1. Research a photo-book and describe the story it is communicating  with reference to subject-matter, genre and approach to image-making.

2. Who is the photographer? Why did he/she make it? (intentions/ reasons) Who is it for? (audience) How was it received? (any press, reviews, awards, legacy etc.)

3. Deconstruct the narrative, concept and design of the book and apply theory above when considering:

• Book in hand: how does it feel? Smell, sniff the paper.
• Paper and ink: use of different paper/ textures/ colour or B&W or both.
• Format, size and orientation: portraiture/ landscape/ square/ A5, A4, A3 / number of pages.
• Binding, soft/hard cover. image wrap/dust jacket. saddle stitch/swiss binding/ Japanese stab-binding/ leperello
• Cover: linen/ card. graphic/ printed image. embossed/ debossed. letterpress/ silkscreen/hot-stamping.
• Title: literal or poetic / relevant or intriguing.
• Narrative: what is the story/ subject-matter. How is it told?
• Structure and architecture: how design/ repeating motifs/ or specific features develops a concept or construct a narrative.
• Design and layout: image size on pages/ single page, double-spread/ images/ grid, fold- outs/ inserts.
• Editing and sequencing: selection of images/ juxtaposition of photographs/ editing process.
• Images and text: are they linked? Introduction/ essay/ statement by artists or others.  Use of captions (if any.)

UNDERSTANDING PHOTOBOOKS:
NARRATIVE, EDITING, SEQUENCING, DESIGN, FORM, FUNCTION 

Mother- Matthew Finn.

INFORMATION:

HARDBACK= 280MM x 200MM

ISBN= 978-1-911306-14-6

PAGES= 96 PAGES

LANGUAGE= ENGLISH

PUBLISHER= DEWI LEWIS PUBLISHING

PUBLICATION DATE= NOVEMBER 7, 2017

DIMENSIONS= 11.46 X 0.63 X 9.45 INCHES

ITEM WEIGHT= 1.6 POUNDS

INDIVIDUAL PHOTOGRAPHER MONOGRAPHS= BEST SELLER RANK NO. 3195

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY= BEST SELLER RANK NO. 5823

Matthew Finn Qualifications.

• MA Photographic Studies (University of Westminster)
• BA Photographic Studies (University of Derby)

Matthew Finn Teaching.

• BA (Hons) Photography at Arts University Bournemouth
• BA (Hons) Photography at Lincoln University
• BA (Hons) Photography at University of Wolverhampton
• MA Fine Art at University of Wolverhampton

Matthew Finn Awards.

Jerwood/Photoworks Award- 2015

1. Research a photo-book and describe the story it is communicating  with reference to subject-matter, genre and approach to image-making.

This book is a representation of Matthew Finn’s mother, Jean. He decided to photograph her in her home in Leeds in order to record and document her life as she ages and lifestyles change. The photos are reflecting a meaningful and touching overview of parents dealing with loneliness, old age and death. The bond between mother and son is also displayed throughout as relationships change and evolve through time. The quote “For my mother and I, this switch of roles was quick. Diagnosed with mixed dementia two years ago, she fell silent and our collaboration was over. I no longer exist to her and she cannot recognise herself. What remains are these pictures” demonstrates how mental issues and illnesses can both affect the person but also those closest to them. Adaptation to lifestyle changes cause emotional damage and this book was created to explore and spread a message about the fragility of life and how domestic changes affect a child. Creating images of his mother became a routine and a comfort to Matthew Finn as a way to appreciate and remember his mother throughout difficult times in their life. Small aspects of his mothers personality and style are repeated throughout such as her hair and significant clothing she treasured. The feeling of needing to protect and support his mother is reflected throughout. After being diagnosed with dementia, his images were no longer able to be captured, so this book is used as a way to reminisce and remember his mother as her true self before illness. The quote “I’ve lived a good life” demonstrates how no matter what hardships and obstacles his other has faced, she is still grateful and positive about the life she has lived.

2. Who is the photographer? Why did he/she make it? (intentions/ reasons) Who is it for? (audience) How was it received? (any press, reviews, awards, legacy etc.)

I chose to research this specific photobook as I believe it contrasts the work I am currently studying of Helmut Newton. My chosen photographer of Helmut Newton, demonstrates high-quality, glamourous fashion images used to promote clothing and products, whereas in contrast, these images focus on the documentation of the life of the older generation and highlight the not so glamourous and idealistic aspects of life. The models displayed in Helmut Newton’s images are photographed for fame, money and attention, whereas Matthew Finn’s mother was photographed as to be photographed is to be appreciated, to be seen and wanted which is an activity where his mother could feel needed and was able to express herself by taking role in what looked good and what she didn’t like. I find it very interesting that Matthew Finn did not mean for his project to become so meaningful and important to him as when he began photographing his mother he believed he created the book “Because she was there! I was about 16 in 1987. I’d just become seriously interested in photography and needed people – things – to take pictures of,” I find this particularly inspiring as something so basic as needing someone to photograph became a popular and touching lifelong project which highlights moments of hope, struggle and frailty are conveyed through Finn’s unceasingly compassionate filial gaze. The photographs are not portraits in the usual sense of the word, yet they are an account of a life, a deeply humanistic response to a set of human circumstances. Whilst viewing this piece of art the audience is able to join the photographer and his mother on a journey of life and how his mother has aged and how some particular habits never die out. These images may relate to viewers and help to consider the meaning of life an dhow their own parental figures have a larger and more significant role in their life than they’d think. By sharing these images, Matthew Finn is displaying only one journey of a single, aging parent in Britain, which represents a certain social class and culture. However, In reality multiple social classes, ethnicity and types of people all still deal with grief, loneliness and solidarity throughout life, especially in such a crucial stage of life such as motherhood.

Photo-Layout.

Matthew Finn’s book layout consists of a hardback book containing a beginning page of wallpaper from his mothers home. This beginning page creates an immediate homely, calm feeling of a mothers comfort and how even though he no longer lives in that house, the wallpaper will immediately remind him of childhood nostalgia and looking back. It is then followed by the title of the book ‘Mother’ and the photographers name “Matthew Finn”, followed by a signed signature personally by the author and the publisher in a small font below.

The book then continues to a small 2 page explanation of touching moments in his mothers life such as different times he has taken images of her over the 30 years and how this project was not carefully ordered material but in fact a need to create stability and a ritual that he was not able to abandon. This essay helps to introduce the reader into the images there are going to view and provides an overview to the love, loss and hardship his mother faced throughout the period of 30 years he photographed her in her home. By doing this, the reader will feel a sense of familiarity and care for the mother and sympathise or empathise with the emotions and struggles she faced, alongside the happy and positive moments she shared with her son.

His book then consists of around 90 images of his mother which are displayed as single images, double page images and occasional images with a white border around them. However, these three formats create a theme throughout the book as all the images are presented similarly but differ slightly.

I can see this because in some images she is looking and posing or the camera whilst smoking, talking, writing, drinking cooking or cleaning. This demonstrates her daily duties in her life and her routine in life at her household. and in others she is mid-motion and not looking at the camera.

The majority of the images are of the woman herself, however, some of the images are of her possessions and objects in her home such as picture frames, her sofa, tables and rooms. These images are to show her possessions and how they have meaning and purpose in her life as memories and comfort items.

The title ‘Mother’- is a straightforward, to the point title highlighting who and what the book is about. The word mother immediately displays to the reader that the person is a parental figure who is an important part in the artists life. The narrative is a story of his mothers life throughout the 30 years and how her physical appearance has changed and how she can been affected by old age and illness. The photos have a trend of candid or documentary photography styles. The structure consists of a concept and narrative of basic everyday life, but instead romanticises a comfort with everyday routine and how her life goes on despite outside events. All the photos are in black and white which is a trend amongst them all as it shows they are all equal and of equal matter. It also shows a more solemn and dismal view as the dark tones show a sense of loneliness and sadness which the mother experiences. Although the images are taken along 30 years the editing of black and white are all similar although technology has evolved massively over time.

The book I have chosen to look at is called “half- story half-life” it seems to create a story based on perhaps masculinity and the teenage youth among boys, trying to discover their identities and bonding with one another as friends. All the images are set in a forest Using documentary style photography to create a story as although they know he is there taking photos the images are not staged as such and are just showing the adventures of the teens. I feel the story could be representing the fact they might be trying to escape reality, showing that they are care-free and just enjoying life hanging out in a forest. I also got the impression that it could perhaps also represent how males/teen boys tend to be more risk taking hence why some of the images show the boys jumping off cliffs into a natural lake. In almost all of the images the boys have no clothes on the top half of their body which also shows their muscles which could be relating more to the masculinity side of things showing again their strength and more risk taking behaviours that females arguably don’t have as much of.

Some of the images from this book:

2. Who is the photographer? Why did he/she make it? (intentions/ reasons) Who is it for? (audience) How was it received? (any press, reviews, awards, legacy etc.)

The photographer of the book is called Raymond Meeks. Raymond Meeks is a photographer who was born in Ohio in 1963, he has been recognized for his books and pictures centered on memory and place, the way in which a landscape can shape an individual and, in the abstract, how a place possesses you in its absence.  His books have been described as a field or vertical plane for examining interior co-existences, as life moves in circles and moments and events, often years apart that unravel and overlap, informing new meanings. Raymond Meeks lives and works in the Hudson Valley, New York. He gains inspiration by book narrative and collaboration with writers of poetry and short fiction and the merging of image and text. Half story Halflife, his recent body of work, is a visual biography of the post-teen age, in a specific time of the year, that leads from blizzards on unknown paths to leaps into darkness. The audience in which Raymond Meeks targets with his photo-book is summer dwellers (which is people who enjoy summer and make the most of it). Raymond Meeks’ photobook named “half-story half-life” was big among those especially youth who were also adventurous and could relate to the images within their own lives. Here is what Raymond Meeks said about what he had gained whilst and after creating this photobook “It was ritual. I was raised Catholic, so these rock outcroppings to me were like altars. These bodies leaping into the dark void almost became like this sacrament. I feel like each generation has to pay for the sins of the previous generation. They were almost offering up their bodies and it’s the process of evolving by way of ritual, that process of coming of age, something that’s been going on at this specific place for as long as people can remember” This quote actually somewhat relates to the study that I am doing as he also bases his personal faith around the images he takes and find references to how he was raised as a catholic.

3. Deconstruct the narrative, concept and design of the book and apply theory above when considering:

Book in hand: how does it feel? Smell, sniff the paper.

The book I have felt quite heavy and the cover was smooth feeling. The smell of the book was also almost musky it smelt rather old even though it was actually fairly new. It also had that distinct paper smell.

Paper and ink: use of different paper/ textures/ colour or B&W or both.

The paper of the book was in between both thin and thick paper it had a gloss coating on the paper which gave it a smooth texture. Each of the pages were white paper ages whilst all the images were in Black & White which gave the book a nice contrast in colour.

Format, size and orientation: portraiture/ landscape/ square/ A5, A4, A3 / number of pages.

The book “Half-story Half-life” is an A4 sized photobook in portrait format. There are 144 pages in the book and of those 144 pages 142 of them are pages with images on them.

Binding, soft/hard cover. image wrap/dust jacket. saddle stitch/swiss binding/ Japanese stab-binding/ leperello

The book I am looking at has a Soft cover where small sections have all been folded and held together before being glued to the cover. The cover is a faint image from the book imprinted on both the front and back of the cover as it loops around.

Cover: linen/ card. graphic/ printed image. embossed/ debossed. letterpress/ silkscreen/hot-stamping.

The cover is a soft card with an image from the same photoshoot presented in the book that is enveloped on the cover on both the back and the front.

Title: literal or poetic / relevant or intriguing.

The title of Raymond Meeks’ photobook title, Half-Story Half-Life, could be described as a reflection on the fragmented nature of memory, personal experience, and storytelling, suggesting a blend of narrative and existence that is incomplete or in flux.

Narrative: what is the story/ subject-matter. How is it told?

The photobook captures teens cliff jumping. He went back over several summers to capture the youth doing these activities. It creates a story of youth and growing up. The images seem to symbolize the transition from adolescence to adulthood as it represents the youth jumping into the unknown almost like how the future is unknown showing how the teens are fleeting from youth and going towards adulthood and the uncertainties that come with it this is represented through the images of the boys jumping into the lakes off of cliffs and exploring a forest. It also represents the desire they have to move forward and the risks that come with it when they do that, as they take a leap of faith jumping forwards into the unknown of the water below its the same as taking that leap into adulthood not knowing what is yet to come. I feel the images can create many stories through them as another way I interpreted it was as if it was showing how males are more prone to taking risks. Almost as if the book was based around masculinity and representing male strength through the shirtless images.

Design and layout: image size on pages/ single page, double-spread/ images/ grid, fold- outs/ inserts.

The image sizes throughout the book varies. Meeks may have been doing this to create a bigger picture behind the layout as all the images are different sizes and are placed in different locations on the pages this could be trying to express how not everything in life is the same and out of order as nothing goes one direct way in life. and the stages of going through life can be different for everyone with different struggles etc. Every image in the book is a single-page spread, with most pages having one image to every two pages with the occasional two pages with an image each. With some pages being very empty this could perhaps be suggesting how nothing is yet complete and there are always gaps and areas yet to be filled in life.

Editing and sequencing: selection of images/ juxtaposition of photographs/ editing process.

Meeks has selected a variety of images for this photobook however they are all very similar and are all images of either the males exploring, walking around the forest or jumping off the cliff into the water. he keeps a very structed set of images he has chosen to follow the theme. Every image in his photobook is in a black & white aesthetic and the sizing of the images when laid out varies massively amongst the book. The images look reasonably edited while also being very natural and just kept to how he has originally captured them.

Burnthouse Lane- Michelle Sank

1. Research a photo-book and describe the story it is communicating  with reference to subject-matter, genre and approach to image-making.

Michelle Sank’s photo book Burnthouse Lane explores themes of working-class life, youth culture, and the socio-economic landscape of a specific community in England. The book focuses on the lives of teenagers growing up in a town characterised by a sense of isolation and stagnation. Through her portraits and intimate images, she aims to convey the complexity of identity, youth experience, and the struggles faced by young people in areas marked by limited opportunities and social disillusionment. The subjects seen in her images are portrayed in intimate, unguarded settings, providing a raw and authentic look into their lives.

The title Burnthouse Lane refers to a specific street in the area, and the book takes the viewer through various aspects of daily life, including the personal challenges and moments of vulnerability that these young people experience. It’s both a documentation of a community and a poignant commentary on the broader socio-political issues affecting that group. Ultimately, Sank’s work tells a story of resilience and the search for meaning in difficult circumstances, emphasising the human side of life in a place often overlooked by mainstream narratives.

Her approach to creating Burnthouse Lane was deeply immersive and observational, with a focus on building trust and establishing a personal connection with her subjects. She spent significant time in the community, getting to know the teenagers she photographed, which allowed her to capture intimate, candid moments. Her approach was not merely about documenting the external world but also about delving into the internal worlds of the individuals she photographed.

2. Who is the photographer? Why did he/she make it? (intentions/ reasons) Who is it for? (audience) How was it received? (any press, reviews, awards, legacy etc.)

Michelle Sank decided to create Burnthouse Lane in order to explore and shed light on the often overlooked lives of young people growing up in working-class, economically disadvantaged areas. Her motivation stemmed from a desire to understand and portray the nuanced experiences of adolescents in communities that may be stereotyped or misunderstood in mainstream narratives. She was particularly interested in the intersection of personal identity, socio-economic challenges, and youth culture, and how these factors shape the lives of young people. She wanted to go beyond surface-level representations of these teenagers and to counteract the negative stereotypes often associated with working-class youth, offering a more empathetic and complex portrayal.

She received positive feedback from the public for her book’s sensitive, empathetic portrayal of young people living in a working-class community. Critics and viewers praised the book for its raw honesty and the emotional depth with which it depicted the lives of its teenage subjects. Sank’s intimate, humanising approach to photography was particularly noted for capturing the vulnerability, strength, and complexity of adolescence in a way that felt authentic and not exploitative.

3. Deconstruct the narrative, concept and design of the book and apply theory above when considering:

• Book in hand: how does it feel? Smell, sniff the paper.Paper and ink: use of different paper/ textures/ colour or B&W or both

The pages have a smooth, thick, slightly matte texture, which enhances the richness of the images without being overly glossy or commercial. Burnthouse Lane primarily features colour images. The colour in this book serves to highlight the emotional depth of the portraits, with the vibrant hues of the teenagers’ clothes, the environment, and their facial expressions contributing to the overall narrative. The colour captures the gritty, lived-in quality of the community and the personal vibrancy of the youth she portrays. The book also feels quite heavy due to hardback cover, giving the book a more premium feeling.

• Format, size and orientation: portraiture/ landscape/ square/ A5, A4, A3 / number of pages.

Michelle Sank’s burnthouse lane book is a landscape, rectangular book, with pages slightly wider than A4 piece of paper but the length is smaller than that of an A4 piece of paper. This allows for an immersive experience from the viewer as their attention is solely directed towards the images.

• Binding, soft/hard cover. image wrap/dust jacket. saddle stitch/swiss binding/ Japanese stab-binding/ leperello

This book has a case bound binding. This is useful as it helps to maintain the integrity of the pages over time, especially since the book contains large, full-bleed photographs that deserve to be preserved in the best possible condition. The binding allows the pages to lay flat when opened, which is essential for a seamless viewing experience, especially for double-page spreads. The hard cover also provides protection to the pages, ensuring that the book can withstand handling and wear over time.

• Cover: linen/ card. graphic/ printed image. embossed/ debossed. letterpress/ silkscreen/hot-stamping.

Burnthouse Lane has a linen cover with an image of a girl on it. This material gives the book a tactile, premium feel, making it both visually appealing and durable.

• Title: literal or poetic / relevant or intriguing.

The title Burnthouse Lane is more poetic than literal, though it does have a literal reference to a specific place. Burnthouse Lane is the name of a street in a working-class area in the UK, and the title clearly grounds the book in a real location. However, the way Michelle Sank uses the title is more metaphorical, reflecting the broader themes of the book—identity, isolation, and the environment in which these young people live.

• Narrative: what is the story/ subject-matter. How is it told?

Burnthouse Lane portrays the lives of teenagers in an isolated, economically disadvantaged area. Sank is interested in how these young people navigate their daily lives, deal with the limitations of their environment, and form their identities. The teenagers are not depicted as victims of their circumstances but as individuals with dreams, conflicts, and complex emotions. The images reflect moments of vulnerability, camaraderie, defiance, and introspection. She tells this story primarily through her photography, using a mix of portraits and candid shots that emphasise the rawness and authenticity of her subjects.

Rather than using text to directly explain the story, Sank’s photographs convey the emotions and experiences of the teenagers. The book does not rely on captions or heavy narration. Instead, the images themselves serve as the storytelling medium.

• Structure and architecture: how design/ repeating motifs/ or specific features develops a concept or construct a narrative.

The book is structured in a series of photographic sequences, rather than a strict linear or chronological format. It moves through various moments in the lives of the teenagers, often focusing on small, intimate details that capture the essence of their experiences. The absence of text or captions means that each image stands on its own, yet they are all interconnected, building a complex portrayal of youth, identity, and the impact of socio-economic conditions. The specific, thought out pacing of the images allows the viewer to linger on individual portraits or group shots, giving the photographs time to evoke emotional responses. The book switches between portraits and photographs of the environment.

• Design and layout: image size on pages/ single page, double-spread/ images/ grid, fold- outs/ inserts.

Many of the images are presented as full-page shots, which allows the viewer to focus deeply on individual subjects and moments. These single-page images often create a powerful, intimate connection with the viewer. The sequencing of images in the book is done in a way that builds a visual narrative. While the book does not follow a strictly linear or chronological order, the flow from one image to the next creates a sense of progression. There’s a careful balance of emotional highs and lows—some moments of stillness or reflection followed by more active, expressive shots. This sequencing guides the viewer through different aspects of the teenagers’ lives, gradually revealing the complexity of their experiences. Sometimes the left page is left completely blank this is because as viewers, our attention normally goes straight to right page. So, Michelle Sank may have wanted the viewer to focus on specific images and so put them on a page alone.

• Editing and sequencing: selection of images/ juxtaposition of photographs/ editing process.

There’s lots of juxtaposition of photographs seen throughout her book; specifically on doubles pages. For example, on one double page there was an image of a house with toy unicorns outside and then the image on the other side had a toy dinosaur in it (these are typically opposite interests seen in children, with girls liking unicorns and boys like dinosaurs). On next page, there’s picture of a man with a watering can and then on the other side of the page there’s a lady with a hose (both doing gardening and so she put them on the same page). I also noticed that when a page has an object on the floor, the person in the image next to it is typically sitting down. She does this to link them together by having them at similar heights. It is evident that Michelle Sank carefully looked at ways her images match/ juxtapose one another and designed the layout of the book in a way to accommodate those different images.

• Images and text: are they linked? Introduction/ essay/ statement by artists or others.  Use of captions (if any.)

Michelle Sank’s decision to exclude text from Burnthouse Lane is a deliberate artistic choice that serves multiple purposes. By not using captions, narratives, or explanatory text, Sank allows the photographs to speak for themselves, encouraging a deeper, more personal engagement with the images. It also makes the book more universal as the images, free from specific context or explanation, invite viewers from diverse backgrounds to connect with the emotions and experiences of the subjects.

I chose to research and observe ‘ Shrinking violet’ by Shannon O’ Donnell expressing female expectations around the house, and the traditional role of women. These photos surround the theme of feminism and the inspiration from her mother. From what I take from this, she decided to take her images of herself on her own, similarly to Sherman’s work, she stood the camera up and posed with the correct props and clothing such as kitchenware and a dress and heels. Although the subject is expressing and revealing herself as being the traditional role in the house like a housewife, O’ Donnell making it look like she took these herself in her house creates an element of independency which clearly differs to the key stereotypical features of a woman.

The photographer is Shannon O’Donnell who was inspired by her project of making a film of her mother, including documenting her daily life and her mothers role in the household. One of her main elements was to obtain sarcasm whilst mimicking the traditional housewife stereotype as gender defines everyone and at her belief, can be limiting at times. Her approach to image-making was to stage craft them herself and pose herself. The audience I would say is too target women specifically as it may motivate women who face inequality to this day and definitely expresses a narrative surrounding the theme of women. However, she was massively inspired by Cindy Sherman’s book ‘Retrospective’. Her collection ‘retrospective’ is at the Museum of Modern Art. For a time Cindy Sherman, Troy Brauntuch, Jack Goldstein, Sherrie Levine, and Robert Longo shared a Soho gallery. Did they ignite “The Pictures Generation”? Recalling a long tradition of self-portraiture and theatrical role-playing in art, Sherman utilises the camera and the various tools of the everyday cinema, such as makeup, costumes, and stage scenery, to recreate common illusions, or iconic “snapshots,” that signify various concepts of public celebrity, self-confidence, sexual adventure, entertainment, and other socially sanctioned, existential conditions. As though they constituted only a first premise, however, these images promptly begin to unravel in various ways that suggest how self-identity is often an unstable compromise between social dictates and personal intention.

Cindy Sherman is a contemporary master of socially critical photography. She is a key figure of the “Pictures generation,” a loose circle of American artists who came to artistic maturity and critical recognition during the early 1980s, a period notable for the rapid and widespread proliferation of mass media imagery. At first painting in a super-realist style in art school during the aftermath of American Feminism, Sherman turned to photography toward the end of the 1970s in order to explore a wide range of common female social roles, or personas. Sherman sought to call into question the seductive and often oppressive influence of mass-media over our individual and collective identities. Turning the camera on herself in a game of extended role-playing of fantasy Hollywood, fashion, mass advertising, and “girl-next-door” roles and poses, Sherman ultimately called her audience’s attention to the powerful machinery and make-up that lay behind the countless images circulating in an incessantly public, “plugged in” culture. Sexual desire and domination, the fashioning of self-identity as mass deception, these are among the unsettling subjects lying behind Sherman’s extensive series of self-portraiture in various guises. Sherman’s work is central in the era of intense consumerism and image proliferation at the close of the 20th century.

Maturing in the 1970s in the midst of the American Womens’ Movement, later known as the rise of Feminism, Sherman and her generation learned to see through mass media cliches and appropriate them in a satirical and ironic manner that made viewers self conscious about how artificial and highly constructed “female portraiture” could prove on close inspection.

Some critics criticize Sherman’s Film Stills for catering to the male gaze and perpetuating the objectification of women. Others, understand Sherman’s approach as critically-ironic parody of female stereotypes. Others still, assert that both cases are simultaneously true, with Sherman knowingly taking on stereotypical female roles in order to question their pervasiveness. At the same time her adoption of these roles inevitably leads her to be objectified further.

However, Sherman claims not to be a feminist which slightly changes the narrative.

“The work is what it is and hopefully it’s seen as feminist work, or feminist-advised work, but I’m not going to go around espousing theoretical bullshit about feminist stuff.”

This slightly changes the narrative as it forces viewers to question, what was the purpose? and who was the audience targeted? Sherman’s photography is a depiction of the different ways culture defines “woman.” Her art plays on the feminist idea that gender arises exclusively within culture and deconstructs dominant gender ideologies, representing the underside of popular culture’s definition of “woman.”

Sherman recognizes those fixed identity concepts surrounding women, and she parodies the construction process and form of these symbolic myths, suggesting the possibility of women’s self-authorization in reality.

I personally like how it is a paper back however I prefer Shannon’s ‘ Shrinking violet’ being a hard back as it is more aesthetically pleasing. Sherman’s book is A4 where as Shannon’s is landscape, Sherman’s being portrait. Based off my images, I would typically decide portrait. Sherman’s book has 219 pages with lots of different collections. A lot of her images are in black and white, however her more modern images are in colour and are more unique ” Deconstructing a woman”. Whereas, Shannon’s are all in black and white. Shannon’s title being ‘Shrinking violet’ is rather poetic whereas Sherman’s is purely factual and based off her. I personally rather poetic titles as every individual can interpret it differently to them.

Both books effectively show a narrative and successful story telling within the same theme of women. Overall, they are very similar but at the same time different.

PHOTOBOOK: Narrative: What is your story?
Describe in:

• 3 words – teenagers going out
• A sentence – The life of young people going out and expressing their identities through nightlife.
• A paragraph – My story is the focus of nightlife and discovering the youth culture and identity within of me and my friends. It is authentic with mostly all my pictures being snapshots and not set up.

Design: 

I want my whole book to be black and have a hardback cover. The paper within will be black and the writing for the title and name will be white. some of my images within the book will be full bleed and others will be smaller with an image on each page. The title is ‘After Hours’ to symbolise that my images where taken in nightclubs and parties at nighttime. For the editing process I focussed on colours and contrast for all images, making sure that each picture paired together are matching.

Themes such as fear are often related to religion and superstition. I photographed a salt circle which is a cautionary step to create a safe space from the paranormal. I then made more figure shapes out of the salt and photographed some scribbles too.

Edited:

This shoot was completed over a lesson in the studio. I used the product table to get a clear image, I also liked the slight reflecting produced by the shine on the table in some of the images. I started out with 157 photos and widdled it down to 33.

Of those 33 I have chosen 12, out of those I have made two into black and white copies.

EDITS

For this photo I brought the exposer up to brighten it a little. Due to the fact that there is lots of texture and shape in the image, I have made a black on with copy of it.

for the two below, I brightened them up a little and made them a little more vibrant so that the colours popped out more.

FINAL PHOTOS

This is one of my favourites, it is of the skeleton of a leaf. The main vain that runs to the stem stands out and is in focus, where as where the leaf starts to curve towards the camera is out of focus, this adds an interesting depth of field to the image. The veins make a sort of maze for the viewer to follow with there eyes, adding a sort of mystique to and part of nature which most people would usually over look. this leaf has been give a sort of immortality through this photo, a second life, to live on in in a photo.

Narrative: What is your story?
Describe in:

• 3 words – A false calling
• A sentence – Someone seeking help from the supernatural and religion.
• A paragraph – My story is about someone suffering from severe mental health issues, it starts with them breaking down, it then moves onto them looking for answers in object that may represent the supernatural or a deity. The story ends with them losing control and their sense of self after dedicating the rest of their mental sanity towards pleasing the beings in order to receive their help.

Design: Consider the following

• How you want your book to look and feel – I want my book to maintain a unsettling vibe
• Paper and ink – Matte paper with black and white ink
• Format, size and orientation – Small 7 x 7 square format with around 60 pages or less
• Binding and cover – Hardcover with image wrap
• Title – “Phantasmagoria”
• Structure and architecture – Unsure
• Design and layout – Chaotic but uniform
• Editing and sequencing – Follows a narrative story
• Images and text – Images conveying what the selected words and definitions may look like in reality, e.g., mental deterioration with images following of what this may look like

For this photoshoot I focused on photographing my family in similar ways to old photos which I gathered from old family albums. I did this by using similar props to the old photos.

I went through my images and flagged the ones which are successful in a white flag, and the ones which arent as successful in a black flag. I also colour coded some images in blue, these are my best images which I am going to make edits of.

Best photos

Before and after edits:

Edit 1:

I also decided to create a black and white version as black and white images are largely linked to the past which I am trying to recreate through restaging old photos.

Edit 2:

For this image I did similar edits to the last one such as increasing contrast. I also decreased the saturation slightly as I found when I adjusted the other settings the colours became too vibrant.

Edit 3:

In the before photo the exposure is quite low as the face is quite dark compared to the background which is why I increased the exposure.

I prefer this edit in black and white as the bright white background doesn’t stick out as much as it does in the coloured version.

Edit 4:

Edit 5:

Evaluation:

I think this photoshoot was successful as I was able to recreate multiple of the old images in a similar way. My images I created represent the artist I responded to Irina Werning as I took them in a similar way to her, which is recreating old images in the same pose with the same props. I also created the same concept of her project ‘back to the future’, as all my images are recreations of old photos. Next I plan to recreate more images, I also plan on doing more portraits which I can combine with landscapes in a similar way to John Stezaker. I will do multiple photoshoots for my landscape images possibly in places which mean alot to each individual.