Statement of Intent:
For my third project, my chosen theme is Identity and I have chosen this as a theme as I believe there are a lot of different things that can build up a person's identity and there are lots of things to explore when photographing someone's identity. I also believe there is then a variety of final manipulations that I can create regarding identity both physical and digital. There are also a variety of things I can photograph to represent identity, for example a pride flag or someone wearing their typical cultural attire. I like the idea of studying identity because I like the idea of being able to represent and show the things that make up who a person is, within a single photograph. I believe just showing part of what makes up a person gives you even a brief insight into who they are as a person and can possibly share a message which is one of the things I like about photography as a subject. During carrying out this theme I hope to learn more about other people's identities and what can contribute to somebody's identity.
I intend to research photographers who also take photographs based around the theme of identity and possible edits or props for shoots. Some specific photographers I intend to research are Rosanna Jones, Brno Del Zou and Andrzej Steinbach. If possible I may also research Angela Wilkinson. I would like to research Jones, Del Zou and Steinbach as they all focus on identity and what makes up a person. I am hoping to research Jones especially as she works on how different things, like body image, whether negative or positive can impact identity. I would also like to work similarly to Del Zou as he works with cubism which is different from manipulations I have done in the past and I believe it would be good to try. I am also intending on asking people what they believe contributes to their identity personally to get an idea about the variety of things I could photograph.
For potential shoots, I am hoping to go into Manchester City Centre to take photos of different things (such as the Manchester bee or some pride things I’ve seen there) as I believe taking photographs of small things in a crowded place could show how small things can still contribute to someone’s identity. I am also interested in doing an indoor shoot of some people I know, in Jones’ style of photography (and manipulation) and possibly Wilkinson’s style of photography. I am aiming to also take some photographs in the same style as Andrzej Steinbach as his photographs seem to be people in their regular everyday lives, which can honestly display a lot about who they are in just the small daily things that they do.
To carry out this theme I would like to work with more of a physical medium, physically collaging photographs and editing them or adding to them on paper. However I would also like to try and create or imitate some of these effects or photographers in Photoshop too, not just physically, to further develop my skills in Photoshop and to learn how to do new manipulations in Photoshop. I would also like to take some photographs with different angles and framing to imitate some of the photographers I am planning to research.
In doing this project, I am hoping to learn more about the different things that can contribute to a person’s identity and how this can impact them, as well as how this can be represented in a photograph or manipulation. I also believe it will help me to learn more about how people can be represented in photographs, and how many things can impact a person’s identity, whether negatively or positively. To carry out this theme I would like to experiment with doing physical manipulations as well as hopefully experimenting with new techniques in photoshop.
For my third project, my chosen theme is Identity and I have chosen this as a theme as I believe there are a lot of different things that can build up a person's identity and there are lots of things to explore when photographing someone's identity. I also believe there is then a variety of final manipulations that I can create regarding identity both physical and digital. There are also a variety of things I can photograph to represent identity, for example a pride flag or someone wearing their typical cultural attire. I like the idea of studying identity because I like the idea of being able to represent and show the things that make up who a person is, within a single photograph. I believe just showing part of what makes up a person gives you even a brief insight into who they are as a person and can possibly share a message which is one of the things I like about photography as a subject. During carrying out this theme I hope to learn more about other people's identities and what can contribute to somebody's identity.
I intend to research photographers who also take photographs based around the theme of identity and possible edits or props for shoots. Some specific photographers I intend to research are Rosanna Jones, Brno Del Zou and Andrzej Steinbach. If possible I may also research Angela Wilkinson. I would like to research Jones, Del Zou and Steinbach as they all focus on identity and what makes up a person. I am hoping to research Jones especially as she works on how different things, like body image, whether negative or positive can impact identity. I would also like to work similarly to Del Zou as he works with cubism which is different from manipulations I have done in the past and I believe it would be good to try. I am also intending on asking people what they believe contributes to their identity personally to get an idea about the variety of things I could photograph.
For potential shoots, I am hoping to go into Manchester City Centre to take photos of different things (such as the Manchester bee or some pride things I’ve seen there) as I believe taking photographs of small things in a crowded place could show how small things can still contribute to someone’s identity. I am also interested in doing an indoor shoot of some people I know, in Jones’ style of photography (and manipulation) and possibly Wilkinson’s style of photography. I am aiming to also take some photographs in the same style as Andrzej Steinbach as his photographs seem to be people in their regular everyday lives, which can honestly display a lot about who they are in just the small daily things that they do.
To carry out this theme I would like to work with more of a physical medium, physically collaging photographs and editing them or adding to them on paper. However I would also like to try and create or imitate some of these effects or photographers in Photoshop too, not just physically, to further develop my skills in Photoshop and to learn how to do new manipulations in Photoshop. I would also like to take some photographs with different angles and framing to imitate some of the photographers I am planning to research.
In doing this project, I am hoping to learn more about the different things that can contribute to a person’s identity and how this can impact them, as well as how this can be represented in a photograph or manipulation. I also believe it will help me to learn more about how people can be represented in photographs, and how many things can impact a person’s identity, whether negatively or positively. To carry out this theme I would like to experiment with doing physical manipulations as well as hopefully experimenting with new techniques in photoshop.
Context:
This photograph was taken and manipulated by Rosanna Jones. Jones is a photographer and makes mixed media images. She specialises in “an experimental blend of art and photography” (source: ABOUT - ROSANNA JONES) and typically she will create her final photographs by painting over, ripping up, burning, bleaching and distressing her photographs so they no longer just seem flat and 2D. She finds destroying the photographs a largely therapeutic process and her work "draws attention to portrait photography’s central conflict—the idea that taking a person’s photo can immortalize them, in a way, but it can also be an act of violence." (source: Rosanna Jones Tears Up Her Photographs). Jones also did another collection called “Skin” about how body image, positive or negative, can impact identity. This project was inspired by a Franois de La Rochefoucauld quote: “We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others that in the end we become disguised to ourselves.” and throughout that project she explores beauty as a something that impacts how people feel rather than how they are perceived. A lot of Jones' work is making a statement about misogyny and the male gaze within the art/photography world, as it is still mainly dominated by men. Her manipulations of the photographs and the fact that in most of them the majority of the model's bodies are painted over or edited so that they are unclear, even to the extent of being torn up could symbolize that Jones refuses to let her model's bodies be exploited and wants people to focus on the photograph and why she creates it the way it is, rather than only focusing on the model's body itself. As well as this, it can display that there is more to the photograph than just the model and there is more to the model than just how their body looks. You can also see that in photographing them all of her models look extremely comfortable being photographed by her. In both the art and photography world, people have been conditioned to accept sexism and discrimination as natural, citing that female artists are labelled some of the best women artists rather than just some of the best photographers to paraphrase a quote from Georgia O'Keefe ("The men liked to put me down as the best woman painter. I think I am one of the best painters."). As a result of the sexism in both the art and photography world, incredible artists and photographers have been forgotten by history, since their work was disregarded due to them being female. Although I am limited in my position of things I can do to combat this, I will still do my best when I can to speak out against others' bigoted beliefs and to uplift and discuss female photographers who deserve the same placement as men in the same field.
Content:
This is a photograph which was developed and painted over by hand by Jones. I believe it is an abstract portrait as the paint over one side of the photograph makes it look as though the colours are bleeding out and melting away. The left of the model is distorted and is generally just a collage of colours blending together, covering roughly half of the model’s face and the majority of her body. I believe the colours that Jones has chosen look as though they’re similar enough to the base colour they’re over but slightly different before blending into darker or more saturated shades to make the effect noticeable. This photograph was in a collection entitled “Girls” in which Jones took different photographs of girls and manipulated them in her usual method by distressing them, the majority of the time obscuring some part of the model’s face, using bleach, paint, and tearing the photographs before putting them back together differently to gain her desired effect for this collection. The paint she used appears to be acrylic based on how it looks in the photograph. I believe she used acrylic paint as it is not water-based and is generally an opaque medium meaning that it would definitely cover the image below, whereas with gouache paint if you use too thin of a layer the photograph would probably show through. The paint is different shades of blue that contrast with the peach colour. At the bottom of the model's shirt there is a wrinkled pattern that I believe could be part of the photograph that was ripped by Jones however that could be just the design of the model's shirt. The model is posed stood with one arm crossed and one arm covering her face. I believe the model was posed this way as her arm splits the photograph and it then provides a starting point for Jones to start adding to the photograph and painting over it since the canvas is already split. The model has bright blue eyes which contrast with the peach of her skin, as well as this the red eyeshadow the model is wearing makes her eyes stand out.
Composition:
I believe that the rule of thirds may have been used as the model’s hand seems to line up with where the sweet spot is. There is a good use of space as the majority of the frame is used, the model is stood central and the colours ‘bleeding’ out to the left fills up more of the frame and uses the space in the photograph creatively and I think that this may have been Jones’s intention when initially taking the photograph as the majority of her photographs are taken in similar ways to this before the space seems to be filled after she has distressed the photograph. There isn’t a clear middle ground in the photograph, however the model is clearly the focus in the foreground and there is a slightly desaturated blue background. I believe that a relatively low ISO was used as there is no visible noise. I believe a high f/stop (possibly F32) was used as nothing in the photograph is out of focus or blurred. I also believe a high shutter speed, probably 1/1000 was used as again nothing is out of focus or blurred, although Jones could have used a lower shutter speed and just used a tripod. The photograph seems to be lit from the right and given that it is a studio shoot Jones likely used fluorescent as she probably will have had bright lighting set up.
Connection:
Jones' photographs are extremely similar to photographer Jenny Saville who's paintings also have coloured streaks of paint coming off the models face and similarly to some of Jones' other pieces of work, only the facial features are what is mainly visible in the photograph. They're extremely similar however Saville uses more different colours whereas Jones' colours are more similar shades and therefore look more blended together. I like Jones’ work because I quite like the idea behind her collages, that she destroys the photographs to reconstruct them and how her final creations are more than just a 2D photograph by the end. A strength in her work is how she manages to make the work seem more than just a 2-dimensional medium by her final piece and one possible weakness could be that in other work she could possibly work on contrasting more colours in her collages to add an impact and catch your eye a bit more. I believe the theme of her work links to mine and I am hoping to create some manipulations similar to hers, which means I would have to develop more of a skill working in a physical medium for my manipulation whereas I usually tend to use digital.
This photograph was taken and manipulated by Rosanna Jones. Jones is a photographer and makes mixed media images. She specialises in “an experimental blend of art and photography” (source: ABOUT - ROSANNA JONES) and typically she will create her final photographs by painting over, ripping up, burning, bleaching and distressing her photographs so they no longer just seem flat and 2D. She finds destroying the photographs a largely therapeutic process and her work "draws attention to portrait photography’s central conflict—the idea that taking a person’s photo can immortalize them, in a way, but it can also be an act of violence." (source: Rosanna Jones Tears Up Her Photographs). Jones also did another collection called “Skin” about how body image, positive or negative, can impact identity. This project was inspired by a Franois de La Rochefoucauld quote: “We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others that in the end we become disguised to ourselves.” and throughout that project she explores beauty as a something that impacts how people feel rather than how they are perceived. A lot of Jones' work is making a statement about misogyny and the male gaze within the art/photography world, as it is still mainly dominated by men. Her manipulations of the photographs and the fact that in most of them the majority of the model's bodies are painted over or edited so that they are unclear, even to the extent of being torn up could symbolize that Jones refuses to let her model's bodies be exploited and wants people to focus on the photograph and why she creates it the way it is, rather than only focusing on the model's body itself. As well as this, it can display that there is more to the photograph than just the model and there is more to the model than just how their body looks. You can also see that in photographing them all of her models look extremely comfortable being photographed by her. In both the art and photography world, people have been conditioned to accept sexism and discrimination as natural, citing that female artists are labelled some of the best women artists rather than just some of the best photographers to paraphrase a quote from Georgia O'Keefe ("The men liked to put me down as the best woman painter. I think I am one of the best painters."). As a result of the sexism in both the art and photography world, incredible artists and photographers have been forgotten by history, since their work was disregarded due to them being female. Although I am limited in my position of things I can do to combat this, I will still do my best when I can to speak out against others' bigoted beliefs and to uplift and discuss female photographers who deserve the same placement as men in the same field.
Content:
This is a photograph which was developed and painted over by hand by Jones. I believe it is an abstract portrait as the paint over one side of the photograph makes it look as though the colours are bleeding out and melting away. The left of the model is distorted and is generally just a collage of colours blending together, covering roughly half of the model’s face and the majority of her body. I believe the colours that Jones has chosen look as though they’re similar enough to the base colour they’re over but slightly different before blending into darker or more saturated shades to make the effect noticeable. This photograph was in a collection entitled “Girls” in which Jones took different photographs of girls and manipulated them in her usual method by distressing them, the majority of the time obscuring some part of the model’s face, using bleach, paint, and tearing the photographs before putting them back together differently to gain her desired effect for this collection. The paint she used appears to be acrylic based on how it looks in the photograph. I believe she used acrylic paint as it is not water-based and is generally an opaque medium meaning that it would definitely cover the image below, whereas with gouache paint if you use too thin of a layer the photograph would probably show through. The paint is different shades of blue that contrast with the peach colour. At the bottom of the model's shirt there is a wrinkled pattern that I believe could be part of the photograph that was ripped by Jones however that could be just the design of the model's shirt. The model is posed stood with one arm crossed and one arm covering her face. I believe the model was posed this way as her arm splits the photograph and it then provides a starting point for Jones to start adding to the photograph and painting over it since the canvas is already split. The model has bright blue eyes which contrast with the peach of her skin, as well as this the red eyeshadow the model is wearing makes her eyes stand out.
Composition:
I believe that the rule of thirds may have been used as the model’s hand seems to line up with where the sweet spot is. There is a good use of space as the majority of the frame is used, the model is stood central and the colours ‘bleeding’ out to the left fills up more of the frame and uses the space in the photograph creatively and I think that this may have been Jones’s intention when initially taking the photograph as the majority of her photographs are taken in similar ways to this before the space seems to be filled after she has distressed the photograph. There isn’t a clear middle ground in the photograph, however the model is clearly the focus in the foreground and there is a slightly desaturated blue background. I believe that a relatively low ISO was used as there is no visible noise. I believe a high f/stop (possibly F32) was used as nothing in the photograph is out of focus or blurred. I also believe a high shutter speed, probably 1/1000 was used as again nothing is out of focus or blurred, although Jones could have used a lower shutter speed and just used a tripod. The photograph seems to be lit from the right and given that it is a studio shoot Jones likely used fluorescent as she probably will have had bright lighting set up.
Connection:
Jones' photographs are extremely similar to photographer Jenny Saville who's paintings also have coloured streaks of paint coming off the models face and similarly to some of Jones' other pieces of work, only the facial features are what is mainly visible in the photograph. They're extremely similar however Saville uses more different colours whereas Jones' colours are more similar shades and therefore look more blended together. I like Jones’ work because I quite like the idea behind her collages, that she destroys the photographs to reconstruct them and how her final creations are more than just a 2D photograph by the end. A strength in her work is how she manages to make the work seem more than just a 2-dimensional medium by her final piece and one possible weakness could be that in other work she could possibly work on contrasting more colours in her collages to add an impact and catch your eye a bit more. I believe the theme of her work links to mine and I am hoping to create some manipulations similar to hers, which means I would have to develop more of a skill working in a physical medium for my manipulation whereas I usually tend to use digital.
First attempt:
I attempted this style of manipulation by printing out a photograph I had taken from my previous project and painted over it with different shades of acrylic paint with two coats to imitate the appearance of the thick textured paint Jones seems to use. To improve next time, I would use a photograph with a less monochromatic outfit on the model and I would blend the paint more.
Context:
This photograph was created by Brno Del Zou who is a “musician, photographer, sculptor, videographer, software designer, creator of video / sound / interactive installations.” (source: Brno Del Zou | Biography | Art collection online for sale on Kooness). He has a collection of photographs, including landscape and portrait manipulations similar to this one and has said that he draws inspiration from cubism (see earlier link for the source). He says that he believes that in attempting cubism with his photography that he is “faithful, perhaps even more, to the subject photographed by representing it from different angles, different scales, than by using the unique point of view of classical photography.” Del Zou was born in 1963 and was inspired also by growing up in the 1980s and the artistic culture at the time (source: Brno Del Zou - Bio, Artworks, Exhibitions and more - Artland). The photograph appears to be layered prints of the same face from different angles to create one overall photograph inspired by cubism. Cubism is “a revolutionary new approach to representing reality invented in around 1907–08 by artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. They brought different views of subjects (usually objects or figures) together in the same picture, resulting in paintings that appear fragmented and abstracted” (source: Cubism – Art Term | Tate). Cubism specifically is an art movement in which a photograph or painting is created with geometric shapes, interlocking shapes and possibly collage. This was revolutionary as it created different abstract paintings and abandoned typical perspective. It also "took a fresh look at reality" (source: https://www.artsupplies.co.uk/blog/revolutionary-art-forms-cubism/#:~:text=A%20revolutionary%20art%20movement%20that,that%20seemed%20distorted%20and%20broken) and brought together different pieces to create a finished piece of abstract art. This would have given people more freedom in creating their work as they were no longer bound to typical perspective rules and it meant that artists and photographers could have more creativity with their final pieces, not just being bound to realism.
Content:
The photograph is an abstract portrait and the title, according to my research, is “Léna”, which I assume is just the model’s name. It is slightly realistic, as the photos that are layered are realistic although combined together they are unrealistic. It is exaggerated in certain points, specifically one of the eyes. A theme of the work is cubism, and the layering of physical prints to gain this finished effect. The photographs are not all to the same scale, so that certain features are enlarged and emphasized. They are layered so that while you can see the general shape of the face it is clear that it is still abstract. It is also clear from the different shadows and angles on the photographs that they are mostly from different shots. The face is said to be split up and then reconstructed without losing the unity that holds it together and makes it exist. The eyes, one of them specifically, are quite big and are generally the most noticeable things about this piece. After that you tend to notice that the photograph contains five mouths, this was likely done intentionally as it was a specific number and follows the compositional rules of even and odd so it seems like a more natural amount. The model's face appears to get smaller as you go down in all of the separate layered photographs. The shots being from different angles could possibly symbolize conflict for the model and could display a meaning behind the photograph that the model is experiencing a deeper conflict within themself. The repetition of certain facial features (like with the eyes) could be to add emphasis on to them in particular and draw your attention to that part of the photograph as well as to possibly make you question the photographer's intent behind this. The different shadows and the fact that some of the shadows overlay some of the facial features are there because I believe this can give the model an illusion of mystery. The close-up on the freckles and the fact that the hair isn't brushed or styled perfectly gives me the impression that the photographer was trying to display the genuinely human imperfection of his model rather than having her look styled and too perfect. Given that the model's expressions are different in each shot, I believe this represents her inner conflict (like I said earlier) and that she may be confused or coming to terms with something.
Composition:
Since the finished piece is a combination of layered portraits that are all taken at different angles, it is difficult to tell what camera settings have been used. Mainly I believe a high f/stop may have been used as the details come across clearly in the photograph, probably f/22, a low ISO was also probably used as there doesn’t appear to be any grain and noise in the photographs. I can’t tell what white balance has been used due to the image being black and white, I also can’t tell if the photo was taken during a studio shoot or outdoor shoot however due to the plain backdrop I believe it may have been a studio shoot. Due to the finished photograph being a collage it is difficult to tell what compositional rules were used in taking the initial photographs however they were clearly close-up photographs. It is also unclear what the framing of the original photographs were. I believe Del Zou may have used a tripod and I believe he may have used a shutter speed 1/1000 to avoid any motion blur if the model happened to move. The model's eye seems to line up with a sweet spot for the rule of thirds and with the photograph getting smaller and smaller as you go down it seems to appear as a staircase. It also then places more emphasis on the model's eyes as it almost leads your sight up to them. The model's nose seems to form a leading line which also draws your eye in. The face is also framed by the model's hair surrounding it.
Connection:
I like this photograph because it uses cubism, a technique I haven’t yet experimented with and it is also a physical collage, which I would also like to attempt during this project. One possible weakness in his work is that the compositional rules used in the photographs are not clearly noticeable and neither are the camera settings. I like how the layering of the photographs and the varying angles make the final photograph look abstract. I could use these ideas in future shoots to create a physical collage in the same style as Del Zou.
This photograph was created by Brno Del Zou who is a “musician, photographer, sculptor, videographer, software designer, creator of video / sound / interactive installations.” (source: Brno Del Zou | Biography | Art collection online for sale on Kooness). He has a collection of photographs, including landscape and portrait manipulations similar to this one and has said that he draws inspiration from cubism (see earlier link for the source). He says that he believes that in attempting cubism with his photography that he is “faithful, perhaps even more, to the subject photographed by representing it from different angles, different scales, than by using the unique point of view of classical photography.” Del Zou was born in 1963 and was inspired also by growing up in the 1980s and the artistic culture at the time (source: Brno Del Zou - Bio, Artworks, Exhibitions and more - Artland). The photograph appears to be layered prints of the same face from different angles to create one overall photograph inspired by cubism. Cubism is “a revolutionary new approach to representing reality invented in around 1907–08 by artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. They brought different views of subjects (usually objects or figures) together in the same picture, resulting in paintings that appear fragmented and abstracted” (source: Cubism – Art Term | Tate). Cubism specifically is an art movement in which a photograph or painting is created with geometric shapes, interlocking shapes and possibly collage. This was revolutionary as it created different abstract paintings and abandoned typical perspective. It also "took a fresh look at reality" (source: https://www.artsupplies.co.uk/blog/revolutionary-art-forms-cubism/#:~:text=A%20revolutionary%20art%20movement%20that,that%20seemed%20distorted%20and%20broken) and brought together different pieces to create a finished piece of abstract art. This would have given people more freedom in creating their work as they were no longer bound to typical perspective rules and it meant that artists and photographers could have more creativity with their final pieces, not just being bound to realism.
Content:
The photograph is an abstract portrait and the title, according to my research, is “Léna”, which I assume is just the model’s name. It is slightly realistic, as the photos that are layered are realistic although combined together they are unrealistic. It is exaggerated in certain points, specifically one of the eyes. A theme of the work is cubism, and the layering of physical prints to gain this finished effect. The photographs are not all to the same scale, so that certain features are enlarged and emphasized. They are layered so that while you can see the general shape of the face it is clear that it is still abstract. It is also clear from the different shadows and angles on the photographs that they are mostly from different shots. The face is said to be split up and then reconstructed without losing the unity that holds it together and makes it exist. The eyes, one of them specifically, are quite big and are generally the most noticeable things about this piece. After that you tend to notice that the photograph contains five mouths, this was likely done intentionally as it was a specific number and follows the compositional rules of even and odd so it seems like a more natural amount. The model's face appears to get smaller as you go down in all of the separate layered photographs. The shots being from different angles could possibly symbolize conflict for the model and could display a meaning behind the photograph that the model is experiencing a deeper conflict within themself. The repetition of certain facial features (like with the eyes) could be to add emphasis on to them in particular and draw your attention to that part of the photograph as well as to possibly make you question the photographer's intent behind this. The different shadows and the fact that some of the shadows overlay some of the facial features are there because I believe this can give the model an illusion of mystery. The close-up on the freckles and the fact that the hair isn't brushed or styled perfectly gives me the impression that the photographer was trying to display the genuinely human imperfection of his model rather than having her look styled and too perfect. Given that the model's expressions are different in each shot, I believe this represents her inner conflict (like I said earlier) and that she may be confused or coming to terms with something.
Composition:
Since the finished piece is a combination of layered portraits that are all taken at different angles, it is difficult to tell what camera settings have been used. Mainly I believe a high f/stop may have been used as the details come across clearly in the photograph, probably f/22, a low ISO was also probably used as there doesn’t appear to be any grain and noise in the photographs. I can’t tell what white balance has been used due to the image being black and white, I also can’t tell if the photo was taken during a studio shoot or outdoor shoot however due to the plain backdrop I believe it may have been a studio shoot. Due to the finished photograph being a collage it is difficult to tell what compositional rules were used in taking the initial photographs however they were clearly close-up photographs. It is also unclear what the framing of the original photographs were. I believe Del Zou may have used a tripod and I believe he may have used a shutter speed 1/1000 to avoid any motion blur if the model happened to move. The model's eye seems to line up with a sweet spot for the rule of thirds and with the photograph getting smaller and smaller as you go down it seems to appear as a staircase. It also then places more emphasis on the model's eyes as it almost leads your sight up to them. The model's nose seems to form a leading line which also draws your eye in. The face is also framed by the model's hair surrounding it.
Connection:
I like this photograph because it uses cubism, a technique I haven’t yet experimented with and it is also a physical collage, which I would also like to attempt during this project. One possible weakness in his work is that the compositional rules used in the photographs are not clearly noticeable and neither are the camera settings. I like how the layering of the photographs and the varying angles make the final photograph look abstract. I could use these ideas in future shoots to create a physical collage in the same style as Del Zou.
Context:
This photograph was taken in June of 2019 by Dutch photographer Marvel Harris. It is a self portrait and is part of a collection of photographs that document his transition and his struggles with mental health and autism. Harris is a non-binary artist and photographer who described the project saying, “At first the focus of my project was my gender transition, but along the way I found out that it’s about an ongoing search for myself.” (Source: 'An ongoing search for myself': the story of a transition – in pictures | Art and design | The Guardian). This work relates to the current social climate and opinions on transgender and non-binary people as Harris “demands a more tolerant attitude from society towards transgender people and those who don’t identify as entirely male or female.” (Source: the earlier link.) Harris did say he created this project to document his transition, however this photograph specifically was taken as when he was young Harris loved the rain but in his teenage years began to forget the feeling. This photograph was then taken as Harris was recovering from gender-reassignment surgery and was feeling elated to re-experience this feeling in the rain and re-experiencing his childhood joy. This photograph may be especially important as many trans people feel a sense of loss of the childhood they could've had, since they didn't get to experience their childhood as their true self, and this photograph is Harris reliving a childhood experience that meant something to him. It can also provide a sense of hope to other people, especially young trans people who see it who are pre-transition or just beginning their transition, that they will get pure joyful moments like this again.
Content:
This photograph is titled “Dancing In the Rain” and is a self portrait. It is Harris, standing soaking wet outside of his parent’s house in the Netherlands, his head facing up towards the sky and smiling. It is not abstract and appears to represent his joy and display him reliving one of the childhood joys he found in rainstorms, now that he has been through and is healing from his gender-reassignment surgery. The theme of his collection was initially documenting his transition before later becoming a collection of photographs displaying his own search for himself. The photograph is in black and white and there is a clear central focal point of Harris. I don’t believe any parts of his photo have been exaggerated or distorted, as this photograph was created to display Harris’ pure, unfiltered, childlike joy at reliving an experience he has not experienced since childhood. The photograph communicates how happy Harris is now, juxtaposing how he felt when he was growing up and the discomfort he used to experience, and you can see this when looking at Harris’ expression in the photograph. You can also tell by how spontaneous the photograph seems, Harris isn’t wearing any clothes to prevent himself from getting rained on, and the photograph was taken just outside his parent’s house, rather than in a specific setting with a specific backdrop. I can relate to this as after coming out, beside the joy of finally getting to be who you are there is a sense of loss of the childhood you could have had, however moments like this, with the childlike joy and the reliving of memories from your childhood now being who you are, hits you with an overwhelming sense of happiness that you can clearly see from Harris' expression, because he's finally experiencing this as himself. After coming out there are moments like this, that allow for the overwhelming joy that he is clearly feeling and he has captured it well in this photograph.
Composition:
I believe that Harris used a low depth of field, perhaps f/2, to take this photograph as the houses in the background are out of focus, even the bush near him is out of focus and blurred. There is a foreground and a background however I don’t believe there is a middle ground, however some people may disagree as the bushes beside him could be the middle ground. The foreground is Harris himself, and the background is the aforementioned out of focus houses. A tripod may have been used because, as I mentioned, this was part of a collection of self-portraits and the shot does not seem to be framed in any particular way other than having Harris centrally. The photograph is in black and white so it is unclear what white balance has been used, however from the photograph I believe this was taken with a low ISO (possibly 100) as there is no visible grain on the photograph when I look at it, although the image resolution itself appears to be low as I got the image above from an article about Harris and could not find a higher resolution of the image to use. I also believe a fast shutter speed has been used as there is no motion blur on this photograph even though Harris seems to be laughing and moving in the photograph. I believe this photograph may not have been planned and would have been spontaneous as you can’t control the weather and with the space available at the sides of the photograph, it seems as though Harris was more focused on capturing his happiness, than worrying about the layout of the photograph.
Connection:
I really like Harris’ work as his collection is extremely inspiring to me to see the journey through his transition and how happy he was afterwards. It also inspires me to attempt to take some self-portraits to represent my own identity for this project. I can also use these techniques and ideas to experiment in future shoots as I can try shooting in black and white like I did in my portrait project. Harris’ work links to mine through theme mainly, as his work explores different parts of his identity (especially his transition) and finding himself, and my project is also centred around identity.
This photograph was taken in June of 2019 by Dutch photographer Marvel Harris. It is a self portrait and is part of a collection of photographs that document his transition and his struggles with mental health and autism. Harris is a non-binary artist and photographer who described the project saying, “At first the focus of my project was my gender transition, but along the way I found out that it’s about an ongoing search for myself.” (Source: 'An ongoing search for myself': the story of a transition – in pictures | Art and design | The Guardian). This work relates to the current social climate and opinions on transgender and non-binary people as Harris “demands a more tolerant attitude from society towards transgender people and those who don’t identify as entirely male or female.” (Source: the earlier link.) Harris did say he created this project to document his transition, however this photograph specifically was taken as when he was young Harris loved the rain but in his teenage years began to forget the feeling. This photograph was then taken as Harris was recovering from gender-reassignment surgery and was feeling elated to re-experience this feeling in the rain and re-experiencing his childhood joy. This photograph may be especially important as many trans people feel a sense of loss of the childhood they could've had, since they didn't get to experience their childhood as their true self, and this photograph is Harris reliving a childhood experience that meant something to him. It can also provide a sense of hope to other people, especially young trans people who see it who are pre-transition or just beginning their transition, that they will get pure joyful moments like this again.
Content:
This photograph is titled “Dancing In the Rain” and is a self portrait. It is Harris, standing soaking wet outside of his parent’s house in the Netherlands, his head facing up towards the sky and smiling. It is not abstract and appears to represent his joy and display him reliving one of the childhood joys he found in rainstorms, now that he has been through and is healing from his gender-reassignment surgery. The theme of his collection was initially documenting his transition before later becoming a collection of photographs displaying his own search for himself. The photograph is in black and white and there is a clear central focal point of Harris. I don’t believe any parts of his photo have been exaggerated or distorted, as this photograph was created to display Harris’ pure, unfiltered, childlike joy at reliving an experience he has not experienced since childhood. The photograph communicates how happy Harris is now, juxtaposing how he felt when he was growing up and the discomfort he used to experience, and you can see this when looking at Harris’ expression in the photograph. You can also tell by how spontaneous the photograph seems, Harris isn’t wearing any clothes to prevent himself from getting rained on, and the photograph was taken just outside his parent’s house, rather than in a specific setting with a specific backdrop. I can relate to this as after coming out, beside the joy of finally getting to be who you are there is a sense of loss of the childhood you could have had, however moments like this, with the childlike joy and the reliving of memories from your childhood now being who you are, hits you with an overwhelming sense of happiness that you can clearly see from Harris' expression, because he's finally experiencing this as himself. After coming out there are moments like this, that allow for the overwhelming joy that he is clearly feeling and he has captured it well in this photograph.
Composition:
I believe that Harris used a low depth of field, perhaps f/2, to take this photograph as the houses in the background are out of focus, even the bush near him is out of focus and blurred. There is a foreground and a background however I don’t believe there is a middle ground, however some people may disagree as the bushes beside him could be the middle ground. The foreground is Harris himself, and the background is the aforementioned out of focus houses. A tripod may have been used because, as I mentioned, this was part of a collection of self-portraits and the shot does not seem to be framed in any particular way other than having Harris centrally. The photograph is in black and white so it is unclear what white balance has been used, however from the photograph I believe this was taken with a low ISO (possibly 100) as there is no visible grain on the photograph when I look at it, although the image resolution itself appears to be low as I got the image above from an article about Harris and could not find a higher resolution of the image to use. I also believe a fast shutter speed has been used as there is no motion blur on this photograph even though Harris seems to be laughing and moving in the photograph. I believe this photograph may not have been planned and would have been spontaneous as you can’t control the weather and with the space available at the sides of the photograph, it seems as though Harris was more focused on capturing his happiness, than worrying about the layout of the photograph.
Connection:
I really like Harris’ work as his collection is extremely inspiring to me to see the journey through his transition and how happy he was afterwards. It also inspires me to attempt to take some self-portraits to represent my own identity for this project. I can also use these techniques and ideas to experiment in future shoots as I can try shooting in black and white like I did in my portrait project. Harris’ work links to mine through theme mainly, as his work explores different parts of his identity (especially his transition) and finding himself, and my project is also centred around identity.
Pinterest Manipulation mood board:
Photographer Mood boards:
Rosanna Jones:
Angela Wilkinson:
Andrzej Steinbach:
First Shoot:
Plan for Shoots
Name: Alex Clark
Project Title/ shoot number:
Identity-shoot 1
Description of aims for shoot:
In this shoot I am aiming to capture different parts of identity in photographs and create manipulations in the style of Rosanna Jones. I will do this by taking photos with different models than in previous shoots and using different poses to my previous shoots as well as experimenting with manipulations after taking the photographs.
Links with Photographers:
I am aiming to imitate the style of Rosanna Jones and possibly Angela Wilkinson as well as possibly taking photographs using poses similar to Andrzej Steinbach, however I will also experiment with poses (and manipulations) to attempt to be creative and unique
Location: This will be a studio shoot.
Props/ items needed: I will need a chair and two models in different clothing
Kit needed: I will use lamps, coloured lamps, backdrop and a camera.
Camera settings I will use:
F-Stop : I will likely use F/16 as I want the focus to be solely on the models rather than any details picked up in the background.
White Balance: I will likely use fluorescent for the white balance depending on the lighting.
Shutter speed: I will use 1/1000 to avoid any motion blur.
ISO: I will use 100 to avoid any grain.
Which compositional rules will I use?:
I am hoping to use the rule of thirds, central focal point, worms eye view, birds eye view, leading lines, rule of even and odd to ensure that my photographs look as aesthetically pleasing as possible and work still within the context of the shoot.
Name: Alex Clark
Project Title/ shoot number:
Identity-shoot 1
Description of aims for shoot:
In this shoot I am aiming to capture different parts of identity in photographs and create manipulations in the style of Rosanna Jones. I will do this by taking photos with different models than in previous shoots and using different poses to my previous shoots as well as experimenting with manipulations after taking the photographs.
Links with Photographers:
I am aiming to imitate the style of Rosanna Jones and possibly Angela Wilkinson as well as possibly taking photographs using poses similar to Andrzej Steinbach, however I will also experiment with poses (and manipulations) to attempt to be creative and unique
Location: This will be a studio shoot.
Props/ items needed: I will need a chair and two models in different clothing
Kit needed: I will use lamps, coloured lamps, backdrop and a camera.
Camera settings I will use:
F-Stop : I will likely use F/16 as I want the focus to be solely on the models rather than any details picked up in the background.
White Balance: I will likely use fluorescent for the white balance depending on the lighting.
Shutter speed: I will use 1/1000 to avoid any motion blur.
ISO: I will use 100 to avoid any grain.
Which compositional rules will I use?:
I am hoping to use the rule of thirds, central focal point, worms eye view, birds eye view, leading lines, rule of even and odd to ensure that my photographs look as aesthetically pleasing as possible and work still within the context of the shoot.
First model:
Second model:
Both models:
These photographs are displaying the model's individual identities explicitly through what they're wearing. The photographs of the two boys, one wearing Manchester United merchandise to represents a more sporty personality, whereas the other is wearing a theatre t-shirt displaying a more artistic personality. This contrasts and the back to back photos of the two raises the question of if they would even be friends with them having such contrasting, clashing interests. The last 5 photographs showing the boy on the right gazing back at the other (who is staring off into the distance) could show that he wants to reach out to him and be friends with him, but something could be holding him back. The earlier photographs of the model on the right, could represent a sense of struggle he could feel with his own identity or a possible feeling of pain, especially with him covering his face, giving a sense of not knowing or hiding who he is.
This photograph especially, where both models are covering their faces and sitting back to back, with their separate interests clearly on display, could convey a sense of emotion, could convey the sense that they had previously been friends but that this was no longer the case and they were struggling to know each other or be friends any more because of these conflicts. Even the gap between them and the fact that the model on the left is not fully in frame could possibly represent that he was pushed away by his friend who is in pain or confused. As well as this, his face being more uncovered in contrast with the model on the right, could display that he is more certain in who he is and what he's doing.
Best and Worst:
This photograph was well balanced and focused. The backdrop works well as neither of the models are wearing colours that are too light (apart from the hoodie of the model on the right of the frame) so it contrasts well. The low ISO has ensured there is no noise in the photograph and due to positioning of the models your eyes are drawn to them. The photograph seems to have warm lighting and a good white balance which compliments the warm colours in the frame.
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The shutter speed for this photograph was too high as you can see the models being out of focus due to movement and the model on the left of the frame is blurred despite not moving, this is also likely due to the shutter speed and my own hands shaking. I would mainly improve this by lowering the shutter speed and ensuring that the models aren't moving before taking the photograph. There is also too much room free at the sides of the models meaning that your focus isn't immediately drawn to them.
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Manipulations:
Double exposure edits:
Screenshots:
Physical manipulations/Combination Edits:
These manipulations were inspired by Rosanna Jones' photography and were created by printing the above double exposure manipulations and painting on top of them with acrylic paint.
Photographs of the process:
Pride mood board:
Second Identity Shoot:
Plan for Shoots
Name:
Alex Clark
Project Title/ shoot number:
Identity-Shoot 2
Description of aims for shoot:
In this shoot I am hoping to represent my own identity through different things I am photographing and possibly self-portraits.
Links with Photographers:
In this shoot I am intending to take photographs and self-portraits similarly to Marvel Harris, however I will not only shoot self-portraits and take photographs of other objects to represent my own identity. I will also hope to do a manipulation in the style of Brno Del Zou and cubism.
Location: This will be an indoor shoot
Props/ items needed: I will need a pride sign and I will model.
Kit needed: I will need a tripod and camera as I will be using the timer on the camera to capture my self-portraits.
Camera settings I will use:
F-Stop: This will depend from photo to photo, although I will probably mostly use a low f/stop to make the backdrop more out of focus.
White Balance: I will likely use a fluorescent white balance due to indoor lighting being quite bright, however this will depend on the actual photograph.
Shutter speed: I will likely use a fast shutter speed as although I do aim to use a tripod, I likely won’t use one for every photograph and therefore I will try to reduce motion blur as much as possible. Therefore the shutter speed will likely be around 1/1000.
ISO: I will likely use as low of an ISO as possible as I will try to minimise noise, so therefore I am aiming to use around 100 or 200.
Which compositional rules will I use?:
I will likely use a central focal point throughout with my photographs, although I am aiming to experiment with different framing for my photographs, and possibly symmetry and the rule of even and odd.
Name:
Alex Clark
Project Title/ shoot number:
Identity-Shoot 2
Description of aims for shoot:
In this shoot I am hoping to represent my own identity through different things I am photographing and possibly self-portraits.
Links with Photographers:
In this shoot I am intending to take photographs and self-portraits similarly to Marvel Harris, however I will not only shoot self-portraits and take photographs of other objects to represent my own identity. I will also hope to do a manipulation in the style of Brno Del Zou and cubism.
Location: This will be an indoor shoot
Props/ items needed: I will need a pride sign and I will model.
Kit needed: I will need a tripod and camera as I will be using the timer on the camera to capture my self-portraits.
Camera settings I will use:
F-Stop: This will depend from photo to photo, although I will probably mostly use a low f/stop to make the backdrop more out of focus.
White Balance: I will likely use a fluorescent white balance due to indoor lighting being quite bright, however this will depend on the actual photograph.
Shutter speed: I will likely use a fast shutter speed as although I do aim to use a tripod, I likely won’t use one for every photograph and therefore I will try to reduce motion blur as much as possible. Therefore the shutter speed will likely be around 1/1000.
ISO: I will likely use as low of an ISO as possible as I will try to minimise noise, so therefore I am aiming to use around 100 or 200.
Which compositional rules will I use?:
I will likely use a central focal point throughout with my photographs, although I am aiming to experiment with different framing for my photographs, and possibly symmetry and the rule of even and odd.
In photographing these shoots I was deliberately conscious of what I was wearing, ensuring that I was wearing a pride themed t-shirt to represent. I even wore trans pride shoelaces to emphasize the point of the shoot.
Best and worst:
I think this is my best photo from this shoot as it has a central focal point of the sign. The lighting in this photo isn't the best although I can modify that in photoshop. I used a low ISO so there isn't grain on the photo and I believe that the rule of thirds applies here as the sweet spots will line up with parts of the sign.
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I believe this is my worst photo from this shoot as the angle is bad and I look awkward modelling in the photo. Parts of the photo are out of focus also and my expression when modelling the photo because I look awkward draws away from the sign.
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These shoots were done with different signs, the first one being a sign with my deadname (birth name) that I tore up to represent getting rid of that old name and the second with a sign that says "Trans Rights are Human Rights" as that is a well known and used slogan for protest signs that are used.
Best and worst:
I believe this is the best photograph out of this shoot as it is well balanced, there is very little space on either side of the subject. The background colour makes the white sign stand out more without clashing with any of the colours in the text and the model doesn't draw attention away from the sign. The model doesn't detract from the main focus and overall the photograph is aesthetically pleasing.
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I believe this is the worst photograph out of this shoot, when isolated from the rest of the shoot the purpose of the photograph is unclear as well as this there is a lot of space around the sides of the model. The background colour also being so dark when the main focus is the model is to similar to the dark clothing of the model. All in all I do not believe this is a completely bad photograph, next time I would just crop the photograph and most likely use a different, lighter backdrop.
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Close-ups:
Best and worst:
I believe this is my best photo from this shoot as it is the most aesthetically pleasing, your eyes are drawn to the model when looking at it and the model's expression is not distracting, it is a more thoughtful expression rather than some more of the awkward ones from this shoot.
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I believe this is the worst photograph from this shoot as the angle and expression from the model are both awkward and the pose distracts the viewer. To improve next time I would change the angle of the photo to more close up and try a different pose or expression as a model.
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Brno Del Zou inspired Manipulations:
These manipulations were inspired by the photographers Brno Del Zou and David Hockney and were created as imitations of their manipulations, however I have put my own twist on this style of manipulation as the layered images in mine have overlay or other blending mode layers of pink and blue to represent the trans flag and by extension my own identity. I chose to do this kind of manipulation as It can display hidden parts of a person's identity and I feel as though it therefore fits well within my theme as well as what in particular I am taking photos of at the moment. I have achieved these manipulations digitally by using the rectangular marquee tool, the bucket tool and the different blending layer modes Photoshop has.
Screenshots:
Combination Edits:
Pride Edits:
I created these edits using Canva and the pen tool on Photoshop as well as the magic wand tool to select the letters I created these focused on (in that order) the concept of a deadname (a trans person's birthname), slogans from signs for trans rights protests and following the trans rights protest in London, during the time I have been working on this, for Boris Johnson to ban trans conversion therapy as well as general LGB conversion therapy. I focused on these issues as they are quite personal to me as a trans youth myself. The "deadname" edit was done with my deadname down the side, covered with skull emojis and my correct name across in the transgender pride flag colours to represent the death of who I "was" and who I am now. All of the text (other than the deadname) on all of the posters are in the transgender pride flag colours.
Screenshots:
Combination Edits:
These manipulations have combined the earlier manipulations in the style of Brno Del Zou with a double exposure effect and a text overlay to create mental health awareness style poster.
Final Gallery:
Evaluation:
In doing this project, I explored the theme Identity. I focused mainly on my identity, and what identity means to me although I did also do some research and some other shoots that were not directly related to my identity. When I initially chose this theme I was excited to develop my ideas on it. I was also curious as to what I could do to visually display identity for a photograph and wanted to investigate what people do in their day to day lives to display their identity. As I continued to investigate the theme, I enjoyed researching it as it was enjoyable to research what makes up people and their identities. In researching this project, I researched Rosanna Jones and Marvel Harris mostly. I discovered Jones’ photography after googling photographers who work with identity and became interested in her style of manipulations as she physically edits her photographs, painting them and tearing them as I’ve never tried that style of manipulation before. I discovered Harris’ photography as I researched LGBT photographers who work with identity to attempt to find some photographers I could relate to and relate my work too and there was an article about Harris documenting his transition through photographs. From studying his work, I saw how he managed to show emotions in his photographs and display who he is. Harris’ work really meant a lot to me and I took a lot of inspiration from his work, especially when working on my pride and mental health themed manipulations. Throughout my project, I maintained a central focal point generally, although I experimented with the type of manipulations I did within this project, including using physical manipulations as opposed to just digital manipulation as I did in my previous projects. The lighting was different in most shoots, however this was due to where the shoot was taken as different locations and situations require different lighting.
Doing this project, I have learnt how to do a double exposure effect and have refined my painting skills by imitating Rosanna Jones' manipulation style. It has also allowed me to think differently about how I view my photographs and how I can manipulate them and add to them physically as opposed to just editing them on Photoshop. I experimented then by, as I said above, painting over a physical print of my photograph with acrylic paint, to gain a similar effect to Jones’ photography and manipulation style. I did a first attempt at imitating her style using a photograph from my portrait project before actually then attempting to imitate her style using a specific shoot I took during this project. My photographs have become more sophisticated and refined over time as there are less noticeable mistakes in my later edits and as well as this I have begun using a different application (Canva) to work with text and have the ability to use different fonts and styles of text more effectively. One skill that I would like to develop further though, if I’d had the time, is that I would’ve liked to develop the ability to use both Photoshop and Canva more alongside each other as I didn’t quite get the hang of using the two alongside each other, just more as separate applications.
During this project I did run into some problems, mainly due to my own inexperience with taking self portraits and my own self-consciousness when being on camera. However, throughout this project, I managed to push myself out of my comfort zone and take more self portraits with the intention of displaying my own identity, and I did grow more comfortable with taking self portraits. This was just a matter of growing to be more confident and comfortable with self portraits.
I have presented my final images as a digital gallery. The first two are mainly black and white, with just the sign in colour and trans rights protest slogans written around and over the main photograph in the colours of the transgender pride flag, the slogans are “Support trans youth”, “Trans rights are human rights”, “All kids deserve love”, “Trans rights now” and “Include trans in the ban”. The next two are combination edits of physical manipulations over my imitations of Brno Del Zou edits, and my other Brno Del Zou edits layered over using a double exposure effect. I have used mainly the colours blue, pink and white as they are the colours of the transgender pride flag. And finally, I have two final edits which were created as mental health awareness posters using those two edits before this with mental health quotes layered over the top such as “Mental health matters” and “You don’t have to suffer in silence”. I was hoping to display different parts of people’s identity and to convey the layers of people’s identity that doesn't always come through visually. I do think I have conveyed this well, both through my self portraits and through the group shoot at the beginning of the project. I believe I have successfully explored the theme of this project, although I have focused mainly on aspects of my own identity. If I had more time, I would’ve liked to experiment more with candid-style images or more images from day-to-day life, in the style of Marvel Harris. My work here though, is extremely personal, as I have devoted parts of it specifically to my identity, such as the pride shoot and I hope viewers will understand that while this project is a representation of identity in people as a whole, but also that it is a representation of my identity.
Doing this project, I have learnt how to do a double exposure effect and have refined my painting skills by imitating Rosanna Jones' manipulation style. It has also allowed me to think differently about how I view my photographs and how I can manipulate them and add to them physically as opposed to just editing them on Photoshop. I experimented then by, as I said above, painting over a physical print of my photograph with acrylic paint, to gain a similar effect to Jones’ photography and manipulation style. I did a first attempt at imitating her style using a photograph from my portrait project before actually then attempting to imitate her style using a specific shoot I took during this project. My photographs have become more sophisticated and refined over time as there are less noticeable mistakes in my later edits and as well as this I have begun using a different application (Canva) to work with text and have the ability to use different fonts and styles of text more effectively. One skill that I would like to develop further though, if I’d had the time, is that I would’ve liked to develop the ability to use both Photoshop and Canva more alongside each other as I didn’t quite get the hang of using the two alongside each other, just more as separate applications.
During this project I did run into some problems, mainly due to my own inexperience with taking self portraits and my own self-consciousness when being on camera. However, throughout this project, I managed to push myself out of my comfort zone and take more self portraits with the intention of displaying my own identity, and I did grow more comfortable with taking self portraits. This was just a matter of growing to be more confident and comfortable with self portraits.
I have presented my final images as a digital gallery. The first two are mainly black and white, with just the sign in colour and trans rights protest slogans written around and over the main photograph in the colours of the transgender pride flag, the slogans are “Support trans youth”, “Trans rights are human rights”, “All kids deserve love”, “Trans rights now” and “Include trans in the ban”. The next two are combination edits of physical manipulations over my imitations of Brno Del Zou edits, and my other Brno Del Zou edits layered over using a double exposure effect. I have used mainly the colours blue, pink and white as they are the colours of the transgender pride flag. And finally, I have two final edits which were created as mental health awareness posters using those two edits before this with mental health quotes layered over the top such as “Mental health matters” and “You don’t have to suffer in silence”. I was hoping to display different parts of people’s identity and to convey the layers of people’s identity that doesn't always come through visually. I do think I have conveyed this well, both through my self portraits and through the group shoot at the beginning of the project. I believe I have successfully explored the theme of this project, although I have focused mainly on aspects of my own identity. If I had more time, I would’ve liked to experiment more with candid-style images or more images from day-to-day life, in the style of Marvel Harris. My work here though, is extremely personal, as I have devoted parts of it specifically to my identity, such as the pride shoot and I hope viewers will understand that while this project is a representation of identity in people as a whole, but also that it is a representation of my identity.