Throughout the past year of studying photography I enjoyed many areas of the subject from landscapes to studio portraits to looking outside the box for different elements that would fit the criteria of what defines Femininity as well and Masculinity.

I feel that my personal style and areas that I have enjoyed the most have improved my own work and my own explorations of photography. I found new ways to express my idea and I have found things that I would rather stay away from if I dont think it relates to the image i’m trying to create, I believe my personal project will explore idea that I find most interesting and what I think works best.

I explored historical areas such as the origins of photography, origins of romantism and early discoveries of still life. I also explored the works of Ansel Adams and his invention of “The Zone System” in the 1930s as well as New Topgraphics and the impact throughout the 1950s of the aftermath of The Great Depression and rural areas of America. These historical aftermath was captured by photograohs like Robert Adams and Lewis Baltz, the term “New Topographics” being coined by William Jenkins in 1975.

Using my own personal camera/lenses as well as accessing the school cameras (DSLR Canon E0S with a 18-55 IS lens) I also increased my knowledge of camera skills and techniques when manipulating a photograph and what to do when the daylight/ weather doesnt work in your favour. Softwares I have used in the course have been Adobe Photoshop as well as Adobe Lightroom Classic especially.

Below I have added a selection of photographs ranging in the different subjects below, different locations and different editing adjustments to show the range which I explored whilst being creative.

Studio/Lighting Techniques

Themes/ Ideas from photographers that I liked:

For my studio and lighting techniques I enjoyed being creative with positioning my subejct in different poses and positing the lighting to how I wanted it to appear. Lightining is very important when making photographs have a certain feel/ atmosphere. The lighting techniques we looked at were Chiarascuro, Rembrandt and Butterfly lighting. I believe I will use and experiement with these techniques in my personal project and will use the studio as a background as it could look like a interesting varied selection and look clean when producing different outcomes out of the same image and its a clean background which is easier to manipulate and adjust rather than a colourful and varied background with different complex textures tat may not look right when adding other colourful elements.

Cindy Sherman Inspired Manipulated Photoshoots

Themes/ Ideas from photographers that I liked:

Cindy Sherman’s work is cold and can be left to interepretation and usually her subjects have certain facial expressions and are positioned to appear vulnerable and objectify as the image focuses on the subject being the main element.

In this photoshoot I like the fact that the photoshoot can be manipulated and adjusted to how I want. I would like to use certain elements of Cindy Sherman’s work such as subverting narrative and playing around with the feminine atomsphere of 1950s household duties and playing into the typical stereotype.

Femininity & Masculinity

Themes/ Ideas from photographers that I liked:

In terms of the feminity and masulinity topic I liked the fact it was left to interpretation and that I was different to what we had experimented with prior to doing the project fem and masc.

It gave me time to play around with ideas and as well as prior to doing the project we had experiemented with the studio lighting so that also played a part as in where to shine the lighting in what spots so that the textures and certain areas to be brightened more than others despite the feminity and masculinity not reallyu being focused on facial structures but more on skin on other parts of the body thaty appeared more on either sides of the project.

Coastal & Natural Landscapes

Themes/ Ideas from photographers that I liked:

The project explores the landscapes which also impacted aby the storm that happened last year, showcasing the stark contrasts between natural beauty and environmental degradation. Through these images, I aim to highlight the balance between human development and the natural world, raising awareness of the ongoing changes in our ecosystems.

Capturing these moments in the different shoots, they allowed me to reflect on the consequences ofv human actions, they foster a sense of urgency to advocate for more sustainable practices. Each photograph urges viewers to recognize and confront the realities of the Anthropocene despite some photos looking like theirs nothing different/ odd about them considering environmental impacts.

In this project I enjoyed planning different locations for shoots and experimenting with how I wanted the photographs to appear in my head. Despite the photographs inspiration from Anthropocenic photographs buildings massive structures and large masses of mountains hills I tried to recreate a similar effect and take inspiration from oher artists/ photographers. I tried to vary certain images through adjusting them to black and white and some in colour but adjusting them so that the textures pop more.

St Malo Street Photography

The street photography project/ photoshoot taken in St Malo gives the audience a glimpse into the city from a candid and unfiltered perspective. Through the project I took photographs thaty included candid shots of the locals and tourists, markets and the seaside moments, the photographs above as well as the overall photoshoot captures everyday life and the unique of the character of St Malo.

I see myself incorporating elements I learned in this shoot as well as experiencing as I think it could work well in terms of how to structure and how candid photography looks good in terms of shooting individuals as it is very spontanieous

The street photography photoshoot allowed me to connect with people in a different way, capturing conversation and many different expressions. I was also inspired as each click of the shutter felt like a way to document a living narrative. The process of exploring the streets, discovering hidden areas and engaging with the community made the shoot memorable, turning the art of it into an experience that celebrated both the place and its people.