PHOTOBOOK
What is a Photo book?
A photo book can be defined as a book, where photographers gather images together into the form of a book, hence the name photo book. These book have a specific theme with all the photographs relate to and may have significant meaning to the photographer or for someone.
Why has it been such an important part of the history of photography?
One reason why photo books are so important in the art of photography, apart from the fact that it allows photographers to express themselves and create a story without or lack of text, but it helps other upcoming artists and photographers. Looking at photo books help other photographers become more passionate and also introduce this art to other people which them may make them more interested into photography. It is important for other photographers to see what was done in the past if it is for inspiration or something else that is personal. This gives them a better understanding of the art as they can see what the photography masters have done. Studying photo books makes you more advanced in the art as with any subject to be able to be good at it you need to practice and study. Photobooks allows people to help expand your own personal ideas and your style. Photobook is also seen as a record of the past. Allows people to see what was happening in the past and gives us a sense of the photographers personality and what was popular back in the day.
The first ever photo book that was ever created is "The photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions" in 1843 by a British photographer, Anna Atkins. This was created by using non-silver cyanotype printing process, which involved pressing pressing specimens onto light-sensitive paper, which lead to the word "impressions".
The first ever photo book that was ever created is "The photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions" in 1843 by a British photographer, Anna Atkins. This was created by using non-silver cyanotype printing process, which involved pressing pressing specimens onto light-sensitive paper, which lead to the word "impressions".
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First ever photobook:
The first ever photo book that was ever created is "The photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions" in 1843 by a British photographer, Anna Atkins. This was created by using non-silver cyanotype printing process, which involved pressing pressing specimens onto light-sensitive paper, which lead to the word "impressions".
Cyanotypes is a photographic printing process which creates a cyan-blue print. This photo book is based on it and Anna Atkins prints images of plants and flowers on it to create the first ever photo book. There is no writing conceding a photo in the photo book, apart from the contents and an introduction to the photo book For reasons we don't know why but we could imagine that Atkins wanted to allow the viewers to interpret her images without any type of restriction or guidance from her own words.
Cyanotypes is a photographic printing process which creates a cyan-blue print. This photo book is based on it and Anna Atkins prints images of plants and flowers on it to create the first ever photo book. There is no writing conceding a photo in the photo book, apart from the contents and an introduction to the photo book For reasons we don't know why but we could imagine that Atkins wanted to allow the viewers to interpret her images without any type of restriction or guidance from her own words.
How do you make one?
You can make a photo book by using an online website which allows you to send them a certain amount of images and they will print them out with high quality paper at a cost. Or you can make a handmade photo book with card and sew the papers together, or any other specific way.
Sophie Calle- "please follow me" (1980-96)
Subject Matter:
-This photo book is about following strangers around the streets of specific city and photographing the environment. This included places such as Paris, Venice and Calle del Traghetto. Allows the photographer and the viewer to have a view of normal peoples lives and also discover certain new environments. Also creates some type of mystery as the photographer willingly follows the stranger with no knowledge of where he/she is going.
Cover Design:
-The actual colour of the book is like and eggplant white, and the title of the book is in both red and white, (the names of the photographers are in red". The book isn't a hard book, meaning it is very flimsy but easily transportable.
Strength of the photography:
-What I believe that makes the collection of photographs stand out is the sense of mystery and how the photographs relate to a dark black and white film. They relate to these films as there's no text or sound, so the viewer has to imagine what is happening and create a story for themselves and the photographer. Even though all of the photographs are edited in black and white, the composition of the images makes them stand out as the photographer only focuses on what's "important" or what they want the viewer to focus on.
-Sophie Calle intentions of following a stranger and taking photographs was not because she was exactly interested in them but she had pleasure in doing so. We could also argue that Sophie Calles intentions, was to look inside how other people and enter their own environment. In a way, she is exchanging her life for the strangers as she enters their environment, somewhere or something she is not used to. This could lead to danger as she isn't exactly in control of the outcomes as she is following unknowing of the end.
-The style of photography and the camera technique suites the subject matter because the images relate to "gangster black and white films". Even though there aren't any guns visible in the images, the black and white effect and also the silhouettes that appear in the photobook. Gangster black and white films relate to darkness and mystery, not knowing if the photographs were taken in the day or night, the viewer gets a dark and eerie feel due to the fact that these photos have been edited in black and white. The first image, which also relates to "gangster black and white films" relates
Page Layouts:
-The images do not seem to be placed in a specific position. Each picture involved with the photobook, has it is own page. There's only a couple of photographs that are in the photobook that aren't with a piece of text on the opposite page (around 3/4).
-I do not think the placement of the images is based on a conscious choice. It seems very standard and not really thought about due to the fact that it is very simple.
-The text on the opposite sides of the images, relate to the images because Sophie Calle talks about where she was as she took the photo and the background of her journey following people still relating to the image. For example a picture took in a certain place, where it was taken, how she got there and what happened in that location.
-The layout feels dated or overly designed because there isn't any design in her layout. Due to the simplicity of the layout it cannot be considered as dated.
Editing and Sequencing:
-Sophie calle edited all of her images in black and white, to give the images a dark and mysterious feel to them. The first image sophie calle uses in her photobook hasn't been cropped as much as expected. On the left hand side, there is still a lot of black background without any focuses. Sophie Calle left the black background to show the lack of life in the area. Also allows the figure of the mans head to be more dominant and the main focus in the photograph.
-(Sequencing)
-This photo book is about following strangers around the streets of specific city and photographing the environment. This included places such as Paris, Venice and Calle del Traghetto. Allows the photographer and the viewer to have a view of normal peoples lives and also discover certain new environments. Also creates some type of mystery as the photographer willingly follows the stranger with no knowledge of where he/she is going.
Cover Design:
-The actual colour of the book is like and eggplant white, and the title of the book is in both red and white, (the names of the photographers are in red". The book isn't a hard book, meaning it is very flimsy but easily transportable.
Strength of the photography:
-What I believe that makes the collection of photographs stand out is the sense of mystery and how the photographs relate to a dark black and white film. They relate to these films as there's no text or sound, so the viewer has to imagine what is happening and create a story for themselves and the photographer. Even though all of the photographs are edited in black and white, the composition of the images makes them stand out as the photographer only focuses on what's "important" or what they want the viewer to focus on.
-Sophie Calle intentions of following a stranger and taking photographs was not because she was exactly interested in them but she had pleasure in doing so. We could also argue that Sophie Calles intentions, was to look inside how other people and enter their own environment. In a way, she is exchanging her life for the strangers as she enters their environment, somewhere or something she is not used to. This could lead to danger as she isn't exactly in control of the outcomes as she is following unknowing of the end.
-The style of photography and the camera technique suites the subject matter because the images relate to "gangster black and white films". Even though there aren't any guns visible in the images, the black and white effect and also the silhouettes that appear in the photobook. Gangster black and white films relate to darkness and mystery, not knowing if the photographs were taken in the day or night, the viewer gets a dark and eerie feel due to the fact that these photos have been edited in black and white. The first image, which also relates to "gangster black and white films" relates
Page Layouts:
-The images do not seem to be placed in a specific position. Each picture involved with the photobook, has it is own page. There's only a couple of photographs that are in the photobook that aren't with a piece of text on the opposite page (around 3/4).
-I do not think the placement of the images is based on a conscious choice. It seems very standard and not really thought about due to the fact that it is very simple.
-The text on the opposite sides of the images, relate to the images because Sophie Calle talks about where she was as she took the photo and the background of her journey following people still relating to the image. For example a picture took in a certain place, where it was taken, how she got there and what happened in that location.
-The layout feels dated or overly designed because there isn't any design in her layout. Due to the simplicity of the layout it cannot be considered as dated.
Editing and Sequencing:
-Sophie calle edited all of her images in black and white, to give the images a dark and mysterious feel to them. The first image sophie calle uses in her photobook hasn't been cropped as much as expected. On the left hand side, there is still a lot of black background without any focuses. Sophie Calle left the black background to show the lack of life in the area. Also allows the figure of the mans head to be more dominant and the main focus in the photograph.
-(Sequencing)
Fabio Miguel Roque - "Hometown" (2012)
Subject Matter:
-The book is about Fabio Miguel Roque focusing and reminiscing on his past and the environment he was surrounded by when he was younger. He describes his photobook as a "personal project". He focused on a specific period of his life and the photos show his relationship between his environment. Holding different types of memories and feelings. The subject matter focuses on nature.
Cover Design:
-The cover design is one of his images with a white strip in between the image. Almost like a knife cutting through. The cover design is in black and white. The main image on the cover seems to be reduced so that the white border trim can be seen to give the cover of the book a smooth and simple look. Also the cover design includes the handwriting of Fabio and says "hometown", with a drawing of a simple house in between the "home" and the "town", this gives the photobook a more personal feel.
-The book is a soft cover, rather than a hard cover. This could mean that Fabio isn't hiding from the world and openly wants to share his childhood with people. Soft cover could represent the "softer" side of Fabio Miguel Roque coming out.
Strength of Photography:
-The images seem to be highly edited with high contrast. The large amount of contrast on these images makes them stand out, because it allows the mage to be more vivid and have a 3d effect due to dark shadows and tones created from the contrast.
-The photographers intentions was to bring out his childhood and the environment that surrounded him to life. He wanted other people to see it they way he saw it and also to show how it benefited to his life. These images are unusual due to the fact that you wouldn't normally see the environment how it is captured and edited in these photographs. Fabio Miguel Roque took these photographers to reflect his state of mind. Fabio used a Canon 60d with a sigma lens and a Canon Speedlite flash ll,
Page Layouts:
-each image involved in the photobook has it its own individual page, which means that the viewer is able to see the full picture and its potential rather than making it smaller to fit multiple images onto one page. This also allows less distraction and confusion when trying to understand the image.
each image has it own page in the photobook. To get its full potential rather than making it smaller.
Text:
-Fabio uses his own writing for the text in the photobook. This adds to the close relationship this photobook is trying to portray concerning his environment.
Editing and Sequencing:
-The images had been edited in black and white and it seems like Fabio has increased the contrast of the images to make them stand out more, rather than the being "washed" out into the back ground as the whiter tones will cause that to happen.
-The book is about Fabio Miguel Roque focusing and reminiscing on his past and the environment he was surrounded by when he was younger. He describes his photobook as a "personal project". He focused on a specific period of his life and the photos show his relationship between his environment. Holding different types of memories and feelings. The subject matter focuses on nature.
Cover Design:
-The cover design is one of his images with a white strip in between the image. Almost like a knife cutting through. The cover design is in black and white. The main image on the cover seems to be reduced so that the white border trim can be seen to give the cover of the book a smooth and simple look. Also the cover design includes the handwriting of Fabio and says "hometown", with a drawing of a simple house in between the "home" and the "town", this gives the photobook a more personal feel.
-The book is a soft cover, rather than a hard cover. This could mean that Fabio isn't hiding from the world and openly wants to share his childhood with people. Soft cover could represent the "softer" side of Fabio Miguel Roque coming out.
Strength of Photography:
-The images seem to be highly edited with high contrast. The large amount of contrast on these images makes them stand out, because it allows the mage to be more vivid and have a 3d effect due to dark shadows and tones created from the contrast.
-The photographers intentions was to bring out his childhood and the environment that surrounded him to life. He wanted other people to see it they way he saw it and also to show how it benefited to his life. These images are unusual due to the fact that you wouldn't normally see the environment how it is captured and edited in these photographs. Fabio Miguel Roque took these photographers to reflect his state of mind. Fabio used a Canon 60d with a sigma lens and a Canon Speedlite flash ll,
Page Layouts:
-each image involved in the photobook has it its own individual page, which means that the viewer is able to see the full picture and its potential rather than making it smaller to fit multiple images onto one page. This also allows less distraction and confusion when trying to understand the image.
each image has it own page in the photobook. To get its full potential rather than making it smaller.
Text:
-Fabio uses his own writing for the text in the photobook. This adds to the close relationship this photobook is trying to portray concerning his environment.
Editing and Sequencing:
-The images had been edited in black and white and it seems like Fabio has increased the contrast of the images to make them stand out more, rather than the being "washed" out into the back ground as the whiter tones will cause that to happen.
Gary Baigent- The Unseen City (1967)
Subject Matter:
The book is about gary baigent photographing places and different scenes in Auckland, documenting the environment surrounding him.
Cover Design:
The cover photograph is a pigeon in the sky above a railway.
Strength of the Photography:
What i believe makes the images from the phonebook stand out is the high contrast on the images and the drier tones which can be seen. This makes certain events and specific parts of the image to stand out and more and create and focus point. The collection of photophgraphs all relate to "street photography" as it was taken to show Auckland. Another reason is because Baigent is said to have captured the hidden and rare places and images of Auckland, giving the area a different type of perspective. He has developed and create his on view of Auckland, in a way the normal eye would not see the area; which leads to reason on why the photo book is so unique.
Page layouts:
Majority of his images in the photo book are printed on a full page, which may lead to overlapping and making as big as possible to allow the viewer to clearly imagine the scenery. The images were printed on pages without a coat. The uncoated pages creates and adds texture and feeling to the images giving another experience to viewing the photo book, as the pages are rough.
Text:
There is no text in this photo book, apart from the title and some small texts and quote in the beginning. This could be because he wants the viewer to focus mainly on the photographs and let them interpret how they want to interpret the images.
Editing and Sequencing:
All the images have been edited in black and white. This gives a gloomy effect, and reflects on how the Gary Baigent feels about auckland. He maybe trying to say that there is a lack of happiness and excitement in Auckland.
The book is about gary baigent photographing places and different scenes in Auckland, documenting the environment surrounding him.
Cover Design:
The cover photograph is a pigeon in the sky above a railway.
Strength of the Photography:
What i believe makes the images from the phonebook stand out is the high contrast on the images and the drier tones which can be seen. This makes certain events and specific parts of the image to stand out and more and create and focus point. The collection of photophgraphs all relate to "street photography" as it was taken to show Auckland. Another reason is because Baigent is said to have captured the hidden and rare places and images of Auckland, giving the area a different type of perspective. He has developed and create his on view of Auckland, in a way the normal eye would not see the area; which leads to reason on why the photo book is so unique.
Page layouts:
Majority of his images in the photo book are printed on a full page, which may lead to overlapping and making as big as possible to allow the viewer to clearly imagine the scenery. The images were printed on pages without a coat. The uncoated pages creates and adds texture and feeling to the images giving another experience to viewing the photo book, as the pages are rough.
Text:
There is no text in this photo book, apart from the title and some small texts and quote in the beginning. This could be because he wants the viewer to focus mainly on the photographs and let them interpret how they want to interpret the images.
Editing and Sequencing:
All the images have been edited in black and white. This gives a gloomy effect, and reflects on how the Gary Baigent feels about auckland. He maybe trying to say that there is a lack of happiness and excitement in Auckland.
JAPANESE PHOTOBOOKS:
They started around 1960s-70s and change the whole perspective of photo books and highly influenced modern photographers involved with photo books.
They started around 1960s-70s and change the whole perspective of photo books and highly influenced modern photographers involved with photo books.
Eikoh Hosoe - Kamatchi (2009)
This is photo book was created to be a physical and visual documentation of Hosoe trip to a farming village in Japan. He photograph different views and action of the farmers and activities that they engaged in during his visit. His subject matter involves people and also the scenery around in the north of japan. This includes their crop such as rice fields. His worked included the performance of the people. All of his images are in black and white with high contrast. Constrast can also be seen the domestic work and the happiness of the workers. Most people will find their work receptive and strenuous but in some images there can be seen some time contemporary dance and life to them. This leads to how he partnered with Tatsumi Hijikata who is a dancer and choreographer who was responsible for the dance of darkness art form. Both of them involved with this photo book project lead to them capturing the land and the people living in the villages. Regarding the page layout some images take up both of the pages in the photo book, which allows the viewers to understand and see the landscape and in other pages on the left page it is blue and the other page has his image. The random blue contrast with the black and white photograph leading to some confusion to the viewers. They incorporate the meaning of the title of the photobook into each of the photos, as it seems to have a mystical presence in each of the images. This could be due to the black and white edit changing the way it looks and making it completely changing how it should look like, giving another view of the area that wouldn't normally be perceived. There are many different and conflicting emotions in the photo book with people flying off a roof or a man watching children. Also Hosose focuses on rural landscape photography, in a black and white/ sepia theme. This makes the tones in the photo much darker and almost hard to figure out what is there. May lead to people deciding and/or seeing things they want to see. The darker tones contrast with the sky making it the main initial focus.
Luke Fowler - 2 frame films (2006-2012)
While researching about Luke Fowler, i found out that he used a half-frame camera which prints the two images in one standard 35mm frame. Adding two images next together. Putting two contrasting images together creates another understanding of the image. It can be argued on if adding to images together still makes one image. The contrast of the images could make a new interpretation.
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image ideas (un-edited)
My aim for this photo shoot was to take photos that had aspects of line. My location was school and I went everywhere including inside and outside looking for anything that related to lines. I photographed straight and curved line. When thinking of lines, I sometimes think of symmetry and this lead to some of my images being symmetrical.
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Line photography:Using line in photography composition is a very unique and holistic approach as in some ways especially in my examples, the lines seems infinite. The formal element can be used in different ways, for example to help compose a photography by creating a frame for the subject. Can also be used to create and illusion by the angle it was captured, which creates the illusion of the subject or photography being elongated, and also to create contrast in the photograph by cutting things out. Lines can be irregular, horizontal and vertical, creating different meanings and moods. Horizontal lines relates to the mood or feeling of lack of change, so photographers use this to create and impact of timelessness in the photograph. Whereas vertical lines project the mood or feeling of stability and peace as in rock formation vertical lines shows the stability.
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edited images
I turned all of the photographs into black and white, increased the brightness and contrast so that the lines present in the photographs stood out and any colour in the photograph does not distract us from the theme of images.
Nicolas GoodenStreet photography is described as an art form that relates to taking photographs of not necessarily urban environments but outside while encountering the theme of chance. Gooden is a street photographer based in London. His work has a range of black and white and coloured images. One of his coloured images has been altered and edited so much that it gives out a psychedelic effect and feel. He also has an ongoing theme of shadows with at least 2 people, also in black and white suggest loneliness and melachony. Images that have been taken in colour, are very sharp with high contrast. This makes the colour get exaggerated more and makes it look different to how you would normally see things. Some images are in motion making faces blurred but the background is still and allows the focus point to change on something else other than a person.
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more ideas
I went around London and take images that had related to line. I found out that there is line through out our everyday commute and environment. I also have a mixture of edits through out the images taken. Some are in black and white to represent the mood and current time and i left colour in some of my pictures because it was aesthetically pleasing seeing the different coloured lines contrasting against each other.
PHOTOBOOK:
Photobook Evaluation:
I began this photobook unit by researching different types of artists who have explored different types of techniques, for example focusing on the formal elements or who have mainly focused their photobooks on contrast. Artists who mainly worked with contrast, used this technique to make certain subjects in the photography standout. For example Michelangelo used colour contrast by combing colours to create mid-tones and lighter tones. Other styles which related to contrast would be the bauhaus era, and an artists called Maholy Magy related to bauhaus with his photograms. His photograms were mainly in black and white and the high contrast made them extravagant. Focusing on contrast during my photo book research, i wanted to add certain simple contrasts in some images for example colour contrast and using the formal elements of line. 3 artists i mainly focused on during my research and one of them included Sophie Calle and her photo book "please follow me". All of her images were edited into black and white. She used tone and lighting to emphasise subjects in her photo book because there was no colour. I wanted to add that element of making black and white images to articulate and make certain shapes bold and also the subject of the photograph. Fabio Miguel Roque also uses the technique of contrast with black and white to create conceptual images.
As the photo book course journey continued, i realised i wanted to focus my photo book around the city of London in my perspective and also day life of myself. Including train stations, people and other things related my surroundings and environment. This idea was developed from the artist Gary Baigent and his photo book "the unseen city" as this similarly relates to my own concept and idea. With experimenting during the making of the photo book photographs, i looked at what type of cameras the photographers i was studying used and Fabio used a digital, while Sophie Calle used a mixture of film and digital. Using film camera gives the photograph a type of story and depth behind it, as I believe it adds texture and feel to the photograph. I took a series of film photographs so that I could understand and manage how a film camera works. Changing the exposure and how long before the shutter finally closed, was something that I was intrigued in as it changes the whole concept of the photograph. If I had more time, I would have taken more film photographs, because I really liked the outcome of images. Also I would have really made my actual photobook from scratch rather than buying the scrapbook template. This would have made the project more personal.
The final outcomes that was created came to be a photo book which showed my perspective of london. This included a range of coloured and black and white images. I also used film camera and experimented with the settings to give a surreal look towards what is see. The image i have chosen are all different but follow the same subject matter. The actual physical book i am not entirely pleased with due to the fact that it did not come out the way i would have liked. If i had the chance to do it again i would not use a book with spiral bound and maybe used a book that the pages were stuck together as it would give a journey and follow through feel. Also i added quotes relating to the images as it would create a story of the journey relating back to my subject matter of journey and my own perspective.
As the photo book course journey continued, i realised i wanted to focus my photo book around the city of London in my perspective and also day life of myself. Including train stations, people and other things related my surroundings and environment. This idea was developed from the artist Gary Baigent and his photo book "the unseen city" as this similarly relates to my own concept and idea. With experimenting during the making of the photo book photographs, i looked at what type of cameras the photographers i was studying used and Fabio used a digital, while Sophie Calle used a mixture of film and digital. Using film camera gives the photograph a type of story and depth behind it, as I believe it adds texture and feel to the photograph. I took a series of film photographs so that I could understand and manage how a film camera works. Changing the exposure and how long before the shutter finally closed, was something that I was intrigued in as it changes the whole concept of the photograph. If I had more time, I would have taken more film photographs, because I really liked the outcome of images. Also I would have really made my actual photobook from scratch rather than buying the scrapbook template. This would have made the project more personal.
The final outcomes that was created came to be a photo book which showed my perspective of london. This included a range of coloured and black and white images. I also used film camera and experimented with the settings to give a surreal look towards what is see. The image i have chosen are all different but follow the same subject matter. The actual physical book i am not entirely pleased with due to the fact that it did not come out the way i would have liked. If i had the chance to do it again i would not use a book with spiral bound and maybe used a book that the pages were stuck together as it would give a journey and follow through feel. Also i added quotes relating to the images as it would create a story of the journey relating back to my subject matter of journey and my own perspective.