Sketchbook

Contact Sheet
 Print One
Safety on transport has been a big thing since
coming out of the initial lockdown. It has not
stopped and is vital for some keyworkers to get to
work everyday. When first looking at the image,
my eyes first go to the very first blue sign, my
eyes then follow the signs into the image where I
have created a leading lines type effect. after these
I begin to take in the structure behind, anyone who
knows the Reading how you up would be aware
that this is the train station.
To edit this image I just adjusted some of the
colours and saturation in the photo. I made a red
slightly brighter to emphasise the severity of the
message on the sign. The the darker colours are
more calming, reflecting the politly worded
request. Juxtaposing the bright red warning on
other signs.
 Print Two

This instruction is not an advised action but a mandatory one. The colour of the
sign is very calming which might make someone more inclined to read and follow
the direction. Below the sign is another which is easily identified as a ‘no smoking’
instruction which would be braking the law if not followed. This infers that not
following the sign above would be just as bad as not following either. To edit the
photo I adjusted the levels to make the background darker. The dark background
along with the calm blue colour could reflect the conflicting views on the
regulations we have to follow.
 Print Three

One way systems are a new thing that have become familiar. At first glance to the image
you can see that the streets are very busy which has been the opposite of my previous
images. I usually shoot when the streets are empty, however to shoot when I did
allowed me to capture the effect of the Christmas period. This time has made people
less considerate of their ‘essential’ journeys. But, the signs show the precaution the
government are trying to take despite this. The depth of focus in the image highlights
the importance of the layers in the image. The colour red is very prominent an draws the
eye to being the main focus, as intended. When your eyes can focus on the background
noise, it reveals the significance of the sign its self and the purpose of it.
To edit this image I adjusted the levels slightly to get a good balance of light between
the sign and the background.
 Print Four

This photo is of a sign I came across that was laid on the floor. It had been walked
over and ignored. The unique angle and frame adds to this lack of clarity of the
rules; especially if they are being over looked. The image shows us the aspect of
society that don’t care for following rules in place to protect people. Red in an
overall negative colour, it represents anger and resentment which is what many
people feel towards the new way we have to live.
By adjusting the curves and the levels I was able to focus the light and dark onto
more appropriate areas.
 Print Five

This photograph has elements of a leading lines image. It doesn't’t have direct lines
leading to a point but the stickers on the ground are pointing in the same direction
which draws your eyes down and further into the image. In fact the distortion of
the stickers could represent the disruption to society and adjustments we have had
to make: following instructions being one of them.
By changing the image to black and white I was able to add to the blurred and
sometimes lack of clarity in what we can and can’t do. And adjusting the levels in
the image brightened it up so it was more visible.
 Shoot Evaluation
The aim of this shoot was to use signs to show how society has been
forced to adapt because of the situation. In the town centre signs are
everywhere, directing pedestrian traffic and displaying instruction for
people. The range of signs allowed me to capture different
instructions, and represent the rules in different ways they are seen.
By shooting with no specific influence I was allowed to interpret the
images in my own way, a lot like the different ways people interpret
rules. This being another exploratory shoot, having no influence can
result in better photographs because it allows you to be more creative.
Despite this I do still think I could have ventured out and tried to be
more creative.
My favourite photo from the shoot is print three because I think that
is sums um what is really going on currently. The colours exaggerate
the negativity and how people feel fed up and as a result have stopped
or are avoiding rule following.
Overall I do think this shoot was successful. I was able to capture a
range of images in different styles, in order to communicate different
rules and regulations. Some photographs may have more obvious
meaning than others. I was able to catch people not following the
rules which is a big thing at this point in time due to it being the
Christmas period. The fact I was able to show this, I believe makes it
successful.
Miho Kajioka’s Lightness of Being
The Japanese photographer searches for beauty in the
everyday, a philosophy conversely inspired by tragic disasters.
 
The Japanese artist, Miho Kajioka, has flown from Kyoto to Athens to conduct a photography workshop on
the rugged Greek island of Santorini. For a period of time, due to the Covid-19 situation, it seemed that this
workshop was unlikely to take place at all, and yet, with tenacity, goodwill and some luck, here we are. 
 
In a short period of time, Kajioka has achieved considerable success, most recently with a solo exhibition of
her work, Tanzaku at The Photographers’ Gallery in London. This November, Kajioka exhibits again,
alongside Marc Riboud (who also has an exhibition at Musee Guimet at the same time) with her own show
entitled Do you open your eyes in the sea? at the Polka Galerie and during Paris Photo until 09 January.
 
Kajioka’s photographs first caught my attention at Paris Photo in 2019, when she won the prestigious Prix
Nadar for her book, So it goes, published by the(M) Editions and the Ibasho Gallery, based in Antwerp. The
project is a delicate-yet-ingenious selection of photographs, which are bound together and printed on
transparent paper. The spatial arrangement of the images allows each transparent page to reveal a
juxtaposition of, at times, three images in various degrees of obscurity, carefully sequenced and layered
with a harmony so as not to intrude with each other. Concepts of time, memory and place are explored. “I
wanted to playfully confuse people with a sense of time, in a fun and poetic way,” Kajioka explains. “I
always had a strange feeling about how we order time into the past, present and future, as I never really
felt that way. Sometimes, for example, one week can seem shorter than five minutes. When I started to
photograph, when I was 19 years old, I felt then that I was playing with time. I was not sure what to do with
this idea until much later in life, when I read the science-fiction novel, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt
Vonnegut.” The anti-war novel was published in 1969 and is described as a postmodern masterpiece. With
a non-linear narrative, events are recounted through flashbacks and time travel, while the protagonist is
held in an alien zoo on the fictional planet of Tralfamadore. The use of repetition, as with the phrase ‘so it
goes’, is notable throughout the story. Kajioka cites a quote from the book: “I am a Tralfamadorian, seeing
all time as you might see a stretch of the Rocky Mountains. All moments past, present and future, always
have existed, always will exist.”
 
Kajioka’s photographs capture moments intuitively from fragments in her everyday
experience. The book ran 500 regular editions and 40 editions in a deluxe version, which all
sold out. Now, it will be published again, retitled So it goes, so it goes, and launched at the
Polka exhibition, mainly because the artist wanted the work to be seen in light of winning the
Prix Nadar, plus the fact that she felt uncomfortable about her books being sold online at
vastly inflated prices. “Of course, it is important to respect those who have already
purchased the limited-edition book,” she says, “so we want to keep the main concept of the
book and yet we want to make a different version.” 
 
Kajioka was born in Okayama, Japan, in 1973. She went to the San Francisco Art Institute in 1992 to study painting,
but moved towards photography soon after. After finishing her studies at Concordia University in Montreal, she
recognised that to make meaningful work, an artist needs life experience. “I needed to learn more about myself and
the world,” she says. So she moved to Tokyo to produce news and documentary programmes for Brazilian TV, but
missed the arts. “Reporting about the tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, these experiences
changed and reinforced my view of life,” she says. “I thought how tomorrow might never come, how life can end
suddenly, and I realised that this was the time to return to art.”

While reporting in the disaster zone, Kajioka found some roses blooming amongst the carnage. That mixture of
grace and ruin led her to create art that celebrates beauty in daily life. After some time in Spain, she returned to
Japan and the darkroom, and spent several months producing her project, As it is. The work was inspired by
Kajioka’s experience covering the 2011 tsunami. “It was a natural disaster that killed people, but I felt that our point
of view is always to call it a disaster,” she explains. “But from nature’s point of view it was part of the natural flow
and in a sense this is As it is. I used my archive, and wanted to show the work ‘as it is’, so people could see it from
their own perspective and hopefully with no filters.”
 
Back in Santorini, this is the first workshop (here organised by Art Foto Mode, and hosted by The Palm Tree
Workshops Space) that Kajioka has ever taught, yet her quiet and thoughtful responses fuel everyone with
inspiration. On the first day, she hosts an informal traditional Japanese tea ceremony, and talks through her method
and process. She explains how she gathers what she calls her “ingredients” to capture the whole scene, but is always
attracted to a single detail; a child on a swing, a bird, or a shadow. Then her process of “cooking” creates a space by
removing unnecessary information in the photograph to reveal that detail. After making a small silver gelatin print,
she then stains the print with tea – a common technique in Japan. She prefers the more organic feel of these stained
prints rather than the hard, white sheen of photographic paper. Kajioka’s use of space marks her difference as a
photographic artist, away from the conventional form of photography that fills the frame. She recalls a story of a
former art teacher, who dressed “like a cowboy, and did big colourful paintings. He did not like my minimal work
with lots of empty space and he would say, ‘Miho, you always have unfinished spaces and you should fill them out
with paint.’ I would reply with, ‘No, it is finished!’”. Kajioka describes her use of space simply as something that is
part of her Japanese nature, and is reluctant to explain further, allowing the audience to make their own
interpretations.
 
During another workshop, Kajioka presents a maquette version of a book, also due to be published and launched at
the Polka exhibition. It is titled Tanzaku, after the vertical type of Japanese print, or cards, originating from the 14th
century, though traditionally the cards are inscribed with poetry. Kajioka explains how the idea came from an
architect friend. “In Japan, there are certain dimensional standards for many things, such as kimono, tatami mat,
kakejiku [hanging scrolls] and many things in Japanese architecture. It will not work if they  are a bit bigger or
smaller. Those dimensions make things perfectly beautiful and that is why they have stayed for hundreds of years.
The tanzaku size is one of them, and I think it is because this size has some kind of magical effect to make things look
perfectly beautiful. So the architect explained, and told me that my picture would look best in this size. I tried and
he was right.” Tanzaku will be a handmade artist book printed by Kajioka, with the bindings and boxes made in
collaboration with artisans based in Kyoto. An initial 100 copies will be published.

After the workshop, Kajioka flies to Paris to embark on a residency programme at the Cite Internationale des Arts.
Kajioka will be ‘cooking’ her newly acquired ‘ingredients’ from Greece, with a view to exhibit new work, including
the red fish, made during the lockdown in Kyoto. In a cynical world, Kajioka’s view is refreshing. Her ideas are born
out of difficult situations – tsunami, nuclear accident, pandemic – yet they are communicated through positive
reverberations. This is not a naive or whimsical attitude but rather an intelligent and spiritual symbiosis of a greater
awareness, of seeing the bigger picture. There is beauty in life, sometimes we just need to be reminded.
 Shoot Plan
What? Where? When?
I am going to be shooting in reading again but this time in the dark.
Around this time of year, even during the pandemic, there are many
festive on goings that can add to ‘the beauty in everyday’ The shoot will,
once again, be quite general, however this time I want to aim to capture
beauty in society as well as just observing the state of it.
Equipment? Techniques? Ideas?
For this shoot I will be using my Canon DSLR in order to capture
different shots in good light.
Using a few different depth of fields capturing a range of objects will
highlight the ‘beautiful’ objects I find. I think this technique works well
in most forms. The main idea is to find and capture beauty anywhere.
Influences?
‘Miho Kajioka’s Lightness of Being’ is the inspiration for this shoot.
Seeking the beauty in daily life is a thoughtful concept and one that is
needed, especially with the events of the year. The photography a flower
“blooming amongst the carnage”, and in this shoot and further into my
next few photo shoots, I will use this as a metaphor: finding beautiful
things in and amongst the carnage of the pandemic.
Contact sheet
• Edits
• Analyis
• Evaluation of shoot
 Shoot Plan
Where? When? What?
To decide the location of this shoot I spoke to my parents, they have been
walking more since lockdown and have found some new places to
explore. I asked them their favorite new place to walk is and they told me
Streatly Hill, this an uphill walk that leads to a place that has a view of
the villages Goring and Streatley, with the river Thames running straight
down the middle. This will be different to previous shoots in terms of it
being a rural landscape opposed to an urban one.

Equipment? Techniques? Ideas?

I am going to use my film camera for this shoot. By doing this it allows
me to experiment when printing and processing my images. I have never
been to my shoot location before so even with a few specific shots in
mind I will not be able to anticipate the setting to the full extent. The
main idea is about the beauty that this year has allowed us to find in and
amongst the chaos.

Influences?
Like my previous shoot this is influenced by the article entitled “Miho
Kajioka’s Lightness of Being”.
 Print One Analysis
I did the first test strip for this print with a filter 2 and printed the image by
exposing it for 8 seconds. After this came out of the wash I realised that it was
showing little to no contrast so after refreshing the chemicals, I decided to change
the filter to 5 and do another test strip for the print. Changing chemicals made the
grey scale much wider and different objects more clear. Although this made my
process longer it did mean I was able to practice and briefly analyse where I was to
paint my developer, how much to paint on and how long to leave it.
After, I had to switch to a different enlarger, as a result I had to do another test
strip. I then exposed the paper for 2 seconds and painted the developer on to begin
the process.
The image itself is of a lady sat on the bench at the top of Streatly hill, I decided to
photograph this to show someone enjoying the beautiful place they have found.
When processing the photo I decided to paint the developer in hope for the image
to resemble some workings of Miho Kajioka. I believe the image reflects the
influence of her and her work, also hoping my own personal interpretation.
 Print Two Analysis
When looking at this image on my to contact sheet, I knew it was a darker
image but I remember Liking the composition when it was taken. I did a test
strip using a filter 3 and decided to expose the paper for two seconds. I
developed the photo in the machine, as I didn’t think painting with the
developer would be effective for this print.
I wanted to use the tree and bush next to it to create an image that was
composed using framing. The frame would have been around a beautiful
view, best displaying the beauty in the location. However, the day was already
not the best weather conditions, and being in a dark area didn’t help. I would
like to shoot an image similar to this but consider the light and maybe even
camera I use. In these conditions I could have used a digital camera more
effectively to create the outcome I wanted.
 Print Three Analysis
For this print I used filter 3. After doing a test strip I decided to expose that
paper for 4 seconds. I did so with the first print however when developing
my image I didn’t leave the developer on for long enough. This resulted in
the tree being very faint and even not being fully displayed. I printed the
second image exposing it for the same time, of 4 seconds, the tree was much
clearer and the print was showing all detail necessary.
When developing this I tried to run the developer across the image to make
parts of the tree visible and others not, this did not work. It did make the tree
more prominent and the background plain. I do think this is still a successful
image and definitely reflects my influence and interpretation of the artists
blossom tree photo, and definitely shows a different type of beauty that has
been found.
 Print Four Analysis
This image as itself is of two dog walkers in the distance. I decided to take a
photo of them to show that beauty can be shared as well as enjoyed alone. I
exposed the image onto paper for 4 seconds. Now re-evaluating it, I do think
that printing with a higher contrast and then burning the top of the photo
would have improved the photo.
I decided to pain with developer for this one as well. At the time I did think
that this was a good image but, once again, looking back I feel it is
unsuccessful. I don’t like this photograph because it is too dark, the message
in unclear and it is poorly developed.
 Print Five Analysis
This is a very similar image to the last, the most significant difference is the
orientation of the photo. It being Landscape meant that there was framing for
the dog walkers with there being fencing either side. After doing a test strip
and then exposing the photo paper for 4 seconds I decided to paint with
developer again to pull focus onto the part of the image I wanted to be
focused on the most. The developer spread around the paper more than I
would have liked. However I think that this could show us that no matter how
beautiful a place is it isn’t always perfect.
Despite this I do think the image is too dark and poorly developed once again.
 Shoot Evaluation
The aim of this she was who Capture a new Beauty that has been
found throughout the lockdown. I asked my parents a new place they
had found in which they thought was beautiful. The location was
definitely beautiful however the conditions weren't ideal. Where I
was judging weather conditions I was lower down and not yet at the
location. Because it is higher up it was slightly foggy and grey,
making the images darker than intended.
My shoot was influenced by Miho Kajioka’s Lightness of Being .
After research into her work I decided to use some of her pieces to
inspire my style of shoot as well as the concept of her projects and in
some the resemblance is identifiable. In others I needed to work out
my image placement to make them more effective.
My favourite print from this shoot is print one. I think this shows the
beauty as well as the self reflection that lockdown has allowed for us.
It reflects my inspiration in terms of image presentation and how I
decided to paint the developer meaning that only a strip across the
image is visible for the viewer. My interpretation is more obvious in
a way that sticks with my aim of finding and showing the beauty.
I believe this shoot had some successful and some unsuccessful. I
would definitely reshoot this but perhaps with a digital camera to
allow me to experiment further with Photoshop.
 Shoot Plan
What? When? Where?
For this shoot I am going use the concept of mask wearing to show that a
person can be beautiful with and without one. I will be shooting in an
outdoor area due to social distancing regulations, although this sounds
like a negative I think it will add to the image. I would like to use the
suns lighting to my advantage and therefore shoot as the sun begins to set
to allow a soft light to flatter my subject.

Equipment? Techniques? Ideas?

I will be using my canon DSLR camera for this shoot. I won’t need any
equipment for this, will just be using a model, shooting some images
with a face mask and some without.

Influences?
With this shoot I am going to be making something similar to an artist
copy. Using the image from the article, I am going to take lots of photos
with a slight difference and arrange them in a similar way to Miho
Kajioka. If I am successful I will have shown a clear influence through
my work.
Contact Sheet
In order to reflect the inspiration of my
shoot I firstly changed all the images
that I liked to black and white. The lack
of colour takes away from any
distractions and allows you to focus on
the ‘beauty’. I selected images from the
shoot so I could arrange them in a
square frame, similarly to my inspiration
piece.

I decided to make the background

grey because the white was too bright.
The background colour of the original
piece was very dull, I thing the colour
grey contrasts nicely with the black and
white photos.

I then used the blur tool to fade around

the edges. This effect means that your
eyes are drawn more towards the images
in the centre.

By creating and editing the piece in this

way I was able to replicate the image I
was inspired by. With the tools I used I
didn't’t want it to be an exact copy so I
interpreted it in my own way.
 Shoot Evaluation
The aim of this shoot was to get a range of photos from
slightly different angles and perspectives. By using a
digital SLR I was able to shoot continuously, capturing the
movement and emotions of my model. This contributed to
highlighting the beauty in the image. By doing some with a
mask and some without I am able to reflect the fact that
she is beautiful without a face covering. Even when she
puts it on her beauty is not concealed or taken from her.
My piece definitely shows my influence from Miho
Kajioka. Showing beauty in everyday; masks are our new
everyday.
The images themselves have a depth of field which I
believe highlights facial features. The soft lighting adds to
this also.
After editing and composing the final edit from this shoot
I can see that it was successful in representing beauty in a
way that reflects my inspiration.
 Shoot Plan

Where? When? What?

For this shoot I am going to take the current
circumstances and use them to my advantage. The
lockdown is another opportunity to show how life
inside can effect people. I am going to be shooting in
and around my house, using a model to help.

Equipment? Techniques? Ideas?

I will be using a digital SLR camera to do this shoot.
The main idea is to show how people are feeling
trapped in their houses, this lockdown gave me a
chance to really look at the effects on people and
how they are pushing through despite everything. By
using the window it represents the barrier between
the people and the outside world. Mostly I am going
to edit my images afterwards to enhance meaning
and emotions.
Contact Sheet
Print One
In this image the glass is shown as something
that is separating someone from the outside
world. The model is pressing his hand up
against the glass, this exaggerates the feeling
of need to get outside. I asked the model to
face away from the camera because I didn't’t
want the emotion to take away from the facts
and clear imagery. When editing this image I
wanted to experiment with tint and colour,
after looking in to what colours represent I
found that red is often associated with
sacrifice and courage. Over the past year
young people have been sacrificing valuable
time by locking down. By using the colour
tools and combining them with this
photograph I am able to show this.. As a
whole I think it works well and is clear in
representing this lockdown and how it has
affected people.
 Print Two

This image is different to the last in

the sense that it shows the direct
emotion of boredom in the face of a
national lockdown. The window
once again shows the separation
between us and the outside world.
Boredom is definitely something
that has effected everyone this year
and

has been the route of many problems. By showing this and then juxtaposing this with
saturation, it creates a sense of positivity despite the negative emotions being experienced. It
also brightens up the image and infers that there is a ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ even if we
cant see it yet.
 Print Three

This photograph is of a boy. Through the window he is standing

with a plain expression, although he doesn’t give off much
emotion one would only assume he is sad. The image being dark
definitely adds to this feeling and confirms the negativity being
given off. Despite obvious assumptions, the lack of emotion

allows the viewer to interpret his face in their own way. The reflection in the window, shows
the face being submerged into the darker half of the photo. This could suggest drowning
which directs to the feeling of being overwhelmed and not being able to cope.
To edit this image I used the spot healing tool to get rid some blemish on his face. I then
experimented making the image darker and lighter using the levels adjustment. In result I
made the image slightly darker, making the reflection more prominent.
 Print Four

Looking out and being able to go out are very different although
they may look the same to someone standing close enough, the
experiences are very different. When you step back and look at the
whole scenario it shows us what we are really experiencing. Being
stuck inside unable to leave the house is not something we are not
supposed to do in life but we have had to do for the past year. This
photo is simply of something we have been looking at for a year.
From the inside looking out. Being outside, gives us a completely
different case. I think it works well and shows the reality of our
experiences. The image being made black and white contributes to
the realisation and sadness of our lack of adventure due to being
trapped.
 Shoot Evaluation
The aim of this shoot was to show how life stuck inside
can effect people. I was able to do so by using the third
national lockdown to my advantage.
I took my experiences, along with others and attempted
to portray some emotions. I feel that I did this
successfully. To help make a point I used the windows
around my house. They represent the separation between
a person and the outside world; between good and bad.
I was able to use a digital camera allowing me to
experiment with colour as well as lack of. This meant I
could look into what colour means and how it effects and
influences the reading of an image. This is something I
would like to look into and see if I am able to use it for
future experimentation.
My favourite image from this shoot is print three. It
really sums up how a lot of people have been feeling. I
was able to use the window and its reflection to
contribute towards this feeling. Which coincides with the
aims of the shoot.
Overall I do think this was a successful shoot. I was able
to use a model and limited location to portray emotions
of the present, and even adding to that with editing of my
images.
 Covid-19 Posters

Hands
Face
Space
 Shoot Plan
What? Where? When?
For this shoot I am going to take the basic rules that everyone
has become familiar with and using my own photos I am
going to create my own posters for it. This first shoot is based
on ‘hands’. I will be shooting in the bathroom using one
person, washing their hands. I will do so in the day time so I
am able to use the natural light, the room is well lit in the day
so there shouldn't’t be any problems from that perspective.
Equipment? Techniques? Ideas?
There is a lot of movement when someone is washing their
hands so to capture this movement as much as possible I will
be using my digital SLR camera, allowing me to multi shoot
as necessary. The main idea is to highlight the importance of
hand washing during the pandemic especially.
Inspirations?
Looking at the government advertising the importance of this
simple act made me realise how significant and now obvious
it is in everyone's lives. It is much more present and I would
like to use photographs to show that.