Photobook- Girlhood

To create my photobook, I used the book mode in Lightroom Classic.

Image Selection

First, I selected all the images, which I have highlighted green and edited in all my photoshoots under this personal study and put them in a new folder called photobook, as they are my best images and the ones I have chosen to use for my book.

Next, I went through my images a removed the images which weren’t in my top 50, as I had selected over 150 images, and this would be way too many pages for my photobook, so instead I aimed for 50 pages.

Setting up my Book

Once I had my finished selection of images, I went into the book setting in Lightroom.

Next, I selected the size and orientation that I wanted my book to be.

Then, I chose whether I wanted a hard cover or soft cover book, as well as choosing what paper I wanted to use for my book.

I chose a hardcover book, as I feel this would be more aesthetically pleasing for my book. I also chose glossy premium lustre for my paper, which is a glossy paper made for photographs, as I also felt this would be more aesthetically pleasing.

Experimentation

The first thing I did for my photobook, was that I deleted each photo, so that I could start with a blank slate.

Then, I started experimenting with the layout of my images.

Next, I started experimenting with whether I would like my images to be full bleed, or not.

I also experimented with double page spreads.

I also experimented with having a three quarter page spread for a specific photo, because the main viewpoint in the image, which was the subjects, were sat in the gutter, which is not aesthetically pleasing, or what I wanted.

I also experimented with the differing the layout of some of my images and having some of my images with a similar layout.

At the back of my photobook I am also going to include my essay, which I have written based on this study.

Experimenting with Front Cover, Back Cover and Title

First, I experimented with having a single front cover and a different single back cover.

However, I didn’t really like this and I thought a double page spread for my front and back cover would work a lot better, so I started experimenting with the different images I could use.

I liked this image, but it didn’t work well as a double page spread, because the main viewpoint of the image is on the spine of the book.

I liked this photo as a double page spread, but thought the front cover may be too boring on it’s own.

The final image above is the one I have chosen to use, because it works well as a double page spread, and the front cover of the book has the main viewpoint on it, so it isn’t so boring.

Once I was happy with the front and back cover image I could start experimenting with my title.

Some title options:

• Girlhood
• My Girlhood
• Girl
• The Girlhood

Once I had decided on Girlhood as my title I could start experimenting with the font, size and colour.

The tools were on the right hand side of the screen and the options were to change the size, opacity, colour and font.

First, I experimented with the placement of my title.

Then, I experimented with the colour of my writing, because depending on my placement the writing couldn’t be seen that well. If my writing was placed at the top of the page black text was better, but if the text was at the bottom of the page the white writing was better.

Next, I started experimenting with coloured writing, but ultimately decided on white text.

Next, I experimented with the size of the text.

Finally, I experimented with the font and decided on Ariel Rounded MT bold.

Now, I think the title and my name is too bright with the white ink, so I decided to experiment with the opacity. I set all my writing opacity to 70%.

Next, I needed to add my title and name to the spine of my book.

I had to position my title and name where I did on the spine, so that the writing could be seen.

The sky in the centre of my image was too bright, due to shooting facing the sun, so I had to go back into develop mode and select the tool on the very right at the top.

Then, I had to select the sky and lower the highlights and exposure, so the sky was less bright and had some more blue in it.

Adding my Essay

Next, I had to copy and paste my essay in. I used the same font as I used for my title and I had the size on 8pt. My subtitles however are on 10pt and my title is on 17pt.

Then, I had to import the photographs I have used in my essay onto my book in the correct place.

Final Layout

Write a book specification and describe in detail what your book will be about in terms of narrative, concept and design with reference to the same elements of bookmaking as above.

Narrative: What is your story?
Describe in:

• 3 words – representing teenage stereotypes.
• A sentence – showing how teenagers are portrayed by the older generation.
• A paragraph – in my photobook, I want to show the stereotypes people make, as well as the opposite. For example, how teens can represent the negatives, but also go against these negatives, and prove them wrong. I want my photobook to display that not all teenagers are the same, and certainly not bad.

Design: Consider the following

i want my book to look intriguing. i want it to make people want to open it. Im not too bothered about hard/soft back. i want the size of my photobook to be 20×25. i want the Title to be ‘Captured And Misunderstood’, meaning teenagers are caught doing actions in the moment, and completely misunderstood and painted out in a wrong light. For the structure of my photobook, i tried being as brief as i can. I like being simple as i believe less can be more. For the design and layout, i put the pictures all different sizes on the paper to mix it up a bit, i laid it all out in a sort of story telling way. for e.g, i started off with one model, showing stereotypes by wearing makeup, addicted to the phone and bad habits. it then goes on to a party showing the rebellious most open and fun side of teenagers, then back to my model one representing stereotypes, again. I decided to add no text really as i didn’t want it, i thought it looked too much.

Girl Pictures – Justine Kurland

‘Justine Kurland’s take on the classic American tale of the runaway takes us on a wild ride of freedom, memorializing the fleeting moments of adolescence and its fearless protagonists.’ –Photographs by Justine Kurland
Book review by Emily Shapiro

The story communicates the idea of girlhood as complicated and powerful It resists stereotypical or overly idealized portrayals. Kurland’s work often reflects an exploration of female unity, rebellion, and the joy of friendship, with a focus on how young girls form their identities in environments that are sometimes isolated. Her images also evoke a sense of nostalgia, looking back at girlhood as a time of possibility, complexity, and unfiltered expression.

Overall, “Girl Pictures” challenges traditional notions of gender roles and the ways that femininity is portrayed in visual culture. It offers a more nuanced and empowering view of girls’ lives, showing them as active, complex individuals navigating their world on their own terms.

Photobook copy: https://www.blurb.com/bookstore/invited/10540639/888585ad70418cc9d13ca7c4081c0f77385c1d72