to create these images of ‘boring’ landscapes and create an image that would capture the viewers eye and leave the searching for the horizon in the image. He was also interested in the fragmentation of the image, as he wanted to form an image that is broken but whole. He did this to blend together different locations at different times.
This image is a mirror, because it is a documentary image of four different landscapes that have been pieced together. These images show the exterior world and are not a reflection or internal to Doug Aitken, because they do not reflect him in any way. These images have not been staged or manipulated.
To notice or perceive (something) and register it as being significant.
How does someone observe?
The character trait observant refers to the ability to pay close attention to details and to be aware of one’s surroundings. An observant character notices things that others might miss and is able to draw conclusions from small clues or hints.
How can we observe within photography?
1. Slow down and use all your senses to observe.
2. Don’t rush from one viewpoint to another. Take some time to study all the elements of a scene.
3. Elements are all the different things that make up a scene and each will have different attributes – size, shape, lines and angles, colour, texture and tone. Spend some time observing a landscape and make a mental note of the individual elements that make up the whole. Observe how they interact with each other and contribute to the overall scene.
4. Ask yourself questions every time you observe an element.
5. Take a walk with your camera and set yourself challenges to find different elements to photograph.
Seek
What is the definition of seek?
Attempt to find (something). Attempt or desire to obtain or achieve (something).
How does someone seek?
seek
He sought revenge for his son’s murder.
During the war, she sought asylum in Spain.
They sought refuge in Canada.
The company is seeking new ways to improve service.
The mayor is seeking reelection.
She seeks perfection in her work.
attention-seeking behavior
Immigrants come to America to seek their fortune.
How can we seek within photography?
Seeking in photography is about exploring deeper layers of meaning, expression, and connection through the lens. It involves experimenting with different styles, techniques, and subjects to uncover your unique perspective, while engaging with both the technical and emotional aspects of the medium. By reflecting on your work, studying the work of others, and pushing boundaries, you can discover new ways to express ideas and capture moments that resonate with you. Ultimately, seeking in photography is a continuous journey of self-discovery and creative growth.
Challenge
What is the definition of challenge?
A call to prove or justify something. To challenge something means to question, dispute, or confront it, often in order to test its validity, assumptions, or limits. It can also involve pushing against established norms or overcoming obstacles.
How does someone challenge?
To challenge something, you first question its assumptions or validity by critically analyzing the details and underlying principles. This might involve presenting alternative viewpoints, offering evidence that contradicts existing ideas, or testing its limits through direct action. Challenging can also mean pushing boundaries or asking difficult questions to provoke deeper thought or change, whether in a conversation, a system, or an established belief.
How can we challenge within photography?
Challenging within photography involves questioning conventional techniques, perspectives, and subject matter to push the boundaries of the medium. This can be done by experimenting with new compositions, lighting, or unconventional equipment, as well as exploring controversial or overlooked topics. You might challenge yourself by stepping out of your comfort zone, photographing unfamiliar subjects, or defying traditional rules like symmetry or focus. Additionally, challenging photography can mean rethinking how images are edited or presented, using abstraction, distortion, or manipulation to evoke deeper meanings and emotions. Ultimately, it’s about testing limits, confronting expectations, and finding fresh ways to see and capture the world.
Mindmap
Mind Map: Observing, Seeking, and Challenging Photography
1. Observing Photography
Key Idea: Passive, attentive awareness; capturing moments as they are.
Core Themes:
Patience
Slow, deliberate shots
Awareness of time and place
Details
Close-ups of everyday objects
Nature (e.g., textures, light)
Light & Shadow
Natural light, soft focus
Shadows and their shapes
Intimacy
Personal moments, stillness
Candid, quiet moments
Techniques:
Shallow depth of field
Soft focus or diffusion filters
Minimal editing, natural tones
Visual Elements:
Color Palette: Soft, muted tones (earth tones, pastels)
Textures: Grainy, fuzzy, blurred
Composition: Simple, direct framing
Mood:
Reflective, calm, contemplative
Presence in the moment
2. Seeking Photography
Key Idea: Active exploration, searching for meaning, narrative, or connection.
Core Themes:
Curiosity
Looking for stories and meaning
Exploring the unknown
Journey
Urban exploration, adventure
Travel or discovering new perspectives
Movement
Capturing motion, energy, or change
Connection
Human interaction, relationships, gestures
Nature
Landscapes, dramatic skies, wildlife
Techniques:
Wide-angle shots
Motion blur or freeze-frame
High contrast and saturation
Visual Elements:
Color Palette: Bold, saturated hues
Textures: Sharp, detailed, crisp
Composition: Dynamic, wide shots, dramatic angles
Mood:
Excited, curious, exploratory
Adventurous, dynamic, driven
3. Challenging Photography
Key Idea: Confronting norms, perceptions, and pushing boundaries.
Core Themes:
Provocation
Disrupting the viewer’s expectations
Questioning visual norms and stereotypes
Surrealism
Distortion of reality
Unconventional perspectives and manipulation
Juxtaposition
Contrasting elements (e.g., old vs. new, organic vs. synthetic)
Unlikely pairings in a single frame
Abstract Expression
Non-representational or fragmented imagery
Focus on form, color, and shape
Identity & Culture
Challenging societal roles, norms, and identity representations
Techniques:
Double exposure, multiple exposures
High contrast, experimental edits
Unconventional angles and framing
Digital manipulation or collage
Visual Elements:
Color Palette: Bold, stark contrasts, neon accents
Textures: High contrast, rough, fragmented
Composition: Dissonance, imbalance, abstraction
Mood:
Intense, confrontational, radical
Thought-provoking, unsettling, transformative
Connections Between Themes:
Observing → Seeking → Challenging:
Evolving Narrative: Observing leads to seeking—understanding the world’s details fosters a curiosity to explore deeper. Seeking leads to challenging—questioning the narrative opens possibilities for disrupting norms.
Emotional Flow: Observing is introspective and calm, seeking is dynamic and driven, and challenging is bold and provocative.
Techniques Flow: A soft, reflective style in observing contrasts with the sharp, dynamic exploration of seeking, and ultimately, challenging photography embraces distortion, abstraction, and unpredictability.
Applications of Each Approach:
Observing Photography:
Portraits: Quiet, intimate moments (family, friends, strangers in natural settings).
Landscapes: Capturing nature’s stillness and fleeting moments of beauty.
Documentary: Truthful, observational work without imposing a narrative.
Seeking Photography:
Travel: Capturing new locations, cultures, and people in an exploratory way.
Street Photography: Candid moments in everyday life, capturing stories.
Fashion & Editorial: Seeking to tell a visual narrative through clothing and styling.
Challenging Photography:
Conceptual Art: Pushing visual boundaries to comment on culture or identity.
Experimental Photography: Play with techniques, collage, abstraction, digital manipulation.
Political & Social Commentary: Photographs that provoke thought, challenge authority, or explore societal issues.
Hannah Starkey is a British photographer who specializes in staged settings of women in city environments, based in London. In 2019 she was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society. Hannah Starkey: In Real Life showed at The Hepworth Wakefield in April 2023. Her photography style consists of taking images of strangers on the street that don’t seem to have any relation to the models in the image. Her type of photography would be based on staged photography which could conclude that she is trying to make the images look realistic to what people may be feeling. The idea that what the artist is looking for isn’t always where she needs them to be, so she used the idea of the scenario she saw and turned it into her own reality by staging the images she produces. Although she has a specific theme to her images, she tries to get messages across about different women in the city. Although her images are staged it doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t have a real meaning that the artists are trying to get across. Hannah Starkey’s work is purely based on women and how they are represented in the city which could either be a stereotype or an actual representation, she likes to describe her work as “explorations of everyday experiences and observations of inner-city life from a female perspective.” This is a topic I quite like and decided to write about. However, the main reason I chose to do this artist was because it links in with the windows and mirrors theory. Hannah Starkey’s work is based on a mirror as it’s her own interpretations put into an image, she is recreating what is personal to herself as being an individual female living in the city, she makes her own experiences or possible other female experiences known to public without a shame, but some people might not gather that her images are staged just by one glance and hence not realise that this image is a window, some people could view Starkey’s images as something else and others could take offence to them, it’s all o do with stereotypes and how women are portrayed. I like that she sticks to her theme and doesn’t add any male models into her images. It shows that she is dedicated to show some of her life events as a woman.
Untitled, May 1997
This image is quite detailed and has two models, both models are posing for the image but not in a way you would when you know that someone is taking an image of you, this image is staged, this is meant to portray a women’s daily life and how women’s lives have been changed throughout the years. I really like how colourful this image is as most of the artists I looked at had images in black and white, although the aim of black and white photos is to restrict any distractions to the image, the idea that black and white images are easier to observe. However I do quite like a coloured photo as colours could link together and make the image look more put together, everything looks like it falls in place, this could make the image look staged but still shows that the photographer has a main target they want to capture. This image is quite powerful in presenting what a female might feel on a day-to-day basis. Starkey states that she thinks the outcome of her images is mainly based on an experience led thing rather than just projecting how a women might act or feel. She states that the female eye senses anything that is tied up in those kind of sexualised images- the sort of image that’s being used to sell stuff. She also suggests that things are changing and will continue to change in her time of working/ taking photographs, her aim was to evaluate how women are represented and what access women must make these representations themselves. She states “When you come into your professional career or your education, you will always have a legacy of what’s gone before you. You tend to want to rebalance or readjust that. So for me, that was all about the representation of women and to try to find a different way” which can suggest that she wants to see how much power she holds as a women and what she can put out on social media, how many views she might get and what type of retaliation she might get back from her work. Her work is basically an experiment to see how much recognition women get and to find out when they well get noticed. She also states how she disliked the way women were represented “I guess from about 2000 onwards, the mainstream media seemed to be very heavily influenced by the language of porn, and there was a while when it became so suffocating. It seemed like the “go to” way to present women – it’s not about prudishness or double standards, it’s just that there are many ways to make a woman look attractive, but the dominant aesthetic was just this one way.” The reality of the world has been shown and objectifies women in many ways, when taking an image of a women to always make sure she looks good, good enough to represent all women, this leads to women’s photos being edited to look thinner and prettier which effects many people today, the idea women need to look a certain way to please the public eye is quite disgusting and all women should be proud and content about their appearances. This isn’t seen as a problem just for women but men too. There has been much written about how men and women might photograph each other differently, and while it’s not something that is necessarily straightforwardly easy to quantify or put into words, it shows us how social media is fake and nothing is seen to be true anymore and Hannah Starkey has researched the how women are identified as she relates to that topic a lot more and likes to have a different message and interpretation for each image.
In this mind map, we pointed out the main links we thought of when thinking about ‘observe, seek, challenge’. We used an old exam essay for inspiration, to take ideas and thoughts from. We talked about terminology and links to topics and ideas that could help with our new personal study.
Mood board –
My mood board represents my main ideas for my personal study. I want my theme to be me, in more detail, the positives and negatives of growing up as a girl, I’m only 1 of millions of girls so the only story I have to tell is mine.
With divorced parents and issues throughout my 17 years of life, I believe that this idea could not only show perspective, but things that people wouldn’t realize or view if they were not in the same position. Not just with my life in particular, but girlhood in general.
Statement of intent –
The intent I have with my personal study, is to portray a life beyond the viewers. I want to allow them into my life and my past memories that no one would have known about. My photoshoots will portray this by either subtly or obviously explaining my idea of girlhood itself. The struggles and beauties all different aspects I have experienced through my life through girlhood.
I want to begin my photoshoots / personal study in a bedroom, have a motherly figure in an immature bedroom to show childhood, and end the study with the idea of the end of year 13, that could be in school or at a party or however I decide to portray it or how it develops throughout the process.
I will be planning 2 photoshoots, one being type documentary/window photoshoot (realism/ factual/ public/ candid). The other being a tableaux/mirror photoshoot (romanticism/ fiction/ private/ staged).
Documentary
The first I think of when thinking of this word is our street photography work a year ago so I will be getting some inspiration from photographers that I have already analysed back then. This would work well as Its completely natural and there wont be any input from me to change the subjects. National geographic is another think that comes to mind when thinking of documentary photos, so I could show the destruction or beauty of our environment. Maybe match car traffic with the crops in field.
Tableaux
When thinking of Tableaux photos, I think of our masculinity vs femininity work. Since I have already explored this in depth I might go about exploring 2 other binary opposites. Another Idea I had was to stage some sort of setting or story, maybe a crime scene, or a drug deal, ext. Another Idea I had was to recreate some of the romanticism paintings using photography, this allows me to link to some masculinity vs femininity photographers. Another Idea I had was to represent a few different human emotions. I got a few of my ideas from here.
Still Life was the first time I went to the studio and used a camera to take pictures of objects displayed on tables and stands. It was boring but a good introduction to my first time using a camera properly and taking pictures.
Environmental Portraits
An Environmental Portrait is where you take a picture of someone in their natural or working environment and capture them doing their job, hobbies or whatever they are doing. For this, I went around the school and took pictures of teachers and other people that work in and around the school and took pictures of them doing their jobs. This was a good introduction to taking pictures of people and getting used to different environments.
Lighting Portraits
Lighting portraits was another one of my favourite topics that we did because I was able to experiment with and include the different techniques I learnt in the studio which where, Rembrandt, Chiaroscuro and Butterfly.
Rembrandt Lighting
Rembrandt lighting was where you would angle the light on one side of the person so one side is lighter and then reflect a screen that the light reflects off and brightens up the other half but darker
Chiaroscuro Lighting
Chiaroscuro lighting was a strong contrast between light and dark where there would be bold colour differences throughout the image where it isn’t a smooth transition and more of a harsh one.
Butterfly Lighting
Butterfly lighting is where the light is angled above the persons face creating shadows underneath the nose creating a butterfly shape and more shadows on the cheekbones and ja
Femininity and Masculinity
Femininity and Masculinity was one of my favourite projects that we did. For this project we decided to go with the femininity theme take inspiration from Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s and recreated some of her images from what they would be like if she was in this generation. I enjoyed learning about the different stereotypes between men and women from a long time ago like during the war and the stereotypes now and comparing the different styles and aesthetics between different decades. I also learnt how different stereotypes can affect people and their emotions and try and live up to these stereotypes of the ‘typical’ man or woman and how they can be recreated in a photoshoot, like we did. I also enjoyed coming up with an idea for the blog and making it come to life in the studio.
Anthropocene & Typography
Anthropocene is used to simply describe the time during which humans have had a substantial impact on our planet. I liked the Anthropocene topic because I was able to learn about the impacts of the planet while also being able to use my imagination to create my own version of what the main issues in the world are from humans for example, climate change and what can add to the issues of it and also animals dying due to plastic and other human causes, I used my friends snake and some rubbish to create re-create this.
Typography is the photographs of odd looking structures that would be classified as ugly but to make them look aesthetic in images. For typography I used Harve des par and took pictures of building around and the pier, I also went to St. Catherines and took pictures of the pier and St. Helier and took pictures of it from on top of a hill over looking town. I mainly enjoyed typography because I liked taking pictures of the buildings and structures and editing them in a way where they look aesthetic and then print them out to put them into a window frame.
Street Photography
Street photography was where I would take photos of people and places to create a final photo story in InDesign. I enjoyed street photography as I was able to go out and take pictures of people and things that I found interesting and thought would look good together as a final piece. For my street photography I took pictures in Edinburgh and Paris, which are two places that I think have good architecture and looks to create the vintage looking aesthetic that I wanted for my street photography images.
Photo Story
Maritime & Harbour
Taking pictures of the harbour was another one of my favourite topics. I enjoyed taking pictures of the harbour and structures around it while also taking pictures of the people that worked there. This topic brought in other skills that I had learnt throughout my year at Hautlieu like environmental portraits, landscapes and typography. Learning about the maritime and harbour history at the maritime museum and the harbour master was also another interesting and unique thing to learn about as not many locals that live here would do that and get that opportunity.
Zine
For my zine I used my pictures that I took around the harbour throughout my two days there and created a zine with them. A zine is a small book with minimal or no writing that tells a story through its images. To create this I used InDesign and put a zine with my favourite and best images that corresponded together nicely to create my zine which I wanted to tell a story about the harbour and its history. I chose a minimal design for my zine where there was no writing apart from the front cover which has the title and my name.
