Photobooks
Photobooks are not just something to look at, they are said to be an essential item for anyone with a serious interest in the art of photography. A large part of photography is studying the history of the art form and looking at what other photographers have done in the past. Practice is very important in learning photography, but equally, so is study. Many photographers have used photobooks as a way to document their work, since long before the internet or hard drives. By looking deeply into the "portfolio" of one photographer through their photobook you get to truly understand their style as you are looking through their work in sequence so you understand their development, habits, etc. and in turn you can develop your own style. Through looking at multiple photobooks you can quire an understand of what has been shot in the past and in what way, so you are learning a history of photography. Through this you can use all this information to go even further as you know what has been done and what may work and what will not, all this even before you have to pick up a camera. You can learn from the mistakes and accomplishments others have made in the past. Photobooks are a very effective way to gain inspiration and drive to take more photos and be more passionate to push yourself further.
Also not all photobooks are visual so even though looking at actual photographs is beneficial, you can also learn a great deal from what has been written about photography in there many essays that are included some photobooks. By hearing what a photographers has written about their own work you can gain a clearer understanding of what they were trying to do and how they feel about the results. Many photographers in the past would have used photobooks almost as a diary to document their experiences and their thoughts on their own art and the art form in general so reading photobooks is essential in studying and again physical books is very often the only place to gain this information as in the past it would have been one of, if not the only medium to get the word out.
In all photobooks are a great and very important way to study the art and learn and develop without even having to get the camera out and as their are many different, distinct and unique styles of photography, their are also many different types of photobooks and a lot to gain from reading and looking through them.
Also not all photobooks are visual so even though looking at actual photographs is beneficial, you can also learn a great deal from what has been written about photography in there many essays that are included some photobooks. By hearing what a photographers has written about their own work you can gain a clearer understanding of what they were trying to do and how they feel about the results. Many photographers in the past would have used photobooks almost as a diary to document their experiences and their thoughts on their own art and the art form in general so reading photobooks is essential in studying and again physical books is very often the only place to gain this information as in the past it would have been one of, if not the only medium to get the word out.
In all photobooks are a great and very important way to study the art and learn and develop without even having to get the camera out and as their are many different, distinct and unique styles of photography, their are also many different types of photobooks and a lot to gain from reading and looking through them.
Sophie Calle. Suite vénitienne. Jean Baudrillard. Please follow me.This book is a collaboration between artists and photographers, Sophie Calle and Jean Baudrillard.
The images in the book are always on the right page while information and context of the picture are on the left. Both the image and the text are small and doesn't fill the page. They are instead placed quite randomly in the middle of the page, with the rest being completely blank and white. All of the photos in the book are black and white and have a 'noire' type feel to them. The book is also documenting an investigation so this adds to that idea. The photobook reads like a diary, as the text tells the story of what happened on a given day and the photo next to it is visual aid. There is never a full page of text, just single paragraphs floating in the middle of the page. The photos give the reader more information and the text says where and when they were taken, as well a who is in the picture and what i going on. Some pages have more than one photo, displaying several images in a sequence. These section give a "comic strip" style aesthetic. The pictures are also shot from the perspective of the person writing, which makes them even more personal. |
Tyrone Lebon. Nothing Lasts Forever.This photobook is relatively simple. It is a book of portraits shot by fashion photographer at his studio in South London over the course of 2010.
Every photo is the exact size of the page, so nothing is seen but the portrait. Most of the portraits are shot from very close up and often angled down on the subject. The images are extremely high quality and appear grainy. Not every image appears to relate to the image on the opposite page as many are of different people and the relation between the two isn't stated. Others are of the same person but shot from a different angle or in different clothes. Some may be of family members. There are a few instances of a portrait of someones faace being on one page and on the opposite side there is a small detail about this person such as a tattoo on their wrist. There are also a few cases of the photographer returning to a subject already photographed on a completely different page but photographing them ion a different way. There is no text inside the book (because as I said before nothing is seen but the photo) but on the cover the names of all the people photographed are displayed. Lebon doesn't follow many rules across the book and doesn't seem to make an attempt to make everything uniform and the same instead decided to do things in one way on one pages and different on another. Some subjects are photographed close up, some are silhouettes, some are smiling, some look solemn, some faces bleed over the page, some our perfectly framed within the page. There is also not much information at all within the book or online on Tyron Lebon's website or elsewhere so it is difficult to contextualise the contents. "Nothing Lasts Forever" was also an exhibition by Lebon at Soho Gallery, London. |
Miles Aldridge: I Only Want You to Love MeThis photobook is one of fashion photography but it takes a cinematic approach. The photographs are social commentaries, often focussed around home life and are made to convey the emptiness and depression of the so-called ideal consumer lifestyle. Aldridge has created a series of complex psychological scenes which showcase characters in some kind of domestic peril. While these characters appear to be living in a ideal setting such as a clean nice home, this is juxtaposed with the expression on their faces which is one of substantial discomfort, seriousness or extreme boredom. An example of this is the front cover which is a good representation of the content of the book as it displays a woman who has dropped and smashed some plates but rather than her simply looking shocked she has a more sinister and twisted expression on her face with no surprise whatsoever, as if she doesn't care about the plates at all and is just angry. I imagine it as if this type of situation happens constantly and at this point she is simply bored and tired of it all.
All of the images in the book are of women, often in the kitchen. They are shown doing typical housework which shows another element of the book as a social commentary as it is often stated in the media that women "would be happier in the kitchen" and these photos seem to be a criticism of that as they show women who are sick and tired of their home lives and they honestly look dead inside and out. One of the photos even shows a women holding a hair dryer up to her head, as if she is about to shoot herself, like the repetitiveness and boredom of this lifestyle has driven her to suicide. In a similar vein their is another picture of a bottle of ketchup that has fallen on the floor and smashed but it is made to look like blood splattered across the floor. These images are very interesting to look at for multiple reason and are extremely layered so this aspect has appeal as a clear criticism of the post modern world. One of the other appeals to this book are its vibrant bold use of colour which are nice to look at, as well as adding emphasis to the idea of the photos meant to be looking like the "perfect life". The images are also extremely well lit and generally have a surreal and strange aesthetic to them. Each photo creates a world within it with many complex layers for the viewer to decipher and the fact that they are also very intriguing and interesting draw viewers in. |
Diptychs
A modern diptych in photography is when two images are placed next two each other to make a new image. Therefore, rather than this just being two separate images beside one another, it is one complete image composed of two (1+1=3, not 1+1=2). Other variations of this format include triptychs, polyptychs and septychs. Originally the dyptych was just any object with two flat plates attached by a hinge.
Diptychs are often used to tell stories. They are very short as they are simply two image sequences so the stories they tell are very short but nonetheless effective and many photographers use diptychs almost as a challenge to be extra creative. The images typically used in diptychs would have significantly less meaning if displayed on their own so placing them beside one another is extremely key. Its what distinguishes it from just one frame in time, to a continuous motion as often you can see the movement within the picture, if they have been taken in sequence, one after the other. Similarly they can be used to show an extra detail or aspect that wouldn't be possible in a single image. More information about the moment in which the images were taken is available in diptychs as it opens up the world of that moment.
Photographs can be faked and constructed so their is something about multiple frames in sequence which makes them appear more real, even if it is still possible for them to be fake.
In making diptychs arguable one of the most important factors to consider is how the images work together. Making a significant and clear connection can make or break the effectiveness of the diptych and the use of the two images being put together should be justified.
Diptychs are often used to tell stories. They are very short as they are simply two image sequences so the stories they tell are very short but nonetheless effective and many photographers use diptychs almost as a challenge to be extra creative. The images typically used in diptychs would have significantly less meaning if displayed on their own so placing them beside one another is extremely key. Its what distinguishes it from just one frame in time, to a continuous motion as often you can see the movement within the picture, if they have been taken in sequence, one after the other. Similarly they can be used to show an extra detail or aspect that wouldn't be possible in a single image. More information about the moment in which the images were taken is available in diptychs as it opens up the world of that moment.
Photographs can be faked and constructed so their is something about multiple frames in sequence which makes them appear more real, even if it is still possible for them to be fake.
In making diptychs arguable one of the most important factors to consider is how the images work together. Making a significant and clear connection can make or break the effectiveness of the diptych and the use of the two images being put together should be justified.
Examples of Diptychs:
Luke Fowler: Two Frame Films 2006-2012
This book begins with several pages of just text and no photos.
The rest of the book includes no text just photos, until the end where there is a few pages titled 'Cross-Sectional Photography and a list of the titles of all the pieces included in the book. The name "Two Frame Films" is in the spirit of the idea that diptychs should tell stories. The book is showcase a series of diptychs, each conveying a separate story often of the goings on within a moment in time, or several. These stories vary greatly in contents. Some are simply showing two separate angles of the same location which allows a more complete perspective. Others show two separate moments which happened at similar times so it tells the story of what happened first and then last. In this specific book most of the photos have the exact same dimensions and all have a black line between the images. Another aspect Fowler would have had to consider is if he wants to make a link between diptychs on opposite pages. Often in this photobook images take on the same day or of locations in close proximity of each other will be displayed across the same double page spread. This makes it almost like a four frame story but the as the choice has been made to put these two pages next to eachother but Fowler has also made the decision to still separate the images through the seam of the page. |
My work
In the diptych above my intention was to attempt to make a link between two different images which may not appear to be connected. Both photos were taken on the same day, one on the train and one at the station. I decided to place them beside each other because I liked the way the two of them looked together and the colour schemes for each were pleasing. I was also experimenting with image sizes so I tried out making one image smaller than the other. The compositions of the two photos are quite similar so I thought that would be good link to make between them as both feature a large window on the right and a smaller one on the left towards the top of the image. They also both feature people (wearing black) towards the centre of the image. Another similarity between the two pictures I used for this diptych is in the idea of tunnels as the image on the right appears as a tunnel in its composition (even though its just a hallway) and a train is almost like a tunnel as well as the fact that in this frame we were going through a tunnel.
In this first diptych I was mainly playing around with different ideas and seeing what parallels I could make between two separate images to form one complete diptych. I tried to see if I could do this in an interesting and not obvious way.
In this first diptych I was mainly playing around with different ideas and seeing what parallels I could make between two separate images to form one complete diptych. I tried to see if I could do this in an interesting and not obvious way.
The diptychs above and below are linked. Originally I was going to make a diptych with the images on the right of the diptych above and below as the pictures are taken in the same setting so they are similar aesthetically. However I changed my mind and decided to switch them around in a way that makes the connections less clear. Again I tried making one image smaller and the other bigger.
In these two diptychs I was playing with the idea of contrast and in a similar way for each. In both images on the right of their diptychs the backgrounds are of garages and show an urban setting, they are metallic. On the other hand the images I chose to use on the right are of leaves and vines which shows a contrast in the contents, being the rural vs urban, as well as with the colours as one is more luscious greens and the other is blacks and greys. I placed the subject in both the rural and urban settings and juxtaposed them against eachother as I felt that made the link a bit more clear. It makes them more connected as both diptychs are doing a similar thing.
In these two diptychs I was playing with the idea of contrast and in a similar way for each. In both images on the right of their diptychs the backgrounds are of garages and show an urban setting, they are metallic. On the other hand the images I chose to use on the right are of leaves and vines which shows a contrast in the contents, being the rural vs urban, as well as with the colours as one is more luscious greens and the other is blacks and greys. I placed the subject in both the rural and urban settings and juxtaposed them against eachother as I felt that made the link a bit more clear. It makes them more connected as both diptychs are doing a similar thing.
In this diptych I chose to do something more simple. I made the link between the two images which makes it into one complete diptych much clearer. Again I decided to make one image smaller than the other as I just felt the two images looked good together like that. The link between the two photographed I used was the fact that the subjects face is obstructed in both images, as they have their head down and covered by a cap, or they have their back to the camera. I liked how these two images looked against the white background as well because the shots are both against a white/cream backdrop so it matches. I liked the idea of the subject looking like they're in the middle of nowhere so this background is an extension of this idea.
This is a triptych. Again I experimented with different image sizes and where exactly I wanted to place the photographs on the page. The link made between the three images is much clearer to see than my previous diptychs as these photos would taken in succession of each other and are as a result very similar in appearance. For this triptych my attention was more focussed on making it aesthetically pleasing which I felt it was in terms of the colours displayed and them matching the plain white background as they did in my previous diptych. However this sequence of pictures don't succeed in telling a story as I would have liked them to have as they are too similar and there isn't really a progression and no new information is gained in showing these images beside each other. If I were to attempt to do a similar thing again I would show an extra detail of the room/scene or something new happening rather than the man standing still in each photo. However if you look closely their is a slight story being told but in a very minor way as in the first image he is playing a keyboard, in the second he is playing what he played back on the laptop and in the last image he is turned away and talking to someone out of the shot which almost adds a "to be continued" feel to it as it may make people wonder "who is he talking to?"
This is my most successful diptych (5 images) thus far. It both shows a sequence of events with a progression, as well as another aspect of the setting. Firstly the images shown on the left hand side which go vertically show an over head point of view of a person putting something in the bin and then walking up some stairs. This shows a story being told as its displaying multiple frames in sequence which were take in sequence, and they also show movement.
On the right hand side is one significantly larger image of the sky and the moon. I felt like this work both aesthetically and in the vein of showing another aspect of the world of the photo and this moment as the photo was taken just before the photos of the boy. It being shown here makes it like its an overriding presence within the world as when the boy walks up the stairs, the sky is above. Its another detail of what was there on that day and since the lighting of the boy on the street is very good its interesting to see the sky as that is the source of the lighting. Also this area of the street looks quite futuristic and sci-fi so showing the moon which is in space felt like a good link.
I also like this (dip)tych because I like the way the greys look and the blue also adds another quality. It was important particular for the sequence on the right to be shown next to one another as all the images are of similar quality so just showing one would work as well in my opinion and I liked the movement shown across these pictures so showing them beside one another makes for a better looking product.
For future diptychs I will try to tell more of a story using them, to show a short sequence events happening in a simple way. I also want to focus more on just using two images to challenge myself and making the sizes more similar instead of one small one big.
On the right hand side is one significantly larger image of the sky and the moon. I felt like this work both aesthetically and in the vein of showing another aspect of the world of the photo and this moment as the photo was taken just before the photos of the boy. It being shown here makes it like its an overriding presence within the world as when the boy walks up the stairs, the sky is above. Its another detail of what was there on that day and since the lighting of the boy on the street is very good its interesting to see the sky as that is the source of the lighting. Also this area of the street looks quite futuristic and sci-fi so showing the moon which is in space felt like a good link.
I also like this (dip)tych because I like the way the greys look and the blue also adds another quality. It was important particular for the sequence on the right to be shown next to one another as all the images are of similar quality so just showing one would work as well in my opinion and I liked the movement shown across these pictures so showing them beside one another makes for a better looking product.
For future diptychs I will try to tell more of a story using them, to show a short sequence events happening in a simple way. I also want to focus more on just using two images to challenge myself and making the sizes more similar instead of one small one big.
SPECTRUM
Evaluation
I researched Sophie Calle, Jean Baudrillard, Tyron Lebon, Miles Aldridge, Luke Fowler. I discover Sophie Calle & Jean Baudrillard through looking at random photobooks. I was already a fan of Tyron Lebon and followed his work. Liam told me about Miles Aldridge. My teacher told me about Luke Fowler. From studying Sophie Calle & Jean Baudrillard I learned how photobooks can document events and work like a diary. I didn’t look at this book in terms of the style of photography they were using, as I was more focussed on the way the book was laid out and its concept. When looking at Tyron Lebon’s photography and photobooks I learned about his own style as a photographer and he’s fashion shots inspire me a lot as he does things I would like to try in my own work. His photobook is a book of close up portraits. I learned from this book that you can have an entire photobook with all the shots being full bleed and have it look nice.
A lot of the images I take in my own time, especially ones which are less calculated and are taken in the spur of the moment are similar to the portraits he takes as they are close up and personal with the subject making them have a similar intimacy as Tyron Lebon’s ‘Nothing Lasts Forever”. The photos in his book are edited and the colours have been played with which is something I previously hadn’t done but seeing the way the colours appeared in his book encouraged me to experiment with similar ideas in my portraits and photographs.
The themes I wanted to cover were architecture, light & line, colour, nightlife, street, portraits, fashion, people.
My ideas changed as teacher encouraged me to use my documentary style shots of real life people and I started to shoot more city scenery and street photography, capturing people and architecture, this lead into shooting line and light more, nighttime shots + lights
My ideas changed as I shot more. I wanted to shoot as much as possible any chance I got and through shooting a lot I was able to develop my ideas and see what I naturally gravitated towards and what I was already strong at. I was also able to practice and try out ideas I had been looking at. I looked at a lot of photography online on tumblr and I know exactly what kind of shots I like and what I would like to do but when I went out to try and shoot in this style it proved more difficult than I anticipated. I made sure to keep researching and seeing what I like and what I could try out next time I shoot.
Threshhold concepts explored: genres (fashion, architecture & scenery) capturing light, chance (shooting street photography and random strangers in public added element of chance. Also much of my personal photography has living breathing subjects so chance plays into capturing a good shot a lot because I have to anticipate their movements as I am not instructing the subjects and my timing must be good).
A lot of the images I take in my own time, especially ones which are less calculated and are taken in the spur of the moment are similar to the portraits he takes as they are close up and personal with the subject making them have a similar intimacy as Tyron Lebon’s ‘Nothing Lasts Forever”. The photos in his book are edited and the colours have been played with which is something I previously hadn’t done but seeing the way the colours appeared in his book encouraged me to experiment with similar ideas in my portraits and photographs.
The themes I wanted to cover were architecture, light & line, colour, nightlife, street, portraits, fashion, people.
My ideas changed as teacher encouraged me to use my documentary style shots of real life people and I started to shoot more city scenery and street photography, capturing people and architecture, this lead into shooting line and light more, nighttime shots + lights
My ideas changed as I shot more. I wanted to shoot as much as possible any chance I got and through shooting a lot I was able to develop my ideas and see what I naturally gravitated towards and what I was already strong at. I was also able to practice and try out ideas I had been looking at. I looked at a lot of photography online on tumblr and I know exactly what kind of shots I like and what I would like to do but when I went out to try and shoot in this style it proved more difficult than I anticipated. I made sure to keep researching and seeing what I like and what I could try out next time I shoot.
Threshhold concepts explored: genres (fashion, architecture & scenery) capturing light, chance (shooting street photography and random strangers in public added element of chance. Also much of my personal photography has living breathing subjects so chance plays into capturing a good shot a lot because I have to anticipate their movements as I am not instructing the subjects and my timing must be good).