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Deconstruct Photobook

UNDERSTANDING PHOTOBOOKS:
NARRATIVE, EDITING, SEQUENCING
DESIGN, FORM, FUNCTION 

1. Research a photo-book and describe the story it is communicating  with reference to subject-matter, genre and approach to image-making.

2. Who is the photographer? Why did he/she make it? (intentions/ reasons) Who is it for? (audience) How was it received? (any press, reviews, awards, legacy etc.)

3. Deconstruct the narrative, concept and design of the book and apply theory above when considering:

  • Book in hand: how does it feel? Smell, sniff the paper.
  • Paper and ink: use of different paper/ textures/ colour or B&W or both.
  • Format, size and orientation: portraiture/ landscape/ square/ A5, A4, A3 / number of pages.
  • Binding, soft/hard cover. image wrap/dust jacket. saddle stitch/swiss binding/ Japanese stab-binding/ leperello
  • Cover: linen/ card. graphic/ printed image. embossed/ debossed. letterpress/ silkscreen/hot-stamping.
  • Title: literal or poetic / relevant or intriguing.
  • Narrative: what is the story/ subject-matter. How is it told?
  • Structure and architecture: how design/ repeating motifs/ or specific features develops a concept or construct a narrative.
  • Design and layout: image size on pages/ single page, double-spread/ images/ grid, fold- outs/ inserts.
  • Editing and sequencing: selection of images/ juxtaposition of photographs/ editing process.
  • Images and text: are they linked? Introduction/ essay/ statement by artists or others.  Use of captions (if any.)

Vivian Maier: Street Photography

This photobook is not very colourful but still has a way of standing out, the front cover is a picture of Vivian Maier herself, in a black and white effect, her photograph exhibit a rich tonal range and a strong sense of contrast. This monochromatic approach lends a timeless quality to her photographs, allowing the viewer to focus on the subject matter and composition. Maier’s aim was to take pictures to show that the world keeps spinning no matter what happens, its a moment in time.  “She had a tentacular way of embracing the world, picking up little narratives she found just in the street or wherever—little things.” she liked making small things into something important, as all her photographs have a strong meaning to them.

This book has a dust jacket, with all the details attached. The actual book itself has a grey hard cover and is quite plain, the dusk jacket provides the information needed for the viewers, with the author, the book name and what the book is about, this would also be called an image wrap due to the image of Vivian taking up the whole page. The format of this is book shows an A3 portrait book with the length of 10.125 x 11.25 inches, 136 pages included, the title is relevant to the book but it is quite basic but literal, its an open title, stays original. The book was published on November 16, 2011. The editing of this photobook was very put together, they made sure to put photos that link together to make the book more powerful. for example, they had put an photograph of a man on a horse walking through New York next to a man wearing a cowboy costume, they link and make the book relevant. The photograph are also put on with a white border leaving space around the photograph.

The Book does have an introduction written by John Maloof who had found Maier’s photos, he describes how he had stumbled onto Maier’s work and what they had done to him. He also implied how Maier’s photos had a sense of hunger. They showed how curious Vivian was and exactly what she had found. He states how grateful he is to have an opportunity to find these photographs and is happy to share them to the world he describes it as “a simultaneously a very humbling and extremely surreal experience”. Geoff Dyer, also created a piece of writing based on Maier stating that Maier represents an extreme instance of posthumous discovery. At the end of the book there is a page dedicated to acknowledgments thanking the many other people who helped with the findings and history of Vivian Maier, with the last pictures being pictures Vivian taken by herself through the use of a Mirror or a window. Vivian would tend to find multiple mirrors around her and wouldn’t hesitate to snap an image of herself, this becomes very useful for John Maloof to get an idea on who Vivian Maier really was. Most of the paper was white but at the end of the book the paper become black, attached with the photograph of Maier. This could be a sign of dedication towards Vivian and all her work and how it has changed street photography and how people have a different perspective of the world.

Vivian Maier’s, street photography photobook, edited by John Maloof, in 2007 Maloof discovered Maier’s negatives, Maier was deeply interested in the world around her. She started photography in 1950s until the late 1990s where she started to photograph everything around her, she took over 100,000 photographs worldwide— from France to New York City to Chicago and dozens of other countries, she didn’t seem to get rid of any of her photographs either almost as it was a sign of the past, the past that you cant get back. It was said that Maier had lost her possession of her art when her storage locker was sold off for non-payment. she had later passed away in 2009 at the age of 83. One quote that Maier used that influenced many people including Maloof was ” we have to make room for other people. it’s a wheel- you get on, you go to the end, and someone else has the same opportunity to go to the end, and so on, and somebody else takes their place. There’s nothing new under the sun.” it’s representation of life and death, everyone should get the same opportunities

MORE ABOUT VIVIAN MAIER:

Vivian Maier was seen as a person who fit the stereotypical European sensibilities of an independent liberated woman, accent and all, yet born in New York City. she was seen as very  guarded and private and didn’t seem to share anything with the world, Vivian would go to amass a group of storage lockers stuffed to the brim with found items, art books, newspaper clippings, home films, as well as political tchotchkes and knick-knacks. Vivian was firstly known as a nanny, by only a certain amount of people then become recognised thanks to he incidentally recorded marvels and peculiarities of Urban America in the second half of the twentieth century. Her images become very famous due to the unknown and sense of mystery that was added, every person she photographed was natural and didn’t react to her photographing them, mostly as her images were candid and she was hidden from the world.  Vivian bounced between Europe and the United States before coming back to New York City in 1951. By 1956 Vivian left the East Coast for Chicago, where she’d spend most of the rest of her life working as a caregiver. Vivian had unfortunately became poor and was saved by three of the children she had nannied earlier on in her life. They had remembered Maier as a second mother, they had assembled together to pay for an apartment and took the best of care for her. However, one of Vivian’s storage lockers was auctioned off due to the delay of payments. In those storage lockers lay the massive hoard of negatives Maier secretly stashed throughout her lifetime. Later on in 2007, John Maloof had discovered most of Maier’s negatives and had later published her photos for the world to see. Now, with roughly 90% of her archive reconstructed, Vivian’s work is part of a renaissance in interest in the art of Street Photography.

Photoshoot plan 2 (staged)

Shoot 2: arrange for a few friends to act as models and produce a fashion shoot using an urban/ street setting. (choose right time of the day), select appropriate location/ environment, models clothes, hair, make-up, poses and expressions.

Prompt style

William Klein’s visual style is bold and dynamic, capturing the energy and chaos of urban life. His high contrast black and white images are gritty and raw, often featuring unconventional compositions and close-up shots. Klein’s photographs are a visual assault on the senses, reflecting the vibrancy and intensity of the cities he captures.

Although these images are bot created, I do feel like I could recreate these, having some of my friends dress up and have quite bold makeup, not too much but enough to notice it. I could get them to look to at the camera or look away, i would only get their head and shoulders into the frame, and the background, I would need to town while it’s somewhat busy and have them stand still while I try and capture some good images. Although this is slightly different from William Klein’s images. It still has a small element of his work. The idea that they are dressed up all fancy and in the middle of the streets, almost as if the streets play a role as the studio where they are being photographed, which I quite like. It could be quite hard to capture as people in the background would be moving, therefore I would have to make sure my camera settings are right, I need to try and take the images during the day so that the models have more light on them. I do like how these images are in black and white as there isn’t anything in the background taking the attention away from the model. For example, the image on the top right has quite a few people in the background but there is something special about the model that stands out. It could be due to the fact that the model is in the centre of the image and most of her body is seen in the image or that her facial features tend to be the darkest and stand out the most. 

I would also like to try and get some staged images of the models in full, meaning having them stand in town and possibly pose for me or stand however they would like while they are dressed up. I would be using the town as my studio. Although the model is very important in my images but the people in the background hold a big importance as they are going to be in each image I take, the background will change every photo. I feel like when dong my photoshoot, the process of getting the model ready will take quite a long time as I need to make sure they stand out from the rest, they either have more dressed up clothing or more makeup than other, although in town I could come across other people dressed up, it could add to my image and make it look more mysterious. One thing William Klein kept in his images was the background focus, he didn’t blur the background which make everything important in the image, I feel like I would like to try and make the background blurry, this would make my images more original to me, it would also make the model in full focus, I don’t want to make the background too blurry that the background is unnoticeable . When dressing up my model I do need to be careful in the clothing that the model is wearing as my images will turn black and white. 

I would also like to try and get different poses where the model is looking at the camera and when the model is not looking to be able to see the difference, and spot which image holds more power. I believe that the model not focusing on the camera could make the image look better and more dynamic. William Klein has a mixture of images that I have taken inspiration from, and I believe his work will help me a lot during this project. I really like the bottom image on the left, where the model is walking across a zebra crossing as the model is wearing some stripes on her dress which blends well with the surroundings, this photo is obviously planned but that doesn’t take any of the meaning away from it. There is also another model in the background wearing a similar dress but in white. This makes the image look more detailed and it’s also showing me that no one else in the background is looking at the model in the black dress except the other model, even though they stand out they don’t catch other people’s attention, it’s almost a way of saying people can judge you but other people aren’t bothered about your presence so it doesn’t matter what your wearing, as long as your content.

Photoshoot plan 1 (candid)

Shoot 1. candid approach first applying Cartier-Bresson and his decisive moment.

The aim for this first photoshoot would be to take candid images, capture the moment as it is, most likely adding some of Henry Cartier-Bresson’s decisive moment to my images, the idea that each moment we are living can be capture at the right time, the idea of hunting for people without killing them, you are searching for a perfect place to capture the deal image. The aim is to avoid making your images staged, you just want to show up and take some photos, photos that aren’t planned and just captured on the spot. To try and recreate these images but in my own way, I’m going to go through town and observe people and see if any of them capture my eye, it may be more difficult to take some images of people in town as its quite small and people may spot me and look in direction of the camera which defeats the whole aim of the photos. I think something that might help me is instead of taking one photo of the scene in front of me, I should take multiple so that I have a selection of choice and then choose the best image for my project. When in town I could look for anything that is colourful that way my images aren’t just colourless and lifeless. I do like how many of Vivian Maier’s are in black and white, but her coloured images are powerful in showing meaning. The way that the people in the photo below are all wearing yellow, which doesn’t seem to be planned, it shows that everyone is different, but people do have similarities and similar interests. Town would be the best place for me to capture some images as its always quite busy and the is always something gong. I would need to try and go to town before it gets dark as none of Vivian’s images were taken at night time. town would also be busier during the day. 

This photo from Vivian Maier is in colour and follows a colour pattern, the main people in focus are wearing the same colour, yellow, this makes them stand out but it’s also quite unusual on how they are matching, this is most definitely staged but the way that the models aren’t paying attention to Maier camera makes it look a lot better. Each model is focused on something different which helps to see that they aren’t together, they are just minding their own business, although in this image the two males seem to be wearing the same trousers with the exact same socks which could indicate that they know each other but the idea of the image is for us to work out. It would be a really big coincidence if they didn’t know each other, however in this case I believe that they know each other but they are not bothered about how they are dressed, this seems to be normal to them, just walking round town not really bothered about the people around them, as you would do normally which shows us that what they are wearing isn’t what makes the image powerful it does help to make the image more vibrant and eye catching but that’s not the main idea of this image. It’s the idea that its a candid image, the models aren’t aware that they are being photographed therefore they are posing for an image, and if they were to pose it would change the whole idea and point of view on the image.

This image is quite powerful as it has two females staring at the camera, they are quite blurry and out of focus and the 5 men on the other side of the road are all wearing suits and look like businessmen, the lady on the right looks quite angry and judgemental whereas the other women on the left looks worried or scared, it could be a portray of events, men seem to be fearless standing on the pavement talking to each other while the ladies are looking worried and concerned or even just mad that they are in their view. “A photograph is a secret about a secret,” Diane Arbus said. In the case of Vivian Maier, the photographer was a secret, too. This could suggest that Maier’s images were quite secretive, their real meanings were never exposed, while doing some research I’ve noticed that Vivian Maier has been through some type of abuse and tends to keep very secretive and doesn’t really share anything about herself to anyone.

Plan:

Go into town and take pictures like Vivian Maier, waist level and catch people off guard, making sure they aren’t looking at the camera but at me or anywhere else. Although Vivian lives in a big city crowded with people and all these images were taken around 1949 which makes her images very old fashioned most people would wear different clothes now as generations change and people.

try not to look for things that stand out and just take photographs of things around you.

Although if colours are present they could make good images. (colours people are wearing, different types of clothes)

decisive moment (Henry Cartier-Bresson)

keep images in colour

Photo Analysis

Vivian Maier:

This image was taken by Vivian Maier, this is an example of candid photography. Where the people aren’t aware that they are being photographed. As you can see the little boy is looking at Maier and not the camera which shows that the camera is not distracting anyone from doing their everyday things. This image has a dynamic composition that draws the viewer’s eyes to the interaction between the two central figures. The diagonal in their posture adds visual energy. There is a strong tonal contrast between the light and dark areas, typical of black and white photographs. The lighter tones would be found on the central figures, their clothes contrast with the dark background details like the building and pedestrians. The juxtaposition of the man tying his sons shows on his knee creates a quirky and unexpected look. This photo has a very busy background which adds loads of details to the image, the fact that there are other people in the photo makes it look better, it helps to add more effect to the image. This image shows us a bond between what looks like to be son and father, this could be seen as a wholesome photo to some people, however others may think that this is a just an average image, many people can interpret different things to one image. I would say that this son and father have quite a good relationship, but it could be just for show, one image can’t tell you the whole story. It seems to be quite early, and the dad is bringing the son to school, they are dressed up in fancier clothes than everyday wear. Although this could be what they wear every day and they are just rich, back in the day and still now richer people tend to always be wearing suits rather than jeans and a top. The whole point of this image can show us that there is a lot more meaning behind an image that you may interpret. There is a lot of detail in this image that can lead to people thinking certain things about this image, really people are just guessing. This image is seen as quite modern due to the black and white effect given to the image. One thing that is controversial is the truth behind this image, different people have different views and spot different things first, it’s all about what Maier wants to represent that is important otherwise this image could mean anything. Vivian Maier states that the moment that she has photographed is forever gone, it will only happen once. This could make this photograph a lot more meaningful whether the two main people in this photograph as still alive or if they still have a close bond, there could be a plot twist where both the little boy and older man don’t know each other and its fully staged, although I do know that Maier’s images are not staged but they could still have a completely different interpretation that the viewers may perceive. Vivian states “I am a sort of spy” suggesting that she keeps an eye of her surroundings and tries to capture anything that is unusual. Things that stand out, any unspoken narratives that aren’t always visible to the naked eye. Sometimes the camera picks up things that we don’t, for example Maier’s focus would be the two boys/men in the image and not quite whets in the background, the fact that there are vans and cars help to make the image more alive and detailed. This image shows the history of what New York used to look like, things have changed such as the buildings, the roads, many plants in the surroundings and signs. It’s a captured image of the past. I do like how in the background it almost looks foggy which could be due to the black and white effect, but it almost adds its mysterious look to the photograph. It could also be the clouds as it doesn’t look like it would’ve been a good day. Overall, I do like this photo as it holds many different meanings to different people. 

vivian maier

Vivian Maier captures images of the street but also makes sure that there are people in the background, whether the people were aware they were being photographed or not. These images are quite like William Klein’s as they capture the natural beauty of the streets, not just what objects are seen but the people as well. Although William Klein’s photos are based on the way people are dressed and their style, he liked to use the streets as his studio. Whereas Vivian Maier is more observant on what people are doing, her images tend to be less staged where people are doing normal activities but notice the camera and stop what they are doing midway through. Her images tend to focus on one or two people and each image holds different emotions. Her images are black and white which helps to lend a timeless quality to her photographs, allowing the viewer to focus on the subject matter and composition. I feel that her images being in black and white makes the images stop in time, almost as if that moment is stuck forever, although all images are a representation of the past and can never be lived again, Maier photos make me believe that the moment she captured is forever gone, her images are quite nostalgic. The black and white effect usually makes the image hold emotions such as happiness, sadness or confusion. it also can depict the passage of time or the changing of seasons. Possibly a major event happened before or after these images were taken, which makes them look strange in way that there is something else happening in the image, but we don’t know, we can only see a small section of the image. Her images were taken in New York city and Chicago, which helps to make the image look very busy, she found a good surrounding to take her images with all the other citizens walking around minding their own business. Vivian Maier also used the Rolleiflex twin-lens reflex (TLR) camera which was quite discreet and not many people would notice it unless they paid specific attention to it. It was a waist-level camera, and most people would tend to look at Vivian and not notice the camera and that is ow she managed to capture her images. 

Vivian sadly passed away therefore doesn’t own her own images, A Chicago collector, John Maloof oversaw Vivian’s photos, and his mission was to promote the work of Vivian Maier, and to safeguard the archive for the benefit of future generations. Vivian also kept every negative she had ever shot; she believed that they were important and could be useful in the future. As Maier had passed away, her photos were published, her images were found at a local thrift auction house on Chicago’s Northwest side in 2007, where John had visited to find material for the book up for auction and instead, he found a box of negatives depicting Chicago on the 60’s. Although she wasn’t known when she was alive as she worked as a professional nanny for more than 40 years, during which she secretly took more than 150,000 photographs. her photographs were only revealed in July 2008 by Slattery; however, they don’t really get much notice until October 2009 when Maloof linked his blog to a selection of Maier’s photographs on the image-sharing website, that’s when her work became viral with thousands of people expressing interest. Although Maloof owns about 90% of Maier’s work another man named Jeffrey Goldstein a Chicago-based collector, also began to amass a collection of Maier’s works.  Maloof and Goldstein’s ownership was, however, legally limited. 

In this image you can see that the man is looking above the camera at Vivian Maier, this is because the camera is lower down and less noticeable. The background is quite filled with people, meaning the image in whole is not a setup, the people in the background are minding their own lives and doing their own things. The man seems almost shocked and confused and creates this type of tension in the image, almost as if there is someone next to or in front of Maier and this man is reacting to it, its showing us that there are things happening in the photos that we are not aware off, there are sectors that aren’t captured and not visible to the naked eye. This feeds the image and helps to make it more entertaining. This image also has a good background of buildings, helps to build up the image and make it the way it is now. The main topic of this photograph is this man, all the focus is on him. The man slightly slanting to the side also directs our eyes towards the lady next to him and the idea that she is walking away from the man, not necessarily away from him on purpose but has other places to go. 

William Klein

William Klein (1828-2023) was an American born French photographer, filmmaker and graphic designer, widely regarded as one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. He is known for his ground-breaking approach to both fashion and street photography, Klein revolutionised the visual language of photography with his unconventional style. Klein’s work would often break traditional rules, favouring spontaneity, high contrast, and bold composition. He is known for shooting with wide angle lenses, capturing dynamic and chaotic moments, often with blurred motion, grain, and stark contrast. His photos were raw, candid, and sometimes confrontational, focusing on the energy and diversity of urban life, particularly in New York, Paris and other major cities. One of his most iconic works would be “New York” (1956), a photo book that marked a major departure from traditional fashion and street photography. His images, often featuring stark juxtaposition and chaotic city scenes, helped redefine the concept of urban photography. Klein’s work also included fashion photography for vogue, when he introduced a more spontaneous and edgy style that contrasted with the highly polished approach typically associated with the magazine. 

Rejection of traditional fashion norms: Klein’s fashion photography was revolutionary because he rejected the idealised, glamorous aesthetic that dominated the industry at the time. He often shot in urban settings rather than controlled studio environments, preferring the grit and spontaneity of the streets. This made his images more alive and unique compared to polished, staged looks that were the norm. 

Dynamic, Candid shots: Instead of the carefully posed, idealised models typically seen in magazines, Klein’s photos captured models in motion, often blurred or interacting with their surroundings. This gave his images a sense of energy or urgency. He was also known for using wide- angle lenses to distort and exaggerate perspectives, which further intensified the impact on his upcoming photographs. 

Use of high contrasts and grain: Klein was known for his high contrasted black and white images that featured deep shadows and bright highlights. He also embraced grainy textures in his work, often resulting from shooting fast film in challenging lighting conditions. This gave his photos a gritty, almost rough aesthetic, in stark contrast to the soft-focus images commonly used in high- fashion magazines. 

Controversy and provocation: Klein’s approach to fashion photography often provoked controversy. For example, his photos sometimes depicted the models as “imperfect” with wrinkles, motion blur or awkward poses. He also frequently introduced elements of social critique, incorporating elements of the political and cultural landscapes into his work. Most of his images were positioned in working class environments. 

Klein’s initial interest in photography developed during his time in Paris in the early 1950s, It was there that he met the photographer and painter brassai, who had a significant influence on him. Brassai encouraged him to take up photography, Klein then began taking photos realising that paintings couldn’t capture moments and stories like a camera could. 

One of William Klein’s most famous work would be these photographs above referred to as Dorothy + Japanese lights or Dorothy juggling with light balls from his Paris + light series in 1962. Klein’s approach was revolutionary, blending high fashion with urban dynamism and experimentation. The image features a model, Dorothy, engaging with illuminated balls in theatrical, surreal composition, set against Klein’s distinctive use of emphasising energy and spontaneity. This work was created using the gelatine silver print process and reflects Klein’s signature avant-garde style that merged fine art with fashion and street photography. part of a limited-edition series, the print is valued not only for its aesthetic quantities but also as a cultural artefact that captures Klein’s innovative spirit and his influence on photography during the mid-20th century. 

This image has a nice, strong contrast due to the black and white tones, between the light and dark areas the figures and patterns emphasise the composition. This image uses a dynamic composition with leading lines created by the crosswalk stripes, guiding the viewer’s eye across the scene and towards the subject. There is also a depth of field being used, as both the foreground and background elements are in focus, contributing to the busy, layered atmosphere. The primary subjects (the women in the foreground) are positioned off-centre, aligning with the rule of thirds to create a visual interest. This image would also be described as the Candid style, as the photograph captures the model not posed, spontaneous moment, characteristic of the street photography, giving it an authentic and documentary look. The fashionably dressed women contrast with the more casually dressed crowd, creating an interplay between elegance and the mundane. The presence of people walking in different directions conveys motion and liveliness, typical of casual street scenes. The lighting in this image is quite precise as the natural light illuminates the subjects and enhances the patterns of the crosswalk, contributing to the image’s clarity and impact. This description describes how well William Klein has used technical and artistic techniques to create an engaging and visually striking image. 

His images are hugely different an unusual from the rest as some would say that they are not necessarily staged and that the model is just misplaced, it is a way of reflecting how one individual might feel, misplaced, they do not belong there because they are too different. All the other people in the image are unaware that they are in a photo which makes the image even more powerful, it could show that people are uncomfortable where they are, they don’t fit in in society and nobody around them is aware of that, they are clueless as they are focusing on their own lives, although many other people in this photograph may be feeling this, William has focused on the one wearing the “fashionable clothes”. Although that isn’t what William Klein is going for, it does show that not all images have intentional factors, Klein’s imagery was inspired by tabloid sensationalism, overturning established styles in street and fashion photography, Klein liked the idea of mixing the street background with the fashion photography, he didn’t like the basic studio that models would pose in so he tried to charge it and make it more personal. I really like how his images turned out as the mixture of the streets and fashion could be seen as opposites, the streets are normally dirty and full of people, but Klein made sure that the backgrounds in the images were all neutral, I also like that all his images are in black and white as that adds a modern look but also stops all the colourful items in the background taking the attention, the main focus would be the model that is in the middle of the street looking different from everyone else who looks “basic”. 

Personal Study Plan

My plan for my personal study is to look at people’s fashion in the streets and how everyone is dressed differently. I’m not sure if I’m going to make my images staged or I’m just going to go round town and try to identify people with unusual styles that catch my eye. My plan If my images will be staged: I would quite like to get a model or a selection of models to wear some of their favourite clothes but to make it more fancy and less formal so that they stand out from the crowd. If I have a selection of models with me I would rather do one model at a time in the shoot so that there isn’t too much going on, or I could have a few of the models in the background and see a few of them on the sides so that the main focus isn’t completely gone from the main model in the image. I could also get the models to wear bright colours and position themselves around town and photograph that. The way for me to get a good set of images is to try and get a few ideas of a photoshoot so that at least one will be successful. If my images were not staged: I would go round town and try and capture anyone who has a unusual style as they are walking towards me, I would try and have my camera at waist level to try and recreate Vivian Maier’s photography, the aim would be to get them to look at me and not the camera so that they are distracted his would be an image of what I see in the moment of what I’ve captured, having all of their focus on the camera and stopping what they were doing. I would see what type of style is most recognised and try and find an opposite theme of clothing to photograph, I would quite like for the background to be filled with people to be able to notice the difference of clothing between the model and normal people walking around. 

For my first photoshoot I would quite like to try and get some un staged images to see if that works well, if that doesn’t work well and I can’t find anyone wearing different types of clothing I will use models to recreate the images. I would need to try and take photos of things like Vivian Maier’s and William Klein as I am inspired to try and recreate similar images that these artists had worked on. I’ve done my research on many photographers and identified how they have produced their images and what they did to make them as good as they can. I really like the street photography element, but it would be quite bland and it’s a broad topic, therefore I tried to find things I can incorporate in my images. I’ve looked at staged and candid photography and I feel like I might try and include both styles of photography in my work. For example, when looking at the artist William Klein, his photos were staged, and he dressed his models into really high classed modern clothing to make them stand out. William would use the streets as his studio and make his images more unique and inspiring to him. Whereas the artist Vivian Maier looks at people on the streets, she takes candid images and doesn’t let people know that she is photographing them, she holds her camera at waist level so that her camera is more discreet. Both those artists have very different styles of photography, but I feel like a mixture of both the styles could mix really well and it would help me to make a great set of images. 

I think the way I’m going to do my photoshoots will be inspired by William Klein where I am focused on peoples styles, most likely make my image staged and get some of my friends to help out, I would do through town or a busy scenery and get the model to stand in the middle or walk around as if they are part of everyone else except they stand out a lot more. To include Vivian Maier’s work into my project, I’m going to make most of my images waist length and tell the model not to look in the direction of the camera, this is just an experiment to see what works best for me, if this photoshoot doesn’t go to plan I can always try again but improve my plan and focus more on one artists than the other and still incorporate both artists ideas but change it and make it more original to me. I think it would be quite difficult for me to recreate as I don’t live in a big city and live in a small island which makes it more difficult, I won’t be able to find big signs and have a busy surrounding, this could help me make it more original to me and towards and beach and go somewhere near a lake, something that is more personalised to Jersey.

Although Vivian Maier’s and William Klein’s work are very different from each other and have completely different styles of photography as one uses waist length to capture the perfect image whereas the other one doesn’t quite use birds eye view but uses a higher angle to capture every detail around the model, I do like how both artists use a black and white effect on their images, it helps to make them more modern and less tacky, all of the colours in the background aren’t taking the attention away from the model and what they are doing . Most of the images here have models looking in the direction of the camera which makes the image look more mysterious and also makes them realise that their surroundings are different from usual. I would also like to make my images into a vogue magazine and help make them look slightly different to the artists and make it more personal to me. I will have a look at Anna Wintour, the vogue editor and see how she edits her images and why it makes them stand out. 

Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of the American vogue is widely regarded as the most influential figure in fashion since 1988.  She has greatly influenced fashion trends, elevated the status of fashion journalism, and shaped the careers of numerous designers. She eventually moved to New York City with her then-partner and continued to climb the editorial ladder at a number of publications. In 1988 she was offered the position at US Vogue, which she now holds “indefinitely” — as Condé Naste stated several years ago amidst a flurry of retirement rumours. The original US edition of Vogue was first published in 1892, with the British edition coming next in 1916. Currently, there are over 28 international editions of Vogue magazine. The expansion of the brand has shaped the global fashion scene.  Wintour’s editorial decisions have played a role in how the magazines operate in their respective countries. 

I would like to use the vogue symbol in my work as it will make it look more unique and special to me. I feel like making a magazine as my project can help me put meaning into my work. I would quite like to add the concept that people stand out some more than others and it’s identified differently. Each photo i remake could symbolise how each person stands out from the rest and why I am focusing on them and them only. Some of the models in my images will be dressed different on purpose to recreate the images inspired by William Klein and Vivian Maier, although the aim is to prove and show that everyone is unique and stand out differently whether my photos are staged or not, it makes the image look different from the rest and makes the viewer question why they are dressed differently and what is going through their minds to be able to attract attention. 

https://www.dw.com/en/the-endless-reign-of-vogue-editor-anna-wintour/a-70632960

MindMap

OBSERVE, SEEK AND CHALLENGE

“The human desire to seek and explore the unknown has driven artists to look for fresh inspiration throughout the centuries” – The idea that people are looking out for something more than what they know has driven them to become very curious, they search for deeper meanings and never stick to the original meanings. This helps photographers to capture the best image possible. The aim for this personal study is to have a deeper understanding of my chosen topic, be able to compare its positives and negatives and produce my own set of images. Looking through my previous work that I have produced I have come to conclusion that a form of street photography has caught me in interest, the ideas of doing urban photography or fashion photography has made me wonder which one is best suited for me. Fashion street photography could be slightly harder than urban photography as you need to get the right people to wear the right clothing and capture the best image possible, whereas urban photography is more like taking pictures of the streets. The term street photography refers to Street photography being a type of photography that is conducted for art or inquiry that features unmediated chance encounters and random incidents within public places, usually with the aim of capturing images at a decisive or poignant moment by careful framing and timing. Although fashion photography may be harder to accomplish it would be a good idea to try to organize the right way to complete it in easier ways, for example making the photos staged could be an idea as it’s not always obvious that certain photos are staged. Having a model by your side is a good advantage as you are in control of what actions they may do in each photograph, and you could change the way they are dressed to make the image seem less staged or precisely just a perfect moment captured. 

Other previous work like ‘windows and mirrors’ could help influence my decision on this personal project to get a better understanding on where my strengths and weaknesses are, as I do prefer to look at windows more than mirrors as the windows theory of identifying a photo is context based. I would rather not make the images too personal to myself but more personal to other people around me in general. The photos that will be produced will show a sense of reality or even fiction but not a personal story of myself. The windows and mirrors concept will guide me to understand what photos need to be taken. I like the idea of taking anonymous photos where people aren’t aware that there photo is taken meaning they aren’t posed, although when creating my own photos I do think making my images staged could help me get an overall understanding on what type of photography I like whether it is staged or taken at a ‘decisive moment’, a good artist I could look at would be Henri Cartier Bresson, he came up with the decisive moment being a method in photography where the thrill of waiting for the next person to walk by will make the perfect image. 

William Klein:

“William Klein was an American-born French photographer and filmmaker noted for his ironic approach to both media and his extensive use of unusual photographic techniques in the context of photojournalism and fashion photography”. William Klein has quite a good range of images that I could look at and work on, his work is quite inspiring although a lot of them look staged as the model is over dressed in some of the images, certain models are posing and doing different things that seem quite unusual, things you wouldn’t see on a daily basis. I do like the mixture of the photos being black and white as it makes them different but doesn’t necessarily make each photo more important than other photos. I do like how each photo is focused on one person in specific almost as if it’s trying to tell a story about the model, but the viewers must work it out. 

Martin Elkort:

“Martin Edward Elkort was an American photographer, illustrator and writer known primarily for his street photography. Prints of his work are held and displayed by several prominent art museums in the United States. His photographs have regularly appeared in galleries and major publications”. All these photos are in black and white which makes the images quite modern and sophisticated, these images captured are taken out of the blue, the people didn’t stop to pose for the camera, they kept normal as they were aware and sometimes it how’s everyone how the world I today and how it has changed throughout the generations and the way people dress has changed massive due to different ages which is good to capture and acknowledge. One thing that would be more difficult for me is that these images seem to be old fashioned and a lot of things have changed since this photographer has taken these images, which helps to make the images more personal to me and also make me experiment how things have changed throughout the years and what has changed, e.g. clothes, props (prams), transport and even buildings have changed.  

Overall, this is a topic I have a great interest in and feel as though it would be quite entertaining and challenging to do but will help me understand why each photo looks and feels different due to it being staged or just a good, timed image also referred as a ‘decisive moment’. The idea that the images I want to recreate are mainly based on the streets whether they are urban photography or fashion photography which could be more difficult if the image aren’t quite staged. I do like the idea of taking images of a big city and a crowded place but I would have to do the opposite due to living on a small island, though that will make images feel more personal to me as this island is my home and a place I feel safe in and I have experienced most of my childhood in. 

My plan is to go out and try to capture images of people who have quite an unusual and unique style that is different to the rest. Or I could get a few of my friends to dress up in their own styles to show how different people are and the effects of the world, how other people influence us to dress the same, why we feel to dress a certain way and why aren’t comfortable to wear certain clothes. Another thing that I could try and do would be trying to get my models to dress like a certain individual, a specific character from a tv show or possible a significant influencer to recreate their image and try and get a perspective of their life through what the images they put online. I would also like to get landscape photos of town/ somewhere busy to get the model to stand in, so that the background of the image is quite noisy. The slight problem I could have with that would be that the image might have too many details and make the photo look tacky and not as elegant as I would aim for. The best texture I’m looking for in the image would be a smooth texture but not too much to the point that it looks too boring and there is no details, I do like the idea of having a rough texture somewhere in the image, possibly the main event happing in the image as it will draw the eyes towards the main focus point. 

Review and reflect

REVIEW

Throughout my time looking at photography and trying to recreate images I have learnt many things. I have don’t photography for quite a while now and realise how creative you have to be to come up wit your own set of images. While learning all about certain rules like, depth of field, rule of thirds, composition, leading lines and many more, it has helped me to understand how to capture a proper image and I can do next time to make the image better. when studying photography I started to think that images had to be planned to be captured at the right time and be a good image, but when studying Henri Cartier Bresson I learnt that he came up with the decisive moment and that your images don’t have to be perfect to everyone else but yourself. Your the creator of the images therefore you decide what you want to take and where it should be taken. I also learnt that there were different view points to look at, for example. birds eye view, women’s eye view, high view and the Dutch angle that are all very different and help to make each image different and unique from the rest.

What is photography? The actual definition of photography is known as drawing with light, but if I were to define photography I would day its a way of capturing precious moments and keeping memories. it is the communication and the recording of ephemeral moments in time, meaning it captures images in that moment and once that moment is gone there is no going back.

REFLECT

Sublime:

Overall, looking through all my blog posts, I discovered that I had forgotten that I had done. These blog posts could help me find an inspiration to see what my independent project will be. Through my first year of photography, I learnt some key skills that will help me when taking photos, I was able to take pictures and add different colours and shades to the lens of the camera to make the image look colourful. The photoshoot I did was to investigate the idea of an image being good or evil. The images that are darker based tend to be evil due to the lack of lighting, the fact that most of the models facial features aren’t visible makes the image look mysterious and dangerous and the ‘good’ images would have lighter lighting on the models face to see their facial feature to make the image look less unexpected and more comforting . One topic I am quite interested in would be romanticism and the sublime effect, the picture being a disaster but still showing some kind of beauty. The idea of sublime is ‘a self-forgetfulness where personal fear is replaced by a sense of well-being and security when confronted with an object exhibiting superior might’. I feel that a photoshoot to do with sublime could be quite successful and interesting to investigate. Especially if I already have loads of notes based on it to help direct me to the right places to take the images. Another effective experiment that we looked at was technical headshots that helped me understand the different lighting techniques, for example soft and hard lighting. Soft lighting is known to be a portrait lit with soft light and is generally lit with a large light source whereas hard lighting has the characteristics of showing edgy features like a sharp jawline or muscular definition. I feel like I was able to recreate that quite well as my final outcomes look quite successful. I’ve noticed that using a dark background will make the light on the models face look brighter and define the models features with a sharper tone, whilst using a lighter/ baby pink background the lighting doesn’t necessarily make the models face brighten up, it adds the perfect amount of light to snatch the models features without making them look sharp. We also experimented with butterfly lighting, basic lighting and Rembrandt Lighting which could be useful to use in future photoshoots. These techniques will help especially if I do a photoshoot of people’s portraits as I can perfect my skills. One thing that i have noticed throughout my work was that i have used many of Henri Cartier Bresson’s images in my work, which gives me the idea that I would like to explore his work in more depth. 

Cindy Sherman- Femininity

I quite enjoyed exploring femininity inspired by Cindy Sherman, her images are meant to portray ‘women’s lives’ and how women are treated or seen to be treated, her main idea was that women were objectified and she wanted to recreate images to show how women would be objectified, the idea that women were in charge of cooking, cleaning and taking care of the children, she would create images of her cleaning her house, she also had images of her in the mirror trying to put make up on as its considered to make women more “beautiful”. I really enjoyed this topic as I was able to get a good set of images and explore what it is like to be a women, another reason I quite like this topic was because I was able to link it with good vs evil and boy vs girl photoshoots, this lead to me expanding my research from femininity to masculinity as well and explore the differences between them. While exploring femininity and masculinity I found out how different the two genders are, the idea that men are seen as strong and dominant, they hold all the power and sometimes it shows in photos, the way they stand to show their strength. Women tend to try and look good in images and pose for the camera which shows that they are more ambitious, asserting and caring. However, when photographs of women are taken, they tend to be objectified, they tend have the male gaze on them and most of the time women feel as though they need to objectify themselves to get men’s attention. 

Environmental portraits:

This photoshoot was quite limiting as I captured all these images in school, going round all the different departments, the first 3 photos were captured in the science department, where we asked the staff to show us around and capture some images of them at work, this helped me understand how everyone’s jobs are different. I also went to the canteen to get pictures of some of the staff there, in the canteen the mixture of students and staff made me realise that we all have different lives and different things going on. These images were put in black and white, which tends to help with distracting the eye from any unusual colours but more from what is in the surroundings of the image. This wouldn’t be my favourite photoshoot I’ve done as it’s quite boring to take pictures of people without any context but with some of the images you can tell a story and try and put meanings together and understand what is going on in the image. Another reason I wasn’t big fan of this photoshoot was because I didn’t manage to get man y good quality photos and struggled a little bit finding areas to take pictures. 

Photoshoot in the studio:

This photoshoot was to help me edit on photoshop and get an idea on how to edit each photo and what worked best for each image. I was given a few props to work with and placed them down on the table, I captured a few different shots and n photoshop I was able to control the tones of the images, I changed the tones to warm and cold, which gave a different effect to each photo, I prefer the warmer tones in the image as I feel as it fits best. This photoshoot was only an experiment, but I feel as though it helped me understand the composition of the image. This photoshoot was just a small one and was quite useful and fun to do and helped me decide that landscape photography is more for me. 

St Malo:

This would be my favourite photoshoot as I prefer taking pictures of buildings and street photography, I feel as though street photography is a theme that is so broad that it’s good to focus on every little detail at a time to understand how this image was put together. Street photography can also be based on the “decisive moment” by Henri Cartier Bresson, the whole idea that there is a perfect moment to capture an image. I really enjoyed taking images in St Malo as it’s so different from jersey and a lot bigger. The people seem to be out a lot longer in France which sets out a different mood to the picture, the way the French dress very different too, so it helps me get a different perspective to street photography, one thing I would have liked to have done better is focus on a certain amount of people and sort of follow their journey round the town. Street photography is quite different to the previous photoshoots I’ve done as most of the photoshoots done were in the studio. That’s what makes these images different, also the people in the photos don’t have a personal relationship with me, they are just strangers on the streets, this makes the images look more mysterious as we don’t know what each person may be feeling, whether it’s shown on their face or not. 

william eggleston

William Eggleston is an artist that takes photos based on the the theory of mirrors and windows. His work is based on windows as his photos don’t tend to be personal, it’s more an overlook on other people’s perspectives. William Eggleston used colour photographs to describe the cultural transformations in Tennessee and the rural South. He registers these changes in scenes of everyday life, such as portraits of family and friends, as well as gasoline stations, cars, and shop interiors. William shows that his photos can show both mirrors and windows as some of his images aren’t really personal, but some of his images might reflect himself, possibly taking images of close friends and family that makes the image more personal to him. Although most of his images tend to be street photographs and less likely focused on one singular person. Eggleston tends to find surroundings that he would find himself in which makes it personal but not known as some other photographers. His work tends to be in a city, meaning it could represent his childhood or something memirable to him but instead of a singular object he liked to keep his surroundings important to him. I really like how colourful his images are, it’s almost as if he adds a radiant effect to his images as they tend to stand out, they almost look retro, his images make the world look a lot brighter than it is, it’s almost as if the world is losing colour and Eccleston’s photos have all the coloured sucked into them. I really like the outcome of his images as they look very different to other artists, these photos almost look likely, they give off a happy vibe. 

When looking through Eggleston’s work I found that all his photos were quite ordinary and didn’t have a specific theme, he mostly looked at images of quite boring but colourful sceneries, mostly just images of banal everyday life. William Eggleston wasn’t interested in photographing “decisive moments” like Cartier-Bresson nor was he interested in capturing abstruse characters or extraordinary moments. He was all about finding the beauty in the mundane. Many of his photographs have primarily warm tones in the background (like red, orange, or yellow)– yet his main interest in the photo may be of a very cold colour (blue, green, or violet) which stands out from the photo. His photos are mainly taken during golden hour or when the sky is really blue, he doesn’t tend to take pictures of the bad weather, he stays away from it. William Eggleston’s is an influential American photographer, widely regarded as one of the pioneers of colour photography as an artistic medium., his work elevated everyday scenes- such as ordinary street scenes, interiors, and mundane objects using a striking use of colour. Some key aspects of colour uses used by William Eggleston were saturated colours and vivid imagery, he would use colour to evoke mood and emphasise the beauty of the everyday. His keen eye for light and colour was enhanced by the new technology of dye-transfer printing, which allowed for greater control over colour reproduction and more vibrant final print. He also made ordinary objects have extraordinary details, for example he would take pictures of petrol stations, empty streets, family homes and interior details, and through his precise framing and use of colour, these scenes felt loaded with significance. It wasn’t just about documenting reality but finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. Some of his main themes were the democratic forest, southern landscapes, people and intimacy. His most famous one being Southern Landscapes where he highlighted themes of isolation, nostalgia and the passage of time. He would take his would be focused on the American South a place that he was intimately connected and familiar with. I would say his images from the southern landscapes would represent the theory of windows as images of suburban life, southern landscapes and ordinary people reveal a world that is simultaneously familiar and foreign, offering insights into a region’s cultural and social fabric. His work captures a specific historical and geographical moment, providing a view into a culture and lifestyle that may be distant or different from the viewer’s own. However, it could be controversial as some could say it’s seen as both a mirror and window, his images are personal yet universal, both intimate and detached. His careful attention to colour, light, and composition allows the viewers to engage with the image both on a personal level and an analytical level. His images tend to rely on their ability to be understood through both the lens of personal reflections (as mirror) and cultural exploration (as windows).