SHOT LIST
Location
(4) Deoderant campaign - each image to tell a story
(5) Helmut Newton Inspired
(6) Photographs of a local fashion designer's work
Studio
(2) Couple shots
(1) Group shot
(7) Fashion shots of your choice
[NOTE: These are not in order as a result of bloggers formatting I could not get them to order properly]
Deoderant Campaign (4)
I chose to advertise a product that was not necessarily fashion based to challenge myself. These photographs aren't 'glamourous' so I brainstormed ideas that would a) grab a viewer's attention and b) sell a product. The two portrait images in this series use humour as a selling point for deodorant. The first image (family photograph) is targeted at the general demographic, females and males, using the family as a representation. The second image (male and female in the bed) is aimed at the young to middle aged demographic and aims to grab the viewer's attention by the uncomfortable but humous situation which is represented. The third and fourth images are aimed at athletes and/or sports enthusiasts, employing a more serious approach enhanced by the dramatic lighting. They aim to sell the idea that Lynx will give you the ability to be determined and achieve your sporting goals.
Helmut Newton Inspired (5)
I took different elements of Newton's style (narrative, sex appeal, femininity, ambient lighting) and produced the following. The shot of the two girls with the moon is modernized, everything else has a vintage feel to it.
Local Designer (6)
The following garments are designed by Little Sparrow, which is a local label recently launched by Dannielle Hewitt. The collection is Aphrodite. Each garment is photographed in a different location to emphasise the features and ideas behind each particular garment. It was extremely rewarding working with Danni and Georgia, I have a positive experience working with a fashion designer and I would definitely love to work with more designers in the future. In this series I challenged myself with finding interesting locations and movement, which was hard but definitely worth it.
Group (1)
This was my first group shoot ever. Complexity in terms of photography definitely increases in photographing groups. The lighting becomes more tricky if you are not employing 'safe' lighting, and the composition and posing becomes crucial. I feel like I got a lot out of this shoot, I quite enjoyed photographing a group and I will definitely do more group shoots to develop my skills and confidence. I am happy with my final result. Groups are certainly the hardest to organise in terms of a finding a time that suits 3 different models, a makeup artist, an assistant, 3 sets of clothes and styling in general, etc.
Couple (2)
Only two couple shots were required for this portfolio but I ended up photographing more, as last year I only photographed single subjects. I definitely gained a lot out of this and I like the different formations and compositions that can be achieved using couples. It definitely helps if the couple are actually together, but the more professional and confident the models are the easier they are to direct. Another element I incorporated in my work this semester is narrative in fashion photography, influenced by many of my favourite photographers. Newton said "I believe the perfect fashion photograph is one that doesn't look like a fashion photograph. A photograph that looks like it's something out of a movie.... a paparazzi shot, anything but a fashion photograph.” [1] This need not be true for every single fashion photograph taken, but I definitely think it brings fashion photography to a new level and creates a deeper interest for viewers. This quote has stuck in my head ever since I watched Helmut Newton's documentary, and I find that many fashion photographs that I am personally drawn to are narrative, whether deliberately fictitious or believable.
Studio Shots of my choice (7)
I have been extensively researching various campaigns and these have influenced my studio work this semester. I aimed to produce photographs that could be used in each different campaign for example Revlon, Calvin Klein, Gucci, Chanel, etc. Once again I did not plan on a series of work I treated each photograph or shoot as a completely different and individual concept. I challenged myself with lighting and interesting posing, as well as movement and graphical elements.
Overall
Overall I am proud of my work and I have gained a lot out of this portfolio. I will further develop my skills in directing groups by photographing more group shots in the future. Next semester I also want to challenge myself with even more specialised lighting and perhaps gels, and I think I am going to produce a series of work. I feel like I am more aware of what is out there and who is out there and all the research I have done really inspires me to keep pushing myself so that I don't ever become predictable. It also pushes me to keep improving my techniques and production and developing new concepts.
[1] Source: Newton, J Helmut by June, Canal Plus Byzance Productions, viewed 15 March 2010, < v="r9wkCLkVWcI">.
No comments:
Post a Comment