Linking to Cindy Sherman– Plan

My photoshoot plan is to focus on stereotypes, gender roles, feminism, misogyny, expectations of women, patriarchy, female gaze and power dynamics. My main objective is to focus on social issues within women. My plan is to make similar images of Cindy Sherman such as some images looking as if the subject has taken the images herself and set them up but also varying them by some images being taken of the subject by another person. Or potentially I could get some images setting it up, giving the illusion that I took it of my self but in reality another person helped. This is what I assume when it comes to Sherman’s famous images. Such as this image,

My aim within themes

My main objective is to portray the theme of the stereotypical traditional housewife, such as being a service to men. My aim is to suggest the themes of women looking after the household, uneducated, nurturing motherhood and seen sexually. The way I want to execute this is through similar posing such as a hand on the lower stomach, suggesting nurturing motherhood/ Another example would be heavy eye makeup emphasizing the female gaze. The purpose of the ‘female gaze’ becomes to connect with the female viewer via the female creator, coming together in a way that serves them, and upholding the idea that women are powerful and can control their own destiny. That is why one of the most notable differences between the male and the female gaze is intent. The setting up of the camera is a very important factor as it gives the illusion of her taking it off herself. Not only this, the saucepan is pointing at her breasts which adds a sexual and objectification element to her images, which she executed purposely. I will also attempt to take more images of Sherman’s but overall attempting to portray these important themes such as Sherman suggesting the representations of women.

Representations of women

All of these images have different representations of women, and the traditional stereotypes in the 1970’s which was when Sherman began to take these. Sherman uses black and white which I personally like as it suggests an older aesthetic. Therefore, within my plan I aim to make it have more of an older aesthetic like Sherman’s such as experimenting through black and white filters, heavy or light grain or other effects and decide which one works best with my modernity images attempting to make them traditional.

‘Widely recognized as one of the most important American artists of her generation, Cindy Sherman revolutionized the role of the camera in artistic practice and opened the door for generations of artists and critics to rethink photography as a medium.’

This series of photos created by Cindy Sherman in her exploration of film and caricatures pushed into women in Hollywood.
my interest in these images is not the themes they surround but instead the may they are made utilising projected backgrounds that create a rustic and film like appeal.

I believe using the technique of projecting the background in some of my images will create a sense that the image is just a screenshot from a film, contributing to the story’s I intend to tell throughout my photography.

In 1980 Sherman stopped working on ‘The Untitled Film stills’ and began working in colour with the Rear screen projection series, she continued to create self portraits using only herself as a model and transforming her appearance with many varying wigs, makeup, outfits, leaving the narrative of her scenes deliberately vague.
However instead of using pre existing scenery and lighting she created a manufactured environment for her photography using specific lighting and projected scenery in the controlled environment of the studio.
‘Unlike the Untitled Film Stills, with their artificial narratives set in real locations, this series presents women no longer bound by their physical surroundings.’

Photo analysis

Nick Haymes – The Last Survivor Is The First Suspect

The Last Survivor is the First Suspect” is at once a celebration and a requiem. The project, captured between 2005 and 2009 by photographer Nick Haymes, is a record of a drifting community of young friends based mainly between two distinct geographic points: Southern California and Tulsa, Oklahoma. The book’s narrative merges a sense of joy in documenting burgeoning friendships and bonds, and a looming sense of dread that would ultimately culminate in a series of tragedies. Platforms such as MySpace, YouTube and online message boards engendered a sense of community by enabling connection, while also setting new and impossible standards and expectations. Diligently collected, these various forms of communication between the characters frame a foreboding.

In Haymes’ own introduction he accounts how his camera allowed him to compensate for a sense of crippling shyness developed during his teenage years. ’I picked up a camera and hid, discovering I could once again be near people, intimate with them, without having to engage,’ he writes.

Growing up in the UK, photographer Nick Haymes remembers his teen years spent bouncing around cliques in school. Drawn to kids for who they were, instead of who they aspired to be, Nick found his genuine interest was widely reciprocated by everyone except the girl he had been crushing on for six years. Lacking confidence, he turned to drugs, stopped writing and making art, and eventually stopped going to school. Three years later, Nick’s world fell apart when he learned he was adopted, and later went to rehab, where he dealt with paranoid psychosis. On the other side, overcome by profound shyness, Nick gravitated to photography. Camera in hand, he could engage with the world while maintaining a safe distance from people. In February 2005, Nick met two California teens, Josh and Mikey, at a dim sum restaurant in New York’s Chinatown. Their laidback manner and easy repartee gave Nick a feeling of connection and security he had been missing. That summer, he travelled to California to hang with them, and soon found a place for himself in what he described as “a family of lost boys.” 

“The Last Survivor Is the First Suspect” is a notable and powerful photo series created by photographer Nick Haymes. This series is often regarded as impactful and thought-provoking due to its dramatic exploration of themes like survival, isolation, and the human condition in the context of both literal and metaphorical “endings.” Here are a few reasons why the photoshoot is considered good, even great, by many in the photography and art communities

Mood Board

Image Analysis

This image is called… The depth of field used in this image is eye catching as although it focuses on the three girls having fun, it also can create a story within what you can see and what you cant see outside the frame. The image creates a sort of familiar feel, as it reflects my personal life alot as my friends are such a big part of life. I also feel like this image resonates with my friends because we love hanging out and going round to each others houses. This image also gives me inspiration for my own photoshoots because although this activity is just a day to day activity, it also focuses on and captures stereotypes in a way. I also like this image as its showing exactly what i want to shoot.

How is feminism and girlhood portrayed through photography?

Introduction

In todays society, there is still significant male patriarchy, and feminist perspectives are often marginalized but I’m interested in the aesthetic on how feminism and girlhood are portrayed through the lens of photography and how misogyny comes into play within this topic.

I’ll be analysing the works of Cindy Sherman and Laura Mulvey, two artists who both offer powerful insights into how women are treated and viewed. Cindy Sherman is best known for her self-portraits, where she transforms herself into “strange” female characters using costumes and makeup. Through this, she challenges traditional ideas of femininity. Sherman’s work deconstructs the idea of a fixed female identity and forces us to question how we view woman/girlhood.

Laura Mulvey’s work as a feminist film theorist is influential to women, especially her concept of the male gaze. Some of her ideas about how women are objectified in visual media are crucial to understanding photography as well. Mulvey argues that women are often framed in ways that make them passive objects for the male viewer, seen as sex objects. This theory is powerful when applied to photography, where women’s bodies are often objectified and are presented in a sexualised way, not seeing them as a person but an object.

Both of these artists shows the world how we criticize the ways that women and girls are represented and treated in society. Sherman does this through performance and images, while Mulvey does it through theory. In my work, I plan to explore the idea of girlhood and femininity. Within this project I hope to better understand how photography plays a role in shaping feminist ideas about girlhood. Ultimately, I’m hoping to show how women grow and blossom, as well as what some challenged women may go through or what some women are put through. Through this exploration I hope to seek awareness for women and girls during their lives.

The Male Gaze

Feminism and girlhood in photography have been hugely shaped by Laura Mulvey and Cindy Sherman. These two women have shaped how we look at gender, identity, and how girls and women are portrayed in pictures ,in society and in general. Their ideas challenge the traditional ways women and girls have been portrayed, offering new ways of understanding femininity, girlhood and the struggles many women have to go though.

Laura Mulvey is best known for her essay Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema (1975), where she talks about the “male gaze.” This idea says that in movies and media, women are often shown as objects for men to look at and desire, sexualised and treated like trash which is seen a lot. ‘In a world ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female. The determining male gaze projects its fantasy on to the female form which is styled accordingly’ (Mulvey 1975). Mulvey is saying that in a world where men hold most of the power, looking and enjoying images is split between men and women. Men are the ones doing the looking, while women are often shown as objects to be looked at. The “male gaze” means that men project their desires onto women, and women are usually portrayed in ways that match those desires, rather than being shown as full, active people in their own right. Mulvey argues that this makes women passive, meaning they don’t have control over how they are seen. Her theory made people start thinking about how women in images are usually shown as passive, or just there to be looked at for men. Feminist photographers began questioning how women and girls are shown in images. Mulvey’s ideas pushed us to think critically about how girls and women have been represented in visual art and media for a long time which you could argue is getting worse as time goes on.

Sherman is famous for her self-portraits, where she dresses up in different costumes and challenges ideas. She uses herself as the model in her photos and challenges the way women and girls are shown in the media. By acting out stereotypes of women, Sherman shows that femininity and girlhood aren’t fixed, they change depending on society’s expectations and what people expect us to do/be.

‘I think that the way these pictures come through me is mostly intuitive, unless I have something specific in mind, like with the sex pictures; I definitely had ideas of what each one was about. But I don’t title them. I’m not going to thrust the issues in my work into people’s faces with words.’ (Sherman online) Sherman talks about her creative process. She says that most of the time, her art comes from her gut feeling, without planning everything out. But when she’s working on something specific, like her sex-themed pieces, she has a clearer idea of what she wants to express. She also mentions that she does not use titles for her work because she does not want to push her thoughts onto the audience. She prefers to let the art speak for itself and give people the freedom to interpret it however they like. In a way, Sherman takes on board the control of the “gaze” Mulvey talks about. Instead of just being the subject of a photograph for people to look at, Sherman is actively making the image herself and showing herself off in an unusual way. This gives her the power to change how girlhood and femininity are represented. She makes us think about how we see girls and women in images, this is what she is most famous for. Together, Mulvey and Sherman have completely changed how we think about girlhood in photography. Mulvey’s ideas help us understand how images of women and girls are often controlled by a male perspective, while Sherman’s work shows us how we can change how women are presented in the media. Mulvey made us realize how damaging these traditional ways of representing women can be, and Sherman’s photographs give us a new way of looking at the power women have. Their work encourages us to think differently about how girls and women are seen in photography. We’re now more aware of how gender, power, and identity play a role in these images.

Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman was born in 1954 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey; she lives and works in New York. Sherman is famous for her self-portraits, where she dresses up in different costumes and challenges ideas. She uses herself as the model in her photos and challenges the way women and girls are shown in the media, the misogyny women have to go through, ranging from the 1900s all the way to the 21st century. Women are stereotyped and shamed upon for this stereotypical way that women need to cook and clean whilst the man goes to work and make all the money. Mulvey agrees with this, ‘woman then stands in patriarchal culture as signifier for the male other, bound by a symbolic order in which man can live out his phantasies and obsessions through linguistic command by In posing them on the silent image of woman still tied to her place as bearer of meaning, not maker of meaning.’ (Mulvey 1975) This quote from Laura Mulvey is about how women are often portrayed in movies and society. In a patriarchal culture, women are seen as objects for men’s fantasies. They do not have their own voice or power to create meaning; instead, they are shown as silent and passive, with men controlling how they are seen. Women are often represented in ways that fulfil men’s desires, rather than being allowed to shape their own stories or identities, which agrees with what Sherman is trying to represent.

Sherman construct images using herself as the model of feminine women. She shows elements of sexual desire and domination. Sherman recognizes those fixed identity concepts surrounding women, suggesting the possibility of women’s self-authorization in reality (self esteem). This is done by dressing up, posing, and photographing herself in different scenarios, Sherman critiques the way women are portrayed in popular media. This area is particularly for Sherman’s elaborately “disguised” self-portraits that comment on social role-playing and sexual stereotypes. Sherman is trying to make a move and a change into women’s lives within her images. Her images have a message, they are not just a picture

One of my favourite images that Sherman took is the one in black and a white of a women on the kitchen floor. This is because of the stereotypical change Sherman’s trying to make. The type of lighting is black and white, imitating that the image was taken in the early 1900s. The white balance is cool/cold. There is a deep historical meaning within this because of this huge male misogyny and what women have to go through i.e. cat calling. Men get away with it and women “have to suffer in silence”. Even in 2024 some women are scared to leave the house at night but Sherman tried to raise awareness about that. ‘I didn’t have any interest in traditional art’ (Sherman Goodreads). This shows that she did not care about making something beautiful or the art in itself – she cared about raising awareness for women and making them seen/heard rather than making something for money or fame. Sherman wanted to target everybody with her are for the people to take in and claim conceptually within their own thoughts. If her audience resonates with an image because of its portrayal of womanhood, or perhaps it makes them think of their views of women, that is simply what that viewer took from her art

Laura Mulvey

I have been looking at how photographers use the human body to express ideas about identity, and to gain further insights from the book Laura Mulvey The writer and Academic. I have chosen to look closer at the writings of Laura Mulvey. Even though Mulvey is best known for her work in film theory, her ideas about the “male gaze” are really relevant to photography too, especially when it comes to how identity is portrayed. In her famous essay Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema, Mulvey talks about how women are often shown as objects to be looked at, rather than as active characters with their own story. She explains that in traditional films, women are often passive, only to be admired by male viewers, while male characters are more active and in control, “leaders”. Here is a quote that backs my point. ‘As a woman, you never escape the male gaze’ (Mulvey Goodreads). This is true because no matter what you do or where you are there is usually always misogyny happening and men feel like they have power and ownership over us as women which is unjust. Women are trapped in this sort of loop hole that men think they have the power which is not true.

I find this theory really interesting because it makes me think about how people are shown in photography. If a photographer only focuses on the body, or sexualizes their subject without considering their personality or story, it can create the same kind of objectification Mulvey talks about. After reading her work, I started to think about how I can challenge that in my own photography, in my images I want to capture more of a women’s story and personality.

In my own images, I’ve tried to move away from the idea of showing someone as an object. One of the things I did was give my subjects more powerful, active poses. I took one of my friends sitting alone, looking out the window with her arms crossed.

It was not just an image of her looking pretty, but a moment where she seemed deep in thought and in control of her space. This made her seem more active in the image, rather than just something to look at. It helped show a side of her that felt more real and personal. I also worked with framing to show my subjects as part of a bigger story, rather than just focusing on their body. In one image, I showed more of the environment around the subject, giving context to who they are and where they are. This made the image feel less like a snapshot of just a body and more like a glimpse into a person’s life or emotions. I believe that these images relate to Mulvey’s theory and they are trying to make awareness for what she believes.

When I look at my own work now, I realize how important it is to think about the message I am sending with each image. The way I frame a shot, use lighting, and choose my subject’s pose can all say something about their identity and how powerful or vulnerable they seem. I have learned a lot from Mulvey’s ideas, and I have started to challenge the way women, in particular, are usually portrayed in images. My images now feel like they capture the personality and depth of the subject rather than just how they look. It’s been a really eye-opening experience, and I’m proud of how I’m learning to express identity in a more thoughtful way.

‘It is said that analysing pleasure, or beauty, destroys it.’ (Mulvey 1975). This is a good quote because it suggests that overanalysing the experiences of beauty and pleasure can take away the immediacy and emotional impact. It can ruin the feeling and make it less special. You can see this in the media and Mulvey means this by where women are just looked at and not take seriously which to us, takes away the power and beauty of us and it belittles women. They are more than just an object.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the work of Cindy Sherman and Laura Mulvey has really influenced how I think about how women and girlhood are shown in photography. Both artists challenge the usual ways women are represented and offer new ways of looking at femininity, identity, and power. Their work has helped me realize how important it is to think about how women are viewed in society and how we can change that through photography.

Cindy Sherman shows that femininity is not something fixed, but something that changes depending on what society expects of women. I think her work makes us think about how we see women in photographs and how stereotypes are created. In my own work, I want to explore girlhood and femininity in a way that questions these stereotypes, just like Sherman does in her images.

Laura Mulvey’s idea of the “male gaze” also has had a big impact on how I approach photography. In her writing, Mulvey talks about how women are often shown as objects for men to look at in movies and media. This idea is also important for photography because how we frame women in images can either objectify them or show them as real people with their own stories. I have tried to avoid focusing just on the body in my images. Instead, I aim to show more of my subject’s personality and story. I want my images to feel real and not just like something for others to look at.

Both Sherman and Mulvey have taught me a lot about how women are shown in art and how we can change that. They have made me more aware of how images can influence how women are seen and how we can use photography to challenge stereotypes. Like Sherman, I want my work to question traditional ideas of femininity, and like Mulvey, I want to make sure my subjects are shown as full, complex people. Through my photography, I hope to contribute to the conversation about how women are represented and help make space for more empowering images of girlhood.

Bibliography: 

Sherman, C. Interview with Cindy Sherman. Aperture Magazine. [online] (I think that the way these pictures come through m | PhotoQuotes) [accessed 20 January 2025]

Sherman, C. https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/78563.Cindy_Sherman [online, accessed 16 January 2025]

Mulvey, L. https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/160882.Laura_Mulvey#:~:text=What%20counts%20is%20what%20the,has%20not%20the%20slightest%20importance. [online, accessed 10th January 2025]

Mulvey, L. https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/160882.Laura_Mulvey#:~:text=What%20counts%20is%20what%20the,has%20not%20the%20slightest%20importance. [online, accessed 12th January 2025]

Mulvey, L. https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/160882.Laura_Mulvey#:~:text=What%20counts%20is%20what%20the,has%20not%20the%20slightest%20importance. [online, accessed 15th January 2025]

ChatGBT – https://www.google.com/search?gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBggAEEUYOzIGCAAQRRg7MgYIARBFGEDSAQgxMzM1ajBqN6gCALACAA&ie=UTF-8&oq=chat+gbt&q=chat+gbt&rlz=1C1GCEA_enJE1132JE1132&safe=active&sourceid=chrome&surl=1 [online, accessed January 4th]

For my personal Study I have looked at two photographers, Micheil Peters and August Sander. Michiel Peters is distinctive for his aesthetic and expertly crafted composition of his visualisations of the Second World War. With Images depicting the Soldiers of the past, his work is unique for there elaborate mise-en-scene of locations converted to the past. Taken with original vehicles, such as: Tanks, boats, trucks, Jeeps, aircraft, etc he makes good use of these to tell the true story of what occurred within Europe. August Sander, known for his extensive portfolio of the German peoples portrait over half a century, has been implemented as a highly influential figure within the world of photography. Through a single image he is able to convey so much about his subject due to their appearances and surroundings, for this reason, Sander’s work is recognised as a perfect example of the ‘environmental portrait’.

Michiel Peters –

August Sander –

Further sources –

Some other artist influences include Henri Cartier-Bresson, known widely for his candid street shots, captures the decisive points in time when pictures are taken, These to me show the candid reality of people which I can try to replicate in my work. From a historical context, I have looked into the work of Robert Capa, who is arguably the most recognisable war photographer for such works as the ‘Falling soldier’ taken during Spanish civil war of the 1930s and mainly his images of Omaha Beach, taken in the early hours of the invasion of Normandy, June 6th, 1944. D-Day. These shots capture the frontline horrors many back home had not seen yet and gave an accurate representation of the brutal reality many had to deal with during the Second World War. This practice of close combat photography would not take of massively until much later in the 20th century such as with the Vietnam War. Further more, I have collected my own sources of pictures of Jersey’s occupation which I aim to implement alongside by own images. For the staged candid effect I may want to experiment with I have also looked into the work of Paul M Smith. From real experiences within the Army, Smith recreated staged images of army training/combat photos where every soldier was himself. From this I can explore the more personal aspects of the occupation and how much I can represent my passion for the subject.

‘Liberation of Paris’, August 1944 – Henri Cartier-Bresson.

‘Omaha Beach’, June 6th 1944, Robert Capa.

‘Artist Rifle’, 1997, Paul Smith.

Further into Paul Smiths Artist Rifle series can be seen here to see how he uses clones of himself to create some interesting story’s within his photographs.

Link – https://www.saatchigallery.com/artist/paul_smith

Personal Response from artist inspiration, Michiel Peters:

Interested in his work, I reached to the photographer to ask him 3 questions on his work relating to some ideas behind my project:

What inspired your to recreate these visualised images of the Second World War?

“I’ve always had a passion for photography and military history. As I live in Belgium I always went to the Ardennes to attend the battle of the bulge commemorations in December every year since I was a little boy. But at the same time I never had the feeling that the pictures I saw really brought the history to life in such a way that the horror of the war in all its aspects was represented so that people would know the horror these soldiers had endured. I wanted to bring more character In my pictures to relate to real soldiers during World War 2.”

Have you taken influence from any other photographers?

“I have not really been inspired by other photographers, when I started photographing re-enactment, this form of photography was only in its early days VS now where it has gotten a real boost in recent years. I see myself more of a pioneer by telling a story with my pictures, instead taking just a few shots here and there. I never take just 1 re-enactment photo, I always work based on a project which contains more pics to tell a story. I try to be more cinematic in my pictures, hence my inspiration comes more from movies and TV than other photographers, such as with Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan, the Longest Day, and some others.

“These photoshoots are most of the time in private shoots not open to the public, I can’t be limited by a public fence where I need to stand behind, for me, the only correct way to capture the re-enactors is when you are next to them in the mud, snow, rain, foxholes, tanks, etc. This is not possible from 100m, you need to be embedded with them or otherwise I cant get the character I want in my pictures I want. The only photographer I relate to in WW2 is Robert Capa with his famous quote… ‘If your pictures are not good enough, you are not close enough!'”.

Does retelling these soldiers lives make you feel more connected to them?

“I work with dedicated re-enactors, at the original historical accurate WW2 locations In Belgium, Normandy, etc. I aim to recreate these scenes as accurately as possible in their environment, using only authentic equipment. The only way I can pay tribute to our fallen heroes the best I can is to show them in this way to express my photographic mind as much as possible.”

Mind Map: Observe, Seek, Challenge

Moodboard: Artist and Photographer Inspirations

Through capturing photos of familiar subjects in domestic or seemingly unknown, juxtaposing locations, the photographers Cindy Sherman, Nan Goldin, Ed van der Elsken, Josh Kern, and Silken Weinberg could be exploring a deeper personal perception of the photographer’s self and the world around them. I am inspired by these photographers for my project because their photos appear to depict the world and their experiences in an uncompromising manner.

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Through capturing either a candid or staged photo of a familiar or unfamiliar subject(s), the photographers Daidō Moriyama, William Klein, Janette Beckman, Richard Bellia, and Henri Cartier-Bresson observe the people around them with their photography. The feel of impetuosity, or a ‘decisive moment’ within these photographs inspires me for my own photographs.

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Photographers who connect the human form and nature through a series of juxtapositions, photos of a natural form, or an abandoned man-made building overtaken by nature are Eva Voutsaki, Carla Ellens, Robert Frank, Stig Marlon Weston, Diane Fenster, Jeff Cowen, María Tudela, and Alicja Brodowicz. Some of these photographers also adapt and change their photographs after it is taken using a variety of different medias, either applying a layer of paint or texture on top or writing over the photo, and also such as Josh Kern.

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Caravaggio, Frans Hals, Rembrandt, and Édouard Manet are artists I have looked at for this project to inspire different compositions for my photos, and to further consider the depth and lighting of a photo in relation to how a painting/drawing of it would appear.

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Definitions

OBSERVE

To observe means: Watching, noticing something – exploring/observing

onlooker, watcher, commentator, voyeur, spectator, witness/eyewitness, bystander, sightseer, notice, perceive

Artists throughout history have observed the world around them and presented their artworks in a documentary style.

SEEK

To seek means: Attempt to find something / desire to obtain or achieve something

search for/look for, endeavour, detect, discover, pursue, strive, hunt, chase, quest

Artists throughout history have portrayed the human desire to seek and explore through different mediums in their creations.

CHALLENGE

To challenge means: A call to prove/justify something – usually competitive

question, opposition, defiance, dispute, confrontation, objection, exception, protest

Artists throughout history have challenged ideologies and conventions of their times, and have used their artworks to protest.

Tom Hunter does similar style photos to Philip-Lorca diCorcia with the still, staged photos with the theme of loneliness. Also, Tom Hunter is a London-based British artist working in photography and film. His photographs often reference and reimagine classical paintings.

Emotional: The effect of these images makes me feel sadness, with a use of loneliness joined, this is because a lot of his photos are very dull, dark and gives a ‘lost’ sense in them. There is no stereo type for them but it shows how they might not have money or might be struggling with something. They also have no emotion in their faces, which help express the sadness and depression.

Visual: These photos are very central based with the person being the main focus in their environment. They are also on the darker shade of editing with commonly not looking at the camera with light coming in either through the natural light like the window, or the sun on the woman in the grass, or an electrical light like the lamp on the second photo, but even the lamp makes the photo look dull.

Technical: The people are always in the centre of the photo or if there is two people like the first one with the woman and her baby, they are both evenly each side with the woman holding a piece of paper in the centre of the photo.

Conceptual: These photos make theses subjects look lonely or make them look like they are struggling with something to showcase it through the photos that many people wouldn’t expect with their day to day lifes.

Contextual:

All of these photos have a similar theme with both women in the last two photos by themselves expressing sadness, or being lost, or almost having an idea of ‘no plan for their life’.

The first photo involves a women with her baby in a house/flat that looks run down, whilst looking at her bills or some piece of paper to do with money. This gives an idea to the photo that she might not have enough money to support herself and her baby and doesn’t know what to do.

I can use Tom Hunter as another artist reference because firstly, he has similar photos to Philip-Lorca diCorcia but also, for my actual photoshoot theme, with the basketball player/team, I can photoshoot them ‘expressing sadness’ after a game loss, or maybe photoshoot the whole team happy celebrating together after a win, but then focusing on one player after they all leave and go home with him regretting plays and mistakes he made during the game linking back to the sadness.

Write a Statement of Intent of 250-500 words that clearly contextualise;

• What you want to explore?
• Why it matters to you?
• How you wish to develop your project?
• Which form you wish to present your study (photobook, film, prints etc)
• When and where you intend to begin your study?

The topic I am most interested to explore is Stereotypes, in particular, gender stereotypes. I chose this topic as I really enjoyed the Femininity vs masculinity project that we did as a previous class topic and I think I produced a few of my best photos during that theme. Stereotypes are a set idea that people have about what someone or something is like, especially an idea that is wrong. They are able to shape our perceptions of groups of individuals which can lead to misunderstanding and sometimes discrimination. I want to be able to show things such as stereotypical activities, clothing and actions that are done by each gender as well as showing opposites. I also want part of my project to explore the evolution of male and female stereotypes over the decades and uncover how different expectations in our society have shifted with time. My project will consist of a range of photographic techniques including portraiture, staged shoots, group shoots and individual ones too. I’m hoping for my photoshoots to include different ages and genders, since I will be focussing on generations I am hoping that I will be able to get family members involved. My project will have separate parts to it as I’m conducting a few different ideas under the topic of stereotypes. This will include the evolution of stereotypes over generations, male and female stereotypes now amongst teenagers and the current generation and also exploring opposites within stereotypes.

The first idea I am wanting to explore is stereotyped of male and female teenagers nowadays. This is generally focussing on gender stereotypes but within my age group. My aim is to show through photos groups of teenagers in their usual life engaging in their usual activities. this would include groups of male friends, groups of female friends and also them together. I plan to use many different environments when creating the staged images such as schools, urban spaces and private environments to fully show the individuals lives and how environment can affect certain traits and experiences. I also want to conduct some photos in the studio using artificial lighting to gather more in depth images focussing on one person. this idea links mostly with Cindy Sherman who very clearly focussed on the topic of female stereotypes. She regularly alters her appearance beyond recognition through makeup, prosthetics, and costumes. To create her images, she assumes the multiple roles of photographer, model, makeup artist, hairdresser, and stylist. She becomes the character in the story she is attempting to portray through her images. My idea links to her the most as I am also showing gender stereotypes however I am focussing on both genders and also the stereotypes of teenagers. I want this idea to explore both documentary (windows, observational) and tableaux (mirrors, staged) images as I can create staged images using my own models but I also can observe others and collect photos in that way. This idea also links with the artist Justine Kurland who is known for her elaborate staging of photographs. Kurland has used staged tableaux to explore the social landscape of girlhood, life on communes, and life in the wilderness. My shoot will also focus on stereotypical roles of genders and showing how they can be shown by both genders and not just one. This idea is mostly going to be conducted in the studio using artificial lighting. My main idea was also used during the femininity and masculinity project where I photographed my friend who is a dancer. I really enjoyed taking and editing those photos and I think it works well with the stereotype theme as dance is stereotypically a ‘girl sport’ and I can show that by using a female model engaging with her sport but I could also try showing a male doing the same thing as nowadays there aren’t really female or male sports because its been normalized for all genders to take part in any sport. This idea links mostly to the artist Claude Cahun who was known mostly for her photography work where she would dress up as different people to create different stories within her photos. Cahun presents herself in a variety of guises, adopting different personas and exploring the fluidity of identity. She dresses as both men and women when exploring the theme of identity and gender roles.

My second idea is exploring stereotypes over generations. I want to show how stereotypes have transformed over time and how society has adapted overtime. I will mostly focus on females for this project and use my own family members. I want to show how things such as clothing, activities and styles have changed over generations by using my Nan’s, Mum’s and my own generation. I am basing this shoot mostly on photo albums as that will be my own source of photos for the past generations. However, I also plan to hopefully find a model in my own generation who will recreate photos that were in my Nan/Mum’s generation.

All of my photos will include people as the main focus however some of the photos in photoshoot 1 will also focus on the place and background as it will show the environment of the groups of people. My photoshoots will include both outdoor and indoor locations as I will focus on the environments of that individual as well as including set up shoots in the studio. the shoots will be a mix of documentary and tableaux as some will be photos of observation of certain groups of people making it a window however some tableaux images will be staged and more mirror based images. I’d want to present these images in a book where each photoshoot has its own part of the layout. I’d want to include text to some images to explain them but also leave some of the photos down to interpretation for the viewer. I will also include editing such as AI technology to make my images more interesting to the viewer and show different skills within the photos.

Environmental Portraiture

Environmental Portraits depict people in their working environments or environments they are associated with.

They are portraits which are taken in the subjects natural surroundings, such as their home or workplace, that illuminates the subjects life and surroundings.

Arnold Newman

 Pioneer of environmental portrait, while also being known for his still life and abstract photography. He is considered as one of the most influential photographers in the 20th century. Newman’s environmental approach to portraiture was greatly influenced by impressionism and symbolism, which attracts the viewer no matter how well we know what the focus is.

Environmental Portraiture

Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro is a high contrast lighting technique, creating contrast between the subject and a dark background. Chiaroscuro portraits first came about during the 15th century, then continued to develop during the 16th century. The dark subjects were lighted by a small source of light, that illuminated parts of the subject, which overall achieved the contrast between light and dark. To create this effect a single light is used to create the brighter effect on the subject, but also stands out from the contrasting dark background.

I found this lighting technique interesting as its creates this dramatic effect as you see sharp shadows and silhouettes of people, which are revealed

The New Topographics

Beginning in the 1970s, a group of photographers including Robert Adams, Lewis Baltz and Nickolas Nixon were associated with the 1975 exhibition New Topographic; this was Photographs of man- altered landscapes. The exhibition displayed their work, it showed how they focused on different kind of landscapes rather than those found naturally or at national parks. They showed landscape photography in a new way, focusing on urban landscape areas around America post-war, such as suburban areas like freeways, gas stations, or industrial parks. This was a new reflection to the suburban world around them, as they began to explore different and new ways of capturing landscapes.

Robert Adams:

Henri Cartier Bresson & The Decisive Moment

When shooting his photos, he captured people as they were relying on his eye to capture the perfect moment, while staying virtually unseen and in the background enabling him to capture the right candid photo . This became effective, as shooting from the background using a smaller lensed camera meant he was unnoticeable. Capturing the perfect composition of the decisive moment was very important. Henri Cartier Bresson viewed his work as a ‘sensual pleasure’ to see shapes and geometry, as these elements were arranged along with human subjects. When taking his photos, he looked for specific details other than the subject in the perfect moment, such as lines, triangles, squares, shadows, curves and shapes.

My Response in St Malo:

List of possible photographers of interest to research

• rutbleesluxemburg -commonsensual
• Robert Adams -Summer Nights, Walking
• Kevin Fletcher -Avenue of Roses
• Edo Zollo -In the Dark of Night: London past bedtime
• Jason D.Page -light painting

-Mood board-

Below is a mood board of photography/photos which interests me and can give me paths to go down for my personal study.