The purpose of our master's thesis was to use an artistic approach to photography with the aim to present monuments of the national liberation struggle in Slovenia as expressive works of art, and to interpret them visually in a form of a coffeetable book. The research focused on finding a way in which photography and design of an artistic photography book can be used to interpret monuments as witnesses to important historical events and works of art in order to raise awareness of the importance of the cultural heritage of the Slovenian partisan struggle. In terms of methodology, we first defined the contextual content of the monuments. We selected 12 monuments for all 12 statistical regions, based on their historical significance, symbolism, size, and location. We photographed the monuments, consciously choosing to use black-and-white analog approach. To be precise, we used a Nikon FM SLR camera with a 50 mm lens. All shots were captured on Illford HP5 film with an ISO value of 400. We took our photos in natural light on clear sunny days. This process required several steps, including: visiting locations, photographing both overall views and details, and developing and sorting the photographs. After minor editing of all the photographs, they were transferred to a photo book, which we designed and titled. Finally, we printed the book. The result of our work was a complete photographic documentary series presented in the form of a photo book, which was also evaluated by the interviewees. They gave their criticism and suggestions for improvement and helped us come to the conclusion that the photo book successfully presents a new view on the monuments and enhances their reputation.
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