The Process
From Start to Finish
“Creativity is a wild mind and a disciplined eye.” – Dorothy Parker.
Balance is necessary for any creative project, requiring freedom, letting go and allowing your imagination to run wild. With that in mind, the decision of how this project is defined began with a clear theme of sustainability within communities around the world. One of those communities was Coed Hills, South Wales.
To achieve an end product which would appeal to a wider audience I looked at various options, including a website, book and exhibition. Obviously, there was a lot of planning which needed to be undertaken and unfortunately, due to the time factor all of these were not possible.
My decision to eliminate the exhibition was that I did not believe that I had finished this body of work and it was still ongoing. That is why I chose in the first instance to create a website for people to access around the world. This was in a similar format as previous projects giving fluidity to my website. The idea of a book was something I prefer to get published when a project has been completely finished. However, my reasons for choosing to publish a book at this moment is so that individuals who cannot or choose not to access the internet have a different medium available to them. Books provide a means of connection without the need for technology, you can experience a particular moment with that book wherever you are. Despite my reservations, I am going ahead and publishing a book which will be an updated version in the future.
Previously discussed was a clear theme of sustainability and that of Coed Hills. From my very first visit to Coed Hills, I familiarised myself with the surrounding environment. As time continued each time I visited I got a greater understanding of not just the environment, but also about the community there and what they wanted to achieve long term.
Together with research, I wanted to tell a story of life in Coed Hills, which included photographs and videos of selected individuals within the community. This community is particular about ethics especially concerning cultural sensitivities and consenting to certain images being shared on social media.
During my time there I would take a selection of images consisting of real life at Coed and the visitors who went there. To achieve this in my imagery I chose to use natural light and no flash where possible, at the processing stage I used natural tones rather than vibrant colours to compliment the subject matter.
When considering the final imagery and how it would appear in my book, the sequence would need to compliment the narrative. The design had to support the intention of the book and there was to be a natural progression that would keep my viewers engaged and inspire them so that the transition was fluid. After much consideration about the production of this body of work and not having the greatest knowledge of publishing programs, I decided to collaborate with a professional publisher when printing my book.
As I had used this small publishing company before I was very confident they could produce the publication I wanted. Discussions included everything from the theme of the book to what I wanted to message I was trying to convey to the viewer.
Conceptual Framework
This considered the theme of the book along with the target audience I hoped it would appeal to.
In this instance, the target audience was free-thinking people with a passion for changing their lives in a more sustainable way and or living or considering living in an eco-community. This target group already has an interest in sustainability, therefore the book could provide them with an opportunity and a tool for sharing the ethos of sustainable communities, creating a ripple effect.
Design elements
The visual design and layout not only needed to look attractive but also help the viewer understand the message the design is conveying. When researching these two factors for this publication I looked at various options from other artists. What I realised was book formatting and layout design were necessary to create a professional-looking book that was engaging, easy to read and enjoyable.
As my book was imagery-based with a small amount of text I looked at photography books more. My research suggested the selection of images, along with how they were in a particular sequence was especially important in the case of narrative books.
“Mostly, photobook design is about negative space – i.e., the space not occupied by ink – and how that can make your photos sing. It is a matter of harmony or purposeful disharmony.”
Justifying my choices.
Once I had processed all my images I went through a selection process for both the website and the book. These images needed to be technically strong, well-composed and of a good quality.
It took quite a while to choose the final images, especially for the book when deciding whether the photographs flowed and if they added that ‘wow factor’ to the overall product.
The cover art was to be of a simplistic type photograph, which worked well with the title of the project and it needed to be eye-catching to the viewer, without being too overpowering. Inside the book, the sequencing of the images was just as important taking the viewer on a journey through The Coed Hills Community.
When researching other publications I noted that when several images were on a page or over both left and right pages, it was in my eyes a distraction. That was why, when deciding on the layout I opted for just one image on the right-hand pages, leaving the left-hand pages blank throughout.
I did consider adding quotes to the left-hand pages, from some of The Coed Hills Community I interviewed but after much deliberation, I decided to opt for some small quotes at the beginning and the end because I did not feel it was necessary.
The sustainability factor was extremely important concerning this project due to the subject matter. My end goal was to be as sustainable as possible. To achieve this it was necessary to find a local printer that was environmentally friendly, who understood what I was trying to communicate to the viewer about sustainability and could source paper made from trees which had been grown in a sustainable forest.