Femininity and Masculinity

In this photoshoot I have decided to use the element of nature to experiment with the themes of femininity and masculinity. I chose a snowy setting, because I think the beauty of snow represents femininity, while I also used flowers and trees and other nature as props in my photoshoot. I also attempted to make the snow masculine, by using props such as snowballs, which are more aggressive, just like the masculine stereotype. The images which I have highlighted green are the images I have chosen to edit, because they have the best focus, lighting and composition.

The images which I have highlighted green are the images I have chosen to use and edit, because they are my best photos, because they have the best props and composition. They also represent the themes femininity and masculinity the best.

I first attempted to take a photograph capturing both masculinity and femininity, by positioning both a male and female next tot each other. However, the images were not in focus, as the camera was not on the correct settings to start. I did however try and edit the image, but could not get it into focus.

I edited this image, by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights, whites and blacks. I did this, so there would be more colour in both the models faces, and so the image would be brighter.

Masculinity Theme

I attempted to use snowballs, so it would correlate with the masculine theme, as snowball fights can be quite aggressive and the stereotype of males is that males are aggressive. However, the photos did not come out how I had wanted, because it was hard to capture the action shot as the camera was not on the correct settings.

I edited all these images in the same way, by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while also decreasing the highlights and blacks. I did this, so the images would be brighter and more vibrant, so they attracted the viewers eye more.

However, this image is extremely blurry, so I tried to edit it to make it less blurry, but couldn’t as the camera was not steady as the photograph was being taken.

However, the idea behind this photo was that the model was flexing or showing his muscles to make him look big and strong, because a stereotype of masculinity is that men are tough and strong. However, this photo was executed poorly.

In these images the snowballs were used as props to show masculinity, because snowball fights can be aggressive, which correlates with the stereotype that males were aggressive. In the first image I tried to get an action shot of the snowballs being thrown at the model, but this did not come out how i expected it to, as it caused the model to pull a face. In the second image I got a shot of the model about to throw the snowball, to show that he was in the middle of a snowball fight. In the last two images the models were collecting snowballs, so they could get ready for their fight.

Femininity Theme

In this photo I decided to use nature, such as trees and flowers of props, because I think the beauty of nature represents femininity, because nature is beautiful and gentle, which femininity and women are often seen as. I also used a pink scarf as a prop/ outfit in the snow, because the colour pink also suggests femininity, due to the stereotype that women like/ wear pink.

I edited these three images the same way, by increasing contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while also decreasing the exposure, highlights and blacks. I did this, so the focus of the image would be the model and so the pink would be more vibrant and stand out more, so it would attract the viewers attention.

Before:

After:

You can see the difference in the two images and that the pink scarf stands out much more in the second image, so that the viewers eye is drawn to the pink more. This exaggerates the theme of femininity in the photograph.

In these images I used the prop of flowers, because they relate to the theme of femininity, because flowers as stereotypically seen as a feminine thing, because it is always the male buying ang gifting the females flowers. Flowers are also very delicate and beautiful, which women are also often seen as. The flowers in this image are also a purple/ pink colour, which is also stereotypically related to women. The pink scarf was also used in some of these images.

I edited these photos, by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights and blacks. I did this, so the flowers in the background would stand out more, and so the image would also be brighter.

I also attempted to use another element of nature (a snowy tree) as a prop. The snowy tree also represents femininity, because of its beauty. However, trees are big, tough, strong and stand tall, which also relates to the theme of masculinity, because these are some of the stereotypes of males.

I edited these images by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the blacks and highlights, so that the snow would come out more white and less grey, compared to the original photo. I also did this, so the image would be brighter and more vibrant.

Before:

This image is dull and not vibrant enough, which is giving the snow a light grey colour.

After:

The photo is now more vibrant, therefore making the snow look whiter.

Then, I experimented with different feminine like poses, by asking my model to use her hands, by positioning them on her face.

I edited these two photos by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites and vibrancy, while decreasing the exposure, highlights and blacks. I edited the photo this way, so that it would be more vibrant and so the model would stand out more.

Next, I experimented with headshots in the snow.

I edited these two images by increasing the contrast and vibrancy, while decreasing the exposure, highlights, shadows, whites and blacks. I also used a correction tool, so I could get rid of any blemishes on the models skin.

Conclusion of shoot

I think this shoot went well, because I captured both the themes of masculinity and femininity by using both female and male models. I also liked how I used different props such as flowers and snowballs to capture different stereotypes of femininity and masculinity. However, next time I would like to get more photos that represent masculinity and make sure all my images are in focus.