Final Evaluation

In conclusion of my project, I have completed ten shoots which explore the theme of youth culture. These include a range of location and studio photoshoots, as well as some that focus on objects as well as people. As a whole, I have found that my later shoots are the ones that are most successful as they are the ones that represent the work that I originally intended on shooting. Shoots six to ten show a candid, documentary style body of work and truly show the everyday nature of the youth I was following. This also relates to shoot one. I feel that these shoots are clearly influenced by the work of Musa N. Nxumalo and Bruce Davidson due to the use of black and white and they way that the images focus on everyday, realistic youth rather than an extreme and exaggerated culture of partying/rebellion. Shoot six had my favourite outcome as I feel that it is the closest to what I wanted to get with my images. The setting was relaxed as it just showed to girls hanging out, however it still conformed to the stereotype of youth as rebellious as it showed the girls drinking alcohol. As the setting of the shoot was so relaxed and the girls felt comfortable, they were completely natural in front of the camera, which helped me create the candid look of the images. I also really enjoyed the outcome of shoot ten, as it was quite different from what I had done in my previous shoots yet it still fit the theme I was going for. It showed youth as quite innocent and fun as the two girls featured were playing around in a playground, as well as showing youth reconnecting with their childhood. I also enjoy how the images within this shoot are more portraiture based than some of my other shoots as it really captures the expressions and emotions of the subjects. Whilst I do not feel that it goes well with the rest of my work and I have not included it in my final 40 images, I really enjoy the outcome of shoot five as I created a photo joiner of different young people, as a way to represent different styles and how unique each individual is. I feel that this helped me showcase some of my editing skills, as well as clearly representing each person in the image. As stated previously, I did really enjoy the outcome and hoped to include this in my final 40 images, however when I did include it the work did not look cohesive as it stood out against the rest of my documentary work. This is why I have decided to leave this out of my final images. The editing process carried out was quite simple as all I did was make the images black and white, increase the contrast and add a vignette to the picture. I feel that this simplicity works well with the theme of the project as I aimed to make my images as realistic and as natural as possible, and any additional editing, I feel, would have started to make the images appear manipulated and therefore not a true picture of events. On the other hand, the fact that there has not been much editing done to these images has meant that I have not been able to fully explore different editing techniques and therefore develop upon my skills.

Shoots two to five, however, were studio based and I feel that these are not the style of photographs I wanted in my project. I carried out these shoots so that I had explored all of my options and, due to timings and availability, they were my best option. I feel that they do document youth today as it does represent their style and what their interests, however I preferred the look of my location shoots and felt that these better captured todays young generation. The location shoots were also the style of images that I originally intended on capturing and so I feel that by using the studio, I strayed away from my concept. The only exception I found with these shoots was shoot two, as I did manage to gather some candid images from this shoot. This is due to the fact that I set up the camera in the studio, but asked the girls in the image to act natural in front of the camera and do whatever they want. So, although these images were taken in a studio setting, I feel that they still go well with the other shoots and look good against them. As a result, I decided not to include any images from shoots three to six in my final 40 images as they looked extremely out of place and my work did not look coherent with them included.

As a result, I do feel that I have created a cohesive body of work within my final 40 images, as I have solely focussed on the documentary shoots and have not included the studio ones. When looking at my project as a whole, I feel that it is not as cohesive as I hoped it would be and, if I were to do it again, I would not explore studio work and would purely conduct documentary/location portraiture shoots. My reasoning for why I believe my final 40 are a cohesive body of work is that all of my shoots explore the same theme of youth, whilst each having their own unique setting and 'plot'. For instance, shoot six shows two girls sat together in a house, drinking and having fun whilst shoot nine features my own perspective of life from a hospital bed. Whilst these two shoots are, on the surface, completely different, they both tie in to my project and represent youth in different ways. With shoot six, it shows what you would expect to see with young people - hanging out, drinking and playing games. Shoot nine, however, shows are more serious side of youth and carries the message that being young is not just having fun all of the time, and that negative things can happen to anyone. Shoots seven and eight are both linked to the work of Adrienne Saligner, as it focuses on the bedroom of a teenager. Shoot seven focuses on the actual person in their bedroom, whilst shoot eight focuses on the bedroom itself and the belongings that are within it. These two are clearly a coherent body of work as they are both inspired by the same body of work. I feel that the main aspect of my work which makes it seem so cohesive is the fact that I have used the same editing techniques for all of my images - they are all black and white. This has helped tie all of my work in and make my final images flow.

Furthermore, my work has been majorly influenced by the photographers that I researched when starting my project. My exploration into Bruce Davidson's work is what lead me to wanting to focus on the more everyday aspects of youth than trying to portray an exaggerated and stereotypical youth culture, as I felt this would be more raw and would perhaps make the subjects of my images appear more relatable. I also felt that by doing this, I would create quite a unique piece of work as many people tend to focus on the negative side of youth, rather than the positive. Musa N. Nxumalo also majorly inspired my project as his Alternative Kidz series was shot within someones house and showed the group within the shoot having fun and being themselves in a relaxed environment, whilst still drinking and doing things that are stereotypical for young people. Therefore, stereotypes have been followed but in a realistic way. I found this interesting and wanted to include this within my work, as the stereotypes set for young people do have some truth to them, and it would not be realistic to not include them to some extent. Not only did my research into photographers give me themes and aspects that I wanted to include in my own work, but it enabled me to figure out my own style of work and figure out my own unique aesthetic. For example, within this project I focussed a lot on creating contrasting tones as I enjoy the way this looks in black and white and I feel that it can really make certain aspects of images pop without the use of colour. Also, by conducting research before carrying out my shoots, I was able to find out what I did not want to include in my shoots. For instance, whilst I enjoyed Andy Richter's work on Taiwan youth, his work focussed on this specific youth and how their location effected their culture. I found this very interesting and liked the photos he created, however I wanted to capture youth as a whole and not focus on their heritage/location.

From completing this project, I have been able to discover my own personal style of photography and work out where my interests truly lay. Before conducting my shoots, I knew that I had an interest in documentary photography as I enjoyed the work of other photographers who had created documentary series. However, I had not fully explored this myself and only had minimal opportunities to create documentary photo series. This project enabled me to explore this genre of photography fully and, from this, I discovered that I really enjoyed shooting documentary images as there was much more freedom than a studio shoot would allow. I also felt that I was able to capture more unique and natural images as the scenarios in which I took my photos were comfortable for the subjects. This gave me candid images, which is a style that I really enjoy. I also discovered how unique each individual is, and that 'youth culture' cannot have a single definition or specific conventions as each person is different.

If I had more time, I would have explored the exaggerated and stereotypically rebellious side of youth as I feel that this would have made an interesting shoot. I also feel that, by shooting this, it would have been interesting to compare a shoot of that theme to one of my more natural, everyday shoots. I would also possibly explore a different way of taking photos, for example, with a polaroid or disposable camera as I feel this would have given the images an interesting, vintage look.

Final 40

Connecting Essay 5

This image shows a young woman, facing up and blowing out smoke. Whilst this image shows a rebellious side of youth through smoking, it could also connote relaxation with the way that the smoke is flowing and the fact that the girl herself looks at peace. This is why I find this photograph so interesting - it both follows the stereotype of rebellious youth, but at the same time, shows youth in a calm manor. I also enjoy how the tones in this image create a strong contrast and really draw attention to the smoke as it is the lightest tone in this image full of dark tones.

This is one my images from a shoot featuring just this one girl. I wanted to follow just one person as it helped represent her as an individual rather than part of a group. I also feel that this helps to show how each individual is different and how it is difficult to label and stereotype an entire group. However, I enjoy this photograph as it conforms to the stereotype of youth as rebellious as she is blowing smoke towards the camera. I also enjoy how the tones in this photo are mostly light, yet you can still see the smoke as it obscures her face.

The biggest and most obvious similarity between these two photos is that both girls are smoking. Therefore, both of these images have connotations of rebellion. Following on from this, both images feature young women as their subject, and so the act of smoking could reject the stereotype of 'ladylike behaviour' and so these photos not only represent youth, but also have connotations of feminism linked in. The surroundings within these images are also similar - they both appear to be set in bedrooms or at home, and so this implies that these images were taken in a relaxed environment.

The tones within both images are very different and as a result, these look like very different images even though the themes are the same. The first image has very dark tones in order to create a strong contrast and emphasise the smoke in the image, whereas with my image the tones are quite light as the clothes the girl is wearing are quite dark - this draws attention towards her. Another difference between the images is that the girl in the first image is blowing smoke upwards. In my picture, however, the girl is blowing smoke towards the camera.

Connecting Essay 4

This image features a bookcase, which is filled with books and random objects, making it feel very cluttered and busy. This represents how the owner of this bookshelf organises and decorates their living space as there is not only books but ornaments, bottles and photographs. This could be a depiction of how this person lives their life, as if their bookshelf is busy, then perhaps this could be a reflection of a busy lifestyle and that maybe they do not have the time to tidy. From this, we can also tell that the owner enjoys reading as there are books piled up on the shelves and a lot of them appear very worn. This image, as a whole, allows us to see an insight into the owner's life without even seeing the person themselves.

This image was taken in my friends bedroom, during a shoot where I took pictures all around her bedroom. This was to represent the person who lives in this bedroom through their belongings and surroundings rather than by showing the person themselves. This image shows her bedside table, where we can see a slight clutter and some of her belongings. Even though this image does not show youth explicitly, we can see see a representation of rebellious youth in this through the symbolism of a red cup and a vape. We can see a pink and purple hairbrush, a pink wire and a purple bed cover in this image and so, following stereotypes, it is clear that this is a females bedroom.

The main similarity between these two photographs is that they both focus on capturing a person's living space. They both focus on how the people who live in these rooms decorate/style their room, as well as how they distribute their belongings. Another similarity is that both of these images focus on just a small part of a room - the first image a bookcase, my image a bedside table. Therefore, both images represent these people through just a small portion of their lives and yet with both we can still get an insight into who they are.

There are, however, some differences between these two pictures. As mentioned before, the first image features a bookcase, whereas my picture features a bedside table. The framing of both images is very different also. With the first image, all we can see is the contents of a portion of the bookcase. With my image, you can see more of the room as the subject has been captured from a slight distance.  It can be argued that the first image is slightly more personal than my image, as there is a photograph of a woman, who is likely to be important in the owners life.

Connecting Essay 3

This image features a dog and, presumably, its owner as they pose for the camera. The use of tones and depth of field in this image is intriguing as it really draws your attention towards the woman and the dog. The tones create quite an extreme contrast between the subject and the background as the background is almost completely black, whilst the woman and dog are quite light in tone. The depth of field brings focus towards the subjects as it is a narrow depth of field, and so the background is completely blurred. The way that the sun slightly pours through over the subjects softens the image and almost obscures the woman's face. Even still, you can still see her and the dog quite clearly and so this creates an interesting effect.

This image is of my friend and her dog. What I find interesting about this photo is how the dark tones contrast against the happiness of this image, creating an interesting vibe. The image is mostly made up of darker tones and black, with the lighter tones being situated in the centre of the image and so the viewer's attention is immediately drawn to this area. Not only is the attention drawn to the centre because of this, but also this is where the subjects of the photo are framed, making the focal point the centre of the image.

The main similarity between these photographs is that the subject of both images is a woman and a dog. In both pictures, the subject is the only focal point and so it makes the viewer look at the relationship between the dog and the owner. Another similarity is that both images use a black and white filter, which brings more focus to the subject and the details within the picture as there are no distracting colours. Not only this, but both photographs use light tones in the centre of the image and dark tones in the background in order to draw attention to this area.

On the other hand, there are a couple of differences. One difference is that the first image seems to focus more on the dog than the woman as she slightly hides her face behind the dog, whereas in my image both the dog and the girl are very clear to see. Furthermore, the top image was taken outside and uses natural light, which gives the image a softer feel whereas my image was taken inside and uses the flash from the camera and so appears sharper. 

Connecting Essay 2

This image found online features the mess and waste of food. The colours of this image are quite intriguing due to how little variety there is, but how vibrant they still are. The bright blue of the table makes the yellow colour of the drinks and the white of the cups pop against the background. The use of a narrow depth of field is also interesting as it focuses on the foreground of the image where there is just an empty cup and a spilt drink, however there is a lot more happening in the background of the image as there is, what appears to be, crushed nuts and more cups with drink in. This could mean that the spillage and waste is the focus of the image. The use of alcohol is also implied in this image, which I find interesting as it is not explicit that it has been used. It is implied through the use of bottle caps and a bottle opener being featured in this image. 

The image below is from one of my shoots from a night in with friends. The picture shows the leftover mess from food and drink. The use of black and white in this image creates some strong contrasts with tones, for example, with the grease in the pizza box. This emphasises the mess created. It is interesting as it suggests that young people are messy and do not clean up, conforming to the stereotype that young people can be lazy. There is also a bottle of alcohol towards the bottom left of the image which conforms to the stereotype of youth as rebellious as this means they were drinking alcohol.

The main similarity between these two images that they both feature a mess of leftovers. In both pictures we can see the empty cups/pizza boxes which lets us know that these images are the aftermath of something. Both images also feature the use of alcohol in a subtle way. The first image implies this through the use of bottle caps and a bottle opener. My image, however, shows this through a bottle of alcohol being just visible in the bottom left corner of the image. 

Whilst these images have a few similarities, they are quite difference in appearance. The first image is more of an editorial piece and uses bold, vibrant colours and narrow depth of field to capture what is going on. My image, however, is part of a documentary series and so is more of a natural mess rather than being set up for the image. Not only this, but my image is in black and white and so contrasts against the extreme vibrance of the first image. Another difference between the images is that the first images focuses on the mess leftover from drinks, whilst mine focuses more on food instead as the pizza boxes are the main focus of the image.

Connecting Essay 1

This image is the work of Musa Nxumalo and features a man with a guitar. I find this image very intriguing as the photographer has managed to perfectly capture how focussed the man is on what he is doing with his guitar. This could imply that music is very important to this person and a part of who he is - a part of his identity. I feel that the use of black and white in this image helps to draw focus entirely to the man in the centre as there are no bold or vibrant colours to distract the viewer. I also feel that the fact that this image is in black and white makes it seem more relaxed and calm as the tones are all quite similar, meaning there is little contrast. Another way that this image gives a relaxed feel is that the man is not wearing a shirt. This implies that he is comfortable in his surroundings and that he is in a place where he can unwind and become his true self.

The image below is from one of my own shoots. This shoot was conducted at my friends house on a  night where just three of us were together. This was more intimate than a party or a get together as there was just three people and so the girls felt more comfortable in being themselves in front of the camera. In this particular image, the girl is searching through a box of memories such as cards, letters and pictures. I find this image interesting due to the way that she appears to be some indulged in this box, with her head down as she flips through the objects inside. What I also enjoy about this image is that you can see a cup and a bottle of drink on the floor around her, which shows a stereotypically rebellious side of youth. This creates contrast with the way she is looking through the box as here she appears to be quite innocent and perhaps vulnerable. 

I feel that these images connect well and that there are quite a few similarities between them. Firstly, both images are in black and white which helps bring more focus towards the actual subject through the use of tones rather than colours. Secondly, both of the subjects in these images appear to be absorbed in what they are doing - in Nxumalo's image, the man is focussing on his guitar whereas in my image, the girl is focussing on looking through her belongings. Another similarity is that both of these images focus on youth, portraying what they do in their spare time and, in a way, representing their personalities.

However, there are some differences between the two. The most obvious difference is that Nxumalo's image features a man, whereas my image features a female. This could perhaps show how the different genders spend their time/what their interests are. Another difference is with the framing - in the first image, the shot is horizontal and the subject of the image is directly in the centre of the frame. On the other hand, my image is vertical and the subject is to the left of the image.