Concept- Physical Manifestation (Shoot 5)

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.

Plenty More Fish In The Sea- Straight images

The above image was shot using a snoot and a blue gel covering against a blue background.  I choose to use directional lighting in order to create more dramatic shadows and give the image a more eye catching appearance.  The blue gels are used in order to further draw attention to the idiom plenty more fish in the sea as the colour blue can be linked strongly to the ocean and therefore fish.  The dark backdrop was used in order to give the image a more sinister appearance however I choose to use black opposed to navy blue to prevent the image from appearing overly blue.  The subject is positioned in a 3/4 profile pose and has a dead pan expression suggesting an absence of emotion and adding mystery as the viewer is unaware of what the subject is looking at outside of the images frame.  When editing the images saturation has been slightly lowered however no drastic saturation changes were made in order to avoid losing the blue tones in the image and a clone stamps tool was used around the wound site in order to attempt to blend the hook into the skin.

This image uses the same lighting techniques as the image above as well as the same editing techniques however the framing used here is a mid shot whereas the framing of the above image was a close shot.  This variation of shot allows for the string to be stretched away from the subjects face which provides a leading line and engages the viewer drawing them from the images outer edge to the subjects face and directly towards the hook.  Again a dead pan expression is used here which gives the image a somewhat unnerving appearance.

This image features a close shot and the same lighting and editing techniques as the image before.  The profile of the subjects face in this shot allows for the wound and hook on the subjects face to be fully seen and draws attentions to the hook.  An interesting tonal contrast can be found when looking at the light blue of the string against the dark background as well as the blood against the subjects pale face.

This image features the same editing techniques and lighting as the images above however features a 3/4 profile of the subject in a medium close shot.  The strong can again be seen as a leading line linking the subjects face and the hook to the images edges and acting as a guideline for the viewer.  The only variation between he editing of this image and the prior images is that this image has been additionally lightening and therefore has a more grey/blue background and lower level of contrast between the subject and the images background.

I dislike this image however have chosen to include it in my straight images due to it's drastically different appearance and to highlight my attempts at experimentation.  In this image I used a soft box on a low setting as well as a snoot with a blue gel.  This lighting created an odd orange glow on one side of the subjects face which I was not happy with.  I also failed to blend the hook into the skin effectively and feel that the absence of string makes the image appear far less dynamic than its counterparts.

Plenty More Fish In The Sea- Contact sheet

Plenty more fish in the sea- Work diary

Basic information:
Date: 01/12/16
Camera used: College studio camera macro lens
Props or subject: Subject
Editing program: Photoshop CC 2014
Camera settings: 1/125, f/9, ISO 200
Technique used: Low key gels
Camera set up: (Diagram created using www.lightingdiagrams.com/creator)- Snoot x1, blue photography gel, Tripod

Favourite image:

The above image is my favourite from this series due to the way the subject is positioned in profile with half of her face hidden by the use of low key lighting.  This directed light shows only half of her face and draws the viewers focus to the subjects face as there is no shallow depth of field to direct the viewers eye due to the use of an f-stop of 9 in the image. The profile view and consequent obscured face creates an aspect of mystery in the image.  This mystery helps to give the image a more powerful meaning to the viewer and may make them question the story behind the symbolism of the idiom of "Plenty More Fish In The Sea" a phrase often associated with relationships and the search for love.  The use of blood in the image as well as the gruesome way that the hook has punctured the subjects skin provides a darker edge to the image making the viewer question whether the subject has had a bad romantic experience in the past.  This idea of the image having darker connotations can be seen again through the blue tone of light used this was intended to give the image a colder feel whilst also retaining the symbolism of the sea and creating a high level of contrast with the red of the blood on the subjects face.  The subjects dead pan expression also creates a dark and harsh sense in the image and upholds the mystery by giving away no emotional clues.

Least favourite image:

This is my least favourite image due to the subjects framing in the image specifically the dead space above the subjects head and to the subjects left as this confuses the viewers eye in the dramatic image.   The lack of focus on the subjects face and the hook in her mouth also take away from the images impact as the viewer is unsure of where they should be looking.   I feel that the lighting in this image was poorly executed as there is orang or red toned lighting coming from behind the subject where another light as triggered in the studio.  I also dislike the way that the lighting has created a particularly uneven edge along the hook prosthetic and that it has not been correctly blended into the subjects face post production.  I also feel that the image is over exposed in the areas where it has been lit resulting in the subjects shirt and face appearing almost luminous this distracts the viewer and makes the image look overly saturated and garish.

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