How is sexuality and gender identity explored and represented in photography?

‘This binarism, which is but one of a series that underpins much photography theory and criticism, characterizes – in a manner that appears virtually self-evident – two possible positions for the photographer. The insider position – in this particular context, the “good” position – is thus understood to imply a position of engagement, participation, and privileged knowledge, whereas the second, the outsider’s position is taken to produce an alienated and voyeuristic relationship that heightens the distance between subject and object.’
Abigail Solomon-Godeau, Inside/ Outside 1995

Introduction

Exploring sexuality and gender identity within photographs are usually captured and addressed from an outsider perspective, a viewpoint that is commonly objectifying and misleading. Instead, this intimate proximity, seen through Nan Goldin’s insider delineation of her close community, enables her to portray an extremely personal, and at times, voyeuristic perspective of her lived experiences. This narrative showcases a tableaux and uncompromising representation of Goldin’s and her found family’s feelings and familiarity within the queer community. Being in the same artistic circle as other photographers who predominantly photographed on film New York’s queer subculture, Goldin dedicated these portraits to preserving and capturing the essence of relationships, sexuality, gender exploration, and addiction during the 1970s and 80s. As photography serves as an archive, there are many photographs exploring sexuality and gender identity which are immortalised, especially within the 19th and 20th century as photography began to become a popular and accessible medium of art and documentation. Situated within the fluidity and ambiguous notion of sexuality during these important and representative eras, these relaxed and fluid forms of identity captured within art and photography avoids distinct labelling, imposing a flexible identity of the individual.

Historical and theoretical context

Representation within art, photography and visual culture is to accept responsibility for the portrayal of the subject, and to deepen the understanding of the shared adjacent bond between the subject and the artist or photographer. The dichotomy between a subject’s essence being captured by someone outside their own community compared to inside their community showcases the epitome of “good” and “bad” representation of that person or group.

(You need to show evidence that you have read Solomon-Godeau’s key text Inside/ Outside and incorporate a couple of quotes that you can use to agree/ disagree with to develop a critical argument.) Then use the example below with the portrait of Oscar Wilde. )

Convert JPG to PDF online – convert-jpg-to-pdf.net

In circa 1882, the photographer Napoleon Sarony photographed portraits of Oscar Wilde, a poet and playwright in Victorian London, which positioned Wilde in the frame with his usual flamboyant and dandy personality, characteristics of the art movement of aestheticism which valued appearance of art over functions. The society of this time explicitly expressed disdain against sexual debauchery, which included the outlawing of all homosexual acts for ‘gross indecency’ under the 1885 Criminal Law Amendment Act, which Wilde was one of the first and highest importance figures prosecuted and put on trial for. This opens the discussion whether photography not only serves as an art form, but also archival material and an account of history.

Oscar Wilde, Napoleon Sarony, 1882

Nan Goldin

The photographer beholding a position of intimate proximity is vastly evident throughout Nan Goldin’s wide photography portfolio. Goldin was born 12th September, 1953 in Washington, D.C. and has relished in photography since she was fifteen, and in downtown Boston until she was nineteen. Ultimately driven by her need to remember herself and those she loves, Goldin solidified her innate passion of documenting scenes of her subcultural communities she made a home within for herself once moving from Boston to New York in 1978.

‘[Journalists] talk about the work I did on drag queens and prostitution, on “marginalised” people. We were never marginalised. We were the world. We were our own world, and we could have cared less about what “straight” people thought of us.’ (Goldin 1986: )

Utilising a narrative within photographs which conveys a deeply personal bond between Goldin and her subjects, she is often notably recognised for this inner representation of the communities and subcultures she shares space with. In her book The Ballad of Sexual Dependency, she initially shared the photographs within with those photographed in frequently visited clubs and venues, and an immediate reaction from these peers contributed to its growth and ultimately its final presentation. ‘I look at Ballad and see the dynamics of both love and hate, tenderness and violence, as well as all kinds of ambivalence in relationships.’ (Goldin 2012) Whether her subjects were portrayed in these harshly juxtaposing settings; an extremely domestic house or party setting, or at the funeral of her close friend, in a deadpan approach, Goldin addressed her subjects by their first name and most commonly added context on what was happening within the photograph, allowing the viewer to look inside the scene and realise much more of the situation and the lives of these people. Goldin personally engages her subjects with the creation of her art, and although this could have swayed the reception, especially the involvement of queer people in the 1970s and 80s, she does not leave this up for discussion. Her subjects are presented as the artwork, identifying visceral and ambivalent reactions towards her work and deepening the sense of these photographs being deemed as a voyeuristic gaze.

‘People in the pictures say my camera is as much a part of being with me as any other aspect of knowing me. It’s as if my hand were a camera. If it were possible, I’d want no mechanism between me and the moment of photographing. The camera is as much a part of my everyday life as talking or eating or sex. The instant of photographing, instead of creating distance, is a moment of clarity and emotional connection for me. There is a popular notion that the photographer is by nature a voyeur; the last one invited to the party. But I’m not crashing; this is my party. This is my family, my history’ (Goldin 1986: )

In her portraits of her with a previous lover depicted in bed, occupying the lesser portion of the space is where Goldin has positioned herself in the background, behind him. Goldin in The Ballad of Sexual Dependency features

‘As children, we’re programmed into the limitations of gender distinction … But as we grow older, there’s a self-awareness that sees gender as a decision, as something malleable … Rather than accept gender distinction, the point is to redefine it … there is the decision to live out the alternatives, even to change one’s sex, which to me is the ultimate act of autonomy.’ (Goldin 1986:7)

Personal Study

(For other critical perspectives on Goldin and her seminal book- see this special issue of Aperture Magazine and other texts written about her work and its influence.)

Nan Goldin Archives | Aperture

Misty and Jimmy Paulette in a taxi, NYC

Jimmy Paulette and Taboo in the bathroom, 1991

Draft Introduction (250-500 words). Think about an opening that will draw your reader in e.g. you can re-formulate the essay question. You should include in your introduction an outline of your intention of your study, e.g. what area of photography, or subject-matter are you exploring? Which artists/ photographers are you going to investigate/ analyse/ interpret? Why does this subject/ work interest you? What are you trying to prove/challenge, argument/ counter-argument? What historical or theoretical context is the work situated within? Include at least 1 or 2 quotes for or against. What links are there with your previous studies, if any? How has this subject and chosen artists/ photographers inspired your own images/ responses? How will your work develop? What camera skills, photographic techniques or processes have you experimented with, or are you going to experiment with?

Literary sources: Go to this blog post here: Theory: Literary Sources and copy relevant key texts relating to the subject of your essay and list in alphabetical order in your bibliography. In addition, find your own key texts in relation to artists selected for in-depth analysis in your essay and list these too. These texts could be interviews with the artist, or reviews/ critique’s written by others. See useful online sites/ sources here .

• Research and identify 3-5 literary sources from a variety of media such as books, journal/magazines, internet, Youtube/video that relates to your personal study and artists references .
• Begin to read essay, texts and interviews with your chosen artists as well as commentary from critics, historians and others.
• It’s important that you show evidence of reading and draw upon different pints of view – not only your own.
• Take notes when you’re reading…key words, concepts, passages, page number to be used for in-text referencing etc.

Essay Question

• Think of a hypothesis and list possible essay questions
• Below is a list of possible essay questions that may help you to formulate your own.

possible-essay-questions-to-investigate

key words: aesthetic, formalism, indexicality, representation, narrative

Essay Plan
Make a plan that lists what you are going to write about in each paragraph – essay structure

• Essay question:
• Opening quote
• Introduction (250-500 words): What is your area study? Which artists will you be analysing and why? How will you be responding to their work and essay question?

Nan Goldin – outside/inside view of queer communities, issue of representation

history of portrayal and representation of the queer community in photography and the exploration of sexuality and gender identity within visual culture

• Pg 1 (500 words): Historical/ theoretical context within art, photography and visual culture relevant to your area of study. Make links to art movements/ isms and some of the methods employed by critics and historian. 

History of sexuality and gender identities in photography

aestheticism in art – oscar wilde, napoleon sarony portraits, historical representation

• Pg 2 (500 words): Analyse first artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
• Pg 3 (500 words): Analyse second artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
• Conclusion (250-500 words): Draw parallels, explore differences/ similarities between artists/photographers and that of your own work that you have produced
• Bibliography: List all relevant sources used

Quotes: Nan Goldin

‘[Journalists] talk about the work I did on drag queens and prostitution, on “marginalised” people. We were never marginalised. We were the world. We were our own world, and we could have cared less about what “straight” people thought of us.’

‘People in the pictures say my camera is as much a part of being with me as any other aspect of knowing me. It’s as if my hand were a camera. If it were possible, I’d want no mechanism between me and the moment of photographing. The camera is as much a part of my everyday life as talking or eating or sex. The instant of photographing, instead of creating distance, is a moment of clarity and emotional connection for me. There is a popular notion that the photographer is by nature a voyeur; the last one invited to the party. But I’m not crashing; this is my party. This is my family, my history’

‘As children, we’re programmed into the limitations of gender distinction … But as we grow older, there’s a self-awareness that sees gender as a decision, as something malleable … Rather than accept gender distinction, the point is to redefine it … there is the decision to live out the alternatives, even to change one’s sex, which to me is the ultimate act of autonomy.’ (Goldin 1986:7)

‘I look at Ballad and see the dynamics of both love and hate, tenderness and violence, as well as all kinds of ambivalence in relationships.’

inside/out quotes

‘This binarism, which is but one of a series that underpins much photography theory and criticism, characterizes – in a manner that appears virtually self-evident – two possible positions for the photographer. The insider position – in this particular context, the “good” position – is thus understood to imply a position of engagement, participation, and privileged knowledge, whereas the second, the outsider’s position is taken to produce an alienated and voyeuristic relationship that heightens the distance between subject and object.’ (Solomon-Godeau 1995:49)

Bibliography

Sontag, S. (1977) ‘In Plato’s cave’ in On Photography. London: Penguin Books.

Goldin, Nan (1985) ‘The Ballad of Sexual Dependency’

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nan_Goldin

Solomon-Godeau, A. (1994), ‘Inside/ Out’ in Photography At The Dock: Essays on Photographic History, Institutions, and Practices. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press.

Here some helpful resources on ethical questions regarding the photographer’s position of being inside or outside from PhotoPedagogy.

Bull, S. (2009), ‘Snapshots’ in Photography. London: Routledge.

Zuromski, C. (2009) . ‘On Snapshot Photography: Rethinking Photographic Powers in Public and Private Spheres’ in J.J. Long, Andrea Noble, Edward Welch, Photography: Theoretical Snapshots. London: Routledge.

Kotz, L. (1998) ‘”Aesthetics” of Intimacy’ in Bright, D. (1998) The Passionate Camera: Photography and bodies of desire. London: Routledge

Introduction

John Szarkowski opened an exhibition in The Museum of Modern Art in New York about photographs being either a Mirror or a Window. John Szarkowski’s theory of images has 5 different categories into making a photograph. The categories are, The thing itself, what you are actually photographing, The detail in the photograph, The frame of the photograph, The time and the time exposure to the image and the vantage point does the photograph give us a new view on the world.

The calotype process that Henry Fox Talbot invented in 1839 could be viewed as window, as it it an image that represent the view of the camera. It is a process where the image is captured on paper as negative, from which a positive image can be mass produced and made cheaply. The daguerreotype, on the other hand is a unique positive image that can not be reproduced. An image is captured on a silver nitrate solution on a metal plate that is then placed in a wooden box in a red velvet casing. because of its reflective surface a daguerreotype could be viewed as a mirror, not only will the reflection of the viewer be seen in the image, but often a daguerreotype were used for portraits as it had superior quality of detail. Unlike the calotype, the daguerreotype is very fragile and delicate. it is also an expensive process compared with a calotype. The distance between them is to be measured not in terms of the relative force or originally of their work, but in terms of their conceptions of what a photograph is. Is it a mirror, reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it, or a window, through which one might better know the world.

Mirrors

The mirror allows us as the audience to peer into the world and thoughts and feelings of the artist.

This is a mirror image because it reflects the persons life and gives an insight into what their life is like. This image is staged and planned to look like these three men are at war but it has been set up in a studio. John Szarkowski said. “a romantic expression of the photographer’s sensibility as it projects itself on the things and sights of this world; or as a window – through which the exterior world is explored in all its presence and reality.” (Philippa James from Mirrors and Windows Momo press release) –

This image reflects the quote by John Szarkowski because it projects the sights of the world in the image and shows what the men’s life life looks like as soldiers in combat at war. Jed Perl said. ‘this radically photographic style hinted at visual and cultural truths that were far removed from the stereotypes which gave form to the Victorian portrait. (Reference Jed Pearl) – In this quote Perl agrees with what Szarkowski said because his images of mirrors showed the hidden truths of peoples life’s and reflected them as a person.

This is a review of one of John Szarkowski’s images that Jed Pearl did and it reflects the person’s life but it is staged in a way that each person is composed and looking at the camera.

Windows

‘A window is through which one might better know the world.’ (Szarkowski 1978). A window shows more depth into a person’s life, so that people get a better insight into what the persons life is about. Window photography creates a barrier between the photographer and the subject. It almost blocks out the photographer from the subjects personal life. The photographer can literally be reflected in the window, which may bring the photographer into the images produced. The window allows an objective view which could show how the photographer is looking into a new or different world.

This image by Henri Cartier-Bresson is a group of “children playing amongst rubble” in Seville Spain 1936. This image literally shows a window that’s been created from a destruction sight when a building was knocked down. It gives an insight into the children’s lives playing among the rubble. ‘the casual, snapshot photography of which Szarkowski is an advocate arrives in general at a similar effect of predictability —a reflection of current taste rather than an original vision —through a different route’. (Pearl 1978) This suggests that Pearl thinks that the image selected by Szarkowski for the exhibition are not original and they are just reflecting on current taste and aesthetics. Pearl has another opposing view on Szarkowski’s he said, ‘Szarkowski pays elaborate homage to the “stripped, essential camera vision” of Garry Winogrand which is suggesting he only does the bare minimum with his photography and that his work is very bland and uninteresting.’ (Pearl 1978) Szarkowski says though, ‘that a window is through which one might better know the world’ (Szarkowski 1978). Which is saying that the images that he creates do not have to be amazing and the most exciting images that anyone has seen but they have to give insight into the world and make you discover things in the images that you might not of realized before. This is what window photography does it gives a different view on the world to help you discover the world and get a better understanding of what peoples lives are like and what other places are like that you might not of known much about previously.

Conclusion

In conclusion photographs can be both windows and mirrors because in John Szarkowski’s theory he said, ‘whatever a photographers intuition or intention, they must be cut and shaped to fit the possibilities of his art’ (Szarkowski 1978), which suggests that images can fit any possibilities. Jed Pearl criticised Szarkowski’s exhibition and said, ‘yet few of the photographs are closely, richly detailed enough, or surprising enough, to be separated from the medium’s past and characterized as new’.(Pearl 1978) This suggests that Jed Pearl thought John Szarkowski’s curation of images selected for the exhibition were not exciting enough and lacked originality.

John Szarkowski

John Szarkowski’s own photography is very true to life and his work has elements of realism but some of his photography is staged. For example in the image above there is a man standing by a big wooden board pointing to it, which suggests that he has told the man how he wants him to pose for the image. However some of Szarkowski’s images are of the environment and landscapes, which is romanticised. Pearl also reviewd the opening of the Museum of Modern Art in New York in an article called Romanticisms Unruly Hero, that was published 2019. The quote “The sepulchral installation muffles and sometimes even strangles his work. Is this the museum’s idea of what it takes to set a mood worthy of Delacroix’s reputation as the leader of the Romantic movement in France?” (Romanticisms unruly hero 2018) This suggests that Jed Pearl questioned the way the museum was installing the painting and that the way the painting was put up in the museum was giving the wrong intention and not portraying the intention it was suppose to give.

Initial Contact Sheet

This is the initial contact sheet, displaying every image which was taken during this photoshoot. In total for this photoshoot, I took 186 photographs, these 186 images show off three different locations: St Helier, La Collette and St Clements. For this photoshoot my aim was to capture as much colour as possible, reinforcing the inspiration from William Eggleston and capturing the urban and everyday life during the day with natural light, so I drove around with these three specific locations in mind to find colour and beautiful scenery under the natural sunlight. I went to La Collette as I had taken photographs in that location during the low light, night time settings so I could show the contrast of the same location under two different atmospheres.

Final Selection of Images

From the initial 186 images, I only chose 7 as my final ones. These 7 in particular were chosen due to the way they portrayed these locations during the day, showing the energy given from the sun and giving a complete different mood / feel in comparison to most photographs taken during the night.

Final Selection – Before Editing

Final Selection – After Editing

Before & Afters

Favourite Image From this photoshoot

Above is my favourite photograph from this photoshoot taken during the hours of the day, this image is my favourite out of all of them because it is strongly framed and how it perfectly links with the overall theme of my book. I also took a photo in a previous shoot which is almost identical to this one however it was taken during the night, making this image more meaningful in contrast. This photo shows the details of the bus, trees and just the overall industrial setting. The reflection which comes from the bus window could be seen as another layer to the image, possibly showing that there is life outside of the frame. This photo will work great inside my photobook, especially when placed on the same double page spread as the almost identical image at night, reinforcing the theme of the normal becoming abnormal.

Contact Sheet:

This was my final photoshoot for my personal study, mainly inspired by Ramona Wang. I was the only subject in this shoot, allowing me to explore the themes of femininity and youth through personal experiences fully. In this shoot I focused on capturing traditional stereotypes of young females, and specifically the exploitations of them in photography. For that reason, the location of my shoot was in my bedroom, to create staged images of myself getting ready for a night out. This links to my themes because women are typically associated with looking aesthetically pleasing, and that being our only purpose. I wanted to conform to these ideas by presenting myself in a manor that is seen as feminine, while challenging the ideas around it. As this shoot can be viewed as different to my other shoots, I do not believe that the level of success comes from how feminine my models are portrayed. Rather, I want all of my shoots to be presented in different ways but explaining the same message: looking feminine has nothing to do with being feminine. In my photos throughout this shoot, I performed submissive facial expressions to link to the idea of the male gaze. Moreover, I believe that the way a female would interpret these images is entirely different to how a man would. I believe the female gaze would occur, and women who viewed these images could still potentially see me as a human with intelligence and emotions. Whereas, perhaps males would only view me as an object, and focus on the aesthetic of the image.

Similar to all my other photoshoots, I imported all my images into Lightroom and created a new folder, under the name “Personal study photoshoot 5”, to allow easy access to this shoot for future references. Again, as this shoot is a lot smaller than the rest of mine, it was easier for me to colour code my images and star them. Very quickly I was able to narrow down this shoot to the most successful outcomes that I would want to use in my photobook. I then edited the flagged images so when I create my photo book I can choose the best edited images.

Editing:

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Initial Contact Sheet

For this Photoshoot, I walked around St Helier looking for vibrant colours, this was heavily inspired by the work of William Eggleston. Eggleston`s use of colour and how he captures the ordinary life inspired how I went about this shoot. My target with this photoshoot was to capture the bold colours within the streets, urban setting which goes unnoticed, bringing attention to these aspects. However, my time was limited because once I had started capturing photographs, the sun had already started setting meaning I had a short period of time with the optimal lighting. During this photoshoot i used a tripod and a shutter release and I decided to use different exposures taking 3 images at a time to then when editing, use photo merge / HDR to make them stand out more. I took advantage of the lighting whilst it was there and, in the end, captured 67 images, each focusing on colour within the urban settings. 

Final Selection Of Images

After looking through all 67 photographs, I only selected 4 images. I chose these four photographs as I think they are the best representation of what my vision was for this photoshoot. Separately, these images stand out for their unique display of colour, composition and generally how it captures the urban environment during the sunlight or daytime. Three of these four images also have motion within them, this is an aspect I really like and fits perfectly with the theme I am exploring as it shows how during the day there is movement and life which strongly contrasts my other photoshoots taken during the night. 

Development Of Final Images – Before Editng & After Editing

Above is a series of screenshots showing off my final selected images before and after editing, showing how little adjustments can impact the whole image and mood. In all of these photographs the most noticeable edits is the increase in colour saturation this links to Eggleston, he is known for his strong use of colour and he is known for capturing the ordinary in extraordinary ways. To get the same effect that he does I intensified the colour hues and the highlights to make the sky and the colourful buildings more dynamic and interesting. In some of the original photos the lighting is not quite right and looks odd and in order to fix that I adjusted the highlights and exposure.

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As a whole, I am happy with how the final photos came out. The photos really emphasize the difference between the day and night, the bold, vibrant colours seen throughout all 4 images is what reinforces the contrast between the day and night. Inspired by William Eggleston, this photoshoot was focused on capturing the everyday life, using strong colours and compositions. During this photoshoot I also captured a great amount of motion blur, reinforcing the idea that the day brings life, energy and movement, I think this aspect makes the images tie in perfectly with the theme of my personal study. I think that once the final edits were made, I successfully created compositions which reflect the quality of the daytime, making a strong contrast to the night time focused photoshoots taken for my project.

Favourite Image From Photoshoot

From the four final edited photos, this one is my favourite. What makes this photo stand out to me is the composition, within one frame I captured the urban buildings, the mural and motion blur from the moving car. The mural strongly contrasts with the softer tones of the sky and buildings creating different layers to this image. The image has 3 layers which is the mural, the mural is bold and filled with colour making it a the main focal point of the image, the sky and the buildings in the background create a contrast, making the mural stand out even more and the motion blur made by the moving car adds another layer making the image feel more immersive instead of 2d. The motion blur captured in this photograph adds the element of life, and energy, emphasising the aspects of the day. Overall, I believe that this photograph perfectly links to my day theme, capturing a moment in a colourful urban setting. 

My best images:

Overall, I think my fourth photoshoot was very successful, despite the limitations of only having 2 main subjects and I don’t want the shoot to appear boring or unappealing. A disadvantage of this shoot would be that there is no specific artist inspiration, which may leave the viewer confused on what my main focus is. However, despite this disadvantage I believe this photoshoot was executed well due to the use of the photographic gaze that me and my other model carried out. This links to Ramona Wang as she photographs females portraying the female gaze to conform to traditional stereotypes of women being objectified for male desire, and I have resembled similar facial expressions to show this.

What I think went well:

• The tones within the images – creates a successful contrast between shadows
• The lighting – differs from my previous photoshoots as it was shot in the dark – creates drastic

What I think I could improve:

• Limited range of different images – most look the same due to only having one other model

Contact Sheet:

For my fourth photoshoot on my personal study, I focused on myself and one other subject to photograph. This shoot was not inspired by any artist specifically, so it was a chance for me to evoke a more personal theme through my images, where I can include my own ideas, lighting, settings etc. For this shoot, me and my subject went to a field behind St Martin’s school during the evening to create a more dramatic effect, which successfully contrasts my other shoots as they have opposing elements within them. I wanted this shoot to tie in with my themes of youth and femininity through the element of loneliness, which I think relates well to my themes as it is something many young people suffer with. The dominant dark lighting in all of the images help create a sense of drama, and they emphasise how we are sat by ourselves in the dark. This works well because we are wearing vibrant colours such as white and red, which contrast greatly with the colour black. Due to the time of day we took the shoot, it therefore allowed me to experiment with using the flash when photographing,

Editing:

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Initial Contact Sheet

Above is a image showcasing the initial photographs that I took for this photoshoot, this photoshoot was pretty short, only capturing 36 images in total. I chose this particular location for this photoshoot because of the artificial lighting and the overall mood, the lights at Elizabeth Marina are flood lights meaning that the light scatters across a certain distance, this worked well with the slight amount of mist that was present during this photoshoot. This photoshoot almost replicates my third photoshoot, emphasizing the interplay of the fog and artificial lighting, creating a surreal and dreamlike scenery. For this photoshoot I used my DSLR camera along side a tripod and shutter release to ensure the frame is as stable as possible, similarly to my third photoshoot I used a relatively high ISO of 6400, this was a mistake of mine and the ISO should have been set to a smaller number like ISO 100 to capture as much detail as possible. Even though I used a high ISO, I still like the overall photoshoot and I think the outcomes are great, grain is seen in all of the images in this photoshoot due to the use of the high ISO but I believe that the grain improves and highlights the overall mood I am aiming for. The main target with this photoshoot, just like the rest of the photoshoots taken at night and at low light was to capture the sense of solitude, mystery and isolation.

Final Selection Of Images

Once I had put my 36 photographs, the next step was to look over each photo cautiously, to then choose the final best images. From the 36 photos I selected 3 final images which I believe best fits the mood I was aiming for with the project as a whole. The reason as to why there is a little final selection of 3 photos, is because the majority of the 36 photographs are almost identical angles and placement, I took various photos from one point as every photo from that point would capture some differences. These final images blend in beautifully with the rest of my photobook, contrasting with images taken throughout the day and tying in with other photos taken at night.

Before And After Editing

Similarly to other photoshoots, when editing these images I only made slight, subtle changes to them. I did not want to completely alter the unedited images as they are great images as a whole, capturing the isolation and the interplay between the artificial light and the low light. As you can see in the screenshots above for each image I reduced the shadows, increased the whites and decreased the blacks, this was done to reduce as much grain from the image as possible and to also emphasize the time of day. Reducing the shadows and decreasing the blacks meant that my image became darker overall this was done to really show the difference between the day and the night, where the daytime photographs are lit up, detailed and filled with life and the low light photographs are dark, mysterious and lack detail. Another process which I went through was using the Spot Removal tool to get rid of any glare from the lights which hit the lens away from the image, removing this glare.

Final Images

Overall after editing these final images, I believe that this photoshoot was a great success. These 3 final photos will play a part in my final photobook to efficiently show the contrast between the atmosphere during the day and the night. These 3 images clearly resemble what the night, low light does to a setting, these photos I think convey a strong feeling of abandonment.

What is a witches seat ?

Witches’ stones (in Jèrriais: pièrres dé chorchièrs) are flat stones jutting from chimneys in the islands of Jersey and Guernsey.^[1]

According to folklore in the Channel Islands, these small ledges were used by witches to rest on as they fly to their sabbats. Householders would provide these platforms to appease witches and avoid their ill favour.

Traditional vernacular architecture in Jersey is in granite and such witches’ stones can be seen protruding from many older houses. The real origin of this architectural feature is to protect thatched roofs from seeping water running down the sides of the chimney stack. Thatched roofs being thicker than tiled roofs, the jutting stones would sit snugly on the thatch – as can be seen on the few remaining thatched roofs in Jersey. When thatch began to be generally replaced by pantiles in the 18th century, and later by slates, the witches’ stones were left protruding prominently from the chimney stack. This either gave rise to the belief in witches’ resting places, or reinforced an existing belief. Fear of witches was widespread in country areas well into the 20th century in Jersey.

photoshoot

Mood Board

Contact Sheets

favourites