Altman is a Jewish-American photographer born in new Jersey but now living and working in Boston. Her work tends to portray folklore, linage, memory and narrative. Particularly known for her work with natural lighting and in cooperating aspects of Jewish culture. She actually began photography as a child to comment on her near-sightedness and throughout her life she continued into the photographer she is now, having many qualifications in photography. She mainly garnered attention when she posted her work as a 19 year old, using glitter to show bodily functions of a woman in a project called ‘and everything nice’ this quickly gained attention from many major magazine companies. Over time she has continued developing her style to the unique and noticeable style she has now. One of her more recent projects is ‘we will return to you’ (2023) which is a series of portraits using natural lighting and interesting poses to make the viewer ask questions and look deeper into the telling of Jewish culture.
I chose this photo as it is a good example of a particular project of Altman’s I like. The project (and everything nice) went viral over night on Tumblr when Altman posted it in February of 2015. As a young collage student (19) she took the photography world by storm. Not only the photography world was impressed but the rest of the world, this was a comment on the progress on how we talk about physical image and gender expectations. Unlike most photographers Altman chose not to pick ‘a best shot’ for this shoot and instead let the photos speak for themselves and create different equally important reactions for each viewer. This photo in particular sparks my interest as nosebleeds are part of everyday life for everyone no matter of gender, age etc. However I like how it’s suggesting that women are still expected to make everything glamorous even in things we can’t help. I think there is this idea still present now, though much reduced, that as women we need to be perfect all the time and everything we do needs to be feminine. I like how the photo is composed with a close frame cropping and centring the ‘nose bleed’ and by making it the focus, it forces the viewer to look at it which we all tend to flex away from and grimace at normally, however it is just part of life. The background is filled by the the rest of the model but is very out of focus. I also wonder if Altman also wanted to comment on the idea that women wear red lipstick when they want to be bold and feel confident in their looks and when society expects them to, like at a ball. It looks realistic as the glitter is messy and not a single line but a stream that goes down the models face and in her mouth and on the models nose.
Kayla Varley is a fashion/editorial/advertising photographer working between London, NYC and LA. Having started her career by taking photos at 13 to tap into her emotions. Her work hasn’t strayed far from the captivating emotion filled shots, throughout her career. As she grew up using photography to document her life, it ended up becoming all she wanted to do, resulting in her attending in her moving to LA in 2010 to attend the Art Centre Collage of Design. Her more recent work focuses on fashion but she never strays too far from her roots of capturing the joy and kidlike playfulness of connecting with another person whether that be another person in the shot or the photographer, Varley, herself. I have done additional research on Varley as I love her work and my inspiration stems from a mix of her work and the absurdism movement as well of other photographers work and my own imagination.
This is the photo I picked as it is great example of Varley’s work (beauty) it also has elements within it that I love and want to include in my own work. The cropping of the image is rather unusual as it isn’t centred or following any of the typical rules like the rule of thirds instead it is close to the camera and is an angle that wold normally be considered bad or at the least conventual which it is, however this angle draws the focus to the model and nothing else. While this is a cool shot it is also an advertisement for the eyeshadow so the blank white background, well lit and the fact the only bit in full focus is the eyeshadow is a purposeful move from Varley. However I think it’s a great way of getting peoples attention and still being playful and creative while creating an advertisement. Varley has also made sure the photo is well lit which is how all of her work is, bright, airy and cheery, in fact she has been quoted to say ‘Your dream location to shoot?’ – ‘A giant empty space with tons of light and shadows. It could be anywhere.’ I think this shows in the photo above that unlike many photographers she actually draws complete inspiration and results for the photo from the model in front of her and wants to show the model as a happy character and a person as themselves and not what is around them, influencing them. I love the idea of drawing from a person themselves to portray an idea or a situation from daily life and Varley does this incredibly well in all of her work not just the photo above.
I would love to mix this style of playfulness and unique angles with the style of absurdism . I think they would complement each other very well and will create some strong images for femininity and how different it can look.
Cindy Sherman is a prominent photographer when it comes to looking at gender and identity. She is based in New York, however grew up in New Jersey, Her work since the early 60’s has been relevant and as time has progressed her work has too, using the modern day improvements to develop her themes and work. Her frame started when she had worked on a project in the 70’s with other prominent photographers, however she studied art at collage until 1972 when her attention firmly turned to just photography. Throughout her career artistic aspects have peaked through with her designing sets, props and costumes to create a snapshot of seemly un created time when in fact everything was designed to look that way. Cindy has been the model in most of her photos, following and unusual style of dressing up for self portraits disguising herself, can they still be considered self portraits? This is where Sherman’s photography has become prolific in the modern world as she discusses themes based on characters she creates and story lines she makes in her work. As her work expanded her work grew to more grotesque themes, starting with one of her projects in 1992 ‘Sex pictures’ which included the photographer using prosthetics and mannequins to almost recreate men’s erotica at the time. As times progressed into the early 2000’s Sherman started to use digital adjustments along with her array of characters she has created within herself by using costume and makeup. Sherman has progressed with times and kept up with new technology developing her own individual style to keep up with times, keeping her work ever developing and relevant for reasons other than the idea of identity behind them.
I chose to analyse this photo in particular because it has given me an idea for a photoshoot I want to do while being a great representation Sherman’s style. It spoke to me as a photo for many reasons, technically it’s an interestingly but well composed photo however looking at the emotional response to it it’s a great photo. By being composed interestingly it makes the viewer think it was a snapshot someone else took of someone, probably close to them, working in the garden. The rule of thirds isn’t placed in the most common way instead the subject is in the the last third and there is a pallet board in the corner of the first third in the foreground. In the middle third there is nothing in the foreground instead there is a pile of bricks in the background. The branches in the top section of the photo are in the foreground and out of focus but the soft black and white stops them being too distracting away rom the model. Sherman is dressed in a white oversized shirt, hat, sunglasses and sandals. The bright white of the shirt contrasts the dark greys and light blacks in the rest of the tonal photo, which draws immediate attention to Sherman as the subject of the photo. The shot was taken by placing the subject, Sherman, as the only thing in the middle ground and the rest in the background or foreground, by also having the fence go diagonally doesn’t distract from Sherman and in fact leads the viewer towards her. On the more emotional side to the image, I think it is a great example of what a man expects a women to be like and what we look like in their perception, as what I saw when I actually looked at the photo was a women working in the garden in impractical clothing as white is not a great colour for working in a muddy garden, also it appears Sherman does not have any trousers on, she probably has shorts on as the lighting gives the impression that it is summer. The photo also appears that it was an unplanned photo taken by someone close to her like a husband or family member. Having looked into Sherman and some of the context behind her work it makes sense for the photo to appear to be taken by someone close to her as she her work is heavily influenced by how she grew up and heavily effected by her brothers suicide. “I will survive” “They are women who have gone through a lot and come out the other side,” she says. Sherman herself says that the photos are important to her and are made to look like the subject (herself) has been through a lot and survived. She feels she that she has never lost herself in her work but instead when she sometimes doesn’t recognise herself that she is amazed by what she sees.
These are the two definitions that appear when you google femininity def, and then masculinity def. To put them simply they both can be broken down into how society thinks you should be based on social expectations on your gender.
Femininity – qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of women or girls.
Femininity – Much like masculinity, not just a woman can be feminine and in fact appearance, dress sense and attitude. Through different eras woman we considered to be weaker and strength would be an exercise of masculinity, where as in a more modern day people are more open to exploring and being comfortable enough within themselves to experiment with ideas like femininity and masculinity.
Masculinity – social expectations of being a man
Masculinity has many different definitions some consider it to be biological men who work blue collar jobs where as others would consider it to be the actions of others or a dress sense. The definition is ever changing likewise with femininity, it is something that can be influenced with many different things like there, for example what we as a modern day society consider to be masculine would differ from what was considered to be masculine. Things as material objects can be considered masculine, however people can also be considered masculine, from a man being typically masculine to a woman being masculine with ether their actions or appearance.
Identity Politics
Identity politics is politics based on a particular identity, such as race, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, social background, caste, and social class.
Identity politics emerged out of the 1960s Black Civil Rights Movement, second wave feminism and gay and lesbian liberation. It was confrontational and asked questions about the kind of art that should be made and for whom in a post-colonial world where the history of art was being re-written to encompass a broader, less western-dominated perspective.
Identity politics are important when it comes to the idea of masculinity and femininity, being feminine or masculine or a mix can be a definition of a person and is something very personal to their individual personalities and lives. We are defined by our appearance as much as the idea ‘don’t judge a book by it’s cover’ but in reality we always do to an extent. However our appearance while being something so personal to ourselves, it doesn’t always become our identity sometimes it is just practicality and life gets in the way of expressing identity. The idea behind identity politics is to allow for people to express themselves and be allowed to be whoever they are or not, but no to be stopped by anyone else’s ideas or expectations.
Local Identity Politics
Jerriais is the local language which is quickly dying out however there is a local organisation that is working constantly to improve the awareness and learning of this large piece of Jersey’s history. The government is also working hard to increase the knowledge about the language. This is essential part of Jersey’s history as it actually began dying out because it was considered the farmers language and it was enforced only English was spoken as a language in schools to attempt to squash Jerriais and increase the use of English as the rest of the world was increasing the use of it as a main language. To help enforce this the government has implemented schemes like adding Jerriais into daily life and it can bee seen all around us, on buses and market signs and many other things. It has even become the name of a local clothing brand which will only increase the knowledge of the language.
Even in English, people in Jersey use some Jèrriais words like côtil, brancage, bachîn and vraic.
Lots of Jersey’s history has only been written down in Jèrriais – not in French or English.
On the bus the parishes are written in Jerriais on the side.
Influences on identity
Identity can be influenced by many things, the main ones being place, age, social status and generation. Within a place there are many different things that can change peoples perception on identity of themselves and others, for a large amount of people in Religious countries, their religion is incredibly important to them and therefore also makes up a large part of their identity. Things like personality are not always considered to be identity as its not somethings that makes you and it’s not always a constant. Culture and race are huge factors when it comes to identity as that is no something that can be changed and is a part of daily life, this is particularly present in simpatía communities, in which everyone has a different identity but it doesn’t mean they don’t have some similarities in their identity. Age is another large aspect of identity as it again relates to social expectations and standings, as while a child is expected to have a simple all loving view on the world without any worries, an adult has to fit their identify to the social expectations of having a good job, good social life etc etc, this is where identity can be forced and ‘edited’ slightly to fit to the rest of the worlds expectations on who you are and what you should be. As people we categorically and chemically want to be liked, as such this can be such a pressure on peoples shoulders they alter their identity to fit within the people around them, leading to shame about who they really are. As a community world wide we need to improve just how we seem to want people to change their identity to fit within out niche community rather than celebrate other people and things within them that actually we could appreciate not make them feel like they don’t fit in. Generational change is something that happens over the years and massively effects peoples identity, for example the 50’s had very different expectations of women than we do now, which is great as the world has become a more equal place with different people and we are more accepting of differences and instead we look to be a world in which peoples identity is individual to themselves and free from others views and inputs that could cause people to act as one they are not.
Culture Wars
‘In political science, a culture war is a type of cultural conflict between different social groups who struggle to politically impose their own ideology (beliefs, virtues, practices) upon their society.‘
In more recent society movements like Black Lives Matter has become prominent and important to achieve equality in the world we live in. It can be described as a culture war as it is essentially a battle between races to just simply accept one another as equal human beings.
Binary Opposites
A pair of related terms or concepts that are opposite in meaning, two theoretical opposites are strictly defined and set off against one another.
It can be a great way to experiment with masculinity and femininity as within themselves can be binary opposites or merge the lines between the two.
To present the entirety of my headshots project together I have collated my best three outcomes of each project and put them together in a virtual gallery. I chose not to mis the projects and present all the same editing style images together so it doesn’t look too busy as the portraits are already bright, colourful and high in detail with interesting things to look at with each one. I added frames on the grid photos to make the photos feel finished and add a bold outline to the grid.
Final Project Evaluation
Overall I really enjoyed this project, it allowed me to try using different studio lighting and then go onto edit creatively using new photoshop techniques while drawing inspiration from prominent photographers. My outcomes are solid and well executed leaving me with lots of new editing tricks and ideas and it helped spark a further interest in studio portraiture.
These are my contact sheets for this shoot, I picked my best shots by making the best shots green and the worst red. I was looking for photos that the lighting was already good prior editing and were well composed.
Edit One
I started by opening one shot on photoshop and dragging a second shot on top of the image, for this one I chose completely contrasting shots, one is black and white and one was taken with coloured gels.
The next step was to adjust the blending layers so both shots were visible creating the unusual multi exposure effect.
Edit Two
Edit Three
Final Outcomes
These are my final outcomes for editing using double exposure, while this is a technique that can be achieved by using a slow shutter speed on the camera I wanted to actually to try and merge two images together using photoshop. The results are quite interesting and like the previous editing of this project I chose too try three quite different edits within the technique I was trying.
Best Shot Evaluation
This is my favourite edit, I love how the colours blend together and let the black and white image poke through beneath the top layer adding depth. The two images have combined to look like one as the bottom layer has the models arm in the shot which I made sure lined up with the top layer fading into the bottom layer. The bottom layer which is the black and white layer has also lined up with the top layer so the models hand is under the colourful layers chin creating lines of grey in amongst the bright colours. The black and white image creating a sort of patchwork appears like the image is pushing thought the top layer. I love how unusual the image looks but for two completely different shots they combine very well looking intentional and focused. It is a playful result of using this editing technique which can create so many different outcomes and styles, however I love how the image isn’t as it first appears and in fact the more you look at it the more details emerge. I think it askes the viewer to look deeper into the photo and while it doesn’t have a deep meaning I aim for it to teach people to not just glance at things and in fact learn form everything you can and that allows you too as it isn’t always as it seems.
These are my shots from both shoots, I have marked the ones I like and will consider using with green and yellow. The red shots are not useable but not at all what I’m looking for or are a bad shot as the model is blinking etc.
Edit One
The first bit of editing I did on this shot on photoshop was to crop the excess blank space out of the image and then use the rectangular marquee tool to select a section of the photo, the models eye.
I then used the move tool to move the selected area and start to create my photo montage.
I repeated the process making sure I moved the selected aeras to new parts of the photo making for an off kilter appearance.
I then created a new selected area and copy and pasted it multiple times, this allowed me to create a layered effect but using the same part of the photo.
Edit Two
For this shot I used the elliptical marquee tool to create a circular shape instead of a rectangle, I repeated the same process as the previous edit but used a circle instead.
I wanted to create something unusual with this photo so I used the filter tab on the one of the selected circles, I did this to be able to then have a blurred circle.
I wanted to create a black and white element within the photo so I used the new adjustments layer on the selected circle selecting the option from the bar below the selected circle.
I then adjusted saturation to make the circle black and white. This adds contrast to the over all photo making for a more interesting montage.
I then selected the background copy layer, once I had done this I used the move tool to move the entire layer moving all the circle selections into an interesting shape and creating further depth to the photo.
Edit Three
I then selected remove background on the triangle layer. Leaving the white triangles over the models face slightly opaque.
I also reedited the first photo I edited by using all the skills I had learnt doing the other edits, I chose to use the polygon lasso tool to allow me to cut out interesting and free hand shapes, I made three out of four of the cut outs black and white by once the area was selected going to image-adjustments-saturation-contrast+brightness adjusting each to suit the area of the photo.
These are my final four photos, I have tried very different ideas on each one. By doing this it has allowed me to experiment with new techniques on photoshop.
This is my favourite final image, it was actually the first one I did but I really like the ‘glitch’ effect created by the editing. The coloured lighting created by using coloured gels on the honey comb flash head has added intrigue to the photo as the lighting is split perfectly down the middle of the image it adds dimension to the shot, however as the hoodie was a reddish colour it has allowed for the editing of the layers to blend in and create an interesting pattern from the shadows and meeting of fabric. I like how it draws the eye into the displaced parts of the photo and creates a powerful feeling as the pose, having the model looking down onto the camera feels like the model is above/ higher figure of authority. Particularly, I like having the black background and how it contrasts well with the blue of the far left displaced rectangle. It doesn’t change the original photo much but does make it a unique image and one that draws the viewer in forcing them to look where parts of the photo are from and ask why it was done. Following this shot I edited two other photos however I think sometimes the simplicity of this photo makes it a very strong, well balanced image. It askes the viewer questions they might not even know the answer too, and as a the photographer and creator of the image myself I am not all too sure ether, it askes the viewer to reflect on why we always look at peoples face first and that is what we tend to judge off of but as humans we have many different layers which one we choose to show an individual is up to us. To explain this idea I used crops of the image and pulled them across and misplacing them to show we look the same but there are different layers to a individual from our emotions to how we react in certain situations.
This is the lighting set up I used, by having the flash head behind me as the photographer it allowed for the light to cover the entirety of the models face, I also used another flash head with a transmitter on the camera for both, to light one side of the models face to create interesting and dynamic Chiaroscuro lighting. By having two different flash heads it allowed for good lighting without over exposing the model.
In some of the later photos I used a honey comb filter and coloured gels over a snoot light to keep similar lighting but a coloured filter over the image. This was great as it allowed for me to experiment with different lighting and multiple colours by holding a acetate sheet over one of the flash heads at the same time.
To start making my grid layout I started by opening a document with a width of 1080 and then a res of 72 pixels/inch. I then went onto the view drop down tab and selected guide – new guide layout.
I then put in the details I wanted, I chose to have a gutter and margin to try to keep space between each shot.
After that I created a new layer and then on the rectangular marquee tool picked a new colour from the side bar.
Next I selected a box using the rectangle marquee tool and the right clicked and pressed fill, foreground colour.
By repeating this process it left me with a colour coded grid on separate layers.
The next step was to click on a layer, selecting it, and then dragging a photo onto the box and clicking the tick.
I then right clicked on the layer to produce the option of create clipping which then fits the photo to the box.
Once I had done the above steps for all 9 boxes I had 19 layers.
Clicking a new layer open then using the rectangle marquee tool to select the entire document.
After that I used select- deselect, then view-show- guides.
Edit Two
I then repeated the process making sure to have 9 separate layers with different colours on each selection. I started by making the grid and then editing each photo on Lightroom.
I chose to make an usual grid for this one as many would think it would look better if I put the black and white row in the middle of the grid, however I actually did this to show progression from fashion style, high contrast dramatic photos to fun coloured more natural captures to then a combination of both with interesting lighting but the same pose to not take away from the models natural appearance.
Edit Three
Final Evaluation
I think this is a great way of displaying photos and I really like the outcome, it allows for many photos to be displayed and its an uncomplicated way to draw peoples attention to different photos and really encourage them to think about the meaning. I used three different approaches on the first one I used the three different rows to display the model posing three different ways, on the second grid I tried to make the grid make no sense using three different colour ways and two different models, and the third grid I repeated the same three photos in the same order on each row although by having the middle row in colour it made appear to be different photos unless the viewer looked at each individual shot and then the grid as a whole. It has also allowed me to expand my photoshop knowledge and I will definitely look at using a grid in the future as it’s a simple way of displaying multiple images to convey meaning and make a point by having very few images or tens of images.
Grid sequence of photos can be used for many different things, from documentation of progression to creative outlets. Most commonly used to make comparisons and group individuals together, for example they are often used to show a team within a company as they create a team feeling and not a narrow focus as everyone’s photos is as important and similar to the next. They have also been used for things like typologies, however I’m, going to be doing headshot portraiture and a typology tends to be a grouping of similar objects or constructions etc.
Brain D Smith is a portrait photographer based in Charleston SC and Traverse City MI, he began his career after feeling unfulfilled in his successful engineering career. He was always a hobby photographer until one day he photographed a wedding and the results were beyond what he was expecting and instantly he knew this is what he wanted to do as a career. He had a passion for photography and quickly grew with his unique style of portraiture, he started by doing only wedding portraits before quickly moving onto studio portraiture as well to allow a creative outlet. When he is not photographing a wedding he does mainly editorial shoots as he puts it ‘Portraits and editorial work present an opportunity to slow down, and craft something artistic and uniquely mine. It’s an opportunity to share a bond with a subject and for a brief moment reflect something beautiful within one another.‘ He started his own studio, in which he provides many different types of shoots from professional portraiture to bridal detail shoots.
He combines the idea of 1960’s vouge style shoots with fine art editing, particularly in the bridal portraiture shoots, this allows him total creativity creating stunning, unique results. For this project I’m looking at his studio portraiture that he has made into a sequences of photos displayed in a grid pattern. He uses a simple matching colour palette to create softness in his work that isn’t always clear in many other headshots. I think this makes his work feel friendlier and more appealing.
I love this grid set he has created as there is a real sense of integrity within the photos. There is small details that seem unusual for this style, for example in the middle shot on the bottom row he has posed the model to not be following the rule of thirds and instead having the arm of the model touching the edge of the portrait. He has done this on the top photo of the same column as well, I think this stops the grid feeling too formal and constricted. However the rest the shots are ordered and uniform with following the rule of thirds even if they do not firs appear to be with how he has posed the model when you look closer they do fit the rule. He has posed with model creatively with a different pose in every shot. the first row has the model looking in three different directions including directly into the camera. Where as in the next row the model only looks directly into the camera lens and only her hands move which contrast the last row where the model is looking anywhere but the camera and her arms move in each shot as well. It appears almost like a progression of creativity captured in a series of photos, from how people go about their everyday life fitting their actions to certain situations to then at the end the model doing what suits her and possibly acting outside of societal norms.
The Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is a simple useful tool, used in most styles of photography to create a well balanced, equal photo, that draws the eye in. ‘a composition guideline that places your subject in the left or right third of an image, leaving the other two thirds more open‘ there are many other techniques similar to the rule of thirds with similar intentions but rule of thirds is the most common and most widely used.
Double exposure is a photography technique used by many photographers around the world as a creative outlet or to create emotive pieces of art like photography. It can be done in many different ways, from using a slow shutter speed and movement to create raw images with double exposure elements, to post production editing on photoshop layering multiple different shots to create a desired results. If there is a particular aim for a shoot then it is more likely the photographer will take multiple photos and merge them together in photoshop, however for things like light painting it tends to all be done in one very slow shot. The results are often emotive, surreal feeling photos commonly having a creepy appearance.
The style of surrealist photography had a big impact on the idea of double exposure photography. As it was the first variation of the double exposure technique often used to show multiple, odd objects or subjects, to put across ideas, in one shot. First appear as a style just after the first world war, as the horrors had shifted the perception of reality for many people. It was actually a French writer who first released a book, that rejected the rational way of seeing the world and instead asked people to explore creativity and imagination to view as perceptions of life and the world instead, this is what first solidified the surrealist movement. Surrealist styles created an exciting challenge for photographers as while a painter can take ideas from their imagination with brush and paint, a photograph is derived from the real, material world.
A Day Dream, Angus McBean, 1938Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore, taken from a collage made 1930Exploding Hand, Lee Miller, 1930
Duane Michal’s is known world wide for his photography work using multiple exposures, series and text over the past years. He first made strides in the photography world in the 1960’s when the world was thoroughly influenced by photojournalism in which Michal’s himself manipulated and changed to allow for his work to tell narratives. I feel the political aspirations are impotent. They can never be seen. If they are, it will only be by a limited audience. If one is to act politically, one simply puts down the camera and goes out and does something. I think of someone like Heartfield who ridiculed the Nazis. Who very creatively took great stands. He could have been killed at any moment, he was Jewish, and my God what the guy did. It was extraordinary. You don’t see that now. Interestingly and unlike most photographers/artists Duane feels that aspirations are pointless to put it simply and aims for the viewer to see the photo and not much more, unless you choose to.
Duane Michal’s Research
Duane Michal’s first began to explore art and photography at 14 years old when he started a watercolour class, he went onto continue his education by completing a B.A. at Denver university before then completing two years in the army before retuning to school to become a graphic designer however he never completed his studies. He actually began his photography career while on holiday in 1958, the work he produced during this holiday actually was displayed in the underground gallery in New York in 1963. Continuing his career he was a commercial photographer also covering filming. He did not have his own studio and instead took portraits of people in their own environment which was a complete contrast to some of the famous photographers of the time like Irving Penn. As his career continued he was asked by the Mexican government to photograph the 1968 summer Olympics, which built a following for him to then continue on personal projects before releasing a book and showcasing more of his work.
