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.