For my photobook, I chose these images as my front and back cover. I really like the contrast of the images from colour to black and white. I used my final images that I had edited on Lightroom to choose out of. On most of the pages there is an image of the girls playing in the woods, inspired by my first artist Justine Kurland, paired with a black and white portrait picture inspired by my second artist Mary Ellen Clark

The sequencing of my photobook is one in colour and one in black and white on most of the pages. One being girls having fun playing in a woodland type of area and the other being a portrait image of a girl. I have done this because I think it makes the book look more intriguing and interesting with the contrast of the two images. When putting the images onto the page, I ensured that the image was covering the whole page for each one. This was to eliminate all the white around the photograph. I think this looks good because it means that the whole page is covered with my images and it draws the viewers attention to the images. To cover the whole page, I used the “Zoom” tool to zoom in and out to make the image as big or as small as I needed. I made sure that the image was zoomed in enough so that none of the white on the page was showing.

When choosing my images, I ensured to choose ones that correlate with girlhood the most. I picked the images that were inspired by Justine Kurland to show the protection and care that girls have for each other and I wanted to show that through the images. I also chose to make the portrait pictures in black and white to make them dramatic and to add a sense of sadness to them which is inspired by Mary Ellen Marks photos.

The title of my image is called “Devine Feminine”, I like this title because it doesn’t give the viewer too much information as to what is in the book. However it may give the viewer an idea that it is about the empowerment that females have and the protection they have together as a society.

To start with this process, I carefully selected around 20-25 images I was sure I wanted to include in my photobook. To do this, I used the flagging system in Lightroom so it was clear which ones I would be using. I then transferred these images from my ‘Photobook’ folder to my ‘FINAL’ folder. To create my photobook I am using Adobe Lightroom Classic.

Front and back cover:

From these 26 final images, I chose which image I would like to use as my front and back cover. I picked an image which stood out to me as there is an array of vibrant colours and it can be stretched over the entire book cover.

Initial cover:

From this, I sorted my images into three sections. One as the beginning of my book under the title ‘Age of Innocence’. Second is the middle part of my book, which is completely black and white, under the title ‘The Insecurities’. Finally, the ending of my book which is under the title ‘The Present’. These sections represent the different narratives I am trying to present, which could be seen as a reflection of a teenage girls’ life. Viewers are able to create their own versions of the narrative, although I am aiming to create the main messages.

First draft of the three section’s front covers:

These are my initial ideas for the first photo in each section.

Throughout the photobook, I am hoping to present feelings connected to colours and tones of my images. For example, the entire ‘Age of Innocence’ section is beautifully colourful and bright, reflecting nature and happiness within the girls. This section metaphorically represents ‘time before social media’ for girls and how everyone was so carefree in society. The middle section, ‘The Insecurities’, is entirely black and white, to show how depressing and low girls feel when they gain insecurities, which could be from scrolling through social media and seeing numerous photos of other women who they may feel threatened by. Finally, the last section ‘The Present’ is an attempt to show the lives of girls that have gone a little bit off the rails with their friends, due to the effects of social media and it’s impact on how girls react to it.

In the last section, I used a range of colours and tones to convey different moods of the photograph. For example, the black and white photos are representing a drunk, lonely girl, who is seen invested on her phone. The coloured images represent sensuality and an intimate feminine connection. Lastly, the bluey toned images convey freedom and rebellion, as we see the subjects hanging out of a moving car at night time.

Final front cover:

Final edits:

Initial:

Final:

Initially, I had both of these images their original way. I started experimenting and thought about flipping one of these images horizontally to make it inverted. I definitely preferred the inverted image as it made the whole photo look more central.

Initial layout:

Final Layout:

I decided to remove the subheadings for the start of each photoshoot as I felt it was more powerful without them and can leave viewers questioning on the narrative behind the images.

I was inspired to create this photoshoot based on the work by Samiksha Chaudhary who created photos of objects which held meaning and memories to him and his family. I chose specific objects mainly related to my grandmother. I went through my images and selected my best images and considered which ones I am going to edit.

I selected these as my best images which I will edit.

These are all my images which I have edited in colour.

These are all my images which I have edited in black and white.

Best edits:

This is my best edit from my shoot as I like the unique angle as it creates leading lines where it draws the viewers attention deeper into the image. As the ruler extends the image becomes more blurred, this creates the idea that memories also fade as they get further away. This ruler belongs to my grandmother and is from 1966, when she was 14 years old.

This is another edit which I like as I like the close zoomed in shot with the variety of colours. I will be using this image along with some other coloured images in my photobook. This doll holds meaning to my auntie as it was a gift given to her during 1989 from a friend who visited Caketown.

This edit is of my great great grandmothers ring and is from around 1890, it now belongs to my grandmother after being passed down the generations. In the ring I managed to capture the small details of the engraved names of my great great grandmother and grandfather.

This is another edit of the ruler which I like as it is at another unique angle, I also like the colours within the image.

This image is of both my grandmothers’ ring and her grandmothers’ ring together.

Evaluation:

Overall this photoshoot was successful as I managed to photograph many old objects which hold memories and meaning to my family members. If I was to improve next time I would use a different camera as the one I used did not allow me to zoom in much.

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.

For this image I’m increasing the contrast and the exposure to make the brick wall and the rocks stand out and look a lot clearer against the sea.

With this image I increased the shadows to make the rock shadows darker and look more ominous and I also increased the whites so the sun in the corner of the image is a lot brighter.

I decreased the exposure in this image to get the photo darker and then I clicked the masking tool to edit the subject of the photo and the background of the photo separately. Then I increased the white stairs to contrast against the brick wall that I made darker.

I used the masking tool for this image and made the subject darker to create contrast against the white bars of the background. I then also increased the shadows so the lobster pots contrast against the darkened sky and the darkened wooden bridge.

Best Images

These are my best edited images that I’m going to put into my photobook. I have gone through all my images and rated all of my best photos 5 stars and made them green to show that they are my best images.

Here is my selection rage of my favourite images, in which I am going to pick a final few to use in my photobook.

What went well?

I think that these three photoshoots were hugely successful as I achieved to create a narrative within my photos, similarly to Justine Kurland. I hope that viewers are able to create their own narratives for these photos, depending on how they want to view them.

Finally, I am going to create another folder named ‘FINAL’, in which I will transfer a few of my favourite images that I will be using in my photobook.

To do this, I will use the flagging system on Lightroom Classic to make it clear which photos I need to transfer to my ‘FINAL’ folder.

Final Photos for Photobook:

I really don’t want to change these photos significantly. I want them to obtain their authenticity, and I believe that altering them too much will take away from that. I have sifted through almost 2000 photos and narrowed it down to 15 photos that I believe will fit my project the best and tell a story individually as well as together.

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Virtual gallery –

selected images

I wanted this shoot to kind of represent both, by showing teenagers do go out and enjoy themselves, as well as showing teenagers can be lazy, go on their phones a lot and the self obsession in the way they look.

Possible images

However, after looking at these images with the rest of my images, i decided i didn’t like them together. They didn’t correspond with the story i was trying to make. So, i didn’t use them.

selection

Brief overview- In this photoshoot I wanted to create an idea of teens fitting negative stereotypes, by showing in the pictures that they are partying/drinking etc.

possible images

These images are inspired by Justine Kurland. I went to a woodland area where there were loads of trees and bushes and also a pond. I used the tableaux photography technique to create these images. This meant that all of these images were staged to look like real life. The people in these images were staged to look like they were having fun in the woods and I wanted to portray a sense of freedom through the photographs. I was inspired by Justine Kurland’s images in her project “Girl Pictures” :

In “Girl Pictures” they are all taken in suburban areas where the girls in the pictures were rebelling in nature. In most of my images, there are 2 or more girls, this is because I wanted to shoe the interaction between girls and the female gaze. The images were staged to create a sense of protection between them and how they interact with each other in nature instead of isolated in a bedroom. For these images, I ensured that the sun was behind the camera so that the natural lighting was on the models instead of in the back of the images. Once I got all of my images, I transferred them onto Lightroom where I started editing them. I really like how these images turned out because of the way that the sun reflects onto the models to create a natural lighting. I also like how the models in the pictures are wearing white, this could show a sense of purity and how the girls are innocently playing together and instinctively protecting each other as a society of females.

These images are inspired by Mary Ellen Mark. I chose to take portrait photos to show emotion through facial expressions. In these images the girls look solemn. My aim in these photographs was for female viewers to relate to the images just like Mark did with her photos. I chose to put these images into black and white to add to the emotions of sadness and loneliness that some females experience through life and to connect with the idea of girlhood. In Mary Ellen Marks photos, she aimed to create a narrative of vulnerability within females and also how the females view the world that they live in. Therefore, this inspired me to create my own images to show the emotions of sadness that females go through in their lives. I was inspired by these images taken by Mark :

I used both of these photoshoots in my photobook because I like the contrast between the two emotions shown in the images. For the images inspired by Justine Kurland the girls are having fun in the woods and protecting each other through the connection of their friendship. It also shows the empowerment that the girls have on their on to make their own lives in a world full of stereotypes and and gender roles. It shows the girls rebelling against these two misconceptions of how girls are perceived. I really like how the images show that the girls look out for each other, especially in the image where the girl is leading the other girl through the woods as it shows trust within each other. In contrast to this, my images in which were inspired by Mary Ellen Mark are taken to show the vulnerability of girls. I chose to take these images with the girls on their own to show the loneliness that some girls experience through their lives. The images also have a black background which could foreshadow that females often feel like they’re in the dark or that they feel empty.

My First Virtual Gallery

For my first virtual gallery, I used my images inspired by Justine Kurland. I transferred all my images from my documents onto the gallery and positioned them in a way that was clear to see them all from one position. I used the best photos out of my photoshoot, the ones that I thought best portrayed the connection of the girls with each other and nature. I put a brown border on my images to match with the brown colour of the woodland and I like how it turned out.

My Second Virtual Gallery

For my second virtual gallery, I used only my images inspired by Mary Ellen Mark. I displayed them in a way that all images could be seen fully. I didn’t add any border because I didn’t want the focus to be drawn away from the image.