Voyeur is a photo series created by Ella Weir; the collection of images appear as visual commentary on society’s invasive nature; watching, following and surveilling through the eyes of screens in the age of social media. 

The concept of surveillance inspired the aesthetic of the project and the final Zine showcases how technology has given us a new way of observing; exposing our desires to glimpse into the lives of others. 

Weir explored themes, from CCTV to Paparazzi; the public gaze and the smartphone generation, and reflecting the role photography has in looking. She wished to spotlight this hypnotic visual reality which grants so much access to people. The final Zine showcases how technology has given us a new way of observing; exposing our desires to glimpse into the lives of others. Through the project Weir poses the question: is anything private anymore? She encourages viewers to examine how they feel after intruding on the model’s private moments. 

The purpose of the zine highlights today’s obsession with photographs and the camera’s vision.  Themes were influenced by the work of Nick Knight and his 1995 fashion commentary featuring Kate Moss; Knight’s snapshot into the models life exposed how visible the celebrity was in society, due to the increasing accessibility of our digital world. 

Weir’s images monitor an individual through the eyes of a screen, inviting viewers to shamelessly monitor an unknown figure. The aim of each shoot was to distort the subject in some way; blurred, unfocused and pixelated. With exposing angles, cropped and adjusted to manipulate the viewpoint of the audience; capturing every intimate and public moment. As the viewer you look closer, observe more – it’s unclear what you’re seeing at times – and this should only make you feel more uncomfortable, from intruding on such personal moments. 

The photographs were shots styled and directed by Weir.