Personal Shoot 2: Alien

Plans for the shoot:
After my last shoot went so well, I have been inspired to take my idea a bit further.  Still remaining with the surreal makeup looks, I want to explore further the 'alien' feel that I achieved and actually create an alien look.  I want this look to be colourful and bright, therefore I am planning on using VUA paints and florescent eyeshadows.  I am going to embellish the look with glitter and gems as I want to create different textures and elements for the light to catch hold of in the shot too.

As before, the grey background is likely to be the one I use as it always photographs really nicely, however as it is an alien look I am also going to see what the black background looks like as this would add to connotations of the sky and space.

Shoot Evaluation:
The shoot today definitely didn't go as well as I thought it would have done and I don't really feel I achieved at all what I wanted.  I encountered many problems at the beginning of the shoot, and though I was able to partly rectify them it affected the overall shoot and the images that I got.  The first problem was with the lightening - because I'd used UVA and florescent makeup I had to change all the lightening to get this show up and this then affected the rest of the look and the photo, so I have to revert it back to what it originally was loose the bright colours.  I also experimented with the black background too but this didn't work as well as I had hoped and the subject got lost in the background too due to her dark hair colour (so I went with grey instead).

This is one shot from the shoot today - I am not really happy with any of the shots from today but this is one of the better ones.  I have had to really edit the photo so that the colours stand out and become visible and I don't like this  - it looks over-edited in my opinion.  I like the effect that I have put on my eyes.  I changed the colour of them and made the highlights more accentuated and this has added a more alien vibe.  I like the emotion on the subjects face - it looks soft yet mysterious and this is the kind of thing that I wanted to go for.

This is another photo from the shoot today.  This is one that I edited differently to see how I could bring the colours out more.  I quite like the way the accentuated purple tone has brought out some more of the colours on the makeup as this is one of the initial problems that I found in the shoot.  I dislike the expression on the subjects face here - I think it looks bored and though there is eye contact with the camera, the subject isn't really connecting with the camera.  I use myself as a subject and I think because throughout the duration of this shoot I encountered many problems I became disheartened and this then showed through on my face.

I have definitely learned a lot in this shoot, mostly that if the shoot isn't going to plan not to get disheartened too much and let it affect the rest of the shoot, as this clearly affects the final photos.

Technique Page - Animation

Technique Page – Animation

What is it?: Movement created through a series of photos being displayed in a continuous loop of frames.
How do you do it?
Animation is very similar another technique that is fairly easy to create.  It sees you as the photographer using a series of photos to create movement (a little bit like sequencing).  This is how you do it:

1.     Firstly, you need to know what you are going to shoot.  Format your camera and the go out to shoot your subject.

2.     Once you have conducted your shoot download the photos in Photoshop.

3.     Open the first image that is going to appear in the animation and change the levels and curves and any other adjustments that you would like to make.

4.     You can now start making the animation by going to Window in Photoshop and selecting “Animation/Timeline”. 

5.     Make all the changes to the other images that going to be in the animation the same as what you did in the first so that the animation runs smoothly, then place the images in new frames/layers on the timeline.

6.     You can now make any adjustments to the animation that you desire such as the length of time it runs, make it run on repeat or ‘tween’ it to make it run smoother.

7.     Ensure you save this file as a GIF.

Technique Page - Depth of Field

Technique Page – Depth of Field

What is it: depth of field is how much of a photo is in focus based on distance.
How do you do it?
Depth of field has two different kinds – minimum and maximum.  Minimum is when only the foreground to the photo is in focus, and maximum is where everything in the photo is sharp and in focus.  This is how you can achieve these effects (there are three ways for each):

Minimum depth of field

• Get close to the subject
• Make the aperture bigger (a small number)
• Use a larger zoom

Maximum depth of field

• Get far away from the subject
• Make the aperture smaller (a big number)
• Use a smaller zoom

Technique Page - Sequencing

Technique Page – Sequencing

What is it?: Sequencing is a succession, something the follows another thing.
How do you do it?
Sequencing is a fairly easy technique to do and can be very effective as it uses multiple images in the final piece.  This is how you can do it:

1.     You firstly need to decide what you are going to shoot.  An example of something that I did in class was shooting some of class mates standing in a line and they took it in turns to turn around.

2.     Now you have decided this (ensuring your camera is properly formatted) you can shoot your subjects/object.  You want to keep the camera in the same position and distance away from what you are shooting and only change what the subject/object is doing to get the best possible effect.   You can of course experiment with this by changing your position as the photographer, the angle or zoom of the camera etc. it entirely depends on the effect you are trying to achieve and what suits best for what you are shooting.  You want to do this a few times until you have your desired amount of shots.

3.     Once you have your photos, download like normal into Photoshop.

4.     Continue by opening a new blank transparent A4 document in Photoshop.

5.     Open all the images you want to include in your sequence and adjust the levels, curves etc. as well as resizing the photos to make sure they all fit on the A4 document (make sure they all remain the same size).

6.     You now need to divide the blank document up equally depending on how many images you want to place in it.

7.     It’s now time to place the images on the black document starting with the first and ending with the last.  It is up to you where you place them on the document and how you arrange them depending on whether the page is portrait or landscape and depending on how many photos you have.

8.     Position all the images where you want them too be, adjust as you go (use the gird on the transparent document as guide on positioning them the same width apart).

Once you have done this flatten the image and you are ready to print.

Personal Shoot 1: Smoke and Diamonds

Plans for the shoot:
In today's class I am planning on shooting a surreal look.  It is the first shoot I am conducting for my personal project and I think it's something that is really going to get me started and launched into my project.  After finding various creative diamonds and gems at home I want to create a 'smokey diamond' look.  The look is going to be quite dark and unique, with a eeriness about it that links to dreamlike alien characters. 

I really wanted to capture the different textures that are going to be present in the look such as the sparkling gems and the matte face and how this contrasts against each other.  I plan to use the grey background for this shoot as I think it was provide a nice clean finish and not distract from anything going on with the subject.  Experimenting with different angels and poses is something else I want to explore here - as it's a surreal look I think this provides the perfect opportunity for me to get creative and really bring the character I create to life.  I also want to experiment with some 'smoke effects' in Photoshop to really build up the dark and shadowy feel I am going for.

Shoot Evaluation:
I am really happy with how the shoot went today and I think I got some really interesting shots.  The look I create in terms of the makeup went well and photographed beautifully.   I used myself as a subject as I found this the easiest option, and despite some initial problems in the beginning with me trying to compose myself and 'get into character' to capture the shot I wanted the shoot ran smoothly and without error.  I love the feel of the pictures that I got, and I have learned a lot about how the angle and pose in a shoot can change the overall entire feel of image - this is definitely something I am going to bring with to future shoots.

This first photo from the shoot is one that I particularly liked.  The pose has really added something to the shot with the way the head is tilted and the hand is positioned - the eyes look huge here too which has helped me create that surreal 'alien' feel for the picture.  The contrasts in the shot have really enhanced the overall image, for example, the pale skin against the dark lipstick, or the sparkle of the gems against the matte face.  Although it is something I didn't really plan for nor thought about for the shoot was the hair.  Though the hair here is just in a messy up-do, it has again created contrast against the symmetrical diamonds/gems and the 'perfect' makeup.  Though in some shots I don't think it works as well, here I really like it.  The sterile grey background worked really well here too as it compliment the colours already present in the shot but didn't over-shadow them nor distract from the subject.

 

 This second photo is one where I added the smokey effect.   I love how this has completely changed the photo and made it so much darker and added that eeriness about it that I was after.  To get this, all I used were some Photoshop brushes that I downloaded that help create the smoke, then changed the size and shape of them, and layered them up till I got the desired effect. I also changed the saturation of this photo as it's almost in black and white and this has really brought more emotion out in the shot - I also think it has made the eyes more haunting with the way they are connecting with the camera and enhanced the expression of the subject.

 

 

 

 

 

Personal Shoot 3: Sixties Inspired

Plans for the shoot:
In today's shoot I am planning to do something that is sixties inspired.  I have chosen to do something sixties inspired as during this time period fashion was making a big statement and this included makeup.  When you think of the sixties you think about the matte skin, the pale lips and the bold eyelashes that everyone was wearing and this is the look that I want to recreate for the shoot.  Photography from this time is also very inspirational as it captures these looks beautifully.

I want to really capture the shot as it were the sixties, therefore I have considered different ways of doing this.  I think experimenting with some black and white shots could be fun and also help me to channel the final pieces that I am after.  I plan on using the grey background as I love the way this looks and as the makeup look I am doing is mostly consisting of black and white I think it will compliment this and allow me to continue with the harmonious colour scheme.

Shoot Evaluation:
Overall I am really happy with how this shoot turned out.  I think the shots that I have ended up with are reminiscent of the sixties yet still have a modern, up-to-date feel about them too.

This is one of the shots that  I like from today that I made black and white.  I think that it has helped accentuate the sixties feel that I was going for and in turn help to make the shoot more of a success.  I love the expression and the pose of the subject and I think gives connotations of the sixties.  I used the liquify effect on the eyelashes; even though I used false eyelashes for this look by using this effect it really made them stand out more.  I am happy with this effect as I think it has made it  extremely dramatic and this has given a more contemporary feel.  I did find the liquify effect hard to use at first, but once I got used to it I really valued it and I want to find reason to it again  - there are many different ways to use this tool in Photoshop and I would like to experiment with them.  This photo has a classy, sophisticated feel about it, as well as also having a fun and flirty vibe too, which is something that is very similar to photography you see in the sixties.  

These are two more photos from my shoot today - I LOVE THEM!  I was experimenting with different tools in Photoshop and by chance developed my work into this.  I adore the feel and the effect that these photos have.  The one on the left is almost haunting as there is no eye contact with the camera and I think the subject looks lifeless.  This has given a totally different slant to the sixties feel I was going for, but I like the variation that this has added - I also feel this have provided a contemporary and unique mood to the final piece.  By photographing the subject like this too it has also allow me to show a different side to the makeup.  

The photo on the right is my favourite that I got out of the entire shoot.  I love the drama and the intensity that is present in the picture.  To get this effect on the photo, as with the other photo, I was experimenting with different effects and tools in Photoshop.  This effect was achieved by playing around with the exposure levels, the saturation and the lightness etc.  I love the way the the subject is connecting with camera and how intense the eyes look.  The pose is something that has also added to the sixties feel - I think the white nails here is also very influential of this time period too, as well as being something I have yet to photograph is makeup yet.  

In both photos something that I like is the cropping and the angle at which they are taken.  I like the cropping as you cannot see anything but the subject herself - this gives a totally different effect to when you can see the background in a photo.  In terms of the angle I positioned the camera so it was slightly at a high angle.  This made the eyes look bigger and in turn has helped me to capture that innocent yet flirty feel that is present in the the photo.

Image Bank - Fine Art

Fine art photography can be looked at from many different angels - typically beautiful things e.g. landscapes, beauty shots etc. or alternatively controversial things such as 'weird beauty' or something that's not necessarily thought to be normal or right.  Some of the photos that I have found like the second one are 'pretty' and also kind of surreal with the cloud as the tree.  The forth photo looks at the beauty of the body from a different perspective, here it's looking a flexibility and the human body in  a different form.

Two of my favourite photos that I have found are by the same photographer, Oleg Dou - these are the third and sixth photos.  I love the simplicity of the shots in terms of colour and cleanliness.  I think it's really effect the way that the fine art technique has been used here to capture shots that aren't necessarily pretty, but instead capture a different kind of beauty.  I love how haunting the eyes are in both of the picture an how they connect with the camera.  It's interesting the way the photographer has manipulated the sixth photo to accentuate the tongue and make it look distorted.

Another of the photos that I really liked it the fifth example of fine art that I found.  I love the way there is a contrast in the woman's bod which can be considered a beauty and then the ugly pigs mask that she is holding up to her face.  I think the effect has worked even better with the photo being photographed in black and white.  There is not eye contact made with the camera here as the subject is holding the mask to her face, but the haunting effect that this has s undeniable and the audience are still drawn in to a focus point on the mask.

Best Work So Far...

Best work so far from Kate-Anna Smith

So far in my personal project where my topic is looking at makeup I have completed five shoots.  I am relatively happy with my work and the standard of it and I think that my shoots have all been well thought out and planned.
I like some of the effects that I have explored within some of my shoots as I think they have added to and enhanced my work.  I have experimented with different angles at which to photograph different looks and this is something that I have enjoyed as I like the way that it can change the entire feel of an image.
Something I ma not happy about my work is that I feel some of the photos I have are too similar and I would like to widen my portfolio and gain more variety within my work - I use myself as a subject and therefore this is something I can look at changing, perhaps by using models or working on different facial expression etc.

In order to move further with my project I am going to look at exploring more contemporary and edgy looks to photograph as these are the shoots that I enjoy the most and that are my strongest.  I also think that during these shoots in particular I am starting to develop my own unique and individual style.

Research Log - Personal Project

Researchlog from Kate-Anna Smith

Definition - Personal Project

Definition from Kate-Anna Smith

Work Diary - Multiple Imagery

Shoot Evaluation

In today's class we looked at multiple imagery. At first I didn't like this technique as I found it hard to grasp the concept of 'not thinking' and just photographing something 'randomly'.  After a while though I started to grasp the idea of what I was trying to achieve and I actually found the shoot quite therapeutic and relaxing in comparison to some other techniques I have learned in shoots.  I liked the way you could structure the shoot so when photographing a subject you could focus on details by zooming in and out, or you could just literally photograph something in random places at random.

I didn't think at first that this is a technique that I would like to experiment with but I actually quite liked the effect that was achieved.  I love the way the photos turned out as they look so unique and different every time - you could photograph the same thing over and over and the composition at the end would still be different. We looked at different ways of executing and presenting this technique.  In some instants' you can present it a bit like a photo-joiner, however, because I looked at this technique last year I thought I would look at something new that I hadn't done before, so chose to present my work in neat grids.  Here are some of the photos from today:

This first shot is one that I really like.  I had this image originally spaced out on a grid and then merged them together.  I love the abstract and contemporary feel the photo has.  I really like how the colour is so vibrant on the flowers and it doesn't follow any structure or pattern - this makes the photo more visually dynamic and interesting to look at. 

The second photo is the same one as the top only this time it is spaced out on the grid - I wanted to show the difference in two different ways of presenting.  For the images the I took (of the flowers) I didn't think this way of presenting worked as well as they all look the same (although this is OK with multiple imagery) and I would have liked to use this kind of presentation to look at focusing on more details.  I think this would have made the photo more interesting to look at.  I again like the colour in the photo as it so vibrant, and the array of colours in random patterns make it look pretty.

How I could use this technique in my own project

In the end I actually liked this technique and I think it something that I would like to incorporate into my own project.  I like the idea of using the spaced out gird to photograph a classic beauty makeup look only where I can really zoom in and focus on details on the face.  The would allow me to really show different textures and colours in the shot.  I think it would be a nice way of presenting a 'dated' makeup look too, like something 50s inspired where I would have an accent colour like red to focus on.  This would make the overall final piece quite high-fashion and chic I think.

Anther way I would like to use this technique is by using the merged grid and photographing makeup itself.  an example of this would be to 'break' makeup like lipsticks and eye shadow pigments and making a 'mess' with them.  Then taking lots of photos of the makeup in this state I would be able to pick up a lot of detail in terms of different textures such as matte, sparkle, sheer, and then put this all together to make a visually interesting composition in the end.