Images taken from: https://www.sonjabraas.com/the-passage/

In Gerry Badger’s  text “Reading” the Photobook an important definition is made between looking at a photo and reading a photobook. The idea that a narrative is needed to succeed in creating a photobook is made clear simply by examining the language Badger uses. The importance of narrative is what allows photos to be interpreted and read even as individual shots as I will need to be focusing on how each image is contributing to my narrative as I begin work on PB4.
The above image is extracted from Sonja Braas’s the passage. While I can read these images alone, commenting on how still and serene the waters look, I can only draw this conclusion as the images that proceed this one are of the sea in the morning. Rather than fear, I can interpret the piece as a serene passing of time by reading all the images together.

Another point I found interesting was Badger’s conclusion that this narrative is one “solely [of] the author’s creation. This stood out to me as through my own experience with media and mentioned in Bella’s lecture is the idea that once media leaves the hands of the author it is dead. In the eyes of the audience it can take on new forms and meanings. This highlights that my PB4 has to tell my story without me needing to be there, over the shoulders of my audience, and explaining my intent.  To achieve this I hope to rely on not only my images but the design of my book, as Gossage states in his third rule of the great photobook; the design should complement what is being dealt with. To return to Braas’s work the title the passage, gives me the context to understand that these pictures capture change and passing.

I have chosen to focus on Braas work as it contains contrast not only images but the sequencing of the images, something I had not considered before I needed to display my work as a photobook. Contrast as a technique is something I want to continue to explore in PB4 however it is finding the narrative I will have to devote more time and brainstorming to as I want to create a photobook that can be considered good literature.

To end this entry I wanted to outline Gossage’s four essential photobook qualities as they are the basis which I can start creating my work, I am also curious to see if I will still agree with each statement by the time this project is over:

1. Should contain great work
2. That work should then function as a concise world within the book itself
3. The design of the book should complement what’s being dealt with
4. The book should deal with content that sustains an ongoing interest.