ashleyvictoriabaird

[ashleyvictoriabaird]

Final Iterations

Over the past week I have created many versions and layouts for my photobook, trying to settle on a style and design that reflects my theme, is cohesive and overall looks clean and professional but still fun!

Here are screenshots of a handful of my spreads in the work in progress stage. These have of course been added to and adjusted for the final product:

It has been quite the challenge but I have very much enjoyed this project. I am satisfied with my outcome, but like with anything I would have loved a bit more time to really perfect it. But with the timeframe I had, I am happy with what I have achieved.

Below is a flip through of my final book:

A big thank you Rodrigo! Your papers have very much inspired me and taught me many things about the creative process. :)

[ashleyvictoriabaird]

Well...

I sent my photobook off to be printed - two versions with different covers which I was planning on deciding between - and what would you know the shipping has been delayed. Submission is tomorrow meaning what I have had to do is print it myself on some thick photo paper and hand make the book instead.

Though it was my original plan to make the book by hand, I am slightly disappointed I won't receive the professionally printed ones in time. I can only blame myself for not getting it to the printers earlier to leave room for error.

I am hoping I can still produce a book I am happy with even if it looks different than what I had hoped for.

[ashleyvictoriabaird]

Printing!

In a turn of events I have found a place that can print soft cover books to be ready in 24 hours! So the revised plan is now to have the layout and design completed by Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest for it to be ready and printed for hand in on Friday!

I have started to play around with the layout and I am unsure about where to go. I still want to include the little drawings and things but in a more subdued way. I'm thinking I may keep the drawings in black ink so its less distracting from the images. I've also considered adding the lyrics from the nursey rhyme/ song Teddy Bear's Picnic. I again am unsure about this and if it fits with what I have been working towards.

I will continue to make adjustments right up until printing.

[ashleyvictoriabaird]

Cover Ideas

I had the sudden thought that I hadn't really considered the cover design of my photobook all that much.

Arguably, the cover is as important as the content, so I have been brainstorming some possible options.

Below are my VERY rough sketches and ideas which I will play around with and potentially digitize to get the desired effect/ a cohesive cover and book.

I obviously have a title for my work/project but I am considering just having an image or artwork on front of the book and then create a title page to be the first thing you see when you open the book.

Lots to think about. Not a lot of time to execute.

[ashleyvictoriabaird]

Revised Photo Book Ideas

As mentioned in my last post I have had to swicth things up from my orignal plan. With that being said, the following images are now my inspiraion going forward.

I think I will bind it either with binder rings or sew it together somehow like in the second image.

In terms of the content/ layout, I have included a flip through of a zine from a youtube video which has a similar style (in terms of the scrapbook/multi-media feel to it) to what I would ideally like to achieve in my work. I will of course combine aspects that I have already tried out in my two trial attempts at the book.

[ashleyvictoriabaird]

Final shoot

Time has slipped away faster than expected ! I managed to do one final shoot before I need to start finalizing the layout and design of my photobook. Here are some of the images from the shoot:

I have a rough idea of what I want it to look like but unfortunately I think I have run out of time to professionally print it.

Even if I did have time, the options that I came across for printing were either too expensive or not what I was wanting.

As of now I'm thinking I will be able to print it at home using some sort of photo paper, either matte or glossy and hand make the book. I think this will still turn out but I can't say I'm not slightly disappointed that I won't be able to print an actual book.

[ashleyvictoriabaird]

Second Trial of Photobook

Since my last post, the work in progress assignment was due where we were asked to present our up to date work. For this assignment I decided to try make a photobook online instead of by hand to see how it would differ from my first trial/iteration. Below is a flip through:

I now have done two books and can decide which route I want to go. On one hand I think the handmade book fits slightly more with the theme and tone of my work, but at the same time I really would love to produce a professionally printed book. I'm thinking maybe I could hand draw aspects, scan them onto my laptop and insert them to be able to get it printed so that its both 'handmade' but also professional and sleek.

Wanting it printed also means I will have to really get on top of this project and get it done in advance so I have time to print and fix any errors that may occur during this printing stage.

[ashleyvictoriabaird]

Trial Photobook

During the Friday tutorial we focused on Photobooks and played around with using the images we have to create a test book and get some ideas going.

I think this was a good exercise for me to see how I want to approach the final output. I had ideas that I wanted to try out, such as adding colorful doodles and words to the pages and make it almost a scrapbook style book from the perspective of the bear. I think what I came up with was a good starting point.

However, after creating this, I am now wonder whether I have too many ideas and if it would be better to keep it simple and just focus on the images.

I also thought that I would make the book all on my laptop with InDesign, Photoshop etc. but after making the practice book by hand, I think the handmade look fits better with my story/ideas thus far.

Deadlines are fast approaching and I'm not feeling so confident about my work as of yet, but that's the problem with small time frames, so I'll just have to work with what I have in the time that I have left!

Here are some images of my trial photobook. Like I said, I do like it but want to tone it down for the final piece:

[ashleyvictoriabaird]

First Attempt at Photos

I have FINALLY managed to take some of my pictures. I will 100% need to go back many more times but it's a start! The weather held out for me today and I managed to take a handful of images I'm happy with, however, I was having some major issues with lighting. A lot of the images taken in the shade came out really dark so I might need to book the lighting kit next time to avoid this but as I said, this was only a start. I'm hoping to go back in two days time and fill in any gaps from today's shoot.

I am still unsure as to how my ideas and the images will all tie together, but I've had another idea I could possibly play around with. So as not to have the bear in every single image, I'm thinking I could possibly make it seem like the bear himself is taking photos of the place. This way, I can have a combination of images of the bear as well as images of just the place to break it up a bit. I'm unsure exactly how I will achieve this but I definitely want to give it a go.

Here are some of my images that didn't turn out so well:

And here are some of the ones I think turned out nicely:

[ashleyvictoriabaird]

Layout Plan

I am still yet to take my photos (eek) but I have a plan for how I want the first few pages of my photobook to look, as seen below. I think that by planning this out now and potentially even starting the layout asap before the photos, it will save me a lot of time in that I can just insert my chosen pictures and have my prototype all ready for submission.

As for the photos I'm realllyyyyyyy hoping to do the first shoot on Monday, but it's supposed to rain again so I'm not sure if I'll manage to get them done!!!!!!! But if not Monday, definitely at some point in the next week.

[ashleyvictoriabaird]

Cyanotype

Today in the tutorial we had a play around with creating cyanotypes. They didn't work as well as they could have - we needed more direct sunlight as well as some more interesting objects to fill the page - but it was a good experiment to get thinking about what techniques we could use in our final projects.

I found a few images of different ways cyanotypes could be used or combined with photography as well as stenciling and have inserted them below.

With this being said I don't think I will use this specific technique in my final work as it doesn't really match the ideas I have but it's a good reminder that there really aren't any limitations to how we can go about our photography.

[ashleyvictoriabaird]

Where has the time gone!?

My break did not at all go to plan and left with me with no time to take any photos! I'm hoping that I can get out to the location sometime this week or next week at the latest because the work in progress deadline is approaching fast.

I know I really just need to go out and take the images but I'm having slight trouble with the weather and timing things. Spring brings a lot of rain and while that could make for some cool shots I have equipment and props that I don't want to get soaking wet :(

In terms of what I can do in the mean time, I think I will draw up some potential ideas for shots and get a grasp on what I actually want to do on the day so I'm not wasting time and can just get stuck in with taking the photos.

The next post will likely be sketches and scribbles of my rough plan.

[ashleyvictoriabaird]

Layout Ideas

I've had a look today on Pinterest for some potential ideas for the layout of my publication, as I feel this is something that I should start to plan out now so when I get to the stage of taking photos and putting together the final product I have an idea of the flow/ how it will look.

I think the main thing I'm hoping to do is just combine my images together with words and little drawings and lots of colours and things to give it a real child-like feel. I just want it to be fun and not take itself too serious! Maybe the final outcome could even be almost like a journal or diary from the bear and his adventure throughout the space. There is certainly lots of room to play around and I'm excited about the options!

[ashleyvictoriabaird]

Final Idea (for now)

I have changed my mind once again !

I decided that I will stick to the idea of the teddy bear being a part of my project but have changed the location to Woodlands Estate, a beautiful grounds in Taupiri that hold gardens, lakes, a cafe and more.

I went to Woodlands this week to have a look around and take some photos, and I am very happy with how that went. I feel a bit more confident in my ideas now and can start to really plan out my next moves,

First and foremost I need to find a teddy bear! And then I can start to shoot. For now I have included below a mind map of my final thoughts and ideas as well as a few of my test shots I took on my phone from my first time at the location.

[ashleyvictoriabaird]

Thinking Thinking Thinking

I am still very unsure about what my project will be/where my project will take place. I have ideas but none of them are standing out as being all that interesting to me. I think the only way I will become sure of an idea is to test it out by going and taking some test shots and seeing how they turn out.

In terms of locations that I'm hoping to try, I recently came across somewhere I had never heard of called Taitua Arboretum. It looks like a really lovely spot with lots of greenery and nature. My only worry is that I don't want to generate a whole lot of pictures just of nature and trees with nothing else too them.

In the mean time, while I think over my ideas a little bit more, I have been looking at artist models in the hopes to be inspired. My favourites I have come across so far include Stephen Shore, Jem Southam and Adrian Murray.

Stephen Shore is an American photographer known for his images of scenes and objects that are seemingly boring or ordinary. I really love the style of his photographs in that the subject matter is very simple - a street, a car, a storefront etc. - yet the way the photo is framed, the composition and the colouring all combine to make a really interesting image. Below are some of his photographs that I am particularly drawn too. I think I could take a lot of inspiration from his work in that his focus is less on what is in the photo and more about how the photo is taken.

Jem Southam is a British photographer known for his landscape work. I love the technique he uses where he takes a photo of the same scene/landscape at different times of the day or year. I think again that this is a technique that I could adopt to create more interest in a simple landscape image. Below is an example of one of his series showcasing this idea of time.

Adrian Murray is a photographer and father who creates magical photos of his kids and their teddy bear. Below are a few examples of his work. In my first post, I added an image of a bear in the mood board and have been toying with the idea of having that as a subject in my project. I then discovered Adrian's work and fell in love with the playfulness of the concept. I would have to think more about what I would want to say/ the meaning of having a bear in my images but I do really love the idea.

[ashleyvictoriabaird]

Otorohanga Trip

Today we went to the Otorohanga museum to look at the photographic exhibition, Ki te kapu o taku ringa - In the palm of my hand. We spent some time here before we then made our way to the Hamilton Gardens to start thinking about how we could adopt the techniques used by Rodrigo in the exhibition and translate it to our own work. It was a day well spent, providing much inspiration for our own projects.

That being said, it has made me think more about my initial project thoughts. From the ideas I presented in the last post, I'm unsure if any of them will be a good way to go. I think I should try to be a bit more adventurous with the location, yet at the same time I'm aware it needs to be somewhere I readily have access to - I need to do some more thinking on this.

Something from today that I did really like was the publication that went along with the exhibition and the way the poem was incorporated into it. Like I mentioned, I am still thinking of drawing inspiration from a song, movie, scene etc. and I think this could be a cool and creative way to do so.

My plan now going forward is to continue brainstorming and lock in a strong location/idea within the next week or two.

[ashleyvictoriabaird]

First Thoughts After Lecture 1

After an introduction to the paper and assessments I thought I would get down some of my ideas that immediately came to mind hearing the theme of place.

I liked the concept spoken about today that was in relation to fictional strategies and think I will do something along the lines of creating a series of images inspired by a song, movie or book.

My initial ideas for a place/location are as follows:

My bedroom - maybe shoot my room and a few friends rooms too and have the concept be about childhood lingering into adulthood (imagery of teddy bears, puffy dresses, old pictures on walls, toys etc.) - inspiration from the song Never Grow Up or You're on Your Own Kid

My neighborhood - focus more on outdoor scenery (mailboxes, driveways, doors of my house, nature) - inspiration from song Suburbia

Shoot the Hamilton Gardens/ surrounding streets in the style of the film Call Me By Your Name - lots of warm colours, greenery, fruit, picnic, books, music, bikes etc.

I feel I could almost combine a lot of these elements into one idea but for now I will continue to come up with as many ideas as I can to keep it broad. I have also included a mood board below of some potential visual ideas.