For this photoshoot, I decided to go to the photography studio and take some staged photos of my subject modelling how girls secretly feel behind their social media.
Evaluation:
For this photoshoot, I went to the studio to take some photos using a mirror as a prop. Here, the subject is reflecting ideas around beauty standards. For example, looking at her body in a negative way and using makeup as a coverup to build self confidence.
Through the use of social media, girls have grown up feeling insecure due to the presentation of fake beauty standards of other girls. On the other hand, social media can also ease many of the insecurities girls feel about their identity and relationships. Through the constant sounds of notifications and text messages, it makes it clear that they are wanted, needed and liked which gives them this feel of happiness from social media. Everything online is easy access, including both the negatives and positives.
For the self-conscious or insecure girl, technology can become a crippling addiction, not just for connection but the elusive promise of being liked by everyone. This leads to the change in personalities, growing up faster than usual, using makeup as a way to present them in a different way, and the internet can sometimes even lead to girls gaining eating disorders due to many other girls posting their bodies and editing them to make them look different to how they are originally.
For younger girls, who are more naïve than older girls, they are more likely to grow up with these values around how to present themselves in a ‘prettier’ way, or how to become more popular.
Saul Leiter is an American artist and photographer, during his late teens his interest grew for painting shortly moving to New York in 1946 to pursue this. After, He came in contact with an Abstract Expressionist painter Richard Pousette-Dart who was experimenting with photography at the time, to later meeting Eugene Smith, and exhibitions of Henri Cartier Bresson at the museum of modern art in 1947, was what inspired him. His abstract approaches of forms and innovative compositions have a painterly quality that stands out among New York, suggesting this through colour and reflections. Creating this effect of a painted look. Looking at his work I can see his inspirations from these photographers, for example Henri Cartier Bresson, the way the the people are captured in the ‘decisive moment’ so they are unaware they’re being captured.
“I happen to believe in the beauty of simple things. I believe that the most uninteresting thing can be very interesting.”
“I LIKE IT WHEN ONE IS NOT CERTAIN WHAT ONE SEES.” – SAUL LEITER
This quote perfectly describes his style of street photography, through the way he captures photos in the decisive moment, meaning that there isn’t much of a subject or meaning behind the photograph, in a way it’s up to you how you perceive the photo. Considering the people are a central focus of the photo, it creates an interesting narrative, as its portraits of them in day to day so so its clear where they are, through expressions and poses but ‘unclear of what one sees.’ His style is seen as a poetic and painterly quality, with a keen eye for colour and composition, leading to an emotional and in-depth response from the viewer. Through each of these contrasting effects created by visual elements, work together giving this warm feeling. Featuring reflections, shadows, blurred objects create this unknown, imaginary look. I want to develop this conecpt further a it creates this surreal characteristic of the photo. It highlights this concept of ‘in the moment’ as your prensted with something unclear leading to your unclear judgement.
Leiter began to explore colour by 1948, with his main subjects being street scenes and his close circle of friends. Looking at streets around New York City 1950, he created a project in which he explored the very busy and hectic hustle and bustle of the streets, showing this through abstract forms and original compositions to street photography. This creates a unique concept behind his approach as he looks
What inspired me of his work is this busy and hectic feel that’s created, through visually seeing his bold compositions displayed through colour, lines, reflections, subjects. This reminds me of magazine covers as images are brought together in ways which portray some kind of story,
I love the abstract look about his photographs, with really bold uses of block colours that outline the structure, shown through shapes and lines. I feel this really creates an interesting and unique photo as we are displayed something different each time because the moment when its captures will never be seen like this again. The unique angles being captured through reflections in windows, to the weather conditions, how people are dressed and presented
Colour Collection
I love the abstract look about his photographs, with really bold uses of block colours that outline the structure, shown through shapes and lines. I feel this really creates an interesting and unique photo as we are displayed something different each time because the moment when its captures will never be seen like this again. The unique angles being captured through reflections in windows, to the weather conditions, how people are dressed and presented, through a whole , creates this intersting conecpt as its a diffeemt unusaul view.
Created collection/ categroires in which he fit his photoshoto into. visual elements – further develope this in my own style
This photo appeals to me a we are given a montage of people, through reflections.
Harper’s Bazaar, April 1962
This photo is part of Leiter’s fashion photography displayed in Harper’s Bazaar, but also a part of ‘Colour’ (one of Saul Leiter’s collection.) I love this photo, and its expressive interesting forms. The way the subjects creates these unique focal points all throughout are shown with three different peoples perspectives. One in the background, second in the mid ground and third in the foreground. This creates an interesting concept. As the main focal point the women in the blue jacket drawns us in straight away to creating interesting silhouette figures, filled with colour.
We straight away see an old yellow car with a woman standing in front looking very fashionable. The natural lighting is used with the rain and wet weather elevating the colours creating unique contrast between the focal points – the yellow car and women in blue coat. I really perfectly describes a unique composition as they create unique shadows, texture, forms emphasising the outlines and silhouettes of people and cars. Alongside this, we are presented with an interesting depth of field that’s not noticeable straight away because your drawn to the contrasting central focus (the car and person in blue dress). But when looking closer at the photo, two more people are actually shown, but only their outline creating this interesting silhouette in the background. With this interesting depth of field, they are still part of the background so not the main focus. They instead create interesting shapes and structure as they’re out of focus. These visual elements overall make a really interesting photo, emphasising even more contrast in colour, showing this structural and defined look. The visual elements of tone, colour, pattern, line, shape, work together to create this interesting compositional photo.
This photo is captured without being staged, showing you the real reality of behind the scenes in a way which you
Saul Leiter creates this interesting perception through visual elements such as colour, tone shape, pattern and composition. This photo displays old cars, people within the streets all that are all different. showing this documentary
In response to Saul leither i am ispired by his compositions and formations show through lines, shapes, structure, shadows, and reflections. I am goijng to incorpoate these elements in my work through looking at
Astrid Reischwitz, a Boston-based photographer, whose work explores the possibilities of storytelling from a personal perspective. Her projects include intimate views of private spaces and reflections on her own history and values. Using keepsakes from family life, old nostalgic photographs and storytelling strategies, she builds a visual world in her work of memory, identity, place, and home.
Her project “Spin Club Tapestry” explores cultural memory by embroidering photographs, inspired by the tradition of spin clubs in Northern Germany. Astrid grew up in a small farming village, a village that is bound to its history and that stands out through its traditions even today. Long ago, village women met regularly in “Spinneklumps” (Spin Clubs) to spin wool, embroider, and stitch fabrics for their homes. She imagines their conversations as they worked, the beautiful stories that lifted their spirits, as well as the stories of sadness, sorrow, and loss. In modern times, village women continued to meet in this tradition, but shared stories over coffee and cake instead of needlework. These close-knit groups of women often stayed together until their death.
In this series, her composite images take the form of tapestries, combining images of embroidered Spin Club fabrics with new and old photographs from the village. Astrid also connects the present and the past by re-creating and re-imagining pieces of the embroidery. Spin Club tablecloths, napkins and wall hangings (some dating back to 1799) have been passed down from generation to generation. By following the stitches in these fabrics, she follows a path through the lives of her ancestors – their layout of a perfect pattern and the mistakes they made. Along the way, Astrid added her own mistakes. The fabrics also reveal the passage of time, stained and distorted after sometimes decades of use. The patterns she has stitched myself into the paper are only abstractions of the original Spin Club designs, fragments of memory. After all, memory is fleeting, and changed forever in the act of recollection. Sometimes the stitching is incomplete, creating an invitation for future generations.
“Every decision we make is influenced by our history, our environment, and the society we live in. The tapestry of my life belongs to me but is stitched through with the beauty and heartache of past generations.”-Astrid Reischwitz
She began her study of photography at the International Center of Photography in New York soon after moving to the United States. She continued her education at the New England School of Photography, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Lesley University, and the Griffin Museum of Photography. She holds a Certificate in Arts Administration from New York University. Reischwitz is a graduate of the Technical University Braunschweig, Germany, with a PhD in Chemistry.
Image Analysis-The Fall of the Double-Headed Eagle
The title itself can reference the double-headed eagle, a symbol of imperial power that can suggest a narrative of decline, loss or transformation. In this analysis, the formal elements of the image, its symbolic content, and the potential meanings embedded within the work are examined.
Astrid’s composition is characterized by an interplay of contrasting colours, forms, and textures. The double-headed eagle, often a symbol of dual authority or all power governance (most famously associated with the Byzantine Empire, Russian Empire, and Austria-Hungary), likely occupies a central position in the piece. The positioning of the eagle, whether upright or falling, becomes a powerful visual cue for the narrative of decline.
If the eagle is depicted in a state of disintegration or descent, this visual may be reinforced by fragmented or distorted shapes, which emphasis the theme of downfall. The double-headed eagle is a symbol. Here the eagle is on the ground and deconstructed .Astrid may use diagonal lines or shattered patterns, suggesting motion or instability to convey a sense of collapse. Alternatively, if the eagle is shown at the moment of impact, Astrid may focus on creating a striking tension between the eagle’s once-majestic form and the surrounding chaos/ destruction. Themes and ideas could reflect the subject in the image such as the young child, in ways liking groeing up and childhood how it may have impacted them as a person and throughout their family especially as Astrid project looks at ancestors and nostalgia.
For my Images, I plan on photographing at the K2 bunker at Corbiere. Here I will create my images inspired by the lives of the German soldiers in the conflict and retell them in the style of photographers, August Sander and Paul M. Smith. Basing my work on Michiel Peters’ World War 2 visualisations, my inspiration is to retell a story within my images, similar to how peters’ does in his work.
‘2nd Armoured in Belgium’ – 2024, Michiel Peters.
Where my inspiration from Paul M. Smith comes in, will be through the use of myself as a subject within multiple characters in a scene, such as Smith does in his series, ‘Artist Rifles’. With the bunker I’m photographing in being manned by multiple crew members, finding enough actors and uniforms proves to be a struggle, by photographing myself this will make the shoot more achievable to the look I want.
‘Artist Rifles’ – 1997, Paul M. Smith
Images to recreate –
MG Battalion 16, 2nd Company – Training in the vicinity of La Moye.
Engelbert Hoppe – The 19-year old Commander of the M19 Corbiere complex.
Horst Herrmann – The young Berliner, who was stationed in the K2 bunker.
10.5cm Canon – Prior to its construction, the 10.5 was outdoors under a camouflaged netting.
Using existing photos of the men stationed in the Bunker, my photographs will aim to recreate them closely with similar uniforms and positioning. With photos of particular locations that I can access, I am able to recreate these well, for some outdoor and others that are similar to other locations, I can replicate these with ease too.
Photoshoot 1 –
In this first shoot I will aim to create the interior depictions of life under concrete. I will also try to mimic the photograph of the 10.5cm canon in the style of Paul M. Smith where I portray each operating role of the canon crew.
Types of scenarios will include:
Sentry duty
Weapon maintenance
shaving
Polishing boots
reading
cooking
Weapon drills on the canon
Ammunition inspection
Photoshoot 2 –
In the second shoot, I will aim to create the exterior depictions of their outdoor life’s. Here I will try to mimic Michiel Peters photographs in the open environment works, of realistic settings to where the Germans would’ve gone and what they would do outside of their fortresses. One photo I want to recreate is the photo of them on field training in the area of La Moye.
Types of scenarios will include:
site-seeing
Walks
Combat training – Real photo I can base off.
drill practice – real photo I can base off.
Portraits – real photos – Engelbert and Horst – inspired by true photos and August Sanders work.
Emilie Ristevski is an Australian photographer, visual storyteller and author. She often finds herself exploring far wide around the world to create and share slow and mindful wanderings within nature. Her work is about finding the beauty in our world and she is always looking to find ways to conserve and capture the things that often goes unseen. Over the years she has developed a strong focus on sharing meaningful content around sustainability and caring for the planet. She hopes her photographs have the ability to resonate with people in some way, that they can bring sense of nostalgia, a sense of wonder, that they will make you think something, anything at all. With pieces of her mind and heart scattered all over the globe, she felt the urge for her images to do and say more with the hope that she can encourage a greater awareness of the earths beauty and ever present fragility. It is through her storytelling that she hopes to inspire and educate her audience on the importance of our natural world. She truly loves being able to share the world through her lens and allowing others to see the magic of the natural world. Knowing she has encouraged others to see the world in a new light and reignite their connection with nature and our planet is something really special to her. Emilie’s work for photography started years ago when she discovered black and white film photography in a tiny dark room. Focusing on travel for her was never intentional and while studying design at university she always imagined herself somehow in the design world, however photography was also something she fell in love with the most when creating imagery.
What inspired you to start this journey? Would you say you’ve always been a creative & where do you think this has stemmed from in your upbringing?
“I’ve always had an innate love of creativity. Growing up I experimenting with different art forms and mediums from painting, drawing, ceramics, anything where I could create and let my imagination become tangible. The combination of travel and photography helped to me create a strong sense of story, a way to create work which felt transportive and capture the untold wonders of our planet. Somewhere between the mountains and the ocean I have lived throughout several different regions along the east coast of Australia and in someway always surrounded by nature – This is where my love and connection to the natural world first began. Nature has always been a starting place for inspiration. The continual ebb and flow of being a creative and constantly being on the move forces you adapt and see things differently, a mindset which allows myself to appreciate the hidden beauty that can be found all around us.”
Emilie Ristevski describes her photography style as “storytelling, Escapism, Dreamscapes”
Forever Wandering
Forever Wandering is a book that Emilie Ristevski published. Forever Wandering is a labour of love of many years full of countless wanderings around the globe, she poured so much of herself into creating this book and never been so exited to offer a home for her photographs to be held in a tangible form. The process of creating her book was very surreal and overwhelming and became a leering curve for her in many ways. With so many uncertainties in the world right now, she hopes her photography is able to transport to peoples mind into the wildness of our world and help people discover a depth of wonder and awe of the planet. Forever Wandering is a visual insight into our natural world, telling a meaningful story of how we can find a deeper connection with the universe and ourselves. She just wants her photography to ins[ire people and re-light everyone’s connection with earth and see the beauty that is hidden with every corner or the planet and how its amazing sharing moments like exploring the world with people you love most.
Ashley Kaplan was born in San Francisco, California. She started Photography as an official business at the end of 2020, which wasn’t the best time to start a business. It took her a year to find out what type of photography she really wants to do but she is confidently to say that she is a love and empowerment photographer to book with and to take creative photoshoots of anyone’s story. When taking photoshoots of people she always tries to make everyone comfortable so she really tries hard with the posses and styling to highlight everyone’s natural beauty. She finds a lot of joy helping others out and that’s the biggest goal and value in life. She has been through a lot in both life and in this world of photography and she has learnt and grown through it.
Portfolio
Ashley says that photography is a hobby for her. She’s always treasured old family photographers and rich stories they carry with the, but it wasn’t until she become a mother that she got obsessed with the need to preserve and remember each phase and detail of her family life. She feels happier in the wild and beautiful places when taking pictures. She loves Capturing people, the wonders of this marvellous planet, and how we all fit into this awe-inspiring world makes her heart sing. Each stage of family and friends life is so fleeting to her. She knows he will never have enough time, and the years seem to pass too quickly, but there is a comfort in knowing her photography will continue to serve as a time machine transporting her back to preserve and remember.
French photographer Théo Gosselin was born in nearby of Le Havre in 1990. He currently lives and works in Amiens. He graduated in 2012 as a graphic designer in Amiens. He started photography around 2007, and it became his reason to live. He loves to capture the simple life, good and bad moments, and his adventures.
Théo Gosselin pictures are a true admiration to freedom, captured like a snapshot, credits to his film camera that he totally masters. His favourite themes are life, love, his generation, his adventures, and wide-open areas; he is, in simple terms, a young person yearning for independence and a different way of life where harmony with nature and human values are important. Théo Gosselin is the photographer of simple but heart-breaking pictures, which speak the language of feelings and true emotions. The young photographer delicately captures the connection that comes with maturity without using any false pretences or lies. Obsessed with music and cinema, he started to photograph as a way to celebrate love, beauty, friendship and freedom. With a style that is both raw and atmospheric, he captures the world around looking to really feel alive.
portfolio
Theo Gosselin’s photography is very simple: no sets, no staging, just allowing moments to happen. style which one would think would not be entirely beneficial to more commercial work. One of the good things about working for commercial photography is that Most of the time he is able to work with his own friends as models, producing moments that feel true to him and to the viewers. When working with professional models or actors, Gosselin prefers to meet them in advance, to ensure that same “organic” and familiar environment is maintained on set. As much as he tries to make these more product-minded shoots his own, the world of commercial photography remains a difficult one for him to feel at home in. “I hate when there are 30 people behind my back, looking at the pictures, drinking coffee,” he says. “When I shoot advertising or commercial, I try to work with a small team to preserve the intimacy of the pictures.” As he so bluntly states — “the clients can stay in the truck or in the tents—a model can’t be true in front of 30 people.”
Theo Gosselin quote when asked what did photography teach you over the years:
“I basically learned life through photography. This is how I met my wife, my friends and so many people. It’s been there in all the good and the bad moments in my life. It also makes me less shy and it’s been a bridge for me to connect with the entire world and live the life I’ve always wanted.”
Theo Gosselin was inspired by his friends and their lives not as a photographer but as a teenager who wants to capture the memories just like everyone else, Along the way, Gosselin took notes from the liberated ways of the American underground culture of the 20th Century.
I love the way Theo Gosselin presents his photoshoots. It shows exactly how teenage life is most of the time because in your teenage era that’s when you get to life your life a little and start new adventures.
image analysis:
The image above, photoshoot from Theo Gosselin. Photo was taken over the shoulder with a perspective of a car journey, with a strong depth of field and with the subject being blurry. Although the image looks simple and boring, I feel that it is sums up the purpose of Gosselin’s work well, and his relationships with those around him. As Gosselin, shoots over the shoulder, it is almost suggesting that him and the subject share the same view, as if their trip is the same for both of them, which shows me a more calming atmosphere, which include friendship and togetherness. At last I feel like this image is telling everyone that Gosselin is on a journey which also is mysterious because you cant tell where is is or going too but that’s wat also makes it more interesting and makes people curious.
My first photoshoot that I will take for this project will be focused on my friends. The photoshoot will include teenager girls together doing what they do for fun, I will document what activities they do and capture moments of them naturally. I may also slightly stage some images to capture the essence of the situation however, I want to try to keep it as natural as possible. This shoot will consist of images inside and outside, following where they go.
Next, I am going to take images of my younger cousin and his friends and family. I will use the same approach, shooting them acting and doing what they usually would. These photographs will have images of the family as a whole, portraying their life but then I will also zoom in on the individual members and shoot images based on their own independent life.
My third shoot will be based on the life of my own younger brother. I will follow a similar procedure, to shoot photos of what he gets up to in the day and his routines.
I am taking inspirations from the works of photographers Tom Wood, Andriana Nativio, and Andrew Kung. I’m using different aspects of all of their images to inspire my own project.
“I always wanted to be a photographer. I was fascinated with the materials. But I never dreamed I would be having this much fun. I imagined something much less elusive, much more mundane.”
Lee Friedlander, 1989
Lee Friedlander experimented with the American social landscape in 1948, the point of his work was to display a vast amount of visual information in dynamic compositions. In result created humorous and poignant images within chaos of city life or natural dense landscapes. During the early stages of his photography, his career focused on the streets which displayed evidence of the complexity of the American social landscapes producing candid photos in sly compositions of people, buildings, advertisements and reflections. Between the years 1950s and 1970s, continuing working on the streets Friedlander presented jazz, country, and blues performers which later appeared on album covers. Within this time period he produced a series of portraits in 1960s, called the little screens showing television screen in motel room an other spaces pairing others disquieting landscapes of tv images within their mid-century surrounds.
Friedlander capture’s store front reflections, structures framed by fences, posters and street signs. With help from the natural environment and architecture to frame the subject. He experiments with unusual camera angles, and inventive lighting which bring life to the photographs challenging the viewers perspective. This involves looking at reflections, shadows, textural elements often displayed through people in everyday life. “His images encapsulate the common, yet overlooked, moments of life, highlighting their innate beauty and significance.”
‘Flattening a dynamic space into a photographic image,’
Lee Friedlander
looking at people who are reflected in windows and mirrors who are framed by lamp posts and doors, which creates these interesting narratives and new relationships. I love this element of the photos, as new formations appear everywhere, making it very interesting and engaging drawing you in. This hectic and busy layout gives you lots to see and look for, creating this gripping dynamic of the relationship between the people and buildings. I think including people you know within this would create an interesting narrative to experiment with, as perhaps to them they could have relationship with this. I also love the more simple approaches like in the bottom right of the four above, as this shows a simple but effective composition. I love this candid look as I feel this alone draws your attention in, to the very few subjects and asymmetrical compositional. I love how this is further expressed through different tones, and high contrasted effects. I want to experiment with this feature during my photoshoots, being assertive and aware of my surroundings that show clear understanding of contrast, that I can further emphasise and develop in lightroom.
I am particularly interested in the photos Friedlander captures of people in reflections where you can see clear shadows and shapes expressed through this. I love how you notice the main photo straight away, noticing the clearly visible subjects, then, another ‘layer’ is revealed, for example reflections in windows, where you can see another scene of silhouettes of people or buildings. Like shown in this photo:
I love how this effect merges two photos together, creating unique compositions. Through these effects new shapes are revealed along with tones and shadow, which complement one another creating unique patterns and lines revealing this gradient of colour that’s produced.
Signs:
Early 1960s, Lee Friedlander focused on signs that describe the American landscape, hand lettered fonts to shop windows and signs. This describes Friedlander’s approach to America, through a poetic and desirable way, shown through what he captures. I found this an interesting concept, as the signs are communicating this message, whilst having this engaging relation with the subjects for example the people. The compositional and textured elements shown in this, overall creates these interesting forms and shapes. I love this connection between these two ‘subjects’ as they connect in ways through what they wear to the backgrounds they’re presented in.
Baltimore, Maryland displays the high contrast of highlights, tones, structure, and pattern creating this interesting feature. The way the subject of the person is perfectly outlined by the door, looks as if its been staged creating this interesting effect as actually been captured in the moment. Throughout this photo you can see his style coming through of reflections, shadows and textural elements, overall being emphasised by the contrasting tones. Through this, new shapes and patterns are brought out in which you wouldn’t notice before, I feel this really creates this interesting and dramatic effect. Whilst also creating this interesting feature as your eye is naturally drawn to the centre, where lighter tones are shown emphasising the formation of lines and patterns displayed on the buildings, which are again highlighted sublty by darker tones of shapes. The lighting displayed helps to create this contrasting feature within the photo adding to the dramatic effect, leading to a high contrast in tones bringing out unique shapes and patterns that haven’t been seen before. The white balance in the photo is evident, shown to us through he warmer and cooler tones displayed to us in the high contrast. Different highlights are brought out to you through this, specifically in the lighter areas giving it this warm tone. Unique formations are formed, the layering effect that’s created displays interesting contrast between what seems to be two landscapes merged together. I am inspired by this effect, where the darker shadows are displayed, a new landscape or perspective is revealed, through the reflection. The atmosphere created is engaging as all around the photographer is captured, perfectly signifying ‘moments of life, highlighting their innate beauty.’ In relation to the quote, the real beauty is revealed capturing moments, that are revealed through reflections. This could also have something to do with the women we are presented with through the window, which could be describing her world all around her. I find the depth created, explains a deeper meaning as one photo/layer leads perfectly onto the next so you eyes are constantly revealing new landscapes, of interesting formations which are shown through sharp, and bold architectural forms, to graphical signs and lettering.
