My online photobook: https://www.blurb.co.uk/bookstore/invited/10551639/9effd457a602a0ec97cc56155316cb6cb1c6ecd7

To make my photobook, I commenced by adding all of the photographs I wanted to use into a folder on Lightroom. I then selected the book option at the top which then put them all into a book format. I decided to not put an image on the first page of my book and add a poem about identity instead. I did this to set the tone for the book and enable the viewer to understand what the concept behind my book is. I then chose to add my images from the photoshoot ‘who am I?’ at the start as I think it was a good reflection of what I wanted the beginning message of my story to be (someone struggling with their identity). Upon reflection, I decided to make these images black and white instead of in colour to symbolise a loss of identity.

Next, I incorporated my images inspired by Manny Robertson whom creates masks on top of people’s face, showing how everyone hides who they really are in order to avoid being judged. To follow up, I added my Brno Del Zou/ David Hockney inspired images. I slowly began to include colour into my book here as I included two versions of the image: the first all in black and white and the second with some boxes of colour. I then added images from my smaller project I did alongside this about AI. I thought this would fit into my book as I wanted to explore how these AI technologies we have enable people to create completely false versions of themselves online (essentially disguise their true selves).

For my last pages, I used my photographs from my Aneta Ivanova photoshoot and Marcelo Monreal photoshoot. I chose to use these as in my replication of Ivanova’s work, I added pictures of places and people who had a personal connection to the model inside of her, which is ultimately a part of her identity. This was the beginning to her slowly embracing her identity. Lastly, I used the Marcelo Monreal images last as the flowers blooming from inside her shows how freeing and beautiful it is to finally accept and embrace yourself for how you are. As I looked over my photobook again, I decided to add some pages which included a singular full sized image of a model to create some more variety in my work and make it flow smoother between my different artist inspired work. To finalise my book, I added an image of a girl with her head in her hands on the cover page and added the title ‘Beneath The Surface’. I then kept the back cover empty with a black background.

Final Design:

Virtual Galleries:

Evaluation

Overall, I like how my photobook regarding the theme of identity turned out. Throughout my project, I got to explore the different ways in which identity is expressed in different artist’s work. The wide range of perspectives surrounding the topic sparked my curiosity and was what ultimately inspired me to create my book around the idea of the journey of identity, which is often complex and chaotic. My photobook commenced with photographs inspired by the artist David Hockney, whom highlights the concept of identity being fragmented and often difficult to understand in his series called the ‘joiners’. In response to his work, I decided to take my own studio portraits of one of my peers from multiple viewpoints. I then collated these images together to create a distorted yet cohesive image, reflecting the state of her mind which is evidently a mess as she is unsure of who she really is. I decided to finish my photobook with images inspired by Marcelo Monreal, who delves into the idea of embracing identity and yourself for who you are. I think my photobook successfully conveyed the concept of the journey of identity as it begins by exploring identity from a negative perspective and then leads into a more positive viewpoint. Additionally, I like how I made the images at the start of my book black and white then slowly introduced more colour into my images as the book continued. I did this to symbolise the idea that the models are slowly regaining their sense of identity. However, one improvement I would make to my photobook is adding a few more pages of just singular, full page images as a lot of my photobook is filled with multiple images put together and writing, which makes it slightly cluttered.