Siobhan gazur

Siobhan Gazur - A memory to last a lifetime, this shoot depicts someone who has lived their life and is almost waiting for death in the shoot promptly named 'waiting for death'. This is someone with more memories than the average person, so many stories behind her eyes and I want to explore that and present someone who even In old age has passions and aspirations.

Siobhan Gazur, photographer and educator, has a large passion for 'capturing soul' which is a talent only accessible to those who appreciate it themselves, Gazur was born on August 14th 1989 and her work transcends the medium and connects with an audience in a way that's hard to put into words, it's very somber but also beautiful, recognising the life of someone but also the known fact that her life is nearly finished leaves me feeling quite sad but also content. Gazur received a BFA in photography graduating with honors at Pasadena's Art Center College of Design in California.

Image Analysis:

I can see a black and white film shoot called 'Waiting for Death' in which an elderly person is photographed as they sit directly in front of the camera gripping their face as if they're at their limit with life. She has been intentionally framed so close to the camera to demonstrate how in her own head she is, at her age all she's really left with are thoughts and memories with the inability to really make anymore. The formal element of colour has been stripped away from this image intentionally to bring back the colourless world that would've been documented when she was making her memories and living her life, which I will definitely experiment with by shooting with a film camera. This image particularly makes me think about the inevitability of life coming to an end creating quite a melancholic atmosphere, I, however, want to convey the other side of old age, by photographing someone who still has active passions in her 70s such as gardening, protesting for Just Stop Oil and actively helping members of the local green party with their campaign elections. I want to present the beauty of memory and old age showing it doesn't always have to convey a melancholic feeling but can also convey feelings of happiness and an appreciation for the life they have lived.

Pentax Film camera, macro lens

Editing Process:

I first edited on adobe bridge by adjusting the exposure and contrast to create a darker tone in the image. following that I adjusted shadows/highlights and whites and blacks to create an almost glowing effect of the fridge to show the sheer joy she gets even out of the little things like having food accessible. following that I created a layer mask on the specific part of the fridge I wanted to light up. finally, I adjusted the exposure, contrast, highlights, and whites to create this glowing effect of the fridge. following the food accessibility point I also wanted to convey that there is still a lot of light left in her life, she is a very active and healthy person who won't let age stop her from doing what she wants to do.

Original Image:

Developed Image:

Pentax Film camera, macro lens