Electronic Portfolio

Electronic portfolio unit 2 - 3 from bethbouchareb

Zombie Shoot - 12

In this shoot I wanted to experiment further with media make up and prosthetics, therefore I bought a zipper which zipped under to reveal a zombie, this tells the story of the well known myth of the dead, that in fact they turn into zombies waiting for an apocalypse. I used my friend Amber for this shoot and before setting off shooting in the studio I applied the prosthetics, which became quite difficult with the glue as it get dripping down me and my hands and down her face, which in a way could of harmed her safety however she was fine. I did the shoot which was easy enough, the only challenging prospects were the fact that the zip loosened on her neck however I just kept sticking it back down, the only other issue was that the lens wasn't working which meant I had to use a macro lens which meant I couldn't take full length body shots, however I just got over this and focused on shots of her face and the waist up. I really enjoyed this shoot.

 In this picture I painted the background black to make her skin stand out, i also edited her eyes grey and put eyeliner on them to make them seem as if they are staring more, however the focal point of the picture is still the zip revealing the gash under her skin and her flesh as it is the brightest part of the picture. I also like the composition of this picture, I like how it is not centred as it shows that something is not quite right which is almost one of the points of the shoot.

In this picture I went close to Amber's face and took the picture, as it focused on the zip more. In this picture I used the liquify tool to enlarge her eyes, I also turned her pupils completely black to show evil despite her face looking quite innocent through her expression. In most of those photos I edited on this shoot i used the burn tool under her eyes to make her seem more dead like however in this one I didn't because I like the way the weak face paint looks like stained mascara also suggesting that she has been crying and is still human like, bringing another side to the story that is not often expressed. The red of the blood is very bright like in the other pictures and becomes a focal point to the picture once again.








If I was to do this shoot again I would place the zipper so it meets the hairline so it doesn't stop randomly in the middle of her head. I would also use a different lens as the macro one kind of annoyed me.

Be Yourself Shoot - 11

In this shoot I originally was going to just do pictures of myself without make up and natural hair to show a form of accepting yourself, telling the ending of a story as it becomes your new equilibrium. However by the end of this shoot I thought that it could run deeper and I could address not caring what people think of you and continuing your life nevertheless. I personally think when people accept themselves the become a much happier being as they no longer live for anyone else but themselves. I really liked doing this shoot as the shots were very natural and just expressed me at the beginning so there was shots of me on the phone, with a camera, posing, just what i do every day. I am glad I did this in the studio as no location stole the spotlight from the main content of the picture which is the person. 

In this picture I made signs for everyone to hold which are what people can stereotypically be called (not personal to the models) and I got them to put their middle finger up to then lens to tell everyone to f*** off who judges them, so this photo is direct to an audience. I also wrote the sign "we're the kids our parents warned us about" because it is one of my favourite quotes and i think it describes my life as a teenager and it describes each sign and how their parents wouldn't approve, so this picture also represents the youth today and how they shouldn't care for not even their parents opinions. I put each picture in a different colour with colour balance, every colour is different which represents the person being different from everyone else, and each one being bright. I really like this picture and the message it sends.

In this picture it is quite controversial but only really for people who know me. the message of this shoot is to be yourself, however in this picture I have used the liquify tool to make my hair bigger and make my nose smaller, my nose being one of my biggest insecurities. I also used the spot healing brush to clear up spots and tidy my eyebrows up, however this picture remains to seem quite natural as it visible I have no make up on and my hair is naturally curly yet simply flatter. I put this picture in black and white as it represents truth which is the accepting of insecurities. Also black  ad white represents nakedness and the lack of make up suggests being bare. i also like in this picture how I am looking back into the lens as it seems like the realisation of something, the realisation that you can be yourself.

If I was to do this shoot again I wouldn't do anything different because it was spur of the moment and very natural which I like and was what I wanted.

Overall Project Evaluation

I chose the topic of storytelling and within this topic I did the sub topics of personal stories e.g. journeys, pregnancy, your own past and what it means personally. I also did the subtopic of examples of stories so conventional images of magazines. I also explored stories that already exist like pocohantus, the wizard of oz and the myth of the grim reaper.

At the beginning after I finished the few shoots I had planned, I found it very difficult to create photos based on story telling, the image bank helped, however I couldn't think of shoots I could complete. However then I remembered that all stories have a beginning, middle and end and I could just represent those parts, and I could represents simple equilibriums or perhaps even dis equilibrium's.

I feel like within this project I focused on studio shoots as opposed to location shoots, this may be due to my lack of studio shoots in my last unit, however I felt quite limited with studio shoot as it was more difficult to get models to college as opposed to anywhere I could meet them outside, also I had to consider their demanding schedule as well. I also felt more comfortable with studio shoots as I didn't have to worry about weather conditions which could affect my shoot, e.g- rain could annoy the model and get them to not corporate, it could get on the lens, it could ruin the mood of the photos produced as it could force it to have an opposite meaning.

My most difficult shoot to edit was the lyric video shoot in which I shot pictures appropriate to the lyrics of the song I'll Be There For You by The Rembrandts. Although this was interesting, it was the first shoot I felt I had to prepare for, which was time consuming, however the most time consuming part was editing all the pictures ready for the video. I first made a rough edit, putting the pictures where I wanted them to be placed so that I had a plan to follow by. Once I did this I edited the pictures I put them all in place in imovie and then had to edit the pictures to the lyrics to time which was difficult but would have been more difficult if I hadn't done the rough edit. I loved the outcome of my video despite all the effort, and i'm very glad I decided to do the shoot into the video.

My favourite shoot was the grim reaper shoot as it was the first time I had experimented with real props such as face paint, it was really fun to do and I loved the outcome. Due to the fact I used face paint instead of editing it all on the computer, plus I don't really like over editing pictures. The only heavy editing I did in the pictures I produced from this shoot was editing blackness over the eye so it produced  the socket skeletal part, I liked this effect. I also added blackness over the nose because I forgot to face paint it on, however I turned the opacity down so it looked more natural.

My least favourite shoot was my first attempt of the magazine shoot because it was simply a trial and I did it to prepare for the second shoot, I felt I hadn't done enough research of magazine photography for the shoot, therefore I didn't like the background I used, or the poses I made the model do and looking back on the pictures, I don't really like them however it was only a trial as I had to do a shoot that week and I had nothing else prepared. I think it was good to try this as it was only a preparation for another shoot.

In my next unit I think I will prepare for more shoots and think of more possible shoots when considering my topic, I would also consider doing more location shoots as I also think the weather will be more predictable in september as opposed to the spring weather we have had.

Grim Reaper Shoot -10

In this shoot I wanted to experiment with face paint and more planning with shoots and I think this worked well and I would definitely use face paint in shoots again. I painted half her face as a skeleton to represent the grim reaper but I kept half of her face normal to put a controversial spin on it of how humans can take life these days. The story within this shoot is a representation of how the end of a person life (a living story) comes to an end, or a typical story version of one. I got my idea from the story of American Horror Story which I have not watched but researched before doing the shoot, I made this link. I did this shoot on location as I feel I have used studio too much, the location I used I really like,it was at her house but it was a plot of overgrown grass, this gave the picture the feel of a fairytale setting.

In this picture I turned it black and white and then also added a different eye colour which also makes the eye more prominent. When this photo was in colour the red eye was more showing, however I preferred it in the black and white. I duplicated the layer and then blurred it slightly. I also cropped the image so there was no line showing obvious editing, even though you can see there is. I like how in this picture her hair is wavy, and this picture almost seems model like. The blurring of this picture blurs the line between her skeleton and her normal face which shows it is not that simple, which is an effect I really like.

Initially Paul did not choose this picture but I liked it so much I edited it anyway, with this picture I turned the curves up which made her face brighter. I then coloured in her eye so it was completely black, making her resemble a skeleton even more, I then went over with the black paint brush tool on the black face paint parts as they looked weak compared to the eye. I really love this picture and I put it in my final portfolio. I love the contrast of her white face paint to her mixed race skin and this is one of the few pictures I kept in full colour. I also love how her face is peaking through as it adds depth to the picture.






If I was to do this shoot again, I would do the face paint better, like I forgot to do her nose, I would make sure to do everything better and I would maybe try it in a different location, a more appropriate location like a cemetery.

Photojoiner Shoot - 9

In this shoot I had a model drop out and initially I was going to do a shoot showing someone depressed which would express the story of someone in depression and the photojoiner would represent how her life was in pieces, I think this would of made a good shoot and I will do it. However due to the model dropping out I had to improvise. Therefore during the half term whilst doing revision with a friend, i shot amber doing her work and this photojoiner represents the stress and how everything may not make sense and the story is more of a metaphor than literal as it represents the story of her life. This shoot was very quick and easy to do. 

I like this photo, I purposely chose to put the pictures in black and white and I had planned to do because the black and white represents monotony. In certain shots I zoomed in which represents focus and emphasises what she is doing. I also chose to do a few shots of her face as it shows her serious/bored which represents this is something she feels she has to do and that in fact the 'story of her life' is not one that she enjoys. Overall I cant say I liked or disliked this shoot because it was so quick and took literally no planning, it was a last minute decision.

Lyric Video Work Record- 8

With my 8th shoot I decided I wanted to shoot in a video format to display a story, with this shoot i downloaded the song 'I'll be there for you' by The Rembrandts and decided to tell the story of 2 friends and to convey the story of a song with 2 friends and convey the lyrics of the songs with actions and written words. Initially, this video is just photographs which play at the right time and match with the appropriate lyrics. I planned to do this shoot with two friends on location in the sun, however my models dropped out last minute therefore when I was next in college I did the shoot with students in my class, who happily helped. After taking the photos, I made a rough edit of the video on premiere pro, the timing was a bit off and the photos didn't fit to the frame. I then listed the photos which I was going to use and edited them one by one. After doing this I used Imovie to create my lyric video as it was an easier program to use.




What I like about this video is the vibe and how it is quite light and fun, however if I was to do it again I think I would focus on the actual photography and do the framing a lot better.

Garry Winogrand

Garry Winogrand is an american photographer who photographs everyday life, his photos become story telling because they show life as just an equilibrium, in its simplest form. Garry Winogrand's photography is strictly in black and white, this drains colour and makes what the people are doing in the photo the focal, which can be simply walking in some of his pictures.

 In this photo Winogrand has photographed a woman walking and this is a perfect example of showing that he just photos simple everyday life. It is possible to say that his photography could also be documentary as he is documenting what he has seen on the street or documenting what this woman is doing in this very moment. I find this photo quite boring as it is so simple and I like photos with a meaning however this photos meaning could be that not everything is exciting and not everything is portrayed as the way you read it in books or see it in films, there are times in life when things just are and it can be boring.

This photo has influenced me to perhaps try simple photography or photography that can be seen as boring as it can represent monotony or express everyday life.

In this photo Winogrand has pictured two women waiting for a bus and 2 little girls playing. I again find this boring like the other photo and I think this photo is meant to represent monotony and just the everyday usual. This photo is very simple and I think that colour in this photo would have made it more exciting however I think that Garry Winogrand wanted to represent the theme of monotony in everyday life.

This photo hasn't influenced me to do anything different because it is the exact same as the other photo above (basically).

In this photo Winogrand has shot a man and woman talking on the street. Different from the others, this pictures black and white is sharper and  I actually like this photo. In this picture you can see the woman  looking up to talk to the man and the man is looking down at her boobs, this is representing the truth and how men see women, as sexual objects. I also like the form of this picture as it shows their shadows very prominently and you can see the girls boob curve on the ground which emphasises the idea that she is a sexual object.

This photo has influenced me to consider eye contact when taking pictures and to perhaps try to create photography that expresses an ugly truth.

In this photo there is a man begging and his sign tells the audience that he is both blind and deaf. In this photo you can see a woman giving money and other people are dodging this man. The woman that is giving money isn't dressed the same as everyone else and you can see form an on looked that someone is looking at her funny, i decode this because of the way she is dressed. This photo defeats the stereotype of society and tells people not to judge a book by its cover, because the girl giving money looks quite rough however she is the kindest of them all as she is the one helping whilst others walk past with their head down. In this image the black and white is soft and I think this represents the softness of the giving woman's heart.

This photo has influenced me to defy stereotypes in my work.

Overall, I don't like this photographers work because I find it very boring and monotonous, especially when I have to analyse it. I don't think his work holds enough substance, his pictures are okay to glance at, but there is no real meaning to them which I don't like.

Stephanie Sinclair

Stephanie Sinclair is an American documentary photographer who's main work is for an organisation called Too Young To Wed, she produces photo's which show little girls being married to older men and the lives they lead, therefore her photo's are a biography of the girls as they are the main subject of the project.

In this photo Sinclair has made it evident that the girl is the focal point of the photo by showing her face.  The consumers of this photo can see that the girl is unhappy with enforces that she is probably in fact hugging her husband which makes this photo quite disgusting, but brilliant at the same time. I like the way Sinclair has made the background really dark because it seems that the man is carrying the girl into the darkness, thus being a representation for a dark life. This biography provides an insight to the girls life.

This photo has influenced me to consider lighting when doing documentary photography because it sets a mood for the photo.

In this photo Sinclair has positioned the wives and husbands together, the positioning of the men behind the girl emphasises the point of her project and shows they are the focal point and the ones who need to be helped. Also, Sinclair had positioned the girls in front of the men which emphasised the height difference which emphasised the girls young ages. To me, this positioning also represents the lack of protection but harm, with protection the protector is usually placed in front and when someone is behind it represents harm and a potential threat. This represents to me the danger that these girls are in which is what Sinclair intended to show.

This picture has influenced me to consider positioning in my photography to convey a certain message e.g. protection/ harm.

 In this photo Sinclair has put a married couple next to each other and you can evidently see the girl is significantly younger. In this picture the man is looking at the camera, which is normal for a photo however the young girl is looking up at the man as if she is watching his every move, as if she has to for her own good which represents a bad relationship, which represents unhappiness. The form on the background of the setting emphasises the height difference and emphasises the girls age against the mans. The man is kneeling on a blanket whereas the girl is on the dirty, muddy floor, this represents her to now be tarnished and it also represents a split which represents the different opinions they hold, his is approved of, and hers is not.

This photo has influenced me to consider eye positioning in my photography as opposed to just facial expressions as eyes tell what a person is thinking of and feeling.

In this photo Sinclair shows a girl to be overly happy and taking off her hijab, this suggests her freedom, and this suggest how these girls should be treated and what they should be feeling, happiness. The dawn setting in the background represents the dawn of a new beginning. The bright pink of her hijab is vibrant and reminds an audience of happy things such as flowers, this represents that she is now allowed to grow as she takes it off. the narrative of this image suggest she has just got released of her arranged marriage and is now allowed to be a child again. This picture is very warming. 

This picture has influenced me to use certain colours of clothing/ day to represent the emotion of the subject when completing documentary photography or photography that suggests a message. 

Overall I really like this photographers work for this project which is her main work, or the only work of hers I am aware of, I especially like how her photo produces a biography for her subjects and documents their life. 

Connecting Essay - Jasper Doest

In this photo Doest has shot a picture of a bird spreading its wings and in its natural habitat, enough room has been left in the picture to see this. Doest has blurred the birds wing to display movement to display the birds actions. This photo tells the micro story of a bird, and in Doest's portfolio, this micro story is built as you watch the birds flee. The bird has been made very sharp against the dark background, the birds bright white colour stands out against the dullness. The bird is also made to stand out against the other birds by keeping them in a dark colour also. This technique shows who the main character of this story is.

In this picture I have taken a picture of a lizard and duplicated the layer in editing, and then made that layers opacity low as this provides a sense of movement to the consumers of this photo. I think this shows fast movement in particular as everything becomes fuzzy as you watch. The colour of the animal is bright green and slightly stands out against the brow backgrunds. This photo tells the micro story of a lizard and its daily going's on. The use of leaving the background in the picture displays the animals natural habitat and builds on the animals story by creating a setting for its narrative.







Both pictures connect because they both contain animals which have both been blurred to convey movement, also both animals have been given a realistic setting. I guess that Doest's photo is actually in the wild, however mine was taken in a zoo.

Lynsey Addario

Lynsey Addario is an American photojournalist whose photography documents the lives of different cultures across the world and different issues across the world which occur between different cultures, for example, she has documented the unrest in Libya. I feel as if I could learn from Addario's work and perhaps produce photos which are like hers however without the travel, like display different cultures in England in one picture, making a combination of her work.

In this picture Addario documents maternity over different regions and documents mothering, this is interesting as it shows that everyone has a different way of doing something. The setting in this picture is vital as without this woman would be anywhere, the use of the bamboo and the trees among the hills, it is evident she is in an asian country. This picture is very sweet to look at as a mother is washing her babies, showing love and care. This picture doesn't seem staged but just as if Addario has walked in and took a picture un be-knowing to the lady.

This picture has influenced me to use setting that is iconic to express a culture e.g. London to represent its many multi cultures.

 In this Addario has shot what seems to be a hospital or at least what her viewers would connote to a hospital as there is a frail skinny woman laying in bed. This picture is quite shocking for an MEDC as their hospital seems so underdeveloped and the woman shows no sign of getting better as she seems to have no attention, the other woman in the picture is also looking away which represents that everything is simply looked past in LEDC's, this is quite had hitting to me and makes me feel quite bad that I take for granted the facilities I have, this is what Addario has intended to do.

This picture has influenced me to create photography that addresses issues and and represents a cause for concern as it is very interesting and makes you think beyond the photo.

 In this photo Addario has took a photo of a little girl holding a sign saying 'silence is a war', this picture is quite controversial because obviously the little girl doesn't know what she is holding and what it means, therefore doesnt know what she is protesting for. This photo however represents the next generation, and makes you create a story when you think of the future and how it will be, what kind of world your children will be growing up in. This kind of image conjures a though track, and also makes you consider the other situations which people are living in.

This photo has influenced me to create photography that raises questions are starts thought, however doing this evidently, for example, protest signs.

In this photo Addario documents those in Baghdad who have gone to the first 4d cinema screening, this photo interests me so much. You can tell these people are not english from their skin colours and a lot of the women are in hijabs. This photo interests me because I wouldn't think they have cinemas to such complexity in a conflict country. It shows you an equilibrium you never usually get to see when you are only shown what the media like the news want you to see. These people are shown happily watching a film as opposed to what you usually see about this country which is usually was, I  love the context of this picture.

This picture has influenced me to create photography that goes against media interpretations and the way society thinks something is, even though this documentary story telling photography, it would mix in with personal comment.

Overall I mainly like the context of this photographers work rather than her technique because I think just the context alone is captivating and consuming. I think her photography is not only story telling but personal comment of how she wants her journalism to appear, she takes pictures of what she agrees with, not the entire world, which I admire.

Connecting Essay - Julie Harris

This photographer is a milestone photographer and in this photo she has photographer a pregnant woman, this tells the story of the journey she is about to embark on or the chapter of her life she is about to begin. This picture has been put in black and white as it makes her bump look more prominent and the most important part of the picture, this is also enforced by the fact her face is not in the picture, making her pregnant bump the focal point of the picture, even though she is half naked you can tell was the important part of the picture is. 

In this picture I did a photoshoot of my brothers pregnant girlfriend, and the focal point of this picture is her pregnancy belly despite the fact that she is topless. It also becomes more prominent when the black background hits her bump, making it seem sharper. This picture like the other one has her hair in the picture and the only main difference is the fact it is not in black and white and her bottom half is not in the picture. This pregnant belly is more of a close up that Harris' which I like as it emphasises her pregnant belly more and emphasises the story that she is about the embark on a new big chapter of her life. I like the way the form of the shadow hits her bellow as it almost says that someone is there and suggests protection and love to this yet to be born child. 

Both of these photos connect because the narrative of the photos is pregnant woman, they also connect because the pregnant belly is the main part of the photo and this is evident as both women's heads have been removed in this photo, showing this is not about them but their children. 

Connecting Essay- Georges Antonio

This photographer is a fashion photographer and has used repetition in his work, this photo documents the fashion of this moment in time and adds to a history (storytelling) timeline. This photographer has used a model that is posing heavily and then reflected her, it is obvious this photo is for a fashion magazine or is just a fashion shoot. The picture is in black and white and has a red slash across parts of her face which then overlap, this is quit artistic and represents the thoughts that fashion is thought to be artistic. The model has been dressed up and put through hair and make up in this shoot to create an element of beauty.

In this photo I tried to recreate a magazine shoot as it is a way of story telling, it tells the history timeline of fashion (currently in modern fashion) and it also the way of conveying a story. I have used repetition in this photo to show 2 different fashions on one model, following studio conventions for fashion photography I used a plain background. The model is pulling almost the same pose in both photos , the only significant difference being her facial expression and the way her hair falls. I have kept this photo in colour to enhance the bright colours of her outfits and convey the fashion in this photo as much as possible. I think the repetition in this picture brings an artistic feel to the photo.








Both photos connect because they both follow the theme of fashion photography and both use repetition (even though Antonio's picture seems like mirroring and is smoother). Both photos also contain a model posing in an obvious way to emphasise the theme of a fashion shoot.

Connecting Essay - Scot Sothern

In this image Sothern has used black and white which brings a cinematic vibe to the picture, which is a way of story telling and because of this vibe you feel as it you are following this persons story. The laid back setting suggests this shoot was quite comfortable and she is at home so it creates questions like where does she live, what does she do for a living? The black and white drains all colour out of the photo and makes the picture seem solely about the model and her story. This photographer also mainly uses women so it seems he is following the story of women in a certain region, also in a majority of his picture women are naked, enforcing the feel that with the black and white, a person is stripped down to nakedness, to bare truth.

In this picture I have used black and white and the model in mine and the model in Sothern's seem to be using the same sort of pose. Neither f the models are dressed up which enforces the idea that the picture is about the person the model is, not the clothes she wears, both are also in a comfortable area (Sothern's the bed, mine the chair which you can slightly see) which enforces the idea they are being their honest self and makes the photography quite documentary. I have also used a woman model however this i purely by chance, I did not do this on purpose, I did this just because I wanted a female model as initially this was a magazine shoot. The black and white drains the colour as iv said and makes the picture more about the subject, this then enforces my models smile and documents that she is happy (due to the idea that black and white represents bare nakedness and truth), this raises enigmas like why is she happy?

Both pictures connect because they both use black and white, both models are women, are both photos seem to document that persons life story in that moment in time. The only major difference I can see is the location is made prominent in Sothern's picture and mine is a studio back drop as I did not deem the setting important.

Connecting Essay - Dina Goldstein

This photographer has told a story that already exists, it is the story of Belle from Beauty and the Beast, however this photographer has made the story controversial and almost quite controversial. This photo has been put into the retrospect that despite Belles good heart from her well known story, it isn't enough, and she must be beautiful, and this is the message sent to society through fairy tales, when do you ever see an ugly princess? I love the context of this picture especially due to the fact that not only has Goldstein put a modern spin on an old fairy tale, but she has also incorporated her own print technique. This picture itself never gets boring to me and was very influential for my photo shoot as it was a very capturing photo for me (well theme due to the fact she did a whole portfolio on controversial images like this; Fallen Princesses) and I really wanted to recreate it in my own form, but still using some of the themes.

This is my picture in which Goldstein influenced my photography. I really loved this shoot, the main theme i copied was the idea of a princess and plastic surgery. However I decided to add a woman who was planning her perfection, as this for me created a princess diaries sort of element. In Goldsteins picture she has tried to produce the princess to become quite sexy and appealing to look at in an obvious manner, however i used editing to convey this by making my models eyes bigger and changing their colour to a light green to make them stand out, also having big eyes is a desirable trait with todays society and is looked for it supermodels, this then emphasizes the necessity of beauty in todays society.

Both pictures connect because they have the same theme running through them, the iconic princess beauty which is being tested in these photos. Also we have both used color and the similar costume of a fairy tale dress.

Shoots

1)Evoloution into joker/ joker shoot with Lukas, location shoot- harmonys

props- pack of cards, face paint, green hair spray

2) Harmony skeleton costume following propps theory of characters, villain,/ shadow of death, location shoot- forest

props- skeleton costume, face paint, string, scissors

3) story of getting better/ getting worst , eleanor, location - house (gif and photos)

props- bath/shower

4) lyric video ell and harmony, location,  next to pool in sun, ill be there for you song

props- paper, marker

5) books shoot- studio , red background, shows a way of conveying story telling , highlight fave quotes by blurring the other ones  - amber to read a book  (one shot read book sitting upside down on chair)

props- books

NEED TO DO

• 
  
• 12 MORE FOR RESEARCH LOG
• 2 MORE PHOTOGRAPHERS 
• 
  
• PHOTOJOINER SHOOT 
• PHOTOJOINER WORK RECORD AND FINISH POCAHONTUS WORK RECORD
• DUOTONE, PHOTOJOINER
• 
  
• SIX COMPUTER EXPERIMENTS 
• 3 PHYSICAL EXPERIMENTS 
• PORTFOLIO BEST WORK SO FAR 

Pocahontus meets Dorothy Shoot Work Record-7

In this shoot I wanted to incorporate fairy tales to tell stories so I did half of my shoot taking pictures of Demi in a Pocahontus costume and half of the shoot as self portraits where I (dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz) am standing next to her, to me this shoot represents the merging of stories. Initially that was the point of the shoot but then we started getting silly and the shots came out playful and as we both looked older the shoot represented the stories that still live in us today as we grow up.

In this photo I took a picture of Demi with the wig on that emphasised the disney story of Pocahontus even more so as she shared more of a physical resemblance to her. I used saturation on this picture and I like that way the backdrop goes from a dark colour to black at the bottom, this made her stand out, I made her stand in a power stance as in stories Pochanontus was represented as a strong woman. In this photo I used the burn tool to put little smudges of what looks like dirt under her eyes and on parts of her arms. I really like the edit of this photo and it surprised me as the initial photo didn't look that good.

In this photo Demi took of her week and she was simply a teenage girl in a disney outfit, representing the story that still lives in her. I like this picture as she looks surprised as she walks forward, almost like she is entering a new story, perhaps adulthood, this picture for me represents the in between age of a person in which you are not a child and not an adult. I edited this picture using selective colour after I turned it black and white, I like this as it brings out the certain features of her outfit and her eyes which are wide eyed, representing innocence is still within her, suggesting that she doesn't quite know what she is walking into.


I really liked doing this shoot, if I was to do it again I would get more models with more fairytale/disney outfits and solely base it on the story of erupting form childhood and the stories that still live in us.

Jim Goldberg

Jim Goldberg is an American photographer who uses text over his photos to tell a story of that moment in time, he also used blurring to explain a part of time and uses grids to emphasize the narrative at that point in time, something I have already started to do. I have chosen this photographer because I feel I can follow his work and learn from it.

In this picture Jim has shot an old man in bed and the audience connotes this as he is dying along with the text, the text narrates this moment like a story and almost presents it as a thought track, I like this idea as this acts as a personal story and it is convey in a story telling manner of text, however it is also accompanied with image.  I noticed Jim put this in black and white and for me this represented a sense of truth, also it represented death as all the color and life in the photo has been extracted, this man is giving a brief synopsis of his life within this photo.

This photo has influenced me to scan my handwriting onto a computer and accompany it with a picture to produce a diary like narrative.





In this photo Goldberg is addressing a gay relationship. He again is expressing the though tracks of both men and this photo also mixes in with the question topic of personal comment as they are addressing a popular topic within society which each person holds a different opinion on. This photo has also been put in black and white which seems like a theme within his photography. This photo has made me notice that with each written comment the handwriting changes, this makes the image and situation seem a lot more personal and therefore becomes more truthful and emotional for the audience. I really love this photo as it shows two different sides of a homosexual relationship.

This picture has influenced me to vary handwriting so it seems the photo is a diary and to make it a more personal and interesting story.


 This photo contains two different images and then text which I like, because it isn't an organised grid which helps tell the story of this person, their life wasn't intended to go this way and it is just a mere collection of moments. Goldberg has again kept this in black and white, a common running theme in his work which I admire as he embraces continuity, again this shows to me honesty and being stripped down to the emotional bare. The text is a boy narrating his own story however the pictures which are linked explains the parts of his life which he is explaining.

This photo has influence me to use more than one image in a picture however not in a grid format to represent the mood of a picture or the message in a picture, for example, lack of order and continuity in this picture.

In this picture Goldberg doesn't use his theme of black and white and I like this as it breaks up his work and prevents it from becoming predictable. In this picture he focuses on passiveness in my eyes and this is made clear through the last picture which is a sticker saying "wake up", this is then backed up by peoples eyes drooping, being shut or relaxing. This photo shows Goldbergs personal comment of his country and to me, even though the main focal point middle picture is of a woman, if you follow this grid chronologically the last think you see is the "wake up" sign, this meaning this is the message he wants his audience to take away.

This photo has influenced me to use grids more so in an order that the most important picture lands last to be the lasting effect of the picture.

Overall I really like this photographer and I intend to do a shoot based on his work, with the use of black and white when editing and scanning my writing to the computer to produce a personal narrative, formulating a micro story.

Dina Goldstein

Dina Goldstein is a Canadian photographer who's photography is explained to be documentary, however i think she airs her own personal comment within her photos also, my favorite example of her work is when she uses the stories of fairy tales and spins her own personal comments on them.

Examples of their work

In this photo the disney princess Ariel has been put in an aquarium and this picture to me feels as if it is being put in a modern/realist situation, if there was a mermaid the world would know about it and the creature would be exploited. The use of the child standing next makes the audience feel bad as the children are the consumers of such a story and it sort of suggests that we are lying to them. I like the setting of this photo and that the color has been kept in this picture.

This photo has influenced me to use more adventurous setting, and perhaps to consider different locations with models as it creates a better narrative for a photo.

 In this photo Dina seems to have used the ideology of a timeline and that none of us can escape time and that stories that are explained to children don't often face what happens after the stereotypical 'happy ever after'. This photo shows a man who is portrayed to be prince charming waiting for his princess and still awaiting his happy ever after, which doesn't look like its coming. I really like the setting in this picture as it has placed an old classic in a modern setting and put a spin on how we think after a story.

This photo has influenced me to consider doing a narrative which incorporates how life becomes after the big kiss in stories and how in the real world the story would end and how it would be after.

 In this picture the disney princess Rapunzel, who is infamously known for her long her is seen having chemotherapy and losing her signature look. This to me is an introduction of figments of the imagination into the real word, and the deterioration of something believed to be perfect. I really like this as it is quite a risky, controversial picture to release. I like the form of the hospital utensils on the wall as it makes it seem as if it is bigger in her. I also like that this photo isn't zoomed in as you do not need to see her facial expression as the hair on the bed says it all.

This photo has influenced me to take risks with my photographer and do things that are controversial but raise questions and topics, it must be expressive.

In this picture red riding hood has been turned overweight which is a spin on the story as in the story red riding hood delivers goods to her grandmother daily, in this picture red riding hood has obviously given into temptation. I really like the setting of this picture as it follows the narrative of the story, the costume is also very iconic in this picture as the red hood automatically connotes to the story of red riding hood and gives the audience the knowledge they need of what this photo is about. The use of mcdonalds in the basket makes this photo quite modern and sort of emphasises that too much junk food can leave you like this, this is then an alert to the audience that this can happen to anyone.

This photo has influenced me to consider costume to tell a story and that when dong fairy tale shoots i should use a costume which is a giveaway to the audience of what story I am telling/manipulating.

Overall I really like this photographers work and her personal comment on fairy tales in the modern day, I also like her work on barbie which I have seen but didn't list on here as I felt it swished towards personal comment more, I plan to model some of my work after her work. 

Research Log

1)Sion Fullana

(Spanish)

www.sionfullana.com

I like this photographers personal work, In a lot of his work he uses blurring around the image to create a focal point an to create the story of that particular person which I really like as an effect. 

2)Sally Mann

(American)

http://sallymann.com/

I really like this photographer as her pictures are kept in black and white and it is a continuous theme, also her pictures tell story but also hint her own personal comment which I like as it is the mixing of two of my possible exam questions, one which I have chose.

3)Steve McCurry

(American)

http://stevemccurry.com/

I really like this photographer as he tells the story of people in different parts of the world through different ways, some of my favourite of his work is where he focuses on peoples eyes, in which they strike out in pictures, however I am also a fan of the stories in his pictures and his use of form.

4)Chase Guttman

(American)

http://www.chaseguttman.com/

I find it hard to think of this photographer as influential due to the fact his photos are based on him travelling the world but I like the stories his photos hold, to me his photos tell the story of different cultures, or tell the story of his journey across the world. 

5)Jim Goldberg

(American)

http://www.jimgoldberg.com/

This is one of my favorite photographers as I like the way he uses text (a common way to tell a story) to explain a story, also in his other photos he uses controversial content however I like how he addresses the story by using blurring or grids. 

6)Sebastian Meyer

(unknown)

http://sebmeyer.com/

I really like this photographer as he tells a story which shows the day to day normal for people in various situations, his models range form people suffering with addiction to those living in war invade countries.

7)Natalia and Renee (fan account)

(Australian)
Click YouTube account

I am aware this isn't a photographer however it is a way of expressing a story which contains personal element which has been described in a song and illustrated via a lyric video, I really like this idea and would like to try it

8)Dina Goldstein

(Canadian)

http://dinagoldstein.com/

This is my favorite photographer by far as she takes disney princesses and puts them in a controversial manner however a realist one which isn't portrayed to children, the story she tells is but a modern day one.

9)Curtis Irvine 

(Northern Ireland)

curtisirvinephotography.com

I like this photographer because he photos what he describes as series of photos but displays them individually in one portfolio so you know they are linked, in this story he is telling the opinion of society through graffiti. 

10)Brooke Shaden

(American)

brookeshaden.com

This photographer uses models in a setting which makes them seem quite mythical and extraordinary, conveying them as if they are magic, her pictures almost seem fictional. She creates very interesting work to look at that I would be interesting in attempting. 

11) Stephanie Sinclair

tooyoungtowed.org

This photographer is a documentary photographer which means she photographers the stories which people live for real, the stories which she captures are controversial in our region and riveting, which makes it interesting even though its wrong. 

12) Lynsey Addario 

lynseyaddario.com

This photographer is a documentary photographer who tells the different stories which grace all across the world, her photos display differentiation in culture and mix with personal comment as it is showing how no one place in the world is the same as the other. 

13) Erica Mcdonald

(American)

ericamcdonaldphoto.com

This photographer is a documentary photographer who with each portfolio tells a different story, this story is a micro story following a few peoples lives who live in gloucester, this making her differ from other photographers who document. 

14) Ed Thompson

(Wales)

edwardthompson.co.uk

This photographer is a documentary photographer who takes stories which are in the news which are usually associated with the issues society has with the government and politics, he then photographs what is happening in that moment, making his story telling seem like a news report.

15) Alex Masi

(Italian)

alexmasi.photoshelter.com

This photographer is a documentary photographer who photographs what seem like tragedies however what society knows to be as micro stories, and due to it being documentary photograph and unheard of before, lets the audience know its a micro story, which generates a sad emotion. 

16)Eugene Atget

(French)

http://www.atgetphotography.com/The-Photographers/Eugene-Atget.html

This photographer told the story of his own life within his photography by shooting landscapes and the city that surrounded him, showing the world what his world was and what he saw from his own eyes, like on spur photography. This photography is very insightful as you can learn what a person likes enough to photograph.

17) August Sander
(German)
augustsander.com

This photographer used self portraits to create a book called 'the face of our time', this book which then contained all his work told the story of the world at the time and who was alive in that and what everyone look like (if they were similar), this is almost a historical book people could refer back to. 

18) Garry Winogrand

(American)

http://www.atgetphotography.com/The-Photographers/Garry-Winogrand.html

This photographer photographs every day life, therefore an equilibrium, there is no big plot to the story that he is showing, he keeps it simple and his work shows that not everything has to be a big huge story that interests all but a story can merely be the conversation you held earlier.

19) Jacob Riis

(Danish)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Riis

This photographer is a documentary photographer whos work is based on his self made title 'how the other half lives'. Not only does his work tell the story of those living rough or in harsh conditions, but it also displays personal comment on his negative view on the way people live in the way the government has constructed society. 

20) Don McCullin

(England)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_McCullin

This photographer is a documentary photographer who's work is based on those who are fighting in the war and soldiers who have to live in the war conditions, his most famous photographs are those which show soldiers struggling or in pain. His work is kept in black and white demonstrating the 2 sides vs battling against each other, which I like.