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.
Select a set of 5-6 photographs as final outcomes and evaluate
A3
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.
A4
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.
A4
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.
A4
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.
A4
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.
A5
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.
A5
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.
A5
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.
A5
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.
A5
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.
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.
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.
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.
Finish essay and make sure bibliography is correct. Also check that references are correct, essay plan is also clear and added to. Then PUBLISH essay+ essay plan.
EDIT images that are being included and in the book and make sure they are all the same type of lighting and vibe as the others. X3.
1ST PHOTOSHOOT, Front Cover! All similar sizes and orientation, also select the amount of photographs I would like to include and make sure they are not all too similar. ALL BLACK AND WHITE IMAGES
2ND PHOTOSHOOT, Front Cover! Make sure the images have a brand label at the beginning and then how some similar images, then include the next brand, show some similar images, brand 3 then show some similar images. ALL COLOUR IMAGES.
3RD PHOTOSHOOT, Front Cover! Make sure all images are edited and be mindful of lots of different orientations, choose images with the best quality and a mixture of black and white, best way forward. MIX OF COLOUR AND BLACK AND WHITE IMAGES.
WHILST CHOOSING, EDITING AND EXPERIMENTING, TAKE PHOTOS FOR BLOG AND ANALYSE ALONG THE WAY.
WHAT WENT WELL+ WHAT TO IMPROVE ON ANALYSIS.
Mock Day 2-
Complete photobook design and post pictures on the blog. Showing process and evaluate it. WHY have I chosen this layout, Why in this specific order. WHAT am I trying do demonstrate.
ADD ESSAY AT THE END OF THE BOOK+ SMALL INTRO TO THE BOOK AT THE BEGINNING.
Select my final prints, produce blog post on why chosen, layout ideas for images and SAVE TO PRINT FOLDER.
In what way has Benoit Paillé and Will Lakeman explored colour in their work?
Introduction Colour photography is an area I have always wanted to explore, the use of colour (or the lack of it) can really define an image and be a great tool in creating beautiful, eye catching and exciting photographs. I feel like the world is becoming less colourful and more dull with most modern buildings being painted with colours such as dark greys and whites. Nowadays, cars too, are either coloured in white, back, grey and silver also logos are losing their colour and signage is becoming more dull while street lights are losing their warm orange glow. It does not help that the sky is usually overcast and grey which can lower your mood. I am not the only one who notices this with a study finding that 3 out of 4 manufactured cars are painted in monochrome and the most popular carpet colour is grey. Researchers from the science museum group also analysed thousands of photographs and found that in the 1800s monochrome colours only represented around 15% of all the items in the photographs, but nowadays that number has increased to around 60% of items being either black, white or grey. (Pękala 2024) To combat this, I want to show the importance of colour by creating colourful and vibrant photographs. A fun area of this is painting with light as it has the potential to be creative and illustrative. The artists I want to analyse, both use light painting in their work as well as other photographic techniques such as long exposure and bracketing. Will Lakeman and Benoit Paillé, both create interesting and beautiful images through the use of colour photography and light painting. I want to respond to their style of by capturing and trying to recreate the dream like effect their images have as well as the way they use colour to help compliment their work.
J. Clerk Maxwell, T.Sutton (1861)
Early colour photography Colour photography was something researchers spent ages trying to create when photographs could only be taken in black and white. Some photographers got so tired of waiting for the invention of colour photography they took matters into their own hands and started adding colour by hand to their photographs by colouring them in. It was not until 1861 when James Clerk Maxwell and Thomas Sutton managed to create the first colour photograph using the three-colour method he proposed. The three-colour method involved taking the photo three times, one time with a red filter, one with a blue filter and one with a green filter. Maxwell printed these images onto glass and used three projectors with the same colour filters used when photographing the image. When the projectors were turned on it displayed the full colour image in all its glory. After this success Thomas Sutton and his business partner L.D. Blanquart-Evrard moved to Jersey in 1847 to set up a photography studio in St Brelade’s bay which sadly burnt down a few years later.
E. Kelsey, ‘The Positive and its Natural Colors‘ (1909)
The first commercially successful process of taking colour photographs was called the autochrome and was invented by the French brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière in 1904 however it was not commercially available until 1907. The process involved putting an autochrome plate into the camera and using a yellow filter for a more accurate colour as the blue was very sensitive and this helped counteract it. The autochrome plates were a complex process to make and involved millions of microscopic grains of potato starch, around four million per square inch, which were dyed red, green, blue or violet and mixed together and spread out over the plate which a varnish is used to make them stick. After this charcoal powder was used to fill in any gaps between the coloured starch and the plate was flattened; to make sure the grains were flat and then covered in an emulsion. When you take a photograph with these plates the light passes through the grains of potato starch and combines with the light from the camera which creates the colour. This process was very successful and took the world by storm with the demand outweighing the supply as the factory which made them could only make about six thousand of these plates a day.
Will Lakeman Will Lakeman is a local Jersey artist. In 2023 he did an exhibition at Art house Jersey’s Capital house gallery, where over two thousand people attended. The exhibition was based on the former leisure centre and swimming pool at Fort Regent. Lakeman states about his work that, ‘through my work I try and communicate something of the weird, vivid sensations of my dreams and nightmares.’ (Lakeman) This can explain why a lot of his photographs have a dream like and in some cases liminal aesthetic to them, especially in his series ‘Lurking in darkness’ which uses coloured gels and is shot at night. As well as Will Lakeman’s work being shown at Arthouse Jersey, he has also had his work shown at the Private & Public gallery and the CCA galleries. In 2021 he was awarded the Summer Prize from the CCA Galleries International Summer Exhibition, and this shows just how creative and talented his photographs are, which I personally find that they are all interesting to look at especially as most the images are taken locally.
W. Lakeman, ‘Lurking in darkness‘ (2020)
This photograph was taken by Will Lakeman in 2020 as part of his series of images called ‘Lurking in darkness’ with Will describing the series as ‘I love to explore the world at night. I aim for these images not to represent reality, but to explore my dreams and fantasies.’ (Lakeman) which can be seen in this image, which has a dreamlike and even liminal aesthetic to it due to multiple factors.
The first factor is due to the sense of unknown. We know nothing about the person looking in the window or even the location, as the background is completely black and there is little to nothing in the image that provides context. The second factor is the strangeness of the photograph. In the photograph, we see a woman looking through a window, which is in the centre of the image and is the main subject of the image. On the other side of the window, there are lots of potted plants. This sense of strangeness reflects his dreams and fantasies, as dreams can be strange and random and contain elements of the unknown, providing mystery and making people want to seek answers.
The lighting is also quite interesting in the image, all the lighting is artificial, and the white light looks incredibly bright especially as it contrasts with the darkness of the rest of the image, there is also a really nice purple shadow coming from the window, made from coloured gels, which provides light to the foreground of the image. The lighting also helps contribute to the dream like feel of the photograph. The cool white and purple from the lighting gives the image a cold feel to it and may imply that the dream is not inviting or positive and may reference that the photographer’s dreams are not enjoyable or wholesome ones.
Benoit Paillé Benoit Paillé is an unconventional artist who abandoned his daily life in 2013 to live in his truck and drive around the world taking beautiful photographs in places such as China, Guatemala, India and Mexico. Benoit describes his photographs as, ‘my pictures document an altered state of mind.’ (Paillé) He originally undertook a biomedical career but ended up becoming a self-taught photographer instead.
B. Paillé, ‘Magical realism nihilism POLE‘ (2019)
This Image is taken by Benoit Paillé is part of a series called ‘Magical realism nihilism POLE’ and in this collection of images Benoit took of poles, a mundane everyday object which people don’t pay much attention to and photographs it in an interesting and glamourous way. Benoit describes it as deconstructing, ‘the aesthetic hierarchy between what is deemed worthy of interest and what is not.’ (Paillé) It is incredibly interesting seeing how he captures these objects which people don’t see worthy of being a photographed and makes them into aesthetically pleasing photographs.
In the photograph, the pole is centred right in the middle of the image which leads the viewer to look and acknowledge it, something they may not notice or pay any attention to if they were walking past it. There is also a contrast as the geometric vertical line of the pole contrasts with the horizontal lines of the wires attached to the pole. The snow in the foreground of the images creates a soft texture which pairs well with the hard wooden pole. The lighting in the photo is also incredibly beautiful with an artificial red light, not seen in the image, creating a lovely glow in the image and making the pole look red, this helps Benoit achieve his goal in making the pole look visually pleasing.
The pole being in the snow which has no footprints and the trees in the background which could be of a forest gives the image a sense of isolation which is further added by the cold feel the photograph has due to the white balance and the blue darkness of the sky. The cold snow may also resemble the isolation of the pole as it just sits there getting no appreciation or thought even though it serves a purpose and may be used as a telegraph pole or to hold up the wires which provide power to a home. The red glow in the image creates a conflict to this as red is seen to be a warm colour and may highlight the photographer’s intentions of shedding light it and breaking the boundaries of what is seen as worthy to be photographed.
Conclusion In conclusion Will Lakeman and Benoit Paillé both explore colour in similar and different ways with will Lakeman using it to create a dream-like feel to his photographs and Benoit Paillé using colour to compliment his work and add to the overall aesthetic. Both photographers use colour to create beautiful and vibrant photographs, and it really highlights the importance of colour in a world where dull colours are becoming a lot more common. I really want to show the importance of colour in my images by using vibrant colours like they do and taking my photographs at night like they do with their photographs that inspire me.
This photo I took was taken at night when there was a bit of fog/mist. As a result, it diffuses the light around the streetlight, giving it this warm orange glow. The ground is also a bit wet, which makes the light on the ground more shiny and reflective. This all contrasts well with the shadows and darkness at the top and bottom of the image, giving a nice balance of light and darkness. The photo also has no one in it and not much context as you can’t see the rest of the road due to the mist and darkness. This gives the photo a mysterious dream-like effect which is something Will Lakeman explores in his series ‘Lurking in darkness’ and gives off the same energy as the photo Will Lakeman took in that series of a road and the entrance to the petrol station in the fog with the vibrant orange glow of the streetlights. The photo also uses techniques from Benoit Paillé as I enhanced the orange in the image to really capture the colour and add to the overall aesthetic of the photograph. This also helps highlight the importance of colour as the warm orange glow would not be possible if the road used dull LED streetlights.
