I chose the theme of ‘lack of identity’ purely due to the fact of the creativity involved with this theme which i believe will be the most interesting to further look at. It also will allow me to manipulate my images on photoshop to create mesmerising illusions and serial photographs.

Photoshoot 1

For my first photoshoot I intend to focus on the deep feelings that people are experiencing in connection with losing their identity. Identity can be formed from the labels we place upon ourselves, the roles we undertake, the activities we complete and many other factors. In our judgmental and unaccepting society, people are often too embarrassed to express their identity or feel as if they cannot do so after being previously bullied for their personal traits. This process is what I personally define as ‘loss of identity’. Such loss of identity can result in increased levels of generalised anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, a loss of self-confidence, social anxiety, isolation, all of which threaten our ability to connect with other people. These unwanted feelings are the feelings which I intend to portray through my work to create an awareness of this serious issue that is dominating some peoples lives.

This idea will be achieved using photoshop to digitally manipulate my images to achieve these feelings. There will be no need for developing my pictures once printed with this idea because the edits will be effective enough to engage and attract viewers.

Photoshoot 2

This photo shoot will involve taking simple portrait photos and incorporating a sense of color within the images to contrast with the model that I will stage to appear saddened by a loss of their identity. I believe that including these vibrant and bold colors which are associated with happiness will strongly contrast and show that there are positives even when a person feels as if they are worthless. The bright colors will symbolize this sense of involvement and loving nature that is within our society. I believe that within this photo shoot I will be able to develop images that can have a positive impact on people with such things as depression which is related with a lack of identity.

Photoshoot 3

For my third photo shoot I have in mind to use mirrors. I want to have a photo shoot incorporating mirrors as they are the symbolic object of identity and obviously reflect our identity. I can use mirrors to create illusions in the way that when a person looks into a mirror I can manipulate it to reflect something different which relates to their feelings and thoughts. Another idea with the use of mirrors would be to take photos of mirrors in locations however have no people within the image to indicate a sense of worthlessness as the viewer is looking into a mirror with no reflection of a person. The background will relate to a feeling of isolation which people feel when they have lost their identity for example an open rural area.

As I explained within the photography style of self-portraiture, identity is a key, if not the main focus or theme within all portraiture photographs. Portrait photographs for commercial use are used to talk about a persons personality and life, in other words their identity. As well as portraiture photographs being used in this way within media, identity has developed to be a big and fascinating genre in photography. Photographers are developing ways in which they can portray identity through the use of digital manipulation and using programs such as photoshop to create serial images to reflect a persons identity.

The main themes relating to identity which are displayed through photography are, gender, culture, social, geographical, lack of / loss of identity.

Gender Identity

Gender identity is one’s personal experience of one’s own gender. Gender identity can correlate with assigned sex at birth, or can differ from it completely. Some people that are assigned as being a male at birth believe that they were meant to be a female or simply do not feel like a male. This is how gender identity can differ with assigned sex at birth and is what some photographers explore and present through their photography. Gender identity allows photographers to express ones identity for how they feel it to be, whether it be a female trapped inside a males body or a male that feels like he is a male.

Cultural Identity

Cultural identity is the identity or feeling of belonging to a group. It is part of a person’s self-perception and is related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, locality or any kind of social group that has its own distinct culture.

Geographical Identity

Geographical identity relates to an individual or group’s sense of attachment to the country, region, city, or village in which they live. Often photographers will photograph people in locations within their region which clearly indicates where they are from for example, if it was a photo in France, the Eiffel Tower would be a good subject to use as a background as it is very relatable to France. Or the photo would include objects which further identity where the person is from.

Lack Of Identity

Lack of identity relates to a person that feels like they’ve lost their personality and belonging in a community. It can relate to how a person is feeling and the fact they don’t feel wanted or cared about in anyones opinion. It has a strong link to depression in the sense they don’t feel like they are themselves anymore and therefore suffer saddening consequences.

A self-portrait is a representation of an artist that is drawn, painted, photographed, or sculpted by that artist. Although self-portraits have been made since the earliest times, it is not until the mid-15th century that artists can be frequently identified depicting themselves as either the main subject, or as important characters in their work. With better and cheaper mirrors, and the advent of the panel portrait, many painters, sculptors and printmakers tried some form of self-portraiture. Portrait of ‘man in a turban’ by Jan Van Eyck of 1433 may well be the earliest known panel self-portrait. Nowadays we take self portraits almost everyday through our phones and computers, therefore self-portraits have adapted to become even more interesting than those just displaying a true representation of a person. Self portraits have now become a creative way to express yourself through the use of digital manipulation. People are really exploring the ways in which they can adjust their self portraits to create surreal photos which portray a sense of their emotions or personality rather than simply a photo/painting of themselves.

Tableau vivant, French for ‘living picture’, is a style of artistic presentation which is often shortened to just ‘Tableau’. It most often describes a group of suitably costumed actors, carefully positioned and often theatrically lit. It also applied to works of visual art including painting, photography and sculpture, featuring artists’ models in similar arrangements. This artistic style is often used in the works of romance, symbolist and aesthetic.

To me, it would appear that this artistic approach is used to show chaotic scenes where a lot is happening. However it over exaggerates how mental the scene is. So, instead of the picture being like a documentary style where it captures a true representation of a place, it is directed to ensure that it captures every possible thing that happens in that place. Thus leading to an overall summary of a place over a day or possibly even several days.

Why Do We Use Studio Lighting?

We use studio lighting because it enables the photographer to create a controlled environment to capture the exact photograph that you want. Studio lighting allows you to completely control how hard/soft the light is, the intensity of it and the direction of which it is coming from. It is easy to adapt the studio lights to create the best shot possible by highlighting certain parts of the subjects face and reflecting light in different directions.

What is the Difference Between 1-2-3 Point Lighting?

Three point lighting is a method used in studio photography in which uses three separate positions for light sources so that the photographer can illuminate the subject in the exact way that he/she wants to. The first light is a key light, which is usually the strongest light and sets the lighting of the scene. The second light is the fill light which helps to fill the shadows that the key light casts to prevent a distracting contrast. The last light is called a back light and is used to create separation and contour. the back light helps to illuminate the model from the back for example, the models hair being lit up.

What is Fill Lighting?

Fill light is any source of illumination that lightens or fills in areas of shadow created by other lights. Most of the time, fill light is used to lighten the shadows created by the key light. Below is an example of which shows how fill lighting creates an effect.

What is Spill Lighting?

Spill lighting is the light that falls where it was not intended to fall. This creates a distracting effect within images which can really negatively effect your pictures. 

What is Chiaroscuro? 

Chiaroscuro is a lighting technique that uses strong tonal contrasts between light and dark to model 3D forms with a dramatic effect.  This technique creates a great deal of drama and mystery which i think is a great way to portray feelings and stories.