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.
