Women were often valued for how they looked and not what they did. Looks and behaviours contribute to being feminine like having softer features, long hair and a smaller frame and curves. While these are all stereotypical ideas, women have and continue to move forward in the world. When thinking of femininity you often picture beauty, as beauty associates with women rather than a women doing what she loves or what she does.

The term ‘femininity’ has been adapted over time, for example in the 20th century women were expected to be:

• Passive
• Sensitive
• Emotional
• Gentle
• Caring
• Nurturing

These photos show the evolution of what is perceived as femininity and women throughout the last century

1920s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

As you can see, starting from the 1970’s women began to wear more uni- sex clothes e.g. blazers and jeans which eventually grew more and more for it to be normal and daily clothing. This shows that from the 1920s you had to reach the feminine stereotypes and look a certain way however nowadays wearing anything is still classed as feminine.

Femininity

Masculinity

DEFINITION AND UNDERSTANDING

Identity politics is politics based on a particular identity, such as race, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, social background, caste, social class or other identifying factor form exclusive socio-political alliances, moving away from broad-based, coalitional politics to support and follow political movements that share a particular identifying quality with them. Its aim is to support and centre the concerns, agendas, and projects of particular groups, in accord with specific social and political changes.

CULTURE WARS are cultural conflicts between social groups and the struggle for dominance of their values, beliefs, and practices. It commonly refers to topics on which there is general societal disagreement and polarization in societal values is seen.

The term is commonly used to describe contemporary politics in western democracies  with issues such as abortion, homosexuality, transgender rights, pornography, multiculturalism, racial viewpoints and other cultural conflicts based on values, morality, and lifestyle being described as the major political cleavage

This can be conceptualised being about the presentation and representation of identities. This is founded in the shared experiences of injustice of members of certain social groups, typically aiming for political freedom (at times wishing minority groups) within a society where they are not able to exist freely, attempting to make others understand what it is like for them in a day-to-day life.

The second half of the twentieth century saw the emergence of large-scale political movements—second wave feminism, Black Civil Rights in the U.S., gay and lesbian liberation, and the American Indian movements. Identity politics is greatly connected to the idea that some social groups are oppressed which can lead to stereotyping, violence, appropriation of identities or even erasure of them. The term was coined by the Combahee River Collective in 1977 and gained use in the 1980s, gaining currency with the emergence of social activism, manifesting in various dialogues within the feminist, American civil rights, and LGBT movements, disabled groups, as well as multiple nationalist and postcolonial organizations, for example: Black Lives Matter movement.

What was the original structure of the Black Lives Matter movement?

For example, in more recent years, the Black Lives Matter movement gained immense news coverage of people of all identity speaking up on the injustice that this group of people face within a society. 

Black Lives Matter started in 2013 as a messaging campaign. In response to the 2012 acquittal of George Zimmerman for shooting and killing Black teenager Trayvon Martin, three activists – Opal Tometi, Alicia Garza and Patrisse Cullors – protested the verdict on social media, along with many others. Cullors came up with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, which gained widespread use on social media and in street protests.

Over the next several years – as Black Lives Matter flags, hashtags and signs became common features of local, national and even international protests in support of Black lives – this messaging campaign became a decentralized social movement to demand accountability for police killings and other brutality against Black people.

It became nationally recognised for street demonstrations following the 2014 deaths of two more African Americans, Michael Brown and Eric Garner, being only some of the protested names of people who died at the hands of racial violence by the police. In the summer of 2015, Black Lives Matter activists became involved in the 2016 US election. 

Women also wear red lipstick to symbolize the women’s right movement. Red lip colour gained popularity internationally as women’s rights movements spread worldwide. As red lipstick symbolized American suffrage, its sway travelled across the pond and then some. British suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst donned a red lip, which helped spread the symbolic action among her fellow activists. Red lips can also be viewed as sensual and devious. Pin-up models in the early 1900s often wore red lipstick, and this look became synonymous with femininity and sexiness, allowing women to feel comfortable in their sexuality. women’s rights movement, diverse social movement, largely based in the United States, that in the 1960s and ’70s sought equal rights and opportunities and greater personal freedom for women. It coincided with and is recognized as part of the “second wave” of feminism. Feminist movement in Western society. Feminism in the United States, Canada, and a number of countries in Western Europe has been divided by scholars into three waves: first, second and third-wave feminism. Recent (early 2010s) research suggests there may be a fourth wave characterized, in part, by new media platforms. Women often feel misogyny and feel as if they cannot take part in a job they like as it is seen to be ‘masculine’ still in the 21st century. However, there is beginning to see a difference.

“handsome, muscled, and driven, he’s a prime example of masculinity”

Femininity : femininity is defined as qualities or attributes regarded as characteristics of women or girls.

Masculinity : masculinity is defined as qualities or attributes regarded as characteristics of men or boys.

Masculinity theme

Masculinity = social expectations of being a man: The term ‘masculinity’ refers to the roles, behaviours and attributes that are considered appropriate for boys and men in a given society. Masculinity is constructed and defined socially, historically and politically, rather than being biologically driven.

Male stereotypes –

• Powerful
• Strong
• Tough
• Independent
• Assertive
• Leaders
• Courageous
• Dominant

Men are generally expected to be strong, aggressive, and bold. Every society, ethnic group, and culture has gender role expectations, but they can be very different from group to group. They can also change in the same society over time.

Men are seen to be strong minded, not emotional, to look after the house or people around them, powerful, dominant or in control, very independent tough and aggressive when provoked or questioned. This could could bring a lot of pressure on men to not do the wrong thing and not make any mistakes.

There is also a thing called binary opposite’s.

As you can see, men and women are a binary opposite and have many opposite characteristics which makes it harder for people to accept them.

MASCULINITY HISTORY

In the 1950s, males purpose was to make the money and living for the family but still able to go to the work environment meanwhile the female looked after the children. The male was to make a family and be powerful and strong minded enough to do both. This could’ve created a lot of pressure on men as they also have the stereotype to not express emotions.

What is the difference between masculine and feminine posing?

A closed or clenched hand tends to be more masculine while a relaxed or lightly curved hand has a feminine inference. Unlike feminine poses, masculine poses avoid softening the pose with rounded shoulders or exaggerated shoulders, hips, and legs.

What makes a pose masculine?

Stereotypical male model poses all involve making the man look fierce. Anything that can be done to convey power and dominance should be included in the pose. While females are always looking for ways to emphasize curves, men are looking for hard angles and straight lines.

What makes a pose feminine?

Create Curves-They’re what make most women feel feminine. Highlighting a female model’s curves also has the added benefit of making the waist look more defined. In standing poses this can be achieved by having the model put her weight on her back foot. Add in a knee bend away from the camera .

“she alternated between embracing her femininity and concealing it”

Femininity : femininity is defined as qualities or attributes regarded as characteristics of women or girls.

Masculinity : masculinity is defined as qualities or attributes regarded as characteristics of men or boys.

FEMININITY THEME

Femininity also called womanliness is a set of attributes, behaviours and roles that generally associate with woman and girls. Some behaviours that are considered feminine are influenced by both cultural and biological factors.

Some factors of femininity are :

• Gracefulness
• Gentlness
• Loving
• Nurturing
• Emotional
• Sensitivity

These are all stereotypical factors of femininity, however some woman will not show these characteristics because not every woman is the same and they may feel different about different situations to to others. Woman are stereotyped to be seen as more weak than boys and are seen to be more gentle and understanding instead of taking control of a situation.

History

Around 1950, woman were told they had to stay at home and do the cleaning, cooking and to look after the kids whilst the ” man of the house ” went to work and earned the money for the family. Woman were also objectified and seen as a males property rather than a human being to benefit men. This is not acceptable now and woman should not be told they have to stay at home to do those things, woman are now able to go to work and also earn money to support the family. A women’s purpose was to make children and support them only.

Nowadays, there are many woman who don’t feel as though they fit into the category of the stereotypical woman and want to change genders because they feel more comfortable in a males body. There has been a lot of discussion lately about transgender people all over the world because those who feel they want to transgender want to be accepted as how they are and what they feel is right for them. This is also vice versa towards men. This is now acceptable in our generation and society meaning women and men both have a lot more freedom and can do things as they please and do not feel forced into the stereotypes. However, there is slightly still some misogyny within the work environment as men and women may work the same hours and have the same ability but men will have a higher pay rise. Moreover, some women also feel unable to do jobs because they are seen as a masculine job e.g engineer, plumber etc.

One famous feminist photographer is Cindy Sherman

Sherman’s photography is a depiction of the different ways culture defines “woman.” Her art plays on the feminist idea that gender arises exclusively within culture and deconstructs dominant gender ideologies, representing the underside of popular culture’s definition of “woman.” Cindy Sherman is a female photographer who portrays female stereotypes of the 1950’s and 1960’s. When creating her images, she is not only the photographer but the subject as well. Sherman examines and distorts femininity as a social construct. “I like making images that from a distance seem kind of seductive, colourful, luscious and engaging, and then you realize what you’re looking at is something totally opposite,” she reflected.

Within these images, we went down to the studio and experimented taking photos in all different angles to make it inspired from Henry Mullin’s diamond cameo technique which shows all angles in a photoshoot which creates the image to be unique and more appealing to the eye. In each image I increased the exposure and contrast to make the image brighter but keeping it contrasted with shadows to deepen the image. I decreased the highlights as the exposure already made it bright enough to the correct amount and emphasized it with increasing the shadows to deepen and add more value to the image itself. I decreased the texture to make the image look more professional and smoother to finalize the image. To make it more similar to Mullin’s work my next step was to actually put these images in an oval shape using Adobe Lightroom and place them on a blank space in a diamond layout to create and finalize this technique.

Next step: Put them in an oval shape in a diamond layout.

Different layout ideas-

My Favourite-

In my headshots I am going to use a range of photographers to inspire my work so that I can make my images more appealing to viewers, more creative and look more professional.

Thomas Ruff: Artist Research

I would like to use inspiration from Thomas Ruff’s work as his images resemble a passport photo using the deadpan aesthetic. This would be the criteria for his subjects.

• Eyes must be open and clearly visible, with no flash reflections and no ‘red eye’
• Facial expression must be neutral (neither frowning nor smiling), with the mouth closed
• Photos must show both edges of the face clearly
• Photos must show a full front view of face and shoulders, squared to the camera 
• The face and shoulder image must be centred in the photo; the subject must not be looking over one shoulder (portrait style), or tilting their head to one side or backwards or forwards
• There must be no hair across the eyes
• hats or head coverings are not permitted except when worn for religious reasons and only if the full facial features are clearly visible
• Photos with shadows on the face are unacceptable
• Photos must reflect/represent natural skin tone

I personally like this technique of headshots as they look extremely formal, very clean and you can see every part of their face without having to make the detailing photographers are pressured to do to make it unique which makes it bland but appealing as it is different. However, no facial expressions, no accessories and no background may make it difficult for the viewer to understand and read the model as who they are or what the image is about itself. Therefore, this technique is very controversial but I personally like its features no matter the value.

RUFF’S IMAGES

The Deadpan Aesthetic

The word “Deadpan”  can be traced to 1927 when Vanity Fair Magazine compounded the words dead and pan, a slang word for a face, and used it as a noun. In 1928 the New York Times used it as adjective to describe the work of Buster Keaton, however Thomas Ruff familiarised himself with this aesthetic i his work too.

Deadpan photography shows people in their natural state, emotionless and detached. These subjects are not posed, are not dressed up for the occasion, and seem completely honest. I really like this aspect because it gives a tone of authenticity to the work and broadcasts people in the real world truthfully.

This style originated in Germany and is descended from Neue Sachlichkeit, New Objectivity, a German art movement of the 1920s that influenced the photographer August Sander who systematically documented the people of the Weimar Republic.

Deadpan portraits are typically shot in a straightforward, uncontrived manner. The photographer does not use any special angles, lighting, or props to create an emotional or dramatic effect. Instead, the subject is simply captured as they are, in their natural environment.

In my work, I could use coloured gels to add more life and saturation into the image as my subjects will be emotionless.

Bruce Gilden:

Bruce Gilden is an American street photographer. He is best known for his candid close-up photographs of people on the streets of New York City, using a flashgun. He has had various books of his work published, has received the European Publishers Award for Photography and is a Guggenheim Fellow.

Bruce Gilden is one of the most iconic street photographers known for his confrontational and graphic images of a close-up subject. His work is around this due to being fascinated by the life on the streets and the complicated and captivating motion it involves in his childhood. His work has a high degree of intimacy and directness which have become signature in his work called FACE. Typically, people used are not the average person and have blemishes or look uncomfortable/awkward. Many people may say he is the most aggressive street photographer due to the rawness and realness of his images.

I like this aspect of his work because once again it documents the reality of life on the streets of places such as  America, Great Britain, and Colombia during 2012-14

Personally, I like these images as they keep natural and realistic without using texture to make them look smoother. This could link to social media effect and how society is not realistic whereas his photos remind everyone they are.

Gilden’s Images

Man Ray:

Man Ray took multi exposure photographs which is something that greatly intrigues me in my work as they provide a great sense of mystery to the viewer and have a large sense of detailing to eye catch the viewer. I also personally feel that the images this technique creates can resemble identity depending on how the subject is represented, such as this:

Usually, to take multi-exposure photographs you:

1. Take your first photo. The camera shutter opens to expose the film to one image, then closes.
2. Rewind the film and take your second photo.
3. Develop both images in one photo

Henry Mullins started working at 230 Regent Street in London in the 1840s and moved to Jersey in July 1848, setting up a studio known as the Royal Saloon, at 7 Royal Square. Initially he was in partnership with a Mr Millward, about whom very little is known. By the following year he was working alone and he continued to work out of the same studio for another 26 years.

For a brief period in the 1860s he also worked in London, but judging by the collection of his photographs which is now held by La Société Jersiaise, he found plenty of willing sitters in the island prepared to pay half a guinea (promoted as “one half of that in London”) to have their portrait taken by him.

Multi Portrait technique-a technique used under licence by Henry Mullins

Henry Mullins, the renowned headshot photographer, was born on June 12, 1975, in Los Angeles, California. From an early age, he exhibited a passion for creativity and art, particularly in the field of photography. As a teenager, he would spend countless hours exploring his neighborhood with his trusty camera, capturing the essence of the people and places he encountered.

After high school, Mullins pursued his passion for photography by enrolling in the prestigious School of Visual Arts in New York City. Here, he honed his skills under the guidance of some of the industry’s most renowned photographers. Inspired by his professors and surrounded by the vibrant art scene, Mullins began to carve his own path in the world of photography. Upon graduating, Mullins moved back to his hometown of Los Angeles, where he established his studio and started his career as a headshot photographer.

He quickly gained a reputation for his unique artistic vision, attention to detail, and ability to capture the true essence of his subjects. Mullins had a natural talent for making his clients feel comfortable in front of the camera, resulting in stunning headshots that truly represented their personalities and capabilities.

Mullins’ work soon caught the attention of casting directors, agents, and actors alike. His photographs graced the portfolios and websites of numerous Hollywood celebrities, catapulting him to the top of his field. His ability to capture an actor’s true essence in a single frame earned him accolades and made him one of the most sought-after headshot photographers in the industry.

Throughout his career, Mullins collaborated with numerous acclaimed actors, directors, and production teams. Not only did he provide stunning headshots, but he also worked on set, capturing behind-the-scenes moments and promotional images for various films and television productions.

In addition to his commercial success, Mullins dedicated his time to giving back to the community. He conducted workshops and mentoring programs for aspiring photographers, serving as an inspiration for the next generation of talent. Mullins believed in nurturing young minds and encouraging them to unlock their artistic potential

Henry Mullins’ passion, dedication, and artistic eye revolutionized the world of headshot photography. His ability to showcase the true essence of his subjects made him a trusted collaborator for actors, models, and performers worldwide. Today, his legacy lives on through the countless aspiring photographers inspired by his work and the impact he made on the industry as a whole.

Henry Mullins, a highly prolific photographer, made an indelible mark on the Societe Jersiase Photo-Archive, amassing a collection of over 9,000 portraits of Jersey Island residents. The period in which he operated, from 1852 to 1873, coincided with a population of approximately 55,000. The surviving record of his work, found in his meticulously curated albums, reveals Mullins’ deliberate organization of his subjects according to their social standing, thus imbuing his portraits with a subtly political narrative.

Henry Mullin’s famous Images:

Henry Mullins’ work of 19th century Jersey is highly politicised, taking images of Jersey political elite (E.g. The Bailiff, Lt Governor, Jurats, Deputies etc), mercantile families– involved in trade (Robin, Janvrin, Hemery, Nicolle etc.), military officers and professional classes such as doctors, bankers and advocates. He organised these images from the most powerful roles, to the lesser powerful.

MOODBOARD OF HIS WORK:

These images are only a small portion of the large amount of images he took, these images would then be placed into an album, presented as Cartes de visite:

Cartes de visite:

Mullins specialised in Cartes de visite, in which the photographic archive of La Société contains a large amount of these (online archive being 9600 images). The Cartes de visite small albumen print. This is described as the first commercial photographic print produced using egg whites to bind the photographic chemicals to the paper which is quite interesting as this is would be very rare to see now. Because the image emerges as a direct result of exposure to light, without the aid of a developing solution, an albumen print may be said to be a printed rather than a developed photograph. Usually, this consisted of a small thin photograph mounted onto a thicker piece of card, however Mullins placed is work into an album.

Many of these images contained the island’s most affluent and influential people, alongside officers of the Royal Militia Island of Jersey, for whom it was very popular to have portraits taken, as well as of their wives and children. The images of the officers document the change in generations as they do not look like the general person today, showing the fashion for long hair, whiskers and beards in the mid-1800s. Their appearance makes it difficult for the viewer to differentiate who is who as they were styled almost identically during this time.

Diamond Cameo:

This layout of final images is called a Diamond cameo due to the diamond-like shape produced by the placement of oval images. I like this technique as it is more unique and more appealing and eye catching to the eye as you can see all format and possible sides of his face allowing you to see every detail rather than a normal layout of images put together.

This is my finalized successful virtual gallery. I picked these images as it has a range of the lighting techniques; Rembrandt, Chiaroscuro,

In photography, I use a DLSR Canon camera to take photos, because it ensures they all have good quality and there are various different ways I can adjust my images. This camera is extremely beneficial for photography as it allows me to change the shutter speed, ISO and aperture.

• The shutter speed is the length of time from the moment the shutter opens and this then allows light into the camera. A fast shutter speed will create a short exposure, whereas as a slower shutter speed will create a long exposure. This is because the shutter is open for a longer period of time which allows more light into the camera.
• The aperture is the opening of the lens’s diagram through which light passes through. Having a smaller aperture creates a sharper image.
• The ISO ( International standard organization) is an image sensitivity in a numerical value. Having a higher ISO can lower the quality of your photo and degrade is which will cause your photos to be grainy or “noisy”.

We used this app to begin experimenting with different apertures, shutter speeds and ISO, which was helpful because it allowed us to decide which ones look best for each specific photo. We then could apply these skills to when we actually use the cameras, which saves time and we could identify which ones would benefit the photos most.

Aperture

Aperture controls the size of the lens opening which allows light into your camera.

Opening the lens more or having a low f-stop number (e.g. f/1.4) blurs the background/foreground around your subject. This is known as a shallow depth of field.

Keeping the lens more closed or having a high f-stop number (e.g. f/16) keeps the photo sharp throughout. This is known as a wide depth of field.

Shutter Speed

Shutter Speed is the amount of time the shutter is open to expose the image sensor to light.

Slow shutter speeds expose more light to the image sensor so still objects will have more detail and moving objects will appear to have more motion/be blurry.

Faster shutter speeds means less light is exposed to the image sensor and moving objects appear more still.

ISO

The ISO of a camera selects how much light the image sensor detects.

Too much light on a sunny day can cause overexposed shots so a lower ISO would be preferred.

Too little light in a shady room or day can cause grainy images.

The general rule is to use the lowest ISO possible to get the most detail possible.

Exposure Meter

The Exposure Meter is your final check before you snap a shot. It shows you how well your aperture, ISO and shutter speed are working together.

It is used as a guide to show exposure.

White Balance

White balance is the ratio of blue light to red light in an image which refers to the concept of colour temperature.

White balance is measured is Kelvin(K). Higher values of Kelvin contain more blue light whereas lower values of Kelvin contain more red light.