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[staceyprince]

Photobook Development

Framework 

In our modern, interconnected world, individuals often grapple with the tension between their authentic selves and the roles they feel compelled to play. This internal conflict—between genuine identity and performed identity—is a pervasive human experience. 

Building upon my previous work, particularly the Beyoncé-inspired self-portrait series, I aim to expand this exploration by minimising the idea of famed, international figures to family members, friends, leaders, the environments we're in, and what we consume. 

This way I can incorporate elements from my Polyfest documentation, highlighting cultural attire and symbolism that pay homage to my heritage. This integration will further emphasise the cultural influences that shape our identities. 

Style & Mood 

To effectively convey the themes of authenticity vs. performance, I will draw inspiration from the styles of the following photographers: 

Sarah Bahbah: Known for her cinematic imagery overlaid with subtitles, Bahbah's work dives into deeply personal narratives, challenging societal taboos and exploring themes of love, pain, and self-discovery.

Saul Leiter: Leiter's candid street photography captures everyday moments with a quiet allure, utilising natural lighting to evoke a sense of calmness and introspection. 

Edith Amituanai: Amituanai's work focuses on cultural identity and the intimacy of home environments, investigating the connection between personal and shared cultural identity, community, and family.  

By synthesising these styles, I aim to create a visual narrative that oscillates between the performative and the authentic, capturing the fluidity of identity in various contexts. 

[staceyprince]

DEANA LAWSON

Deana Lawson is an American photographer known for her powerful portraits that explore themes of identity, family, race, and the intimate connections between people. Her work often challenges conventional representations, offering respectful portrayals of diverse individuals. Her photographs invite reflection on dignity, memory, and the ways people connect in an often alienating world.

Lawson's lighting choices are a key part of her work, often creating deep contrasts and emotional layers that enhance the mood of her images.

Soft, Warm Lighting - She often uses soft, warm lighting to create intimacy, making her subjects feel approachable and human. This lighting adds depth to their expressions and emphasises personal connections.

Contrasting Light and Shadow - Lawson plays with light and shadow to enhance the emotional impact of her work. The contrast draws attention to specific details while leaving others in mystery, creating a sense of intrigue.

Direct, Dramatic Lighting - Some portraits feature bold, direct lighting that creates striking contrasts, highlighting certain features or expressions and adding a dramatic, almost theatrical effect.

Natural Light - Lawson often incorporates natural light, like sunlight through windows, to add realism and honesty to her photos. This light also symbolises the connection between the subject and their environment.

Ambient Lighting - She uses subtle ambient light, like lamps or sunlight filtering through curtains, to set a specific mood in her images, whether calm, contemplative, or intense.

Layered Lighting - Lawson sometimes uses multiple light sources to create depth in her photos, giving them a sense of dimensionality and space.

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[staceyprince]

This week I took it back to my roots at my old high school.

To celebrate 50 years of Polyfest, many generations of alumni dating back to 1970-80 gathered to perform on the Polyfest stage once again for their family and friends, and I had the privilege of going to the Fiafia Night.

Close friends of mine had the opportunity to perform and be a part of this amazing initiative, and one even performed alongside their mother, who is an AGGS old girl herself.

This performance was a beautiful display of how culture runs strong through generations and how experiences and what you hold dear can draw people to one another.

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Playing more with natural light and shadows for a calmer and more still mood.

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LIGHTING WORKSHOP #2

In this workshop, we had the opportunity to put all the skills we learnt in the first part of the lighting induction workshops to use.

Cornelius challenged us to find photos online with interesting lighting and try to replicate the lighting design in the studio with the equipment provided.

This is what we came up with :)

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This series explores identity more and filters the light to draw the eye to what can be seen. playing with the idea of drama and mystery. So on, with the spotlight creating high visual contrast and very distinct positive and negative space, the images emphasise loneliness.

[staceyprince]

For this exploration I wanted to recreate Beyonce's 2002 Honey Magazine.

WHY?

I wanted to try putting myself in the shoes of famed people I used to look up to when I was younger. So I thought, what were they doing when they were my age? And clearly Beyoncé was on the cover of Honey Magazine!

Though my images arent even close to those of Beyoncé, it inspires the costume, makeup and poses :)

[staceyprince]

This week we refreshed our basic skills on a DSLR camera and jogged our memories on how to use focus, focal length, exposure, and shutter speed. We also had the opportunity to go outside and test our knowledge, experimenting with different depths of field, texture, light, and shadow.

[staceyprince]

SAUL LEITER

American artist Saul Leiter’s work reflects inner contemplation, influenced by his background in painting, particularly in colour, framing, and composition. His photography stands out for its understated, contemplative nature, distinct from the intense street photography of his time. Leiter often captured everyday moments—people in the rain, views through glass, or fragmented reflections—imbued with elegance and intrigue.

Central to the quiet allure of his images, lighting was subtle and atmospheric, enhancing the calm mood of his images. He primarily used soft, diffused light to create a serene atmosphere in his work. Leiter often embraced the light found in everyday settings, avoiding harsh contrasts and sharpness typical of conventional photography.

He used light and shadows to add depth and interest, often shooting through windows or rain-soaked surfaces to create reflections of hidden scenes. Backlighting created silhouettes and halos around subjects, introducing mystery and abstraction, with a dreamlike quality that blurred the lines between subject and background. He sometimes opted for soft focus, allowing light to obscure details, enhancing the painterly quality of his work. This approach evoked a sense of nostalgia, inviting emotional connection over technical perfection. Furthermore, Leiter utilised artificial street lighting and neon signs to create dynamic lighting effects, which added mood and atmosphere to his compositions.

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WILLIAM COUPON

American photographer William Coupon, known for his evocative portraits, has captured tribal communities, political figures, and celebrities using painted backdrops and formal compositions. He draws inspiration from Dutch masters like Rembrandt and Holbein.

To enhance the dramatic quality of his portraits, Coupon uses lighting to add depth, mood, and texture. He often employs high-contrast lighting to create strong shadows and highlights, emphasising facial expressions in a way reminiscent of Renaissance and Baroque art. For a softer, more refined look, he uses soft lighting for a serene portrayal of his subjects. Coupon also uses multiple light sources, like key and fill lights, to highlight certain areas while maintaining balance in the image. Additionally, he lights the background to create atmosphere and add visual interest to the overall composition.

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GEOFFERY MATAUTIA

Samoan Creative, based in Auckland, New Zealand, focuses on documenting Pacific peoples and the South Auckland community.

He uses lighting to create authenticity and connection, often highlighting the essence of his subjects. Natural light, especially the warm tones of sunlight, gives his portraits a softer feel. Many of his personal photos are taken in everyday settings like front or backyards, inviting viewers into the world of his subjects to foster intimacy.

Geoffery also plays with light and shadow to add depth and texture to his images, making them more visually engaging. For staged or commercial shots, he uses controlled lighting to highlight specific details like clothing.

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ZANELE MUHOLI

South African artist Zanele Muholi explores themes of identity, race, and sexuality, showcasing the nuances of her experience as a Black South African queer woman. For example, in her series ”Somnyama Ngonyama," meaning "Hail Dark Lioness," Muholi uses dramatic lighting, bold makeup, and stark contrasts to emphasise her skin and the elements of costume that adhere to her context. Confronting stereotypical representations of African identity. 

Muholi's also uses her body to take ownership of her identity, displaying vulnerability while also showcasing strength and resilience. Furthermore, she uses her cultural attire, makes direct eye contact, and poses in ways that are both confrontational and reflective, signalling her fight for self-determination and recognition. 

LIGHTING

High-contrast black-and-white lighting is crucial to her visual narrative.

Avoids harsh artificial light and actually states that she only works outdoors. In many of her photos, she uses just enough soft light to highlight the contours of the face and create shadow and depth.

She exaggerates the pigment of black skin tones in post-production.

[staceyprince]

VIVIAN MAIER

New York-born Vivian Maier’s self-portraits capture fleeting moments of spontaneity, creating a sense of surprise and intimacy. She often uses reflections in windows or store mirrors, capturing herself in the background without overtly drawing attention. Another common characteristic found in Maier’s work is the use of her own shadow in a scene, leaving parts of her body obscured and creating a sense of distance or contemplation. 

LIGHTING - seeing as many of her photos were taken in an urban setting and are in monochrome, with the brightest part of her photos that is being reflected. The subject does not always sit as the brightest element in the shot but rather juxtaposes what even they stand before, whether that be the greyness of the concrete buildings in the background or the light sky. She mostly uses natural light, which adds to the spontaneity and candidness of her shots rather than them being a staged and formal self-representation with studio light. Furthermore , she uses shadows in the environment to create contrast and visually interesting compositions.

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LEE FRIEDLANDER 

American photographer, Lee Friedlander is renowned for his innovative approach to self-portraiture and street photography. 

He uses reflections such as mirrors, windows, or car mirrors to fragment and layer compositions that reflect his presence within a larger context. This method often conveys a sense of divided identity, suggesting the experience of being both a participant in and observer of the world. 

Furthermore, many of Friedlander's self-portraits are set in urban landscapes, where he merges with the city environment, leaving us with just a silhouette or shadow. This explores the tension between individuality and anonymity, helping to capture the complexity of human existence in modern society. 

His work often reveals contradictions or subtle humour, offering a playful commentary on the absurdities of life. And through his belief in the multifaceted nature of human experience, he invites viewers to reflect on the complexity of identity and the world around them. 

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EDITH AMITUANAI

Auckland-born Samoan artist Edith Amituanai focuses on cultural identity by playing with concepts of diaspora, heritage, and family, showing herself within the framework of her cultural roots. In doing this, she features family members, cultural motifs, and the intimacy of home environments in her self-portraits to investigate the connection between personal and shared cultural identity and, furthermore, belonging, community, and family connections. Edith also uses cultural wear to bridge the gap between her personal story and wider social and cultural themes. 

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SARAH BAHBAH

Palestinian/Jordanian Artist and Director, Sarah Bahbah, is redefining her culturally conservative upbringing, which has sparked her artistic rebellion. Bahbah’s work delves into the strength found in vulnerability, articulating the diverse range of chaos and longing in flawed relationships. Her visually impactful and culturally shifting narratives weave together deeply personal insights, presented as subtitles over cinematic imagery. Ultimately, her work serves as a breath of fresh air to her ever-growing audience on Instagram as it continues to challenge societal taboos and honours the release of guilt and shame. 

https://www.instagram.com/sarahbahbah/