L.O.V.E shoot

Golddigger Work Diary

In this lesson I decided to do a shoot on the topic of money as it gives us the power to buy beautiful things or things that makes us beautiful. When I decided to use a model however I got a completely different idea. I would make her look like a gold digger who are always stereotyped to be beautiful. I really enjoyed this shoot and I would like to re do it in a better format, for example, my model wearing clothes which make her come across as more of a gold digger e.g. more expensive/special clothing. I would also withdraw more money from my bank so that there would be more money, to emphasise the idea of a gold digger. This shoot made me learn composition of camera to highlight something, especially on a model. It also made me learn how to position a model in order to highlight a prop which is important for the shoot.


In this image I created gif which shows the image going black and white to colour every 0.1 seconds, however i used selective colour on the black and white layer to make it stand out and show a consistent. In this image I tried to achieve the meaning that people fade however money always stays. I personally think that the speed may be too quick for this gif and it comes across as flashing lights too much. In this picture I think I achieved good editing skills due t the fact I used both selective colour and animation, I also think it works quite well together as it displays a constant other than the model is in the same position. I think what I could of done next, or to improve this photo I could of had flipped the image in the animation and still continued to use the selective colour to represent the money being the constant colour as the only constant in the image as it would have enforced the meaning that I tried to achieve, that money is forever and people fade.

In this image i took one picture and flipped it so it had two of the same image. I was trying to acheive the idea of having two identities due to the model representing a gold diggers, therefore she has who she is (money grabbing), and who she acts like to her boyfriend/ husband. I think if I was to do this again I would make the second image which has been flipped a different side of her to show what she is like in her second identity. What I don't like about this image is the shadows meet in the middle and I think it makes it look really edited, which it is, however i very much dislike it. However the shadow meeting int he middle has taught me to take more care of the lighting when in the studio to ensure that I don't get any shadows.

I don't think I achieved my project title for this shoot as i don't think it was glamorous enough to enforce the message that I wanted, which is that she is a gold digger because I think she looks to casual. I also think the background should have been darker to enforce the message I wanted and to suggest that she has a dark personality. I think the idea of which I had achieves my project title however I don't think the way I presented this seems in relation to my project title.

By doing this shoot it gave me ideas for future shoots, for example, i thought in a future shoot that perhaps I could do this again however with more money, like I have already mentioned. However it has also made me think of another shoot which is of materialistic things which many people think you need to make you beautiful.

Golddigger shoot

Miles Aldridge - Photographer 5

Miles Aldridge is a photographer based in London who shoots fashion, he is also an artist. Aldridge has worked for many prestige magazine companies such as GQ, Teen Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, etc. Aldridge has also worked in advertising photographer for again quite prestige brands e.g. MAC Cosmetics, Giorgio Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, etc. In his work he seems to portray the women he photographs in quite a Stepford Wife manner, meaning then are also seen overly happy doing mediocre jobs, or straight faced in their every day routine, which they continue to repeat. He also uses location as a big sector to his work, the locations seem to always be quite original e.g. a court case, an art exhibit, a club. He makes these locations even more original with the hair and make up he photographs and how he leaves the women to be the focal point and as if they are the most important thing within the photograph. I have chosen this photographer because I am very intrigued in the setting he uses for his beauty photography and I feel that it makes a story for his photographs and emphasizes any characters he has attempted to create.

In this photo Aldridge has used a woman as a model and put her in a court setting, this is shown through the mise en scene of the image which shows a book which she lays her hand (in which most people know is where you take an oath before god to tell the truth) and microphones (which allow the audience of a court to hear her statement). I like how when making this photo Aldridge has considered colour and has made the court room very dull with browns (which they usually are), however has made the outfit of the model very bright blue which brings her out making her the focal point of the picture.

This picture has influenced me to consider a contrast of colours in the same way this image has, and use these colours to bring out a focal point, for example the bright colours against boring ones. This brings out the person making their outfit very noticeable, which works very well for fashion photography. This image has also influenced me to consider props in photography to create a scene, and to also arrange these props in believable setting to make the picture more believable and interesting.

In this image Aldridge has been quite indifferent by not actually making the model a literal model but by putting her on a mug shot and making her a prop of the setting, I really like this effect and I have not seen it done before. I like how the photographer has overlapped her picture with things making it seem very natural as opposed to being arranged. It also adds to the story that the woman is a suggested criminal, this denoted from the fact that she has a mug shot. This image reminds me of selective colour because whilst everything else is a noticeable colour the black and white still remains to be the most noticeable thing as it is indifferent and therefore stands out.

This image has influenced me to consider using pictures within my own pictures as a prop as I think it has a really nice effect and it is quite indifferent, esepcially in the content that it has been in this image, it has been use to add to the scenery and to create a story within the image. This image has also influenced me to think of a story for a shoot before completing it so I can brainstorm the different types of photos I can do and think of a suitable setting which will emphasize the narrative.

In this photo Aldridge has used the technique of blurring which works really well with the context as the woman is holding a drink and suggests she is drinking quickly and constantly so her vision becomes hazed, and we see this image how she sees herself, from her exact vision, almost like a mirror image. The use of the permed hair suggests she is quite domestic and therefore could be a housewife which leads to the story that she may be bored and that she uses alcohol as an escape. I like the form in this image as he has incorporated a formal element in his work, and I think it works well with the blurring as the shadow itself isn't blurred, suggest a conscience, however she comes out bigger than this shadow/conscience.

This image has influenced me to look at blurring in a different light, I have always thought of it to be quite a pointless technique and I would just rush past it when having to complete it for technique, simply showing that I have done it and understand it, however with this image I think it fits perfectly to build a narrative for this photograph and I really enjoy it when a photo has a story to it, which Aldridge seems to have down to a tee. This photo has also influenced me to use form for a deeper meaning as opposed to just not working lighting correctly as I think it can hold meaning to it, e.g. a conscience, a dark spooky vibe emphasizing a character, or even being followed or having two sides to a person.

In this photo Aldridge has seemed to use a blue back drop which to me suggests a night time. He has used a prop of flowers which to me, with the backdrop, seems as if the model is outside in her potential garden. Like the last picture, in this image the model is holding a glass of what is decoded to be alcohol, her hair is seen to be slightly out of tact and her face looks very bored. To me this picture suggests that again she is a housewife and sneaks off in the night to have alone time, and has grown very bored with. In this image Aldridge has again used form however in this picture I think it is to show how it is night time and how shadows are being formed through the use of moonlight. Overall I really like this image, especially the use of facial expression.

This picture has influenced me to consider facial expression when taking a photo as I think it can create a narrative within photography as in Aldridges photographs it can display how the model is bored or sad or happy, and through his use of prop the characters feelings can be emphasized. This picture has also influenced me to consider colour which can be brought out against other colours, for example the bright pink is very noticeable against the dark blue, this has been done on purpose and isn't simply an accident. This is a very bright outfit in the picture, and the field of work this is for is fashion photography, I think this is a very subtle way to show that it is a fashion photo however I think it is a brilliant way.

Overall I really like this photographer as I like the characters he develops and the way he shows them in a beautiful way. Despite this, still on a positive note, I find he incorporates the idea that being beautiful doesnt mean you have everything, as in his photography work a lot of his stepford wife models are seen drinking and with bored expressions, allowing me to decode the characters as they need excitement. I love Aldridges use of setting as I think he really thinks outside the box, for example the use of the court I found to be very unique and I think it really worked. I think his use of dull settings (which aren't dull in the photograph but are considered to be in real life) really brings out the beauty of the model and/or her make up, which is the aim of the shoot, therefore I think Aldridge is a brilliant, successful photographer. 

Steve Kraitt - Photographer 4

Steve Kraitt is a fashion and beauty photographer based in London and specialises in the photography fields of advertising, commercial, editorial and conceptual. Steve Kraitt created a quote to explain his work an photography in general; "I always believe a good photograph is like a good joke. If you have to explain it, it just isn't that good". I have chosen to use this photographer because I like how he ventures into beauty, fashion and commercial portfolios on his website and although they are quite similar, I find that they also differentiate. I like that he also does a lot of close ups which allows the texture of the make up or design of the face to be noticeable. I also like how he focuses on the mouth and uses different props as it shows it in different positions.

In this picture Kraitt has made it quite symmetrical in the sense that the nose is centred and with each side of the face the same amount is shown. I really like this effect. I like the content of this image as the way he has edited Yves Saint Laurent on the pill suggests that fashion is a drug. I like how he has used a bright lipstick against a pale face with a black back drop (which you can only see slightly) as it makes the lipstick stand out more which is the purpose of the photo as it is beauty photography.

This image has influenced me to consider text in a photo how ever in a less blatant approach, meaning it doesn't have to be large font, it could be something small but noticable and have a hidden meaning. This photo has influenced me to also to make my photographs more centrally reserved to produce a focal point.

In this image Kraitt has focused on colour and making it similar, the reds from the backdrop, lips, strawberry and nails all go against her pale skin very nice, making her skin stand out more. I like how the picture stops at her nose because her eyes don't steal away the attention from the similar colours which i see as a running, main theme within this picture. This picture can come across quite sexy however I don't think it is meant to be because she doesn't actually have any boobs showing or anything explicit, i think the lack of clothes just expresses simplicity.

This picture has influenced me to consider colour and to use similar colours to make them a theme, after all cloud is quite important with make up as it is all about standing out or coinciding. This photo has also influenced me to be more broad with different colour backdrops I am usually partial to sticking with white, this picture has brought the thought to me that a backdrop can make a cube of an image, this one i think is indulgent.

In this photo Kraitt has done a close up of lips which shows a womans lips with re lipsticks and letters stuck to her lips spelling how love. I really like this image as it is almost contrast, the word love suggests love and how lips are used for love e.g. to kiss, however the use of the tongue is quite sexy and suggests lust, two things that are considered to be very different, i feel the image is a question and suggests both, asking the audience what they think it is. The use of a pale model allows the lips to stick out and it is almost as if they are simply against a blank background without flaw which I really like.

This photo has influenced me to use close ups of certain parts of the face which shows the use of make up. This photo has also influenced me to lettering exactly like this photographer has because it produces a really nice end product and I think it is a really nice idea, I am also influenced to raise questions within my photography work which makes my audience think and reflect.

In this image Kraitt has done a close up of a closed eye showing the extent of the make up. I like how the close up allows the audience to see the different textures, for example the make up on the actual eyelid looks like liquid, just below the eye the make up looks like powder that has been blown onto the eye. I like how the eye is closed as opposed to open as I feel the pupils would steal attention from the textures which I see as the main theme. I like how this image seems quite symmetrical, because I imagine you could flip this image and it would seem to make a face.

This picture has influenced me to consider textures when shooting beauty as it is also quite beautiful to look at therefore it fits in the field area of beauty photography. This photo has also influenced to round my pictures off perfectly, for example, taking a photo in a very precise place that means it doesn't need cropping in the end.



Overall I really like this photographers work and I really enjoy his use of close ups because i think it highlights the make up in that certain area. I think he is very similar in all his work, and within this photographers fashion work he can actually be quite explicit, however I quite like it as to me it represents nakedness of the min and simplicity. I also enjoy the smoothness this photographer has worked on, everything comes across as very perfect and in place even if it is paint smeared across a face, it still looks like it is in the right place.

Mid Project Review

In class we were to show a powerpoint of out top 15 pieces so far, one by one we were told to give positive feedback and then negative after having explained our project. The negative feedback wasn't necessarily negative however it was suggestions of where we could next with our project. My feedback was as follows:

Style as influence
By this what was meant is to explore different styles within beauty, styles that may not be publicised but styles that we come across every day, for example, a goth. If I was to complete this shoot I would spray someones hair black, use make up that makes them come across paler, use dark eyeliners, eyeshadows and lipstick to emphasise their style. I would also dress them in dark colours, preferably black so their style is instantly recognisable. I think I would like to do this with various styles and then once I have completed a few I could create a grid (multiple imagery) with all different styles, I could even do all the styles in one shoot so that it doesn't take days of time.

London
By this what is meant is I could take pictures of the city of London as it is considered to be a very beautiful place, one of the most beautiful in the world. A suggestion for a couple of shots I could complete within London was to keep the background the same (making sure it is evident that I am in London) and blur the people, this would suggest the rush of the city and that people come and go but London is still as beautiful as ever.

Contrast beauty and natural beauty
By this what is meant is to place someone who wears no make up next to someone who wears a lot of people, but both must still come across as beautiful, this would show that there are different types of beautiful. I could use multiple imagery to emphasise this to show many different types of beauty. I could even create a slow animation showing the face of natural beauty turning into a face of beauty with the use of cosmetics, this would almost suggest a transformation. I think this would be very difficult but the end product could be very good.

Flowers in their natural life cycle
By this what is meant is to show flowers when they are alive, to then show what the harsh winter months do to them. I would have to do this by purchasing alive flowers and placing them outside and then photographing the flowers which are outside now and which are dying. I think this would look good in an animation however if I was to complete this through animation I would do it through the use of one flower, therefore I would buy a flower and leave it outside and I would take pictures of it daily. It would be very difficult as I would have to get the exact same angle every day. To overcome this I could do the exact same idea however instead of using animation I could use multiple imagery.

Decay
By this what is meant is to photograph things which are decaying, to show the opposite of beauty and contrast against my own project title. I think this would be a really good idea and would really out a twist in my project, also I think the shoot itself would stand out against my other work. I could photograph decaying food or even decayed teeth as that really is a contrast of beauty of a person.

Mid Project Evaluation

For my project, when I started I decided to do media makeup photography, however since starting this I found this quite laminating, as every single shoot must be completed in the studio and a model must be used. I have completed one shoot in total where a model has been used. Due to this issue I decided I had to broaden my project and therefore slightly chafe the brief, I have now changed it to beauty photography. To be able to shoot on location more so, I have decided to create my own meaning for beauty. This is what people consider beauty to be, what people think is beautiful (which can be landscapes and settings), and a contrast of beauty which could be a destruction of beauty (how weather can destroy beauty) and or what is beautiful but not often perceived as beautiful. I will also try to incorporate different images of beauty, this meaning different styles which exist and are considered beautiful by different groups of people.

In this project i have really enjoyed having the freedom to go anywhere with my ideas, for example, I did a shoot in which I had glitter covered over my face and it was very indifferent. It was quite easy to construct this shoot and I like self portraits however I think if I had a model the pictures would have been better as I could of used the technique of multiple flash. I  have also really liked using the technique of multiple imagery as I think because it displays more than one image it produces more thought and gains more of an audience as there is more to look at. The only difficulty I face with multiple imagery is that I find it hard to get the backgrounds the same colour for every image if it is a white background, with blackout is a lot easier.

I think what I have had the most difficulty with this entire project so far is keeping up with the work load, I constantly feel as if I am having to catch up, however I feel this is with the contextual more as opposed to the shoots, even though I had fallen behind with them at one point. I will improve on this by putting more effort into my contextual work out of college hours. I think I have improved with the editing of my work and i feel like I take a lot more care with it this year as opposed to last year, i feel as if I am more precise with editing such as selective colour. I have also learnt a lot more this year e.g. animation, this can take quite a while however I feel this year that this year I make more time to edit.

Exterior Work Diary

In this lesson I decided to broaden my project and make beauty link to the beauty of world as well as in people so I went out to shoot and shot pictures of plants/nature close up to highlight their details. What I tried to achieve in this shoot is to broaden my project as i felt very limited with what i could do with my project, therefore with the beauty of the world i stumbled on the nature which surrounds us. What i tried to achieve with this shoot was to focus on close ups to display the details of the plants/leaves to show their beauty from an angle which isn't seen by others usually as nature is often just passed by. I am not very happy with this shoot as I went out to shoot in the college and there wasn't a lot of plants, I feel as if there wasn't enough nature beauty to shoot which made me feel as if I didn't achieve the full potential standard of the shoot, therefore I have decided that I will go out to a secret garden kind of area in London where it will be filled with plants and trees. This shoot was almost like a trial run, and I am glad I did it because even though there wasn't a lot to shoot, the images I did shoot I am very happy with. However the use of this trial has taught me to be able to achieve the beauty project title for a nature setting that I need to choose the correct nature setting, filled with nature otherwise I am hit with the difficulty of not having a lot to shoot and therefore limited photos which I can use.

In this image I found a dark red leaf, I picked it up and placed it on the wall, shooting it downwards. This produced a limited depth of field which can be seen as the leaf is very sharp whereas the background is out of focus. I tried to achieve the out of focus element as I thought it would highlight the details of the leaf, which shows what others cannot see. This shows the different hints of colours in the leaves and I think this is very beautiful which achieves my aim to create batty photography. When it came to editing i turned the levels up producing a brighter red for the leaf, I preferred it like this as it makes the image more eye catching. This is my favourite picture from the shoot. This image has taught me that when I plan to do my next shoot in a secret garden, I would use a green background as it would enforce nature beauty as opposed to the brick wall which is in the background which sort of ruins the natural beauty element, and slightly fails me achieving the complete beauty idea.

In this image I took a picture of the flower in close up and it came out quite sharp where as the rest was out of focus. I liked the image in its natural form however I felt it was quite boring and needed something else needed to it. As I felt like this I decided to edit the picture using selective colour, I turned the image black and white and used the rubber tool and carefully rubbed out the black and white of the flower. I like this effect on this image as the flower itself is cream and it doesn't crash against the black and white too harshly. What I tried to achieve with this picture was to make the flower stand out against the plants which I think I achieved through selective colour.

By doing this shoot it has made me think of shoots which I can complete in the future, I could do a shoot of more exciting flowers, or a serene environment in general so I could take a picture of a complete landscape. By going to a place such as a secret garden I could photograph a range of different flowers in one area which could suggest how there is more then one version of beauty.

Exterior shoot

Techniques I will use

I have already used:

• Multiple Imagery 
• Animation 

What I would like to use: 

• Multiple Flash- I would do this in a Black Swan shoot and display different dance movements in relation to the film 
• Video- I would do this for a fashion shoot, to display the outfits almost in a fashion show/runway/advert format 
• Animation (again)- I would do this in a shoot when putting on make up to show the progression of before and after, and it wold unfold like a story- beginning to end