Photoshoot Pose Ideas.
I like the idea of mostly headshots and half- shots in order to regain my knowledge on expressing emotion through my photographs. I feel that headshots Is a good first photoshoot into my personal study in order to regain my knowledge on expressing emotions through my photographs and showing the ‘stereotypical woman’ in this day. Below are some ideas for headshots and types of poses and themes I would like to add into my photoshoot and attempt to replicate.
This mood board represents some of the types of poses I would like to incorporate in my first photoshoot and final work. I wanted to include photos that are coloured and black and white with mainly demonstrating basic feminine poses that are used in the media in order to express an idealised view of women and femininity.
PHOTOSHOOT 1:
I was changing camera settings and experimented with different settings which would be effective for this photoshoot, this resulted in many low quality images at the beginning of my photoshoot. I chose to have 3 different models that I will be using in my future photoshoots in my personal study in order to give them and myself an idea of what kind of message I would like to portray. I edited these photographs in Adobe Lightroom and focused on increasing the texture and highlights. The highlights helped to add more dimension to the face and darken the background slightly, which also darkened up her face but enhanced her features. I also increased the texture to make the photo appear of a higher quality so that more detail is able to be seen in the close up images. I also then smoothened out their faces to show the photo is professional and small imperfections were removed.
My Best Photographs:
These photos I believe show what the media want women to look like in a range of photographs. Although these three women are all different and look different their ‘purpose‘ and ‘portrayal‘ is the same. They are smiling, happy and show beauty. Although inside they may not feel happy or like they are having a good time, the three girls are smiling and laughing as if that is the only emotion they are allowed to have the capacity to feel. There is a blank background and no specific product or object in the photo, to show that the spotlight is on them and that they are the main piece of the photo. I enjoyed photographing this as this refreshed my memory on portrait photography and showed my models that they are allowed to be themselves whilst being photographed. In future, I would like to work with more models, different costume and different background. My favourite thing about this photoshoot, is the lighting, I like how their faces are slightly shadowed and come across as mysterious. I also like how all the models are different and display different personalities within as little as one photo of each of them.
Model 1:
This model is shown to be serious and straightforward, she is looking over her shoulder and she is looking at different angles and not at the camera. This indicates shyness or discomfort and does not want to draw attention to herself. This slightly opposes usual stereotypes as she is signalling that she isn’t fully engaged or interested in what’s going on. However, it is also pleasing female stereotypes as people do not make eye contact if a person is feeling vulnerable, anxious, or upset, they might look away from the camera to avoid revealing their feelings. My model is wearing a red top which juxtaposes with her expressions as red is bold and striking, evoking a sense of power and confidence. In the context of femininity, It can represent a woman’s strength, assertiveness, and authority. In all three photos, he subjects face is concealed by a shadow. This can significantly affect how the viewer interprets the subject’s mood, intentions, or personality. This creates an element of mystery to the photographs as it suggests that something is being hidden or obscured. Having half of my models face darkened by shadows creates contextual meaning as the contrast between light and shadow on someone’s face can symbolize the clash between contrasting psychological states, such as good and evil, joy and sadness, or conscious and unconscious aspects of the self.
Model 2:
My second model is displaying female happiness and confidence. If someone is trying to appear more cheerful or friendly in a photo, they might laugh to create the illusion of being happy and engaged. This could be a performative or staged action rather than a genuine emotional response. It may signal that they’re aware of the camera but don’t feel genuinely connected to the experience being captured. She is radiating positivity and is wearing a light pink tone to show her femininity as In many cultures, pink is viewed as a “soft” colour, representing qualities like nurturing, gentleness, and warmth which are traits historically and culturally linked to femininity. women are often expected to display their emotions openly, including happiness. This can create a cultural expectation that women are more likely to express joy, warmth, and care, all of which can be seen as “feminine” traits. She has long blonde straight hair which shows her identity and femininity with her jewellery and wearing fake eyelashes to enhances gender norms. The beauty industry, through advertising and media, often presents makeup as an essential aspect of a woman’s self-expression. It reinforces the idea that makeup is a tool for women to feel confident and attractive, further joining its association with femininity. In these images the girl is laughing she is seen to be smiling and hang a good time whereas in reality the laughter is forced and fake, but this backstory would never have been questioned or thought about, due to the ease to create a snapshot of happiness, even if the person is in fact unhappy.
Model 3:
This model is representing multiple genres of women. Froom strong and confident, to more shy and timid. However, overall she is radiating confidence and self-assurance. These traits would be included in a modern day advertisement as the model is keeping yup with the latest fashion and beauty trends such as cropped top, silver hooped earrings, slicked back style, long dark ponytail hair and low waisted jeans. These fashion choices portray what is IN right now and what would attract the modern day viewer and appeal to them, in order to keep them up with the latest fashion trends. Her posing such as hands on her hips and looking over her shoulder shows empowerment and Independence as she shows she is focused and capable, independent, with her career, ambitions, and leadership qualities. However, in comparison to this, there are also images of her her smiling or a straight face with her head on her shoulder, this body language shows she is more an object to look at, rather than a woman of power and authority. These photos demonstrate different female emotions such as power, happiness, embarrassment, shyness or nothing at all.
My Top 5 Images:
These 5 photograph stand out from the rest of the photoshoot and so I decided to put them in black and white because black and white photos are often more dramatic than coloured images. I think that the dark tones and deep contrasts often instil an almost moody, or mysterious impression onto the image which also makes the viewer look straight at the subject in order to figure out the genre and meaning of the image. I like these photos particularly as they include all different female emotions amongst all three women and how although they are all being photographed and smiling, they are all an individual and have a different identity instead of being grouped together as just the ‘stereotypical girl’ they have the capacity and voice to express their feelings, opinions and viewpoints.
For Example:
Social Norms: Smiling is often considered a standard expression for photographs. It conveys happiness and friendliness, making the image more appealing. Positive Emotions: A smile reflects positive feelings and can enhance the mood of the photo. It signals joy, excitement, or enjoyment of the moment being captured. 1 This statement explains how in modern day social norms, everybody is supposed to always be happy and having a good time, whereas in reality, emotions even in this day, are seen to be concealed and replaced with a façade of happiness and contentment. However, in comparison, media products that are serious and have a ‘dead expression’ also may cause a women to feel like they must be emotionless and be an object only to look at, and not express her happiness or laugher as their laughing or happy face, may be an insecurity to them. 64 per cent of people are too self-conscious to properly smile when taking pictures, claiming their teeth impact their confidence in front of the camera and over half (57 per cent) think that the condition of their smile has impacted their personal relationships or dating life.2
Comparisons:
I decided to also recreate some photographs selected from modelling shoots to show the way anybody can recreate or fake emotions and feelings to fit a specific narrative or idea that somebody else wants them to. Whereas, in reality, whilst being photographed, these women should be able to express how they truly feel and not have to pose for them camera in order to fit the expected narrative of their gender. Having inspiration for this shoot was very helpful for ideas on how to begin and what message I wanted to convey. In conclusion, I think this photoshoot was successful as a first shoot on women and femininity for me. To improve, I would focus more on the wardrobe and the clothes my models are wearing, however, I also wanted top wear their everyday clothes and portray how everyday clothes can still be objectified and questioned in negative ways, even through it is your own independent choice on what you wear. Criticism on what you wear is a constant stigma in society. For example, In a survey conducted by the theamag,com exposed how when women are asked if they believe that they being sexualized because of what they wear is an existing issue, 97.7% of them responded “yes.” I would also have chosen a multitude of young girls to photograph in order to show the different personalities and ethnicities and differences in young women and how no matter how different they are, they all share a common thing of feeling objectified and feeling a sense of low self esteem and low confidence as a result of derogatory views put upon them by men and the media.