‘A good snapshot stops a moment from running away’ – Eudora Welty

‘The snapshot aesthetic’ stems from the idea of a photograph being shot spontaneously in a quick manner. These images are usually made without photographic intent, taken impulsively as if the goal is to quickly capture a memory. This technique is typically used to document the events of everyday life, tending to portray family members, friends, pets, celebrations, sunsets, tourist attractions, childhood events such as birthday parties and the like.

As this aesthetic demonstrates a glimpse into real life, the images can be technically imperfect due to this being used by amateur photographers, for example taking a snapshot of a sunset you may see when going home from work. From its instantaneity, the snapshots may appear poorly framed or composed, out of focus and/or inappropriately lighted by flash. However, this contributes to the idea of rendering memorable moments in imperfect images.

MOOD BOARD:

The snapshot aesthetic falls under the umbrella term of Vernacular photography, this being used to distinguish ‘fine art’ photographs from those that are used for a wider range of purposes such as forensic, commercial or governmental. The different forms of vernacular photography consist of:

• Family snapshots
• Travel photos
• Photo booth films
• School/ID photographs
• Amateur portraits
• Souvenir-type photos

Snapshot photographs can also be associated with street photography when the photographer is using it to interpret societal situations, shooting at the hip without thinking about the composition and leaving the result up to chance. This is done to capture candid moments in public spaces, reducing the risk of a member of the public catching them. This could link in with Henri-Cartier Bresson’s “decisive-moment” due to the act of using impulse when taking the image.

The components which commonly feature in the snapshot aesthetic are blurriness, grain, cutting off objects as a result of shooting from unplanned angles, high contrasting, being under/over exposed and a soft focus.

The snapshot aesthetic was originally recognised as ‘folk art’ in the 1960s where it began its development into fine arts, where it is now used by photographers such as Nan Goldin, Petra Collins, Gillian Wearing and Lorna Simpson. These female photographers utilise this technique in their images to convey a message in a photo-diaristic manner, using methods to create immediacy and informality in the composition to make it seem more authentic and relate to this aesthetic as capturing meaningful moments. For example, this aesthetic can be utilised by female photographers to explore historical lineage, looking into the domestic lifestyle.

This technique is going to be woven into my work through the use of my own archival family photos, digital and physical from photobooks. Then, I am going to create adaptations from them and experiment with graphic design as well as different art mediums in destructive ways, for example ink splatters or even possibly burning sections of the image.

Links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snapshot_(photography)

https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/women-photographers-and-snapshot-aesthetic

https://aboutphotography.blog/dictionary/snapshot-aesthetic

For this photoshoot, I wanted to experiment with something I had never tried before in photography: using a projector. To do this, I borrowed a projector from art and brought it down to the studio where I then placed it in front of the white wallpaper. I then turned off all the lights and chose some images off of the internet that I felt linked to the theme of identity. For example, I searched for words that describe women (as that is who I was photographing) and a quote saying ‘who am I?’ which is meant to convey the idea of people feeling lost about who they really are and how stereotypes are placed onto women about who they are supposed to be, often causing them to lose a sense of self as they try and mould themselves into societies expectations. I placed the model in front of the projector in order to the convey the idea that she encapsulates what’s being projected eg feeling like she doesn’t know who she is. To edit these images I used Lightroom where I adjusted the exposure, contrasts, white balance and more. I made sure to make the background fully black so that the attention of the viewer doesn’t go away from the centre.

I like how this photoshoot came out as it was simple but portrays an important message about it being okay to not know who you are exactly and potentially feeling lost and to embrace it instead of being embarrassed. However, next time I would like to experiment with different images being projected eg a dark room with a singular light where the model would stand in front of with her hands on her hand. This would further display the emotions one may feel in relation to figuring out their identity.

I decided to do a small photoshoot to demonstrate my editing skills on Adobe Photoshop. This gives me the opportunity to see if AI editing is something I would like to include in my final photobook, and if whether these images are powerful and meaningful enough to be able to convey the message I would like to express. I chose for my model to do a multitude of facial expressions of fear, happiness, loneliness and confusion. From this variety, I can edit her to show different emotions heightened through AI, to show my storyline. I like how the backgrounds are also different colours such as black, white and grey, as thus then creates an array of different impressions, I can then work with. I feel like these photos are strong, however, to improve, I feel that the lighting could be more focused on with the quality being slightly increased as the model is slightly fuzzy in a few of the photos. I chose this model as her facial expressions are very clear and I feel her dark outfit demonstrates how she may feel inside.

Best Images.

I chose these photos as my 6 best images as I feel they are the highest quality and clearly demonstrate her feelings. Her expressions and body language executes her mood and shows the variety of emotions you are able to feel in a short space of time. All of the photos have a white/grey background which creates a perfect plain template for editing. However, when editing my images I would like my background to black, but I can change this using the Adobe Lightroom to alter the background from white to black. I feel that the quality could be worked on in these images, to improve, I need to assess my lighting whilst photographing and check my camera settings during photoshoots to ensure I am getting the high quality I need for my images.

Editing.

I edited these images to have a black background In Adobe Lightroom by…

I selected the masking tool and then chose ‘background’.

Adobe Lightroom then selects the background of the image and changes it automatically to the colour red.

I then change the background colour from red to black as I feel black is an easy and strong background in order to have a plain background and dos not make the image lower quality.

I then edit my model/subject to be lighter so her e.g. hair, does not blend in with the background.

Edits 1 and 2.

I then export my images from Lightroom, Into Photoshop, to begin editing. I wanted to use the AI/ generative fill settings for my images. I wanted to compose an image that shows how my model is feeling due to the pressures of the male gaze and how peoples opinions and viewpoints may make her feel. The concept of using human eyes, is demonstrating how peoples eyes are constantly on her and she constantly feels watched and looked at, and therefore cannot feel free. I feel like these images have a slight claustrophobic feeling to is, as the girl is completely surrounded by eyes and people watching her and forming opinions. The feeling of feeling judged and watched, creates mental issues for many people which I feel her body language and facial expressions convey. I wanted my model to have a slightly scared, yet fixed facial expression, in order to create the impression that she is seeking help, but wants to keep it inside. This may be due to pressures and risk of showing her true feelings. Overall, I think these two images could be improved by using more exciting or high quality photos, and possibly more in-depth and creative editing ideas, to convey my idea.

Edit 3.

I also then chose to create an image with hands reaching out to my model as if they are reaching out for her, this is to demonstrate that she is wanted and that she feels that people want something from her but don’t want her. However, I feel that this image is not by best work, this is because the arms could be better quality and could have a mix of different peoples hands. However, this arm was the best option from my generative fill option. I think, to make this mage stronger, the arms could be going in different directions and the arms are surrounding her and are creating a circle around her to shoe she is feeling claustrophobic from her surroundings.

Edit 4.

I decided to also create this very random image in order to demonstrate an abstract image through the use of random lines. I first had the pen tool on Adobe Photoshop, in order to create a background colour of white lines squiggled all around. I then created a new layer and chose a thinner black pen tool to create another layer of lines, these lines represent mental negative feelings of apprehension, worry and anxiety, however, I particularly focused on my models head to show although she is surrounded by stress and pressure, most of it is surrounding her brain and is all internal feelings that aren’t real. Her brain is generating most of these feelings, of fearing the unknown, when In fact her situation is never as bad as she assumes. I feel this image is basic but meaningful. By experimenting on photoshop, I am able work on my skills and show how even though some of these images are basic, a deeper meaning comes within the backstory.

Write a Statement of Intent of 250-500 words that clearly contextualise;

• What you want to explore?
• Why it matters to you?
• How you wish to develop your project?
• Which form you wish to present your study (photobook, film, prints etc)
• When and where you intend to begin your study?

I want to explore my grandads life and his favourite places in jersey from when he used to come and visit. I’m going to restage the images I have of him in his favourite places and then use my dad to restage the image to recreate the memory. I’m going to 5 different locations that were his favourite when he visited jersey. The places I’m going to go are St Brelades Bay, Gorey Pier, El Ticos, Corbiere lighthouse, La Mare vineyard. This matters to me because these are the places that hold the most memories for me with my grandad and they are the places where he was the happiest when he visited. I’m going to develop my project by taking images of the places I’m going and then also take restaged images with my dad in it, and then choosing the images that capture those important memories the most. I want to create a photobook for my images and I want to put a big picture of one of his favourite places on the front cover of the book, I also want to create some A4 and A3 prints of some of the scenery photos that I take to show some of the development and to just get some of the best images I have made printed for my portfolio. I’m taking images this weekend for all 5 of the photoshoots for the favourite places and then I’m also going to take the restaged images at all 5 different places as well as the images of the actual landscape itself. I want to take the images at these specific locations because they capture the most important times I knew him in my life, but they also capture some of the important times in his life that he spent here with me and my family.

For this photoshoot, I visited the sandunes. I recreated some of the activities presented in Justine Kurland’s book ‘Girl Pictures,’ as well as creating images doing some activities that I used to do in my own youth. The plan was to sledge down the 100 foot sand hill, because that is what I used to do in my youth quite a lot, but now there are signs up saying it is not allowed, so we couldn’t do that. Instead, we decided to climb up it and run down it, not only so that the trip here was not wasted, but because this is something I also used to do while I was at the sandunes when I was younger.

Contact Sheet

The images that are highlighted green are the images I have decided to edit, because they are my best images, with the best composition and explore the theme of youth and identity the best.

Edits

I edited this image by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites, texture and vibrancy, while decreasing the exposure, highlights, blacks and vibrancy. I did this, so that I could add more warm tones and vibrancy to the grass. I also wanted to add more texture to the grass to make it more of an interesting photo, by using the visual elements.

I edited this image by increasing the contrast, shadows, texture, clarity, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the exposure, whites, blacks and highlights. I did this, so that the image has less of a white overcast on it, due to the lighting and time of day these images were taken. I also wanted to make the grass and sky more vibrant, to add more colour to the image.

I edited this image by increasing the exposure contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights, whites and blacks. I did this, so that the image was more vibrant, and so that there was contrast between the dark tree branches and the bright white like sky.

I edited this image, by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the blacks, highlights and whites. I did this for a similar reason as the image above. I wanted to increase the vibrancy, so the grass around would be more bright. I also wanted to create a contrast between the darker coloured tree branches and the bright white like sky.

I edited this image by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites, texture, clarity, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights and blacks. I did this, so that the image would be brighter and more exposed, because it was quite dark due to the shade from the tree. I also wanted to add contrast and texture to the photo.

I edited this image by increasing the contrast, shadows, white, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the exposure, highlights and blacks. I did this, so that the image was less exposed, because of the time of day the images were shot and the lighting there was a white cast on the image. I also wanted to make the image more vibrant, so the colours stood out more.

I edited this image by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights and blacks. I also added a yellow tint to the image, so that the sand was more yellow, rather than more pale, so that the angel was more visible.

I editing this image by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, white, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the blacks and highlights. I also added a yellow tint to the image, for the same reason above.

I edited this image by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, white and vibrancy, while decreasing the highlights, blacks and saturation. I also added a yellow tint. I edited this image in this way, so that the image was more exposed and was more warm.

I edited this by increasing the contrast, shadows and vibrancy, while decreasing the exposure, highlights, blacks, whites and saturation. I also added a yellow tint to this image. I did this, so that the image would be more warm and so the contrast between the shadows and highlights were more visible.

I edited this image by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites, texture, clarity, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the exposure, highlights and blacks. I also added a yellow tint to this image. I did this, so that the image was more warm, so it almost looked like it was taken at sunset instead of midday. I also wanted to make the sand a darker yellow colour and add texture to it.

I edited this image by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, white, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the blacks and highlights. I also added a yellow tint to this image. I did this so the image would be more exposed and so the sand would be brighter.

I edited this image by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the exposure, blacks and highlights. I also added a yellow tint to the image. I did this, so that the sand would be darker, so the texture of the footprint were more prominent.

I edited this image by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, white, texture, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the blacks and highlights. I also added a yellow tint to this image. I did this, so that the image would be more exposed and more vibrant.

I edited this image by increasing the contrast, shadows and vibrancy, while decreasing the exposure, highlights, blacks, saturation and whites. I did this, so that the colours in the image are more vibrant and there’s less of a white cast on the left.

I edited this image by increasing the contrast, white, shadows, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the exposure, highlights and blacks. I did this, so that the image is more vibrant.

I edited this image by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy, texture and saturation, while decreasing the exposure, highlights and blacks. I did this, so that the image was slightly less exposed, so that the lighting was better.

I edited this image by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, texture, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing highlights, whites and blacks. I did this, so that the image was slightly more exposed, so it was a bit brighter.

I edited these images by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the highlights and blacks. I did this, so that the images would be more vibrant.

INSPIRATION:

Whilst exploring different past A-Level Photography students work. I came across a particularly inspiring piece of work which has helped me gain my own ideas on what type of subject I would like to focus on for my Independent Study.

The work of Christianna Knight: Women of Yesterday has particularly inspired me to explore the topics of women, femininity gender stereotypes, identity and rights. I love how pristine and accurate her work is and how she has executed a distinct difference in each era and how every era shows a cultural change for women and how we have made out way to the present day, and how times have changed in women’s favour.

Her Overview:

During my personal study I enjoyed having freedom to explore my own ideas and take inspiration from artists and photographers that I am interested in. I was very inspired by Cindy Sherman’s work, I wanted to explore themes such as masquerade, costumes and stereotypes which are very present in Sherman’s studio portraits. When first collecting ideas as to what I should base my project on I decided I wanted to explore female stereotypes through costume and studio portraits. However, with so many stereotypes existing within my gender I decided to create a series of portraits depicting stereotypes from each decade of the 20th Century. As I was born in 1998, I was looking at these stereotypes with a retrospective. I also kept feminist theory in mind, relating my stereotypes to important movements in feminist history including the three main waves as well as smaller social victories for women. I felt that this project was very successful and that each decade was well planned and executed and that the nine image work well as a series.

This work has given me inspiration on exploring all different periods and eras and how fashion, rights and lifestyles have changed and adapted. The genre of women and their lifestyle changes is a topic that has been c

LENS CULTURE

My Own Work:

This photoshoot I created explored the effort and expectation of women FOR OTHERS, and how we must fit a specific narrative in order to be seen as feminine and attractive.  The portrayal of female pressure to look a certain way and act a certain way to ‘fit in’ with a specific category. This general beauty standard puts women under immense pressure to e.g. be of a slimmer build or wear a certain type of clothes. This may turn in to impacting the way women feel about their own body image and affect their self love and confidence. I feel subjects like this are easier to interpret and work on as it is a current issue each female experiences. This photoshoot inspired me to choose my personal study subject as I enjoyed exploring this topic and researching women’s rights and how they are stereotypically viewed in society and how it truly makes us feel as a collective.

This list is examples of female empowerment photographers who specialise in normalising femininity in human bodies. 

• Mar Armengol.
• Melody Melamed.
• Carlota Guerrero.
• Alba Yruela.
• Jade Beall.
• Kristina Varaksina.
• Alba Duque.
• Jade Beall.
• Kristina Varaksina.
• Alba Duque.
• Sofía Suars.
• Bruna Avellaneda.
• Rosie Alice Foster.

What I want to explore: 

The topic I would like to explore is girlhood and femininity. I will be focusing particularly on older teenagers at the age of 17-19 and the struggles of moving from adolescence to adulthood and the hardships young women face. I like this topic as it is a current topic which is faced globally, and I feel it is a topic which I will enjoy expressing my opinion on and it is an important topic which needs embracing by young people especially. I would like to initially explore how the media portrays women in positive and negative ways and how it creates derogatory and unrealistic stereotypes of women. Gender Identity and roles is a topic I wanted incorporate and the stereotypical themes and personality traits a woman is expected to have. I find this topic interesting as expectations and views on women are changing but not particularly quickly. By focusing on multiple branches of femininity and youth such as empowerment, stereotypes, different eras, I would like to cover different aspects of women, femininity gender stereotypes, identity and rights. The idealised view of women is the key part to my chosen topic, and I feel I can expand on this by including both positive and negative viewpoints. 

Why it matters to me: 

I really like the idea of femininity and women in today’s age as it is a subject that I, myself live through and endure. I can also use other young women enduring this to convey my message. I hope to express my theories on gender and identity and how women can be interpreted in different ways and do not need to fit a specific narrative. Analysing Cindy Sherman in particularly has aided this idea as she, herself has worked on how women can be interpreted in different ways and all the multiple narratives they can fit. Although, a difference I would like to express Is a positive light on women and how they can in, fact be strong and independent compared to an idealised view of being helpless and dependent on men. I would like to incorporate this specific positive side to my project because although a stigma of negativity towards women is continued in the modern day, positive changes are progressing for us as a collective. 

How I wish to develop my project: 

I would like to first develop my project by analysing artists such as Cindy Sherman and learning about her work in order to do another photoshoot inspired by her work. By posing similar to Cindy in a way that almost mocks the media and has a humorous, ‘over the top’ side to it and how a negative topic can be turned into something inspiring, beautiful but also entertaining with a humorous side to it. This photoshoot I would also then like to create a photoshoot based on the portrayal of women in the media as I believe as the digital age becomes increasingly popular and technology is consuming ore of our lives each day, people are being objectified and critiqued more than ever. After analysing different current day media products, I would like to create my first photoshoot on this. This photoshoot will explore how although all the women may look similar and may be seen for one purpose only, they also have their own lifestyles, values and emotions which is often ignored in modern day advertising. 

Which form I wish to present my study as: 

I would like to produce my work as a photobook, which contains different sections of female representation from the media to idealised versions of women and then how women may feel due to this. I feel like this array of different representations will create a powerful message on how actions have consequences and how they impact lives. I want it to look as professional as possible and for my work to stand out. I would be including my essay into my photobook and I feel that by placing it on the final pages of my photobook will help the reader to fully understand the images they have seen after reading the essay, however, by viewing the photos as the beginning of the book, an element of mystery and wonder will be created as the viewer questions the purpose of each photoshoot. 

Where and when I intend to begin my study: 

I have decided to start my study by researching artists that relate to my work such as Cindy Sherman. I will then create a shoot inspired by her work as a response to her views and displaying how I agree and empathise with her work. I will create a photoshoot in the photography studio showing a basic photoshoot of how women must display fake emotions in photographs and pretend that their forced emotions are in-fact real, when they are not. I will then focus on my next chosen photographer ‘Helmut Newton’, for his photoshoot I will be focusing on real life fashion images which may objectify and stereotype women. His work is beautiful yet occasionally provocative and suggestive, this impression of women is then spread through sales of the brands being promoted. I feel my true intention within this project is to allow my spectator/audience to really get the concept and the meaning behind my work and the message of the true importance and power of women I am trying to promote. 

Analysis Of Project: 

I will be creating photoshoots with 3 models in particular and I will be focusing predominantly on high contrast black and white images, however, some photoshoots may be in colour. My images will all be inside as many of my inspiration photographers focus on inside settings. I will also not be including any males in my images as I would like to fully focus on the female gender and promoting their rights by include young, developing women and showing how objectification affects them. I will be presenting these images through a photobook instead of a film as a book will be an accessible and straightforward way for my audience to read and understand my message in a convenient way. I will most likely include a small amount of accompanied text with each shoot to give a basic analysis and explanation of the different genres of images. I will be using Adobe Lightroom to create this photobook and will be incorporating images that have been edited and tweaked on both Lightroom and Photoshop. These decisions will help to elevate and improve my photos by adding AI, Filters and basic edits to my photos, adding meaning and value to them. 

Updated Photobook Ideas:

In my photobook I would like to create a book with 3 different chapters. These different chapters will consist of 3 different photoshoots and genres of photographs. This will differ from past and present day and how different interpretations and representations of women are explored. This will be in the style of an 70s/80s magazine with my Cindy Sherman inspired photoshoot created which displays a model with expectations to be beautiful and available for male gratification. I then will have a second chapter with a separate magazine front cover and will display a teen magazine used to display products for young girls in order to make them more attractive, this demonstrates the pressures they go through in order to exceed society’s expectations and stereotypes. My last photoshoot will be a Helmut Newton inspired photoshoot which empowers women and displays them to have power and control of their lives.

Having this research helps me to see what kind of message I would like to convey in my first photoshoot and helps me to explore the deeper meaning into my personal study and what genre of femininity and women’s rights I would like to explore. I chose to explore different advertisements and media products in the modern day which I can use to create a message in my first photoshoot. However, In my future work afterwards, I would also like to explore female empowerment in different always away from media products and advertisements and more in a ‘real-life’ everyday perspective.

Gender Identity and roles is a topic I wanted incorporate and the stereotypical themes and personality traits a woman is expected to have. For example, girls and women are generally expected to dress in typically feminine ways and be polite, accommodating, and nurturing. Men are generally expected to be strong, aggressive, and bold. Every social class and ethnic group have different expectations for women and girls and how they must act. Different domestic behaviours such as ‘staying at home’ whilst men control working and manual work is a stereotypical and unrealistic view on life which dates back to centuries ago. the personality traits were passive, gentle and caring, and often valued for how they looked and not what they did. This is unrealistic and creates an idea to women that they cannot show they emotions and are in fact not superior to males. Although times are changing, About 91 % of women with children spend at least an hour per day on housework, whereas only around 30 % of men with children do. This is an unfair and uncomprehensive balance where women are still expected to do work and be less independent with working and achieving their dreams as they are deemed to be completing a lifestyle that is chosen for them. Due to the fact men demonstrate masculinity by avoiding what has traditionally been seen as ‘women’s work’, a constant stigma of societal norms is expected from women as men choose to focus on external responsibilities.

Negatives Media Representation of Women:

Although, the media is changing and occasionally praising and embracing powerful women. Images such as these show how the media attempts to show women as a thing to promote. Objectification through images may reinforce to adolescent girls that their value is based on their appearance. Attempts to devalue women such as unrealistic beauty standards, like the perfect woman being being thin, youthful, and flawless, creates an unrealistic idea in both males and females of what you are supposed to look like. The idea of women being waiting to be saved or helpless and existing solely to support male characters undermines their individuality and power. The impact of this causes fatal results of increased rates of eating disorders, low self-esteem, and body dissatisfaction.

I took some examples from magazines and posters of women in today in my research to gain knowledge on how women are still objectified and displayed in a certain way through advertisements to entertain a male audience. The female body can be presented as a collection of separate parts, a non-thinking non-feeling object, as opposed to a whole person. The woman’s body is something to be possessed, controlled, and used for someone’s gratification. Women are sometimes reduced to individual pieces and seen as objects instead of people with personalities, futures and lives.

Positive Media Representation of Women:

However, as times change, women are now seen to be depicted by positive changes towards online objectification of women. Although it is a slow acting and gradual process, it is driven by social awareness, activism, policy changes, and cultural shifts.

• Positive movements such as:

• Advocacy for Representation

• Campaigns and Movements

• Platform Policies

• Education and Awareness

• Stronger Legal Protections

• Shifting Cultural Norms

• Empowerment Through Technology

The Gentlewoman.

The Gentlewoman is a perfect example of an present day female-empowering magazine. The Gentlewoman is a biannual magazine tailored towards middle class, professional women aged 30 and above. This magazine is used to promote women’s power and rights. This differs from other women’s magazines as it shifts from the traditional derogatory view of women in media products. This instead promotes women’s individuality and keeps things ‘real’, by challenging traditional beauty standards. This may include women with no makeup, older women and women and men wearing high fashion with confident and independent views from a range of age groups. The magazine is celebrating women of all talents, communities and ethnicities and giving them a space to promote products and personalities in a safe space which stands out from all other magazines in the modern day as women are celebrated for being themselves and still being seen as beautiful even though they are not being used to please the male audience and instead shown to be empowering each other. The Gentlewoman also chooses to focus on high-quality work such as in-depth interviews, thoughtful photography, and carefully crafted storytelling. This is a unique selling point which attracts a large amount of the world that do not want to embrace or promote media products which promote unrealistic views of women and would rather spend money and time on a product which celebrates instead of criticizes.

Relating to My Own Work.

I decided to make my images into a front page of a ‘trendy, modern day’ magazine cover in order to see what impression my photos would give in the context I am currently exploring. For example, my image on the left may represent a magazine which uses women as an object instead of embracing their identity. Whereas, my image on the right may represent an image from a magazine such as The Gentlewoman which promotes the real you, and doesn’t restrict women from showing how they feel.

My model is seen to be youthful and beautiful. She must have smooth, glowing skin, often enhanced by makeup and digital retouching. Her pose must emphasize femininity, such as arched backs or tilted heads, whilst directly looking at the viewer, in order to engage with them and entice them. Her makeup must enhance her main features like eyes, lips, and cheekbones, often with a polished and clean look. The woman must fit an idealised version of females with long healthy hair and European beauty ideals. Her facial expression is on the left serious and straightforward. Whereas on the right, her emotion is happy and radiating positivity. In my personal opinion, the article on the right is more appealing and visually interesting because the model is enjoying herself and portraying positivity which reels in a viewer. However, in the modern day, women are still made to look miserable and down in images to degrade their value and exclude their personality or substance from the image as something to just promote the product they may be wearing or holding.

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.

1. why do people smile in photos – Google Search ↩︎
2. how many people dont want to smile in photos – Google Search ↩︎