‘Photos Souvenirs’ is made up of multiple photos which have been dug out of photo albums and shoebooks and then sewed and beaded into, often with red thread. This photobook explores Carolle Bénitah’s memories of her Moroccan childhood and adolescence by reworking these images with her skills she gathered after being a fashion designer for ten years.
La chute / the fall, from the series Photos-Souvenirs
Carolle Bénitah created her photobook as a way to try to better know herself through investigating and studying images taken over 40 years previously. Bénitah complated what she describes as ‘excavations’ where she dug out old snapshots out of photo albums and old shoe boxs. She focused on collecting snapshots as they relate to memory and loss. Therefore in a way the book was created for Carolle Bénitah herself as a way to bring old memories back.
This photoshoot was inspired by William Klein, William Klein is one of the artists i’m inspired by. He does a light drawing photoshoot that is also inspired by fashion, which I thought would be a good experiment to try. This photoshoot was very difficult to do as I had to change the camera to a a low ISO of 100- 200 and change the shutter speed between 10-30 seconds to give me enough time to do some patterns with the light. I used a flashlight as the source of light, and it worked very well. However, it was more difficult to make patterns with the light as there were times when the light would be blurry or overpowered and took control of the whole photograph. I took some basic portraits of the model to be able to achieve the same work as Klein. I not too sure on the way Klein managed to succeed in this photoshoot as it was very challenging, the way I was able to make my photoshoot work as by photoshopping the images together. I had to edit the photos of the light with a very high contrast to be able to have the same look as Klein had achieved. I did try to create the same shapes as Klein did, but it didn’t work as I had planned therefore; I created my own shapes, and I believe it did work quite well. I used my school studio to create these images and didn’t exactly have this photoshoot in mind but thought it would be to try. The last photograph has a shape inspired by William Klein; however, the model isn’t doing the same pose as I wanted to try and make my images more unique. I went on photoshop to edit my photos, I firstly blended merged the images together and make sure the background colour and shade matched. I had to darken the background to make the light stand out more which as a slight shadow to the background, I used the brush tool to erase the light patches in the background. In some of the photos i kept the light shadow as it was harder to remove but it still had a cool effect on the photo. In one of the final pieces, I edited two different shaped lights into one photo which helped to make the image look more detailed and fuller. When doing research on William Kleins light drawing i came across some information ” Klein’s early paintings hints at an influence of the abstracted figural and still life works of Picasso, and by the graphics and designs of Bauhaus and Mondrian that later led to his mural paintings; while his fashion photography encapsulates the raw energy exuded by the streets of Paris.”, it is said that Klein did some fashion photography in the streets of Paris and didn’t really tend to make his light drawing images fashionable, instead it’s meant to capture more of an aesthetic. His work is very unique and has a different effect to his other work, he tends to make his images stand out by making them different to everyone else, for example instead of doing a normal fashion photoshoot in the studios he incorporates the streets instead which adds a minimalistic look.
a small insight into my families history and passion for motorsport
Using a book format, featuring photos and small amounts of text showcasing family history and connections within motorsport. And how it has influenced my own passion for motorsport. This will also include archived images from family albums, creating a stronger sense of connection and narrative throughout the book. Using colours, textures, compositions I will aim to make connections between new and old images, for example I will include old photos of dogs in cars to now my dog in my mothers car. I hope to create a book that feels like a family story with enough context even a non family member can see how my parents have influenced me.
Design
How you want your book to look and feel – I want to book to have a smooth, slightly matte look to it, similar to plastics on a bike. This will replicate the car/bikes themselves.
Paper and ink I have selected premium lustre paper as a lot of my photos have deep detail and soft lighting so its important to have high quality ink and paper to preserve the photographs.
Format, size and orientation I tried a few different book styles, before settling on a portrait 20X25cm book, allowing for my portrait photos to fit well and having to stretch the photos less to spread across a double page.
Binding and cover My cover will be a hardback with a printed photo, while I like the idea of a dust cover I have found they gain greater damage than an image wrap cover.
Title I do not think a title will benefit this book so won’t have one, instead I will have the focus on the cover photo. One that will provide an insight into the book, similar to a titles purpose.
Design and layout – Within the book it will be produced in ‘sections’ using the photoshoots as mini stories within themselves. By doing this I can create a feel for each individual story that has gone into shaping my own passion. At the end I will include a snippet of my own story as a summary of the book.
Editing and sequencing – the editing will remain similar throughout the book, keeping continuity within the narrative. As narrative progresses the bikes will get more modern requiring slightly harsher editing to enhance the colours and textures but this will be a very small element. Highlighting the progress within the sport. A lot of my images will be black and white, low contrast, softly lit. This adds a family album like feel, creating joyous, interesting photos with story rather than harsh tones.
Images and text – there won’t be any text (subtitles and captions) within the book. While I have written an essay I won’t include it as I feel it would only break up the flow of the book. Having no text (other than author name) is unusual for photo books, however I think this suits the style I am going for, family photo album. The way I have taken the photos has allowed for the photos to tell stories without words. For example a comparison I will draw are the two photos below. Creating a connection and story without words.
Comparison between the original colour of the car in archive photos and the cars current colour with the old colour still showing slightly.
Book Design Mood Board
Having looked at blurb I have created a mood board of book covers I like. Most of them are black and white using a simple photo as the cover, something that sums up the book without having too much detail. There is a couple with smaller photos on the cover adding emphasis on the title, however while I like the covers I’m not sure it will suit my book. I also liked the red text on one, it helped the title stand out against the colour photo cover. All of these designs are image wrap covers, the option I will likely use for my book.
These are the edits of my third and fourth photoshoot:
Snapseed edits –
Using the app Snapseed on my phone, I was able to use their filters to create both a realistic depiction and more time-period based aesthetic of some of my images of the bunkers and some more duplicated soldier photographs.
3rd shoot –
4th shoot:
Lightroom & photoshop edits:
Applying the same edit methods as before I created some more images for my shoot. These include photographs from my 3rd, 4th and an additional 5th shoot. These consist of both subject based photographs as well as landscapes.
3rd shoot:
Before and After:
Editing:
applying the same settings across all these images, this was to create a similar aesthetic across all my images. this would help keep a repetitive theme of images within my work.
Outcome:
Before and After:
Editing:
Using these settings this was to create that low-saturation, and dark type of aesthetic that Michiel Peeters creates in his work. With shadows being prevalent within the images, I darkened them through the shadows.
Outcome:
4th shoot:
Before and After:
Editing:
Editing these in Lightroom, I aimed to mirror the shadowy and low saturated aesthetic of Michiel Peeters. Syncing all the images to have the same appearance I then made the cloning process using photoshop. Here I was then able to merge my images into one.
Outcome:
Before and After:
Editing:
Doing the same as before I lowered the brightness and colour to make the image appear more dramatic and darker in Lightroom, due to me standing in too close of a similar spot I used shadows of another image to move myself other to the other side which I find looks better.
Outcome:
Before and After:
Editing:
Using Lightroom I was able to use the settings to add more darker parts to the image by adding some contrast, shadows and black. Then by using photoshop I was the able to merge them together.
Outcome:
Before and After:
Editing:
Editing all these pieces together with the same settings, I used the highlight region to darken aspects of the work, lowering the saturation, texture and clarity I followed in the theme of making the image darker. cropping the image, I made it smaller as there was to much open space.
Outcome:
Before and After:
Editing:
Using the following settings this was to create a merged effect of a vintage image but also using modern image clarity to act as a divide between some of my images.
Outcome:
Before and After:
Editing:
Like the image before, I aimed to create a gritty vintage image but also make it appear modern in its appearance. By using the lighting regions to adjust the images depth I added to this with other settings such as with highlights, saturation and clarity.
Outcome:
Before and After:
Editing:
Using Photoshop, I applied the settings of my binocular image to match the aesthetic so these images could work together when applied.
Outcome:
5th shoot:
Before and After:
Editing:
Applying these settings across these images, the aim was to include some observational documentation of the La Corbiere coast for my images, converting them into black and white this was to create an aesthetic of the old photography visual style.
Outcome:
Before and after:
Editing:
Using some minor adjustments to these images, the aim was to replicate the grainy film aesthetic of photographic images from the 1940s.
For this photoshoot, I want to elaborate the idea of hardship. Experimenting with different difficulties woman and teenage girls may face. Sticking with the black and white theme, ill edit them with a simple black and white filter and adding a few tweaks with highlights and shadows to perfect the photo edit.
“Explore the dichotomies of the characteristics between the day and the night.”
‘Photographs are perhaps the most mysterious of all the objects that make up, and thicken, the environment we recognize as modern. ‘(Sontag 1977:4)
Introduction
During the day, the natural sunlight brings energy, clearness of the landscapes around and life to the world around us, however, at night the same landscapes/spaces give a sense of mysteriousness, loneliness and emptiness. These changes not only alter the location/setting itself but the emotional impact it has on those who experience it. The contrast between the day and night has a strong effect, with the light and shadow influencing our emotional reactions to the surroundings as well as the way we experience them.
My personal study`s main target is to explore the differences between day and night, particularly targeting how the change of time from day to night creates different moods and portrays different emotions. To explore this theme, the two photographers I have decided to do an in depth study of is: William Eggleston and Todd Hido, these two photographers capture photographs taking into account the use of light, colour and the setting in unique ways. Eggleston`s photography captures the ordinary in extraordinary ways, differently Hido`s style of photography spotlighting isolation and mystery.
In addition, I will include Pierre Putman, whose work compliments both artists by offering a different perspective on the play between light and shadow. Putman’s cinematic photographs focus on solitary dark urban settings, where artificial lighting and glowing lampposts create a dreamlike, interesting scenery, turning empty streets into powerful, emotional stories.
I will respond to their work by featuring both daytime and night-time images, influenced by the work of these three artists, in my final photobook.
Historical /Theoretical context within art
Photography, starting off with being mainly monochromatic images, changed incredibly after The World War II (1939-1945). Initially, colour photography was only seen and linked with advertising, fashion photography and in photojournalism through publications like: Life, The Sunday Times Magazine and National Geographic. These publications made colour photography popular, by showing it to a wider audience; making colour photography more casual to view in the media. Although this type of photography was becoming popular, the world of fine art and documentary photography was slower to accept colour photography, sometimes being viewed as “vulgar” and “brash”. Black and white was always the ordinary, many artists said and believed that the importance and high detail of the monochrome photographs could not be replicated with colour photography, once again spotlighting the initial refusal to accept colour photography.
Although, colour photography at the beginning of its origin was resisted, the 1970s was a crucial period for it. In the 1970s photographers started to utilise and experiment with colour, rather than using colour photography as a tool strictly for representation, they instead focused on how it can create emotional, psychological and visceral depth in their work.
The director of photography at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City, John Szarkowski had a core feature in changing how people perceived colour photography in the art world. Szarkowski helped put together the first solo exhibition which was dedicated to colour, showing off Ernst Haas`s unique work in 1962, this had a huge influence on the acceptance of colour photography in fine art. Another huge influence on the acceptance of colour photography, was Szarkowski’s work with William Eggleston, the 1976 exhibition and the book William Eggleston’s Guide. Eggleston`s work consisted of the dye-transfer printing process which allowed him to one up the “snapshot aesthetic” and made colour photography a tool for reflection of society and an expression of creativity.
William Eggleston`s Guide, 1976Ernst Haas, New York In Color, 1952-1962
Joel Meyerowitz, Stephen Shore, and Joel Sternfeld were other American photographers who started to use colour to capture the small, little details of the American Landscape. Joel Meyerowitz published “cape light” in 1979, Stephen Shore published “uncommon places” in 1982 and Joel Sternfeld publishing “American prospects” in 1987, these three books show how the traditional camera, traditionally used with black and white film was also used to capture colour, these books became strongly influential for the development of colour photography.
Joel Meyerowitz, Cape Light, 1979Stephen Shore, Uncommon Places, 1982Joel Sternfeld, American Prospects, 1987
In conclusion, the late 1970s and early 1980s had a fundamental change in colour photography, this was mainly because of the hard-working photographers like Eggleston, Shore, Meyerowitz and Sternfeld. The work of these photographers is perfect in showing off how colour can be used to create emotional depth and can create an interesting story, setting up future artists to use colour photography as a powerful form of art.
William Eggleston
Image of William Eggleston
William Eggleston, also known as the “father of color photography”, he has earned this title due to his inspirational work that raised colour from a basic advertisement tool to a serious form of fine art / art. Eggleston challenged the usual standard for art, black and white photography, he challenged this by making the most of dye transfer printing. Dye transfer printing is an expensive process which intensifies the saturation and colour balance of an image, although his images are quite normal and ordinary, they are turned into an incredible piece of work due to his use of colour and the dye transfer printing process aids him to get this lively feel, this is clearly shown in Eggleston`s work.
Set Of Images done with dye transfer process:
Taken By William EgglestonTaken By William EgglestonTaken By William Eggleston
The primary moment where Eggleston started to become more known was in 1976 when he had his initial solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York where he showcased his first book, William Eggleston’s Guide. John Swarovski, the director of photography at the Museum Of Modern Art, was a key role in making Eggleston`s Guide acquire public attention. Swarovski helped Eggleston not only by choosing his excellent solo exhibition in 1976 but also helped by writing an introductory essay to the photobook. In this essay, Swarovski states that Eggleston`s work is “perfect”, and he also says that Eggleston`s work is “related in iconography and technique to the contemporary standard of vernacular camera work,” homing in on Eggleston`s focus on ordinary subjects. Many viewers initially criticized Eggleston, saying that his images lacked depth, however over time many recognized the perfect composition`s and his idea behind these photographs, opening a door for artists and photographers to use colour to express their ideas artistically.
William Eggleston`s work was normally captured instinctually rather than conceptually, meaning he would never plan his photoshoots and would go with the flow. In an interview, Eggleston states “I never know beforehand Until I see it, it just happens all at once”. This quote shows the connection he has with his surroundings, having an impulsive and observational style of photography which still is executed successfully. Eggleston would waste no time with his photoshoots, taking one photograph per subject / focal point.
Photograph taken by me
Similarly, when taking my photographs I took the same approach as Eggleston, finding the beauty in things we see every day. Like Eggleston, I did not plan the photograph above; by contrast I came across this setting whilst on a walk and created this response spontaneously. Eggleston`s work has a huge focus on the contrast of colour in everyday life, therefore I also did the same; the vibrant, colourful mural on the plain wall and the bright blue sky showcase the contrast in colours, I was able to capture in this image.
Even though my photo is digital, and Eggleston often used the dye transfer printing technique to achieve the excellent use of colour and the strongly saturated tones shown in his work. My photo shows off the strong vibrant blue sky, the earthly colours of the landscape and the bold mural, almost looking like I have used the same technique as William Eggleston to capture this shot. This ties with Eggleston`s ideology that the colour on its own can form the overall mood and story of an image.
Todd Hido
Todd Hido is a widely famous photographer. He thrives in photography by the way he uses light, colour and the overall location to create a sense of mystery and a mix of emotions. Hido`s work, especially the photographs of urban areas at night, has made him one of the biggest names in modern day photography. Similarly to William Eggleston, Hido also takes photographs of the everyday scenery, however Eggleston mainly focuses on the beauty of the everyday life and Todd Hido does the opposite, capturing the feeling of loneliness, isolation and possible nostalgia.
Book Cover – House Hunting – Todd Hido (2001)
Todd Hido`s best known work is House Hunting, published in 2001. The book consists of long exposure shots taken at night of residential houses, with one single lit up window which is beaming out onto an isolated, dark road / street. The images are very mysterious and do not have a definite clear story behind them, grabbing the viewers’ attention as the viewer will pay more attention to every detail to see what is happening behind the window. Most of the photographs are taken from far away and often through car windshields, to add a blurry, dreamlike effect to his images. Unlike William Eggleston, Todd Hido does not take his photos with precise clarity but does use distortion and softness to strengthen the mood of his work.
Inner Pages From House Hunting (2001) – Todd Hido
The process which Todd Hido goes through during his photoshoots is very much instinctual, he drives around aimlessly looking for locations and areas which he can relate to emotionally. As discussed before this process is also done by William Eggleston where he takes a more spontaneous approach without planning his photographs and collections. Hido`s work is a lot more cinematic in comparison to Eggleston`s, Hido is inspired by filmmakers like David Lynch and Alfred Hitchcock, this inspiration from filmmakers leads to an eerie, dreamlike feature which has a narrative unfolding just behind the frame of the images.
Similarly to my project and what I investigated, Hido`s work explores the themes of solitude, emptiness and mystery. Some of his photographs are connected with his own personal memories of his own childhood and living the American suburban life.
From Bright Black World Book – Todd HidoFrom Normal Becomes Abnormal – Jonathan De Agrela
The most obvious similarities between my images and his is the use of light in a space. In this image above by Todd Hido, light is diffused from the sun by the mist, which gives off this dreamlike, misty appearance. The approach makes it difficult to understand background from background, resulting in a sense of depth in a picture. Similarly, in my image shown above, the lights on the road turn into a yellow glowing beam because of the thick fog surrounding it, giving the same dreamlike theme / style which Hido has. The light is directly next to the darkness that is surrounding it, making solitude, loneliness and abandonment more apparent within my image.
Compositionally, both mine and his photograph guide the viewers eyes, this is done using the obvious leading lines. In this image specifically Hido captures the sky as well as trees, however in my work I am using continuous lines created by the lamp posts and roads to add depth in my image. In both the photos, the lack of people and human presence adds to the sense of isolation, allowing the viewer to add their own emotions relating with my picture.
Conclusion
Throughout my project, I have understood how both Todd Hidos and William Egglestons photography has affected me as a photographer in terms of composition, mood and setting. At first, my assumption was that Hidos cinematic approach to light and Egglestons open approach to colour were two extremes of how to approach photography. However, once I had commenced my project, I realized that both photographers make the mood, narrative and the setting a key aspect of their work, which has really influenced my work despite their differences.
In this project, I’ve been inspired to take photos instinctively by Eggleston’s ability to find beauty within the ordinary. I also learn from his work and from his guide (William Eggleston’s Guide) that form can portray feelings and emotion just as powerfully as colour can. In contrast, Hido’s eerie, dreamlike images, like those in Bright Black World, influenced me in regards of light and loneliness, inspiring me to experiment with mood and story in my nighttime photography. Thanks to these photographers, I now have a greater understanding of how light, composition and instinct work together to create effective imagery.
As my perspective developed, I began to realise that the way I work is in between Eggleston`s spontaneous approach and Hido`s careful storytelling style. I originally believed that in order to be excellent in photography, photoshoots had to be carefully planned and conceptualized but after diving deeper into Todd Hido`s and William Eggleston`s work, I now have a better appreciation of instinctual reaction to capture photos.
In future projects or work, I will continue to take inspiration from Eggleston and Hido whenever possible whilst also taking inspiration from other photographers / artists, to create a more advanced style which suits me uniquely.
Bibliography
Websites:
Sontag, S. (1977). In Plato’s Cave. [online] Available at: https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/chengphotoarth1100f2019/files/2018/02/Susan-Sontag-In-Platos-Cave.pdf. [Accessed 24 Jan. 2025]
Burroughs, A. (2016). William Eggleston, the Pioneer of Color Photography. The New York Times. [online] 17 Oct. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/17/t-magazine/william-eggleston-photographer-interview-augusten-burroughs.html.[Accessed 26 Jan. 2025]
REBEKAH JACOB GALLERY. (n.d.). William Eggleston. [online] Available at: https://www.rebekahjacobgallery.com/william-eggleston. [Accessed 26 Jan. 2025]
Film Still Photography. (2025). William Eggleston’s Guide. [online] Available at: https://www.filmstillphotography.com/william-egglestons-guide.html [Accessed 26 Jan. 2025]
Atlas Gallery | Fine Art Photography. (n.d.). ERNST HAAS: NEW YORK IN COLOUR, 1952-1962. [online] Available at: https://www.atlasgallery.com/exhibition/ernst-haas-new-york-in-colour-1952-1962. [Accessed 26 Jan. 2025]
Farache, E. (2013). It Was Too Strong: An Interview with Todd Hido. [online] The Paris Review. Available at: https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2013/11/19/it-was-too-strong-an-interview-with-todd-hido/. [Accessed 28 Jan. 2025]
Hido, T. (2017). Todd Hido On ‘Homes at Night’ and Illustrating Memories in Photography – Interview by Coralie Kraft | LensCulture. [online] LensCulture. Available at: https://www.lensculture.com/articles/todd-hido-todd-hido-on-homes-at-night-and-illustrating-memories-in-photography. [Accessed 28 Jan. 2025]
Grieve, M. (n.d.). Todd Hido’s Bright Black World – 1854 Photography. [online] www.1854.photography. Available at: https://www.1854.photography/2019/01/todd-hido-black/. [Accessed 29 Jan. 2025]
Hido, T. (n.d.). House Hunting. [online] www.toddhido.com. Available at: http://www.toddhido.com/househunting. [Accessed 29 Jan. 2025]
Books:
Jaeger, A.-C. (2008). Image makers, image takers : the essential guide to photography by those in the know. London Thames & Hudson.
Lowe, P. (2019). A chronology of photography : a cultural timeline from camera obscura to Instagram. New York: Thames & Hudson.
1. Research a photo-book and describe the story it is communicating with reference to subject-matter, genre and approach to image-making.
between 1997 and 2002, Justine Kurland travelled across the United States photographing girls living different lives. The story communicates the rebellious life of a teenage girl where she depicts them in rural areas and in the wilderness. Justine Kurland focusses on themes of freedom, rebellion, and the defiance of gender expectations
2. Who is the photographer? Why did he/she make it? (intentions/ reasons) Who is it for? (audience) How was it received? (any press, reviews, awards, legacy etc.)
The photographer is Justine Kurland. Kurland’s main project was called ‘Girl Pictures’. Kurland started this project in 1997 when she was a graduate student at Yale. Kurland decided to focus on teenagers because of their everlasting state of becoming. She wanted to show girls’ lives, centring them by creating an all-female society. Kurland decided to reverse certain stereotypical representations by rather than showing girls as passive or vulnerable, she represented them as strong, confident and free-spirited. The main environment of her images are usually in wild settings like rural or urban places which would be the opposite of a typical environment where girlhood would be imagined to be placed. Kurland shows her opinions and thoughts by using other people to reflect herself onto them. In her work ‘Girl Pictures’ she depicts young woman in wilderness settings and shows the ongoing theme of freedom and rebellion where she often places the individuals (herself) in natural environments.
3. Deconstruct the narrative, concept and design of the book and apply theory above when considering:
Kurland’s book is a portrait hard cover which is slightly bigger than A4. It has a single photo imprinted on the top half of the book in colour which depicts 5 teenagers in a field. the title of her project (Girl Project) is imprinted on the bottom half of the front cover and it stands out so that when you run your hand across it you can feel where the words are risen above the page. She also has the same on the spine, along with her name. The book is a saddle stitch. Kurland has chosen a single colour for her book which is a light/soft pink. this resembles the stereotypical girl colour and works really well for the theme of her project. If she had used blue it would not have the same effect as it may not match the theme as blue is a stereotypical boy colour. throughout the book, Kurland either puts one phot0 on each side of the page or she puts one big image across the two page spread. these images are glossy and in colour. This theme is consistent apart from the first page where the large image is printed onto pink paper and also in black and white to create a coloured effect to the image. the photo is also textured and not glossy. She also does this at the end of the book as well as the start.
Book in hand: how does it feel? Smell, sniff the paper.
Paper and ink: use of different paper/ textures/ colour or B&W or both.
Format, size and orientation: portraiture/ landscape/ square/ A5, A4, A3 / number of pages.
