To start with my photobook, I moved around the images, placing them next to others or alone to figure out where they would best be presented. While doing this, I also evaluated each image, deciding whether or not it would make the final cut, removing some images or replacing them with better versions, as well as adding in completely new photographs that I hadn’t been sure on.

I also moved them around and experimented with different orders to present the photographs. This was the harder part as the images are from photoshoots with different scenarios. However, once I figured how to arrange them synonymously, I was able to position the images well within the book. I believe that the final way the photographs are ordered works well with the narrative and aesthetics of the entire book.

Finally, I went back through the images, changing the placement of how they were displayed on the page. I used a variety of positionings such as in the middle with a border, across the whole page, or a double page spread. This allows for a change in the book, avoiding too much repetition too often.

Final Layout:

Overall, I think my photobook turned out well. I was able to present my photographs as I had hoped to, with the images in such an order that the narrative is portrayed effectively. I believe the final images that I chose to use in the photobook work really well together and I think that they are good photographs. I also really like how the black and white theme turned out, I think that all of the photographs being black and white makes the aesthetics better than if I had a mix. If I were to do this project again, I would take photographs of other friends and family close to me, allowing myself to illustrate different lives and aspects of life to what is already shown.

Some final images:

Narrative: What is your story?

In 3 words:

Life, memories, moments

In a sentence:

This photobook is a glimpse inside the life of another.

In a paragraph:

The narrative of this photobook, is to show a small segment of the lives of the people close to me. My aim is to portray the differences in the way every person lives their life uniquely from one another. Although this photobook only reflects particular moments, when observing the images, you are looking into a part of my life, and more specifically my friends and family’s who are in the images. This could be considered as ‘mirror’ images as they are reflecting myself and that is the main idea.

Design:

My photobook will use matte photopaper to make my images look classy and for a more subdued feel. I will be making a standard landscape photobook (25 x 20cm). I am going to use a hardcover image wrap for my book.

The title of my book is ‘3:38’, I have decided on this title as there are no words to describe what is inside of the book and I think it makes it more intriguing.

When designing this book, I carefully picked which images would sit well next to one another. I decided on whether the photographs fit well into the story together, whether they shared some similarities, if the people in the photographs differentiated etc. to come to the final sequence of images.

Once I had the order of my photographs in place, I then altered the presentation of each image. I have displayed some images across the whole singular page, some in the middle with the page bordering them, and some across a whole double page spread. I used a variety of ways to show my images to avoid repetition, and to reflect on how each page was a different part of the story.

Selection of images

Firstly, before I even began opening the book I selected the 41 final images which could possibly be used in my book and put them into a collection of its own. This collection consists of images from Both night and day, ready to be put into my photobook to show the contrast between the day and the night. Before even opening up the book tab I had another quick review of the images and most of them will be incorporated in the book however some might not. The collection of the 41 photos are displayed below.

Book Specification

Initial Book Construction

Front Cover:

Firstly, this is the image I have decided to put as the cover I chose this image to be the cover of my book because this photograph is extremely thought provoking and displays a part of my projects theme clearly. To make this landscape image the front cover I had to zoom the image in 11%, meaning that I lost some parts of the image. Even though some areas of the image are not shown in the front cover, I do not think this is a big deal as I framed the image perfectly where the Interesting part of the image was shown, and the parts cut were little details which do not add too much to the image. The combination of the fog and the bright glow coming from the lampposts creates brings out the feeling of mystery. The emptiness shown in the photograph links back to the solitude which the night brings. This cover fits perfectly with the purpose of my photobook of how a normal setting can become abnormal, the focus of my project. This image stands out and therefore invites the viewer to pick up and look through my book. 

Title Of Photobook:

My Title for my project has always been “Normal Becomes Abnormal”. I chose this title at the very beginning of the project, this title was chosen due to the way it blends with the intention behind the images and the images themselves. My projects theme is to show the contrast between the day and night showing the elements presented during the day, under the sunlight and showing the contrary elements which are presented in the night, under low light.

This above is the chosen front cover of my photobook and the next step to finalize, or proceed with the photobook is to add the title of my project: “Normal Becomes Abnormal”. I already had an idea in mind on what font I was going to use for this title, The font is called Playfair Display. This font stood out to me out of any other font because it has both thick and thin strokes which creates a dramatic look and matches the look of the book.

Once I decided what font I was going to use for the title of my front cover, the next step was to choose a colour for the title. I started off with experimenting with most colours seeing which ones I thought worked with the book and which ones did not, I narrowed my choices down to two colours Muted Yellow and Cool Grey. I first experimented with the muted yellow, finding the perfect shade of yellow on google then using the muted yellow hex to apply it to my title. I found that muted yellow worked well with the front cover because my cover displays a dark misty night setting and the muted yellow gives me enough contrast to make the title stand out. I chose muted yellow over any other yellow because this Muted yellow stood out in front of the dark tones of my image without being too bright or clashing with my cover. Below is What my title looks with the Playfair Display font and the muted yellow colour.

Once I had experimented with using the muted yellow colour on my title, I then tested out a cool grey on the title, however this colour did not work well on my front cover. The grey did not stand out when placed on top of my cover, because the photo on the cover is mainly dark toned and the grey on the cover just blended in with the rest of the image, making the title not stand out. Below shows what my title looks like in cool grey, in the screenshot it looks good however when put together with the whole image, it just does not work.

Title Placement Experimentation:

As you can see in the screenshots above, I experimented with the placement of the title. I tried placing the title of my book on various different areas of the cover. After having tried every area I could, I found that when the title is located in the corners of the cover, where there is some empty space, it looks more minimalistic and professional. Above show the four title locations I narrowed it down to, My favourite two out of these four are the two displayed below.

I find that these two covers work the best out of the four, the title being placed on the right side of the cover works nicely as the bottom and top corners of the right hand side are quite empty and do not show any detail, making these the perfect places for my title to be so I lose as little important content as possible. These two are also very minimalistic which I like and was one of my targets for this photobook.

Final Front Cover Chosen:

This above is my final front cover I have chosen for my photobook. I have decided to include the muted yellow title “Normal Becomes Abnormal” placed in the bottom right corner of the cover image and the font used is Playfair Display. I chose this design as my final one as it looks professional, tells a story, minimalistic and is eye catching, making it a strong front cover for my book. The muted yellow colour on the font works perfectly with the cover image, duplicating the same tones as the streetlights and it gives a slight contrast making the title stand out, drawing attention to my photobook.

Inner Pages Of Photobook

Sequence Experimentation 1:

To start off the internal pages of my book, I started off with a quick draft putting the night time images at the front of my book and the daytime photos towards the end of the book, contrasting the sequence of the ordinary day. I do not think that this sequence is good enough to be my final sequence as it just does not make sense and is quite confusing. Below is a screenshot of my first experimentation with structuring and sequencing the inner pages.

Sequence Experimentation 2:

Below is my second experimentation with sequencing, differently to my first sequence I started off the book with photos during the day and then the end of the book consisting of the night time / low light images. I think this sequence works better than the first one, following the cycle or the day, this structure allows the viewer to experience the shift from day to night, going from familiarity and clarity to mystery and isolation.

Sequence Experimentation 3:

Below is my third experimentation with the sequencing, this is my favourite format of sequencing out of the three drafts. This structure shows a photo taken during the day, then a photo taken during the night showcasing each one side by side, making the difference between the day and night easier to understand and view. This sequencing also works very well because I have a handful of images which are taken in the same location at different times, by placing two photos taken in the same location next to each other, I can really display how the day and night contrast with each other. This will be the sequencing I use for my final photobook.

Image Framing:

As you can see in the screenshot above, I have decided to make each of the photos have a border around them, I did this on every page to create a sense of balance and keep my photobook consistent.

Page Colour:

I did not like the white background on all the inner pages because I think that the white pages do not work well with the overall mood of the images, therefore I changed it to a darker tone, a dark grey. This slight change in the book makes a big difference, making the book more appealing to look at and the paper blends with the night time / low light photographs. This small change helps put the whole book together, making the presentation of my book more detailed and efficient.

Back Cover:

For the back cover I have decided to keep it simple and leave it blank, apart from my name. I have done this to keep the minimalistic approach I have kept throughout my entire photobook. By not adding a photo on the back cover, it allows the viewer to only focus on the front cover and the photography itself. The minimalist approach also adds to the sense of mystery which I portray through my photographs taken during the night, reinsuring the aspect of mysteriousness, making my book look more professional and neat.

Final Evaluation Of My Photobook

My photobook, “Normal Becomes Abnormal”, focuses on different areas and settings change between day and night, highlighting how the time of day and atmosphere can create a difference in emotions. My main aim was to capture how normal environments that we live and see every day become mysterious under different times of day and light. The book was mainly inspired by William Eggleston and Todd Hido however i also took inspiration from a belgian photographer who goes by the name of Pierre Putman. Overall I am happy with how the photobook turned out in the end. I think the book successfully showcases the beauty of locations changing depending on their atmosphere and the emotional impact that it can create. This whole process has been great to do and helps me see what it is like to develop and create a photobook, this experience can be reflected on and any mistakes or errors done in this book can be used to improve any future project I do. Personally, I believe that this photobook could possibly be seen as quite random and confusing. The book could be viewed like this because of the use of the same locations next to each other and others being two completely different locations placed next to each other.

Final Photobook:

Preparation stages-

Firstly, I began by choosing my preferred images by flagging them, rating them and putting them in colour co-ordination. This was difficult as I had to pick out a perfect amount of images, out of 4 photoshoots to decrease risks or complications. This benefited my photobook as it helped my time-efficiency due to organisation. After I did this, I put all my images into a collection set under photobook to ensure this organisation so I did not make an error.

Design prep and layout-

Front and back cover analysis of why

This image was my preferred first image as it included all the key features of what society expected of women, causing stereotypes throughout the timeline of feminist movements and waves. I chose this to be my first image, as it tells viewers what to expect as soon as the book has been opened and keeping it clear and simple.

The connection between man and car is far more special than what the eye can see, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. When one is in control of a car, there exists a greater bond between the two, where the car’s built purpose is in action, and the driver instinctively manoeuvres the car, sometimes perfectly balancing the thin line of the car’s limitations. This connection is not just a physical connection, but an innate response to the forces that the car’s mechanical functions impose. Whether you are a regular driver on the road, or a rally driver with a performance-optimised car, it is this innate response that ultimately determines every movement the car makes. This is arguably one of the most important aspects of the relationship that a driver develops with their car, and it is from here that the relationship cultivates. It is here, where the car becomes animate and feels alive, where a driver becomes enwrapped and connected with a car, that the car’s soul is found. This is something that people who are not interested in cars do not understand. A quote by Jeremy Clarkson sums this up perfectly, “It’s what non-car people don’t get. They see all cars as just a ton and a half, two tons of wires, glass, metal, and rubber, and that’s all they see. People like you or I know we have an unshakable belief that cars are living entities… You can develop a relationship with a car and that’s what non-car people don’t get…”. In this essay, I want to explore the many ways one can develop a relationship with a car, and how this relationship, from extreme to simple, is directly reflected in the car’s soul. To demonstrate this photographically, I will first analyse the infamous rally photographer Maurice Selden, and show how his photographs visibly express the souls of the rally cars he captured.

This is a perfect example of how Maurice Selden was able to capture the true essence of the velocity and intensity of rallying in a single photo. This photo is actually one of his personal favourites, as stated in an interview with RallySport Magazine, and it evidently expresses the trust that Ari Vatanen had in his car. In 1976, Maurice Selden was just starting out his long and prolific career as a rally photographer, and was luckily sent to the Granite City Rally where he captured this photo of Ari Vatanen in his brand new Mk2 Ford Escort. “It was a standard joke among photographers that if Ari was the next car we should take a couple of steps back, as he always appeared faster and used more of the road than other drivers. Just from the sound of his engine, I could tell that he was much faster than the previous cars”. Ari entered the right-hand turn much faster than expected, and had to turn in quickly and swing the rear out, then steer in the opposite direction and use the power of the rear wheels to push through the corner, battling with the steering and throttle to stay on the dirt track using whatever finite amount of grip he could find with the front wheels. During this intense bout of focus, Maurice Selden was stood on the inside of the corner a couple steps away from the road, and had set up his camera flash to compensate for the lack of daylight. Once Ari Vatanen instantly barrelled through the corner, Selden followed him with his camera and took a number of burst photos in rapid succession. This specific photo truly captures the raw essence of rallying; the motion blur combined with the scattering dust captures the driver’s dedication to speed, and his calm and focused facial expression combined with the wheel angle shows he has a massive amount of trust in his car. It clearly demonstrates the instinctive connection that rally drivers have with their cars: he simply looks at where he needs to go and subconsciously understands exactly what inputs the car needs in order to get there. And fundamentally, in rallying it is this level of understanding, trust and dedication from the driver that ultimately determines how much soul the car has. In this photo, the soul of the car is outstandingly striking; the face of the Ford Escort shines gleamingly in focus, illuminated by the quick flash of the camera, and the car looks so balanced and controlled even while being pushed so close to its limits. It is so clearly evident to me that, in this photo, Maurice Selden captures not only the car at its most extreme point, but also the relationship between the car and its driver that enables this ability to balance on the car’s thin line of limitation.

However, this relationship is very different to the majority of car owners who just use their cars for safe transport. These cars are not built to maximise speed or agility, rather they have been built for functionality and practicality. This is where these relationships evidently differ, a daily driver simply doesn’t have to drive on the edge of the car’s capability, and therefore these drivers will build a more personal relationship with their cars, one that involves more emotional connections (memories, family, places the car has been, etc.). It is these connections that ultimately create this relationship, I’m sure you can nostalgically remember a family car or a classic rust bucket that your father never quite finished working on. But there are so many ways that a person can develop a relationship with a car that I simply cannot express every view. A car can go through so many owners throughout its life, it is immeasurable how many memories the car has created. However, there is one way I can truly express my perspective, and that is to present to you my own car, the Ferrariesta.

The Ferrariesta is a 2004 2-door Mk6 Ford Fiesta ‘Finesse’. It has a 1.25L Duratec which makes no power at all, and a leaky sunroof which drips water onto the passenger seat every time it rains. The name ‘Ferrariesta’ originated from when my brother owned it before me, simply because of its formula red paint job, although we have no idea who actually came up with the name. However, since then the Ferrariesta has become somewhat of an icon to me; it is my first car, my first access to the freedom of the open road, and the perfect car to fit coilovers and wheel spacers onto. Since my ownership, this car has transformed into a timeless hatchback that will probably break down and be scrapped within the next 20 years. But through all of its imperfections, to me, the Ferrariesta is perfect; the value of this car is immeasurable.

Overall, the point is this; every driver develops a different relationship with their car. Some are much less considerate about damaging their car, others develop a very personal relationship with their car, but in general, every driver has the appreciation for the freedom that their car provides them. Every driver appreciates these beauties of mechanical defiance that will take them anywhere in the world, without complaining, and there is no better way to portray this than to show you Helge Skodvin’s study of urban Volvo 240s, a car that will never back down, in the harsh environment of Norway that it was designed to thrive in.

240 Landscapes is a simple photobook created by Helge Skodvin, which is made up of Volvo 240s in various different landscapes in Norway. In each image, a different 240 is presented, and the viewer is left to question what each 240 represents when its environment is factored in. In this photo, the 240 is meant to represent a family car, it brings a sense of nostalgia and memory, something I’m sure you can relate to when recalling a family car and the roadtrips you may have taken in it. The souls of these 240s become so clearly evident when put in conjunction with their environments; some live in harsh, mountainous conditions, others live in peaceful cities or multi-story car parks.

But the point of the book is understanding this: the Volvo 240 was designed to be the safest and most reliable car in the market, every Volvo was designed to suit the needs of the driver. And subsequently, since every 240 was designed to live forever, a lot of 240s are still driving today nearly 40 years after they were manufactured, including all of the Volvo 240s in 240 Landscapes. Each of these Volvos has lived long lives, each with their own imperfections and modifications, and the lives they’ve lived is ultimately dependent on the environment that both the 240 and its owner live in.

CONCLUSION

Bibliography

Jeremy Clarkson (2009). – Interview from “Love the Beast” (released March 12, 2009), a documentary made by Eric Bana and Pickup Truck Pictures (production)

Peter Whitten (2018). – Interview for RallySport Magazine – https://rallysportmag.com/maurice-seldens-top-10-rally-photographs190318/

Helge Skodvin (2015). – 240 Landscapes (photobook) – https://helgeskodvin.no/240-landscapes

Process

I started off my photobook layout by adding all my best images in so that I could see them all in order to start sorting their positions.

After that, I had started to arrange images where I would like them and what I would like them near. These are the arrangements for my older building images. This arrangement does not include the layout of each individual page.

I have then added some images between which present both old and new styles of Architecture to create a link between the two.

I then paired images of modern buildings which I think go well together. During this process, I eliminated a lot of photographs.

After sorting through the images, I made a start with the layout of each individual page.

I then added the front and back covers. I showed step by step how I created the front cover on my further experimentation blog post. Furthermore, I chose this specific photo as the back cover as I think it sums up the book quite well due to the combination of new and old architectural styles.

These are the first two pages of images when you open the book. I started with these because I like how they have both been taken at the same angle and they are commercial buildings with a historical architectural style.

These are my next pages. I wanted to show more commercial buildings in the same are.

I then moved on to residential buildings, focusing in on the details for the next 4 pages.

For these two images, I wanted to show two different old architectural styles.

For these two pages, I presented the same building but from different perspectives and different parts of the building.

These two images are both of buildings split into two. The first one is two buildings which are connected and the second is two houses which have different shape doors.

I presented these images together as they are both zooming in on the details.

I wanted to then transition to modern buildings by presenting images of old and new buildings together.

These are my the first images of modern buildings. I showed them together as I think they are quite similar images.

These next images I have put together as they are both of balconies.

I presented these next two images together as I was able to connect them with the lines of the buildings.

These images are similar because they both are of shapes, the first is circular and the second is triangular.

I really like these pages as the images both contain curves.

For these pages, I presented these images together as they both have square windows and are similar to my artist reference.

For these images, I presented them together as they both have similar perspective.

These images I put together as I think they look similar and both were taken at similar angles.

For this next page, I presented these images together as they both have the same triangular points.

This is my last page. I made it a double page spread of this photo because it is a landscape image and it displays a reflection in the glass of one building of the one adjacent to it. I finished off with this image because I personally really like it and it displays modern buildings which is current, therefore, I went from some of Jersey’s older buildings at the beginning of the photo book to one of the newest/most recently built.

FINAL PRINTS: 

Select a set of 5-6 photographs as final outcomes and evaluate

The reason I have chosen this image is because of its technical composition, I like how I have used the flash for my lighting which create a glare on their eyes and adds more depth to there outfits, creating brighter blues and darker blacks etc. This creates a exposed glare, adding a sense of realism to my image. By using a zoomed in lens I have focused on my subjects, the camera that I was using was actually broken and didn’t have automatic focus hence the aspect of unfocusedness, but I think that this adds to the image creating a sense of mystery. I think my image is a bit over exposed allowing my subjects to have brighter skin, which I think looks good with the blue background I have created using photoshop. This image has a clear tonal range of dimmer colours, deep blues and blacks. Creating a dark colour temperature. My image is textured through the use of the ruffled jacket and the gloss on there hair. I think that I have created a 3D form and repetition with both the boys smoking, by both doing the same thing they work well together in the image.Creating a smooth composition. Using the rule of thirds by centering my image, having the main subjects in the middle and the outer parts of them on the two outsides. The eye contact within this image can create a deeper conceptual meaning. By creating eye contact while smoking and drinking we can read through there eyes that they are not doing this in a negative way to escape their emotions but more socially to have fun. This creates a contextual meaning that the two are friends, so I overall think that this image can be easily read.

I have chosen this image as I wanted to progress the storyline of my final prints, focusing on this boys life and what he does to make it enjoyable. I have used daylight and the flash of the camera but the shine of the torch creates a sort of glare spot which adds to the imagery contrasting the bright whiteness against the darker colours. I didn’t have much control over the levels of the lighting but I think that I have clearly manipulated it through the use of editing. My image has a cooler tonal range, portraying how what he is doing is more clean and sterile as he needs to focus. I have used visual elements by having him in the background and the tools that he is using in the foreground, to create the ideology that he is not the main focus in this image but it is more what he is doing. What he is doing really adds context to his story line and this can also be read through how dirty his hands are and by the struggle in his face. The conceptual thought behind this can be read in two ways, wondering if he is actually enjoying this or it is a task that he needs to do, my other images around this one will provide the evidence needed to conclude that he is actually enjoying himself.

This image is going to be one of my breakthrough images. Using the lighting as bright creating a positive connotation around my other images. I have used a wide landscape lense to add to the foreground and background, having the reflection of the sun in the water may add a conceptual analysis and texture. This will make people think more about how we miss the beautiful things because we are so obsessed with ourselves. This image is very 3 dimensional, the texture of the clouds and the stillness of the water creates a sense of calm, adding context to my image to provide the evidence that I want to create a positive board.

This is going to be another one of my break through images but with a cooler tone. I wanted to add something with a darker composition and more focus on the background rather than the foreground to allow the viewer too breath. By adding something that is easier on the brain it will make them think more conceptually about this image and more contextually about the others, trying to use the other to build up a storyline but using this one to build up a conceptuality, creating an essence.

I have added this image to add onto the contextual meaning of my board. This image is up close and personal, using texture on his face and 3d elements to feel that connection. By adding a up close image it breaks up all the other story lines, delving deeper into him. I have used background light to reflect on his face and bold colours around him to make his skin tone pop. All my images will cross over onto each other, but I wanted this one to stand out a bit more, allowing for a more waved pattern rather than simple repetition.

I have used this image to break up from the drinking and smoking. By adding something more childlike and nostalgic it will add context and a conceptual meaning about how there are always multiple sides to people. The motion in the image allows for texture and the use of two people allows for action. I have used photoshop to edit the background to make it a bit cooler rather than fully grey as I wanted this image to have the golden connotations of nostalgia. My image is a bit grainy but that adds to the old-style I was trying to replicate. Using harmony between the shades of the wall and the golden shades of the sky but contrasting with the bolder colours of their clothes.

I wanted this image to stick with the golden style but be a bit brighter. I have still kept this landscape as a breakthrough but I wanted to add the car to the image to create a harmony between all of the elements. To explain the conceptual meaning that we can still have fun while observing the world around us, we don’t always need to just focus on ourselves and what we are doing and we can always branch out and take in other things as well. This bring deeper value to my imagery, adding a key narrative. This creates a depth of background, with the borght colours of the natural sky even coming through the car windows it show how everything can actually flow together.

This image will add a deeper personal connection through all of my images, I wanted to keep the use of eye contact but add a smile to show how when he is in his car he is happy. Providing proof that working on the car does make him happy. I have used Photoshop to edit this background to keep to the golden colours of all my images allowing a simple harmony between all of them. I took this photo in daylight to not have a glare on the mirror through the use of the flash.

I have used this image to add to the conceptual analysis of how the car is a safe space. By the use of natural lighting I think it goes well with the happy aesthetic of my images. Using a zoomed in lens to tell a story about the two characters. The fluorescent lighting manipulates the car’s interior lights creating a very apparent contrast between the two.

This black and white portrait captures a teenage boy who’s face may carry a look of determination, confidence, or introspection, depending on the moment captured. The skate park behind him , becomes an extension of his identity adding further context, subtly reinforcing themes of freedom, rebellion, or solitude. Compositionally, the use of leading lines, shallow depth of field, or high contrast lighting can enhance the impact of the portrait. The softer, diffused light of the flash creates a more introspective mood. The black and white format intensifies the rawness of the image, making every detail—from facial expressions to textures—more pronounced.

Photobook – Kanelsoldaten:

Evaluative analysis

Overall I think my personal study was successful in creating my plan to portray the truths of reality and war through photography. By being able to show links to my influence from both my artists I find my images appeal to both aesthetics. Due to the difficult process of image taking such as with the props, locations, weather and timing in addition to the editing process of detail correction in Lightroom and the positioning and creating the images through photoshop I found it was hard to create all the images I wanted in the time that I had. Another issue was the lack of equipment to portray the soldiers as accurately as I wanted.

Despite these set backs however I believe I was able to create a diverse array of images and locational settings that fitted around my target location of La Corbiere. With accuracy as my focus I aimed to include cross-comparing elements such as referencing through my images to the text I included. With the text being a poem, written by a German Soldier stationed at La Corbiere, it mentions the seas surrounding Corbiere, through some of my images I aimed to include photographs of the sea to make reference to this.

Photobook: Story & narrative

With the Images I produced including archival photographs, I positioned these together with my recreations/interpretations to create the narrative of their relation. With Landscape shots as separator’s, this was to tie in the location of the narrative and bring emphasise to the images local setting. With the photographs including cloned versions of myself, in interoperated scenarios, the aim of these images by themselves was to create the immersion into their own stories

Photobook: Layout and Design

Using a variety of designs within my photobook layout, the aim was to create a well balanced composition where images used together would work well together or contrast in an aesthetically pleasing way.

With archive images being an important tool to show my influence in the recreated photographs, it was important to me to position them together.

With the design, I also positioned the images to merge in colour or create contrasts through various appearances, this can be seen where images lower in saturation or are placed on separate pages of black and white to then coloured photographs.

(Lowering of saturation)

(Colour contrasts)

For my final photo book, I am using Lightroom Classic to design it.

This was my first original layout, where I had initially placed around 50 images into it to start off my photo book. Although, I quickly realised that 50 images was too many as they were taking up 100 pages of a book. I wanted my book to only be around 30-40 pages long, so it stays consistent throughout but with a variety of interesting images from each shoot. Therefore I removed many of my images that were perhaps too similar to another one or just didn’t stand out to me as much, and I was left with 35 pages. This was a rough plan for which images I wanted to include, however I soon decided that I wanted to make my layout more unique, and have specific images standing out from the rest of the book.

I also switched my book layout from standard landscape to standard portrait, as I felt that it fits my images better due to them mostly being portraits. This way, my big landscape images would also be emphasised too.

When choosing displays, my main choice was the one with two photos, I chose this because if I included any more then the images may clash with each other, and it would be too distracting from the other pages. I wanted each and every image to stand out individually to be able to tell my story, and I did not want any images discarding another one.

I then began experimenting with different layouts for each double page of my book, choosing a range of displays and also choosing which images work best on a page together. During this experimentation, I also chose my best landscape images to include on a double page spread individually. This way, my photo book will look more appealing and have unique elements within it to draw the viewers attention to specific images without subtracting from another.

My front and back cover:

I chose these two images for my front and back cover because I feel they represent my subject matter best. The front cover image on the left clearly takes inspiration from Justine Kurland, and as she was my main artist focus, I wanted to incorporate her ideas and apply my own approaches. By looking at the front cover, the viewer immediately gathers a sense of freedom and escape, which is what I wanted to achieve as this links to the femininity and youth themes of my project. The back cover image was inspired by Ramona Wang, another artist I looked at in depth and wanted to focus on for this project. The image displays traditional expectations of women, and this will work effectively with the title of my book as I am wanting to challenge the ideology of women objectification.

I put these two images together on the first page for the viewer to immediately see as they reflect Kurland’s series of exploring escaping the expectations on female behaviour. I like how the scenery is similar in both images, so I decided to include them both on the same page so the similarities and differences can be seen clearly.

For my second page I chose a similar approach to the first page, reinforcing my ideas on females in natural landscapes. These images were from different shoots, but they compliment each other well due to the factor of nature and the vibrant clothing on the subjects. I made the image on the right full bleed because it is a portrait, and therefore the image on the left can have its own border around it, allowing the tones to stand out.

The two images on the right are on a two photo display, as neither of them include elements of nature yet they still link to my themes. Both images include darker tones and a higher contrast, so I put them together to create a more dramatic effect and slowly tie in a more realistic side to my project. The image on the left is by itself due to the cooler tones and the building in the frame.

These two images are also from different shoots, I like how they differ from each other completely as it allows for the viewer to interpret them however they like. I placed the portrait on the right as full bleed due to the immense amount of black in the image and I like how it adds tension. I placed my front cover image on the left page with a border as I didn’t want to attract too much attention to it due to it already being used.

This image is on a double page spread, due to the excessive amount of nature, which I believe works well because the previous few pages do not include much greenery. I like the editing in this image and therefore wanted it to be on its own so the viewer can take in the different colours and shades within it.

These two images compliment each other as they were taken in the same shoot, they share similar colours within them as well as both having quite low exposure. I placed them together to reflect the importance of community within young females. The image on the right reflects loneliness, so I gave it a border to emphasise this. Whereas, the image on the right shows bonds and friendships, so I made it full bleed to emphasise the significance of it to my project.

This image is on its own double page due to the fact it has many elements in it and is already quite a busy image. I did not want to repeat a similar approach to the previous page, so I placed a border around it and left the right page blank. This allows the viewer to focus on the activities the subjects are exhibiting, which is what Kurland photographed so I wanted to recreate that effect.

These two images portray more of a darker mood, due to the pitch black sky and limited background because of this, so I think they compliment each other effectively. I placed them next to each other to bring out the theme of loneliness again. However, the white clothing on the subject in the left image helps brighten the overall mood due to the heavy contrast of colours, also allowing her to stand out. As she is also further away from the camera in the left image, I made it full bleed so the viewers eye wouldn’t move straight to the image on the right.

I liked the setting in which this photo was taken, it has a lot more colour in it than the previous images. Therefore I brought this image in by itself to bring back some life to my photo book as I do not want it to appear dull or repetitive. The image shows me executing Kurland’s ideas of bravery and also brings in rural landscapes. I added a white border surrounding it to contrast with the dark greenery and trees taking up the majority of the frame.

These two images portray the theme of escape, as they show subjects outdoors in the dark which hints to the viewer that they are runaways. I placed them together because they have similar colour schemes and reflect the same idea, which helps give my book a sense of organisation as the rest of my images are mixed together. The image on the right has a border because I think if I put them both big they would look too similar.

These two images directly link to Ramona Wang through the subject composition. This is because they are both self portraits reflecting typical expectations of women, such as putting in effort to look feminine. I placed them together on this page as they have dark tones with hints of red clothing, also linking to femininity. However, the image on the right is significantly smaller than the one on the left as it is as landscape image, so I added a border to add some definition.

This image is one of my favourites from all five of my shoots, so I wanted to give it its own double page because I feel that it is unique to every other photo I took and I wanted to emphasise it in my photo book. I like the natural lighting as it links directly links to Justine Kurland and her use of natural lighting in all of her images. I also like the angle of it as it is typically lower than any of my others, as well as including moving subjects, making it appear less staged.

I wanted this image to be presented on its own as it is a busy image with lots of different colours within it. It also has quite a high exposure due to the flash being used for extra lighting, so I chose not to contrast this with another image on the other page as I feel it may defeat the intriguing elements in it tat I want the viewer to focus on, such as the makeup and clothing. This image is inspired by Ramona Wang and exploring the exploitations of women in art and photography, and I wanted this statement to be quite clear, so placing it by itself I am allowing it to be emphasised.

This was another layout where I decided to include three images on a double page, due to the fact they all have a black background and a high contrast. I placed the two on the left together as they were both inspired by Ramona Wang, challenging traditional female stereotypes as we are not professionally posed, giving the two photos a candid effect. They compliment the image on the right page because they all look underexposed, which creates a sense of nostalgia and makes them feel like they were captured in the same story.

These two images were taken in different shoots, and the differences between them is what made me put them next to each other. The image on the left has a darker feel to it, contrasting the right image which shows the sunset beaming through the trees. However, the colour palette in both of them is similar because of the nature, and it portrays adventure and freedom which parallels to Kurland’s Girl Pictures. The left image is a portrait so I made it full bleed, and the image on the right has lighter shades throughout because of the lighting, so adding a white border will effectively compliment it.

I wanted my last page to correlate with both my artist inspirations but in a way they could work together and share similar ideas. They both highlight youth, femininity and community which is significant to end my photo book with to ensure my aim has been portrayed successfully. Despite the similarities they share, there is a clear divide between them creating a juxtaposition. The top image has a dream-like aesthetic because the setting is in bed, giving the image a warm, friendly sense to it. Whereas the image on the bottom delves into reality, as it shows exploration and being in the wild. A contextual reference to this could be that Kurland focuses on a more idealised world, whereas Wang takes a more realistic and raw approach, and these two force the viewer to question if we, as a society, should accept the world as it is, or perhaps suggest change to the expectations of beauty and ideas surrounding feminism.

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