ORIGINAL IMAGES: 

These images were captured as part of my initial photo shoot which I did in order to use to create my final photo montage. I captured images of various models, in different positions and stances in order to have variations to choose from when editing the final images. The second photo shoot which I conducted included my brother therefore I was unable to use them in my final montage as not enough images were of a satisfactory quality.

IMAGE ANALYSIS: 

VISUAL:

The main and most important aspect of this image is the different layers of the image which can be clearly and distinctly separated. In the foreground of the image we see the white powder particles being dispersed in a an even manner. The same is happening in the mid ground of the image. In the background we finally see the blurry figure of the subject. The position in which he is in indicates themes of happiness, joy and relief, almost as if he is letting go of something. The white particles floating in the air are highly contrasted with the black backdrop, they are very clear spherical shapes which attract the attention of the eye.

TECHNICAL:

(the technical analysis for this photo is the same as for my photo montage)

For this photo shoot, the main and single most important technical aspect was the use of flash photography whilst capturing my images. I really wanted to create a clear and crisp outline so that I could use very simple editing techniques later on to edit and blend the images together. During the photo shoot I also used a tripod to keep my camera as stable as possible, maneuvering it into angles which allowed me to capture various angles of the subject. At points the images which I took were quite overexposed to due to the flash and bright clothing of the model, but I was unable to change this as the flash of the camera cannot be made less bright. I relied on Photoshop and editing in order to fix the exposure of the images. Working outside with the white powdered sugar posed many challenges. Many of the photos were fairly blurry due to the powder getting on the lens. The powerful wind also meant that both the camera and tripod were blown over on many occasions.

CONCEPTUAL: 

(the conceptual analysis for this photo is the same as for my photo montage)

For this photo shoot I was again keen to get my family involved in the process as I felt I wanted to portray the theme of moving on and letting go. The representation of each of the elements in the images go as follows:

• The two models which I used in the photo shoot are my own mother and brother. I wanted to portray the change in our own lives and how we have moved on from a previous life which was less than ideal. It is a conflicting feeling relating it back to the love and passion I feel towards my heritage and tradition with the Latvian folk dance.
• The white shirt: used to represent a fresh start, a sort of blank canvas from which to start from. I wanted the subject to be dressed in a way which was very simplistic and basic as I wanted all the focus to be on the facial expression.
• The white powder: this is used to represent the past life. the action of throwing it into the air and allowing the wind to blow it away is representative of letting go and accepting a new beginning. I wanted to use something which would highly contrast with the dark backdrop of the night sky, making the smoke stand out even more.

VARIATIONS IN CONCEPT: 

Whilst doing the photo shoot, I was keen to show variations in concept in order to have a more varied choice whilst editing the images. I chose to use flower petals in this photo shoot as it changed the entire visual representation of the images. Instead of the white powder and clothes which represent purity, it changed to bright clothing and colorful flower petals which made the images carry other themes with them.