Death- Connecting essay 5

Photographer- Brooke Di Donato

My Image

The image by Brooke Di Donato is interesting to me because of the way that the artist leaves the subjects face obscured only showing her hands this is intriguing to the viewer as it creates an element of mystery.  The central positioning of the subject in the image immediately draws the viewers eye towards the flowers and subject in the image.  The flowers present in the image as well as the pink tones featured throughout provide create an air of femininity in the image something which is particularly interesting as the setting of the image is a living room which is historically a female dominated area.  The mid shot camera positing of the image is interesting to me as it allows for more setting to be visible in the image whilst the shallow depth of field allows for the flowers to remain in the images centre.  The muted colour scheme creates a sombre and serious air in the image, the addition of blues in the image adds to this effect.

In my image I choose to incorporate the muted tones of Di Donato's image in order to convey the sombre nature of my series which focused on incorporating the historic symbolism of a lily being linked to death imagery throughout language.  I have also chosen to incorporate the shallow depth of field in order to draw the majority of the viewers focus to the Lily.  The lily I have used in this shoot was largely decayed and I choose to use this in order to create a greater emotive effect and better translate the concept that a Lily symbolises death.  I choose to use a navy blue backdrop and also a place the Lily against the subjects purple jumper as beige and muted purple are contrasting colours this makes the Lily stand out further from the subject.  I have also chosen to keep the theme of the subjects face being obscured in order to create an element of mystery and anonymity.  I chose to alter the framing of the image however kept the Lily in a central position with a close shot of the subjects torso.

If I were to revisit this shoot I would consider making the lighting more even and possibly experimenting with various other kinds of flowers that relate to different emotions.  I feel that whilst I could have used a standard camera lens that the use of a macro lens provided an additional level of detail in the image.

In conclusion I feel that that this shoot was largely successful with the coloration and positioning used creating a striking image.

Physical manifestations- Connecting essay 3

Artists image- Jose Romussi

My image

Jose Romussi is a photographer and artist who works around physically altering his images through the medium of embroidery.  His work interests me due to the way that he alters the meaning of the original image after is has been printed adding an additional sense of depth to the piece post-shoot.  The image I have chosen above features a woman in a studded headress turned towards the camera in a crouched or bent position.  The studded headers and feathers used create an appearance of power and resilience which is added to through the fact that the image is presented in black and white as well as the fact that the subjects hair is not perfectly maintained and is wearing a black tank top going against standard feminine standards.  This is all contrasted through the later additions to the piece of intricate embroidered swirl patters in pastel colours.  This detailing gives the image a feminine edge and the pastels contrast heavily with the black and white tones in the image helped the embroidery to stand out.  The viewers eye is drawn to the subject immediately as a result of the shallow depth of field used as well as the colour over the subjects face this also creates a mystery about the subjects identity as it is obscured from the viewer by the embroidery.

My image is very different to Romussi's as I choose to only really draw from the embroidery aspect of the image.  In my image I choose to position the subject facing the camera in a close shot position.  I also shot in the studio opposed to on location and used a black background whereas Romussi used a very light background which was accentuated by the colour contrast shown by the use of black and white colouration.  My image lacks this large tonal contrast however the use of a macro lens when shooting insures that the subjects features are still sharp and easy to distinguish.  I choose to create a far more simple embroidered design as I wanted to replicate the stitching effect seen in "Lips sealed" one of my earlier shoots.  I choose a black thread as I felt that it complimented the images backdrop and stood out well against the subjects pale skin (this was furthered though the use of a reduced saturation when editing).  The black thread also helps to draw the sinister meaning behind the subjects lips being sealed against her will and the fact that she is being forced by society to keep her secret.  This is why I felt that it was important for the subjects face to be visible opposed to the anonymous subject in Romussi's work.

If I were able to revisit this shoot I would likely print my image on a larger scale such as A3 to give me more room to embroider a design as I feel that this larger scale would allow me to add more detail to the image.  I would also consider using a thicker thread and possibly more than one colour to create a more intricate design.

To conclude I feel that this shoot was successful in that it achieved what I wanted to convey from my shoots title which was to create physical manifestations of the idioms represented in other shoots.  However the shoot did not fully replicate Romussi's style so this is something that I could revisit.

In conclusion I feel that that this shoot was largely successful with the coloration and positioning used creating a striking image.

Plenty More Fish In The Sea- Connecting essay 4

Photographers Image- Kyle Thompson

My Image

I am interested by the above image by Kyle Thompson as he is a well respected surrealist photographer who specialises in careful visual symbolism and imagery in order to achieve striking and meaningful pieces.  I was particularly interested by the use of fish hooks and the blue background to give the image an aquatic feel without including any actual water.  The hooks used carry violent connotations and give the image a dangerous or sinister undertone.  A sense of mystery is also achieved through the obstruction of the subjects face whilst the positioning of the subject in the centre of the square formatted piece draws the viewers eye directly to them further amplifying the idea that element of mystery as the viewer is forced to stare at an unknown subject.  The tilt shift used allows for specific elements of the image to be drawn into focus an effect which could be replicated to some degree using depth of field however is far more successfully achieved through the use of tilt shift further pushing the viewer to look at the images subject.

My image focuses around similar aspects to the image by Thompson however there are core differences.  I have included fish hooks in my piece however have chosen to embed the hook into the mouth of the subject in order to give the image a more raw and emotive appearance.  The real reasoning behind this choice of hook placement was to better drive display the link the the idiom which I was working around "Plenty more fish in the sea".  I hoped to convey the emotions centred around the idiom through the use of sombre blues which convey both sadness as well as creating a link to water and the sea in a similar way to the way that Thompson used the tones in his piece however I have created my coloration using blue gels and low key lighting opposed to the bright blue background used by Thompson.  Over the shoot I experimented with various lighting set ups which can be seen through my contact sheet the set up which I finally found to be most successful featured the use of a macro lens in order to capture maximum detail as well as the use of a singular snoot and blue gel to cast the colour of the subject whilst creating shadows and tonal contrast through directional light.  The placement of the string in the piece is also significant as when the string is hanging limp it carries connotations of freedom however when it is pulled taught in other images in the series this can be associated with being constrained by the past.  Over the shoot I experimented with various lighting set ups which can be seen through my 

If I were to revisit this shoot I would consider experimenting more with image orientation and square based compositions.  I would also be interested in creating a GIF or a sequence of photographs of the subject escaping from the hook and line however I would have to re-stage the shoot to achieve this so will be unable to complete this at this time.

To conclude I feel that the images from this shoot were on a whole successful and that the lighting alterations I made over the course of the shoot were vital in creating the final images.  I also feel that the message which I was attempting to convey through these images was ultimately successful.

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.  

Bite the Bullet- Connecting essay 1

Photographer Image- Aleksandra Kimbo

Artist Image- Andy Warhol

My Image

This image focuses on physically altering specific areas of colourisation in order to mimic the style of the pop art era.  This style is somewhat surreal as it challenges the viewers notions of what an item is supposed to look like.  I feel that the use of a yellow backdrop to  photograph a banana on was a good stylistic choice as it means the the majority of the banana blends in whilst the section that has been painted pink contrasts heavily drawing the viewers eye to the altered area specifically.  A similar effect has been achieved throughout the use of red nails as it helps to make the subject stand out against the images  background.  The framing of the banana is interesting as whilst it is central it does not entirely fit into frame this limits the amount of empty space in the image and gives it a more interesting appearance.

Warhol's image is that of Marilyn Monroe and was one of his most famous works of art due to the combination of his striking style and the iconic subject he used.  This print of Marilyn is particularly interesting as various versions of the print exist with different colourisation leading to them being displayed in numerous different configurations in galleries with their bright contrasting colours creating an aesthetically pleasing arrangement however they are presented.

My image is related to these works through the varied use of colours incorporated in the image as well as the stacking method of presentation used which was widely incorporated by Warhol throughout his works.  I choose to keep the plate of spaghetti in its natural colourisation through the use of the colour select tool in order to mimic the way that physical photography was used in Kimbo's series to alter the colour of a specific area of the banana.  I feel that the use of selective colourisation also helped to draw the viewers eye to the shot gun shells amongst the spaghetti and highlights the reason for the shoots name "Bite the Bullet".

If I were to recreate this series I would consider shooting at a closer range as I feel that this may achieve a more striking and emotive response.  I would also consider shooting in macro if I were to shoot close up as I feel that that would provide a higher level of detail.  It is unlikely that I would shoot in high key again as I feel that the effect achieved was overly stark and unnecessary.

Overall I feel that this shoot was a success as I created a number of striking and engaging images.  I am particularly happy that I was able to tie in a pop art artist as this is one of my preferred artistic eras.