Layered images...

For a recent brief, we were distributed random lines cut from a newspaper. We had to dissect the sentences, and begin trying to base our work around a subject. 

'draws deductions based on years of'

'in the near future, not just as Barthes'

'grandfather a master potter; he and'

'gap narrows again when the kids enter'

After researching certain words and elements of my sentences, I came to the conclusion that my  work would be based on the work of Idris Khan, especially his layered images on Roland Barthes' book 'Camera Lucida'.  Idris Khan imaged each page of the book aforementioned, and the digitally layered them on top of one another using photoshop. I especially love how he's done this, as I think it creates such a lovely ghostly effect - whilst also showing the occasional word through the blurred sentences.

Idris Khan 'Every Page... From Roland Barthes' 'Camera Lucida' 2004

I also looked at the work of Corinne Vionnet - a less known photographer. Although her work managed to inspire me and capture my attention, I didn't particularly like how she used pictures just off internet searches, rather than taking the images herself. She was bemused by the fact that when in a place of interest, people would all be attracted to taking pictures of famous landmarks and attractions, in the exact same spot. Rather than trying to differentiate their images from another person's, everyone would stereo-typically take the same image. So this is what inspired her to make the stereotypical landmark image, into a somewhat blurred and haunted image.  

Corinne Vionnet - Stonehenge 2005-2013

As the lines I was given, seemed to have an amount of links to family ('grandfather', 'kids'), I decided I would try and make a link in my images to past, present and future in family life. This fueled my initial idea of using Idris Khan as an inspiration, and I decided to photograph every page of 2 old family photo albums. By doing this, I was hoping to show how life moves on through a family, certain events happen in their life, that are important enough to be photographed and stored away as a keepsake.

First Final Image

The image above is the result of photographing every page of a photo album, and layering them on top of eachother using photoshop. However, I must admit that this image looks a lot better on printed paper, rather than a computer screen...

This is my favourite result out of the two photo albums... you can make your own mind up on looking at the next image. I just feel that this image portrays family life very well, and I love the bright colours coming through from all of the combined images. The haunted effect that the image shows, I feel is a beautiful way of portraying the 'past', which is one of subjects I wanted to focus on during this brief.

Final Image 2

This is my second image. You can probably see why I prefer the other one over this one... I find this image overall dull, and I'm not saying I wasn't happy with the result, but I just feel that the former one works a lot better. I placed the photo album on a brown background for this shoot, but edited it to black using photoshop as I wanted it to match the previous one. However, I feel that this took away too much of the edge of the album, removing it's look of a genuine photo album, so I would have liked to have initially shot this on a black background, rather than editing afterwards.
______________________________________________

We were required to shoot to images in the studio, and two on location for this brief. Fortunately for me, I was heading to South Africa over the Christmas period to visit family; I came to a decision of incorporating my trip into producing my two final images. While over there, I took many images of all sorts of things, animals, landscapes, family, sunsets etc... All of the usual holiday snaps!

On my arrival back to (not so) sunny Manchester, I chose to do my third final image on family and people, and my fourth solely on landscapes. So I digitally layered my chosen images for my third image, using photoshop and this was the result...

Final Image 3

I was extremely pleased with this image, infact I would go as far to say this is my favourite of the final four. I used a mixture of black and white images, and colour ones. I love how there are bursts of colour coming through the more dull parts of the image. On top of this, I think that it does a fantastic job of showing family life and the present times, as there is several different family members shown through the combined images.

Final Image 4

For my final final image, I used only landscapes to produce it. I was very pleased with the outcome of this image, as I love the fact that it gives the effect of a horizon along the bottom. I feel that this image is simple, yet beautiful, and it gives a lovely message off. The rose in the image, was a photograph taken on a beach that is quite poignant within the family, and I thought it would again, help portray family life, as well as past, present and future. 

Overall, I feel I was able to subtly depict a message through each image, without it being clear without explanation. I was pleased with the outcomes and will definitely be adding at least two of these images to my portfolio. 

X

Introduction 

I have decided to create a blog... one that I will hopefully stick to this time! I've had blogs in the past, but always ended up frustrated and wanting to throw the laptop out of the window... 

However, this time I have a purpose to. I will (hopefully) be posting regularly, my work and thoughts on current projects. I am am 18 year old photography student, living in Manchester.

If I happen to post anything other than my photography work, it is simply because 1) it inspires me/my work or 2) I have an interest in the subject I have posted on. 

Enjoy! 

You can find me on twitter here or instagram here