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.
Evaluation of photobook:
Overall, I am pleased with the outcome of my photo book and my careful selection of final images used. The front and back cover of the photo book set the tone for what’s inside as they reflect my different artist inspirations but also correlate with each other. I think there is a clear theme and message which can be seen immediately, and I think I have successfully displayed some of my personal ideas and opinions in my images throughout the book, yet it also leaves room for interpretation from the viewer, as only some pages are cohesive. There isn’t really a consistent flow throughout the book, which may be a drawback as it could be argued that the message is not clear due to the random order of the images. However, I think each page is engaging as there are clear connections between images and they are well composed and thoughtfully framed. The lighting and colour varies through the book, as I took my photoshoots in different locations and at different times of the day. The images inspired by Justine Kurland often have bright, natural lighting which enhances the mood and helps the viewer engage as they can see the adventure in the outdoors. This contrasts with other images from different shoots, particularly my second photoshoot where me and my subjects were outdoors in the dark. These images have lower exposure, less vibrancy and overall a more tense effect to them, which reflects the theme of youth through being rebellious, as well as reflecting bonds and community. I think all of my images have an emotional and intellectual impact on the viewer as they display my personal experiences with being a youthful female, which can help with engagement. I am also happy with the overall design of the book as there is a variety of different placements and spacing to create a rhythm, even though the arrangement of the images is random. Another drawback of my book is that I did not consider adding in any text to any of the pages, which may take away some value due to the fact it may be harder for the viewer to interpret my message. In conclusion, my personal study photo book reflects historical contexts of the Male Gaze, as well as traditional stereotypes of females and the behaviour we are expected to carry out. My images execute my ideas and beliefs on these contexts, and I have thoughtfully framed each image on every page to display my themes of femininity and youth through my own personal experiences.
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.
I experimented with my photos between landscape and portrait layouts and found that the portrait layout worked much better for my project. When I had the landscape I also didn’t explore the uses of templates throughout my book which made it look too busy on the pages as there was no black spaces making the book crowded and confusing.
After changing to portrait, I found it easier to use templates like two page spread as it meant my images weren’t stretched out to fill a landscape layout. I managed to create variations of layout on each page such as having two at different positions and sizes, followed by a two page spread. I also did a few pages with 3 images.
On some images I needed to use the zoom tool which zooms into the photo and fills the page. this cancelled out a lot of empty space in the image and resulted with making sure the main focus was the subjects face. One problem with this page was the composition of colour. The image on the left is a lot warmer than the right due to the left image being directly in front of the light from the sunset creating an orange tint on the skin. In comparison, the right image is a lot cooler as the subject is in a shaded area not being directly hit by the sun.
To fix this, I went back to the develop page where I edited the exposure, contrast and temperature of the image to match it more closely with the tone of the image on the left. This was the result.
Another change I made was transforming the images that aspects of the image such as the horizon was straight and not at an angle. to do this I selected the image I needed to edit (the right image) and the went back onto the develop page where I scrolled to transform and then clicked auto. This straightened out the image by automatically zooming in slightly and tilting the image so that the horizon went across the image straight and not diagonal. though is was a very minimal and slight change, it made a difference.
When working on double page spreads such as the one below, I needed to make sure that I wasn’t putting the main subject of the image in the centre as this would be stuck in the fold of the book. With this image, it nicely splits in the middle where the left shows two girls and the right shows another girl. this meant the split in the middle of the book did not interfere with any important features of the image and the main subjects are still very visible which being across two pages.
I started with resizing images to create uniformity throughout the photobook and allow for breathing room between images. I then removed any images I felt were not adding to my books overall aesthetic and narrative and/or were repeat images or too similar in nature. I then introduced a anonymous figure, using faceless and dynamic photos to create more an atmosphere mystery and inquiry.
Juxtaposing Images
These particular images were chosen in order to combine two opposing elements in the same page spread, highlighting the interesting contrast between the height, contrast, colour and form of the images, this creates an eye-catching and thought-provoking collection of images to break up any potential monotony throughout the photo book that may have occurred.
Ambiguous Characters
In my essay I looked into famously incredible photographic storytellers anna gaskell and duane michals and found a common lik throughout their compositions is the central character is often less anonymous and up to interpretation. not all my images are faceless, however all of them are somewhat obscured by either, shadow, hands, hair or intentionally unfocused images , this creates a sense of mystery and allows the viewer to speculate. this fills in any gaps they may be left when trying to portray and pictorial and wordless narrative.
In the case of witches rock some of the images I selected were chose to create a sense of panic, witches were persecuted and feared, i wanted to portray the felling of being hunted and shunned by society. i attempted this with tense images and false bindings, this is indented to create a feeling of anxiety within the viewer and worry for the witches in question, however in contrast with this the images i selected for the crooked fairy were to create an entirely different felling of fear and quierie, will this unknow creature harm our protagonist? this is even more impactful because of the anonymity of the individual in the photos as viewers are encouraged to insert themselves into the character.
Witches Seats
In order to create a juncture between the two stories I travelled around jersey photographing historical witches seats, when arranging these images i used a double page spread and aligned the houses so they carry on from each other, this is done to create a sense of community within the juncture and to illustrate just how prevalent these superstitions become in light of the folk tales and urban legends spreading across the channel islands, these beliefs created a community within the fearful so much in fact they had inbuilt infrastructure to prevent cursing and hexing from the local ‘witches’ on their journey to Sabbeth
