Photoshoot 7: Work Record -

Work Record - 

Plans:

⧫ I will capture images using a polaroid camera (Fujifilm Instax Mini 8)
⧫ I will get subjects to create a diptych of photographs
⧫ I will get subjects to draw on the second of the photographs
⧫ I will gather a quote relating to the drawing on the second photograph

Hope to Achieve:

What I hope to achieve for shoot 7 is to document self identity of family through a diptych of polaroids, inspired by Julius D High and his "What is love?" series, where they take one standard portrait that appears like a passport photograph much like Thomas Ruff's style whilst the second is edited through physical manipulation using pens. I will then pose a question along the lines of "Why did you choose that design?" and create a caption with the subjects' response.

Shoot 7 will depict what people, my immediate family, perceive about themselves and how they present themselves to others. Moreover, the theme of nostalgia will again be continued as a connection between my first five shoots and my next idea featured in both this shoot and shoot 7 through the implementation of polaroids.

Actually Achieved:

Overall, I was pleased with the final outcome of shoot 7 in that it well continued my process and technique and therefore aesthetic established in photoshoot 6. The limited camera settings still worked well in the location and lighting of the scenario and provided the 90s reminiscent style that inspires both my work and the work of David Shama.

The final pieces are similar to the work of Julius D High in that the photographs are not extremely posed and create a natural atmosphere. Additionally, the diptych helps to convey the explicit and implicit ways of displaying self identity.

The captions explore each individuals responses in the similar way that Julius D High also uses captions to tell the narrative of the photograph but also more deeply of the person who is the subject. 

Progression: 

This is the second photoshoot in my the new direction and has well continued the aesthetic of shoot 6.

I will possibly be continuing this idea into my next photoshoots although I may adapt the ideas of technique and final outcome slightly to keep in theme with the aesthetic but show my development as a photographer with my own mind but also how I have been inspired by many others who have shaped my self identity as a photographer and a person.

Photoshoot 6: Work Record -

Work Record - 

Plans:

⧫ I will capture images using a polaroid camera (Fujifilm Instax Mini 8)
⧫ I will get subjects to create a diptych of photographs
⧫ I will get subjects to draw on the second of the photographs
⧫ I will gather a quote relating to the drawing on the second photograph

Hope to Achieve:

What I hope to achieve for shoot 6 is to document self identity of friends through a diptych of polaroids, inspired by Julius D High and his "What is love?" series, where they take one standard portrait that appears like a passport photograph much like Thomas Ruff's style whilst the second is edited through physical manipulation using pens. I will then pose a question along the lines of "Why did you choose that design?" and create a caption with the subjects' response.

Shoot 6 will depict what people, a few of my friends, perceive about themselves and how they present themselves to others. Moreover, the theme of nostalgia will again be continued as a connection between my first five shoots and my next idea featured in both this shoot and shoot 7 through the implementation of polaroids.

Actually Achieved:

I was very happy with the final outcome of shoot 6 in that I did not come across an difficulties with lighting due to careful placement of subjects that worked with the amateur aesthetic but also met the needed lighting requirements due to the limited settings on my polaroid camera. Additionally, the inspiration from various artists can be seen in my work which was a hope of mine through the means of polaroids, composition and then post production editing techniques such as is seen in my previously analysed Jamie Livingston photograph titled "09-18-1997".

The final outcome is reminiscent of the work of Julius D High in that the photographs are not extremely posed and create a natural atmosphere. Moreover the diptych helps to convey the implicit ideas of what self identity is. The first photograph on the left of each diptych is used to show the self identity presented to the public with the second image shows the hidden personalities, beliefs and thoughts.

However, to improve upon this shoot even more so I would have liked to expand the number of subjects used by further photographing more people. Perhaps even extending the idea of this shoot to a group of subjects not known to me, by approaching the mass public I could create a more in depth study in self-identity than currently shown.

Progression: 

This is the first photoshoot in a new direction of my project in that my style and technique is different from the collage style of my first five shoots.

I will be continuing this technique into my next shoot, shoot 7, but I will instead be photographing my family members with the same camera and same question que so that the aesthetics are similar but it also developed the idea of self identity through a variety of influences on my own self identity.

Photoshoot 5: Work Record -

Work Record - 

Plans:

⧫ I will capture images using a polaroid camera (Fujifilm Instax Mini 8)
⧫ I will capture images using my phone camera
⧫ I will collect relevant momentos
⧫ I will compose all items and images on an A3 sheet

Hope to Achieve:

What I hope to achieve for shoot 5 is to document an aspect of my life that is important in my documentation of self. This shoot will be composed physically as if a scrapbook page, which has been a hobby of mine for many years, and will combine photographs in various mediums, momentos and social media.

Shoot 5 will show a place that has been important in my upbringing; the location of the shoot is a place that I have visited with family since I was a child and is a place where I have many happy memories. Therefore, the theme of nostalgia and sentimentalism is recurring once more and these are features of my personality which I value highly and as such even the subjects of my shoots further study my idea of self identity.

Actually Achieved:

I achieved an overall aesthetic of connected images in my first five shoots as planned and also was correct in the majority of my predictions. I used a my Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 as my only camera in this shoot as a digital camera alone would have not been in keeping with my desired outcome and the polaroid camera fits more so with my personality and love for all things retro and vintage. Moreover, it is also a connection to many photographers who have influenced me.

This collage did not use any digital photographs but instead, much like shoot 3, uses elements of old media. The polaroid camera provides an aesthetic that I enjoy even when the minimalist lighting settings do not go as planned. The final images themselves work with the location and meaning of the shoot in that it is a remark about my young childhood and at that point polaroid cameras were still very widely used. The use of colour and lighting was very important to me in specific reference to this shoot in that it focused on my happy relationship with my grandparents but also my happy and naive memories of childhood.

Although, to improve this shoot I would have liked to expand the subject further by photographing multiple locations relating to childhood memories of places and give each individual shoot in that sub-series a colour palette that links to the colours that I mentally link with specific memories of happiness, excitement and such.

Progression: 

This collage is the final in the style that I planned for my first five shoots. The technique of using multiple mediums within one final image is something that I do not plan on continuing for my next shoots.

I will most likely attempt to show a link and development between my ideas of the first five shoots and my next shoots in that I plan on using the older medium photographs. My current plan is to use polaroids although developments may lead me to change my idea especially the closer that I get to my final shoots.

I will be adapting my ideas to show my individual perceptions of both photography and the chosen exam question connected images in a way that draws inspiration from photographers in my research log and photographers research and also how I am capable of developing my own individual ideas.

Photoshoot 4: Work Record -

Work Record - 

Plans:

⧫ I will capture images using a digital camera (Canon EOS 450D)
⧫ I will capture images using a polaroid camera (Fujifilm Instax Mini 8)
⧫ I will capture images using my phone camera
⧫ I will collate relevant social media
⧫ I will collect relevant momentos
⧫ I will compose all items and images on an A3 sheet

Hope to Achieve:

What I hope to achieve for shoot 4 is to document an aspect of my life that is important in my documentation of self. This shoot will be composed physically as if a scrapbook page, which has been a hobby of mine for many years, and will combine photographs in various mediums, momentos and social media.

Shoot 4 will exemplify my friendships but also a hobby of mine; all images captured will be during a day of filming a music video as media is a hobby of mine but also a course that I study. Thus the photographs depict my educational life, friendships and hobbies all in one connected image series resulting in a final A3 scrapbook page.

Actually Achieved:

I was able to achieve most of my hopes for this shoot in that I have depicted most of the themes that I had hoped to. I was using my DSLR camera and my fujifilm polaroid to convey youth in the modern and older respects of it. I also subverted my own expectations in my resourcefulness of finding relevant momentos to the shoot.

The final image is aesthetically pleasing in that I created an amateur aesthetic of layering and composite photography as a collage using a collection of photographs and items. The layout and composition was carefully considered. The use of various colours, both black and white and colour photographs, makes links to inspirational series' from artists such as David Shama.

Progression: 

I will carry on this idea until my fifth shoot by using continuing the use of multiple photographic mediums across the first shoots of my project focusing on connected images. The final shoot due to its location may again mean that large digital cameras could be too obtrusive and difficult to manage due to shooting on location. Therefore, I may adapt my idea and use only one type of medium such as polaroid to continue identity established with the earlier shoots.

Consequently, the photographic skills will be somewhat variant to those seen previously but the overall final aesthetic and appearance should be reminiscent and almost a pastiche of my pervious work.

Photoshoot 3: Work Record -

Work Record - 

Plans:

⧫ I will capture images using a polaroid camera (Fujifilm Instax Mini 8)
⧫ I will capture images using a disposable camera (Vintage Single Use Camera 27 Exposure)
⧫ I will collate relevant social media
⧫ I will collect relevant momentos
⧫ I will compose all items and images on an A3 sheet

Hope to Achieve:

What I hope to achieve for shoot 3 is to document an aspect of my life that is important in my documentation of self. This shoot will be composed physically as if a scrapbook page, which has been a hobby of mine for many years, and will combine photographs in various mediums, momentos and social media.

Shoot 3 will depict my friends and also youth subculture which are significant aspects of my lifestyle as a teenager in a modern society. I want to convey a juxtaposition in respect of displaying aspects of modern youth life but completing it through older mediums such as disposable film cameras and polaroids.

Actually Achieved:

I did achieve most of my hopes for this photoshoot in that the final compilation of images appeared as a fun scrapbook page with elements of interactivity in that some things featured in photographs are also able to be touched on the collage.

This collage did not use any digital photographs but instead creates the muted colour aesthetic often seen in old media cameras such as film. I decided against using a digital camera in this photoshoot as I wanted to draw upon the 90s youth aesthetic of films which have influenced me for many years. The modern aspects of the collage is through the use of social media such as a Spotify playlist which again makes a connection to my first photoshoot in that it references one of my favourite bands. Moreover, I was able to bring in small hints towards works of other inspiration such as Jamie Livingston; not only did I use polaroids which was Livingston's chosen medium but I also captured one photograph where the subject is a collection of other polaroids from the night like the image "03-30-1980".

However, looking back at this shoot now I believe that I could have further played with the theme of youth more so than solely depicting my friends. For instance, I could have exaggerated images and created a faux documentary style like David Shama by using real people and real relationships but adapting them to fir my ideas more so. For example, I could have played upon the darker ideas of youth opposed to only a few ideas of youth as fun and trouble. However, as this project revolves around self in my first five shoots it feel that personally it would be wrong to adapt the images. Also, the subjects in my photoshoots are everyday people who are in my life not as models for photography but as family and friends.

Progression: 

I will continue this idea until my fifth shoot by using multiple photographic mediums and continuing the collage idea as my exploration of self through various themes. My next shoot will also address friendships and youth but also study my education in respect of media and photography as I will photograph the images during a day of filming a music video.

The next shoot will utilise polaroid photography and digital photographs. The momentos might once again be harder to come by as the shoot is outdoors and is more of an experience than an event like in photoshoot 1.

Thus, the collage technique will continue into shoot four and shoot five but the aesthetic techniques may change. I am hoping that for shoot 4 I can create a more cohesive final piece through colourisation and other such connections.

Photoshoot 2: Work Record -

Work Record - 

Plans:

⧫ I will capture images using a digital camera (Canon EOS 450D)
⧫ I will capture images using a polaroid camera (Fujifilm Instax Mini 8)
⧫ I will collect relevant momentos
⧫ I will compose all items and images on an A3 sheet

Hope to Achieve:

What I hope to achieve for shoot 2 is to document an aspect of my life that is important in my documentation of self. This shoot will be composed physically as if a scrapbook page, which has been a hobby of mine for many years, and will combine photographs in various mediums, momentos and social media.

Shoot 2 will demonstrate my closeness of family and their significant role in my life and having shaped me through socialisation.

I hope that I will be able to collect a good amount of momentos to create a more nostalgic final product but this may be difficult due to the private and small nature of the subject matter.

Actually Achieved:

I did complete the most of my previously outlined hopes for this photographic shoot in that the images captured were more intimate in their composition and were warmer in their hues and tones whilst still bringing the nostalgia in through the use of polaroids and scrapbook techniques alongside digital photography.

Whilst I did capture a good amount of digital photographs the main focus for this shoot was on the careful balance between polaroids and digital and as such I carefully selected the images seen below on the collage to depict some of the more important elements of my family life. For example, there are images on the page which have hidden meanings for me that might not immediately be evident to an audience member as the whole purpose of my connected image collages is to study myself and how I am influenced by all of these subjects of shoots. The small photograph of three pairs of slippers makes a reference to my Granddad's make do and mend nature who often wears tape to keep his slippers together, or the mugs of tea on the table with cake as my Nan is a great baker and finally of the photographs on the wall that depict exploits of all five children and all four grandchildren.

Despite all the positives of this photoshoot there were elements that I would liked to have been improved. For instance, the collection of momentos was difficult as it was an intimate private family event meaning that there were few things to add to the scrapbook collage page. I knew prior to this shoot that this may be an issue.

Progression: 

I once again plan to continue this idea into my next three photographic shoots but to instead convey other elements of my life. The technique of using multiple cameras and capturing images in many mediums will continue but be adapted to fit each photoshoot situation. Most shoots should combine digital DSLR images alongside Fujifilm instant polaroids but this may change as adaptions are made to the later photoshoots.

Despite my plan for using digital and polaroid together my next shoot will possibly use two more nostalgic mediums due to the subject. The theme of shoot three is about youth culture and friendships and as such I wanted to draw inspiration from youth nostalgia often presented in 90s coming of age teenage movies which is also an inspiration of of David Shama's.

Therefore, whilst the collage technique will continue the smaller elements will change such as the aesthetic and medium of photography.

Photoshoot 1: Work Record -

Work Record - 

Plans:

⧫ I will capture images using a digital camera (Olympus Stylus SH-1)
⧫ I will capture images using a polaroid camera (Fujifilm Instax Mini 8)
⧫ I will capture images using my phone camera
⧫ I will collate relevant social media
⧫ I will collect relevant momentos
⧫ I will compose all items and images on an A3 sheet

Hope to Achieve:

What I hope to achieve for shoot 1 is to document an aspect of my life that is important in my documentation of self. This shoot will be composed physically as if a scrapbook page, which has been a hobby of mine for many years, and will combine photographs in various mediums, momentos and social media.

Shoot 1 will depict my love for music and how it is a shared hobby between me and my brother.

Actually Achieved:

I did complete the majority of my hopes for the shoot; however, due to the difficulty of transporting a Canon EOS 450D DSLR camera around London and using such equipment in small music venues I had to make a compromise with the digital image quality by using an Olympus Stylus SH-1.

Due to the number of photographs and momentos gathered for this shoot I was able to create two scrapbook pages. The first image seen below is my favourite of the two as it depicts some of the more memorable sections of the night and because of the finalised composition being more carefully considered in spacing and layout. The digital photographs utilise colours and black and white effectively whilst the polaroids depict a more personal interpretation of photographic mediums and how I wished for the shoot to appear almost timeless through the nostalgic medium of polaroids. As such I wanted the images to demonstrate how I was influence by Dash Snow but how I also adapted ideas so that they could work effectively with my own.

The second scrapbook page is less successful as the majority of my best images were used on the first page which meant that composition and aesthetics are somewhat lacking in the second page. The use of text is more prominent on the second page opposed to the first which was not necessarily planned but creates a varied aesthetic that could encourage more interpretations of my final collage than planned.

Progression: 

I intend to continue this idea into my next few photoshoots but to depict other elements of my life. The style of capturing photographs in multiple mediums will continue but be adapted to fit each scenario. The next idea that I have is centred around family which means that I will possibly be able to create a more intimate environment even whilst using my larger DSLR camera because I am familiar with my subjects. It should also mean that the photographs will be clearer and more accurate than the above photoshoot.

However, the momentos will be less evident than in this photoshoot as the scenario is a birthday opposed to a big organised event such as this gig.

Moreover, I believe that the colours and overall aesthetic of my work will be vastly different in the next photographic piece due to the location, subjects and situation.