Elsa Dorfman - En Famille

Dorfman was recommended to another student during a group feedback session with Maddy, but hearing about her 20x24 Polaroid camera made me curious enough to look in to her further. I found her website, and saw that a few of her collections center around the themes of portraiture and family, which ties in nicely with my own project themes, as well as the fact that she's using a modernised analogue image making process.

After taking a look through her website, I decided to buy a copy of her book 'En Famille' so I could see her work in print and see how she decided to present her work. Similarly to some of the other works I've looked at for this project, Dorfman's book contains a mixture of photography and text, combining 20x24 Polaroid family portraits with a poem from Robert Creeley. The book is a hardback, with a matte finish for the cover and silk-coated paper for the inside pages.

Dorfman chose to only print on the right-side pages, which is a choice I don't really agree with. However, I do like how each Polaroid is presented with the original handwritten caption and date, as well as keeping in the raw edges from the print. I like that Dorfman has let the image take up the majority of the page, while still leaving a white border to remind the viewer of the Polaroid format. I'd like to experiment with leaving in film borders for my own work, as I love to see evidence of analogue processes within the final image. This is something I also saw in Billie Blossom's 'Rest' zine, and I want to see if I can include it in my final outcome. I also love how Elsa Dorfman included handwritted elements, as this reminds me of the personality behind the camera, as well as reminding me of a page in Cait Danielle's 'OMEN'. I'd love to include handwritten text in my outcome, and I think it would be a great way to incorporate letters and other writings from my grandparents. I could also explore using my own handwriting for some pieces, and I think this would help to create the handmade/personal feeling that I'm after.

I appreciate that 'En Famille' is comprised mostly of images with limited text, as it allows the viewer to focus on the quality of the photography and think about the processes behind creating each image, while the text ties it all together into a neat theme. I'd love to achieve the same focus on photography in my outcome, but I think my work will have a more equal balance between imagery and text. I'd like to experiment with borders around my photographs as well as unconventional layouts and layering.

I like that the book is hardback, as it makes the piece feel more solid and meaningful, especially when compared to zines and other paperback books. I'm definitely interested in creating a hardback book for my final outcome instead of a zine, although it's also possible for me to try both. If I end up making a hardback, I'd like for it to be a little lighter than Dorfmans, in order to retain the handmade feel. Making a book instead of a zine would also allow me to explore more advanced bookbinding techniques. I think doing a book is more ambitious than a zine, but considering that I managed to make two 16-page mini zines, I should have enough content for a book. I'd also like to have a relaxed layout, and a book would allow me to space out the photos and text as I wish.

There are a couple of things I saw in 'En Famille' that I'd like to avoid in my outcome, such as the paper type/weight, as I thought it seemed weirdly smooth and it came across as cheap. I'd prefer a matte finish to prevent glare, and a higher GSM.

Dorfman only printed on one side of the page, which I see as a waste, and I feel it interrupts the flow of the book. I like that the images are on the right, but in my own book I think I'd put text on the left page as I think this creates a better flow.

Another choice I dislike is the font chosen. I don't know very much about typography, but I think a more appropriate text style could have been used, as the one Dorfman chose is a bit difficult to read and makes the piece come across as less sincere. In my own work, I'd like to present the text in a more relaxed, but still earnest way, so I'd choose a sans-serif font to communicate those intentions.