His work includes meditations on the mind's interior world, from childhood and imagination to desire and death. He also has a particular love for Pittsburgh and Paris, which is evident in his exploration of their beauty, quirks, and particularities.

I used a light metre, reflectors and a Pentax K100 with an Ilford HP5 ISO 400 for this task. An additional consideration that I could have made would have been to ensure that any light entering the lens was blocked, preventing any accidental flaring that was noted by the contact sheet. Playing around with various types of lights, including reflected, diffused, and direct, was something else I enjoyed.

Based on my observation, the images that I find to be more successful are the ones which are circled in red. As I explained earlier, the low-key technique works significantly well in number 19, the images numbered 6, 7, and 8 work well in terms of light, making the background white instead of grey, which cannot be said for images numbered 23 and 24. On the other hand, image number 14 is overall good as it is a simple black background portrait and it does the job effectively without any flaring.

Our class brought in images from magazines or social media to discuss. Although my image wasn't selected, we had engaging conversations about how we perceive images. It was interesting to see what my classmates liked and to try to decipher the meaning behind the images. Later on, we compared our interpretations with what the artist intended to express. Overall, it was a great experience.

We also talked about the concept of "canon" in art history, which I found interesting and useful. Knowing what is considered a conventionally good picture is great, but it's equally important to know what to challenge when faced with ambiguous tests that determine whether a work is worth studying or not. It is important to know how to challenge conventional structure to convey a certain message.

Additionally, we went through some artists, and one that stood out to me was Juno Calypso and her project "The Honeymoon." I enjoyed this project because she critiques the way women's bodies are represented and highlights the problematic nature of it.

During this task, we were required to create images by adjusting the field depth by focusing on different points. However, the first two pictures didn't turn out as expected. They were overexposed and out of focus, which made it difficult to convey what I intended. The first picture was meant to focus on the hand, and the second on the model's face. On the other hand, I was satisfied with the outcome of the extended depth of field (n16). I appreciated the fact that the lower part of the face and the hand in the background were in shadow, making the DOF exercise successful. The picture's success was also evident as it was possible to tell that the hands were on two different levels. If I had to do it again, I would pay more attention to lighting and take more photos with different aperture and shutter speed settings to ensure that at least one of the shallow DOFs A & B is in focus and not overexposed.

We were also asked to work on our composition skills by experimenting with a high-angle (n17), eye-level picture (n18), and low-angle (n19). I was content with the outcome of N18, as the lighting was excellent, and I managed to get a white background instead of grey, which was an issue during the first shot. However, the studio was in the frame, something I need to work on in future shoots. N18 and N19 are pretty standard pictures, but with number 19, I enjoyed playing with the angles and points of view, using a pillar to emphasize the context of the low angle. It is something I might consider incorporating into my next studio shoots.

SHUTTER SPEED

For the frozen motion (n21), I asked the model to jump to try to freeze her movement, but it was unsuccessful. Additionally, the picture was overexposed. However, I liked how her shadow gave the impression that she had multiple arms. Another unsuccessful shot was the blurred motion one (n22). My goal was to capture the main model still and the people walking around her blurred. If I had to do it again, I would ask the models to run instead of walk to see if that would work.

Overall, it was an unsuccessful shoot, but I learned that next time, I need to take more pictures of the same exercise to ensure that I get at least one shot right and to allow more room for errors. I made quite a few mistakes in this one, but there were no backup photos for any of the exercises.

His extensive portfolio of commercial photography and portraiture spans several decades and includes assignments for Neiman Marcus, Esquire, Vogue, and Gap, as well as commissioned portraits of figures like Nancy Reagan, Sting, and Willem de Kooning. One of his notable projects is "Photographs with Text," in which he creates sequences of images that explore intangible human dilemmas.

I circled a few other white background pictures in the task 1 contact sheet, which were probably as good as this one, if not better. For instance, number 7 looks more in focus, and the model is also in the centre. However, the model's facial expression is forced, and he looks like he doesn't want to be there, which is not the impression I want to convey through my art. Moreover, I didn't choose frame n6, even though the model was smiling and looked relatively good, because he wasn't in the middle, and I didn't like the composition as much as frame n8.

This picture, although out of focus and not a good example of Shallow DOF, managed to reveal more details than what was observed in the contact sheet. I'm still pleased that I tried to print it, as it showed me how to adjust overexposed images using the enlarger in case I encounter similar issues in the future. Hopefully, that won't be necessary.

I am actually quite pleased with the "mistake" of overexposing this picture. To me, it gives the photo a sense of spookiness and horror, which I find appealing. Additionally, the black line at the bottom of the image adds to the overall aesthetic and gives it an older, vintage feel.

This particular print could have had a bit more even white borders, as there is less border on the right-hand side and more white border on the top. But for some reason, I find it working well anyway, so I don't think I will redo it. Additionally, the edges are not sharp when examined closely, but it doesn't bother me as it looks like it is made on purpose.

Since the photograph didn't turn out to be a blurred motion, I find it only fair to experiment with non-conventional borders to better understand what I like and what I want my final prints to look like.

The term "queer" used to only be used as a derogatory term. Since the term "queer" first appeared in the English language in the eighteenth century, it has been used to identify people whose actions, deception, or eccentricity could potentially undermine the integrity of the social order. "Queers" included people who were dishonest, thieving, inebriated, the black sheep and the bad apple, as well as anybody who didn't immediately identify as a man or woman because of their quirks or strangeness. However, the evolving history of a slur's applications, users, and utterance contexts also contributes to its political history. The meaning, users, and context of the word "queer" have drastically changed in less than 200 years. It was not until the AIDS crisis in the mid-1980s that a group of micro-groups decided to reclaim the term "queer" and use it as a platform for political action and resistance against normalisation.

For queer women, the sexualisation and commodification of their relationships is violently obvious; it permeates into their romantic and personal lives. As a result, representations of women in same-sex relationships in mainstream media will not be represented in a natural, egalitarian light. Everything is made to pander to the male gaze

In this project, I intend to challenge the way lesbian love is portrayed in mainstream media by experimenting with different photography techniques and capturing intimacy and queerness. I intend to do so by photographing a couple in their daily lives. I want to be able to express the mutable nature of queer identity through one's body through photography.

With this project, I want to break free of society’s preconceptions of lesbian love, which are widespread in modern media and society. Along with usual stereotypes, which can include ideas about short haircuts, flannel clothing, or specific hobbies, fetishization is common among media depictions of lesbian relationships. The most common example of this is the belief that straight men find lesbians as a turn-on or obstacle rather than a genuine sexual choice and I want to challenge that by expressing intimacy. These stereotypes don’t accurately represent the experiences and identities within the lesbian community. My initial plan was to take pictures of different queer (Lesbian\ Bisexual) couples to showcase a variety of relationships, embracing different ages, ethnicities and backgrounds, to highlight the minorities that are not being represented in mainstream media. On top of that, I would have wanted to explore the intersectionality of identity by featuring couples of different gender identities, with the inclusion of transgender and non-binary women, as it is the only way to fully represent the wide scope and spectrum of sexuality in our society, as Claude Cahun does. However, after a talk with Dafna and our 1:1 tutorial, we concluded that focusing on just one couple would be more time-efficient given that this is only a 10-week project.

I intend to break free from stereotypes by capturing moments that defy the traditional stereotypes covered at the beginning of this text, which are associated with lesbian couples, showcasing individuality, intimacy and uniqueness. I want to focus on everyday moments to emphasise the universality of love and relationships, transcending societal preconceptions.

I intend to accompany the visuals with short interviews or narratives from the couple, sharing their story, challenges and triumphs in their own words. I will write down some questions I want to ask them so that the viewers and I get to know them better, such as their names, how they meet, where they meet etc. I plan to have set questions but would also like to integrate some questions that come to my mind when talking to them, to better understand their relationship.

Location-wise, I am planning to do an initial shoot in the studio but I would also like to include diverse settings such as urban landscape.

The LGBTQ+ community is more visible in the twenty-first century. However, reports of people being abused because of their sexual orientation continue to surface. doubting the extent to which the community has truly changed despite increased visibility and information accessibility. (Kynoch, 2021)

In the 1950s, Francis migrated to Britain as a young child from Jamaica. This experience of being uprooted and politically alienated had a significant impact on his life, causing a profound sense of dislocation. To connect with the rich and diverse Pan-African world, Francis turned to photography as an aid.

After World War II, the British government invited thousands of people from its colonies to move to the UK and help rebuild the country. The first group arrived in 1948 on the ship HMT Empire Windrush, and they and their descendants are now known as the Windrush generation. In 2008, Autograph commissioned a series of portraits by Francis to put a face to these people and their journey, which had a profound impact on Britain's history.

I was particularly taken by the series of portraits that Francis produced for Autograph in 2008, but I loved all of his work in the "The Black Triangle" series, which is why I decided to write about him. I liked how Francis humanised the Windrush generation and highlighted the significance of their journey to the history of Britain. In addition to being stunning works of art, the portraits inspired me because they exuded a sense of respect and dignity for the subjects. All things considered, I believe Francis' work was a superb illustration of the ability of photography to tell stories and forge connections between individuals and their pasts—a message I hope to portray through my work.

A striking illustration of how subjectivity and objectivity can coexist in photography is found in the work of Armet Francis, not only in the pictures above but in the whole 'The Black Triangle' series (see some of my favourite pictures below). Francis's images have a distinct subjectivity on the one hand because of his profound comprehension of black consciousness and his own experience of displacement and political alienation. He celebrates the beauty and humanity of his subjects while capturing the tenacity and survival of African diasporic cultures through his lens.

However, Francis's work also exhibits a certain level of objectivity. Through his documentation of the African diaspora, he produces a visual history that is both collective and personal. His images grow to be an effective tool for sharing and conserving cultural heritage, upending popular belief systems, and fostering relationships between individuals and their pasts.

It is this combination of subjectivity and objectivity that gives Francis' work its power. His ability to capture the unique experiences of his subjects humanises them and lends relatability to their stories. In addition, he fosters a sense of solidarity and shared experience among the African diaspora's members, which can empower those who feel alone or marginalised.

Francis's body of work is proof of the ability of photography to convey meaning and forge connections across distance and time. It demonstrates how objectivity and subjectivity can coexist peacefully to foster a better understanding of each other and ourselves.

Francis used various techniques such as composition, light, aperture, depth of field, and shutter speed to create highly impactful and emotional images. In his 'Windrush' series, he intentionally used darker tones to emphasize the significant impact of the subjects in rebuilding England after World War II. All of the photographs are close-up portraits, which I believe help us connect with the subjects in a more intimate way than just standard portraits. Francis manages to convey a deep understanding of the person through a single shot, with the focus solely on the person who is often the only visible subject in the photograph. By eliminating distractions, he creates a connection between the Windrush generation and the viewer, fostering a better understanding of the person and their story.

To create powerful and captivating images for my project, where I also want to use portraiture to tell a story, it could be helpful to comprehend and apply the techniques used by Francis to communicate emotions and connections through his photographs.

1. Listen intently to what they say when I play back the recording of their interview to see if they bring up any specific items that I can photograph in the studio in an interesting way (even without them, so I can convey a sense of intimacy and relationship with those objects, eg necklace). I don't have enough studio photo shoots, so I need to bring something that connects to them.

   I will photograph them in their home in four days, along with these particular items, and if it is feasible, I will ask to borrow them so I can take pictures of them in the studio. To know which settings these objects function best in once the photos are developed, I want to take pictures of them both in the studio and their natural habitat.

   
   

2. In addition, I have to pay close attention to some of the phrases they say and choose which ones, like Duane Michels, I want to be noted on the prints.

   
   

3. Since cooking is their favourite activity, I'm going to take pictures of them while they're in the kitchen. It would be nice if they could prepare their favourite dish to highlight their bond.

We discussed Tate Britain's "The Women in Revolt" Exhibition in addition to what to do with the project and how to develop it to its full potential. In-depth examinations of feminist art by more than a hundred female UK artists are featured in this exhibition. It draws attention to the ways in which networks of women contributed significantly to British culture by utilising radical ideologies and rebellious tactics. The women's liberation movement benefited from their art during a time of profound social, political, and economic transformation. We specifically discussed Del LaGrace Volcano, whose series "Queer Dyke Cruising" (seen in the above photo), as an artist who will contribute to and inform my project.

Volcano is a pioneer in "using the world as a backdrop for the staging of queerly precarious pleasures," as evidenced by this series, which is a photo study that emphasises the dynamics of cruising while encapsulating the spirit of queer and dyke culture. The series explores the complex ways that sexuality, gender, and identity are expressed in these settings, providing a visually striking and provocative portrait of the varied people who engage with and influence these subcultures. The artist states that they created their pieces 'for ourselves, for the camera and for the sheer thrill of occupying places we were not meant to inhabit'.

I intend to visit the exhibition in two days, and my next step is to investigate their work. I am also going to research Poulomi Desai and Ingrid Pollard, two other artists whose work is in the exhibition and who might have something in common with my work. This will help me with my project.

In general, the meeting proved to be highly beneficial in helping me identify the next steps necessary to advance the project and in discovering ways to broaden its focus beyond relationships to include queer love.

Since Volcano creates their images by exchanging looks of identification, affiliation, and desire with their subjects, more than any other artist, their work has portrayed queer, trans, and intersex people as subjects rather than objects. What interests me and I believe will help shape my project is their mastery in portraying queer people as subjects rather than objects. As the project proposal discusses, I want to show queer people and relationships as subjects instead of objects of desire, which is how lesbian couples are typically portrayed in mainstream media.

"Queer bodies are ‘Bodies That (don’t) Matter’. Bodies that are disposable and often disowned. Bodies that are not valued or valuable. Bodies that through the simple act of existence personify resistance."

Volcano frequently employs portraiture to highlight their subjects' individuality and capture people's spirit. Additionally, they frequently explore and question gender and sexuality-related societal norms in their work to capture various identity expressions. Furthermore, Volcano has used a documentary approach to photograph the world around them, preserving genuine moments and experiences that can lend authenticity to their work. Volcano is renowned for exploring a wide variety of visual expressions by experimenting with various formats, styles, and techniques. I want to modify some of these strategies to use them for my project because they have the potential to produce a compelling story that dispels misconceptions and promotes understanding. I'm having trouble finding more information about their work, but maybe the exhibition will help me develop that understanding.

I chose the images in the moldboard above that spoke to me the most and would benefit my projects in some way. For example, I like the ones at the bottom because they incorporated the name, location, and date at the bottom of the print and gave it a polaroid feel, which is something I'd like to try for my composition because I'm already thinking about writing down words, and that would be a great way to incorporate both Volcano and Michels' works in my project. In addition, the second image displays two pictures in the format of a contact sheet, which gives off a polaroid vibe due to the edges and printing technique—another printing technique I'd like to try. The top right image is my favourite as well because it features a print without any white borders, allowing the viewer to see the film itself. For pictures where I don't think any writing is necessary, I'll try this print technique.

Poulomi has spent many years documenting the global South Asian queer community by linking the streets of Southall, London with locations in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Gujarat, India. These diverse queer communities were brought together in the exhibition and book Red Threads: The South Asian Queer Connection in Photographs (1980 – 2003). Although her work does resonate with mine, I don't think I will use this artist as inspiration for my project, but she is still deserving of recognition. I will conduct further research on her if, upon visiting the exhibition, I discover anything further about her work that is relevant to my project.

I love her work, not just the photographs but also the illustrations, but I am not too sure how to incorporate it in my work, just yet.

As was discussed in the previous session, I would like Del LaGrace Volcano to serve as the inspiration for the following photos:

1. date and phrase underneath in "polaroid format"

2. similar to a contact sheet

3. with the film borders visible and no white boarders when I feel some photos don't need text

1. I should start considering how the couple's environment-based photos and the studio ones relate to each other. I plan to accomplish this by beginning to print the images in their natural settings because I am aware of their significance. Perhaps by printing and viewing the images at a larger size, I will be better able to comprehend the functions of these images and how they relate to one another when I am considering the order in which my pieces should be seen and how they enhance one another.

2. The next thing I'll do is head into the darkroom and reprint the first contact sheet, print the contact sheet from the fourth shoot, and then start printing the environmental photos and choosing which ones to print.

3. After that, I would give it more thought if the connection between the studio images and the surroundings didn't immediately occur to me.

4. To further understand how the printing methods I discussed in the Padlet's layout section work, I will attempt to experiment with them.

K." I think it is also distance; you don't want to have this conversation over a phone or FaceTime, so yeah."

K ."When I think of queer relationships on cinema or tv, growing up I never saw a lot of Asian characters in relationships like that so experiencing it myself was new in a sense that when I started thinking about it was in that era where gay couples were portrayed more often in tv so thankfully I had some representation that I could see myself in but it was very much up to the imagination when I was growing up"

Did your friends at the time know that you are queer?

L: "One, my closest friend, he was actually also queer. Shocking. We were on holiday and we both came out to each other but yeah only one friend knew back then and now the friend that I kept obviously know

I plan to print all the pictures in the Polaroid format first and then decide which ones I want to write on. For some pictures, I would still like them to be bigger. For example, for some portraitures that I am unsure about what to write on, I will print them bigger. This decision will be made after I print them all the circled ones and see which ones need writing.

Although the interview helped me to create a bond with the couple, the first pictures I took were not good enough. I should have taken more time to understand the environment and the subjects before proceeding with the shoot as you can see the chairs. I also forgot to take a picture of Kris and Lauren alone, which is a major oversight on my part.

Out of the pictures I took, I believe I'll use three of them as the first three pictures of my final project. I want to use one of them to present the couple together, and one each of Kris and Lauren to create a relationship between the viewer and the subject. However, the lack of a picture of Kris and Lauren alone may affect the overall effect of my project, I will try the techniques I learned in the past in the darkroom to make two individual prints with Kris and Lauren singularly. I will try to do so by adjusting the enlarger.

While I have some concerns about my work, there were also some positive aspects. I was pleased with how some of my pictures turned out (the ones I circled), and I believe I was able to capture genuine intimacy between the couple. During the interview, I quickly recognized that the way the couple was looking at each other was very intimate, and I was able to capture some candid shots of them. I think these pictures worked well for both composition and conveying the intimacy I was aiming for. As I took more pictures and asked more questions, I was able to create a better rapport with the couple. This helped me to create better pictures and capture their emotions more effectively. Although there were some mistakes, I am confident that I can use the skills I learned in this project to improve my work in the future. By paying more attention to detail and taking more time to understand the environment and the subjects, I can create better work that truly reflects my vision.

I have selected some of my favourite shots from the photoshoot. These shots are the ones that I believe turned out the best due to the composition, lighting, poses, and gazes. I aimed to capture not only the couple but also the things that brought them together and the environment they were in.

To achieve this, I tried not to fall into the trap of taking simple couple photos. I was concerned about this and had discussed it with Dafna earlier. For instance, frame number 6 shows the ingredients needed to make the food and objects that bring the couple together in their shared activity.

Frame 12 captures Kriz's amazing chopping skills and is the reason why Lauren thinks Kriz is the better cook. This was another important point I wanted to document. In frame 17, I love how they look at each other, and you can see Kris passing the plate to Lauren. This suggests that what they are doing is not just a one-way thing but a joint activity that brings them together.

I am not too sure about frame 25 as I am not a big fan of the composition. However, the details of the arm around Kris' waist help convey intimacy. Another picture I like and plan to print is frame 11. It looks like a movie scene and reminds me of frame 17. The two pictures could go very well together.

Finally, I plan to print the ones with an exclamation mark next to them as I think they are the best due to the reasons stated above. I need to be careful with the cooking pictures, though, as I don't want to overdo them and make my project look like a cooking photoshoot.

it relates to subjectivity in the sense that I am trying to tell Lauren and Kriz's love story from their perspective. It relates to Objectivity in the sense that I would like most queer couples to somehow relate to the concept and aim of the project and it relates to power as it challenges the male gaze and/ or stereotypes and position of powers on prejudices

-What is the project about? How did your ideas develop and progress throughout the project?

For queer women, the sexualisation and commodification of their relationships is violently obvious; it extends throughout their romantic and personal lives. As a result, representations of women in same-sex relationships in mainstream media are not being represented in a natural, egalitarian light. Everything is made to pander to the male gaze, so I intended to challenge that and give a normal and fair representation of their love. At first, I wanted to leave some pictures without text and with a pink background like Ingrid Pollard, but then I was told, I couldn't do that, so I rearranged the planning and did all the pictures like Duane Micheals but in a more Polaroid way. I was also thinking about glueing letters instead of writing them myself to give a more objective meaning to a subjective story.

Originally, I also wanted to do more couples, but it didn't work with time, so it is something I would have done if I had more time. I aimed to get models from different ethnicities and gender identification to also represent the variety of queer love, which is sometimes missed in media. It is something I would consider if I wanted to develop the project further in the future.

About the layout, I also originally wanted the studio photos bigger and without borders to make a distinction between the studio one and the environment, as the studio ones are meant to present the couple to the audience, both as a couple and individually. However, I got inspired by Del La Grace Volcano and their work and how they present it to do the studio pictures and write the model's name, the location and the date underneath. I tried to print it bigger but then I wouldn't have space to write their names, which was fundamental to present the models to the audience.

-How did you approach the work technically and how does this influence the way that the work is interpreted?

To get to know the models better, I interviewed them about their passions, how they met and their love story in general. The interview influenced what was written on the prints and what I photographed. Technically I mainly used 2 apertures to keep the subject in focus and that sometimes resulted in shacky pictures as I wasn't using a tripod but gave the prints a dreamy look, which makes their love dreamy.

-What research informed your ideas and the development of the project?

I researched how to shoot intimacy as it was something I never even tried before, so it was new to me. So I focused on details and made a close-up of them, POVs and eye-level images to make it more intimate

-Talk about the decisions that informed the edit, sequencing and how the work is displayed on the wall

The layout was a bit difficult as I had to make an informed decision on what pictures to print, and probably if I had more time, I would have added more photos to make the story longer, as I was planning to make a bigger print to conclude the story with the printed interview next to it. My second option was to put three pictures without the white borders with the script of the interview to end the sequence with the whole story. The sequence follows their story and the interview. Moreover, I made them small and the text also small so the viewer needs to get closer to the image to read and it emphasises the sense of intimacy.

I enjoy taking pictures outside more as it was nice seeing the models in their natural environment.

Moreover, it has been said that the text is such an important part same as the Polaroid look, which is very old school, and reenacted old Polaroid pictures of a couple, which used to be taken back in the day and reinforces the romantic feeling. Moreover, the use of a longer shutter speed is good as not many people have done it.

Moreover, we decided to take the still-life picture out of the layout because if I couldn't find any sentence for it, it meant it wasn't necessary. Furthermore, it wasn't adding anything to the sequence in the sense that the audience already knew what was going on even without that picture as they could tell they were cooking