Sequences: Night and Day.
Planning.
This was my first brainstorm regarding the topic 'Sequences'. I wrote down any ideas that sprang to mind when thinking about it, and then further ideas off of those. In the end I had three main branches for this topic; Night and Day, Seven Deadly Sins, Manipulating the face and Ageing the face. I began to think about the factors that each of these topics are made up of and what would be the main point of focus within each idea and then made an individual brainstorm for each idea, these included the themes, colours, models, photographers etc.
Photographer Research.
Levi Van Veluw
Initially, what drew me to Veluw's 'Landscapes' series of photographs was the amazing use of body-art combined with an extensive use of photoshop manipulation to produce a one-of-a-kind outcome. The images all seem to be portraying a specific theme, element or substance; for example snow, trees and stone- incorporated onto Veluw's own face. This seemed to me to be a much more interesting and creative way of showing these elements rather than capturing an image of a model based in a specific location, he has actually incorporated these factors onto the model's face- making it much more visually appealing and artistic. The use of lighting in these images appears to be rather basic- the main focus of the image is not the shadows and light created on the face but the body-art itself, therefore simple, soft lighting has been used against a plain white/grey background to ensure that all of the audience's focus remained on the model's face.
Furthermore, it seems to be the same model used in all of the images, in exactly the same pose, from exactly the same angle- this makes it apparent to any audience that the images all belong to the same series of photographs. In addition to this, all of the landscapes that have been developed on the model's face appear to be deserted and empty, almost lonely. The plants and trees seem to have become overgrown and it seems almost as if they have taken over the face- growing and consuming the person behind the images.
Thus a fresh twist is given to the obsession inherent in the romantic landscape of recreating the world and simultaneously being part of it.
This is an element which I would like to experiment with and possibly use in my own work based around the idea of adapting a certain time of the day onto a model, using body art, make-up, costume, composition and lighting. However, while Veluw uses a very literal technique of putting an element onto a model's face, I intent to do so in a much more subtle manor, not going to the extensive lengths of body-art which he has used.
Furthermore, it seems to be the same model used in all of the images, in exactly the same pose, from exactly the same angle- this makes it apparent to any audience that the images all belong to the same series of photographs. In addition to this, all of the landscapes that have been developed on the model's face appear to be deserted and empty, almost lonely. The plants and trees seem to have become overgrown and it seems almost as if they have taken over the face- growing and consuming the person behind the images.
Thus a fresh twist is given to the obsession inherent in the romantic landscape of recreating the world and simultaneously being part of it.
This is an element which I would like to experiment with and possibly use in my own work based around the idea of adapting a certain time of the day onto a model, using body art, make-up, costume, composition and lighting. However, while Veluw uses a very literal technique of putting an element onto a model's face, I intent to do so in a much more subtle manor, not going to the extensive lengths of body-art which he has used.
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Some of the images appear to be quite sinister because of the coverage of the face- leaving no expression or give-aways as to what the model may be feeling, for example, this image is quite eerie because the main features on the face which usually give away emotion are covered, for example the mouth. It also gives the impression of being kept silent and unable to speak or communicate, slightly ironic combined with the use of landscape on the face, something so natural forcing a silence on a human. This inevitably leaves questions in the viewer's mind such as 'why is the model being silenced?'. |
Perfume Adverts.
Perfume adverts were my first real visual stimuli for my idea, and the source from which the rest of my ideas sprang. I had previously had the idea in my head of basing the theme of Night and Day around models such as they do with perfumes; for example evening and daytime perfumes are advertised in a different way with different main aspects, different types of models, wardrobe, atmosphere, lighting etc. Evening adverts (such as the Ghost advert above) are captured in a much more sexy way, with an element of darkness and mystery about them. This is done in the above through the use of soft, dim lighting capturing and accentuating the model's features and still leaving some mysterious shadows- just as the night does. The wardrobe and makeup is darker- 'smoky eyes' are created with a darker eyeshadow pallet and the wardrobe is revealing without being trashy.
The two daytime perfume ads are far brighter and more vibrant than the night one, also done in a tasteful way, carefully captured to reflect the time of day that they represent without becoming cheesy or tacky in doing so. The costumes seem to be more flamboyant, whether its the use of excess material in the middle image, or the bold print of the far right.
These are aspects that I would like to take into consideration when I capture my first experiment photoshoot, playing around with different manipulation of the lighting, costume, model, makeup and composition. More than anything, the main inspiration that I will take from these images is the use of costume, model composition (including posture) and lighting as these seem to be the areas which most affect the outcome of a successful perfume advert, and by extension, a successful 'day' themed photoshoot.
The two daytime perfume ads are far brighter and more vibrant than the night one, also done in a tasteful way, carefully captured to reflect the time of day that they represent without becoming cheesy or tacky in doing so. The costumes seem to be more flamboyant, whether its the use of excess material in the middle image, or the bold print of the far right.
These are aspects that I would like to take into consideration when I capture my first experiment photoshoot, playing around with different manipulation of the lighting, costume, model, makeup and composition. More than anything, the main inspiration that I will take from these images is the use of costume, model composition (including posture) and lighting as these seem to be the areas which most affect the outcome of a successful perfume advert, and by extension, a successful 'day' themed photoshoot.
First Photoshoot(s)
To begin with, I captured a series of images from Hyde Park in London- this would form the beginning of my recording of different times of the day and how a landscape could be affected by factors such as temperature, light and colours. I focused mainly on dawn, midday, dusk and midnight as these are the four main obvious times of the day at which the view would look different. These images are mainly just a starting point for the rest of my recordings and the main focus here is not the landscape itself but the moods that are evoked through the features of those times. From this I could form some visual ideas about how I would begin to show these through a model for each time of the day, taking into consideration such things as; the main colours which are apparent at each time, the amount of light/shadow emitted, the business/lack of energy etc.
Dawn.
This seemed to be the most peaceful time of the day- personally my favourite. This is because everything appears to be covered with a sense of stillness and sleepy silence- just as people usually are at this time. As a visual stimuli, the main features which seemed to jump out at me as signature 'dawn' elements are; the pale colours of yellow and white- making the image appear slightly cold (as most places are at dawn), the soft lighting that rejects harsh shadows and gives the images a much more overall 'smooth' feeling.
I began to think of ways to show this on a model, mainly the hair/makeup and wardrobe (the lighting seemed pretty self-explanatory as I would use soft, pale lights trying to avoid created large or harsh shadows. The wardrobe elements, in my mind, consist of materials such as silk and satin, pale tones of yellow and icy whites and greys; the ideal all-over look should be soft and delicate. The hair and makeup would need to be simple and again flattering and soft with cool tones of greys or whites (without washing the model's face out). Preferably pale coloured hair too, for example white blonde.
The possible wardrobe items are below; I have chosen these to begin with as options because of their colour, texture and material that they consist of. I focused mainly on a silk pair of tailored harem pants- these were my first thought as they contain a lot of what I wanted the dawn shoot to portray: the softness of the silk combined with the loose fit and the pale brown/gold colour make them perfect for 'Dawn' as they are delicate and reflect one of the main colours that is seen at this time of day. Additionally, I chose a nude/pink dress embroided with gold studding detail- the gold would offer a subtle hint of the colours that are dominant at dawn and the soft gold of sunlight that begins to emerge as the day begins.
I began to think of ways to show this on a model, mainly the hair/makeup and wardrobe (the lighting seemed pretty self-explanatory as I would use soft, pale lights trying to avoid created large or harsh shadows. The wardrobe elements, in my mind, consist of materials such as silk and satin, pale tones of yellow and icy whites and greys; the ideal all-over look should be soft and delicate. The hair and makeup would need to be simple and again flattering and soft with cool tones of greys or whites (without washing the model's face out). Preferably pale coloured hair too, for example white blonde.
The possible wardrobe items are below; I have chosen these to begin with as options because of their colour, texture and material that they consist of. I focused mainly on a silk pair of tailored harem pants- these were my first thought as they contain a lot of what I wanted the dawn shoot to portray: the softness of the silk combined with the loose fit and the pale brown/gold colour make them perfect for 'Dawn' as they are delicate and reflect one of the main colours that is seen at this time of day. Additionally, I chose a nude/pink dress embroided with gold studding detail- the gold would offer a subtle hint of the colours that are dominant at dawn and the soft gold of sunlight that begins to emerge as the day begins.
Most Successful Images.
These images were the most successful mainly because of the model's hair and makeup, expression, and the lighting techniques used. I styled the hair in a messy up-do with stray hairs hanging down, I did this to create the feeling of having just woken up and looking slightly dishevelled, as most people do at dawn. In addition to this I used a pale colour scheme, light pinks and creams are the most dominant colour of these images; including the wrinkled and also dishevelled top, eye-makeup and the backdrop as well as the soft pale lighting. The model's expression reflects one of tiredness and of little enthusiasm, I did this to represent the feeling of stillness and tiredness which is apparent at this time of the day.
Dusk.
As well as dawn, dusk seems to be another peaceful time of the day- the feeling of sleepiness and relaxation after the loud excitement of midday sets in around this time and the mood of the people at this time is reflected in the images. There are soft tones of orange, pink and red that dominate these images caused by the setting sun as the day turns to night. The light is still quite hard but not as much so as midday- slightly softer and less daunting.
The wardrobe that I would use on the 'dusk' model would consist of soft, chiffon materials in burnt corals, pinks, reds and oranges; as well as subtle hints of gold jewellery and accessories to reflect the golden tones of light as the sun sets. The makeup should also include tones of gold through the bronzer and eyeshadow- in a subtle way being careful not to over-do it and allow the makeup to become the main focus of the image, rather, it should compliment the photo as a whole.
Below are some images of possibilities for the costume/makeup/accessories for the shoot. They all carry accents of pink/red about them, for the plain fact that those are the most dominant colours at dusk as the sun sets. As well as dawn, dusk also seemed to carry slight tones of gold, therefore I have chosen earrings which consist mainly of beads in red, brown and blue, but also have an underlying gold accent- making them noticeable but not overpowering as a whole. The eyeshadow pallet that I decided to work with has a lot of deep shimmering golds, pinks and purples and I decided that the eyes would be the most 'worked-on' area of the face for the Dusk model as there are more subtle tones to play around with for this time of day.
The wardrobe that I would use on the 'dusk' model would consist of soft, chiffon materials in burnt corals, pinks, reds and oranges; as well as subtle hints of gold jewellery and accessories to reflect the golden tones of light as the sun sets. The makeup should also include tones of gold through the bronzer and eyeshadow- in a subtle way being careful not to over-do it and allow the makeup to become the main focus of the image, rather, it should compliment the photo as a whole.
Below are some images of possibilities for the costume/makeup/accessories for the shoot. They all carry accents of pink/red about them, for the plain fact that those are the most dominant colours at dusk as the sun sets. As well as dawn, dusk also seemed to carry slight tones of gold, therefore I have chosen earrings which consist mainly of beads in red, brown and blue, but also have an underlying gold accent- making them noticeable but not overpowering as a whole. The eyeshadow pallet that I decided to work with has a lot of deep shimmering golds, pinks and purples and I decided that the eyes would be the most 'worked-on' area of the face for the Dusk model as there are more subtle tones to play around with for this time of day.
Most Successful Images.
These two images were the most successful because of the expression and the visibility of the costume, makeup and hair decisions which were used to portray the feeling of dusk/ the end of the day. I believe the makeup in these images reflects this feeling of exhaustion and tiredness, to create this effect I used soft powder foundation on the model's skin- removing signs of complexion and pigment and thus adding to the feeling of being drained at the end of the day. Additionally, I used the power on the eyelashes to make her seem more lifeless. The colour scheme of the lighting and the costume reflects the colours which are most apparent at this time of day; oranges and golds. The hair has been messily braided; this was done intentionally to create the feeling of being worn out. Finally, the model's expression reflects the feeling of exhaustion and lifelessness, to achieve this I asked her to sit slightly slumped, and to sigh deeply.
Midnight.
Midnight is, evidently, the darkest point in the night. Therefore it was difficult to get good shots which clearly showed the colours that are most dominant at this point. However, the colours which did seem to come out the most at midnight were black, deep blues and purples. The lighting was dim, however the moon and stars are sharp and cut through the darkness of the sky- almost as the sun does in the day, without emitting as much light as the sun. I would try to incorporate this into my images through the use of subtle jewelry such as earrings.
Practice Shoot- Midnight.
Midnight Hair, Makeup and Photoshoot Practice.
Hair and Makeup.
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Photoshoot.
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This shoot was a practice so that for my final Midnight shoot I would already have an idea of what to do and what not to do- judging by the results of this photoshoot. I practiced with the make-up, using a smoky-eyes kit to try and create a dark effect on the eyes. This wasn't very successful as it wasn't apparent on the face and didn't stand out as much as I would have liked it to, because of this I now know that for my final Midnight shoot I need to use a darker and more effective eye makeup. The hair was successful, I used a curling wand to create tight curls before back-combing to create more volume. The lighting was a very important factor to get right; I used a single large, soft light to the left behind the camera. This created soft shadows against the model's face yet in a flattering way which I desired. The backdrop was also something that I wanted to experiment with- using both the white and black to see which was most effective: in this instance, black was the obvious choice.
Final Shoot- Midnight.
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This is some footage which I recorded on a flip-cam of the photoshoot for my final Midnight images. This was practically identical to the practice shoot- the model sat against a black backdrop with a single soft light to the left and behind the camera, facing the model and tilted down, creating rembrandt lighting to flatter her features.
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Most Successful Images.
These images were the most effective from the 'midnight' themed shoot. In my opinion, this is because of the lighting mainly; it hits the model's face at such an angle that is flattering because of the rembrandt technique- highlighting the most flattering features such as the cheekbones and eyelashes and yet leaves enough shadow to mimmic the effect of soft moonlight that is visible at night. In addition to this, the composition of the images creates a feeling of darkness and mystery; using the rule of thirds and two centred images leaves enough black areas to further reflect the darkness of night.
I intend to edit these images in Photoshop to enhance the feeling of 'Night' and make it more apparent.
I intend to edit these images in Photoshop to enhance the feeling of 'Night' and make it more apparent.