This is my virtual gallery of my teenage stereotypes photoshoot. I selected 5 of my favourite images out of the whole shoot. I picked these images as i believe they have depth and meaning to them, and you can really tell a story through the picture. I wanted to show teenage stereotypes in different light through these pictures, showing positives and negatives. I wanted to share emotion through these images as well.
My final mock ups:
For my mock ups, I did the same layout as my mounted final images. I used photoshop, then imported the images on to the blank screen.
First, you open up photoshop and create a format, i used photoshop default.
Then you pick a background colour; i used black like my real life one.
After that you press create and a black screen pops up.
You then use the select tool to create boxes on your sheet, this allows the images to be imported to the sheet.
Next, you open up documents and get your file up. You select the picture you want then drag on to the sheet.
You can adjust the size and placement by using the select tool.
I put all the pictures in to a layout I wanted, again to match my final mounted images. I was then left with what’s presented.
Narrative: What is your story?
Describe in:
Reviewing teenage stereotypes.
A story line consisting of current teenage stereotypes.
A look in to teenage lives, thinking about the stereotypes made. Consists of bad habits, partying and normal life, like makeup, sleep and working out.
Design:
Consider the following
I want my book too look consistent by using a sequence within my imagery, and I want it to feel shiny.
I want a smaller square book as they are easier to handle, and will keep my pictures in tact.
My title is a short description of my book, giving as much detail as I can.
My book will have a structure which goes into the personality and meaning of each photo.
I want to have some smaller images and some images that are full bleed to create attention and effect to my favourite more effective photos.
I have edited my images to contain full texture with a filter over the top of all photos to create a sort of party and fun effect.
Mood Board.
Key words.
To be concerned with beauty. A set of principles underlying the work of a particular artist or artistic movement.
2. The cubist aesthetic
Cubism was a revolutionary new approach to representing reality invented in around 1907–08 by artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. They brought different views of subjects (usually objects or figures) together in the same picture, resulting in paintings that appear fragmented and abstracted.
3. Indexicality
Guide signs and symbols memory. In photography, indexicality refers to the direct relationship between the photographer, the photograph, and the subject. This concept emphasises that photographs are inherently linked to the physical reality they capture, serving as an imprint of the real world.
4. Formalism
Formalism describes the critical position that the most important aspect of a work of art is its form – the way it is made and its purely visual aspects – rather than its narrative content or its relationship to the visible world. Structure over content ,no emotion or context.
5. Representation
Ideas are depicted. To understand representation in photography is to understand how you are interconnected to the thing in which you photograph. It is to accept the responsibility for how you depict a particular subject. Understanding the deep impact images have in our society is the reason for teaching representation in any capacity.
For my photobook, i made it in lightroom classic. To make this, you go to the personal study folder, then select all using ctrl A. Go back into top collections, create collection inside of personal study, in a separate folder. Click book, then create. Drag in new images and create save book. Images are at the bottom can drop and drag them in, use zoom button and favourite different templates. Use right click too add pages.
I then played around wit the sizes of the photos on the book to see what i liked. I did this until i got the layout that suited me.
I colour coded all my images so that i could put them all in to one folder where all my best images were. All my green images were the ones i wanted to include in the book.
For my title. it took me a while to decide. I picked Captured and Misunderstood, as I wanted to emphasise that teenagers are NOT who they hang around with, nor what they do. I wanted to show how a lot of us are misunderstood all down to stereotypes of the wrong type of teenagers.
Evaluation.
I like the way my book turned out. The pictures were what i was going for and I like the way they are edited. I also really like my title as I believe it created meaning.
At the start no, but as I started gathering pictures it all became clear to me.
I have looked at Nick Haymes photographs, and decided I really liked his work. I tried to stick with his style of photography with a lot of texture making it look as realistic as possible.
Write a book specification and describe in detail what your book will be about in terms of narrative, concept and design with reference to the same elements of bookmaking as above.
Narrative: What is your story?
Describe in:
Design: Consider the following
i want my book to look intriguing. i want it to make people want to open it. Im not too bothered about hard/soft back. i want the size of my photobook to be 20×25. i want the Title to be ‘Captured And Misunderstood’, meaning teenagers are caught doing actions in the moment, and completely misunderstood and painted out in a wrong light. For the structure of my photobook, i tried being as brief as i can. I like being simple as i believe less can be more. For the design and layout, i put the pictures all different sizes on the paper to mix it up a bit, i laid it all out in a sort of story telling way. for e.g, i started off with one model, showing stereotypes by wearing makeup, addicted to the phone and bad habits. it then goes on to a party showing the rebellious most open and fun side of teenagers, then back to my model one representing stereotypes, again. I decided to add no text really as i didn’t want it, i thought it looked too much.
Girl Pictures – Justine Kurland
‘Justine Kurland’s take on the classic American tale of the runaway takes us on a wild ride of freedom, memorializing the fleeting moments of adolescence and its fearless protagonists.’ –Photographs by Justine Kurland
Book review by Emily Shapiro
The story communicates the idea of girlhood as complicated and powerful It resists stereotypical or overly idealized portrayals. Kurland’s work often reflects an exploration of female unity, rebellion, and the joy of friendship, with a focus on how young girls form their identities in environments that are sometimes isolated. Her images also evoke a sense of nostalgia, looking back at girlhood as a time of possibility, complexity, and unfiltered expression.
Overall, “Girl Pictures” challenges traditional notions of gender roles and the ways that femininity is portrayed in visual culture. It offers a more nuanced and empowering view of girls’ lives, showing them as active, complex individuals navigating their world on their own terms.
selected images
for this photoshoot, i focused on the slums of being a teen. I also wanted to contrast that with some minimal effort that teens can make, e.g. working out. I looked at phones, mess, laziness and bad habits.
Some final images
selected images
I wanted this shoot to kind of represent both, by showing teenagers do go out and enjoy themselves, as well as showing teenagers can be lazy, go on their phones a lot and the self obsession in the way they look.
Possible images
However, after looking at these images with the rest of my images, i decided i didn’t like them together. They didn’t correspond with the story i was trying to make. So, i didn’t use them.
selection
Brief overview- In this photoshoot I wanted to create an idea of teens fitting negative stereotypes, by showing in the pictures that they are partying/drinking etc.
possible images
In what way does Sian Davey and Nick Haymes explore teenage stereotypes through their work?
Introduction
I am studying teenage stereotypes. I chose to study this topic as challenging teenage stereotypes is key as it promotes individuality and expressing yourself, reduces harmful representations, and encourages personal development. When these stereotypes are challenged, teenagers are given the freedom to express themselves without being restricted by unrealistic expectations, allowing them to explore themselves without judgement. These stereotypes often portray teens as rebellious, lazy, or overly dramatic. This can negatively affect their self-esteem and mental health if overthought.
By shutting down these negative concepts, society creates an environment that recognises the abilities of young people, encouraging them to develop in a responsible and confident way. Additionally, challenging stereotypes helps build more respectful relationships between generations, as adults are encouraged and known to see teenagers as complicated but however, are very capable individuals. Inclusivity is shown by acknowledging the diversity of teen experiences. This may vary based on culture and background. It ensures that all teens are given equal opportunities to succeed.
To support my findings in this topic, I researched and looked in to the artists Nick Haymes and Sian Davey. Nick Haymes is a visual artist and photographer born in Stratford Upon Avon (UK), living and working in Los Angeles. Haymes studied fine art, but dropped out in his second year. When using a fake ID under a friend’s name, he in due course studied photography at SVA and ICP. In 2010 Haymes started Little Big Man books and gallery. Davey is a photographer with a background in fine art and social policy, who worked for fifteen years as a humanist Buddhist psychotherapist. She was born in Brighton, United Kingdom, 1964. She is based in Devon, United Kingdom. I will be responding to their work through a photobook. I’ll use these artists as references; explore and recreate their ideas and themes in my own way. I’ll use them as inspiration, analyse their images and find relationships between teenage stereotypes and their work.
Both artists use photography to explore identity, emotion, and the lives of teenagers, challenging stereotypical representations often found in media and culture. Their work draws on themes of emotional depth and personal growth, moving beyond the typical portrayal of teenagers as rebellious.
I intend to respond to Nick Haymes and Sian Daveys work by exploring the styles of their pictures and focus on subjects they focus on. To respond to teenage stereotypes, I want to focus on both sides of these stereotypes. I want to capture moments where teens are fitting these stereotypes, and also rejecting them by showing teens don’t have to fit these stereotypes. I am aware there are many teenagers who are do fit the accusations made, however, many teenagers are different, and don’t fit these stereotypes but are still put in a class where people think we are all the same.
Youth Subcultures
The cultural studies approach, particularly through theorists like Stuart Hall and Dick Hebdige, examines youth subcultures as expressions of resistance. These subcultures, from punk to hip-hop to goth, offer a critique of mainstream society. Teenage subcultures are often stereotyped in the media as rebellious or deviant, yet they also represent forms of resistance to cultural norms, through music, fashion, and language. These representations in photography and art show teenagers navigating tensions between individuality and conformity.
Resistance and Identity Formation: The idea of resistance is central to understanding teenage stereotypes in visual culture. Teens are often depicted as resisting adult authority, whether through the rebellious “bad boy” stereotype or the angsty, misunderstood “teenager” trope. Visual culture often frames them in opposition to adult norms, whether through their style (e.g., punk fashion, goth makeup) or their behaviour (e.g., defiance or disengagement).
‘Identity is never singular but is multiply constructed across intersecting and antagonistic discourses, practices and positions.’ – Stuart Hall
I agree with this statement made by Stuart Hall, as your identity is built with not only yourself, but your surroundings too. I do believe that negative, as well as positive, experiences create what kind of person you become. The people you surround yourself with play a major role in who you are today.
Hegemony: The theory of cultural hegemony, as developed by Antonio Gramsci, is helpful in understanding how dominant ideologies shape and control the representation of teenagers. Stereotypical depictions of teens in visual culture often reflect the values and interests of the adult-dominated culture, reinforcing ideas about how teenagers should behave, what they should desire, and who they are supposed to be.
Before puberty the child’s personality has not yet formed and it is easier to guide its life and make it acquire specific habits of order, discipline, and work. – Antonio Gramsci
I agree with this statement Antonio Gramsci has made as, when you are young, decisions are made for you, there is no feeling of self inflicted power. Adults are more able to control the youths life when young and not as capable.
Sian Davey
Sian Davey’s intimate, quiet portraits emphasise vulnerability and the complexity of teenage identity. This approach can be seen as a response to movements in art like Feminism and Humanism which have encouraged a more significant view of personal and social identity, rejecting simplified views of gender, age, and social roles. Davey’s work challenges the stereotypical representation of teens in what adults would call a ‘crisis’, instead focusing on their inner worlds and the importance of growing up. This reflects an understanding of identity that rejects ‘one-size-fits-all’ narratives. Sian Davey had spent years developing a project called ‘Looking For Alice’. This was a documentary photo project about her youngest daughter, who was born with Down’s Syndrome. It won many awards, bringing issues of social policy into the spotlight. She presumed her other children were relieved not to have the camera always on them. In reality, her 16-year-old daughter Martha felt a little left out. That opened the door to another project; one where Davey shifted from parent to photographer. She got to experience what most teenagers keep secret.
My own images:
Nick Haymes
My inspiration for using Nick Haymes as my artist reference was his project “The Last Survivor is the First Suspect”. It is a project captured between 2005 and 2009 by photographer Nick Haymes. It is a record of a drifting community of young friends based mainly between two geographic points; Southern California and Tulsa, Oklahoma. The book’s narrative merges a sense of joy in documenting friendships and bonds, and also a sense of dread that would ultimately peak in a series of tragedies. Living in New York since 2000, Haymes has worked over the last 7 years with some of the most important magazines worldwide: i-D, Dazed And Confused, Index, The Face, Vogue, TeenVogue, Another Magazine, Arena, Capricious and the Journal to name a few. Through these networks he has gained access to a whole scene of diverse worlds and tribes, which then brought Nick’s personal work closer to a particular atmosphere, made of family members, friends, and their inner sceneries. His work captured my eye and I wanted to create work that was similar to his. I like the way he presents his images and captures all the aspects of teenage life.
Conclusion
Similarities: Both artists show the depths of teenage stereotypes. Both Davey and Haymes focus their photography on personal subjects that are close to them, whether that’s family, relationships, or their own worlds. Davey’s work explores themes of motherhood and looking at identity, while Haymes has been known to document the intimacy and complications of his own life. They both present raw, unfiltered emotions and connections that are portrayed through their subjects expressions and in the environments they use. They look and focus on real life settings, so making sure nothing is staged and presenting their work to reflect their topic on teenagers. In relation to my own work, I also took pictures of people who are close to me, my friends. I didn’t use any strangers in my photoshoots. I also used raw, unfiltered images so nothing was set up in my photos. I wanted my project to be natural and not set up, just like most of their photos were.
Differences: Sian Davey’s work is often looking at themes of motherhood, family, and identity. She particularly explores the emotional and psychological experiences of raising children. Nick Haymes’ on the other hand, is often looking at the complications of relationships and youth. His work tends to often convey a sense of emotional uncertainty and the search for feeling like you belong. Their differences are in the tone, style, and range of their projects, with Davey focusing on intimate portraiture, and Haymes exploring emotional landscapes with a more conceptual and environmental lens. In relation to my own work, I feel like I relate to Nick Haymes more. I explored the themes of emotional uncertainty and wanted my photos to create a story of what teenagers are made out to be and look like. I wanted to capture these complications.
Bibliography
teenlife.ngohttps://teenlife.ngo › challenging-teenage-stereotypes
https://www.shashasha.co/en/book/the-last-survivor-is-the-first-suspect
https://photoworks.org.uk/ideas-series-interview-sian-davey
https://www.huckmag.com/article/teenage-life-sian-davey-martha-photography
Rosler, Martha (1981) ‘In, around, and afterthoughts (on documentary photography)’ in Stallabras Julian (2013) Documentary. Cambridge (MA): The MIT Press.
Wells L. (1998). ‘Thinking about Photography’ in Photography: A Critical Introduction. London: Routledge.
Wells L. (1998). ‘The Photograph as Document’ in Photography: A Critical Introduction. London: Routledge.