A2 Photography: November 2013

Wednesday, 27 November 2013

Work Record November 21st 2013

Preparation;
The aim of this shoot is to show beauty in a relaxed, yet glam and fun way.

This image above gives me ideas on hair, expression and composition to create a laid back, fun and quite casual beauty shoot.

To prepare I need to;

Get a model
Plan how I want them to look
Plan poses
Set up ring flash

What I hope to achieve;

From this shoot I hope to gain a range of shoots showing beauty through a fun, and relaxed shoot.

What I actually achieved;

I am really happy with how this shoot turned out as I got a range of quite personal and fun images showing beauty. I used the ring flash so the lighting was constant throughout the shoot, giving a high quality finish to the images. As I wanted it to be quite relaxed, I did take photos of the model when she was not expecting it such as when she was laughing or when we was just talking to capture emotion on her face. These turned out well, as did the images where I got the model to pose. When it came to editing I kept it relatively simple, except for one image where I experimented with adding smokey black eye shadow which I think turned out quite well for a first attempt.

This is my favourite image from the shoot, as I like how sharp this is showing a lot of detail. Another aspect I like is how she fills the composition entirely, with her expression making her seem edgey and in control. In terms of editing, I desaturated the image slightly while increasing the contrast and brightness to create a more dramatic effect.

This is another image I feel worked out well, mainly due to the editing. I like the composition and how the models head is slightly tilted as she looks relaxed and comfortable. But when it came to editing I experimented with strong recolouring and adding make up. The most obvious example being the added black eye shadow. Although there is room for improvement - such as neatening up and softening the shadow, I am really happy with the outcome seeing as it is a first attempt.

What I am going to do next;
In terms of the shoot, there is not really anywhere to take this due to its simplicity, but with editing, I am going to continue experimenting with adding makeup via Photoshop.

Work Record November 17th 2013

Preparation;
The aim of this shoot is to show grungy fashion on location. As I want to show grunge ideas, a darker, grimier location will work best so I will use an abandoned motel.

The above image shows my location where I plan to do my shoot, giving me some idea of what to expect and what I have to work with. The bottom image shows fashion ideas for my model, showing modern grunge ideas.

To Prepare I need to;

Find a location and make sure it is accessible and safe for me and my model
Get a model
Plan how the model will look
Set up my film camera
Plan any props

What I hope to achieve;

A range of shoots showing the grunge fashion on location. Capturing the images both on a film camera and digital as well as experimenting with the medium of video.

What I actually achieved;

I am really happy with how this shoot turned out as the location went really well with what I wanted to show and added to a vintage feel. This was the first shoot where I used a film camera, and although I am waiting for the images to be developed, the composition and lighting seemed to work well with it. With both the film and digital cameras I got a variety of images, and some are the same but on the different cameras to see if the outcome is different. When editing, I tried a few different ideas, but mainly kept the images quite dark, to keep with the vintage feel. The video worked out well, reversing the model breathing out cigarette smoke and speeding it up/slowing it down.

I really like this image and how it not only shows the model and makes it clear she is the focus, but I like how it shows the dark, grimy location which works well with the way the model looks. I also like her pose, as it is as if she is comfortable and "at home". When it came to editing, I kept this whole shoot natural, just enhancing the brightness and contrast, making it brighter, but also darker in the relevant places.

This is an image I took with my film camera. I really like how this effect gives the image a "trippy", eerie, and surreal feel. I like how the model is filling the composition fully, and looks powerful and creepy due to the use of the gas mask. When it came to editing this image, I just slightly enhanced the colours and made it slightly brighter making the movement stand out more.

What I am going to do next;
Next, I am going to go back and revisit this location with this model as she worked well and adapted to the ideas well. Next time however the shoot theme will be more conceptual.

Work Record November 14th 2013

Preparation;
The idea for this shoot is to create a fun, bright and girly shoot showing ideas of beauty. To do this I am going use sweets as well such as bubble gum which will add to the fun element

This image gives me an idea of how I want my model to look in terms of light, bright, girly make up and hair. I also like the use of bubble gum as it gives it a more fun, silly look.

To prepare I need to;

Get a model
Plan make up
Get sweets
Plan poses
Set up ring flash

What I hope to achieve;

From this shoot I hope to gain a range of fun, and bright images showing the idea of beauty.

What I actually achieved;

I am really happy with this shoot as I got from it what I hoped. To get a shadow - free, professional, bright finish I used the ring flash. I got quite a few different images using a variety of Love Hearts, lollies, and bubble gum. Due to the use of sweets - especially bubble gum - I got quite a few unexpected images such as a bubble popping. These turned out quite well. In terms of editing, I wanted to make sure that the images remained bright and quite saturated while not looking to yellow. I also done some more arty, high contrast coloured images as the idea goes well with the shoot.

I really like how fun this image looks. with the models eyes looking quite shocked and excited due to how wide they are. The bubble gum gives it a unexpected feel as well, as when capturing the image the bubble could have burst or got bigger changing the image entirely. With this image when it came to editing, I kept it simple, increasing the brightness and contrast which works really well paired with the use of ring flash.

This is another image I really like, due to the use of the lolly, the models expression and pose. In terms of expression and pose I really like how she is turned away slightly and closing her eyes giving a more dramatic effect.With editing, I decided to experiment with making the image purple and high contrast to give more of an outline rather than full image. This gives a very pop art, fun effect which works well with this shoot.

What I am going to do next;
Next, I think I am going to develop this girly idea by using glitter and other stereotypical girly accessories. I am also going to do a video based on these ideas.

Word Record November 7th 2013

Preparation;
The aim of this shoot is to show a conceptual idea of how society almost imprisons women when it comes to how they look, making them prisoners of beauty, for example the use of make up to look a certain way.

This image relates to my shoot as it shows the female being trapped and is conceptual.

To Prepare I need to;

Get a model
Plan her outfit and make up
Plan angles, composition and lighting
Plan poses
Decided on props - handcuffs, make up, tables, chairs

What I hope to achieve;

From this shoot I hope to gain a range of images showing my idea in different ways, but still showing the same idea.

What I actually achieved;

I am quite happy with how this shoot turned out as I got a variety of images showing my idea. I experimented with various factors in this, such as composition, angle, lighting and props. Changing these factors gave me a broader range of images and different outcomes which for the majority of the shoot worked out. When it came to editing, I done a range of different edits all the while keeping the contrast quite high and making the images quite dark to enhance the feeling of entrapment I was trying to put across.

What I like most about this image is how the model is looking straight into the camera, looking sad and at the same time emotionless.I also like the lighting in this, as there is no shadow and the light is even across the composition. I also like how "messy" she looks, as though she is going against society.

This is another image I really like due to how distant the model looks. Another important factor in this image is the fact that the camera is looking down on the model making her appear weaker, which enhances how she is powerless when it comes to societies ideas of beauty. I decided to make this black and white to make it seem more depressing and dramatic.

What I am going to do next;
I hope to create a contrasting shoot to this one, not necessarily contrasting the same ideas exactly, but ideas showing females in control and power instead of weak and powerless.

Work Record October 21st 2013

Preparation;
The aim of this shoot is to show a conceptual idea focusing on the use of contrasting colours through the idea of make up.

Although this does not relate fully to my idea, it does show a similar composition to what I want and also shows the use of black and white to create contrast.

To prepare I need to;

Get relevant make up and props - wig, blood, face paint
Plan poses
Set up the studio for a selfportrait shoot - self timer, composition

What I hope to achieve;

From this shoot I hope to acheive a shoot that shows a concept based idea presenting ideas based on colour, tone and contrast.

What I actually acheived;

This shoot went okay, but it could have gone better. For example, the composition was slightly off so I had to crop and adjust the images. Another factor that impacted the outcome of the shoot was the wig. It was not what I wanted, as I wanted a long black one to create more of a division between the white face paint and the white background. One thing that did turn out well, was the use of ring flash which got rid of the majority of shadow which is what I wanted. When editing, I desaturated the majority of the image and used selective colour to make the blood stand out.

This image is the best of the two I got from this shoot I think the composition is good with me slightly to the left rather than central, and I also like how I fill it.Another factor I like in this image is how I desaturated the image even more and just had the blood in colour enhancing the idea of contrasts. In terms of editing more broadly, I think it was over edited which ruined the image slightly. For example, I got rid of the fringe which I think makes the picture look messy and the hair line blurred and unnatural.

What I am going to do next;
Next, I want to develop this idea by using the concept of contrasts but presenting them in a different way.

Work Diary October 23rd 2013

Preparation;
The aim of this shoot is to show the beauty shown in ballet and what balllerinas wear. This is inspired by the film Black Swan as I want to show darker themes in my shoot.

These two images both relate to my shoot as they give me ideas on how I want the ballerina to looks and poses. The top image gives me an idea of poses and costume, with the bottom image giving me an idea for make up.

To Prepare I need to;

Get a ballerina to model for me
Plan ballet poses
Plan what I want the makeup to look like in terms of clothes and make up
Decide what background I want to use

What I hope to achieve;

From this shoot I hope to get a range of different image showing form and movement through the idea of ballet that show the ideas of fashion and beauty.

What I actually achieved;

I am really happy with how this shoot went, as I got a wide range of images showing different ballet poses, compositions, angles and showing experimentation with lighting. I think overall, this shoot exceeded my expectations and in most cases during this shoot, experimenting with different ideas and elements turned out really well. During editing, I decided that the images looked more dramatic and showed form more prominently.

This is my favourite image from the shoot, as I really like how I captured the movement and how she fills the composition. I also like how strong and focused this looks, for example, how you can see form clearly. When editing I decided to make this black and white to make it more dramatic and enhance the presentation of form.

I really like this image as is makes the ballerina appear strong and powerful. I also like how she fills the composition well, with her extending her arms behind her. When editing, I decided to add wings to experiment with creating a look based more on fantasy ideas and enhance her power. This worked out better than I thought and am happy with the outcome.

What I am going to do next;
I am really happy with the outcome of this shoot, and to develop this idea I plan on shoot two ballerinas and dressed in less formal, theatrical clothes.