EVERYDAY NARRATIVES @amycauser-blog - Tumblr Blog

Overview

This project has two different outcomes:

1. Magazines

2. Creative Covers

I did photoshoots with many different people in Orkney and outwith Orkney. I have hash tagged throughout this project to help separate these and make it easier. The basic’s still apply #research #development #final

For each person that I have documented I have hash tagged their name. So the main people are as followed:

#charlie

#erik

#lol

#Iona

#emily

#fraser

#ewing

#kerryandandy

#karenkian

You can click on these hashtags and it takes you to every post I have tagged with this. Try it.

A Reflection of My Everyday Narrative Project:

Throughout the course of the year my project has changed several times.

From looking at the photographs and them telling their own story

photographs and sound

to finally

photographs with written narrative.

From the start I knew that I wanted to do some sort of documentary photography. Looking back I am glad that I started to look at doing creative covers early as didn’t realise the time scale for sourcing all of the materials, creating them, printing and also binding myself. The time scale was a massive part of my final books. I didn't have enough money or time to experiment e.g. different wood types or try making my own ceramics again for another two weeks (I did do this but time was important). I don’t have as much development for each one as I would have liked but at the same time I feel I have strong outcomes. I have achieved several photo shoots and learned a lot about people in the community of Orkney on a personal level.

#reflection

My finished magazines with the cardboard wrap

#magazines #final

More development of Emily Creative cover - working out where the type goes best.

I prefer the left hand corner just because this is similar to my finished magazines

#development #creativecover #emily

FRASER: REASONS BEHIND FINAL CREATIVE COVER

Why are you made from Astroturf?

Fraser when you open the book `you don’t understand why the book is made out of Astroturf; this is because it is a hidden part of Fraser if you don’t know him outside of the church. I wanted it to be prominent. I also made this the largest book because of the size of a rugby pitch.

#fraser #development #reasons

EMILY: REASONS BEHIND FINAL CREATIVE COVER

Why are you made from Glass in sterile packaging?

Emily is fighting neuroblastoma, which is a childhood cancer. When she is undergoing treatment this makes her a very fragile person. You always have to use that antibacterial gel and If you have a cold you can meet with Emily. Its very serious.

I firstly made Emily out of glass, as it is a very fragile material. If it falls it smashes pretty easily. This replicates the way Emily is; a very fragile immune system. I then sandblasted all of the glass as it I wanted the image to be hidden as Emily doesn’t like to be known as ‘The girl with cancer’ and she hates people feeling sorry for her. (This is why my image at the end is a happy image to leave the readers on a happy note) So this is why the sandblasting occurred and the title is clear, as Emily is very open that she is suffering from cancer and doesn’t wear a wig – She is a very confident person. So she shuts people out but she shines through.

This glass is then bound together by a designed sterile packaging and scissors as you have to be germ free when with Emily so therefore I thought this was fitting in the way to bind this book.

#development #emily #reasons

IONA: REASONS BEHIND FINAL CREATIVE COVER

Why are you made from mirror?

I wanted to create a cover for Iona made from a Mirror because I took photographs of her dancing I wanted it to be something you would associate with dancers or dance studios. I also wanted it to be about Body Image.

A quote from the huffington post “So while we can take a break from actual mirrors that surround us as adults - to help think about why and how we rely on them- it's the adjustments we make to our own, internal view of ourselves that is necessary. Today's culture may perpetuate the yearning for a perfect self-image, but a mirror-less world is not the solution.”

This is exactly what I think. Dancers have to be self-confident and Iona is a confident and strong woman. This is what I wanted to show people – that you need to look into the mirror – you can’t ignore yourself. Its been said that ignoring mirros can improve your image – What a heap of shit, that’s because you are making up what you look like in your head your not actually seeing yourself.

I want people to really look at themselves and be confident within them and be able to look in the mirror to open the book of Iona. Then the reinforcement of Iona being a strong and beautiful dancer should encourage you to feel good.

On the inside there is a pattern made from window reflections that is another aspect of dance studios that are very beautiful.

Iona’s name is laser cut on the front of the mirror – Its very clean and finished. It reflects the beauty of itself.

#development #iona #reasons

LOL: REASONS BEHIND FINAL CREATIVE COVER

Why are you ceramics?

I know that LOL is made from ceramics for an obvious reason that she works and owns a café in Kirkwall. I wanted to show this before you opened the book. I wanted you to feel the weight of the book – The weight that it is to run your own café and have a family that rely on you.

This plate also has the imperfection of a crack on the front cover. This is on purpose. The plate shows that there is perfection in the imperfections. It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. I think this way of looking at life is the way that LOL looks at her life and thinks of others in this way. I think it’s a pretty great way to be and a great outlook on life.

I also wanted to have the title hidden, as the imperfections are not always shown. The title “LOL” the ‘O’ isn’t perfect and I really like this; it has went beyond the boundaries – Its went a bit wild. Lol goes a bit wild when she is with the ‘Wine ladies” trust me.

This is printed on single sheets of recycled paper. There is also tracing paper in her book. This has repeated images on them, this is to reinforce the different aspects of her life.

#development #reasons #lol

The structure of the book shows different aspects of the characters.

#development #narratives

ERIK: REASONS BEHIND FINAL CREATIVE COVER

Why are you a fire blanket?

So talking you through the creative cover…

I first thought through ideas and wondered what ERIK could have been, even thinking about having ashes collected and have on the front cover, being able to move. Instead I decided that I wanted to book to be the size of a fire blanket and be able to fit into the slipcover of the fire blanket.

Then I thought about it more – I could use the blanket to print on – unfortunately you cannot print on your own material. So therefore I chose the material closest to the fire blanket material. I used my real fire blanket as a template and created my own one with a story on it! I wanted it to reveal more about Erik as you opened the blanket – this is what my blanket does if it is folded down.

As you open it takes you through a short quick/fast story of what happens when there is a fire (quick and fast – the way firemen have to react). This was the easy part. Sewing the bloody red plastic was a frigging nightmare – If kept catching – as you can see in my development. I had to sew the slipcover and the blanket edges. I even went as far as doing the label on the back of the blanket.

I then create the vinyl to go onto the front cover – It took me so many attempts to get this right, as my typeface was too thin. With changing the typeface this worked better, but still fiddly. Then the last touch was the metal circle eyelet at the top that I hammered in.

I wanted this narrative to be subtle but once noticed to grab people’s attention, just like the sound of the siren of the truck, faint unaware then suddenly comes with a loud noise.

I also think that it reflects Erik’s job as a fireman. He is not firstly known / thought of as a fireman at home in Orkney, and I like that you don’t firstly look at this narrative and think ‘that is a book’.

#development #reasons #erik

CREATIVE COVERS ARE MADE MORE PERSONAL BY ADDING THEIR NAME

BECAUSE THE CREATIVE COVERS WERE VERY PERSONAL I WANTED TO NAME THESE WITH THE PERSONS NAME AND THIS IS HOW THEY DIFFERED TO THE MAGAZINES.

#development #narratives

CHARLIE: REASONS BEHIND FINAL CREATIVE COVER

Why are you wooden and created into a creative cover?

So talking you through the creative cover…

Charlie is made from pinewood. This is because wood has symbolisms such as strength and wisdom that I feel reflect Charlie’s personality. I felt that because I now know these people with a bit more depth than before I wanted to show this yes in a magazine but in a creative way.

I had to firstly cut the timber down into sections. This meant using the workshops in Gray’s. I then spend a few days sanding these down to get the rounded edged and then eventually put the holes in this book so that I could bind it myself. Before I bound this book I had to decide how I was going to print this? Looking at heaps of paper from G F Smith I decided that I wanted to use recycled paper; mainly because Charlie is a person who will recycle anything and everything and has stored “stuff” everywhere because it can be reused.

I had to research how to print this booklet in a way that it sectioned 4 times as it was too thick to stitch all in one go. Once I had successfully learned how to stitch this; I was ready – Now for the title.

I looked at several different ways of inscribing into wood and decided to use the laser cutter as this is a clean finish – Which is perfect – Charlie is a perfectionist. I did this firstly but it burnt too much and my kerning was wrong (please see development I have handed in); this was too annoying so I did this again.

Binding this was one of the easiest but it too me a while to work out how to get the wood attached without it almost hanging off – It is now secure.

#charlie #reasons #development