For the first photo-shoot I completed, I focused on a range of different factors that can influence the identity of children, including the anxieties of adults and how they influence children, as well as how family history and loss can effect a child’s development of identity.
The following contact sheets work as evidence for my thought process when ruling out and selecting images from this photo-shoot:
THE SHOOT
For the shoot itself I used a canon camera with a standard lens, this is so I had a range of zoom that I wouldn’t of had if I was using a portrait lens. The standard lens made the shoot less stressful. I used the ring light as my main source of light, I used this light because it is a strong powerful white light, but doesn’t create harsh shadows on the models face. The ring light also had a dimmer on it, this allowed me to control how strong the light was. I made sure the background of my images was white as it makes Erin stand out. I
I had my camera settings on 1/200 shutter speed and and ISO of 200, these settings where perfect for my photos as they were sharp and powerful. I could adjust the focus by using the focus lens at the end of my camera lens.
Like any shoot I had difficulties, they included making sure the light was at the right angle to create the silhouette around my individual and ti highlight certain areas of her face that I needed to be bright and exaggerated. Another difficulty I had was making sure the settings were correct, I had to take many test photos, this enabled me to adjust my settings as I knew what needed to be changed, in order to get the effect I wanted.
SELECTION PROCESS
Image 1 selection; (before she changes herself) 
Image 2 selection; (beginning the change)
Image 3 selection; (step one in the change)
Image 4 selection; (zoom in on the eyes)
Image 5 selection; (changing her hairstyle)
Image 6 selection; (adding on another layer to cover herself up)
Image 7 selection; (adding more)
Image 8 selection; (before she changes her outfit, which shows her personality)
Image 9 selection; (the final look)
PLANNING FOR MY SHOOT;
What is included and who is involved?
A series of 9 images of Erin getting ready to take a photo of her self, this will show how a modern day girl changes her identity to fit society and to blend in with everyone else around her and to show the parts of herself she wants people to know about her even if it isn’t true.
When and where is the shoot happening?
25th January in the studio. I chose to do the shoot in the studio as the blank background will really allow me to focus on Erin and the concept of the shoot, also I can adjust the lighting in the room with the lights, by making it brighter or darker and the angle of the lights, this is so I can highlight certain areas that I want a dramatic focus on.
Why am I planning the shoot and what does it connect to?
These photos connect to identity. I am showing the loss of identity to the younger generation and how we change ourselves to make us fit in. This is producing a society where we are all the same and nothing tells us apart for each other anymore because no one it willing to experiment with their look and they don’t want people knowing certain things about them so they hide it all by copying everyone else.
Technical approach;
I am going to use a standard lens during this shoot as is allows me to have a wider range of zoom than a portrait lens would. Whilst using a standard lens the camera will be on a manual setting, this is so I can adjust what I have in and out of focus so I can highlight certain areas within the photo. For the lighting of the image I am going to have a light facing straight onto my models face, as the light will highlight her features and create attention to her.
As I am doing a set of 9 different images, showing how Erin changes herself to fit society’s ‘norms’. I want each image to show a different step, this will enable people to see the changes she goes through. Image 1 will be Erin being herself, this is the before she alters herself and then Image 9 will be the final look that she’s has created for herself that she knows as the norm.
RESEARCH
Femininity is a set or attributes, behaviours and roles associated with girls and women. Femininity is socially constructed, made up of socially defined and biologically created factors. Traits of a women traditionally include, gentleness and sensitivity. The appearance of women are traditionally long flowing hair, perfect skin and a narrow waist. Hyperfemininty is the exaggeration of stereotyped behaviour of women. This is where the qualities that are believed to be feminine are exaggerated. Gender roles play a huge part in how women are ‘meant to be’ as society expects women to act and dress in certain ways, this leads to women changing who they are, so they can fit in to the social ‘norms’. Even in different ethnic groups, they have certain role expectations, but for women they aren’t that different.
In the 21st century it is critical that you are physically attractive, this can be achieved by make up or procedures. This results in women spending more time, effort and money on their appearance, this is because it has been socially learned from the female image. A thought experiment is that if children were introduced into a world where physical appearance was unimportant, they wouldn’t care about how they looked or how anyone else looked. As children are now introduced into a society where looks and appearance is everything, they are pressured to make themselves look like everyone else. Females spend an average of $700 a year on clothes before entering their older age. As women increase in earning power and social status their interest in physical appearance will increase even more. A study shows that half of girls feel stifled by gender stereotyping, as they are to believe that they are valued more for their appearance.
There are four types of gender stereotyping affecting women, which include; personality traits, domestic behaviour, occupations and physical appearance. Personality traits for females include in them being emotional and accommodating. Domestic behaviours such as taking care of children, to cook and clean are expected by women. Occupations such as a teacher or a nurse are assumed to be done by females. Finally, physical appearance is the main stereotyping that females are affected by, as they are expected to be thin, graceful and pretty looking, even if this involves in them changing who they are to feel like they fit in. If society didn’t have these brutal expectations for women, women wouldn’t feel the need to change who they are as they would feel comfortable and accepted in their own skin.
LEIGH BOWERY
Bowery was born 26 March 1961, he was an Australian performance artist, club promoter and fashion designer. He was mainly known for his bold and interesting looking costumes and makeup in his images. He was mainly based in London during his adult life and inspired many artists, such as Lucian Freud who was a British painter. Bowery states that ‘fashion, where all girls have clear skin, blue eyes, blonde-brown wavy hair and a size 10 figure…STINKS’. He really exaggerated and almost took the mick out of models, applying all the makeup to himself to make himself ‘look like’ the typical model was a big statement in itself, as you can understand what Bowery’s concept of his images are, that girls are expected to have perfect features and alter themselves but it just makes them look stupid and that they should learn to love themselves.
Leigh Bowery over exaggerates the appearance of genders and how they are meant to look to look due to the ‘norms’ made by society. The reasons behind his exaggerations, is to present how ridiculous it is to apply so much ‘cover’ to yourself to hide the real you.
I’m choosing Leigh Bowery as my lead artist as I love the way that he exaggerates his makeup and costumes to show hoe ridiculous it is to change yourself to fit the ‘norms’, also his facial expressions show his emotions and it is a contrast between look and emotions. My favorite images by Bowery are;
the boldness of the lips and the outfit choices and props used makes this image stand out to me as it is so unique. I feel like Bowery’s concept of this image is to show the boldness and extremes that people will go to, to make themselves look a certain way
Xavier uses muted yellow tones in his photos which i have tried to replicate on photo shop. Using the image -adjustments tool and then using a different process on each photo. I looked at the main cathedral in new Zealand when i went there in Christ church and the destruction that the earthquake caused and how the city and nature moves around it with out taking much notice because it has just become normality. This links in well with Xavier's work because its all about how society just molds and grows round destruction and damage
Barbara Kruger generally uses black and white photographs with heavy contrast as her background layer underneath bold red text boxes usually stating strong, somewhat controversial lines.
As I knew beforehand that I was going to be editing these images more than I usually would, I wanted to use natural lighting portraits as my background to even that out.
Although Kruger doesn’t use her photos as a ‘series’ I did want to use mine this way, whilst also addressing some topics that I’m extremely passionate about – the effects of mental illness, abuse, and the stigma that inevitably follows.
The first thing I did to this image was increase the canvas size so that I could then create the thick red border around the image – I increased the height and width to 1.5cm after a bit of trial and error to see which thickness I thought appeared best.
I created a ‘colour fill’ layer and dragged that underneath ‘layer 0’ in the layers column. I used the rectangle tool to create some rectangles, filled with the same shade red as the border, where I wanted the text to go.
I used the horizontal text tool to then place the text where I wanted it – I opened the ‘properties’ panel to adjust the font, size and colour of the text.
I then started to edit my photograph. I decreased the brightness to -20 and increased the contrast to +20. This made the whole image a bit darker but the colours a bit brighter – I did this so that when I put the image into black and white, I’d know which parts of the image were going to be darker and which were going to be lighter.
I put the photo into black and white, but I played around with some of the colour settings until the photo looked how I wanted it to look, this resulted in;
reds -2%
blues 143%
magentas -42%
I added some grain ((noise)) to this image to make it look more dramatic and give it some harsher editing, I increased the noise to 5.5% .
To finish this edit I added some dust and scratches, I left radius at 1 pixel and increased threshold to 35 levels.
I started this edit by doing the same as the previous with the red border and text, however I used a brighter, more vibrant red as this was a more positive photo.
I started editing this image by decreasing the brightness to -40 and increasing the contrast to +40, I wanted the background to appear brighter, and as the subjects skin tone was slightly washed out, I decreased the brightness.
I kept adjusting the exposure settings until I was happy with how the photo was looking, the final settings were:
exposure +0.5
offset -0.002
gamma correction 0.83
I changed some of the settings in shadows/highlights:
shadows
amount 18%
tone 23%
radius 28
highlights
amount 49%
radius 13
adjustments
colour -93%
midtones +1
To finish this edit I added noise at 10%, uniform.
Planning
The aim of this photo shoot is to clearly show my response to Saul Seinberg and mask photography. As mentioned before I felt that Seinberg’s work presented too much of an identity and therefore conducted research into mask photography. In this photo shoot I will be using two types of masks, a whole face mask and a half face mask, in order to present the theme of loss of identity. The location of this photo shoot will be both indoors and outdoors, to gain a mixture of environments. I want to be able to use natural lighting throughout this shoot, in order to make the images seem more natural. Doing this will present the theme of loss of identity as a more natural and realistic occurrence, making viewers more aware of the idea that someone can loose their identity. I will be keep the camera settings pretty standard, with the shutter speed being quick, the ISO on 400-800 and the white balance being on daylight. On Occasion I will alter the shutter speed and ISO in order to make the images seem lighter and darker depending of the location of the image and how I envision the final image to look like. I will direct my model to sit in different positions, do different actions and to look in certain places which will ensure that the images taken are how I want them to look.
Contact Sheets
To evaluate this photo shoot I felt that I have been able to produce some strong outcomes towards mask photography. I looked at surrealism within mask photography, bed cover over head, and a more naturalistic look with a plain white mask. I felt that I was able to successfully meet the aim of this photo shoot. In the editing process I want to ensure that all personality and identity is extracted from these images, so I will look at adjusting the levels, curves, hue and saturation. I want to be able to create a eerie and sinister tone to the final outcomes, to represent the eerie and sinister feelings people gain when they loose their identity.
For my ‘final ideas’ photo shoot, I wanted to piece together all of my ideas together i did this by deciding to do self portraits because it meant I could portray the ideas I wanted to get across from personal experience. I also did this so that the wrong message wasn’t put across.
As my setting I used a shower (which represents being isolated from the outside world – a safe place) and for my more basic portraits I used a basic set up of a black cloth, a tripod and a 10 second camera timer. This all together reflected my idea of inner emotions escaping my mind.
For my final piece, I am focusing on ‘Mental Identity’: inner state of identity. I will focus more on how behind closed doors, no one knows how they truly impact someone else and the effect on their emotions.
Artist References
Gabriella Mendez
I admire Mendez’ work due to her perspective and imagination shrouding colours complimenting skin tones. She also uses stickers, projections and objects to portray her ideas of fashion and culture. I really admired her idea of using appliques and drawings on faces to reflect a certain idea.
Analysis
VISUAL
Mendez’ work often displays a colourful background with one/two people as the centre focus. In these images she has used bold solid coloured back drops, she then correlates the costume and make up with this colour scheme. With the photo on the left Mendez has correlated the eye and foliage make up to the off-mustard background, then has a contrasting top on the model to vary where the eye’s attention else where. Within the picture on the left however Mendez has made it so that the models foliage and top to contrast the background. This collectively draws the direct attention to the models neutral face in contrast to the boldly coloured extras.
TECHNICAL
In order to create this image Mendez has used a warm toned soft box light so that light isn’t direct, its even dispersed within the studio. During the editing process she has increased the images saturation and contrast to make the image soft and not harsh with lots of colours happening.
Francesca Woodman
Francesca Stern Woodman was an American photographer best known for her black and white pictures featuring either herself or female models. Many of her photographs show women, naked or clothed, blurred, merging with their surroundings, or whose faces are obscured.
What I admire about Woodman’s work is how she uses her self as the centre focus: she uses her self to reflect her feelings towards her belonging and how she felt about not feeling like the standard person. I originally used this idea to project my emotions and thoughts about myself not fitting into the mold everyone around me has created for me.
Analysis
VISUAL
Within this composition, Woodman has used her body to curve around the wall, she is peaking around the corner at her reflection (given off by a mirror on the floor). This in my opinion gives the feeling of searching, and in Woodman’s case searching for herself. This self portrait is set within a decaying empty room with once painted white walls and hard concrete floors. This contrast between her body and the harsh man made structures reflects her innocent self against the harsh world.
TECHNICAL
In order to create lighting in this image, Woodman has used the natural lighting from an unseen window. This light then hits the concrete floor and potentially bounces off the mirror this creates a ‘spotlight’ feel to where Woodman is placed, this is due to the foreground and background corners are unlit. This draws attention to woodman and her reflection.
By utilizing both these artists’ views and my own, I wish to create compositions that reflect my sense of not fitting into the world I was brought into. I aim to show how our inner thoughts cannot be contained once alone. Either through feelings or none at all, the pain of not knowing where to go is the closest rival to death. This all relates down to the epicentre of all of our problems: wanting perfection. In the ideal world, perfection doesn’t exist, we would aim to reach our own maximum capacity, not to correlate with numbers and code.
“Warning: If you are reading this then this warning is for you. Every word you read of this useless fine print is another second off your life. Don’t you have other things to do? Is your life so empty that you honestly can’t think of a better way to spend these moments? Or are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all that claim it? Do you read everything you’re supposed to read? Do you think every thing you’re supposed to think? Buy what you’re told to want? Get out of your apartment. Meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive shopping and masturbation. Quit your job. Start a fight. Prove you’re alive. If you don’t claim your humanity you will become a statistic. You have been warned.”
― Fight Club
Example : Political instability can often cause mass migration of populations and considerable human distress, which provoke artists to respond with powerful visual statements. Mona Hatoum’s displacement from Palestine to Britain influenced many of her pieces that comment on her personal experiences of such a traumatic event. Ai Weiwei and Sebastião Salgado recorded compelling accounts of refugees and their plight, whilst Dorothea Lange documented the devastating effects of the Great American Depression.
You should provide evidence that fulfils the four Assessment Objectives:
AO1 Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed
by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical
understanding
AO2 Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and
processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops
AO3 Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically
on work and progress
AO4 Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where
appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements.
Your preparatory studies should show evidence of:
• your development and control of visual literacy and the formal elements (tone,
texture, colour, line, form and structure)
• an exploration of techniques and media
• investigations showing engagement with appropriate primary and secondary sources
• the development of your thoughts, decisions and ideas based on the theme
• critical review and reflection.
Period of sustained focus
During the 10-hour period of sustained focus you will produce your final outcome(s)
responding to the Externally Set Assignment theme, based on your preparatory studies. The period of sustained focus may take place over more than one session. You will not be able to access your work outside of these sessions. Once the 10-hour supervised period
has ended you will not be able to add to or alter your work
In his installation Nantes Triptych Bill Viola simultaneously shows three videos of people at different stages on the journey through life.
Other photographers and film makers are also interested in recording changes brought by the passing of time. Richard Linklater’s film Boyhood was filmed over 12 years to show the actual development of a boy into a young man.
Christian Boltanski shone lights on fading images of people killed in the Holocaust.These suggest an interest in the journey that the photographs themselves make on a path to obscurity.
In the book We English Simon Roberts records a two year journey in a motorhome around England. The resulting images are lyrical and calm, as he often found beauty in mundane situations and in the exploration of the relationship between people and place. He
purposely avoided the tendency to satirise the English class system in ways that have almost come to be expected by photographers such as Martin Parr.
Walker Evans, David Meadows, Guy Bourdin, John Davies, Dorothea Lange and many other photographers have gone on extended journeys to record their view of the country or their immediate surroundings.
Creative journeys can derive from ideas that link diverse objects in unexpected ways. These reflect the individual preoccupations of the photographer. Edward Weston’s obsession with abstract form led him to transform vegetables, chimneys and toilets into
objects of great formal beauty. Rinko Kawauchi’s image of a dead wasp on a windowsill and a drop of milk on a baby’s chin are both connected by her interest in the poetry of ordinary moments.
The daily grind can be a test of endurance. In Tokyo Compression, Michael Wolf recorded the extreme discomfort of Japanese commuters pressed up against windows dripping with condensation on their journeys to and from work.
In Harlem Trolley Bus, Robert Frank showed the divisions within American society in the mid-20th century. Dryden Goodwin
took pictures of exhausted travellers on London night buses and wove a protective cocoon of blood capillaries around them.
Matt Crabtree transformed commuters on the
London underground into 16th century portraits of praying saints.
Richard Long walks through landscapes, making subtle changes along the way.
Theo Gosselin documents friends / models / muses on various journeys in urban and rural areas
J.Grant Brittain, Warren Bolster and Craig Stecyk documented skate culture throughout the 1980’s and beyond…
Ansel Adams explored vast areas of America’s National Parks, preserving the notion of their grace, beauty and purity despite changes to their condition and use…
Miklos Gaal employs tilt shift techniques to create toy-town-esque scenes of everyday hustle and bustle life in urban areas, distorting our sense of space, proportion and time.
• trains, cycles, boats, planes, coaches and cars • hiking, camping, caravanning, hotels • obsessions, desires, pursuits • adventure trails, treks, mazes, maps, tunnels, caves • oceans, rivers, canals, motorways, bridges, corridors, staircases, packed lunches, service stations, mobile cafes, drive-thrus, airport lounges, bus stations, train stations • escapism, fantasy, science fiction, books, comics, quests • tracks, footprints, jet trails, bow waves, oil slicks • detectives, clues, pursuits, bloodhounds, foxhunting, treasure hunts, geocaching, orienteering • Pied Piper of Hamelin, Hansel and Gretel, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Hero’s Journey • internet, optic fibres, cables, communications, text messages, emails • letters, shipping containers, parcels, presents, trade routes • protest marches, processions, pilgrimages, hustle and bustle, street life (street photography)
23rd April – 3 May inclusive
(dates / days to be published soon)