Concept- Plenty More Fish In The Sea (Shoot 4)

Mid-Project Evaluation

My personal project is based around the influence that literature can have on photography and vice versa.   At the point of writing this evaluation I have completed three shoots all of which have been focused around creating visual representations of phrases and idioms through the use of surrealist photography.  I have targeted surrealist photography through my use of props in my first shoot “Bite the Bullet” which focused around the inclusion of shot gun shells in my image as well as using special effects makeup in the latter of my shoots “Lips sealed” where I create the illusion of the subjects lips being sewn together and in my most recent shoot “Don’t cry over spilt milk” where I have added white tears to my face to create a self portrait.  

I feel that the shoot I have completed which has been most successful was "Lips sealed" due to the fact that I feel that the lighting, makeup and camera settings used have combined to make a very thought provoking series.  I feel that the least successful shoot in my series was "Bite the Bullet" which featured high key portraiture for this reason it is unlikely that I will attempt to complete another shoot featuring high key portraiture and have appropriately adjusted my shoot plans to accommodate this change in approach.  I find that the shoots I complete with the use of a block colour background such as black are very effective in the way that they are able to add a sense of darkness to the image which translates into the imagery and emotion perceived by the viewer.

I would like to further develop my variation of shots in this project as I feel that looking into a wider range of shot types would give my series a better and more engaging appearance.  One way that I may look into would be using a macro lens and possibly colour gels in later images to create a more engaging image series producing a more detailed look at the techniques used to create the images as well as using emotive and symbolic colouration.

I aim to complete a series of seven portraiture shoots and then later three still life shoots as I believe that the addition of still life flower photography would add an additional link to my project and the English Language due to the way that Victorian flower language has imagery over time in photography, media and literature.

  

Don't Cry Over Spilt Milk- Work Diary

Basic information:
Date: 17/11/16
Camera used: Nikon D3500
Props or subject: Subject (Self portraiture)
Editing program: Photoshop CC 2014
Camera settings: 1/125, f/9, ISO 200
Technique used: Portraiture
Camera set up: (Diagram created using www.lightingdiagrams.com/creator)- Soft box x2, Tripod

Favourite image:

This is my favourite image due to the subjects framing and the way that the subject is positioned with her eyes in the images centre this positioning draws the viewer to the subjects eyes and gives the image a more emotive appearance.  This is important as it gives the viewer something to focus on as the image is shot with a wide depth of field as a result of the stop f9.  I feel that the use of white face paint has effectively created the appearance of milky tears and am happy with the opacity of the tears as milk is not a completely opaque fluid when it is on a surface in a thin layer such as a tear.  I find that the lack of lack of bright colours in the image creates a somber effect and like the way that the dark theme has been upheld through the coloration of the subjects brown eyes and hair and the way that this compliments the black background.  Saturation has been reduced in this image in the aim to tie the colours throughout the image together more effectively.  I feel that the closeness of the subjects face to the camera gives the image a somewhat comical appearance which bears a resemblance to the art of Roy Lichenstein which focuses around the face of a crying woman.

Least favourite image:

This is my least favourite image as the lighting is uneven in the image which creates an overly exaggerated shadow behind the subjects nose.  The images lighting also appears to be overly exposed which leads to the image having a washed out appearance an effect which diminishes contrast throughout the image and lightens the subjects features such as hair and eyes giving the image a far less striking appearance.  I am also unsatisfied with the images framing particularly the way that the subject shoulders and chin are not featured as a feel that the image has been cropped in an unusual and unappealing manner.  This framing does not direct the viewers eye as there are too many places for the viewers eye too stray an issue which is only made worse by the way that the lighting shapes the subjects face in the image.

Don't Cry Over Spilt Milk- Connecting essay 2

Photographer- Man Ray

Artist- Roy Lichenstein

My Image

The image by Man Ray "Larmes" or more commonly "Tears" was shot on black and white film using a mannequins head and glass beads to mimic tears.  The subjects faces proximity to the camera creates a more emotive appearance as does the glossy appearance of the eyes and the way that they reflect the light in a way which is reminiscent of tears.  The images lighting helps to give the image depth by creating shadows around the subjects face which is particularly important as a result of the wide depth of field used as this does not create any depth from out of focus areas.  The uneven placement of the tears on the subjects face helps to give the image a more natural and less staged appearance. 

The image by Roy Lichenstien is a piece of artwork from the pop art era and again employs a close portrait angle to create the maximum emotive effect and allow the viewer to engage with the subject. The bright colours contrast heavily with the solemn appearance of the subject and is particularly striking when compared to Man Ray's black and white work.  This style however was the signature appearance of the pop art era and was intended to give the images created a larger than life and cartoonish appearance.

In my image I chose to use a narrow depth of field as well as a close angle shot in order to create an intense and striking image.  I particularly wanted to draw the viewers eyes to the subjects eyes and tears as they are the most striking point of the image.  I feel that it was necessary for my image to be coloured opposed to black and white as this helps to highlight the fact that the tears are white and milky in colouration in order to allow the viewer to process the link between the link and the idiom.  I also felt that the tears had to be placed unevenly on the face in order to follow through with the concept that tears are a natural response opposed to something manufactured in order to create the best response from the viewer.  I feel that an additional sense of depth was added through the use of a black background as well as the light formed by multiple soft boxes as it created some slight shadows on the subjects face.

If I were to improve this shoot I would consider using shooting more close up images and possibly implanting macro photography in order to gain a more defined image.  I would also be interested in exploring different angles of the subjects face in relation to the camera something that I feel would be easier to achieve if I had not carried out this shoot as a self portrait.

In conclusion I feel that this shoot was successful and that I was able to draw from both artists in order to create a striking and emotive image which has conveys a message that has been presented by photographers through centuries.  

Don't Cry Over Spilt Milk- Straight images

This image was shot with two soft box lights in order to provide a soft and even tone.  The framing was difficult to achieve throughout this series as they are self portraits however I was able to shoot them myself using a camera remote.  The image has a decreased saturation as well as colourisation shifts created through the use of curves.  I choose to keep the tears as a somewhat transparent white as I felt that this was more in keeping with the consistency of milk and despite the somewhat comical appearances of the images I wanted to attempt to maintain some elements of realism.

The above image has the most defined tear lines as a result of the subjects face to the camera.  I found that this appearance bears a resemblance to the work of Roy Lichenstein a pop art artist who created an exaggerated cartoon of a woman crying.  This image uses the same shoot techniques and editing techniques as the previous image.

The subjects positioning in this image creates a sense of sadness in the image due to the downward gaze and iconography of the tears.  This evokes a feeling a pity in the viewer for the subject and makes the image more memorable.  The lighting in this image is different from those above as it only features light from one side as one of the soft boxes failed to fire however I still like the image as I feel that the hidden portion of the subjects face adds a sense of mystery to the image.  I used the same editing techniques as the images prior in the series.

This image again features a failed flash from onside however I still like the image die to the contrast found between the subjects white eyelashes and the shadowing on the subjects face as it stands out as odd and surreal to the viewer.  I used to same editing techniques as I did with the other images.  Had I wanted to reduce the shadowing in the image I would have reduced the images contrast as well as lightening the image.

Don't cry over spilt milk- Contact sheet

Concept- Don't Cry Over Spilt Milk (Shoot 3)

Lips Sealed- Work Diary

Basic information:
Date: 15/11/16
Camera used: Nikon D3500
Props or subject: Subject
Editing program: Photoshop CC 2014
Camera settings: 1/125, f/8, ISO 200
Technique used: Portraiture
Camera set up: (Diagram created using www.lightingdiagrams.com/creator)- Soft box x2, Tripod

Favourite image

This is my favourite image from this shoot due to the framing of the subject in the images centre.  I also like the way that the the lighting used draws the viewers eye directly to the subjects face.  The lighting is important in this image as a wide depth of field was used (f8) meaning that the viewers eye would not be drawn towards the subject through depth and focus.  Other aspects of this image which I find appealing in this image are the emotive feelings created by the use of the shhhing symbolism of the subjects finger.  This symbolism gives the image a more sinister undertone as if they are being forced to keep a secret.  The darkness of the image amplifies this concept as it is as if the subject is trapped by themselves and in their own psyche.  Elements of this image which I find less appealing include the way that the lighting is not completely even over the subjects face and the fact that the sewn up lips of the subject cannot be seen more clearly.

Least favourite image 

This is my least favourite image as I feel that the disjointed movement of the subjects head draws away from the subjects makeup and the sewn up mouth effect.  The fact that this is not easily visible is important as the entire series of idioms is focused around the way that additional elements such as  makeup can be added to images in order to convey a deeper meaning and to the idioms and highlight darker messages.  I also feel that the fact that the subjects head appears to be floating as a result of dark clothing choices is distracting to viewer.

Lips Sealed- Straight images

The close up used in this shot allows the viewer to fully see the stitching on the subjects lip and this gives the image a more disturbing appearance than some of the other images in the series as the wounds appear to much more raw when seen from a close angle.  It would have been interesting to explore macro work in this series as it would have given a more detailed image of the subjects lips.

This image has a more dynamic composition than the image prior due to the way that use of the subjects hand making a "ssshhhing" motion in front of the subjects face.  This motion gives the image a more emotive appearance due to the connotations of secrecy linked to a finger to the lips whether it be self imposed secrecy or forced secrecy and oppression.

This image appeals to me because of the sinister connotations of the subjects head being bent in an unnatural manner.  This sinister appearance is further shown through the use of soft yet directional lighting and a black background which creates a stark sense of contrast between the subjects skin and the background when combined with reduced saturation in the image this effect gives the subject a somewhat sickly appearance.

The symmetrical appearance of this image as well as the subjects deadpan expression gives the image  a striking and uniform appearance.  The use of the stitched lips gives the image a more sinister appearance however and inflicts a sense of fear upon the viewer as the deadpan expression makes it appear that the subject is looking directly at and through the viewer in an detached and subhuman manner.

Lips Sealed- Contact sheet

Concept- Lips Sealed (Shoot 2)