Now that I had taken all the images, I now needed to organise them into a series for the book. As previously said I was going to use 15 colour and 15 B&W images and I decided to arrange them to be colour on the left hand pages and B&W on the right hand side. This was to highlight the difference between the two formats and to also heighten the effect of the idyllic in the colour and the creepiness in the B&W.

When constructing the order of the photographs I became aware that I was placing them in order to their location and that the sequence would be as if you were walking through the forest. So, I seemed to be placing the entrance at the beginning then it was overlooking the fence, then the branches of the Hazel trees that are on the left of the path and so on. I was subconsciously giving a virtual tour of the forest and how I had explored it. I decided to keep that narrative with the B&W images as it helped the images flow better.

For the colour images I found that they were split into two parts because of the harvest taking place. So, the first half was before the harvest and the second part afterwards. This seemed to work and also introduced a timeline to the B&W images as they were displayed together. But I also found that I was giving precedence to the B&W images over the colour when I was choosing what pairs should be displayed together.

Below is the final sequence of images that I chose for the book in the sequence that I finally chose.

Overall I am generally happy with the results. I do feel though that the colour photographs could of been stronger, only a few of them capture that romanticised element of idyllicness. I do feel that the B&W images have worked really well and that the aesthetic of B&W complimented the forest in its own way. At one point I did consider dropping the colour images and just concentrating on the B&W but I decided that they needed to be contrasted with each other to show how different the spaces are and of how close together they physically are.

I am also glad that I decided to attempt a summer project. When I returned to Uni in September I found that I hit the ground running, that I had a momentum and an enthusiasm for the year ahead. In my previous studies where I had taken time out between courses it was more difficult to start and get momentum, but this time I was already energised and enthusiastic.

So, it was a worthwhile exercise to attempt and complete a summer project, but if I was to do it again then I would tackle it a different way. The field would be photographed on different days to the forest because of the lighting needing to be different. I would also try to get more variety in the colour images and use the early morning light. I think I would be more experimental and try different techniques, such as macro or from a higher viewpoint, as now with the gift of hindsight I can see my approach was too regimented.

Also, when it came to making the book, I would now make one by hand instead of ordering it through Blurb as it now looks rather generic and ordinary. I would also try to separate the B&W and colour images because having them together was not as successful as I had hoped. Also, the title “Only dimly aware of a certain unease in the air” didn’t really work, it’s too long and sounds too vague. The title needed to be shorter and more relevant to the actual project.

But overall, the project achieved what it needed to. It was about giving me the momentum into the third year and to keep me engaged and interested within the realms of photography.