Lost

Friday 26th April 2013

Plans for the shoot...

In today's shoot I am really going to be really looking to use some of my Photoshop skills.  I have fond a tutorial (see previous target post) about removing your face.  I thought this looked like something that I would like to try and incorporate into my own portfolio of 'issues', and apply it to the issue of feeling 'lost' or 'lost in yourself' etc.

I am planning to used the ring flash for this shoot as I am going to be working up close on the face and therefore the ring flash will give more flattering lighting that looks more professional.

What I am hoping to achieve...

From this shoot I basically just want to end up with a photo where the face of the subject has been removed.  I would like it to have some kind of creepiness or eeriness about it too.  I am hoping that from this shoot I will also have the opportunity to experiment with the face in other ways and rather than removing the face away altogether, move facial features around.

What I actually achieved...

I am happy with the work I achieved today.  Here is the finished shot:

The shot looks exactly how I envisioned and I think I have done a good job of making the removal of the face look professional and 'seamless'.  I think the photo has the slight eeriness about it that I wanted to as well.

Though I am happy with the shot, I encountered many different problems in making this and have found that practice at more Photoshop based pieces of work like this will benefit me - for example, I struggled loads when I was trying to blend all the skin in where the hair and fringe started and had to try about three different ways before I was able to get it right.

This next shot that I did was simply an experiment that I did.  I photographed myself with hands covering my mouth, and then photographed myself screaming at the camera.  I then took the mouth from the screaming photo and put them on my hands in this shot.  I am happy with outcome and this the shot looks quite fun and contemporary.

What I am going to do next...

I have really enjoyed doing more Photoshop based work today and think I would like to experiment and try out something else using the tools available on the programme.  I like the contrast I have seen in my work here today too compared to, perhaps, my usual style of photography, and this is something I would like to explore.

Target Post (Friday 26th April 2013)

Your target for today is to clearly demonstrate your understanding of the possibilities of your chosen topic by completing further practical or contextual work according to the requirements of the assignment and your needs as identified in your personal target.

To ensure I achieve my target today I am going to be conducting a shoot in which I will be looking at the issue of feeling lost in yourself, like, not knowing or feeling who you are, or letting everything in your mind take over.  I think this is a good issue to explore as it's something that no-one ever talks about, being lost in yourself is something an individual might not even recognise. 

To help me with my idea for the shoot I am going to be follow this tutorial.

http://www.photoshopstar.com/basics/without-face-photoshop-cheating/

Outstanding Work Unit 2

• 2 Photographers
• 2 more shoots with contacts sheets and 3 work diaries
• Print Techniques
• Cluster
• Photojoiner
• 3 Computer Experiments
• 4 Physical Experiments
• 18 Final Pieces
• Powerpoint
• 2 (and a half) Connecting Essays

Exam Plan

For my exam on Friday 19th April 2013 I am going to be continuing with my theme of issues.

The way I am planning to structure my day is to arrive at college with my model, prepare the makeup and design I will be needing for my shoot, and then go on to doing the actual shoot at 11am.  I am then going to be in the studio for approximately 2-2 and a half hours doing the actual shoot before coming back into the class to download and edit.

My overall idea for this shoot is to incorporate more than one issue into one shoot with my model and make it seem like this is the subjects personal issues.  The issues that I am going to be incorporating together for the shoot are going to be drug and alcohol abuse, smoking, metal health, self harm and overall bring a feel to the pictures that shows a being that is ill in them self, sad and unhappy with the issues that has been inflicted on their lives.

Mentality

Tuesday 19th March 2013

Plans for the shoot...

For today's shoot I am going to be looking at possibly more than one issue.  The reason for this is oringially my idea was going to be mental health etc. but I have since thought my idea through and thought it could also link in with being terminally ill and in hospital.

The shoot is quite dark and invloves the model I will be using as my patient to hold a gun as if he were about to commit suicide.  I am also going to have a wheelchair for the shoot to just to help me get some variation in shots.  I will be using the white background for the shoot as it will repersent hospital walls etc.

What I am hoping to achieve...

From this shoot I am hoping to be able to really bring out the dark emotion that I want to be portrayed in getting this issue accross.  I also want to be able to do some things on Photoshop to enhance the photos and make them look even creepier.

What I actually achieved...

I really loved this shoot - it has been my favourite of this topic so far.  Here are some of the photos:

These two pictures were using the wheelchair. I really like the angle at which they were taken and the way the model looks almost lifeless.  I think the mask and the gun were nice elements to add to the photo shoot and I am glad that  encorporated them.  I think the white background worked really well too as it repersented the walls of a hospital, though as you can see in these photos shadows became a problem.

I love this photo! - my model reminds me of some kind of Gollum like creature.  I really like how stange and uniquw this shot is.  I like how you can only see part of the subjects face but you can see the 'dead' and creppy expression and the way you can really see the gun here too.  I would have liked to explore more with more unquie poses like this.

These next three shots are all ones that I enhanced on Photoshop.  I like to focus on the eyes as this made the shot, for me, even creppier, so I chnaged the colour of them to blakc or white and also made them look blood shot in one too.  On the one with the wheelchair I also edited it so that the colour of the skin changed to make him look more dead.  I really liked experiementing with some of the effects that I did here and I would like to try this some more.





What I am going to do next...

I really enjoyed this shoot and had fun with it.  I would like to do somehting like this again where I use props etc. to make the shot really come to life.  I also liked using the effects that Photoshop offer as it means that I can make the shot look veen darker.  I really would like to do another 'dark' shoot.

Thank you to my model Paul - again! x

Sexuality

Friday 15th March 2013

Plans for the shoot...

For today's shoot I am going to be look at the issue of sexuality.  I think that this is an important issue as it is something so common in today society yet something that I still feel is very unaccepted and one of the most discriminative subjects in society today.

My plans for this shoot will include me taking a male model and simply photographing them with 'I LIKE MEN' on there chest - to emphasise the point that it is something that people feel so strongly about yet don't really talk about, I am going to make it look like it is cut into his chest using makeup and effects on Photoshop.  I am going to be using th grey background for this shoot.

What I am hoping to achieve...

From today's shoot I am really hoping to highlight the issue in a light that shows the hurt and anger of people that have the same sex orientation and how society has shaped this by being so unaccepting.  The shoot is really quite simple, so I am really looking to bring out the emotion through my model and his connection with the camera.
What I actually achieved...

I am happy with today's shoot, though I got some different shots to that I was imagning in my head.  I really like them, but rather than making sure my model was all connected with the camera so to bring the emotion out in his eyes and facial expression, it turned out that during the shoot it actully worked better when his was 'disconected' from the camera and not looking at it.  Here are some of the shots:

I like this shot as I think the pose it rather unusal.  I really love how the red is standing out so much with all the other colours in the photo being neutral and harmonious.  The positioning of the photo is something I quite like too - I like the way it is off-centre.

This next photo I am not so sure about - I love somethings about it and am unsure about others. 

I really love the pose and the off-centre positioning of the photo again.  However, I think though the pose is really good, the accentuation on the 'writing' on his chest is lost slightly and more focus is brought to the subjects face as he is making the connection to the camera - nevertheless, I am not sure that this expression is quite the right one for getting across the issue I was trying to in the way I was trying to (I think it looks a little too moody).  I should have specifed more accurately to my model that I was after a more emotional shot.

This my favourite shot from today.  I love the pose of the subject and how it has really made the 'writing' on his chest stand out and get the message I wanted to accross.  I really like how he is looking down and away from the camera - it makes the shot really emoitonal as my model looks sad but also like he is ashamed of his sexuality.  This is what I stated at the begining about how society has shaped this and this is what I wasnted to get accross in a photo.

What I am going to do next...

I really like how these shots were simple and yet they still made an impact.  I loved how all the colours were neutral yet the red stood out so well in the photo making the point I was trying to get accross stand out more.  This has made me think about how I can use colour more in another shoot to get an issue accross and make it stand out in a photo.

I also loved the unique range of poses I had with my model this time and this is something that I am going explore in other shoots.

As always thank you to my wonderful model, Paul!

Target Post (Tuesday 19th March 2013)

By the end of this lesson you will have clearly demonstrated that your understanding and exploration of your chosen exam topic has increased and you understand the potentials of the topic.

In today's class I am going to demonstrate my understanding of my chosen exam topic of issue by tackling the issue of insanity/mental issues/terminal illness.

I think this is an important issue that is often dismissed in society.  I am going to execute this shoot by having my model done up like a patient in a hospital that is insane etc.  I am really hoping to photograph the emotion in make the photo look quite frantic and crazy (the model).