The Merfolk

No idea.... just shoot until I feel I have images that respond to all the questions I have, and give a good idea of who they are etc.

No end in sight yet to this one... can't meet regularly enough... this shot was in the Cotswolds.... so that's another 400 miles clocked up for the project.
 
Once more I'm left with the feeling that these pictures don't work so well posted here as they will when gathered together. That said these two seem top be heading in a different direction, with more implicit meaning than the previously straightforward approach. The previous merfolk in the outdoors have been more like portraits whereas this one seems to be letting the viewer construct a narrative (horrible phrase!), similarly the first picture - what are they hiding from, what is she thinking about.

Just my two bob's worth.
 
Not updated this thread for a while, so here you go.

I put together a draft of the book, as this was the best way to see what's needed.

I planned a chapter on gender, but as of yet, I do not have enough research material, oral testimony or imagery to support that... so that's on my to do list.

I do not have enough research done on escapism yet, nor do I have enough in my fieldnotes.


I've thought about what I want this work to "do", and come up with.....


"The work shows the activities of a group of people who share a common numinous experience in the escapist act of dressing as mermaids.
Whether outwardly using this is a means of escaping reality, or as a theatrical act for payment, the shared need to escape forms a commonality
amongst this diverse, but still marginal community that see themselves in a very different light from cosplay or role-players.

Closely working with [number not finalised] different Merfolk from very different backgrounds, these images form part of a long term documentary series exploring
escapism, gender, marginalisation and the phenomenon of the ‘homeless mind’ caused by modernisation in everyday life"

That has kind of crystallised my thoughts a little, and I realised that this links heavily with escapism yet again, so this is clearly where the meat of the research needs to be done, and it's a lot!

There is no real end or conclusion yet.... not even close to that yet. At a mere 60 pages or so it's not even close to where I want/need it to be, but at least you now have some context for the imagery, which until now has been out of context.

Link to Merfolk cover.

Link to working draft of the book.
 
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I've not read the text in full yet, but it's clear now how the pictures are intended to work in the layout.
 
instead of a definitive number working with [number not finalised] different Merfolk
why not working with a number of different Merfolk, leave it ambiguous.

It's an interesting book and layout. Quite a lot of writing compared to the images, certainly longer than the usual format of books you see at exhibitions these days but I think it's coming on well. It's good to see the layout and fuller descriptions/background.
 
Byker28i said:
instead of a definitive number working with [number not finalised] different Merfolk
why not working with a number of different Merfolk, leave it ambiguous.
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Just simply because upon completion I will have a definitive number. If it remains small, I'll just state the number... it it grows significantly I'll probably generalise it, yes.


Byker28i said:
It's an interesting book and layout. Quite a lot of writing compared to the images, certainly longer than the usual format of books you see at exhibitions these days but I think it's coming on well. It's good to see the layout and fuller descriptions/background.
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I think many didn't really understand the concept of such an ethnographic/photographic project and the amount of writing and research involved.

Thanks.
 
David, this is a brilliant idea, and most surprising. Just one suggestion... if the text in post 162 is intended as part of the introduction, would it be wise to lose the word "numinous"? Don't think it's a common word, and it just seems out of place in that text.
 
ChrisR said:
David, this is a brilliant idea, and most surprising. Just one suggestion... if the text in post 162 is intended as part of the introduction, would it be wise to lose the word "numinous"? Don't think it's a common word, and it just seems out of place in that text.
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Nope.. not included in the book. That's s statement for an exhibition for some of the images (not even shot yet) in October.
Thanks :)
 
David, downloaded the working draft of the book. Sterling work, can I be nosey and ask how you put this together?
Was it in Word or something similar?
 
Nah.. used InDesign. Just offers far more flexibility as it's designed for that purpose.

Thanks :)
 
Pookeyhead said:
Nah.. used InDesign. Just offers far more flexibility as it's designed for that purpose.

Thanks :)
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Thanks, I will need to have a look at that, I don't have anything to put the book for my project together. I had a look at doing it in blurb, but its just not sophisticated enough for my needs.
 
blakester said:
Thanks, I will need to have a look at that, I don't have anything to put the book for my project together. I had a look at doing it in blurb, but its just not sophisticated enough for my needs.
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Blurb have BookWright which is actually not bad, but if you get InDesign, Blurb have a brilliant plug-in for it! It may be worth checking if you can get it as a standalone in CS6. The only way you get get it now as CC I think is with the whole CC package, or at least whichever package has it included as as a monthly fee it's a lot steeper than the PS and LR most will be used to.
 
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I will have another look at blurb in that case.
My initial thoughts were that it was essentially drag and drop photographs in, I thought I could type my text directly onto the page but couldn't get that to work.
 
Awesome David. Really puts everything into context.
 
sunnyside_up said:
Awesome David. Really puts everything into context.
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Sometimes, pictures do need words :) I firmly beleive that.

Thanks for the kind words. This is a draft... it's got some work to be done yet. Gender and escapism, and ritualistic behaviour need a great deal of research. I also need to start shooting more for this, as it needs more stylised imagery to accompany the journalistic imagery... not too much... but the balance is not right yet.
 
blakester said:
I will have another look at blurb in that case.
My initial thoughts were that it was essentially drag and drop photographs in, I thought I could type my text directly onto the page but couldn't get that to work.
Click to expand...
Are you trying the on-line Blurb thingy or a desktop thingy? Using Booksmart you can type text in directly or cut and paste from another source.
 
Ed Sutton said:
Are you trying the on-line Blurb thingy or a desktop thingy? Using Booksmart you can type text in directly or cut and paste from another source.
Click to expand...


BookWright is the downloadable desktop program.
 
Pookeyhead said:
BookWright is the downloadable desktop program.
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There's two, Bookwright and Booksmart - unless the latter has been discontinued. Bookwright is more featured as a DTP programme for doing fancy layouts, but I found it more than I needed for my purposes.
 
I downloaded the book and found it very interesting. It's a group of people that I never knew existed so I enjoyed the insight into their lives.

Are you going to sell the book once finished and who do you see as your target audience?
 
Derek_W said:
I downloaded the book and found it very interesting. It's a group of people that I never knew existed so I enjoyed the insight into their lives.

Are you going to sell the book once finished and who do you see as your target audience?
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I'll try to get it published, if not I'll just self publish, yes. I suppose it would be anyone interested in sociology, anthropology, photography, alternative lifestyles.. mermaids.. LOL
 
This went of course quite quickly...

This is an interesting way of life and interesting read so far David (if you avoid the argumentative dross *Not aimed directly at you*) some decent shots in here some clearly snap/documentary types. It really comes down to how this is all tied together.

Considering before this thread I had no idea this subculture existed.
 
Tintin124 said:
This went of course quite quickly...

This is an interesting way of life and interesting read so far David (if you avoid the argumentative dross *Not aimed directly at you*) some decent shots in here some clearly snap/documentary types. It really comes down to how this is all tied together.

Considering before this thread I had no idea this subculture existed.
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Thanks for reading it :)
 
I found the project fascinating when you originally posted some of the images, as, like yourself, I feel a kind of affinity with those that live outside of the mainstream. Ive just finished reading what you have done so far, and I have to say, I think what you have done has really brought the whole thing to life. Theres some great writing in there, and its turning into a really good documentary piece.

Looking forward to seeing how this develops.
 
Cheers Nick. I'll be updating the thread as it progresses.
 
I've finally got round to reading the text. It does make sense of some of he photos - the white legs marked by the silicone tail for example. Fascinating that this seems to be a recently developed subculture.

It's obviously not a photobook, but is its audience academic or more mainstream?

I realise the text is not finalised or likely proof read, but I spotted a typo on page 12 - 'tale design'.
 
Nope.. not really proof read properly... just a draft at the moment. I suppose it's aimed at a more academic audience more than mainstream, yes.

Thanks for proof reading it for me.. LOL
 
Pokeyhead.
Last page of the Sunday times magazine this weekend is an article about Melissa dawn, mermaid Melissa in Florida.
 
Yeah, saw that. Cheers.
 
dancook said:
Just realised I recognise the guy on the first page carrying the mermaid, looks a lot like (and must be)
https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=edc5bd285affee1737848abb48beb6ff&oe=5672FB7E
https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=a47c502f95080a9e5368b82c52d33e0a&oe=5643EDBD

I went to March of the Mermaids in Brighton
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/...073741849.544996682246122&type=1&l=d06af279c9
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Yep.. same dude: Tom Sweek... Lily-Rose Shephard's partner (middle portrait). Although in that shot of yours, he's carrying Becki Culver (Mermaid Aura).. This lady....


View attachment 44170


[edit].. didn't realise you posted 2 images... he's carrying Lily-Rose in your second shot.
 
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Images from the recent exhibition at PR1 Gallery, UCLan, Preston.

11887753_543642939122010_8757269822062370706_o.jpg
12001056_547617038724600_8627929401025272312_o.jpg
 
I enjoyed that read David, thanks.
Where are you now with the Merfolk? Have you completed the project?
 
blakester said:
I enjoyed that read David, thanks.
Where are you now with the Merfolk? Have you completed the project?
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Hmmm..... no... and I'm kind of involved in another one, so metaphorically spinning plates at the moment :)
 
Having seen the photos before I tended to concentrate on the description, which I have to say was a great write up of the project, perfect for a magazine article.
 
Byker28i said:
Having seen the photos before I tended to concentrate on the description, which I have to say was a great write up of the project, perfect for a magazine article.
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Cheers, although I admit to laziness, and copied and pasted from the book LOL.. still my words though, so... meh :)
 
We've seen the images, read the words, but the commitment to this project and even the effort to get involved is just inspiring. There's a few projects on here that genuinely make you think, just pure admiration, not just for the work, but the effort and commitment to the project, actually making the. Intact, seeing the possibility and the hard work to tell a really interesting story.
The 100 strangers was one, this is another and is why I'm so glad people take time to post these and the developments on here.
 
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