Lights, Camera, Beauty shot!

Me in action. 

Setting up.

I really feel passionate about photography so me and a couple of friends from class decided to test shoot our final assessment. I have asked Annie to be my model as I really want to do a beauty shoot inspired by the lighting of old Hollywood but I want to put my own twist on it. I think Annie is the perfect model for what I want to achieve as I feel she has that classic beauty look. She reminds me a bit of Audrey Hepburn with her dark hair and eyebrows so I thought she would be perfect. Today we had 4 hours spare so we spent the first 2 hours getting each other camera ready. I wanted to see how my makeup idea for the beauty shoot translated on camera. We had a bit of trouble with the sync cable and could either use the sync cable or the flash. It wasn't working and we were running out of time because someone was using the studio after us. So with the help of Chris Overend we changed the lighting and just used the camera on its own without the use of the flash or the computer. I actually loved using the camera freehand. I felt like I had more control and the camera became an extension of me. 

I am really happy with the test shots and think Annie looks beautiful. She took direction really well and was such a natural in front of the camera. This made it so much easier to shoot because I felt that she understood what I needed her to do. 

Apart from the set backs I think to today was really inspiring. A happy accident happened and I ended up with some really beautiful shots. I'm confident now that I can achieve what I want to with the end assessment. I'm so enjoying this part of the course and feel that This is something I really want to explore. 

I did also play with the face tune app as well to see what could be done with the shots. I cleaned up a couple of blemishes and sharpened up a few details around her eyes. I think they look beautiful before but after they just pop that little bit more. I had to be careful to not change too much as I still wanted Annie to look like herself.  

Below are some of the shots I loved the most. I have also included the post production shots as well. 

One of the test shots that I love. Before Post production

Before Post production. 

I love this shot it feels really soft and youthful. After post production.

After post production. This is my favourite. I think its a really strong image. 

The power of a woman: poses that inspire me. (Kat)

The power of a woman.

Lindsey Wixson shot by Karl Lagerfeld for fall/winter 2015-2016 collection.

I think this is very empowering. She isn't being prerogative in any way and has a punk rock feel to her. The hard makeup and hair with the soft and floaty fabrics of the clothes give the perfect contrast. She is still feminine but is strong and powerful.

Lindsey Wixson shot by Karl Lagerfeld for fall/winter 2015-2016 collection.

Rose Mcgowan shot by Tony Duran

 I think this is stunning. Beautiful and powerful. I feel like there is a lot of female energy and power in this image. Red symbolises power and it can also signify passion and sexuality so as it might seem suggestive, I feel that its her own power and ownership of that that makes this a powerful image. 

Penelope Cruz shot by Mario Testino date and place unknown.

 Emotions are always powerful and for me women's vulnerability and sensitivity is some of the many things that make women powerful and beautiful. I love this image I feel very emotional looking at it. Its an incredibly raw image displaying raw emotion. 

Penelope Cruz shot by Mario Testino for Allure January 2014

 I feel that this carries on really well from the last one. Women have incredible strength and when facing hardships always manage to keep going. They fix there makeup and carry on. This is a beautiful shot and feels intimate like its a glimpse of her moment. It has a vintage feel also which I love. 

Drew Barrymore shot by Tony Duran 

 This is really stunning. It's light and fun and the lighting and composition are perfect. Lighting from behind is one of my favourites. This is a lovely soft image Drew is vivacious here. 

Rihanna for 'Harpers Bazaar China' April 2015 cover shot by Chen Man  

 I love this one. Rihanna as a chinese princess. This is such a crisp image. So warm and beautiful. Theres so many contrasts here. Her nails and hair and clothes are very hard and edgy but her makeup is very soft and glowy. 

Mary.J.Blige shot by Tony Duran

 Raw emotion here again. This photo says a lot. Its beautifully vulnerable like she's been stripped of everything but herself. beautiful lighting almost like the sun was setting. 

Jessica Chastain shot for Vogue by Annie Leibovitz

 I absolutely Love Annie leibovitz I feel like she always captures the woman's essence in her photographs. She doesn't need to over sexualise her images because her work speaks for itself. She see's that there is more to a woman. This is a beautiful photo of Jessica and a beautiful example of that.

Lighting with Chris Overend

 We learned about lighting today in class and how to re-create some of our favourite beauty images. We learned about settings for the camera too and how to change them depending on the lighting or look of the image you are going for. We set the camera to JPEG we then changed the aperture to help reduce exposure. We also changed the white balance to change the the temperature of the image from either cool to warm or vice versa. We chose the daylight setting as this was the perfect setting for an indoor shoot. We could then change the lighting accordingly. 

1. For the first shoot (pic 1 above) the lighting was from a light box placed behind her. She was then holding a large light reflector in front of her. The end result was a soft focus and glowing appearance. I loved this one as I feel it would be really good for vintage shoots where the light was soft and flattering. 

 2. (photo above top right) I had the opportunity to recreate an image I loved. I wanted to re-create this image of JLo I love the lighting and love how glowing she looks. It's still warm though which I love and I like how she's been lit from everywhere. I wanted to create this but without the over use of Photoshop.
We set the aperture to F stop 4. we then put a soft box above her but slightly in front and then used two large reflectors either side underneath her face to create light from everywhere. I then put her into position and then played with the lighting and exposure until I felt it was accurate.

Liberty 

I was really happy with the end result as she has very little shadows on and around her face (like the image of JLo) and its a warm tone. I definitely want to use this lighting in the future. I feel that this was a really good re-creation of this photo and was really useful in seeing what you have to change in order to create the images you want. I feel that I came pretty close. 

3. In the third photo above we explored brighter exposure to get a brighter crisper image. This is an easy way of getting great even lighting and this technique can be used at home also. Chris put Bethany in front of the white back ground. He then positioned the camera straight in front and eye line height. He then positioned a light behind him facing the wall behind him. He then took the photo and with the light reflecting from the wall behind Chris and the flash it created light all around Bethany, creating a very bright but clear and crisp image. You can also play with the contrast etc afterwards in order to create an arty, creative effect. I liked this one as I feel this was really flattering for Bethany. It made her skin look really smooth and flawless.

4. For the fourth photo (Bottom Left) Chris changed the light completely. He placed two lights facing the wall at the back of the white hub. He then changed the camera lens to a 85mm lens. He then placed Charli at the front of the white hub but central to the 2 lights at the back. Then Chris placed the camera about a metre away directly in front of Charli. He then stood  two big light reflectors in front of Charli that folded around almost creating a mini room with about a metre gap between them at the front so the camera wouldn't get them in the shot. The end result was a beautiful back lit image. This is a very flattering light. Glowing from the back but still lit from the front. I really love this one I think its a beautiful Image.

Chris re-created this image by Tony Duran.

5. (Bottom Right Image at top of page) This one is probably My favourite I think its such a beautiful image. Its very soft and almost ethereal. Chris created this effect by Keeping everything the same but moving the two lighting reflecting boards from Charli's shoot and moving them closer so the camera could just about see through them. Leaving just under a foot in space, gap between them.  I want to use this lighting setups for my final shoot. 

Image of myself

Glamourous 1920's socialites represent wealth to me. They were born into families with long lines of accumulated wealth. Its in their blood. It was in the clothes they wore, the jewellery that adorned their bodies. The champagne they drunk, the houses they lived in, the cars they drove, the events they attended and the people they associated with. It seemed as though they lived lives of frivolous spending partying. They had Material wealth. 

For my second image I was asked to take a selfie containing things that symbolise me and my life and loves and who I am.

I think I'm quite a self reflective person. That is a big part of who I am. Self development is a huge part of who I am too and I always want to grow. I'm also a very passionate person that enjoys the richness of the world art, music, culture etc. I have also got my daughter in my image as she is the biggest part of my life. She grounds me and is my biggest inspiration and motivation to be the best version of myself. She is my compass and she is with me with whatever I do. 

I feel this image represents me really well. It incorporates everything that I am that is the most important to me. 

David Bailey

Vogue 1969

I have really enjoyed researching David Bailey. I absolutely love his energy and his approach to fashion photography and portrait photography. He has a very relaxed approach to his work with regards to his subjects. I watched his documentary Fame, Fashion and Photography: Bailey 70's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S678bcdXsag and absolutely 'got' why he is considered one of the 7 photographers that changed fashion photography. His sense of humour and relaxed attitude on set really put his Celebrity subjects at ease. He brought the best out of them and you can see from his portraits that they felt comfortable in front of his camera. His raw approach to his personal work was simple yet he managed to break the celebrity out of there alter ego, public image and bring them back to normality. He was however known for not being so relaxed when it came to his work with models. They said he could be quite hard and demanding when it came to what he wanted out of them.
Despite this he pushed boundaries with his work and pushed fashion photography into the modern world. He broke the rules and gave you what you wouldn't expect. He was one of the first fashion photographers to break away from the mundane backdrop of the studio and take his camera around the world shooting covers for vogue in morocco, Egypt and India among many other countries. This inspired his work in Papa New Guinea and would become his first of many ventures into reportage Photography.

First Lesson and Practice shoot.

Our first practical lesson took place in one of the new studio's. we began by learning the setup techniques for the computer and the camera and we learned the camera and lighting settings. I made sure to take notes as it was quite complicated. I really enjoyed this lesson. 

I love photography specifically fashion photography so I was really excited to start learning the techniques needed. I love being able to capture a moment , a mood or a feeling in a photograph. I also love combining my love of fashion, make up, art and photography. Its a physical thing that you can build and build. You can make it as big or as small as you like. You can re-create a picture in your mind and I find it quite cathartic. 

Me and a couple of girls from my class really wanted a head start so we booked a studio and rented out a camera and equipment for the next day. We set up the studio, computer and lighting first and began testing the lighting and settings etc. we found it quite hard to get the lighting perfect so I think this is something that comes with practice. Also finding the perfect camera position and lighting positions was difficult as it has to change with every subject. We also realised the importance of good  makeup application and good hair styling. It can look completely different in front of the camera. Although it was challenging I really enjoyed it and have a lot of ideas for shoots when I have gotten a bit more practise.

Technical File

Technical File

Richard Avedon.

Richard Avedon was an artist. Famous for his moving portraiture of the rich and famous. He delved deeper into his subjects. Pulling out of them their individual darkness and of course their lightness too. He had a fascination with people and who they really were. He has said that he found his work creatively cathartic and therapeutic, getting to know his own dark side through every person he photographed.

He grew up in Manhattan, New York in 1923. His father owned a fashion retail store and this- he said- was where he got his start with fashion education.
One of his first subjects was his sister Louise who he loved dearly. He has said that within his career he was always drawn to models who reminded him of his sister.
He has experimented greatly with photography and has explored most genre's including Commercial, Political, Documental before settling on art and fashion photography.
Richard began his career in Paris. In 1946 the war had ended and Richard was hired by Harpers Bazaar and Vogue to photograph the couture collections in Paris. He would wander around at night taking pictures of the most glamorous Parisians drinking and dancing.
He went on to take some of the most powerful images in the history of fashion. He moved on from vogue in 1988. He then moved more towards portraiture, photographing some of the most famous people in politics, fashion, art, comedy and the film industry.
His style was raw and emotive. He took an interest in who his subject was, not just what they do. He wanted to know what moved and pained them.
I was moved by his images of Bert Lahr. I also connected to his pictured of Marilyn Monroe. Richard Avedon was able to build a unique trust and connection with his subjects. He allowed them to expose themselves to him. To expose there darker side and vulnerability. I've learned a lot from Richard Avedon. I realise how important it is to make your model/subject feel comfortable. The more of you, you give to them. The more they can give to you of themselves. I think he was an incredible photographer and an icon. Film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1f3egvLwVE

 

Marilyn Monroe 1957

Bert Lahr 1956

The Fashion Industry

It’s a strange old world the fashion industry. It literally is a world of its own. Filled with beautiful clothes, beautiful bodies, and beautiful faces. To the professionals, the fashion and beauty editors, the creative directors, the stylists, the photographers, the designers, the models, the makeup and hairstylists it’s an art focused business where they can play and express themselves.  Where they can be inspired and impassioned and create from those emotions. They are driven solely for the love of what they do.  But strangely this fantastic thing they have found (their gift’s and talents) they have created an entire industry for consumerism. They have created a lifestyle that people want. 

From an outsiders point of view they see beauty and abundance and they want that for themselves. They want to know how they can be a part of that world. They see their idols be it a fashion photographer, a designer, a makeup artist as majestic beings who can make anything they touch turn to gold. They research and look to see what inspires their idols what sets them apart from their peers. They want to be what there idols are and they hope to inspire people in the future themselves.  As I don’t see anything wrong with that, I do feel however that they are looking in the wrong direction for what they want.  They’re getting lost. They don’t realise that these people they so admire, were just ordinary people like them when they were younger, but instead of following what someone else was doing, they chose to be only inspired and to forge there own path, and by Looking inside themselves, They found something they loved to do more than anything else and made a career out of it. 

Its only after watching a number of documentaries on the industry and fashion photographers that this felt clearer to me. 

Film list: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCKx72zhbUU Beaton by Bailey

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4swPSq5gY0 The September Issue

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9kUljPTpss BBC documentary Mario Testino

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S678bcdXsag Fame, Fashion and Photography: Bailey 70's.

                

Cecil Beaton

Cecil Beaton, a renowned fashion, war and portrait photographer. His life spanned 76 years. He was known for his interior design, costume design for film and theatre and maybe best known for his contribution to the world of photography. He has taken some of the most famous and most beautiful images ever taken. Twiggy's famed doe eyed sixties portrait, Audrey Hepburn's flower hat portrait and of course Marilyn Monroe's famous Ambassador hotel shoot in 1956 to name a few. He had an almost fairytale feel to his photographs and you can see that his love of nature always crept in to his shoots. This, he said, came from his upbringing in Hampstead Heath. He would take photographs of his sisters amongst the flowers in the garden. He loved the beauty of nature and the freeness of it. I really feel this when i see his photos. All his subjects are very natural and and the lighting is always soft and beautiful. They are captured in such a way that you can see feel them through the photographs.

Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCKx72zhbUU