Spectrum 15 Exhibition

This is the work I displayed at our end of year exhibition. The downfall of the placement of my work was the constant reflected light which i noticed caused the audience difficulty when trying to view the two top images especially. 

The people who attended our end of year exhibition varied in age, gender and styles. A majority of people who attended were close family and friends of the photographers themselves, this was to show some moral support and take pride in our accomplishments. We had a professional photographer Richard Southall who attended to give honest feedback about their work and advise us on any improvements that could be made as he has been in the industry for over 20  years. For me the most important thing about this exhibition (besides gaining contacts) was the chance for personal reflection upon the journey we have taken.

Personally for me the exhibition was day full of mixed emotions. This is because it was relief regarding our work being up on the wall especially after the stressfulness of getting it there. It was also a difficult day as it was my Grandad’s anniversary and I was emotional due to this, however I took pride in the fact that the exhibition occurred on such a significant day. The exhibition overall was a great opportunity as I spoke to people I had never met before about the reason behind my project, it also allowed me to express my feelings regarding photography. Another reason it was beneficial is that I started off with 50 business cards and by the time family, friends and other guests had finished viewing on the Sunday I only had 10 left. I will definitely consider hosting my own exhibition in the future, due to this fantastic experience.

FMP idea 3

My third FMP idea is to show the person we are used to seeing vs what they do which may surprise people. My goal is to make people realise you shouldn't judge a book by its cover weather it be about the lifestyle they live, the clothes they wear or the hobbies they participate in. I would create these by either having the 2 images next to each other or by using double exposures. For example a portrait of a woman and and a full body shot of the same woman enjoying her hobby for example dancing. Or I may decide to do something to similar to Gillian Wearing where the people in the pictures seem conventional however they are holding signs of what they do for a living or their hobbies that you wouldn’t expect from them. I could also (still thinking of Gillian Wearing’s style) do a similar thing but with emotions or what they think about certain things?

Photographers who have covered this area:
Gillian Wearing
Jane Bown (provokes natural emotions)
Tom Hussey

Equipment needed:
Studio lighting kit
Flash cable
Backdrops                                                                                         

Digital Camera
Light metre

I have a home studio kit so I will not need to hire out any equipment however if I needed to I could borrow a lighting kit from the college if I had any faults with my own.

Pro’s	Con’s
Challenging	Challenging
Something new to experiment with	Finding confident models
Improve flash skills	Complicated, has to be just right for it to work
Find true person behind the perception	Models may not want to reveal the true them due to it being a personal hobby etc.

The main downfall for this project will be finding the models to participate in this timescale. However if I stubble fining models to come into a studio I could always go out on location into a public place and ask members of the public like Gillian Wearing did. This will be a good backup but will also be a big confidence booster for myself as I will be going out of my comfort zone talking to unknown members of the public.

Costings:

little thank you chocolates for models roughly £4

If done in college buy them coffee roughly £2 per person

Professionals who may be interested:
Editors from magazines?

Timescale:
10-20 finals images over the 3 months

Visual examples:

FMP idea 2

My second FMP idea was photographing body parts in an abstract way. This will be a studio project. My goal for this project is to show people what I am interested in, which is the idea of photographing everyday things in a way we do not usually see them. Being a body conscious person I think it would be a good idea to photograph body parts so people spend more time trying to work out what it is rather than making an instant judgement about the way it looks. 

Photographers who have covered this area:
John Coplans
Miguel Ribeiro
Adrian Maniutiu

Equipment needed:
Studio lighting kit
Flash cable
Backdrops                                                                                         

Digital Camera (for backup images)
Light metre
Mamiya (for final images)
Black and white 120mm film

I will need to borrow a Mamiya from college as this along with the 120mm film will allow me to capture more detail. I have a home studio so I will not need to borrow any lighting equipment however i may red to also borrow a light metre and reflector as i want to create dramatic shadows.

Pro’s	Con’s
Boost confidence both in myself and with models	Film may not turn out
Improve studio skills	Finding confident models
Improve flash skills	Issues with using film camera
Practice using film	Not directly connected to my career pathway
It will make me think about composition and lighting

I think this project will be my best option as although it will cost me I can buy the films in bulk and develop them at college myself. I also believe that it will be easier as I have more of an emotional connection to the project. The main downfall for this project could be if the film doesn't turn out as I will have to reshoot and get in touch with the models again.

Costings:
film roughly £5 per film pack of 10 films amazon £48 (including post and packaging)
Film development: at college- free. outside of college: roughly £12.99 per film for negatives and 6x4 pictures
Thank you sweets for models roughly £4 (if at college buy coffee £2 per person)

Professionals who may be interested:
Editors from magazines?
Artists (fine art?)

Timescale:
6-10 shoots over the 3 months estimated 3 finals the other 3-7 for practicing

Visual examples:

FMP idea 1

My fist FMP idea was to show how styles have changed over the decades. These images will be portraits demonstrating new hairstyles and makeup creations that have either developed or come back into fashion as the decades have gone on. My reason for wanting to do this is because I think its a good way of documenting social changes as well as the changes in physical appearance and what is perceived as beautiful throughout each decade. My goal for this project is to create a timeline showcasing styles from each decade.

Photographers who have covered this area:
Richard Avedon
Herb Ritts
Other fashion or portrait photographers

Equipment needed:
Studio lighting kit
Flash cable
Backdrops                                                                                         

Digital Camera
Light metre
Film camera?
Colour film?

If I decided to use film I would need to borrow a film camera fro the college. If I do 120mm film I will need to borrow a Mamiya however if I do 35mm film I will need to borrow a pentax. I will also need to borrow a light metre and a reflector. As I have my own home studio kit I won't need to borrow any lighting equipment or backdrops from the college.

Pro’s	Con’s
Showcase my portraiture skills	Time Scale
Improve studio skills	Finding ideal models
Improve flash skills	Cost of models
Practice using film	Makeup artist
Confidence building by talking to models	Finding genuine and realistic props

I think the biggest downfall to this project is the costings. This project may be something I need to come back to later on in the future as it will allow me time to save for the costs and find the genuine props i am looking for.

Professionals who may be interested:
Hair dressers
Magazine editors
Models looking for portfolios

Costings:
Models: If I could find models who are looking to have new portfolio images taken we could collaborate and both get something from it however I think professional/ more experienced models would benefit my photographs better therefore I estimate I will be looking at around £100 to hire a model for around 3/4 hours £100x5= £500
Props- anywhere between £50-£100
If I use film: 35mm £5 per film x5 shoots £25 if I want to do 2 films per shoot I am looking at roughly £50
If I decide to do 120mm films its roughly £5 per film however if I wanted to do 2 rolls of film per shoot i can but a pack of 10 120mm films off amazon for £48 (including post and packaging)

Time scale:

aiming for 5 final shoots over the 3 months

Visual examples:

Critical Study

I am going to base my critical study around portraiture, as this is what I would like to specialise in. I would like to talk about the different styles of portraiture (Nude, Vanity, traditional, environment, candid, abstract, glamour, lifestyle ) and what it depicts to the viewer. I also want to talk about what emotions are provoked by the imagery depending on the medium, style, and more.

Photographers to research:

-Julia Margaret Cameron

-Jane Bown

 -Man Ray
Man Ray is classed as a surrealist who is most known for his use of solarisation.

-Yousuf Karsh
Photographed the notable people from the century.

-Norman Parkinson
Parkinson is known for photographing ‘action realism’.

-Richard Avedon
His portraiture defined America’s image of style and beauty in the second half of the 20^th century.

Don McCullin
Shocked war marine- realism and true events

David Bailey
Portrait and scenic photography

Things to include:
- What styles of portraiture there are

-What the photographer is trying to depict

-Film vs digital, does the medium effect what is depicted?

-What is portraiture used for now compared to what it used to be used for?

-How the people in the portraits as changed

Beth

My idea for this shoot was to show the difference between what people want you to see compared to what is actually underneath. My subject is Beth a close friend who I have known for years. I know all of her insecurities and fears, however people who don't know her, upon appearance, wouldn't expect these things.

This shoot was done in my spare room. I didn't have a white backdrop, I therefore improvised and just used the light pink painted wall. I think the light pink added to the images. It helps Beth stand out and look even brighter than her surrounding colour and being a pale colour helps reinforce the natural images. I used studio lighting on this shoot both lights having a soft box attachment. I had one light either side of her as I wanted to make sure her whole face was fully lit. As beth is conscious about her face shape, I decided shooting from above was appropriate as it is more flattering for women.

When I showed Beth a picture I took of her with her tattoo showing, the first thing she said to me was 'I like that image, I look alright there'. Having known Beth 6 years I automatically knew the reason she liked this image because her tattoo was in it. Both her make-up and tattoo's give her the confidence she seems to lack when natural.

I know two of Beth's main inspirations are Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga. These are two celebrities who are very out there and unique with their styles. I feel this may be one of the reason's Beth likes to  expresses herself through her use of Jewellery, patterns and make-up. I asked Beth why she has this style. I was curious as to why her tattoo's on show and when she wears a large amount of makeup gives her confidence. I wanted to find out where her inspiration for her look came from. Her response was:

"I don't wear make up because my idols do, make up gives me more confidence really and I like the way it makes me feel. I do get inspirations for the colours I wear and the way I do my eyeliner from Lady Gaga. Some people create their own styles but I do take a lot of inspiration from the celebrities I like. As for tattoo's, I am a massive fan of art anyway so I love the fact you can have it on your body. A few of mine have meanings and they do give me more confidence."

For the images displaying Beth's style I made sure I got her to display different lipsticks and clothing. This is how they turned out:

The above images show how Beth looks when she leaves her house, the layers she hides behind to make herself feel confident. Below you can see Beth natural, the real person hidden beneath the facade and layers of make-up.