The Folklore Project

My Inspiration Behind The Project
The Folklore Project features a photo series Inspired by Taylor Swifts album “Folklore”. This series brings to life the images that played out in my head as I listened to the album. I fell in love with Taylor’s lyrics and stories. My hope is that these photos honor her work and do these stories justice. with the help of my model, Hannah Mansfield, I think we created something really beautiful.

The project is based off of 7 of Taylor’s songs from the album “Folklore”. Cardigan, Exile, Invisible String, Hoax, August, Mad Woman, and Illicit Affairs. These were the songs I had the most in-depth vision for and I am so thrilled to finally get to share them with you.

Cardigan

While listening to ‘Cardigan’ I felt this aching sense of longing, loss, hoping when all hope has been crushed. I felt the desperate longing to be wanted, chosen and to forgive. Something I really resonated with in this song is still loving and caring a person after they have deeply hurt you. Leaving you in the wake of the mess they made. “And when I felt like I was an old cardigan, under someone’s bed” This I believe encapsulates what it’s like to feel used and forgotten rather than loved. “You put me on and said I was your favorite.” This line I see as manipulation.

Cardigan is one of the songs apart of Taylor’s “Teenage Love Triangle”. “Cardigan” is from the perspective of Betty who has been cheated on. “Betty” is from the perspective of James the boy who cheated, and “August” is from the perspective of the girl James cheated on Betty with. I absolutely love the for shadowing and knowing all sides of the story.

The whole song is Betty processing what happened over the summer when James cheated on her. There’s a heavy nostalgia as she reminisces their time together and grieves over how deeply she knew him and his character. You can hear her despair as her narrative of him has changes yet she wants to still fight for the version of him that she knew.

In the song when Betty said she “felt like an old cardigan” I imagined her wearing the cardigan of her former boyfriend. Keeping a piece of him close and she mourns what they had together. Missing and longing for him, though she sands by the choice she made. Hannah brought my vision to life with breathtaking tragedy.
(Fun fact: Hannah is wearing her Fiancé’s cardigan.)

Exile
Who doesn’t love this song? I think we all fell in love with Taylor and Bon Iver’s mash-up. Getting to hear both sides of the story. The loss, the longing and the mis-communication. Gorgeously tragic. I wanted to represent this idea of letting go. I added the effects of water, and veil overlay to indicate being stranded or drifting. There’s a veil in the relationship—an unseen devision which grew thicker over time.

The lyrics say, “I think I’ve seen this film before, and I didn’t like the ending. You’re not my homeland anymore. So who am I defending now? You were my town now i’m in exile seeing you out. I think i’ve seen this film before, so i’m leaving out the side door.”

Absolutely love this inner conversation the characters of this story are having. There’s this moment in this relationship when the light flicks on. “I know where this is going. I have to get out.” I wanted the photos to draw out the escape. She’s fading away, though he wants to hold on. She’s drifting, though he doesn't understand what went wrong. He’s in exile, seeing her out.

August
I was especially excited for “August” this song is probably my favorite on the album. I connected so deeply with the loss-of-self in this story. Living in the memory unable to remain in reality. This song is the process of release. I decided to add the “shadow” of what would be memories. The memories which are doing more harm to dwell on than good.

This song is one of the “Teenage Love Triangle” songs, from the perspective of the girl James cheated on Betty with. I think everyone can relate to this. Sometimes it’s easier to live in memories than to face your reality. Check out “August” on Spotify and get in your feels.

Sea of Light

Queen Of The Butterflies