Born in 1968 to a French Moroccan mother and an American father, Philip Toleando is a London-born conceptual visual artist, as well as growing up in Casablanca, who lives and works from within New York City, utilising his passion from photography after a decade of working as an advertising art director. Targeting primarily socio-political themes, Toleando believes that a photograph should act as an unfinished sentence, exploring and executing this through a variation of mediums; photography, installation, sculpture, painting and video. Toledano uses photography as a form of internal storytelling through typically using staged sets, for example in his project ‘The Many Sad Fates Of Mr Toledano’, he uses different models to represent different life events and lifestyles in a uncanny and unsettling way. Alternatively, Philip Toledano in his project of ‘Another America’ he uses an Ai generative tool in order to depict worldwide events, such as devastation from 9/11 or the Influenza outbreak in order to challenge the notion of truth in photography and in the media.

Growing up in London, the British photojournalist recognised for his photography concerning war and urban strife, Don McCullin, motivated Toleando in his early pieces, causing him to aspire to be a ‘combat photographer’. However, Toledano’s work is contrasted from this, using abstract metaphors in order to deeply explore his own personal views and experiences of the world.

The selection of images that I am most interested is from one of his photobooks entitled ‘When I Was Six’:

HIS WORK:

The six images above are just a small example of the solemn story that Toledano sought to represent in this narrated photobook, an anecdote of how the death of his sister, Claudia, at age nine, left an unknown and empty presence in his life. His exploration of this event resonates with the human psyche, with it occurring 40 years prior due to a fire. Toledano mixes still-life images, text and atmospheric, ‘heaven-like’ images to not only see this section of his life from a clearer perspective, but also put the viewer into the shoes of his six year old self in order to make them almost relive the experience for him.

These two types of images within this photobook; ethereal-looking patterns juxtaposed by Claudia’s childhood keepsakes such as hair, her school pencil, the box of which her belongings were preserved in and her baby tag detailing her birth. The way that the photo-book has been pieced together has been done very thoughtfully, thinking about the dream-like images first comes across as some sort of escape from the reality of Claudia’s death for Toledano, imagining these landscapes that connote emotions of peace, vulnerability and freedom from demons in his mind, even as a six year old who wouldn’t be able to process such a devastating concept. How well would a six year old be able to understand death, such a traumatic and disruptive event?

‘I have no memories of my life after my sister’s death for a few years, other than an obsession with space, planets, and distant universes. ‘

The quote above suggests to me that the inclusion of images surrounding space, planets, astronomy and universes is Toledano expressing his inner child. Such a trauma to a six year old would be psychologically altering as Philip Toledano wouldn’t of been cognitively ‘ready’ to acknowledge the passing of his sister. As he states here that he has no memories of life after Claudia’s passing, this determines the conclusion that these memories of such a difficult time in his life have been suppressed and blocked out so that he doesn’t have to face such a painful truth. However, this photo-book can be interpreted as a final release of this ordeal and ultimately preparing and trying to grieve someone who has already been gone for 40 years. This gives Toleando the capability to heal and come to terms with Claudia’s passing, however this also means that he can relive the memories that he shared with her, whether he is consciously aware that they exist. However, this movement and changing of direction adds form and depth into his work, making these images show the fluidity of emotion, possibly suggesting the loss of control he had over his own when he lost Claudia.

On the other side of the spectrum, Toledano presents objects linked the Claudia’s life in a randomised order, beginning with her baby tag. This could be purposeful for the start of the photo-book being associated with the start of life, with a baby being a new beginning. Toledano stated that:

‘After my parents died, I found boxes of her things, things I’d never seen before, neatly packed away, a museum of sorts, created by my mother. ‘

Being almost never spoken about again in the family due to the heartache, this enabled Philip to finally get to know his sister from a more ‘outsider’ perspective, getting an explanation as to who she was, how she loved her parents and what happened after she passed. Toledano compiles many images of Claudia’s belongings, as well as key pieces of information to tell her story, this being:

• Sympathy cards for Toledano’s parents,
• A large cardboard box (the box of which her belongings were in),
• Claudia’s birthday cards,
• A shoebox,
• A piggy bank,
• Claudia’s school photo,
• Small, singular images of Claudia at home or at school,
• Her school uniform,
• Notes and cards with Claudia’s handwriting,
• A book of hers,
• A handheld fan,
• Her school pencil, engraved with her name,
• Postcards,
• A giraffe ornament,
• Her hair,
• A photo album,

Towards the end of the photobook is when the images begin to get dark, painful and depressing. The last two images of objects capture the blueprint of which Toledano’s father had to draw his daughter’s own tombstone alongside the folder containing her certificate of death. I feel that, similarly to the beginning, this makes the photobook become more cohesive, being that the end of Claudia’s life is represented through the ending of Toledano’s storyline. Within the still-life images, Toledano moves his lighting to create shadows over the different objects involved over black card, angling the camera from different viewpoints to create dynamic lines over each object in a different way. The shadows are either solely parallel, going from one corner of the image to the opposed, however many of the images hide shapes within them, made out of shadows. Because these shadows aren’t directly centred around the objects themselves, this could be used for creating an ‘out of place’ tone in the work.

ANALYSIS OF HIS WORK:

This image from Philip Toledano’s ‘When I Was Six’ project really resonated with me and is one of my favourites from the photobook. This still-life captures Claudia’s school summer dress from when she was nine, placed neatly and cautiously into what seems to be an adult shoe box with the lid off, accustomed by tissue paper underneath. When the image is initially viewed, the first thing that I notice is the tension between the blocked black background with the checkered pattern on the dress. This juxtaposition creates a type of optical illusion as this is such a dramatic contrast, making this burst of colour and the textural aspect of the dress look out of place and adds an aspect of solemnity for the viewer to begin to pick apart the images to come. The way that the box is placed just out of centre, pushed to the side every so slightly, gives the image the theme of the uncanny, something that isn’t just quite right. I also find this where the box isn’t placed exactly straight, appearing to have been just pushed into the lens with no real thought behind it. I consider this to be a purposeful action, possibly to symbolise how this box containing all of the objects that are associated with Claudia, including her school uniform, were pushed aside for 40 years unbeknownst to Toledo, only to be discovered once his parents had passed away. The tissue paper behind the dress is crinkled, showing its age as its been discarded for so long. However, I find that this may resemble the memory of Claudia withering away from within the box over the years, specifically due to Toledo stating that ‘I have no memories of my life after my sister’s death for a few years’. What I find is the most motivating factor within Toledano’s image is the lighting technique he has used. This image has been taken from a bird’s eye view using artificial light, however this lighting is in a squared shape, possibly done by using a specific head on the light above or, if he didn’t have the equipment for this, perhaps using different material to create this square outline as it is not entirely perfect. As the lighting has been pushed to the left side to oppose the dress slightly to the right, I feel that this may be reflective of how young Claudia died, explaining why only a partial selection of the dress has been highlighted by this glow. I also feel that this may be representative of that feeling of emptiness and loneliness that we find after a loved one has passed away, as I said before, showing that the beginning stages of grief may lure someone to begin to question their place in the world, what their purpose is. This could be reflective of the shift in Toledano’s family dynamic when he was younger, demonstrating how Claudia wasn’t mentioned much again due to the heartache, making her life slowly disappear into the darkness.

Links:

https://mrtoledano.com/info/: Artist reference: Philip Toledano https://mrtoledano.com/slideshow/when-i-was-six/: Artist reference: Philip Toledano

https://www.lensculture.com/phillip-toledano https://time.com/3737833/phil-toledano-when-i-was-six-photobook

‘Anna Gaskell is an American art photographer and artist from Des Moines, Iowa. She is best known for her photographic series that she calls “elliptical narratives” which are similar to the works produced by Cindy Sherman.‘

Anna Gaskell (born October 22, 1969) is an American art photographer and artist from Des Moines, Iowa.

Known for her haunting depictions of young women in ambiguous scenes, Anna Gaskell began casting girls—specifically identical twins—to reinterpret scenarios from Alice in Wonderland. As the Serpent is from a series of photographs that shows the girls in close-up, extracted from the bright backgrounds that mark her other photographs related to this theme. Here, we see Gaskell’s model facing forward, yet the work’s title suggests that she is not posed as herself but is rather playing a role, namely the serpent of the image’s title. Discussing her interest in the Alice books, Gaskell suggests a enigmatic connection between their author Charles Dodgson (whose pseudonym was Lewis Carroll) and his inspiration, a young girl named Alice Liddell. Their relationship was “so complicated and mysterious,” Gaskell stated. “We don’t really know anything about it, but we know enough. There is the possibility of child abuse. His longing for her. I like the danger about it—at some point, being unable to explain it. I like the world that she lived in.”

Gaskell focuses on re telling traditional fairy tales and childhood stories through photography often capturing the story’s in a violent and disturbing light, when drawing inspiration from Gaskell I am most interested in her ability to create narratives through still photography and capture the essence of a story.

Book layout

Anna Gaskell does not only use photography to contribute to her story telling she also utilised simple drawings to chapter her images which I intend to imitate in my own work

Vinca Petersen is a British photographer and artist. Her photography book No System documents her life in the 1990s travelling around Europe with sound systems, putting on free parties. Her pictures began as a visual diary, documenting her leaving home at seventeen, moving into a London squat and becoming involved in the free party scene that grew across Europe in the 1990s. In the UK, free parties grew out of the rave explosion of 1989 when crowds of up to twenty-five thousand people would gather in the English countryside for illegal all-night events fuelled by MDMA and techno music. Petersen had become involved in this scene while still in her teens in London. They wandered through France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands and Germany, banding together with other sound systems to put on huge parties in remote countryside locations in the summer, then separating to seek out smaller, more urban venues, such as empty warehouses, when the weather got colder. The resulting pictures are intimate and warm, celebrating the travellers without romanticizing them. Petersen shows the damage as well as the highs of drug use, the litter and destruction the travellers left, as well as the euphoria of their parties. 

Mood board

These pictures from her book ‘No System’ document a lot of information from her travels around Europe, for example their party habits and waking up the next morning feeling rough and repeating it everyday for years. The journal entries provide information on how she was feeling and documenting what has happened that night or day which I find intriguing because it is a completely different life as they don’t have any rules where they are and completely free, compared to the party and rave scene now where you don’t hear much about illegal parties and raves in the countryside.

In an article written by Sheryl Garrat she says “The travellers played what Petersen describes as a constant game of cat and mouse with the police. As a result, they were wary of outsiders, especially those taking pictures.” This shows Vinca Petersen’s passion for photography as she was willing to get in trouble from her fellow travellers for taking images of their lives and parties. The article also states how Petersen’s images “have been taken by an insider. Working with small, inconspicuous cameras, she sometimes didn’t even look through the viewfinder before clicking the shutter; other times she’d leave a camera on a bar overnight and retrieve it in the morning to see what had been recorded.”

Image Analysis

I chose to analyse this image of two men at a DJ stand because it shows the life they were living while they were travelling. The DJ stand being covered by different materials shows the little/no money that they had within their travelling lifestyle as they had little money to afford proper shelter and they probably moved to a different location after this day. This image was taken during the day because it has natural lighting and no artificial lighting as she is a documentary photographer and it was taken in somewhere like a forest or countryside as they only went to remote locations, otherwise they could easily get caught by the police. This image doesn’t romanticize the travelling and party lifestyle as it doesn’t make it look appealing, the image looks dirty and rough but also free. The main feeling that is presented in Vinca Petersen’s book ‘No System’ is freedom, it is shown all throughout the book and I can see it a lot in this image with the countryside background and knowing the backstory and facts about the book it makes me see it even more.

I have chosen to analyse this image of a person asleep in a countryside field because it represents the freedom and euphoria that they experienced while they were travelling around Europe with their sound systems drinking alcohol and taking drugs. This could either be an aftermath of a night that they had or just someone relaxing in a field of tranquillity. The image shows little about what has happened to lead up to it, but knowing that the book is set on them travelling and partying around Europe you can add up what the story of this image is.

Mood Board:

Mind map:

Who is Justine Kurland?

Justine Kurland is an American fine art photographer, born in 1969, based in New York City. Kurland holds a BFA from the School of Visual Arts and an MFA in photography from Yale University. She is best known for photographing subjects in American wilderness landscapes, and her strongly narrative work is influenced by 19th century English picturesque landscapes and the utopian ideal as well as genre paintings, the photographs of Julia Margaret Cameron and Mathew Brady, and illustrations from fairy tales.  She has travelled across the United States to create these staged photos, including to Virginia and California, but spent many months traveling through New Zealand as well. Her photos of utopian-esque communities in Virginia and California earned her solo shows in London and Vienna. Kurland is very in touch with nature and the primal impulses of humanity. While creating her narrative of a teenage runaway, she was particularly interested in photographing within small, fringe areas of wilderness that remained between suburban and urban areas. She then talks to them about the scenes and scenarios she would like them to respond to and interpret for the camera.

Her photographs are also on view in NMWA’s exhibition Live Dangerously (September 19–January 20, 2020).

Justine Kurland, Shipwrecked, 2000.

What did Justine Kurland do?

Justine Kurland’s art is a vital part of the efflorescence of the staged photograph that began in the late 1990s. She creates her photographic series during extended road trips through the American Northwest or South. Using volunteer models she meets during her travels, Kurland constructs scenes of people rambling through the wilderness landscape.

“I photographed on extended road trips across the US, scouting locations and finding girls along the way. The girls would collaborate in staging the scenes. The girls performed scenes of caretaking that became actual caretaking: feeding each other, brushing each other’s hair, walking arm in arm. It was also a time when photographers were encouraged to stay in their lane. It was the 1990s, and it was considered exploitative for a white photographer to photograph a Black subject. I look at these pictures now, more than two decades later, and see that I both shaped and captured the racialized dreams of young white girls. ‘Girl Pictures’ (1997–2002) depicts a dream landscape, and a world at large, where even imaginations of resistance are misshapen by white supremacy”.

The 1980s was a time when many American women artists and photographers realized that they could be both the creator and the subject of their work, after battling many issues with gender roles and representations of women. I believe that Kurland created her photographic series to challenge these stereotypes by getting her models to perform behaviours that have constructed opposing ideologies to these stereotypes. But as things changed around Kurland herself, she identifies the election of Donald Trump as a moment where the meaning of her work shifted a bit. She stopped wanting to make that performance. She has since started new work she said is “all about looking inward and thinking about what I was running from.” She states that she no longer feels an uncomplicated identification with her old yearning for the West. But that shift helped her see something new in the photographs, which depict teenage girls in natural or nondescript settings, casting them in the adventurous roles of runaways and fighters.

Image analysis:

This image taken by Kurland caught my attention and stood out in comparison to the rest of her work. This is because it tackles a different approach to the Girl Pictures experimentation, as it contrasts to her other images by portraying less feminine qualities. For example, the two young girls in the image are dressed in minimal ragged clothing which straight away gives the impression that they have ran away from home and resorted to living outdoors. This challenges typical women stereotypes because usually women and young girls have been associated with having nurturing qualities and compassion, whereas these girls contrast this idea as they appear to be independent, brave and courageous by living in nature. Which girls are usually not associated with. Furthermore, the use of the goggles on the girls head show that she is confident and takes enjoyment from exploring the outdoors. This creates a sense of sympathy from the viewer, as we can infer from the image that the girls are young and perhaps they do not live the typical life of a young child – instead they have to cope on their own with no relatives to guide them through their childhood. Moreover, the background in the image has cooler tones running through it, which makes me assume that there is a type of mist or fog in the air implying that the weather is bitterly cold. This differs from the foreground of the image, as the colour of the long grass is slightly more vibrant. From this, I can gather that it is dusk, and the sky is about to darken. Both girls being sat down comfortably in overgrown grass demonstrate that they find comfort in nature, although the expressions of them show misery and weariness. The dark leeches contrast sharply to the pale skin of the two which exerts the challenge of the outside world. Despite the clear discomfort presented by the two in the image, there is also a sense of resilience in their posture and facial expressions, as they look focused and concentrated. It appears that the girls may be fascinated and somewhat amused by the creatures attaching to them. Overall, this scene has an effective blend of innocence and the unpredicted, as it perfectly highlights the uncomfortable beauty of the outdoors.

Image analysis 2:

The second image that I chose from Kurland’s series immediately caught my eye. It shows two young girls in a candid and natural setting, showing they are exploring the wilderness. As the girl on the left is seated and focusing on tying her boots, this tells me that they are getting ready for an adventure.

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
• 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.

Justine Kurland

I am inspired by Justine Kurland’s artwork. Justine Kurland is a contemporary fine art photographer from New York born in 1969. When Kurland was 15 she left New York to live in Manhattan with her aunt and this is where she found her interest in art. Kurland has produced many projects throughout her life in which she has been inspired by her own past experiences and her present experiences of her adult life. However the one I have taken an interest in is her artwork called “Live Dangerously” in which she produced in 2020. Although she uses her past experiences to inspire her work, this project was based off things she did not get to experience growing up. This included rebelling as a teenager and having freedom to live however she wanted. She created this project to explore the lives of teenagers against the stereotypes and gender roles of society. These images include teenagers climbing trees, setting of smoke bombs, skinny dipping and other activities that she didn’t get to do. In this project she also looks into the female gaze and the connections that females have with each other. She looks at the protection and empowerment of woman that they can find within themselves and not males. Most of her images only include females which allow female viewers to connect with her work through the bond shown through the camera.

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.

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.

Mood Board

Plan

Lighting

I will be shooting at night so I will have to be careful with lighting, however I will use two of these lights to focus and create the lighting situation I want for each shot. This means I can create dramatic shadows or use direct lighting. This will be time consuming but will allow me to create a specific atmosphere for each shot.