Femininity is defined as qualities or attributes regarded as characteristics of women or girls, whereas masculinity is defined as qualities or attributes regarded as characteristics of men or boys. These two themes are considered ‘binary opposites’ – a system by which, in language and thought, two theoretical opposites are strictly defined and set off against one another. Using binary opposites can often be very helpful in coming up with ideas for a photography project.
– Voices of Youth
Traditionally, femininity has been associated with being nurturing, empathetic, and passive, whereas masculinity is often associated with strength, dominance, and assertiveness. Despite this, these definitions are constantly changing in today’s modern world and are heavily dependent on a variety of factors.
– Adventure.com
One major factor that can influence this is an individual’s cultural identity. For example, in some cultures, gender roles are very rigid, with specific expectations for how men and women should behave, dress, and interact with others. In cultures like these, there may be a pressure to follow these norms in order to fit in and belong. On the other hand, in other cultures, such as the nomadic Wodaabe tribe in Chad, gender roles may be more fluid and teach people to explore and express different aspects of themselves.
– MedPage Today
In addition, social identity can also play a significant role in this – such as different minorities, compelling them to follow specific gender stereotypes to be accepted by others. This can be particularly true for transgender individuals in Western societies, who may face additional difficulties in discovering themselves in a society that enforces such firm gender norms.
– The Guardian
Geographical identity is yet another key factor in building up someone’s gender identity. In certain parts of the world, gender roles may be more traditionally defined or they might be more open to the individuals’ interpretation and less enforced. Political identity can also be a key factor in this, particularly in societies where political power is associated with gender, such as South-East Asian countries like Saudi Arabia, where politics and religion keep men in power, reinforcing concepts like patriarchy.
– NPR
Similarly, stereotypes and prejudices also have significant effects on people’s identities. Those who are regularly subjected to negative stereotypes and discrimination could struggle to fully embrace who they are and lose some sense of self – however, those who are able to reject this negativity and form a more positive sense of self are more likely to feel comfortable with their gender identity.
Identity politics is where people of a particular race, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, gender, social class, etc. develop political agendas based on these factors. Whilst it can be a positive thing, like empowering certain excluded communities and promoting social justice for them, it can also have the opposite effect, increasing tribalism and dividing other communities on these issues, creating what is now known as ‘culture wars’.
– The Economist
Culture wars are cultural conflicts between different social groups and the struggle for dominance in values, practices, and beliefs, often occurring in widely multicultural countries. They also have similar positives and negatives to identity politics, being able to celebrate diversity, while on the other hand increasing polarisation between communities.
These phenomena are both increasingly shaping the way our societies are developing today, with growing awareness toward experiences faced by traditionally marginalised groups or individuals, which has very much shaped how society sees a lot of minority groups as compared to 100 years ago. From what I understand, culture wars are more or less a branch of identity politics, where a debate leads to the protesting of these political issues, such as the #MeToo movement, to more aggressively, and often effectively, convey their message until governments or opposing parties properly take it on board.
– Vox Media
The #MeToo movement has raised awareness of sexual assault and harassment, leading to various policy changes and cultural shifts in the way that we think about gender and power in the Western world. It’s sparked a much broader conversation about gender roles and equality and has definitely raised very important questions about the way our legal and governmental systems work. I believe that this movement is most certainly a positive aspect of identity politics’ effect on our societies, creating more safe spaces for people to speak out about their trauma and experiences.
– CNN
In addition, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement rose from the African American community’s frustrations with ongoing police brutality and widespread systemic racism, highlighting issues that were long ignored in mainstream politics, and spurring important conversations about police reform, social inequality, and racial justice.
However, this is where the negative effects of tribalism within culture wars take place. When different groups define themselves primarily in terms of identity by political views, they often become unwilling to see other perspectives and don’t want to engage in compromises or other meaningful dialogue. A prime example of this stems from the ‘White Lives Matter’ movement, a retaliation to BLM as a white supremacist worldview to suppress their message.
– Medium
Overall, while both identity politics and culture wars have their positives, it is important to recognise the dangers that tribalism and division can pose. In order to build a more just and equal society, ways to balance the promotion of individual rights and interests with the interest of common good and inclusion need to be found, rather than retreating into our own communities and refusing to branch out and engage with others.
A chemigram is a form of experimental photography that doesn’t require the use of a camera. Instead, it involves the application of chemicals onto photographic paper to create unique and abstract images. The process typically involves coating the paper with a substance that resists the chemical developer, such as wax or oil, and then selectively removing the substance with various tools to create areas that are more or less sensitive to the chemical.
The paper is then developed in the same way as traditional black-and-white photography, resulting in an image that is a combination of chemical reactions and the physical manipulation of the surface. The final piece is often characterised by its unpredictability and a lack of sharp edges or distinct shapes, which gives it a dreamlike and abstract quality. This process offers a lot of creative freedom and is a great way for photographers to experiment with new techniques and mediums to produce unique and visually striking images.
– Greve de Lecq Barracks – Google Maps
For this trip, we went up to the barracks in Greve de Lecq, St Ouen, to meet with Plant-based photographic artist Hannah Fletcher from the Sustainable Darkroom to learn about how classic photographic processes affect the environment, thanks to the use of caustic chemicals during the development process in darkrooms and the plastics used in the making of standard film.
– Greve de Lecq Beach – Jersey Travel
Hannah took us down to the beach to ‘forage’ for seaweed, which she used to create an environmentally friendly developer to prepare for us later. We collected a few kilograms and it was left to boil in a pot inside the barracks while we foraged for different plants in the woods.
To make the chemigrams, we used various tools such as brushes and pipettes – typically used in science labs to carefully place drops of chemical solutions – making use of different oils and even maple syrup, before placing it into the developer, followed by the chemical fixer (fixes the image to prevent further development). Some people also used the shapes of some of the plants we’d foraged to print more natural shapes onto their chemigrams and they turned out pretty well.
These were two chemigrams that I’d made, the one on the left I did more haphazardly, trying out the different substances and tools that we had at our disposal, whilst the one on the right was composed more carefully, in which I ripped up pieces of masking tape into triangular shapes, which left these unique fractal shapes when the developer seeped into the air pockets left by the tape.
We then, as a group, created this larger chemigram using two different types of photographic paper in a checkerboard pattern. My contribution was spraying most of the right half with a spray bottle full of the developer, which left a nice splatter effect.
Overall, I think this trip was quite successful in the sense that I learned the environmental damage caused by something as simple as photography, and how the damage can be avoided by using local materials and using only what I need. I also learned how to use a new medium that I could use in later projects.
My chosen photographers to study for this unit are:
Claude Cahun
Claude Cahun used photography as a means of self-expression, often using elaborate and outlandish costumes and props to create both intriguing and surreal imagery that was especially shocking for their time (WWII era). Cahun’s work often subverts what people saw and still see as gender norms, rejecting them completely to see what it really is that forms a person’s identity.
William Lakin
William Lakin’s work (in this instance) focuses on masculinity and how broad it really is as a term – how it is culturally reproduced into society – and what it means to people.
Clare Rae
Clare Rae’s work uses feminist theory to represent the female body in “an inherently fetishising medium”, developing a very distanced perspective toward gestures and positions the human form takes while in both public and private spaces.
This first photograph I took of my friend Josh on Chapelfield Road, just outside Chapelfield Gardens, a local children’s park in the city. With this image, I wanted to really try and capture the modernist feel of a city, with the vibrant (traffic) lights mixed with the tone of the moonlight, to create a sort of cyberpunk atmosphere in the final image. As my camera settings weren’t the best, I adjusted the noise levels and raised the exposure slightly to increase visibility. I also increased the contrast and strength of the reds and oranges, which gave the final image a vintage, grainy aspect to the piece that I quite like. I also took interest in the concept of Josh being the only person in the photograph, as it was actually taken rather close to the city centre on a Friday night, which could inspire imagery surrounding isolation even in a bustling city full of people.
These two photos were taken of another friend of mine, Ben, a young farmer I’d met that night walking around the city after leaving a farmer’s association meeting. Taken inside a McDonald’s just outside the Junkyard market, he was eager to model for the photos and tried to find different props that would work, deciding on a cigarette as it fit the personality that his sharp, expensive suit emanated.
This set of images works well as a singular piece, taken in a sequence that follows Ben’s movements in the frame. I adjusted each element to be consistent throughout each photo, and I love the way it looks. It displays him in a similar light as the last two pieces, but the less saturated tones create some sort of indescribable feeling that I find to be very intriguing.
This next photograph of Ben was taken on a longer exposure by accident, but I liked the way it looked enough to develop it further in Lightroom and I think that it’s also a very unique and extraordinary piece that is almost disorientating for a viewer, providing a feeling of overstimulation with the garish, lurid tones that surround Ben.
Finally, this last image of Ben was shot outside a shellfish stall in the market and is rather easy on the eyes given the primarily red and blue colour palette that blends into dark purples across most of the photograph. I believe that the sign on the front of the stall is a key focal point of the image, as the cyan tones heavily contrast the rest of the piece in brightness, breaking up what a viewer would see as they process it, which I think brings the composition together nicely.
These photographs of yet another friend of mine, Emily, work well as a set of four, much like the images of Ben from earlier. Once I’d figured out how night portraiture settings worked on my camera, I found that each picture turned out in a similar style to the work of Bruce Gilden, thanks to the high quality and strong artificial lighting from the camera flash, which I decided to keep reusing for the rest of my night time photographs. I like how Emily’s body language captures her too, depicting her as the same kind, welcoming person that I’d met last year, which adds to the background of the city library, known as The Forum, behind her, as she studies at college in the city during the week. I didn’t stress too much about the editing for this set, as the pieces were good as-is.
Jayden and Jess, a couple I’d met on my last visit to Norwich were amazing at helping me find my way around the city and were happy to have their photos taken. I shot this picture as Jayden rolled a cigarette on some stairs opposite The Royal Theatre, and found that I’d gotten this absolutely fascinating image. While Jess is looking at her phone, Jay’s direct mode of address with the camera creates this strange ‘fourth wall break’ that is strengthened by Jess’s unawareness of the camera, isolating him from the scene and bringing the viewers’ full attention to him. I used another editing preset and modified it to the way I wanted it, to give off the illusion of a vintage photograph, like a lot of these images, to create a sense of nostalgia; as memories captured by teenagers on a night out.
With these two photos, I didn’t really have a style in mind, but I thought that it could turn out to be quite a visually pleasing image. They work well as a diptych, displaying Emily’s movement as she takes a drag. Again, I went with a vintage aesthetic when editing this in Lightroom, and I think it suits the tones of the piece quite well.
I shot this while testing my camera as we travelled to Great Yarmouth for a day out to Pleasure Beach, which was cut short by a bout of rain and early closing times due to a bank holiday. It features Josh with his girlfriend, Summer, another close friend of mine. I decided to bring out more of the blue hues within the image in Lightroom, as it was the most prevalent colour in the composition. Originally, I wasn’t planning to use this, but I do think it captures a lot of emotion that I hadn’t yet gotten on this trip.
After we came back from Yarmouth, the three of us took shelter in my guest house waiting for the rain to stop. I thought it would be a good time to shoot some photographs of my friends and I loved this image of Summer. I used a monochromatic filter and intensified the red hues to increase the atmosphere and darken some of the tones. It’s quite an artistic piece and I could easily see this being displayed in a gallery.
This set of images works perfectly together as a single composition, showcasing Summer’s movements as she posed in front of the camera – and I think that the motion blur in some of the shots accentuates this. I really love the soft lighting in the background, as it builds a strong contrast to the harder lighting on her body. The tones – the hot pink in particular – are also very visually appealing and bring a viewer’s attention solely to Summer.
This was a photograph I’d taken toward the beginning of my trip. I’d met Josh to go and visit the fairground and thought it would be a good chance to take some images. I was infatuated with the way the bright lights reflected on his face and across the rims of his glasses, and the sharp focus really brought this out.
Later on that evening, Josh thought that the scene of the bright red bin amongst the lights would be a great photograph, before walking over to it and opening it while I was taking the photos. Out of the eight or so images I took, I’d say this was the best one, so after editing it, I have to say Josh was definitely right. The subtle blue hues from the lights and the gaudy red bin bring the composition together, combined with the shadowy background gives it an air of mystery that I couldn’t stop looking at.
On one of our nights out, we went to that same McDonald’s again and I was already pleased with the photos I’d taken in there previously, so I took a few of Emily drinking a coke from a disposable cup. This photography came out with a nice, shallow depth of field with a very sharp focus on her – The tones also follow a very orange/yellow palette, with a few exceptions being her hoodie, the wall behind her, and some streaks in her hair.
After we left the McDonald’s, Ben thought a photo of all of the lights from the Junkyard Market looked similar to a retro arcade, so I pulled out my camera and shot a few images of him. Jess also jumped in behind him for a few of them and I thought the additional subject added to the scene, as it was near pitch-black where she was stood anyway. During editing, I brought out the blue hues a bit more and increased the exposure, and was left with this.
Back when we were taking shelter in my guest house from the weather, I also shot these photographs of Summer as the weather cleared up. I thought these would be a pretty good set of four, as they have almost identical compositions, excluding the tones, which were edited later in Lightroom. For the three images that are in colour, I tried to portray an atmosphere of Spring, which looks quite successful to me, mainly due to the green hedges and blue skies.
In my opinion, this trip was an opportunity to develop my photography skills in another environment, which also made it easier to ask people if they could model for me, as I wouldn’t see them for a long time anyway, or maybe even ever again. I’m proud of the work I produced in Norwich and can’t wait to take more photographs in new places when I travel next.
Over the Easter term break, I spent a week with my friends in Norwich, visiting the fair in the city and exploring the area. While doing this, I also brought my camera with me to take some portrait images for my school project.
As I didn’t have access to any artificial light, other than the camera flash, I spent a lot of time experimenting with different camera settings in order to take good images in low lighting.
I took images throughout various locations in the city, some behind corner shops, in the city centre, and even in Mcdonald’s, just to see what did and didn’t work.
My favourite images ended up being the shots taken in natural lighting from the window of my hotel room, which developed contrasts in lighting and against my subjects’ clothing and features.
I gave each image a star and colour rating on Lightroom Classic, based on the quality and how good I thought they’d turn out after editing.
These are all of the images that I edited from the shoots. I experimented with different styles for editing, using the editing presets available in Lightroom and adjusting specific details from there to create unique compositions.
THEMES: Define “femininity” and “masculinity” and explain how identity can be influenced by “place”, or belonging, your environment or upbringing with reference to gender identity / cultural identity / social identity / geographical identity / political identity / lack of / loss of identity / stereotypes / prejudices etc.
– SoundGirls
Femininity – Qualities and attributes typically associated with women and girls
Masculinity – Qualities and attributes typically associated with men and boys
Most people tend to associate their identity or parts of their identities with different masculine and feminine attributes, which defines how they dress, behave, and treat others. A lot of these factors are affected by a person’s environment and upbringing, such as the way others treat them and others, and what the person needs to do to work and live. This can apply to various areas of someone’s identity and personality, be it their political views, personal views, and can explain how they act toward people of other cultures, races, and status.
The key themes often explored when it comes to identity can follow culture, religion, geographical location, politics, social identity, prejudices, stereotypes, and even a loss of identity. As a whole, most of these factors rely on the concept of conformity, and wanting to belong with a group of people, which often becomes part of someone’s identity and becomes harder to change as they get older, as it can sometimes become their way of life.
A room that has been turned into a camera obscura by covering the windows
The camera obscura, or pinhole photography, is a term derived from Latin, which means “dark chamber.” It is essentially a box with a small hole on one side, through which light enters, and projects an inverted image of the outside world on the opposite wall of the box.
The discovery of the camera obscura dates back to ancient Greece, where the philosopher Aristotle observed this through a small hole in a tent – however, it was not until the 16th century that the camera obscura was actually used for scientific purposes. For example, Leonardo da Vinci used it as a tool for observing and drawing the world around him, as described in his notebooks.
In the earlier 19th century, the camera obscura was adapted to capture photographic images by using light-sensitive materials to capture the projected image, such as Henry Fox Talbot’s use of paper soaked in a silver nitrate and salt solution to create early, easy-to-replicate prints of his images.
What is Heliography?
Diagram illustration of a heliograph
Heliography is the process of using natural sunlight to create a photographic image without the use of a camera. It was one of the earliest methods of photography and was invented by French scientist Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in the early 1820s.
To create a heliograph, Niépce would coat a polished metal plate with a light-sensitive material called bitumen of Judea. He would then place an object or a scene in front of the plate and expose it to the sun’s rays for several hours, hardening in the areas exposed to light, while the areas obscured by the object or scene would remain soft and removable with a solvent that washed off the unhardened bitumen, leaving a permanent, positive image on the metal plate.
Although heliography was an essential step in the development of photography, it had several limitations, which is why it was later replaced by more practical photographic processes, such as the daguerreotype and calotype.
What is the Daguerreotype?
A daguerreotype print from the 1840s
The daguerreotype was a photographic process invented by French artist Louis Daguerre in the 1830s. It was the first commercially successful photographic process, revolutionising how people captured and preserved images.
To create a daguerreotype, a polished copper plate was coated with a thin layer of silver, which was then exposed to iodine vapours to make it light-sensitive. The plate was then placed in a camera and exposed to the subject for several seconds. The exposed plate was then developed in a mercury vapour, which caused the silver to amalgamate and form a unique, one-of-a-kind photograph that was highly detailed and had a sharp, mirror-like surface.
However, despite its initial popularity, the daguerreotype had several limitations that eventually led to its decline as a medium of photography. Firstly, the process was time-consuming and expensive. It required a skilled operator and specialized equipment, making it impractical for most people to use. Secondly, daguerreotypes produced a single image that could not be easily duplicated, which limited their commercial appeal. Finally, the chemicals used in the process were toxic, and the resulting images would end up very fragile.
As a result, other photographic processes, such as the wet plate collodion process, were developed in the 1850s, which were faster, more versatile, and produced multiple images, which led to the overall commercial failure of the daguerreotype, although it is still considered to be a key milestone in the development of modern-day photography.
What is the Calotype?
Calotype of Thomas Duncan – 1844
The Calotype is another early photographic process, invented by Henry Fox Talbot in the 1830s. It involved the use of paper negatives coated in silver iodide to create multiple positive prints. When the paper was exposed to light, it was then developed with a solution of gallic acid and silver nitrate, which could be used to produce multiple positive prints by placing the negatives over sheets of light-sensitive paper and exposing them to light.
The ability to make multiple prints was definitely an advantage of the calotype process, which made it a more practical method for creating photographic images, quickly making it very popular among photographers.
The invention of the calotype was a significant step in the development of photography, laying the foundation for the modern photographic industry.
Self-Portraiture
Robert Cornelius – 1839
Robert Cornelius, best known for taking what is believed to be the first self-portrait ever produced in 1839, was an American pioneer of photography who used the photographic process of the daguerreotype for his images.
Cornelius discovered self-portraiture when experimenting with his camera in his family’s store in Philadelphia. He took a photograph of himself and after development, it shows Cornelius looking into the camera lens with a somewhat serious expression. It became a significant piece in the development of photography not just because it was the first self-portrait, but because it demonstrated the potential of the medium as a means for self-expression and self-exploration.
What is Pictorialism?
The Black Bowl – George Seeley, 1907
Pictorialism was a movement in photography that emerged in the late 19th Century and aimed to classify photography as a class of fine art. Photographers of this movement sought to create atmospheric, expressive, and visually appealing photographs, employing various techniques such as retouching, combination printing, and manipulation of their negatives to better achieve these effects.
One of the key figures in the Pictorialist movement was Julia Margaret Cameron, a British photographer who quickly became recognised for her poetic and deeply personal approach to portraiture. Her portraits were characterised by their soft focus, dramatic lighting, and emotional intensity, often using family members and friends as her subjects.
Cameron’s photos were often heavily praised for their sensitivity and beauty but were also criticised for their lack of attention to detail. Despite this, she continued to create these types of images over her career, which spanned just around a decade.
Carte-de-Visit
Edward Joseph Bellew – Henry Mullins, 1862
The Carte-de-Visite was a type of small photograph that was heavily popularised in the mid-19th Century. Invented by French photographer André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri in 1854, it was created for the purpose of making photography more accessible to the general public. He did this by printing multiple images on a singular plate and then cutting them apart into their own individual photographs, which allowed him to produce photographs quicker, and at a lower cost than before. The resulting images were small enough to fit in a wallet or pocket (around 2.5 x 4 inches) and were often used to commemorate important events such as weddings at the height of their popularity.
They were primarily popularised by American photographer Henry Mullins, one of the first photographers to commercially adopt the format, producing Carte-de-Visites of important politicians, famous actors and various other public figures, which he then sold from his studio via mail order. He marketed this nationwide with agents, newspaper and magazine advertisements, and travelling salesmen, even producing a special display album for storage of Carte-de-Visites.
Mullins’ commercial success with the Carte-de-Visite helped turn photography into a widely-used medium, with millions of people collecting and exchanging them. As new photographic processes such as the cabinet card and larger photographic print became more popularised, however, the popularity of the Carte-de-Visite started to decline throughout the 1880s, becoming essentially elite in the years that passed. Despite this, it still remains an integral part of photographic history, both as a format and cultural phenomenon.
We had another photoshoot down in the studio, where we experimented with gel filters to add colours to the different lights. We used flash lighting and didn’t use very exciting camera settings, using f/16, an ISO of 100, shutter speed at 1/125, and a focal length of 105mm.
I sorted through the images we took and found some very interesting compositions, keeping the ones in good focus and lighting, and discarding the rest, which ended up being a large chunk of the last part of the shoot.
I colour-coded and gave each photograph a star rating, based on how good I thought they’d be as a final product or to be edited. As the shoot itself was in a low-light setting, it was difficult to be able to get a good final image from a lot of the darker ones, as they are more of a struggle to edit.
I think these photographs are all quite dramatic and unique, and express various tones in darkness and emotion. The use of coloured lighting creates personality within the subjects, and alludes to what kind of people they might be.
These two images of myself both show very little detail of my face, only showing explicit details such as my earring and my silhouette. It exudes a feeling of mystery as to who the person in the image is, and could also stir a sense of anxiety in the viewer because of this.
These two images both have a primarily blue colour palette, creating a melancholy atmosphere for the viewer, amplified by the use of these colder colours. On the photo to the left, some red light shines onto the back of my head, creating a contrast to the palette.
These three images all share very similar colour palettes, reds and blacks, mostly mixed with blues (excl. centre), and make great use of pose. The combination of the blues and reds as key and filler lights create links to police siren lights, which adds more personality to the photograph, creating interest. I think these three images could work well as a triptych, and could be used in a final piece later down the line.
These two photos contrast greatly in brightness, the one on the left using brighter reds and more separated (from the reds) blacks, whereas the one on the right uses softer tones of red and greens at a lower exposure. I don’t think these images are the best from the shoot, as the one on the right doesn’t have the strongest focus, but I still think they’re interesting enough to be looked at.
We did a shoot in the studio, experimenting with different lighting and backdrops, and came up with some pretty good portrait compositions.
I sorted through each image, giving each one that I decided to keep a star rating and colour rating based on whether or not it would be good as a final composition for editing.
I then edited 8 of the photographs by increasing contrasts and focusing on the shadows in particular.
I was left with 8 very strong pieces, that all, in my opinion, look very good. I tried experimenting with different contrasts and lighting, and I think it paid off.
We took this image of Tom with the studio lights on a lower setting to achieve a darker image. I increased the highlights and the exposure slightly to bring out his facial features and kept the surrounding area as dark as I could. I like the way his dark clothing creates a sense of mystery in the image, as not all of him is on display properly.
These two images were taken at the same time, a few seconds apart maybe. I believe the one on the left has been cropped, to focus more on Tom. Again, these two compositions work very well with the levels of contrasts and shadows and evoke the same sense of mystery as the first image.
I would classify this photograph as probably my best from this whole shoot. I love the way small pieces of colour appear throughout the image, like on his leg to the bottom right, or on his hands. I also find it quite interesting how the studio light affects the image, creating a silhouette and creating a foggy effect on the smudged areas on the camera lens. It captures the same essence the last three photos of Tom caught but does it more strangely and uniquely.
This photograph uses Rembrandt and chiaroscuro lighting, creating a dramatic piece that defines different areas of my face and body. I decided to keep this image even though the background has a substantial change from black to white, as I believed it could work well as the line the change followed was almost completely in line with my arm. When I edited this, I was aiming for a more dramatic use of shadows and lighting and was left with something I very much liked.
With this photo, I wanted to create a lighter tone when it came to the actual final composition in the editing stage. I use the de-haze tool on the image to lighten my skin tone and to bring out the more neutral hues. I like the way it works with the shadows, creating instances of both soft and harder light.
In this photograph, I wanted to create a sort of intimidating presence, making use of the pipe I was holding as a prop and a mixture of my hoodie and tattoos, I felt that it fit the typical conventions of someone quite thuggish and wanted to bring that out in this piece. I increased the levels of contrast and strengthened the darker tones, which I feel improved the final look of it.
I wanted to do a similar thing with this photo too, which worked well as my busted lip is considerably visible, and combined with the other elements previously mentioned, I think I managed to achieve this effect pretty well.
