Public Library
So this week I went away and did a shoot of family books with indents and did a shoot in the public library. I decided to concentrate on one group/ collection of books in the library, the psychology/ media section. I decided to do this due to the amount of information a reader has to take in when reading these kind of books, so therefore indents will have been left by readers as a way of indicating the places/ bits of information most important. The initial shots of family images were taken on a black background and worked well in providing visual impact so I have continued this in the photographs you'll see below. I have taken these books back home to be photographed where my initial shots were so that a similar amount of natural light is on the books I photograph. I have recently had feedback for these images, trying to cut down the selection to ones that are possibly good enough for book. Some of the comments under each photograph are what was said in this feedback.
Book1- Work Placements A Survival Guide by Christine Fanthorne
Indents evident: Blue/ Clear post it notes acting as book marks- no writing on notes
This shot was taken above the book to display how the clear post- its are individualising the parts the reader needed when looking through the book. The photograph is quite abstract due to the pages stretching across the width of the image. The book is standing on its foundations in the composition therefore the pages are spread out and therefore creating lines down the photograph. The background would need altering a little as it is a block black colour to the top left and grey on the left.
Not as visually strong as previous due to lack of abstraction and visual impact. Again the background isn't all one shade of grey or black.
Due to it being a black book I have photographed it is overall more abstract, the white pages stand out because of them being in between the black. I will definitely be taking this photograph further into the project and possibly into the book. The angle I have taken the dividers in also show they are individualising pages. It is also a little more noticeable that the object is a book because of this side angle.
Book 2- Television Technology and Cultural Form by Raymond Williams
Indents evident: Pink/ red arrow sticker for indication of particular page, pencil note marks, lines to indicate emphasis on particular paragraph read
In this photograph I have lay the book on the black background and photographed it from above. The image is a little to flat because of the angle I have photographed it in. The pages are a little distracting to the viewer also in this image because on the left they are photographing. The angle does not work for what I am trying to capture. I wanted to capture the captions in the book so I am a little far away for the viewer to see these.
The contrast in this image works well, the red and white work against the black to pull attention to the book pages. The red arrow post it used as a book mark has been ripped off at page length, indicates the reader is trying to communicate through the writing but has been cut off, it makes the reader question what was written. The word communications written at the top has also been half hidden which symbolises the cut off in the readers writing.
Again I have photographed this particular double page spread from above, again it is a little too far away. The pages are again flipped half way so is distracting the reader from looking at the indentations.
This is a crop of the image I showed at feedback. The earlier image had the red arrow bookmark previously photographed in shot but not fully focused, this was pulling attention away from the folded page. The folded page creates a symmetrical effect. There are no words that jump out to me as a viewer but new words are almost being created as the two pages are colliding and therefore the words also are. I may try re shooting this effect in the next week to make it more visually striking.
For me this is one of favourite photographs have taken this week because of the multiple tones and effect of the pages as lines. The block black background makes this image visually strong against the white/ cream pages. I will definitely be using this in the book. The lines of the pages direct our eyes to the just visible red pot it book mark.
In this photograph, feedback was given to consider re-shooting because of the the focal points shot, as it is unnoticeable in what the notes the reader has made says. However I may want this doubt because it creates an intrigue and makes the reader look at the photographer even closer than normal. I shot it using a small focal point to focus in on the underlining used by the reader, however it may need to be a little bigger so that the note down the margin is all see able.
This is the same note as previous photograph however shot so that the note is a little more readable, however again the focus points need adjusting a little.
Book 3- The Hollywood Feature Film in Post war Britain by Paul Susan
What was really interesting in this image I have took is the emphasis on the word attraction that the reader has pulled out through underlining and a bold slash symbol. This is really interesting due to it relating to the title of the book-"Hollywood", Hollywood is often related to attraction etc. I think I will be using this further due to this relation.
Again the words that are underlined hint at the title of the book. Words such as "remodelled" hint at the Hollywood lifestyles that we all know of. The words also relate to what we get from the unfocused image on the other page. I didn't want the image focused as it would distract from the indents, however the posture of the people we can make out relates to Hollywood once again. I am not sure at this point whether I will use this image in my book due to the rest of the images I will use will not consist of images but binds or text.
This image isn't as bold as others becuase of the grey background however I do like the bind I have captured. Therefore I will try to do some post production on the background to make it darker and therefore create a bold overall photograph.
Book 4- Media Coverage of Terrorism by Allali Etie
The space to the right of this image doesn't work well as the reader isn't looking primarily on the book bind/ indents. Therefore I wont be using this image in the book.
I really like the soft look to this photograph. It shows the pages that have been taped back in a little more out of the book than the others. The grey background works well in this image to exaggerate a softness. This will be used in the book.
In the feedback session I put a power point together with all these images. I put this certain image next to the photograph below as a way of explaining why the pages are like this. This was received well in the session so I may decide to use this combination in the book. It has also made me consider other combinations this week.
I will be using this in my book along side with the previous image as a sort of justification for why the pages are out a little. I like the focus in this images as it doesn't put to much emphasis on particular words except programming as it is crossed through. I don't think the reader was meant to put a line through the word but underline it instead.
The focus in this photograph pulls out the words "Vulnerable Media" and also terror seems to stick out when the viewer knows the title of the book, "Media Coverage of Terrorism". The repeated letters of either a t or f is also interesting, we wonder what this could be an abbreviation for, the reader who left these indents could only know this so is quite personal to them.
Book 5- Violence and Media by Carter and Weaver
Due to the differing background degrees of grey I won't be using this image further, the bind itself isn't as visually striking either as the lines that are existent in others don't have the same directing effect to the indent.
This photograph is striking in the way that the book pages are spread in one particular corner with a black background surrounding it however the focus isn't right. There needs to be either emphasis on the word university stamped across the pages or the yellow bookmark. Therefore I may try to re- shoot I similar photograph with the smae book considering the focus more whilst shooting.
The lighting isn't right in this image the content of the pages has almost been bleached out. I will need to re- shoot this particular part of the book as t was very interesting how a reader has done this to the book.
Again the focus needs reconsidering in this page, I need to work out which words on the page I want to pull out. This page is interesting because it has been violated by a reader, this relates to the title of the book, "Violence and Media", The media has been the object of violence.
The images I have shot for this book all have something a little wrong with them. I have taken this book back to the university library so in the next few days I will see if I can find this book again and re- shoot according to the mistakes I have pulled out, as the book indents have significance.
Thoughts on Public Library Images
Overall the photographs I have produced from looking in the university library have come out very well. The backgrounds have mostly worked out, particularly when they have been darker creating a more striking contrast against the white/ cream pages of the books found. From my initial shots the public library has worked out more successfully because of the wider range of indents I have capture. Some need tweaking using Photoshop or re- shooting due to background or focus mistakes. I will definitely be using some of these images for my book. As I didn't have any connection with the readers that have left these indents it has made me consider them the way the viewer of my images will, it has caused an intrigue. I need to consider text in my book because the titles of most of the books are very significant in what indents are in them.
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