For my final images I have decided on the following layout:
This layout remains the same throughout this photo-shoot. The following are the images I will use in each of these panels, along with the final layouts:
These final images are created to represent the process of the object, from its original state to its final state, after being exposed to different factors, such as fire, heat and time. By taking inspiration from both vanitas art and the use of triptychs, I have produced a way to show the process (journey) of the objects through these stages, ultimately showing the fragility of perfection, and how easily it can be destroyed.
Below I have analysed a selection of images from my final choices in order to give a better understanding of the thought process behind choosing them, why I edited them, and what I will use them to represent in my final display:
I have chosen the above image as one of my final images, as I feel it is one of the more successful finals from the editing process. I have edited the saturation and contrast of the image, in order to create a slightly unrealistic and bold colour scheme for the image, which I feel helps to show the contrast between all of the shapes in the background, creating a more cartoon like, unrealistic appearance. I feel that by creating this effect, the viewer can see the subject as falling through a completely different scene, which is made more realistic and possible by the concept that the scene may be fictional and not real. Therefore, the image seems more likely to the viewer, and therefore they are able to concentrate on the image more easily. As well as the background saturation and contrast being edited, I added a white outline to the subject and a “hole” below the subject. The white outline is used in order to separate the subject from the background, and to create the effect that the subject is a sticker, which has been added to the incorrect background. I decided that this was more effective than using a ripped paper effect, as it is cleaner and sharper, and more easily differentiates between the subjects outline and the background while still maintaining the shape of the subject, and unlike the ripped paper effect, this outline does not create a large amount of white space, which distracts from image itself. In total, I have used this image to create the effect that the subject is falling through the image, into the hole blow. I have made it as obvious as possible that the subject does not belong in the image, by creating a “sticker” effect, and heightening the contrast in colour between the subject and the background. This way, the message that the subject has been placed on the “Wrong Journey” or “Wrong Path” is made clear, and follows with the exam title “Journeys & Pathways”.
The above 2 images are additions to the first, and will be displayed with the first image as they follow the same concept and appearance, but using different backgrounds and subject poses. I have decided to display these 3 images, as i feel that they give a wide variation of the different backgrounds and subjects, which will help to emphasize the different journeys and pathways that the subject has been placed in that are incorrect and wrong (thus continuity is shown through the different images, much like a story-board).
I have chosen the above image as a final image, as I feel that it is one of the best outcomes from the photo-shoot involving the use of 3 panels, and the representation of a decaying flower, with each panel representing a different stage in the decay. To create the above image, I made use of the editing process, and either lowered of heightened the saturation and contrast in order to give the effect that the flower was loosing its colour, and therefore the decline of the flower can also be emphasized not only through its physical appearance in terms of shape, but also the different colors between the panels. By editing the background so that all backgrounds present as the same shade of black, I am able to draw all of the viewers attention to the foreground containing the subject, and in addition, when displaying the work the 3 frames backgrounds will merge into 1, showing the connection between the 3 panels (as they all represent the same flowers 1 lifetime) while also separating the panels in order to show different stages of the same life. In total, this image is used to represent the journey of a fragile object (a flower) through its life, representing each stage of its decline through a single image (which help to emphasize the shortness and fragility of life and health) from the beginning of the flowers life (its healthiest) to the end (as it dies). This concept follows the Journeys & Pathways title, as it follows the objects journey through life, health and death.
The above images are also examples of images that I have chosen as my final outcomes. The concept behind this photo-shoot was to recreate archival images using the same subjects and locations in order to show the development of the subject and the environment over the course of time between the 2 images. I feel like the above images are the best examples of recreating the original images, as I feel that the subject and the environment are posed correctly to mimic the original image, and the editing process I went through in order to make the new image seem slightly more worn (and similar to the original) has allowed for the similarities between the images to be seen not only in the subject and environment, but also in the colour and style of the photograph. I feel like this image is a good example of showing the journey of life, from beginning through to the present, as it displays the similarities and differences between the 2 time periods effectively, and through the use of only 2 images, allowing the viewer to get an inside look in on the subjects life, while still only being restricted to 2 images, leaving questions unanswered such as the identity of the subject, along with what event led up to their present life, and how their journey has effected who they are as a person in the present.
After deciding on the final 3 images for each of the final pieces, I used Photoshop to fit the images together, and edit them in order to present them as their final displays. All final images for my 3rd photo-shoot make use of 3 (or in some cases 4) images, inspired by triptych art display, and the overall meaning and presentation of the images is inspired by the vanities movement in art.
In order to emphasise the deterioration of the flowers as they wilted in more than a very blatant visual way, I also adjusted the saturation of each panel. As the flower continued to decay, I further decreased the saturation of the image, dulling the colour of the petals, which links with the fact the flower is journeying from its colourful prime, to its wilting and decaying form.
The editing process also involved tightening/lowering the contrast of the image in order to reduce/increase the contrast between the colours in the image, which in turn either draws attention to the different shapes within the flower (making each shape sharp and crisp) or dulls the lines between the shapes (emphasising the flatness and dullness of the flower as it wilts).
In order to make sure the 3 panels looked as similar (in terms of location) as possible, I made sure that the background of all of the images was the same colour (using the paint tool in Photoshop). This way, the backgrounds of the panels seem to merge together, whereas the foreground (subjects) are still separated. This process allows for the final image to feel more like the journey of a single object, as it is processed from one stage to the next, while still maintaining that each panel depicts a very different stage in the journey.
The final image can be seen blow, and makes use of 3 images in panels (a triptych) to show the different stages on the journey of a flower from its prime, through its life, to it’s resulting, decayed ending.
The other final images from this photo-shoot also followed the same process (saturation, contrast, brightness and editing of the background) and the results of these can be seen below:
Above are all of the final outcomes for this photo-shoot, all of which make use of multiple panels in order to display the journey of each object.
For my third photoshoot I have decided to take inspiration from the use of triptychs, and from my original mind map idea of documenting how objects change over time (their journey through their existence/usage). In order to do this, I decided to use objects that have a relatively short lifespan (such as flowers or ice cubes) and so their decay/the changes they experience through their “life” can be easily documented and the differences are more obvious and natural than, for example, physically changing the appearance of a human subject to show progress and change.
The following contact sheets are the results of my photo-shoots in which I documented the progress of various objects through their natural “lifetime”:
The above shoot captured my first subject, an ice cube, as it melted in a studio setting:
Key: Red E: Over/under exposed – Green E: Slightly over/under exposed – Red S: Subject incorrectly placed – Green F: Slightly out of focus – Red F: out of focus – Green tick: In final selection – Red Cross: rejected – Green “?”: Possible final
The above contact sheets show my second photoshoot, depicting the wilting/dying of a flower in a studio setting:
Key: Red E: Over/under exposed – Green E: Slightly over/under exposed – Red S: Subject incorrectly placed – Green F: Slightly out of focus – Red F: out of focus – Green tick: In final selection – Red Cross: rejected – Green “?”: Possible final
My 3rd shoot is much like my second, except I experimented with different subjects (flowers) in order to experiment how the colour gradient, size and shape would effect the final image:
Key: Red E: Over/under exposed – Green E: Slightly over/under exposed – Red S: Subject incorrectly placed – Green F: Slightly out of focus – Red F: out of focus – Green tick: In final selection – Red Cross: rejected – Green “?”: Possible final
The above photo-shoot is an example of a deterioration that occurs unnaturally (setting paper on fire) and shows the journey of the paper through the different stages of its physical form/shape before it becomes ash. On a more metaphorical level it represents how quickly something can deteriorate, from perfection to literal “rubble” due to adverse conditions:
Key: Red E: Over/under exposed – Green E: Slightly over/under exposed – Red S: Subject incorrectly placed – Green F: Slightly out of focus – Red F: out of focus – Green tick: In final selection – Red Cross: rejected – Green “?”: Possible final
Above shows the photograph I have chosen to edit and develop, I have chosen this image as I believe it is one of my better photographs with the lighting being slightly darker which is what I intended for the photograph and also I feel my subject is well positioned in the frame.
Editing Process:
Editing 1
To begin I started by adjusting the brightness and contrast of the photograph, I lowered the brightness instead of raising it as the original ad is quite dark and that is the tone of light I am aiming for.
Editing 2
Next I went through and placed a noise filter of the image to create the effect of what the original ad looked like with it not being a completely clear and crisp image and I feel this is what I can do to add that effect.
Editing 3
Lastly I added a warming filter across my photo to bring out the warmer and yellow tones in the photograph and to not have so many of the cold tones throughout the photograph.
Final Outcome:
This shows my final outcome after I have been through my editing process, overall I am happy with my photograph and how it turned out, I feel it replicates the original ad well and I have been able to generate a response to the ad and the ideas of how ads are changing and showing a way in which women are presented.
A triptych is a piece of artwork that makes use of 3 separate but connected panels in order to tell a story across the 3 panels without using any moving imagery or effects. Triptychs were commonly used during the Middle Ages as a way to convey Biblical stories through images. Triptychs have more recently been widely replaced by the use of videos and recordings, which show the more intricate details of a progressing story without the need to “clump” significant events into just 3 images.
Triptychs were commonly used to convey Bible stories during periods where art was stationary (there was no multi-media) – Source: Merode Alterpiece
Although Triptychs were historically used to convey literal stories, myths and legends, modern triptychs often incorporate different meanings into the artwork displayed, and are often used as a way to display a continuous piece of art using 3 panels, separating the piece and allowing for attention to be drawn to each separate section, while also displaying the full piece in an eye-catching and interesting way.
Triptychs can be used to both tell a continuous story, or to display a continuous piece of literal artwork. For my project into Journeys & Pathways, I have decided to focus on displaying many of my final pieces as triptychs, as I believe in doing so I am able to literally display each photograph as a piece in a journey, with the first and final panels representing 2 ends of the same journey. In doing this, I will be able to use both literal and metaphorical terms when developing my photographs, as the images will represent more metaphorical journeys and pathways, whereas the display of the images in a triptych will allow for all 3 images to be brought together, and physically displayed as a journey that can be followed easily by the viewer by looking from one panel to the next.
This being my second recreation from the 1990’s I aim to show a different take on the modernizing fashion compared to what I previously looked at.
Background:
For the most of the decade 1990’s fashion was defined by a return of minimalist fashion. While it was not quite as loud as the eighties, the nineties took that attitude and tried to be a little smarter and classier. Common items of clothing brought in were crop tips, silk shirts and denim everything. In the early 90’s several late 80’s trends remained very prominent among both sexes, however the popularity of grunge and alternative rock music helped bring simple, unkempt grunge look into the mainstream. The anti-conformist approach to fashion led the popularization of the casual chic look, that included t-shirts, jeans, hoodies and sneakers, a trend which continued into the 2000’s.
Plan:
For this photoshoot I will have my model pose in the same position as that of the photograph. My model will be wearing loose fitting jeans and a white tucked in t-shirt. For the lighting I will have it placed coming from one side of her rather than both sides like I have with my other photographs.
Sixth Recreation:
Gap Jeans Campaign | 90’s
Above shows the original advert I am going to be recreating, I feel this is a good advert to recreate as it is simple but I also feel effective in showing a change in fashion and adverts and women. I will be taking the photograph in the studio and use lighting and editing to recreate the photograph.
Contact Sheet of Outcomes
Above shows the contact sheet of my outcomes from the photoshoot. Overall I feel it has been successful and has worked well. I had my model face the other direction compared to the original as it was more efficient for the lights but also just to have my own variation. Some of the photographs were unsuccessful and were blurry due to shaking or just being out of focus on the camera however I did produce some successful outcomes.
Unedited Best Outcomes:
These I feel are my best outcomes from the photoshoot. I feel that they work best as they are my most clear images but I also think I got the best angles on some of these responses. I also feel that the shadow is working kind of well in the first photograph, I feel it is a little bit strong and harsh in the second and this will be due to my position in front of the subject as well as the lights. I like the last image as it doesn’t have any shadows around it and I feel it is working well.
In feminist theory the male gaze is the act of depicting women and the world, in the visual arts and literature, from a masculine, heterosexual perspective that presents and represents women as sexual objects for the pleasure of the male viewer
Kourtney Roy is a photographer born in Northern Ontario in 1981. She produced a series titled ‘The Ideal Women’ in which Roy is both the objectifier and the object: the photographer and the ‘ideal woman’ photographed. In contrast to her use of bold aesthetics, Roy’s reference to the male gaze in The Ideal Women is subtle. This reflects her understanding of gender discrimination in both the photography industry and society at large, she reflects “Discriminatory behaviour has been so conditioned that we often accept it as natural, as opposed to learned behaviour”. For Roy the practice of celebrating female artists in relation to their womanhood epitomises this. She cites Georgia O’Keeffe, who famously “The men liked to put me down as the best woman painter. I think I am one of the best painters.”
Roy’s distinctive approach and aesthetic runs through all of her work, be it personal or commercial. The careful compositions, bold colours and immaculate hair and make-up, inspire each still with a cinematic air.
I feel I can look on and take inspiration from Roy and relate her work to mine as I also am aiming to show ideas of female representations and how they have been presented through time and the media in what could be seen as the male gaze especially for some of the recreations of that of Guess and even Balenciaga.
History provides us a record, and from it one basic, inescapable, truth stands out: the ideals women are asked to embody, regardless of culture or continent, have been hammered out almost exclusively by men. This fact, more than any sort of evolutionary determinism, has meant that a fairly narrow range of attributes resurfaces across eras, returning every couple of decades or so like a new strain of the flu.
Physical ideals are changeable, manifestations of the cultures they come from, yet some aspects change more readily than others. Even when produced by those of their own gender, images of women have historically followed a pattern set down by males. Little about Artemisia Gentileschi’s Sleeping Venus(1625-1630), for example, suggests its female maker. In it, as in virtually all pictures of women, passivity is the norm, whether manifested as softness, slack musculature, or a deferential pose. Another abiding trait, the outline of the hourglass, reminds us that the Female is always a sort of clock, which we try to freeze at the moment of youth.
According to a story by Pliny the Elder, a Roman writer from the first century C.E, the first drawing ever made (and supposed the origin of painting) was by a women named Dibutades, who traced the silhouette of her lover on a wall. Whether chosen to be believed or not it is worth noting that although western mythology tells us that a woman was the first artist, her female successors received little attention until the end of the 20th Century. From antiquity onwards, only a few small sample of women found themselves into the tale of great artists. Even then, they were often described as unusually talented women who overcame the limitations of their gender in order to excel in what was known as a masculine field. British artist Mary Beale was a successful portrait artist in the late 1600’s but much of her success was attributed to the fact that her husband oversaw their studio and presented her works as experiments in the painting methods he developed.
Women have often been the subject of the art rather than the artist. In the modern Renaissance movements around the 1700’s women were often feature nude and very curvy and full, typically what the ideal was then.
The Origin of Painting: Dibutades Tracing the Portrait of a Shepherd | A painting recreating the scene | Painted in 1785 Musée National du Château, Versailles | Around the time until 1860 there was a wide spread vogue for paintings that evoked the origins of painting
