Books without Photos, Annotations

What is denoted?

The Book Covers do not have photos on them. This is denoted by using the use of the text of lines to highlight what the book is all about. The Denoted context is for the viewer to open the book to find out what the book is all about.

What is Connoted?

The Connotation from the books without photos makes it harder for some of the viewers to follow what it is all about due to how it has all been styled. The use of it not having any images is to communicate with the viewer to make them look in the book before they buy. So that people do not judge a book by its cover. The feeling of looking at a book like this in a book shop without any images makes it harder for people to follow what it is going on. This has the advantage of getting the viewer to look further into the book for them to understand what is going on. While in contrast the viewer might be put off buying or reading the book as it is harder for them to follow.

How are you affected as a viewer?

On looking at the covers it makes it hard to understand what the book is all about because of the way it has all be styled, this will make the viewer confused and make it harder to understand. When Looking into the book the impression changes and makes you interested in what is going on. Having the cover plain makes slightly repulsed as it can be harder for me to understand what is going on. This can be the opposite to other people might prefer this to other covers with images on.

What makes this work significant to you (and or your project)?

I am going to take forward how basic the book is with the images being not shown and allowing there being more information about the book. I am planning on using the position of the text with it being in the centre of the cover allowing the viewer to focus on this before they turn the page. I think the way that it is shown with it having some information about the work without showing any images is just important. The use of a dust jacket also works because it allows there to be images of the front while the dust jacket is pure text this another method that I am looking to explore. I think that the use of the cane without and images will show that the book is about age without having to see any of my photos.

What are the strengths of the source you are looking at? What are the weaknesses of the work?

The Strengths with this work is that the book covers are done to be simple with the way it has been presented to the viewer by showing nothing going on which can immerse them to look at the book. The use of negative space makes sure that the viewer engaged in what is going on at the moment, the user transfers across when looking at the book with it looking simple. The weakness of this is that the book looks boring and not as interesting when going to look at the book when wanting to purchase it. I am going to change this by making sure that it can be simple and connect with the viewer at the same time.

What ideas (or visual styles) will you take forward to think about in your work?

I am planning on taking forward the idea of having the text all in the middle because it might be more powerful, I am not planning on having the front cover empty because it will look wrong for what I am planning on achieving. If I am taking more information, I might have a drawing a cane to show that it has links to age.

Who is the intended audience?

The indented audience for this book is for people who are interested in what the book is all about. The Book offers people different ideas about what the work has been produced and what also needs to be edited to make it stand out. The Books are done for the time of print with them be linked at the time of it being printed off. This does not affect my reading of this now. Books are all Contemporary as they show the information for that time of being printed and produced for the importance of the artists and what they were after.

What context have you seen the work in?

The Context of the Work That I have Seen this in has been as the book cover in my hand then scanned in, The Context of the work goes in the style of the book. With some of them being used to document the artist's work and what they have produced. While other books context work with the history of something and for the viewer to understand what they are all about. The work that has been produced for all the books without photos on the cover would not work in a gallery as they all would be out of context with what is going on as they have not got any photos2. They would work the door to highlight what the book or art is all about. The message would not work in a gallery as they do not have images and they would all be lost. You can see what they are trying to achieve without changing the body position.

Is this work part of a bigger series?

The Book covers to sum up what the photographers have done with the work. For some of the photographers, there will be more to come due to the nature of the book.

Book Covers with Photos: Annotations

What is denoted? 

The Book Covers Denotes the image on the front of the book showing what the project and book are all about. The Book Covers use 1 photo for most of them with some having more to highlight more information for that project.

What is Connoted? 

The Connotation from the images of the book is to give the viewer more of an understanding of what the books are all about. Books have the feeling of being inquisitive because of the way it has been presented. The use of the images draws the viewer in because they want to look at what the book is all about from the cover. The use of doing this is done to highlight more of the connection with the subject so when looking at the book you will want to read and understand the book. The Book cover makes people want to read the book as it is interesting, and they see a decent image on the front they believe that the book will be interesting and easy to follow. Direct contrast with this is that the images might make people judge the book by the cover and not want to read it as the image might not be up to scratch. 

How are you affected as a viewer?  

When looking at the book cover the first thing that I see in the image on the front of the book this makes me pleased as I can understand what the book is all about and how it might come around to make it easier for other people to follow going forward.  The book covers are not complex and make me feel relaxed and I do not need to over analyse what is going on with the book and the way it is presented. With some of the covers, I think with the way that the artists have put text on top of the images work as it explains a bit more about the project but this might end up confusing people.

What makes this work significant to you (and or your project)? 

The work is significant to my project as this what the end outcome is going to be for my project this allows me to understand different types of book covers. The use of the style of most of them of having a border around the image makes the image to be not as confrontation. This is what I might take from this style While with some of the theme having a full bleed with the image works as it is easy to understand what they are all about and the subject is easy to understand. I am going to use the Twins book for the main stand out as it was easier to follow. With not taking up most of the page and allowing there to be text around the image with some of the text not showing it is directly quoted by the subject. The use of a dust jacket also works because it allows there to be images of the front while the dust jacket is pure text this another method that I am looking to explore.

What are the strengths of the source you are looking at? What are the weaknesses of the work? (How would you do things differently? What do you think can be improved?) 

I think the strengths are that the book covers highlight the use of style and information that has been produced on the front covers works because you can get an understanding of what the photographer is all about. The Strengths are that you understand instantly what the book is all about and is easier when looking at getting the book out. The Weakness for some of the books is that they do not all work as there are some signs that the book has become overcrowded and does not help the image to stand out and the viewer will judge the book and think that this does not work and not purchase the book. 

What ideas (or visual styles) will you take forward in your work? 

My Work will be different when it comes to this visual styles as I am going to be producing the final book because it uses the notion of connection and with them being done as a cover this important to understand that I am going to use these as examples as I Take it to the final edit. I am not planning on taking multiple images on the book cover as I believe it might Look out of Place. 

Who is the intended audience? 

The indented audience for this book is for people who are interested in what the book is all about. The Book offers people different ideas about what the work has been produced and what also needs to be edited to make it stand out. The Books are done for the time of print with them be linked at the time of it being printed off. This does not affect my reading of this now. Books are all Contemporary as they show the information for that time of being printed and produced for the importance of the artists and what they were after. 

What context have you seen the work in? 

The Context of the Work That I have Seen this in has been as the book cover in my hand then scanned in, The Context of the work goes in the style of the book. With some of them being used to document the artist’s work and what they have produced. While other books context work with the history of something and for the viewer to understand what they are all about. If I saw some of the covers in the gallery, I believe they would work as it gives a greater understanding to the photographer and the work they have produced, As they all have images relating to what the book is all about. The message from the covers would be different than in the book as they will be bigger. You can see what they are trying to achieve without changing the body position. 

Is the work part of a bigger series? 

The book covers, to sum up, what the photographers have done with the work. For some of the photographers, there will be more to come due to the nature of the book.  

Shoot 1 - Evaluation

Shoot 1 - Evaluation 

Step 1: Description

When and where did it happen?

The Shoot took place on Wednesday 16th October 2019, With the location being Canterbury High-street, The Marlowe, Ashford Town Centre, Folkestone Central Station. This was to incorporate other shots that I have done before starting University.

Who was involved and what did other people do?

No-one was involved in the shoot they were just models that I stopped on the street and I ask to get a portrait of them.

What did you do yourself?

I was the photographer which meant that I could get the shots that I was after. This was done with it being done without an assistant.

What was the result of these actions?

The result of these actions allowed a series of Portraits to come out afterwards to be used in creating the book.

Step 2: Feelings

What did you feel leading up to the event?

With some of the shots being drawn from my archive I was not worried about that. Leading up to the shoot I had a basic idea of age and does it define people, so I decided to shoot around the narrative that it does.

What did you feel during the event?

During the shoot, I met a lovely guy (pipe man) with his partner as I was talking about the project she went it truly doesn’t he is unique. This made amused because I wanted to see if I Could Find more people that were old and interesting.

What did you feel after the event?

Once I had got back and started to look at some of the shots I was pleased with the outcome because it made sure that I had got the right idea with linking it to age. I have made sure that the shots came out correct. This also allowed me to look at the archive to find people that fit the idea.

How do you look back on the situation?

Looking back on what I have shot at the time of writing this I wish that I had written down their names and age so I could add it together to show what the subjects are all about in relation to the age of them. This is the only drawback of this shoot.

What do you think other people felt during the event?

During the shoot, the 1st subject said that she didn’t have a lot of time but I managed to convince her as it was going to be shot on location and not in the studio so it would not take that long. The rest I believe went well with them as they were happy after.

How do you think others feel about the event now?

I do not know how people feel about the shoot now because I am not in communication with them.

Step 3: Evaluation

What went well during the event or activity? Why was that?

During the shoot I felt that the way I have gone around shooting the subjects to make sure that they are the ones telling the story is important. The shoot allowed me to formulate the ideas even more with understanding what age has on people on how they become interesting characters.

What didn’t go so well? Why was that?

I think not having more an idea of the subjects that I wanted to shoot did not let me have a directed pathway to shoot but this was not a negative at times but shooting the people outside of the Marlowe was not needed at the end of the day for this project.

What was your contribution?

For the shoot I was the photographer, this allowed me to capture portraits of the subjects to allow them to stand out to everyone.

What contribution did other people make?

No one else contributed other than being a model due to me shooting on my own on location.

Step 4: Analysis

What have you learned from the situation, event or activity?

During the shoot, I have Learned the necessary information to make sure that the project can become watertight. I have learned more about Canterbury with the greatest location to shoot at with the relation to making sure it is done in the style that I am after.

Step 5: Conclusion

To what positive experience did the event, situation or activity lead?

The shoot allowed me to understand more about the elderly people that are in Canterbury and get to learn what they are working with the lives that they live. The idea of this shoot has led me to think out of the box when it comes to cruel and tender in relation to age.

To what negative experience did the event, situation or activity lead?            

The negative the experience was that with a basic idea I did not yet have the correct desired the outcome being that I wasted a shoot at the Marlowe as this has no links with age and it defining people. This will need to be looked at in the following shoots.

What will you do differently if the event, situation or activity were to happen again in the future?             

For the next shoot, I will shoot people that follow the specialised theme of age. This is the main difference so that I stay on track in order for this to come together. This is all I would change going into the following shoot.

Which skills do you need to develop yourself in a similar event, situation or activity?

I do not need to develop more skills as I want to follow a similar style however making more of the shots look similar.

Step 6: Action plan

To develop this shoot I need to make sure that I selected the stand out images from this shoot and then build the premises for the next shoot in the coming days.

Idea 1

Idea 1: Contact Sheets

This idea was shot over two days with the images showing people wearing hats and Jackets. Sown in the book based on this idea on the next page show which I have Selected. The images highlight the diversity of the people who allowed me to take portraits of them. The Context of these images is to show that we are part of the community. The idea behind these images were about The Portrait of Kent, with shooting people with the typology mark on them to show that we are more linked than we try to make out due to the way we have all acted since the vote to the Leave the EU, while some of the shots also show we need to understand how we are the same inside. I think the way the idea that the work has come out and how it as come together stands out to the viewer.

How does this idea link to Pieter Hugo?

The Idea is similar to what Pieter Hugo had shot for Hyena and other men, the work does not quite link to his work as the images are not consistent enough. The Problem with this is that the way that the subjects have all been placed does not follow the same like he has done in Nollywood with them being in the identical distance from the camera even with different locations. I think the idea is strong for another project that I am planning taking in the coming years but this does not link to Pieter Hugo’s work. If I am doing this idea again I need to make sure the subjects are the correct distance away from the camera so this can stand out and flow smoothly?

John Londei: Shutting Up Shop: The Decline of the Traditional Small Shop

Book's Front Cover

Shutting Up Shop: The Decline of the Traditional Small Shop

This book has links to the theme of cruel and tender with the declining independent shops that are in the high street even this might not have a direct link to the project it has links to the idea that age does not define us.

Book’s Description

Shot over a 15-year period beginning in the early 1970s, this is a tribute to an era that has all but disappeared - the traditional small shops that feature have now almost all gone. In 2004 Londei began the task of updating what had become of the shopkeepers and shops he’d photographed so long ago. (London, 2007,4 )

What Is denoted?

The Book denotes shops that have closed because of the declining footfall in these areas. The book shows the shops as they were closing and what they are today in the location.

What is Connoted?

The book connotes the message of the company is closing and the feeling is doe to be suddenness. With the use of the vignetting to add the negativity feeling in the work. The book uses negative space in the work to show that the shop is beginning to shut down which highlights the problem of what is going on in the retail industry.

What makes this work significant to you (and or your project)?

The work is significant to me work having worked before with small companies in the past to produce a project about small companies. The Work is important to the work as they all link to the end outcome of a book that is cruel and tender.

What ideas will you take forward to think about in your work?

I am planning on taking on the idea of the positioning of the camera to show the information about what is going on. I am planning on taking on the way he has used contact sheets at the end showing what they are now.

Who is the intended audience?

The audience was intended to be viewers at a gallery across the world and people interested in the subject that he has participated in. The work has lived on with many students emulating his work since his death back in 2012.

What context have you seen the work in?

I have seen this work presented in the book that he has published and seeing a MOMA image of how it was presented in the gallery. I think the way of seeing this in the book because the entire book is done in a typology fashion with every image being shot in 2 different ways of it being a landscape or portrait,

Is the work part of a bigger series?

The work was originally done in the 1980s of the main shop fronts but it was shot in the late 2000s with the locations showing what they are today. Explaining what some of the shopkeepers got up to. This is the end of the series as he died in 2012 and it can only be redone with be people doing it in the style of him.

References

Londei, J., 2007. Shutting Up Shop: The Decline of the Traditional Small Shop. [Online]
Available at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shutting-Up-Shop-Decline-Traditional/dp/1904587461
[Accessed 1 11 2019].

Londei, J., 2008. Shutting Up Shop: The Decline of the Traditional Small Shop. 2 ed. Stockport: Dewi Lewis Publishing.

Invisible Britain: portraits of hope and resilience

Invisible Britain: portraits of hope and resilience

A key part of the project revolves around the book Invisible Britain: portraits of hope and resilience by Paul Sng as it shows people having come invisibly.

Book’s Description: 

Invisible Britain: Portraits of Hope and Resilience reveals untold stories from people who have been left out of the media narrative and left behind by government policy. Featuring the work of accomplished documentary photographers, the book presents people speaking in their own words to create a narrative showing how an unprecedented world of austerity, de-industrialisation and social upheaval is affecting us all. (Sng, 2019 )

From this description, I am going to take on the message from people feeling like that they must be hidden. The book shows the problem that is going on with life from the government cuts and how we have made people feel like that they have to be isolated in order to get on with life and be themselves.

What Is denoted & Connoted?

The book denotes portraits and text about the lives of people in the UK. The text and images are all done to be true stories to highlight what is going on. The book connotes the feeling of people who have become invisible because of social changes and problems that they have had from life. The book symbols how the photographers have documented them and how they have become invisible. When looking at the book the feeling starts of being sad and makes you pleased that you can understand what they have gone through and they are not alone. On all the pages with portraits, it has got text next to it to make it easier for people to understand what is going on and for people to understand the story.

How am I affected as a viewer?

When looking at the book the first thing that is seen is the cover and the foreword by Michael sheen explaining what the book is all about. The first impression on the book is full of negativity with people having become invisible but this was to change when looking at the images and what they are all about. The book repulses me with the way that they have been treated during their life with racism or being ignored as they are not rich. The book makes a political point that we needed to treat people the same.

What makes this work significant to you (and or your project)?

I have seen this book online with images and descriptions while looking at the book you can get the emotional connection to this work. The context of the work I have seen shows it is almost like a labour political Broadcast with the way it is connoted. While looking it online on news websites you get to read what people looking at the work thinks of this and it gives it more of an understanding. The work is significant to my project because it highlights how people have become Invisible from problems that they have faced. This links to cruel and tender because it shows negativity that they have faced making it cruel while they are all shot in a tender way.

What ideas will you take forward in your work, What Are the Strengths & Weakness?

I am going to change how the layout with mines I am going to take most of the text out and replace it with statistics as I am not going to be interviewing the subjects that I am going to shoot. The strengths of the book are how they have got the text explaining them by the image so people can understand what is going on. I think the weakness though with this book is that it does not have the flare of changing layouts to keep the user in engaged for longer this weakness I will remove in my work.

Who is the intended audience?

The work is done to be contemporary with the way it has been shot to highlight the current problems. The audience is done for people to wake up and understand what is going on now in time.

Is the work part of a bigger series?

The editor of the book has made other works showing the inequality of day to day Britain this has been designed to photographer the problem in the United Kingdom. This book has got some of the biggest collections of celebrates and photographers.

Any other information that you think is relevant? 

Most of the artists are supporters of Jeremy Corbyn and this makes it important to understand the political viewpoint coming from this. The editor is a campaigner for labour as well as the photographer shown in the works he has produced.

What context have you seen the work in?

I have seen this book online with images and descriptions while looking at the book you can get the emotional connection to this work. The context of the work I have seen shows it is almost like a labour political Broadcast with the way it is connoted. While looking it online on news websites you get to read what people looking at the work thinks of this and it gives it more of an understanding.

Charlie Clift

Sue Perkins Comedian and broadcaster

Charlie Clift

Alastair Campbell Political aide and author

Charlie is an editorial photographer who has worked with many companies, for example, Bafta, GQ and the Guardian. He has produced a wide range of portraits and editorial works. The work I have selected to annotate are from his series from, “ ‘LET’S TALK’ SPARKING MILLIONS OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH” (Clift, 2018, p. Including all the photos). The series captures people showing the inner emotion which makes it easier to understand what is going on with the problems that they all face.

What is denoted? 

The Image denotes celebrities sitting down in the studio with writing on the heads of them all. The images have all got writing on the face of them all.

What is Connoted?

All these images connate the feeling of hurt and mental illness that people have faced over their faces. The images have been designed to make people understand the problem that people might face. It communicates the feeling of hurt with all the problems written on the faces of the subjects.

Lettering artist: Kate Forreste

How are you affected as a viewer?

Steve Harris Disabled activist

When looking at the images from the series the 1st thing that most people will see is the white writing on the face to highlight the problems that they have got on. The images make people feel sad as it highlights the problems that they are all facing in the time. The image highlights what the stigma about mental health has been all about. With the negtive space shown makes people focus on the subject and what the mental health problems that they have all got.

What makes this work significant to you (and or your project)?

When looking at the photographers I like the way that the subjects have all got writing on the faces of them to make it easier to understand what they are all about. The way that the subjects are lit with soft backlighting with a soft feel on the models to make it easier to understand what they are all about with making it easier to see. This significant in styling in the future about displaying the problems when it comes to mental health for the readers to understand.

Strengths & Weaknesses

My work is going to be street photography of someone at the edge of life who is about to jump and I am going to take forward the writing and add it onto the subject. The visual styles are important as it shows the mental health problems with the writing being the biggest strength from this body of work that has been produced. While the weakness in the way I am going to use this is that they are in the studio.

Who is the intended audience?

The intended audience is for people to look at the work in the newspaper or other places and to talk about people mental health problems. The work is important as it is designed to highlight mental health issues. It was aimed at anyone in order for them to open up and talk about the issues that they are facing.

What context have you seen the work in?

I have seen the work shown in the context of a viewer online and reading what these are all about because this has been key to understanding it. With the message that is being sent out.

References

Clift, C., 2018. Let's Talk. [Online]
Available at: https://www.charliecliftphotography.com/work/lets-talk/
[Accessed 9 10 2019].