Evaluation

Studio Shoot

These images were shot in the studio using a black background. I decided to shoot on a black background as I was really interested in what effect it could create. I think it works really well with the black lingerie as it helps to keep a sophisticated theme running through the images. From looking at photographers like; Ellen Von Unwerth, Mike Figgis and especially Peter Lindergh, I quickly realised that posture is extremely important in fashion imagery. The right posture and stance of the model could be what makes it such a strong image. I wanted my model to look awkward, enhancing the bone structure of my model physique, accentuating her slim body. The image on the left is my favourite image out of these 2 as I think I have achieved a soft, erotic image which I wanted these images to make.

I decided to put these 2 images together as I think having a full length body shot next to a close up portrait can work really well. I'm pleased with these images, however the image on the right I don't like as much - the exposure of the image, for me, isn't quite right. I feel there is too much of a contrast from the whites to blacks, but in photoshop I was unsuccessful in trying to lighten the area of the hair where it is really dark. This was unsuccessful as I had to lighten the image so much, up to about 3 stops, it started to become grainy and produced intense haloing. Although I like the strong shadows in the photo, I think if I was to reshoot this image, I would maybe include another light coming from the right side of her, on a low output just to lighten up parts of the image which have lost detail from it being so dark. In camera RAW, I edited the photo on the left - to lighten up areas where detail had been lost, like the shoes for an example. The original image was a lot darker than this and although it created a really moody, smokey feel I think it looked better after I had edited it. 

I shot this shoot using a soft box strip as I thought it would be the most successful in lighting the whole of my model. I used one light, however on the right hand image I used 2 lights. One being a soft box and the other being a snoot, which is what creates this light behind my model. I decided to add these photos which are in colour to show that the colour images worked well. I am really pleased with these 2 images as I thought about the rule of thirds, making sure that what was in the frame was neat and looked crisp. I also used a wind machine on the image to the left to create movement in her hair. I really like this image as I think it really highlights this sexy feel. For some of the images I used a 70mm lens but the majority of them I used a standard 35-50mm lens. The images were shot on anywhere from F/4 to F/8 as the lighting was so dark.

I edited these 2 images by using colour layers and then by using the eraser and opacity tool, I managed to bring out my model from the rest of the image. I used the colour picker tool so select the colour of my model's eye, which I then used to layer over my images. I chose to select this colour as I thought it would make her eyes appear more prominent. I really like these images as I think they are really different to what I would normally do with fashion portraits.

Mike Figgis

I really like this photo a lot due to the intimacy it gives off. This photo is extremely sexy but Figgis for some reason hasn't include the model's identity. This helps to create the importance of the body and sexual side of the photo. The alcohol in the background suggests indecent behaviour along with what the model is wearing. This was shot on film and I guess that it was shot on a standard lens as there isn't anything technical amazing about this photo.

With Figgis' images, they have quite a rough feel as they aren't perfectly set up like editorial, fashion images. The image on a whole is quite over exposed, especially on the model's legs, however this helps to create contrast between the whites and blacks. I think this helps contrast the innocence of a woman and delicateness of her skin against the black and seductive lingerie - suggesting the model has lost her innocence to promiscuous behavior.

Figgis is originally a film director, directing such films as; Leaving Las Vegas, Cold Creek Manor and more. He has a talent for creating mood within his images, especially this one, by using lighting and the location. By being a director, I think it helps to produce a really powerful image, as you're constantly looking at every single part of the image and frame like you would be doing when filming. This photo is open to a range of narratives which I particularly like about it - images that suggest something but leave it open enough for you to decide what's going on. 

Ballet Commision

Shoot Plan

For this shoot, I have been asked to take photos for someone's ballet portfolio. I researched into dance and performance photographers and found the photographer Drew Tommons, who works closely with models to get some really different and exciting dance images. 

For this shoot I want my background to be grey or to have a gradient background, where the white falls into the grey. To create this affect I need to ensure that I pull my model forward, away from the background so that less light is hitting it. For this shoot I am going to test a few different lighting arrangements out. I want my images to be moody and in a sense theatrical, highlighting important muscles, portraying how strong the dancer is - for this my model will have to do large and eccentric movements. I want my images to be minimalistic to help keep the focus on my model, maybe creating some faint shadows. To enhance the shadows and specific lighting I am going to be using, I am going to digitally manipulate my photos so that they are black and white. By doing this I am creating more of a contrast between the blacks and whites which helps to add to the moodiness of the photo. In this lighting diagram, I have included a black panel to block part of the light from hitting the backdrop (which I may not use) depending on how the lighting is affecting the colour of it.

This is my favourite image out of the collection as I think the composition and technical side of it is really well executed. It was shot using a tripod on F/8 with a softbox strip positioned to the right of my model, creating these really extreme shadows which I personally feel highlights the model's physique. I wanted to create a grey background instead of a completely white background as I feel it creates more mood and adds a theatrical feel to the image. Similar to Drew Tommon's work, I have made the move of the model look powerful and strong by using contrast between the whites and blacks. If I was to reshoot this shot I would probably change the outfit of my model to something of a lighter colour - however I wouldn't want the image to look flat as the black leggings helps to bring out the black shadow. Overall, I found this shoot incredibly hard to get right and I found the model difficult to work with. I specifically like the light on the right hand arm as it softens the images. The use of that arm being near the light adds direction to the photo and makes it appear to be active.

These are the weakest images out of this set as on both images the shadow is being cut off too early, due to the portrait format I chose to shoot in. The right hand image I was displeased with due to the model looking awkward and strained. I wanted my model to look calm and like he was enjoying himself, however it was his first time in the front of the camera and I felt that he felt very conscious. I prefer the left hand image in landscape as I think the negative space really works well and how it makes him look bigger being stretched across a landscape frame. I also found the images where he wasn't looking into the camera were more successful as it made him looked more focused on the dance moves rather than posing for the camera. If I had the chance to reshoot these images, I felt I could've have achieved such a better outcome. I wanted the first shoot just to be a tester to see how me and my client would work together and for myself to get familiar with shooting dance moves. If I were to reshoot this I would try my model against a black background as well as the white (grey) as I think the black would have helped the muscles to stand out more, however with using the white background I managed to get some really strong shadows. 

I feel that this is a really powerful shot and I was really pleased with how central I managed to get the model. This image took a lot of attempts to get right but in the end I was left with a good final image. I would've preferred it if my model was looking down at the floor as his facial expressions let the image down. For this shot I had one light coming in from the right side to create definition in Che's physique. I really wanted the model to be slightly more advanced in ballet so that some of the moves he was doing would have been bigger and more exaggerated so I had more to work with. From looking at this image, it makes me want to take a shot close to his foot - focusing on his foot with shallow depth of field, making his face be out of focus, for a more fine art feeling relating to this theatrical feel.

The majority of these poses didn't look like they came naturally to the model. I had problems with the frame as to achieve the lighting that I got with the grey background, I had to ensure that the model was a close to the front of the studio as I could get him so that the light wasn't bouncing strongly against the background. Because of this, I kept getting the floor in front of me in the frame, which didn't look professional. I tried to include some shots of my model jumping however I was unsuccessful in doing this. Next time I am going to try and shoot the images on a faster shutter speed, maybe using flash to get movement or get an image of the model in the air.

Ellen Von Unwerth

I decided to look into Ellen Von Unwerth as she is renowned for her sexy and erotic images. Although, her images are some what more intimate than I'm going to make mine, I still think they are stunning imagery. She really captures the delicate nature of a woman's body yet also they have connotations to sex and lust. I really like the camera angle she has used in this image as the identity of the model cannot be seen, making her body the dominating feature of the image. This is quite a rough photo in the sense that the background is messy and the model isn't holding an exaggerated pose - giving the image a really natural feel.

I really like the use of lighting in this image as the light coming from the top of the stairs helps to create a dingy, grimy feel. This is contrasted against the corset and costume of the model as the clothing is quite middle class. The use of the banister and skirting board adds a sense of direction the photo, creating a narrative. Ellen Von Unwerth has thought about the rule of thirds and leading lines within this image, as the model is directly central, with a line in the foreground leading up to her, which Unwerth has made out of focus. The way the skirting board cuts the model right at the centre of her bum helps draw our attention there. By using the white shoes and white corset sticks to a colour scheme which works very well within fashion photography.

Unwerth first became famous from shooting Claudia Schiffer, she then went on to work for companies like; Vogue, Vanity Fair, Interview and other leading fashion organisations. Her work is renowned for erotic feminism, which I think is extremely powerful and she has got such a talent of bringing out the best physical assets of her models.

Functional Skills