Title Of Personal Study: Normal Becomes Abnormal

For my project, I would like to explore Night Photography, I’ve always been interested in how different lighting and weather gives new perspectives that change how we see the world, especially during the night. The aesthetic of the night, where the normal becomes abnormal, the change that happens at night is mysterious and gives off this feeling of loneliness which has always had me fascinated.

My personal study will focus on the dichotomies of the characteristics between the day and the night. During the day, the natural sunlight brings elements such as energy, clearness of the landscapes around and life to the world around us, however, at night the same landscapes/spaces give a sense of mysteriousness, loneliness and emptiness. These changes not only alter the location/setting itself but the emotional impact it has on those who experience it.

There are a variety of photographers/artists which I will take inspiration from within this project, such as William Eggleston, Todd Hido and Pierre Putman. William Eggleston`s mainly known for his powerful use of colour within his images, this will guide my approach to capturing the colour which is brought by the sun during the day or artificial lighting during the night.

To successfully create this project, I will use a variety of equipment including: DSLR Camera, tripod, Shutter release, Artificial Lighting (Torch and LEDS) and coloured gels. As I go on with the project, I will experiment different ideas and possibly use different equipment to the equipment I had listed earlier however that is my initial plan of equipment to use

Finally, I will present my personal study project as a photobook so that I can showcase my images and also tell a story through the way I lay out these photographs. I originally had planned to put the book in a chronological order, with the front of the book consisting of images taken during the day and the end of the book having night photography images, like the cycle of the day. However I have decided to take a different approach and will mix the book, so it will start with a night photoshoot then a photoshoot taken during the day and then keep that pattern going on throughout the whole photobook.

Night Photography Inspiration (Pierre Putman, Troy Paiva & Todd Hido )

Natural Light (Day) Inspiration (William Eggleston)

Pierre Putman

Pierre Putman is a Belgian Photographer who was born in 1974 and is based in Ghent, a city in Belgium which is a university town and a cultural hub, Putman is known for his film-like and dream-like images. His work mainly consists of shadows, and memorable imagery that gives off a strong feeling of isolation,emptiness and mysteriousness. Putman perfectly uses artificial light and high contrast settings/compositions to change isolated landscapes, empty streets and scattered lampposts into powerful, strong captures which tell a story. The photographs which Pierre Putman takes is usually capturing the eerie aspects of the night, with glowing lampposts and dark shadowed settings which plays a key role in making a mysterious and sombre atmosphere and feeling. Putman has a unique eye for photography, his photographs are quite unique and not many photographers can execute this style of photography as well as he can, Pierre Putman`s images could possibly appeal to more introverted people and people who have gone through struggles throughout their life, as the images he takes tells stories of isolation, mystery and quietness.

In my personal study, my photobook will consist of images both taken during the day and taken during the night, for my night photography photographs they will be heavily influenced by the work of Pierre Putman. Just like Pierre Putman does, my target with my project is to capture the mysteriousness of nighttime settings, settings where the shadowing and both the artificial and natural lighting creates isolated and dream-like atmospheres. I will also focus on the presence of things such as: lampposts, fog and minimalist settings which will help to acquire the theme of loneliness and mysteriousness I am trying to acheive.

Image Analysis

This image taken by Pierre Putman, is one of my favourite images of his. This photograph captures a setting during the night which is lit up by a warm glowing light from what looks like a lampost or a similar source of lighting. The light pokes through the trees surrounding the lampost, creating beams which hit the foggy/misty air. On both sides of the image there is greenery, bushes and grass which frames the image nicely, and also gives the image dark shadows on the outer part of the image contrasting to the brightly lit pathway in the centre of the composition. The path is almost not visible and this leads the viewers eye around the image and allows the viewer to engage deeper with the image. The main focus of the photograph is the artificial light, the way it pierces through the trees and the mist creating the light a soft flowing beam adding mystical aura to the composition. The strong contrast between the light and shadow creates a strong emotional impact, putting the viewer in a paticular mood or feeling.

The light is warm orange and yellow toned and this light dominates the image and is the focal point within the composition. The tone of the light almost looks like a light from heaven as its coming from above or the light coming from the sun however it is not, it is an artificial warm toned light, the warmth of the light makes image more inviting however it also makes it look eerie. A mix between comfort and mysteriousness.

This image above is a landscape image and looks like it has been taken on a tripod, or on a flat surface. The light source is slightly off center and is coming more from above and the main composition of the image is framed by the arching trees. The pathway in the center of the image works as a leading line, attracting the viewers sight into the distance and provoking curiosity about what is behind the beaming light. Overall the image has a dream-like element to it as well as a sense of comfort and mystery. The glowing light in the center of the composition could suggest safety, heaven, energy and the sun, all positive things. However, the dark shadows and mist give a feeling and sense of the unknown and mystery, The setting is quiet,deserted and dark which enhances the feeling of isolation and loneliness in this image.

William Eggleston

William Eggleston is an American photographer who was born in 1939 and drew attention as well as known for his colour photography in the 1970s. Eggleston`s first iconic exhibition was held at the Museum of Modern Art in 1976 which was titled “William Eggleston`s Guide”. This exhibition was one of the first huge exhibitions showing off colour photography in the creative community. Eggleston`s work was extremely influential as it challenged and was different to the traditional black and white (monochrome) images in the 1970s. William Eggleston is known for the way he goes about his photoshoots: Eggleston captures the beauty in anything, usual, everyday objects. For example, some of Eggleston`s images consist of a tricycle, a car or even a empty street which to anyone else seems like an ordinary setting/object however in his perspective each object is equally important and interesting and finds the connection with the usual objects and settings. There is a consistent theme shown throughout William Eggleston’s work which is the focus of landscapes, architecture, streets and the people in America, Eggleston’s photography also has a recurring theme of nostalgia and calmness, almost as if time had been frozen or slowed down, his captures show quietness and allows the viewer or audience to take in the image and focus on small details within the composition .In most of Eggleston`s images, you will find that his projects often highlight and have a strong use of artificial lighting, natural lighting and strong colour contrasts which is seen in the set of images below.

Eggleston`s use of colour is what he is mainly known for and is what is most effective in his images, many of his photographs are created using a process called The Dye Transfer Process. To create a dye transfer print, firstly the image is transferred to three different films, secondly the films get dipped into a dye bath consisting of these three colours: cyan, magenta and yellow. Once that is done then each film is hand pressed onto a specific type of paper. This technique creates a depth of colour that is cannot be created by any other print process.

Image Analysis

This image taken by William Eggleston, is one of my favourite photographs captured by Eggleston. This image consists of a natural setting, a small building by the road with a huge esso sign and a rusty car placed on the roof of the small building. Even though the setting is pretty basic and normal, Eggleston manages to create it a powerful image by making the audience/viewer to think about how things change over time. In my opinion the most interesting part of the image and the part which got my attention is the rusting car on top of the building. Cars usually are not on top of buildings and this being unusual immediately attracts the viewer and makes the viewer curious. The car being rusty gives the theme of decaying and abandonement and could also show that things which were once new in a nice setting can become leftovers of the past, the peeling paint on the building also adds to the theme of ageing and abandonment, which is seen consistently through William Eggleston`s work.

The image is also carefully framed, with the building creating horizontal and vertical lines as well as the wires and the “esso sign”. The esso sign being placed in the top left corner makes a sense of balance with the car on the roof which draws the viewers deeper into the Photograph. I think that William Eggleston`s focuses on every little detail, and every little detail that is seen in his work or images contribute to the story he is telling.

Another key aspect which is shown in this image is, Eggleston`s use of bright, vibrant colour. The vivid green building contrasts with the natural greenery of the grass, a difference between man-made and natural. The colour choices used in this image not only brings attention to the building but I think that it strongly highlights the car placed on top of the roof, as the car has the colours orange and brown contrasting with the fresh bright colours surrounding the building and the car. This is a strength of William Eggleston`s, as he is known for his powerful use of colour and transforming things we see every day into strong and visually appealing images which also tell a story.

Mind Map

For My Personal Study, called “Normal Becomes Abnormal,” I originally created this mind map above focusing on a variety of themes which I have a particular interest in, to get a overall idea of my project and to gather ideas. I chose to focus on Family & Background, Lost Jersey and Architecture & Street. Whilst diving into these themes, thinking about possible photoshoots and artists who I can take inspiration from, I realised that I have an interest in how lighting, specifically low lighting and the lighting given to us during the night can change our judgement of familiar areas and places. This Mind Map helped me solidify my overall plan and theme for this project.

The Mind map Below is more specific to my final personal study project concept. This mind map focuses on things such as: Night Photography, the dichotomy of day vs night, locations, image ideas and inspirations for this project. This Final Mind Map gives me a strong and detailed plan for my project.

Mood Board

This selection of images highlights the transformation of the nighttime low lighting. The images which are relatively low light, show eerie/mysterious deserted streets, artificial lights/lamposts and empty urban and rural settings. These photographs powerfully show the difference between day and night, creating feelings of loneliness, mystery and surreal. For my project I can use this mood board to take inspiration for images and replicate the images to then tell a story with these images through the layout of my photobook

In this Blog post I will be reviewing and reflecting old blog posts and projects to get inspiration for my personal study. I will dive into projects and photoshoots which I enjoyed and had some good final outcomes in as well as different photographers/artists whose work I like and therefore could be used as inspiration.

Landscape Photoshoots

The images above show a collection of my favourite photos from my landscape photoshoots. I really enjoyed the Landscape photoshoots as i thought the outcomes were very strong and i got to capture the beauty of nature through my lens. This work was inspired by Ansel Adams, his work emphasizes highlights, light, shadow and texture. In this photoshoot I aimed to bring similar depth and emotional impact to my images.

Anthropocene

Ideas

These Images captured by John Divola Zuma showcase the aftermath of people abandoning things (Human Abandonment,) making these images a strong reflection of Anthropocene. Divola taking images of decaying cars and vandalized spaces, highlights the humans last impact and the nature slowly coming back. I really liked these two images as they have a big emotional impact on the viewer and provokes the viewer to think about urban decay and their eco footprint.

My Response

These two images are photos which i thought turned out really well. My initial idea was to get images like John Divula zuma however in jersey there is not many decaying urban areas, even though jersey doesnt have many decaying areas, i still went out and found areas which almost replicated Divola`s images above. Overall I liked this photoshoot as I think the images are clearly inspired by John Divola Zuma and also have a strong emotional impact on the viewer.

St Malo – Street Photography

This set of images above is my favourite images from my St Malo trip, where i focused on capturing the culture of the town through street photography, I focused on people who live in st malo and have a different style. For this photoshoot i was inspired by Henri Cartier Bresson`s approach to photography, imitating the decisive moment which is where he captured spontaneous moments to reveal a real story. In St Malo my target was to document everyday life there, from the bustling streets to the quiet streets and interactions people have with others, all whilst highlighting the character of people. I think this photoshoot turned out really well, I also think that the editing technique with colour splash was very strong and made my images more effective.

Mirrors Photoshoot plan #1

For my photoshoot, I plan on focusing on the mirror element (John Szarkowksi) to dive into personal identity. The shoot will be staged (tableau photography,) it will be set in his own room, which is a space which reflects personality and his personal life. The photoshoot being set in his room, plays a huge role in telling a story of his personal life with objects and his surroundings giving clues about his life and emotions. With this photoshoot I aim to create images which feel intimate and close to the model, inviting the viewer to connect with the model on a deeper level

What Are The Differences Between Photographs That Are Windows And Mirrors?

Mirrors and windows, windows allow the viewer/audience into distant settings, experiences which the viewers have not yet experienced. Mirrors do the opposite and reflect personal identity and emotions. Both mirrors and windows represent two key aspects of life: Internal discovery, finding out about yourself and the other is exploring your surroundings. Every photograph, whether using a window to capture a outward experience or a mirror to get personal emotions, they both tell a story or message. Both windows and mirrors allow photographers to balance storytelling with expression of emotions and themselves.

Design Layout 1

In my first design layout for the zine, I appreciate the chronological order of the photographs as they display the order in which the images were taken, creating a smooth flow throughout the pages. However, I think that the placement and fitting of the images could be more interesting and bold because currently, the arrangement of the images are quite bland and does not catch the visual interest I am trying to create. Also, I am not happy with the title of my zine: “Jersey St Helier Harbours” as I feel that the title is too straightforward and does not actually express the feeling of the stories behind the photographs. Another thing I like in this layout of my zine is that there is a page simply with just writing, I think this was a good idea because it gives the viewer/reader a break from the visuals or images and gives them time to reflect on the images in the zine. I think that the balance between images and writing is important in a zine, as it allows the readers to engage properly and thoughtfully with the content. Additionally, it also lets me express my thoughts and give context behind the photographs that the images themselves cannot show. Overall, even though the layout has a good base, the design and arrangement of the photos can definitely be improved.

Design Layout 2

In my second design layout, I decided to keep the chronological order of the photos as I think that it clearly tells the story I wanted to share. In addition, I kept the one page dedicated to writing, which improves the readers connection to the images and allows the reader to understand some context behind the photographs. To differentiate this layout, I changed the arrangement and fitting of most images, for example, making some images full bleed, and including some smaller ones. The contrast with this arrangement adds an element of surprise and gives more visual interest towards my zine. I also think that my landscape photograph taking up a double page has a strong impact on my zine, giving the reader time to fully indulge in the setting/scene. Additionally, I have not changed the title yet, because I could not think of one that fits the zine perfectly. However, I plan to include a new title in Design Layout 3. Overall, I think that these changes and slight tweaks grant a more engaging and interesting layout to my zine.

Design Layout 3

This is my Final Design layout; I have included several needed improvements that strengthens the overall design and impact of my Zine. First, I updated the title from Jersey’s Harbour’s to Harbour Life, Jersey’s Maritime Moments, I think that this title is more expressive and fits with the theme of the content within my Zine. Also, I replaced the placeholder text on one of my pages with my own writing, giving context and my personal opinions engaging the reader more. So that the zine kept a professional appearance, I added a double page spread containing a landscape image of Albert pier during the night, keeping to the needed multiple of four pages. Another thing in this design layout different to others is that I changed the regular font to Britannic Bold for both my name and the title of my zine, making the bold red title a focal point. These changes have improved the aesthetic of my zine and also have evolved the storytelling aspect of my zine. Making the zine more engaging Overall.

For my final pieces in the Anthropocene / Landscape project project I used these images:

Overall I think that these final pieces came out pretty well. My idea for these pieces were for the images which looked similar to be placed next to each other or with each other to create a theme.

For this Anthropocene Photoshoot, I went around the parish of St Clement and I took I did some research and I really liked images taken By Camilo Jose Vergara so I took inspiration from him and tried to take photographs similar to his.

Anthropocene Photoshoot

I think this photoshoot could have been a lot better, however I did get some strong images. I think my images could’ve been taken with better composition and I could have focused more on the framing of the image.

Below are my final best images from this location and Photoshoot, I really like how the first two photographs turned out. I think they are both dramatic and very strong images.