My first photoshoot that I will take for this project will be focused on my friends. The photoshoot will include teenager girls together doing what they do for fun, I will document what activities they do and capture moments of them naturally. I may also slightly stage some images to capture the essence of the situation however, I want to try to keep it as natural as possible. This shoot will consist of images inside and outside, following where they go.

Next, I am going to take images of my younger cousin and his friends and family. I will use the same approach, shooting them acting and doing what they usually would. These photographs will have images of the family as a whole, portraying their life but then I will also zoom in on the individual members and shoot images based on their own independent life.

My third shoot will be based on the life of my own younger brother. I will follow a similar procedure, to shoot photos of what he gets up to in the day and his routines.

I am taking inspirations from the works of photographers Tom Wood, Andriana Nativio, and Andrew Kung. I’m using different aspects of all of their images to inspire my own project.

For my personal study, I am focusing on the different lives that we all live. I am aiming to portray different ages and lifestyles, capturing moments from different peoples lives. I will be focussing on the friends and family that I have. I will aim take photographs of:

• Younger family playing
• Parents at work
• Parents at home in natural environment
• Friends in school
• Friends going out

I have chosen this area of photography because it feels natural and it portrays the message that everyone lives a different life, this is what I intend to depict in this project. Photographs like this by professionals are what I find most interesting and intriguing due to the possible stories that are being shown.

For this project of observe, seek and challenge, I am using previous personal experiences to inspire it. I will bring my camera out with me when in the right environments and capture photographs of moments I have observed and think would make for a good photo. I will also be going out of my way seeking out the lives of those around me to photograph parts of their life. This is similar to Andrew Kung’s work, where he captures moments of peoples lives, exploring the themes of family, intimacy etc. in the same style as I am aiming to do.

My photographs will be taken both indoors and outdoors, capturing different moments of life, also varying in the time of day. My images will be ‘windows’, so they will be taken documentary style, following the lives of those around me and simply observing and capturing scenarios. This is similar to the photographer Tom Wood who has inspired that aspect of my project.

Once my photoshoots are complete, I will edit my images in Lightroom and on Photoshop, adjusting the levels, curves, exposure, texture etc. To finish it off, I may make the final images black and white to empathise the meaning of the images and to keep the focus of the main subjects. However, I am going to wait until I have completed all of my photoshoots to assess whether or not I think this would be the best fit. I have taken inspiration from Andriana Nativio as her images are presented in black and white which I find to be very alluring, and it draws your attention to focus solely on the image presented and the emotions and meanings behind it.

My personal study will be presented in the form of a book, presented one image at a time.

Tom Wood

Tom Wood is an Irish photographer, born in 1951, who lived and worked in different places in the UK, mainly in Liverpool. During his days of photography, he has published a multitude of books including Looking for Love, Men / Women, and more. in 1973, Wood started to take photographs with a more serious manner and attitude towards it. Throughout his photography, he has used many different types of cameras, printing types and film types, which leaves a different feel to each of is photographs. He has used old cine film and out of date film stock to take his images causing a grainy quality to the outcomes.

Wood’s photographs all have an old, timey look to them from the period of time they were taken. Many of the photographs by Wood have a lot of colour which pops and draws in your attention because of the usually, darker backgrounds, sometimes caused by the dark time of day or because of the surrounding environment. The photographs that I am focussing on of his, are the ones that capture people, they are mix of candid photographs of people in their natural domain or staged images of people posing in front of the camera. However, his way of photographing these people always seems genuine and raw whether or not they are set up.

Wood has a variety of projects and aims of his photography such as his ‘Looking for Love’ project. The images taken for this are inside of a popular nightclub in darker lights. His photos captured the typical manic nightlife of the drunken customers who were either full of life, partying or half asleep, ready to leave. He was able to capture these images because of the trust he would gain from the people, Wood said, “People were so made up when I went to the trouble to make a print for them that, when you saw them again, they and their friends would accept you”, this is how he would make them comfortable enough to allow him to photograph more often. Another project of his is ‘Men / Women’ in which, he’d take photographs of men and women, separately for the most part, who were working-class. These images consisted of them looking and posing for the camera in their natural scene, however, some images were candids taken without the need for staging.

Andriana Nativio

Andriana Nativio is a photographer born in Cleveland, Ohio, who now lives and works in Phoenix, Arizona. She has done many projects such as, ‘As We Rest in the Shadows’, ‘sleeping bear’ and others. In 2023, she was named one of Lens Culture’s Emerging Talents in Photography and her work has been featured in group exhibitions across the United States.

Nativio’s work is usually in black and white and her images explore femininity, childhood and memory. Her project ‘As We Rest in the Shadows’ consists of photographs of two young girls who are captured having fun, playing and talking, just acting like normal girls. Nativio said about this project, “My photographs meld the sisters’ journey & my memories together in an attempt to return to my girlhood”. This project records the tranquillity of life when you are younger and free. This work has inspired me to dive into the aspect of childhood and to capture and explore images of different parts of it.

Another project by Nativio is ‘Sleeping Bear’, these photographs by her were taking over a month at Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore in Empire, Michigan. These photographs are of many different people, different ages, races, family dynamics. Some of the images are portrait photographs where the subjects are posed in front of the camera, however, some are candid photographs of moments people aren’t expecting to be documented. I think this project is a really good one as it captures many different people who are all at the same place at the same time but with no intention of being so. It is a way to portray the differences between each individual.

Andrew Kung

Andrew Kung is an Asian-American photographer who lives and works in New York City. His images focus on place, identity, and belonging. Kung often uses his own lived-through experiences to produce his images. ‘Through my images, my aim is to normalize Asian American beauty, belonging, and individuality.  I often investigate themes of masculinity, family, intimacy, and what it means to be American’ —Andrew Kung

Kung started out photographing for brand such as Nike and Adidas before he decided to start his own series. This was ‘The Mississippi Delta Chinese’, in this project, he documented a small Chinese community. This project was the start of him reclaiming his own Asian identity. He then began to have conversations with his family and friends figuring out it meant to be Asian American to each person, he also read more literature, and watched more movies to learn more about and find comfort in who he is.

The photographs by Andrew Kung that I am focussing on and taking inspiration from, use the natural sunlight to capture the images. This way, his images are all the accurate white balance, keeping the lightening even. Often, the photographs are taken when the sun is setting, using the natural orange/golden glow to highlight certain aspects of the picture. This adds a familiar feel to the photographs and draws in the viewers attention as there is now a hint of brighter colour in the image.

Mind Map & Mood Board

Still Life

Still life is an arrangement of objects, typically including fruit and flowers and objects contrasting with these in texture, such as bowls and glassware. I found this project enjoyable to work with as I was able to take photographers images, from past and present, and produce my own photos inspired by them. I could photograph things that represented me, or intrigued me, making the project feel more personal.

My images:

Environmental Portraits

An environmental portrait is a portrait taken in the subject’s usual environment, for example, in their home or place of work. These types of photographs can reveal things about the person photographed, such as where they feel the happiest or most content. Since it’s in their natural environment rather than in a studio where photographs can be forced, the photos can almost tell a story of the subject as they’re being captured in their own, personal element. This was an interesting project as it was an opportunity to explore photography in another way. I had to take photographs of strangers, in their place of work, their natural environment, rather than in a studio. I like that for this photoshoot, my photographs could represent the strangers life, and the only thing that I controlled was taking the image itself.

My images:

Femininity Vs Masculinity

Femininity and masculinity are binary opposite, meaning they are a pair or related terms which mean the opposite to one another. Femininity and Masculinity can be described as the qualities or attributes of women or Men. The typical stereotypes of women tend to be kind, loving, helpful, nurturing, emotional and others related. For men, it’s being strong, powerful, scary, violent, assertive and others. I really enjoyed this project as I found it to be very inspiring. I knew my photoshoots had to be around ‘femininity vs masculinity’, however this was just a topic rather than a set photoshoot, so, I was able to take photograph of what inspired me and stood out to me, making m feel more motivated and involved. Which led to me producing a set of images which I am proud of.

My images:

Landscapes

A landscape is defined as all the visible features of an area of land, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal. The term Landscape originates from the Dutch word landschap which originally meant ‘region, tract of land’ but then took on an artistic meaning of ‘a picture depicting scenery on land’ in the early 1500s. This landscape project was an interesting topic to learn about especially the history of it. However I found the practical side, taking the photos, to be not as inspiring as other projects.

My images:

Street Photography

I enjoyed this project and focusing on Henri Cartier-Bresson as I find this style of photography appealing. When taking my own photographs I found it interesting and found that the photographs I was taking went really well.

Mirrors:

For this photoshoot on mirrors, I will make my images reflect myself, I will aim to take photographs of myself, potentially of people close to me and objects which would reflect me that are personal. The images will be staged and I will experiment with different image types, whether it be portrait, or candid-looking photos. I will portray myself in these images of how I see myself and how I’d express myself. The intent will be similar to Cindy Sherman’s work and how she uses herself in images, portraying the view on her, and women.

Windows:

For the second half of this photoshoot ,the images I will produce will be ‘windows’. I will take photographs of places around Jersey, as a window to show of the island. However, I am not going to just take typical landscape images, I also want to show off more specific parts of the island such as a building or different entities of the island, rather than only scenic views.

How can photographs be both ‘mirrors’ and ‘windows’ of the world?

In the 19th century, the art of photography started to develop into what it is today. Louis Daguerre was a French artist and photographer who became known for his invention of the daguerreotype – a process of photography which is done with a silver-plated copper plate transferred to the camera after going through a particular procedure. After exposure to light, the plate was developed over hot mercury until an image appeared. Not long after this process was invented, William Henry Fox Talbot came out with the calotype which is a photographic process done by iodising a sheet of writing paper by applying different solutions under candlelight before washing and drying it. Then, you would sensitise the same surface and dry the paper and load it into a camera obscura, exposing it to light. After, you would remove the paper and use the same sensitising solution to develop the image. Lastly, rinse the negative with water, wash it with a solution of potassium bromide, and rinse it again before laying it out to dry. The difference between these two photographic ways, is that the calotype process first produced a ‘negative’ in the camera which many ‘positive’ calotypes could be made, whereas daguerreotypes were a one-off image. According to John Szarkowski, the images produced from both of these processes would be considered windows. This is because, the photographs would depict views of the outside world, trees, houses, hills etc. which is then giving the viewer another way to look at this view, causing it to be a window as the only thing you are seeing are external factors. They would also be portraits, continuing to make these classified as a ‘window’ as portraits portray a person (or people) in their state, peering into their life. John Szarkowski wrote, ‘The distance between them is to be measured not in terms of the relative force or originality of their work, but in terms of their conceptions of what a photograph is: is it a mirror, reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it, or a window, through which one might better know the world?’. I think this view of photography can be considered a good one however, photography is so subjective and without context, it can be hard to surmise whether a photograph is a ‘window’ or ‘mirror’.

– Nan Goldin

This image above, would be considered a ‘mirror’ image as it is a staged photograph of Nan and Brian in bed. As the photographer is in the photo, this image is reflecting her in, what we would assume, her natural environment. It is a subjective photo, there are different ways in which someone might observe this image, for example the story and meaning behind it can be interpreted different.

Jed Pearl’s review of Mirrors and Windows suggests that Szarkowski’s view of photography, ‘windows and mirrors’, is a binary theory which Szarkowski claims isn’t a fixed pattern but a “continuous axis”. Although he says this, his thesis still suggests that photographs only fit into these two categories. Photographs can be a ‘mirror’ reflecting the artist, who they are, what they stand for etc. and they can also be ‘windows’ – a way to show the world in another view and to document the external environment. But, photographs can also be a mix of both, photographers all have different intentions for their photographs and why they are taking them or why they are photographing their subject, making them fit into one category, both categories, or neither.

– Garry Winogrand

This image presented above, is what would be viewed as a ‘window’. This is because the image is capturing a real moment in time, including many different people and their different lives. The focal point I would say, is the three women walking in the centre of the street, the centre of the image. Our eyes are drawn straight to them and from this one image we can make assumptions about their lives and who they are. We can see the three women looking to the left of the image where we see a young man in a wheelchair, however with him, there isn’t much for the viewer to learn about him, leaving us wondering about his life. The last group of people in the foreground, is what appears to be a family sat on a bench although we can only see the little boys face and none of the others. This image isn’t portraying the photographer, it is a raw moment experienced by all of these different people, looking into their own lives.

To conclude, Szarkowski’s view of photography, ‘the distance between them is to be measured not in terms of the relative force or originality of their work, but in terms of their conceptions of what a photograph is: is it a mirror, reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it, or a window, through which one might better know the world?’, could be a nice way to look at photography as it is able to group images together or differentiate between them. However, I think that we should use this viewpoint as photography is such a subjective concept, even when images are objective, they can be taken in and interpreted differently from person to person. If a photographer wants to present their image in a certain way or in either of these categories (windows and mirrors) then it is a good way for them to do so but that isn’t always the case.

Photographer, John Szarkowski, grouped photographers’ work into categories of those whose work reflects the subjectivity of the artist in comparison with those who look to portray the outside world. Szarkowski wrote, ‘The distance between them is to be measured not in terms of the relative force or originality of their work, but in terms of their conceptions of what a photograph is: is it a mirror, reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it, or a window, through which one might better know the world?’.

Photographs that could be seen as a ‘mirror’ would be photographs which are subjective, reflections, expressions, staged etc. Whereas, photos which are ‘windows’ would be more objective, documentary, real and truthful, they show the external world.

Windows:

This photo above, from Rafal Milach, would be seen as a ‘window’ image. This photograph could be a staged image or it could be a real moment between these people. Either way, the photograph is capturing a moment in time, which gives the viewer a look into their life.

Mirrors:

This photograph, by Cindy Sherman, is a ‘mirror’ photograph as it is a reflection of herself. She is the model in this image but also, the photo is a message reflecting her thoughts and opinions. This photograph portrays a woman in the kitchen which is where, stereotypically, woman should be.

Overall, I am very happy with how this zine turned out. I was able to make it exactly how I intended when I made a mock up version. My images are presented in an order to take you through and around the harbour, ending in the maritime museum to show the detailed artefacts. My narrative, is to show different aspects of the harbour rather than one area in detail. So, I decided to add in a couple of images of different harbours/ different views of the harbours as the main images and then I added different features of the harbour to summarise the local environment. I think that the images I used and paired with each other on the pages, work really well together and makes the zine better than if I had just added images in. I used photographs which had relations to each other and which were good quality. I think I have developed this project well after making it into a zine, making me able to portray my best images.