Evaluation

Project evaluation from Kate-Anna Smith

3000 word essay

3000 word essay – makeup and beauty from Kate-Anna Smith

Personal Shoot 12: Ring Flash

Plans for the shoot:
In today's class I am going to using the ring flash.  Given I am looking at makeup/beauty photography for this project I think it is important that I experiment using this as it is used a lot in close up beauty shots.

I am planning on using myself for this shoot again and just doing a daily makeup look that is more simple and refreshing than some of my other photos and seeing how it works with the ring flash.  I am going to be using the white background as it will provide and clean, sterile environment that provides no distracts from the subject.

I think facial expression would be a good thing to experiment here with seeing as everything else in the shot is going to be kept quite simple.

Shoot Evaluation:
I am relatively happy with how this shoot went, although I this is a shoot where I would have preferred to work with a model.  Using myself as a subject in this shoot was more difficult for me as I didn't feel as confident trying to get lots of different expressions.

Other than this though I am liked the effect of the ring flash and think I got some good shots with it.  Here is my favourite shot from today:

I like this photo as it was taken when I wasn't expecting it to be, and therefore the pose and expression are more and natural.  I love how the ring flash has made everything in the photo look more flawless e.g. the skin.  The sterile background has worked well here too and imitates that of what you would see in published beauty shots etc.




Here is another photo from today, though I am not as happy with it:



Although I like how the ring flash has been used in this photo, I am not fond of the expression of the subject.  Again, I think this could have been avoided should I have used a model as I wasn't comfortable myself tying to get lots of expressions.





After today, I would definitely consider using the ring flash again in another shoot where I felt it fitting to do so as I like the effect it gives.  I wasn't happy with my photos overall today though and think raw beauty shots are something I would avoid in the future, or at least where using myself as a subject is concerned anyway.

Best Work

Best work so far from Kate-Anna Smith

Personal Shoot 11: Silver (FINE ART EXTENDED)

Plans for the shoot:
In today's shoot I am going to be doing a look that consists of me spray-pinting myself silver.  I am going to also be focusing this shoot as an extension to my fine art shoot as I wasn't happy with the photos that I took and found it frustrating as I know I could achieve something better.  When I think of fine art and at existing photographers, I always see the human body, there I think this shoot will be ideal for this.

I really want to be able to capture the metallic, shiny look of the paint on the body and contrast this using a matte black background.  I want to experiment with a variety of different poses and use the hands in particular as I think covered in the metallic paint I will be able to really capture the details, angles and features on the body.

Shoot Evaluation:
I am really pleased with the outcome of today's shoot and the photos that I produced, although I did encounter a few minor problems.  One being the paint that I used started to irritate my skin and this meant that  had to work really quickly when I was in the studio - to help with this I ended up directing someone else with the camera to ensure that I got through the shoot as quickly as possible.  I also found that the lighting was too harsh to I had to dim this down - other the metallic effect was photographing too white.

I like the pose in this first photo - the light has caught the angles on the face beautifully here.  I like how the silver has also allowed the bone structure to be seen as well.  The hair looks very textured (again being accentuated by the silver paint) and this has added a nice contrast against the smooth, sheer look of the skin.

This is my favourite photo from the shoot - it looks so weird and alien-like.  I edited the eyes here using the liquify tool to bloat them slightly and make them bigger - this helped to create that surreal, alien look the photo has.








These next two photos are similar but I really like them.  The hands have photographed beautifully and you can really see all the lines and details on them and the contrast between different textures.  Both the photos look kind of mysterious as the model is hiding her face with her hands.  I love the off centre composition of the photo on the left and how central (and quite tightly cropped to the body) the photo on the right is.

I think all of these photos have really channelled the fine art side of the shoot that I was trying to get at and I really like the effect that I have achieved with these photos.

Connecting Essay 5

Connecting essay 5 from Kate-Anna Smith

Image Bank

Image bank from Kate-Anna Smith

Connecting Essay 4

Connecting essay 4 from Kate-Anna Smith

Personal Shoot 10: Bird Inspiration

Plans for the shoot:
In today's class I am going to be conducting a shoot where the makeup look is inspired by a bird.  I am going to be using lots of feathers and gems to create a really chic, contemporary look.  I want the look to be quite dark with bright vibrant hues in it that stand out.  This look is going to be quite surreal, and therefore I this this provides another shoot with the opportunity for looking at different poses and angles.

I'm not sure what background I am going to use, although I think the white background will work best, potentially the grey as well.  I want the lightening to be nice and bright as this will really allow he brighter colours to stand out.

Shoot Evaluation:
I am really happy with how the shoot went today and the photos that I have ended up with.  The look photographed beautifully and the colours I chose all complimented each other well and helped to balance all elements in the photos.

Initially I was unsure of what background I was going to use, so I tried out the off-white background and the grey background, but wasn't happy with either.  I then wasn't sure of what colour background would look good with this look, but then trying out the pure white background and left it unlit and loved the result! - I wanted to use a light coloured background so the colours in look stood out well and this one worked the best.

Using myself as a subject again, I tried hard to be able to get a variety of different shots that saw different angles and poses, and I think I achieved this well in some photos.  Here are some of my favourite photos from the shoot:


This first photo is my favourite from all of them.  I really like the pose and expression and think that this photo channels perfectly the chic, almost editorial look I wanted to achieve.  The subject connected well with the camera and this has allowed the viewer to be more drawn into the photo.  The light also caught the glitter on the nails in this photo as well as the gems on the makeup and this added a nice element.





This next photo caught my attention when editing as the pose is so different.  It's arguably weird and awkward looking, but I think that this element has added a refreshing twist in the photos and has made it really contemporary looking.  The feathers used in the makeup all stood really well during the shoot, despite trying out different angles and poses like this.




This third photo is different to some of the others that I have.  I took it from a photo that was taken portrait and cropped in down to this.  I like the way you can really see the makeup up close here - the skin looks flawless and has photographed beautifully, also allow other embellishments on the face (such as the diamonds) to stand out with the light hitting them and highlighting the different textures.  I think this photo has a slightly moodier feel about it, and the way the camera is angled slightly downward at the model has opened her eyes and made them connect really well with the camera.

I found through-out this project that I like using this angle when doing closer portrait shots.

I like the emotion and captivating feel this final photo has; I think it's quite drawing to look at and it pulls the viewer in.  The expressions is mysterious and I like the pose and how the model is looking over her shoulder.  I was happy with the composition of all the photos like this and think it works well with the look.






This was a fun look to create and shoot and I am so happy with results.  I really enjoy shooting these more surreal, intriguing looks as I think they all photograph so beautifully and they look so different to other beauty and makeup looks in photography I have seen before.

Using the feathers were a good idea and I like how in these photos you can see the texture of them and how well they stood up against the face.

Personal Shoot 8: Fun!

Plans for the shoot:
I am wanting to do a much more colour fun shoot today, incorporating a few different ideas into one shoot.  I want to have fun, bright blue eye makeup with matching diamantes and pale baby pink lips that later will be added to with pink diamantes.  I am going to be using balloons and ribbons in my shoot, and a combination of differently composed shots, both full body and close ups.

I am going to use the white background in this shoot as I have found in previous shoots this one is best for when trying to get colours to stand out.  I want the feel of this shoot to be fun and 'loud', with lots of colour and things going on.  I have ideas for what I am going to do but as I am going to have a lot of props with me (something that I don't usually have) I envision this will be a shoot where I will want to experiment and improvise on the spot.

Shoot Evaluation:
Today's shoot was so fun!  I really enjoyed working with props for a change and because of the nature of this shoot it was really enjoyable to do.  Though I did encounter a few minor problems during the shoot (e.g. my idea I had with the ribbon did not work) I was able to work around these and end up with some really good shots.

This is my favourite photo from today's shoot.  I think this is something really different that I can add to my portfolio and the nature of the shot is something that I have not personally looked at before.

I love the energy and the lively spirit that this photo has - this has made it fun for the reader to look at.  The expression of the model works well with the pose and this has helped to create the fun, energetic vibe that I wanted.

I particularly loved the composition of this shot and the cropping - I paid a lot of attention as I was using props and I wanted them too look good in the photo too, hence making sure they were always facing forward with the ribbon hidden (which proved harder to be than first thought)!

This was one of the first times that I had used the white background, and though I wanted the background nice and pale so I could get all the colour to stand out, I found when I lit the background to make it pure white it was too sharp and crisp for my liking - I much prefer it with this warmer tone left in it. 

This shoot has definitely made me want to work more with props ad it as highlighted another side of photography work that I have not explored yet.  I enjoyed this shoot as it was fun and even though some elements of it didn't work out I think I got some good shots.

What am I doing today?

In today's class I am going to be completing my image bank with all my annotations.  If I have time afterwards I will also be working on finishing my essay off.

Work Diary - Slow Sync

Shoot Evaluation

In today's class I looked at the technique 'slow sync'.  This technique is very similar to the blurring technique that I looked at - the studio needed to be set up the same, only this time there was a few changes to the settings on the camera and the fact I needed to add a flash.

I found some of the changes I had to make complicated at first, but once I had grasped the idea and what I needed to do it became simple and the shoot ran smoothly.

Here are some of the photos from today that I like:

In this first photo I asked my subject to wave a scarf around and slowly move from side to side.  You subtly see the movement of the subject and I like the effect that this has given.  Nevertheless, you cannot see the movement of the scarf as much (it was possible being moved to quickly) and you kind of lose the effect.  I think I should of directed my model more on how to wave the scarf around and I would have gotten more the effect that I wanted to achieve.

In this second photo I was getting my model to jump up and down to capture the movement in a different way.  I like how here you can see where the model is and was making the photo look like it has capture movement in slow motion.  There is a lot of movement present in this shot, something that I think has made the photo visually more interesting and dynamic.

By chance my model was wearing a bright orange t-shirt and this has stood out and contrasted beautifully against the dark black ground.

I liked this final photo as the movement seen in here is more subtle and this shows me the wide ranges of effects I can achieve using slow sync. 

I like here how you can see the subject's face clearly, unlike some of the others.  This is important as it provides a focal point in the photo.

How could I use this technique in my own project:

I have enjoyed woking with the slow sync technique today, similarly as I did with the blurring technique.  I think again this shot work work well with an abstract look, or even a weird surreal look, however I don't think it would work well with all makeup photography as if the photo is blurred or out of focus you would struggle to see the look.

Something else that puts me off using this technique in my project is that I feel you can lose the focal point in the photo with all the movement going on.  This is something that I don't like as I like to have a clear subject and focal point in my photography, especially as usually in my project I am focusing on photographing the face.

Technique Page - Slow Sync

What is it?:  Slow sync is a technique where you change the shutter speed but keep the aperture the same as the flash to capture movement in a photo.

1. You firstly need to ensure that you have your camera set up correctly.  You must ensure that you have the camera set on a long shutter speed (this allows the movement to be captured in the shot) as well as making sure that your camera is set to the 'white balance' option(not the usual 'flash' option).

2.  Now, you need to make sure that the studio is set up correctly with a black background, making sure that it is protected from the light - you can do this using a polystyrene board.  You must also set up a continuos light source using the red light.

3.  Add a flash from the same position as red head.

4.  You now need to ensure that camera gets set on 'rare curtain sync'.

5.  Take a light reading to make sure that the exposure is balanced.

6.  Add the add flash at same aperture.

7.  You are now ready to take photos!

Image Bank - Slow Sync

Slow sync is an effect where you have a normal aperture, but change the shutter speed while the flash is on during exposure - you end up with the effect seen in some of the images above.  This technique is really good for capturing action in shots, like with the fifth photo that I found.  It has made the photo really interesting to look at as you can see the different movements that are being made in the shot.  I really like how the movement looks like it has almost been 'broken down' so you can see every individual thing - this has made it visually more dynamic.  This is similar with the sixth photo that I found only here light has been used to show the movement - I think this has added a nice element to the photo and gives it a clear focal point in amongst the blurred image.

The forth shot that I found has been taken using slow sync so you can see the change in expression on the person's face.  This has been done oppositely on the second photo where you can see the subject in focus and the background shows the movement.  

The first photo that I found is particularly interesting has it's slow sync with a shot taken in a point of view angle.  Here in the shot you can see the model in focus, yet his surroundings where he is spinning are not in focus.  I think this has made the shot visually dynamic and the expression on the models's face compliments perfectly and works well with the movement seen in the slow sync.

Finally, the third photo that I found I thought was very pretty and delicate, with the movement being seen in the dress as it flows around the model.  The background for this shot contrasts nicely with the dress and the model, and as mention before the lights have worked well with the slow sync (though more in focus here, it has really made the movement in the foreground standout).  

Work Diary - Animation

Work Diary - Video

Plans for the shoot:
I'm not really sure what I am expecting to get out of today's shoot - it feels weird going out to shoot a video when I am used to taking photos all the time.  I m thinking of doing something simple that is not too complex, and am mainly looking at this session as being something where I can learn and gain a better insight of what the cameras can do.

Shoot Evaluation:
I definitely don't like video!  I hated shooting the video in today's class and struggle to see the link in photography and video.  I felt my work was messy and I struggled to capture one whole moving picture that told a story as opposed to try to get it out in one photo.  Directing models was something else I did with the shoot though and I a glad I gained more experience in this. 

I used a programme called iMovie on the Macs to edit this video and this is something else that I didn't like either.  Though it does enable you too add filters to your work and add music, I fail to see how this can then be presented a piece of photography work - a photo should be a still, silent, non-moving image that tells a story on it's own and doesn't need anything else.

Overall, I am not all that happy with my work and definitely won't be incorporating video anywhere else in my photography work.




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What am I doing today?

In today's class I am going to be looking at completing some more of my outstanding unit 3 work.

I am going to be focusing on finishing off my 2 outstanding computer experiments as well as finish off some of the techniques that I have yet to complete.

The arrangement of my blog and things that are on it are also something that I want to finish off today as this has helped to make everything more organised (I still have some things to move across from my AS blog).

Personal project work diaries is another I could look at completing today too as I have one outstanding.

Connecting Essay 3

Connecting essay 3 from Kate-Anna Smith

Connecting Essay 2

Connecting essay 2 from Kate-Anna Smith

Connecting Essay 1

Connecting essay 1 from Kate-Anna Smith