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Identity, Femininity, Masculinity Project – Photoshoot 1

With this being my mood board I decided to take inspiration from one image and chose to take a more creative outlook showing the make of the makeup look, to give an almost behind the scenes mood.

Untitled #360
Cindy Sherman 2000

I worked with different heights, lighting and poses to give a variety of images to choose from. This allowed me to make a further selection in which images I want to edit and makes changes to.

I then did the behind-the-scenes esque photoshoot where I pretended the camera was the mirror I was doing my makeup in.

I chose image 6 to be my final image to compare the original photo as I think I positioned myself best and used the the same facial expressions as Cindy Sherman. I also think the lighting and height were more accurate than the other images I could’ve chosen because I think the photo is angled lower rather than at head height.

Here I took the image I think fits best with Cindy Sherman’s photo and edited it to look similar. I cropped and upped the saturation to give an almost doll-like look to the image. I also used the drawing tool to give myself the same colour nail polish which allowed me to get the same effect that Cindy Sherman used.

For these images I decided to take on my own approach giving an almost behind-the-scenes take on it. I took pictures during me putting on the bright makeup. This to me shows a feminine side as growing up as a girl to me is exploring and finding out how to do makeup. The use of the bright makeup allowed me to be more creative with this shoot and editing because I needed to try and accentuate the brightness and extremeness of the look.

Here I also decided to mesh to photos together to create almost a story of how i’m getting ready. I think it looks good because the haziness of the left photo blended with the right makes it seem as if it were intentional. If I were to do this again I would make sure the camera is more focused which would make the image look clearer yet, it still works with how it’s normally taken.

Next time, I’d use a tripod to help me set up and get the images straight which would mean less editing for me. It would also help me by having a place the camera can be set, I’d also try and use natural if possible as you can tell in the images how fluorescent the lighting is.

Identity, Femininity and Masculinity Project

Identity is what makes us as a human. Everything we do leads to our identity which defines who we are. This could be a range from your finger print, hair colour and behavioural traits etc.

Femininity are qualities in which are ‘female’ or ‘girly’. The word is normally used against women as they are seen as more let loose and bubbly however there are other ways femininity can be seen as a bad way to describe how women act because males often see women in household settings like, cooking or cleaning because this is seen as a feminine thing to do as its almost a delicate way of living because they are home bound and not doing ‘masculine’ activities.

Masculinity are qualities in which are ‘male’ or ‘acting tough’. The word normally links to men as they are usually seen as having to be masculine. This means instead of doing household work they’re outside providing for the women showing that they are in charge of the house. However, the thought of having to be ‘masculine’ can effect boys’ mentality as they think they need to fit in a specific category causing them to think which side is wrong or right and which one they should fit in.

Identity, Femininity and Masculinity can be strongly influenced by where you’ve lived, who you surround yourself with and many other attributes. Cultural identity allows people to be closer to who their family are but can lead to aspects in which people might not want to participate in like having an arranged marriage set up for a woman who doesn’t want to but with her culture its allowed. Social identity is also a major problem as society is a big part of the world but this means it can lead people judging and giving their opinions on how someone should act, dress or look like. This can affect someone deeply if it’s coming from people you might know or just a group of people who have opposing views from you. This leads to stereotyping and prejudice against women and men having to act how the rest of the world wants them to act. Women stereotyping are seen as doing delicate jobs and only helping their higher male figure, while men are seen ass doing the hard stuff providing for their families, laying back, playing sports etc however when either gender steps out of that category society sees this as a personal attack as they ‘aren’t fitting in society’.

Cindy Sherman was a key figure of the movement Pictures Generation. This movement was a transformation that reveals identity as role-play, where femininity appears as something that is shaped by male expectations. The pictures were profoundly intriguing to intellectuals of the time.

Before becoming a photographer, in 1972 Sherman enrolled in the visual arts department at Buffalo state University, where she majored in painting. However, when she finished school in 1977 she moved to New York where she would begin working on what would become the Untitled Film Stills.

Her main key goals were to explore with themes such as identity, gender, and the role of women in society. She achieved these goals by using herself (self-portraiture) to create fictional characters to explore such themes. A range of personas are created as she uses make up, costumes, lighting and settings to make each of them different like, Clowns (2003-2004) a series of colourful images where Sherman portrays herself as a variety of clowns, or Untitled Film Stills (1977-1980) a series of black-and-white photos in which she plays various female characters inspired by film noir.

Photoshoot plan 1 & 2:

  • location: my house —> my room, kitchen, living room and dining room
  • People: myself in different settings —> self portraits
  • lighting: natural lighting using windows or artificial light to emphasise the image setting
  • how i’m going to do it: using my Sony camera
  • editing ideas: use Lightroom to turn most images b&w or turn up the saturation

Rosanna Jones is a photographer and mixed media image maker based in London. She is a graduate in Fashion Photography from Falmouth University. Her work specialises in an experimental blend of art and photography; celebrating the physical possibilities of an image, rather than simply its two dimensional form. Her trademark aesthetic has been built through years of painting over, ripping up, burning and otherwise distressing her photography to create tactile portraits that defy the flat images they once were.

She finds destroying the photographs a largely therapeutic process and her work “draws attention to portrait photography’s central conflict—the idea that taking a person’s photo can immortalize them, in a way, but it can also be an act of violence.” Jones also did another collection called “Skin” about how body image, positive or negative, can impact identity.

A lot of Jones’ work is making a statement about misogyny and the male gaze within the art/photography world, as it is still mainly dominated by men. Her manipulations of the photographs and the fact that in most of them the majority of the model’s bodies are painted over or edited so that they are unclear, even to the extent of being torn up could symbolise that Jones refuses to let her model’s bodies be exploited and wants people to focus on the photograph and why she creates it the way it is, rather than only focusing on the model’s body itself. This is clearly shown in another of her collections called ‘Girls’ where she manages to convey more attention to what’s going on in the image rather than the girls in the picture.

Photoshoot plan 3:

  • location: friends house —> their room, plain walls —> outside, shed, hammock
  • people: friend —> style them to fit the different shoots (including hair, makeup etc). —> myself to add contrast to the images (helps link to other photos in the mood board)
  • lighting: —> mostly artificial lighting as most images are set in a studio, some natural lighting
  • how i’m going to do it: using my Sony camera, my polaroid camera and my cheap digital camera to capture an old style of shooting.
  • editing idea: print out most photos —> tear them up, paint over them, glue and layer them —> edit them in Lightroom where i can turn them into b&w if need to

Creative Portraits

I used images from the studio lighting photoshoot to be able to create these images. Whilst doing that I also used coloured gels to give the images a different look to them making none the same.

I put all the images into lightroom where I would be able to see all of them in better detail. This also helped me choose which photos I wanted to use and which ones I didn’t. We used a range of poses to see which ones would look the best and different shutter speeds to see how it would look against the coloured gel.

I went through the images and chose 9 final ones to edit. I chose these pictures because I felt I had the most creative freedom to do something with it. I inspired colours from Spider-man using the red and blue and making Emma pose as if she’s just found out she’s been bitten. Using other movies the blue and red reminded me of Star Wars, good vs. evil. I made Luke and Emma pose on either side of the light to show the contrast

Here I used two images and layered them. I then turned down the opacity of one creating a split effect. I also used a high saturation setting to create the vibrant colours, I like this image because you can still see both pictures even if they are layered. The clothing from each picture are also opposite colours which adds a nice contrast.

In this image I used the same technique as the one before to create the overlay effect. This created a cool layering of colours on the clothes and in the background giving the picture depth and tone.

With this image I used the smudge tool where I would use it to almost erase her eyes and used the spot blemish tool to fully erase her mouth to give it a creepy look. The harsh lines of red and blue on her eyes give a nice contrast to the blended blue and red on her jumper.

I went for a more simple look just overlaying one image on another however, both images are completely different creating strong contrast between both pictures.

For this image I layered multiple of the same image and either moved them up or down to create the desired effect. I then lowered the opacity to create a multi-exposure look like Alexander Rodchenko

For this image I decided to overlay the same image and flip it upside down. I also turned the original image black and white so the upside image with the selected overlay setting would be visible and create a cool effect, curating a contrast between pictures.

Lastly, I used the original image of the red and blue and decided to incorporate the colours by surrounding them in the neon versions of them, this created a ‘trippy’ effect.

https://www.artsteps.com/

Studio Lighting Portraits

Studio Lighting is any form of lighting equipment used when taking photos. It’s also used by photographers, often when working in a photography studio, to enhance their photography. Most professional photographers have different light kits they use depending on the situation they find themselves shooting in.

The purpose of studio lighting to illuminate their images and videos. Lighting is a very important tool when it comes to controlling the image. And using studio lights in an effective way is an art in itself.

The Three different types of point lighting are:

  • Key Light – 1 point lighting
  • Fill Light – 2 point lighting
  • Backlight – 3 point lighting

One-point lighting would involve just one light and this would be illustrated as the key light. The way in which we would utilise this light effectively would be to use a softbox in order to convert the light into a powerful diffusion light source.

Two-point lighting is a basic lighting technique used in film and photography that involves the use of two light sources to illuminate a subject. This setup creates depth and dimension, enhancing the visual appeal by casting shadows and highlights that define shapes.

Three-point video lighting is all about creating a three-dimensional look. By placing three light sources at strategic points around the subject, each light source illuminates a separate dimension of the subject and creates an image with greater representation of height, width, and depth.

  1.  Rembrandt lighting is characterized by an illuminated triangle (also called “Rembrandt patch”) under the eye of the subject on the less illuminated side of the face. It is named for the Dutch painter Rembrandt, who occasionally used this type of lighting.
  2. Butterfly lighting is a lighting pattern used in portrait photography where the key light is placed above and pointing down on the subject’s face. This creates a dramatic shadow under the nose and chin that looks like a butterfly.
  3. Chiaroscuro lighting refers to the intentional employment of highlights and shadows to draw attention to the shape of the subject. In order to produce striking contrasts, this approach usually entails employing a single light source — such as a lamp or window — positioned at a certain angle.
 Rembrandt lighting
Butterfly shape just under the nose
Butterfly lighting
Chiaroscuro lighting

David Bailey is an English fashion photographer best known for his images of celebrities, models, and musicians. Born on January 2, 1938 in London, United Kingdom, Bailey dropped out of high school to serve in the Royal Air Force where he developed an interest in the photography of Henri Cartier-Bresson. Over the course of the 1960s and 70s, the artist gained attention from the press after a string of high-profile marriages to Jean Shrimpton, Catherine Deneuve, and Marie Helvin. In 1965, he published his first photography book Box of Pin-Ups, a collection of black-and-white images portraying Mick Jagger, The Beatles, Twiggy, and Andy Warhol, along with several other celebrity figures.

Bailey has gone on to receive the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire from Queen Elizabeth II, and in 2016 a Lifetime Achievement award from the International Center of Photography in New York. The artist’s photographs are held in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Technical: the lighting is artificial as the photo was taken in a studio where the flash was used as the lighting technique used is split lighting, where half of the face is lit up whilst the other half isn’t. The level of contrast in the face is not that major as the right eye is still very visible and bright, although the right side of the blazer is a much lighter grey than the right shows that the light was more angled at the blazer. A reflector could of been used to create the lighter right eye so the viewer would be able to see a full face. The ISO seems at a low sensitivity as the image isn’t grainy so it doesn’t show that much texture but enough to see it on the blazer. The shutter speed seems quite fast because enough light has entered where it’s not over-exposed but also not under-exposed. The white balance was probably set to daylight as the photographer used a flash trigger.

Visual: the image has been set to black and white to show its tone and contrast better. This also gives a darker, moodier feel to the photo which adds character to it and makes it not boring. You’re able to see the texture of the jacket showing depth . The model is in the centre of the lens which means he is in the middle ground.

Contextual: the photographer normally took pictures of famous singers of the time so Mick Jagger was a perfect model as he was in The Rolling Stones. At the time british rock music was popular so bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and singers like David Bowie would be good candidates.

My aim is to achieve at least 3 good photos with each technique whilst being in different poses and using different colour gels. This would get me a good range of photos to edit as I would have a nice variety to post. I’ll also use the reflector to bounce the light onto the models face to see what that would look like and see what effect is created and with doing that I’d also do a range of different shots and angles: close-ups, rule of thirds, low angle etc this would allow me to get images like David Bailey whom I’m getting inspiration from.

My Environmental Portraits

This is my school contact sheet where I went around school and found teachers and students to photograph. This gave me a range of ages and different looks to people as they were all doing something different. This also allowed me to get comfortable with asking people to pose as I started in a place I know.

This is my out of school contact sheet where I was able to capture pictures of people in their work or doing their hobby. I went around town and managed to capture images of people in the market doing their everyday job. I also was able to get images of my friends in their bedrooms which helped me to get my inspiration photos.

I went through and flagged which of the images I prefered this helped me choose which pictures would be in my finals choices. In doing that I also starred some images to help choose my final pieces.

This image was able to capture two teachers in their natural area being a classroom. I managed to capture them in their original positions showing how neutral looking they are. They are engaging the audience by looking at the camera inviting them in.

In this image I was able to photograph two sisters in their room where the lighting was more blue and calmer. The facial expressions are neutral and I made sure they had eye contact with the camera. I also posed them in a neutral position as if they just got stopped having a conversation. This created a very enclosed environment because it shows that they were turned inwards and are look at the viewer as if they’ve been interrupted.

I was able to capture this photo by going in to town where I went to the shop ‘Chaos’ and took a photo of the man sorting out his cds. To switch it up I directed him to look away from the camera so it would be less personal. The chaotic background helps distinguish the man from his surroundings as he is in darker clothing.

I managed to capture this photo by going into a charity shop where I posed the man in front of the clustered background. The blue jumper links the blue to his left which adds a nice cool tone to the picture instead of a warmer one like the pink is making in the back. For this image, I asked him to look away and hold a prop of a couple books to show what he was doing that day. When he stopped he was already holding the books in a very neutral position which was good as he didn’t have to act in a way he didn’t want.

In this image i was able to link all the colours in the photo to something else in it. Like the yellow bananas with the yellow logo in the background. This image stands out from other images as its someone doing their job outside in town rather than a little shop. I directed him to have a neutral facial expression however, I didn’t have to do much as that’s how he naturally looks anyways, which helped when telling him how to act. I also asked him to pose neutrally as is he’s waiting for someone to come and order.

In these photos I decided to create a more ‘homely’ feel as the bedroom pictures are more personal and intimate as it shows off their personality and what they are interested in. I got two images of the same girl as she shows a neutral expression throughout the whole shoot these two images stood out to me because of how everything is positioned. In the 1st image I posed her neutrally as if she’s just relaxing on her bed this also allowed us to see the view of her room and how she’s decided to decorate it. Whilst in the 2nd photo I have her posed with her guitar showing what her hobby is. Again I have her in a neutral position with a neutral facial expression looking at the view almost like playing something to them.

Personal Favourite
Personal Favourite
Personal Favourite

For the bedroom photos I decided to turn the saturation higher so it would match Michelle Sank’s style of editing as her photos are normally bright. She also gets them to pose naturally almost showing off the bedroom instead of the person.

I tried putting this image in black & white however, I prefered how it looked in normal colour as it showed off more features of her and the room. I also edited it so she would be brighter than the room to create more emphasis on the model but it just made it look strange so that’s why I decided to stick with it in colour.

Whilst I didn’t use the bottom two I wanted to edit them just to see how they would look in the Arnold Newman style of being black and white. I put the top one in black and white to fit with the style and it so he would stand out from the noisy background however, it fits with Newman’s style of photography because in the photos he usually directs the person to have something in their arms/hand or stuff in the background that correlate to what the model does as a hobby or a job.

Overall I think I got pictures that were inspired by the two artists I chose and more abstract ones that I took in my own direction. However, next time I would prefer to get more angles to give more variety to my photoshoots. I’d also want to get some images of typology to give me another thing to post on the blog.

Environmental Portraits – Key Features

Environmental Portraits are photographs of people in their natural environment like: a workplace, a hobby or their home something that captures that person as they are.

I’ve decided to look at two different portrait photographers (Arnold Newman and Michelle Sank), this is because I wanted to create a variety of images for my final pieces.

Artists Research

Arnold Newman was born in 1938 in New York City and studied at the University of Miami however, he died in 2006. He was considered as the pioneer of the environmental portrait, he was the most influential photographers in the 20th Century. He started by working at chain portrait studios in Philadelphia and immediately began creating his own abstract and documentary style photography. Normally, his style of photography is black and white however, in some photos he has chose to use colour to show the contrast or how the light is captured. He also uses a low angle to capture the person eye to eye and most of the time the person getting photographed is looking directly into the camera.

Michelle Sank was born in South Africa and settled in the UK in 1987. She cites this background as informing her interest in sub-cultures and the exploration of contemporary social issues and challenges. Her crafted portraits and landscapes meld place and person creating sociological, visual and psychological narratives. She normally uses colour for her images as she uses vibrant colours throughout her pictures. She usually take pictures of young people which to me captures youth and the personality they have which is why she might use bright colours as it represents young people. She uses a range of angles as some of her pictures are full body whilst some are three quarter length. She doesn’t have a specific way she wants them to look at the camera as there is a mix of direct eye contact and an averted gaze.

I’ve decided to base my project on home photography and capturing people in their bedrooms which to me show what type of person they are and what they are interested in. This gives me lots of creative freedom because every room is different giving me a different result each time. I will also try and get pictures of people in the place of work or doing a hobby this would link with the artist Arnold Newman. To do this I would go to the market and ask people there if I could take a picture in their workplace. This would get me a good positioning of the person and it would be better.

Texture Homework

‘Untitled’ – Guy Bourdin c.1950s

Original Photos:

ISO – 800
ISO – 800
ISO – 800
ISO – 800

Edited Photos:

I started by cropping the image just so you’d be able to see the texture of the item. I then decreased the exposure (-1.75) so the image would be darker and the lines more visible, this helped see the texture even more. I added only a little bit of contrast (+16) just so the top of the image, which is lighter, would be a little darker. I played around with the highlights (+81) and shadows (-39) reverting the image back to how it looked yet still giving it a different look. I did the same with the white clipping (+35) and the black clipping (-37) trying to figure out what it would look like with these edits. Furthermore, I added some texture (+11) and upped the clarity (+40) so the lines would be more crisp. Lastly, I added some dehaze (+19) so the colour of the photo would be a bit warmer and the shadows more visible.
I started by decreasing the exposure (-0.18) so the light from the flash would be as bright. I then upped the contrast (+67) so the image would be a brighter orangey brown, this was because it added a different tone to the image. After, I fully decreased the highlights (-100) so the whites on the wood would lower so it wouldn’t be as bright. I then also fully decreased the white clipping (-100) so the shadows would be even more visible in between the gaps. Furthermore, I added texture (+42) so the wood texture would be more crisp and distinguishable. Lastly, I added some clarity (+14) which didn’t do much but it helped the image look more put together.
I started with decreasing the highlights fully (-100) so the image wouldn’t be as bright, this helped with the texture on the zip and on the bag next to it too. I then decreased the shadows (-33) so the zip texture would be more visible and the overall image would be slightly darker. I played around with the white clipping (-100) fully decreasing it so the highlights that were olef ton the image wouldn’t be seen. Furthermore, I decreased the black clipping (-60) to try and get the zipper texture even more defined. I then added a little texture (+39) which helped the lines and stitching on the bag become more evident. Lastly, I added some clarity so the shadows in the image were darker to create a contrast between the cream colour and the navy blue.
I started by decreasing the exposure (-1.75) making the image darker to take away the flash lighting. I also turned up the exposure (+32) trying to get the brightness of the top of the image lowered so the patch could be one colour. However, I then decided to try and create a gradient from light to dark which is why I fully maxed out the highlights (+100). Lastly, I added some shadows (+19) so the top of the patch would be a bright beige.

Technical:

Visual:

Contextual:

I created a virtual gallery to show off the pictures I thought were the best. This also allowed me to arrange them how I would like and choose different borders for each image, interchanging the black and white frames. I chose images with different lighting and texture to show my range of skills, I made sure to put three images of each subject: paperballs and ripped ripped paper. I also made two perspectives to show the different colours and how lighting can affect how the shadows can look.

Overall, I think I interpreted the paper balls theme well as i showed texture and a range of different backgrounds which allowed me to use different ISO’s and shutter speed. However, I wish I used different lighting instead of white or red as it would of been good to see other colours and how the shadows would be.

Photoshoot: Paper Balls ISO

I decided to focus my photoshoot and take the black an white tone aspect to my photos as the light shows a strong contrast between the two colours. I also chose to take the pictures in natural and artificial light to see the difference it makes to the shot. Furthermore, I took pictures in front of a black and white background to see how the paper ball would contrast with a different background.

Original Photos:

ISO – 100
ISO – 250
ISO – 1600

Edited Photos:

I started by upping the highlights (+40) and maxing the shadows so the white would standout from the black as it was a big contrast. I then upped the whites (+25) and blacks (+42) to help the large contrast. I added some clarity and texture so the crevices could be visible.
I started with cropping the image. I then upped the exposure (+0.70), and fully upped the contrast to show the dark shadows of the paper ball. I also lowered the highlights (-81) so the dark colours would stand out. Lastly, I upped the texture (+16) and clarity (+42) so you would be able to see the image clearly.
I started by converting the image to black & white so the shadows and highlights would stand out. I then turned the exposure down (-2.37) so the white colour would allow the creases to be visible. I upped the contrast (+40) to help as well. Next I maxed the texture, upped the clarity (+14) and upped the dehaze (+86) so the creases and folds would look crisp.

Technical:

Visual:

Contextual:

Artist Research

Paul Jackson is a specialist in origami and the folded arts. He was one of the pioneers of folding/origami as Fine Art lots oh his work has been put in galleries and museums.  He has also curated several ground-breaking exhibitions of origami, undertaken many commercial commissions for print, screen-based media, festivals and more, and has been a consultant for companies such as Siemens, Nike, Tetra-Pak and Tata.

I took the inspiration from the origami and decided to make a white paper crane. I did this because I would be able to play around with the colour of it in Adobe Lightroom. I also chose to create a landscape with torn paper. This is because the torn area gives the photo good texture and I worked with different lighting to see how that would effect the shadows.

I then went through the pictures and decided which ones I liked best

Original Photos:

ISO – 100
ISO – 800
ISO – 100
ISO – 100

Edited Photos:

I started by upping the exposure (+3.07) to make the image brighter. After I maxed out (+!00) the contrast to give it more depth. I slightly added some temperature (+14) to give it it’s ‘sandy’ colour. I decreased the highlights (-63) to lessen the white light on the top. I then added texture (+68) to give it the ‘sandy’ look, this is because my idea was to make it seem as if you were on a beach. Lastly, I upped the clarity to give it more shadows and texture.
I lowered the exposure (-1.32) to give it a darker look and make the shadows darker. I upped the texture (+93) so the ripped edges would be more defined and roughen up the shadows to make them look rigid. Then, I upped the clarity (+37) to give the ripped edges some shadows. Lastly, I decided to convert the image to black and white.
I ended up just maxing the texture (+100) to make the image less blurred as the image had a lot going on already I wouldn’t be able to do much more without it looking strange.
I started by decreasing the exposure (-0.61) to make it look darker and have the paper crane stand out from the background. I then maxed out the texture (+100) to make the edges of the crane crisp and tidy and emphasise the creases. Lastly, I decided to up the clarity (+21) just to give the background more depth.

Technical:

Visual:

Contextual:

ISO

High ISO Pictures

You’d want to use a high ISO when wanting an image that looks ‘noisy’ or ‘grainy’. You’d use it when in a low light situation.

Low ISO Pictures

Artist Research: Edward Weston

One of the most influential American photographers of the 20th century, Edward Weston has had a significant impact on the history of photography. His work was first published in 1906, and his career continued until his death in 1958.

I chose to go into the music studio where there was low light to achieve the results I needed. I then took the same picture in with different ISO’s to see the how it would look.

Photoshoot: Shutter Speed & Exposure

My contact sheet which helped me look over all my photos. I did this by using Adobe Lightroom

A shutter speed and exposure photoshoot was taken to understand how each skill is done

Through Adobe Lightroom I used ‘P’ and ‘X’ which allowed me to flag the photos I think looked best and which show a clear understanding of each skill

Original Images

These are my edited photos