What I used for my Photo Shoots & Reflection

What I used for my Photo Shoots:

Black and White photo Shoot- Monochromatic Beauty Shoot

Model: Nicole Coleville

• Lighting used: Soft Box 
• White Background
• Reflector white side
• Mood: Fierce, strong, mysterious, edgy
• Concentrated on the lips and strong fierce eyes

Products used:
kryolan Foundation Palette
Body Shop Shimmer palette
Mac eye palette
Mac eye brow pencil shade light brown
Mac Rose lip liner with matching gloss
Benefit they're big mascara

For my Black and White shoot, I wanted a fierce model, with great structure and strong features that would work with my shoot that I wanted to create. I chose my model based on what I wanted and she worked great with the camera and my images came out as planned. 

When arriving to my studio time, I had done my models make-up and hair in a natural beauty way, with monochromatic beauty with use of beige colours with shimmer and brown tones; my make-up was very subtle but however I felt complimented her features.

I then hired a camera got all my equipment set up appropriately according to what I wanted with equipment and making sure the everything was in a tidy or away from any hazards, I had an assistant Harriet to help me set up also, 

I used a soft box with a white back drop to give my photo shoot a soft light, not too harsh and to really compliment my models features. This worked well, even though I had to adjust the light several times to make it perfect to get great images.

Before shooting I showed my model images from my mood board for inspiration for her and what I wanted to create with the shoot, I also directed her how I wanted her to be and kept her moving and to keep taking the photographs. I felt very engaged with my model and the shoot went smoothly.

Reflection of Shoot:

My model took direction well and knew what I wanted to achieve, I loved the lighting and the overall look and how it came out. however, I had a slight problem with photo shop to do a few adjustments and also the positioning of the small box to give the best lighting on her face to really compliment her features. I loved the subtle glow and highlight i achieved with the make-up and the focus on the lips and cheek bones. If I had to change something or to do it again I would of practiced more, tried and more lightings and looks to give me more options, I also need to work on my editing skills also. However, I really enjoyed the shoot and my model also did as I kept engaged with her throughout.

Coloured Beauty Shoot

Model: Toby Oldfield 

• Lighting used: White Umbrella
• Back drop: White 
• Mood: Energy, Fun, Happy, colourful, Summer and Free
• Concentrated on the eyes, with the colour used and the hair.

Products used:
Kryolan 

For my Colour Beauty shoot, I wanted a model with wild hair, quirky appearance and with real individuality, which I got with my model. It was a lot of fun to do and working with him was easy and enjoyable which shows in the photos I produced. I got the mood I was going for with the facial expressions also.

Before arriving to the studio I styled his hair slightly as he has dreads so this was difficult, but I teased them and directed how I wanted him to use his hair in the photo shoot.

I applied yellow underneath his eyes, to reflect happiness and joy, I used this slightly under the eyes, I wanted a mix match of colours throughout the shoot, with the clashing of his top and his hat and overall I liked the madness of it all.

I hired the camera out, got the studio set up with my assistant Amy helping me out with placing equipment in certain areas to keep it tidy and hazard free. 

I used a white umbrella and a white back drop, I had to adjust also the setting on the light to get the correct lighting I wanted, as the photos became over exposed then too dark and I found it slightly difficult to get the balance but with practice and retaking them I got the images I had hoped for.

I used the white umbrella and white back drop for a soft lighting, easy to aim at my model to get the best light and it worked well for the theme of my shoot. 

I also showed my model the mood board I had created and also talked through whilst carrying out the make-up and hair on him about how I wanted the mood of the shoot and I also directed him accordingly and made him jump around and be really energetic within the shoot, it was fun and creative and learnt a lot. 

Mood Board for Both Shoots

Mood Board for Black & white & colour photo shoot

Choosing the right model to fit your look

Choosing the right model to fit your look

Reference: Class notes

The perfect model to fit the Genre of your shoot

It is essential to pick a model who has the look you want, someone who will fit your genre, for example if you were going for an alternative genre/ look you would choose someone with an edgy side, this might include piercings, tattoos or suits dark shades of make-up.

Images of test shots with my model in the studio

It is key to make sure you model is always comfortable during their time at the shoot, keep them hydrated if they are dehydrated this makes the skin tight and keeps them alert it reflects in their complexion. Make sure they relax as if they aren't this will show in photos, they may look tense and you won't get the pictures you wanted, as they will look awkward and unrelaxed, therefore you want them to be as comfortable in your presence as possible.

Test shots

Keep them engaged throughout their time with you, pay for your models travel costs if they are doing a free photo shoot for you and also give them copies of the images once they have been edited, never give a model images as soon as the shoot is finished as they aren't ready and this will reflect on your reputation if you give them straight out.
Time management is key, make sure you keep onto top of things don't put too much pressure on yourself, spread out each task and make sure your make-up is complete before getting in the studio to take photos. Be prepared with lighting, what kind of lighting and equipment you're going to use and make sure the studio is already to go, in a organised manner with structure, in order to make the shoot go smoothly throughout.

Directing your model
Directing your model is important, keep them upbeat with great direction, confidence and enthusiasm, this will keep the model interested and engaged in what you want the images to look like. This is vital especially if your model is inexperienced, speak clearly and direct to your model and this will help them with their nerves. Take tear sheets with you examples of images, this is the best way to demonstrate a pose and what look you want to achieve.

Make sure you're relaxed as well as the model, keep positive, if they are doing well make sure you enhance the fact they are and be friendly and direct to your model. Always engage and listen to your model, never be quiet. Be honest and but rude, keep a positive body language up, if you've had a bad week do not let this reflect on the day and always stay in a good mood as this will reflect in your work on camera and may even reflect on the model.

Fine tune your shot, do not rely on post production to correct your work, stay on top of your game, minimal editing is good. It is hard to find a reliable model, so have a back up model or someone in jump in if they become busy, make sure they don't have a heavy night before the shoot and advice them to drink a lot of water and have a early night so they are prepared for the day after.
Always be ready to take a picture as you can get the best shots when your model doesn't realise, when they are in their natural state which makes them more relaxed, you never know what beautiful pictures you can get from just being on the ball with taking loads of photos, the more you take the more you can choose from.

Me messing about during my partners shoot, myself looking a bit mad

Choosing the mood for your shoot

Back drop

Lighting

Posing/ expression

Correct model for the look

Clothing

Types of Lighting 
High Key- Bright, contrast, poppy colours, bright face.
Low Key- Lighting from side, usually in natural light.

Minimal editing is great as it doesn't change the model completely it just touches up e.g. blemishes, dark circles. Keeping it natural is important and reflects natural beauty.
During my class with Chris I learnt a lot about how to pick the right model for your look, how to manage them with professionalism and enjoyed engaging with seeing how all photos are edited to the extreme and this made me feel that I wanted to keep my final images as natural as possible as I don't want to change the way my model looks but to enhance their features with the use of my make-up skills and great lighting to show my work. I am very excited to get stuck in with the shoot and to test shoot different looks etc.

The Symbol of Power

The Symbol of Power! 

References:
David LaChapelle Book- LACHAPELLELAND

These photographs I believe show power and wealth by the symbolic accessories used throughout the photographs that I found within the David LeChapelle book. I love the vibrancy and boldness of these photos. In the first image a lot of rich colours are used such as reds and golds which represent wealth and power. She looks fierce and very sure of herself as she peers at the hand held mirror, her pose is strong and direct, she looks confident with the use of her extravagant, embellished, detailed dress, she is showing this off with her positioning and I love the power of this photograph by David LeChapelle.

Photograph 1.

Photograph 2.

Everyone is taking pictures of her, all eyes on her in this photo, I like this picture as it very different approach to wealth and power, she is showing flesh but she seems to be in control and confidence. She is holding an Oscar, to represent fame and also the stars 'Hall of fame' . 

Photograph 3.

She has vibrant colours on, jewels on her corset, long coat with fur represents wealth as it is expensive and you only see wealthy people with this. She looks confident, with open body language and on a strange pig where you'd see animals in photos which is also a sign of power and control. 

This photograph is also by David LeChapelle, you can tell by his bold, odd, interesting photographs.

Photograph 4.

I love this photograph of Elton John standing on a piano with lots of statue leopards around him, it strange but protrays he's king of the animal pack, he's boss and shows wealth and power as he is in total control of the photo.

Photograph 5.

Big hats, bright colours, body language, laughing women, fur collars and a person strapped to the floor, this shows power and wealth. It portrays that they are better I believe because they have money and this takes control in the photo. Their confidence is sassy and I like the creativity of this photo, there is a lot going on. 

Editing Photographs, where does the line stop?

Editing Photographs, why does the line stop?

In our lesson of digital Image we downloaded a app on our phone called face-tune, it is where you can take photos and edit them e.g. with the use of brightening the skin, smoothing out the skin to get rid of unwanted blemishes or lines/ wrinkles, it can do all sorts of things to get your desired look. We had a task to take a picture of our partner and to adjust the picture to how you want it and we had to count how many times we changed something about the photo and we did the same thing but on ourselves. I only changed 3 things on both photos of myself and my partner in class, I think this was because we were told in a previous class to keep editing to a minimal, we don't want to change the face entirely that it looks like someone else, we want to keep their identity.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/317644579938334793/

Unknown model

During this class we discussed questions among us about editing and where does the line stop with improving your looks?

I think personally, editing is a good thing in order to remove insecurities for example, unwanted blemishes, marks on the face but kept to a minimal, I don't want to remove my models looks, identity by editing to much. I just would want to touch up the photo it make it sharp and more defined, add shading, but I don't want to play with their face shape/ eyes/ mouth. I would like to choose my model based on the genre I want my photo to be, I wouldn't pick my model then change their overall look.

I was researching into photo shop and how extreme some people went with completely reshaping peoples bodies and faces, I found this one which was a quick video and how she dramatically changed, it is a serious wake up call to what is happening and giving todays audience false expectations of how to look, it is beyond me and my mind I can't seem to get my head around it all at such a extreme way. I understand if people want blemishes or anything slightly removed that they were so concerned about edited but not reconstructing the entire face, it's madness.

Heres a link to the clip I found that really made me think about what is happening in today's society.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDs-LeLdauU

I feel this is offence to the model and it scares me to think that this technology can retouch make-up and someones overall look in order to make them look like someone completely different. We want to see the make-up and hair skills in the picture, we don't want to retouch there work so much we can't see their work properly.

Should we be playing with body shape? Is there a time to do that? 

You see photos of celebrities and models and how they are slimmed down even more so and the public are seeing unrealistic pictures and believe they are real. This gives people false expectations and they become desired to a smaller, skinny look like models and this is unhealthy. I believe we shouldn't be playing with body shape, it is basically feeding the audience lies and giving the "Desired look" which is unhealthy and unrealistic. I believe beauty is irregular beauty, people of sorts and sizes are all beautiful in their own way, I enjoy seeing character within photos, showing personality, I would like to see more of this in campaigns, this is truly beautiful when people feel comfortable in themselves and this reflects in pictures.
What people want these days is to see symmetry, youth, good coloured complexion, flawless skin, slim etc. But don't you think this is boring? I think seeing the same air brushed unrealistic image is dull and I would like to see personality within the pictures on beauty editorials/ campaigns etc.

How much is too much post production?

In class we were shown pictures of women from different ethnic backgrounds and they were edited to suit "the perfect look" for example there was a woman from eastern Europe and her face was Westernized to fit the look they wanted, at first I thought it was a completely different woman, different shaped face, eyes, mouth, nose, everything about her was different and this scared me to think that a computer can change someones appearance so much that they become unrecognisable.

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/photoshop/images/3515453/title/extreme-photoshop-makeover-photo

unknown model

I believe this image to beyond madness!

I believe this is wrong and shouldn't be done, how would the model feel? someone changing your face entirely that you cannot see yourself in the picture, this is wrong. Peoples character is within their face shapes and sizes and makes them who they are. If you edit a picture so much it is called "Uncanny Valley" this is editing to the beyond. I truly believe minimal is best, we don't want to take someones identity away from them.

Also we had to ask our partners how they felt by myself editing their picture; my partner liked the fact I kept it minimal, but hid her insecurities e.g. dark circles and blemishes. I also brightened the face and kept it as simple as that, it was minimal but effective and it gave us both the look we wanted. If I were to do this activity again I would use a better camera, do the hair and make-up to fit the look I wanted, using the best equipment is key and putting your skills into use to reflect on the image is important, however I did like the app, it was strange how you could edit the picture so much.

Is it about Beauty or is it about Power?

Is it about Beauty or is it about Power? 

References also

Class notes and own thoughts

You see men and women portrayed differently in the fashion Beauty industry, they both model and pose differently, but why? Men model in a dominant, powerful stance whereas a majority of high end fashion shoots women are in awkward poses in different angles, with their bodies facing away or their head is tilted in an odd way. You don't think about it until you really look and see beyond the picture, you really think and question, is this a pose of a powerful, supermodel? Or are they reflecting child like poses, helpless, defenceless, victimised women? 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/gwyneth-paltrow-vanity-fair-argument-2461968

Model Gwyneth Paltrow 

I believe there is too much sexual desire in photographs, magazines all over the media and outer beauty is being focused on instead of the character of the person in the photograph. You will see in most beauty campaigns young women modelling clothes or advertising certain products as it reflects youth and the look of never getting older, media put young people in magazine and across media as they believe this is beauty and this will make a product sell, the 'desire to stay in your twenties' forever. They feel as you become older, you become less desirable, less beautiful and I strongly disagree with them.

What is Beauty? What is true Beauty? 

You see in the industry how the media is defining beauty, skinny women in awkward poses, young and never older women posing, also poses that you would never see a man do. Why is this? You would never come across a man on the front page biting his lip or placing his fingers in his mouth, when you think about it these are childish poses. But why would it be weird for a man to do this? People would be shocked, they would laugh and find it odd to look at because we've been brainwashed into thinking this, the media has made such an impact on how we perceive things. Men are in masculine poses, standing tall and proud, they appear powerful, strong in their statements they are making to the public.

Women was usually put in a 'sexual' pose, why are women half naked, why is she laying on the floor looking defenseless, they appear like victims, they aren't showing power or authority, they look uneasy. You'll see in high end fashion magazines e.g. Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire women on the front cover pulling these poses, but it's become so common that the public do not question it or even notice it. I think a lot of people believe its a 'sex appeal' and it sells, this reflects out beauty an idea of what women want to be; instead of showing inner beauty of character within the person, reflecting what their about. Women are made to feel anxious when buying these magazines, for example on the front cover of Elle magazine it says 'Love...could you do better' it is making women of the world feel anxious and question themselves about their love life, when they probably have a happy relationship and never needed to question it until they see what is printed on the magazine. This really is manipulating and the media are controlling their audience.

http://www.elements-magazine.com/2011/07/british-elle-august-2011-lily-allen.html

Lily Allen as powerful young woman, millionaire with a successful career with her hands on her face? This photo doesn't reflect these things, it shows anxiety, defenseless with the placement of her hands on her face. She looks in control in 'the gaze' but why are her hands on her face? She's not helpless she is a strong successful woman.
It all doesn't fit.

I have got a few images I have found from beauty campaigns which portray all of this gathered information.

http://street-fashion.net/photos/katy-perry-photo-shoot
ghd Campaign photographer David La Chapelle

Katy Perry in David La Chappelle photograph- Laying on the bed? with her fingers in her mouth? I feel she needs to show power her status as a successful woman of music, but this isn't reflected in this photograph.

Tom ford Campaign to sell perfume, this is too explicit and why is there two naked people laying in a pool to sell it??

http://ftape.com/media/?p=79339- Tom Ford Campaign

Tom Ford perfume campaign, why is this photograph so graphic? Why is the lady naked? It makes the audience feel uncomfortable and shows the man is the powerful one with his clothes on and shes the exposed female. We precieve them as sexual, everything is all about 'sex' which I believe there is too much of, which is truly frustrating to see all the time.




No accomplished man would rest their hands on their face, looking defenseless, you wouldn't see this, they always seem very in control and with a lot more clothes on compared to women in high end fashion magazines. In the industry most women make less money and power then most men and this reflects in photographs, it shows that men are always above and in control, it doesn't feel like there is an equal balance between men and women, as ''Women watch themselves being looked at'' they want to be desired my men, where they commonly use the 'gaze' 'dream like' stare in order to engage into a mans attraction and to gain their attention. I feel this is immoralising and shows vanity, they are looking up for acceptance of men, this reflects their power and dominance towards women; why can't women be powerful and dominant in pictures instead of laying helpless or positioned awkwardly?

Photography Basics

Photography Basics- Where to start?

References/Bibliography:
Class notes from Chris Overend lesson
http://www.recantha.co.uk/blog/?p=12424
http://www.paulcbuff.com/hotshoeadapters.php


Need a decent Camera, SD card to store pictures on to enable to transfer onto a computer/ mac etc. A portable Hard Drive is needed to transfer photographs onto to store everything on, however do not depend entirely on your hard drive make sure you back up your photos on a USB and onto dropbox/ icloud or a similar program where you can back up on photos onto, this is so important to do.

SD Card & Hot Shoe below images:

Make sure your photos are on HD Fat 32 format, so you can upload them on a PC as well as a mac.
ISO- Is the film sensitivity and for this project it is needed on the lowest setting 100 which is the finest quality, which is going give us the sharpest image.

Also a tripod is needed for every shoot to enable stability of the camera, continuity, adjustments can be made easily with a tripod, it is very useful and reflects your professionalism in order to take
great shots.


Functions of the Camera
For studio photography which we will be doing throughout our projects it has to be on manual and the shutter speed on one speed for this term: 1/160 . Also for the camera's auto to be on 100 so every photo is not different.

Lighting 
Spill kill is used with the umbrella for lighting, shoot through the umbrella, the further away the umbrella the harsher the light and the closer the umbrella the brighter the light and direct straight onto your model but best images.
High up is for high key beauty which we will be doing and low key beauty is lower down.
Always have a spare sync lead after hours, as they are weak and flimsy, this is cover your back and being prepared is key.

Image of us all setting up in the studio

How to position your Camera
Turn your camera length ways so you don't cut of vital imagery and crop after photos have been done. A quality lense is needed for shooting as most cameras come with basic lense.
Zoom in for your beauty shot with the umbrella behind the camera, be aware when setting up your working area that leads are placed correctly and it is organised in a manner that no trips or accidents will occur during your photo shoot.