Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman is an American photographer and film director best known for her conceptual portraits. Some of her work has been displayed in French Vogue and also Harper's Bazaar. I personally like her work as it is interesting and unique. Some of photographs are self portraiture yet she looks different in each of them, so it really makes the viewer think about the photograph. I like this specific photograph above as the background is fairly basic - a brick wall and a lamp, however the model is looking away and it makes the viewer think about what she is looking at. In a lot of Cindy Sherman photographs, she is looking away from the camera at something beyond the camera, which is an interesting and repeated technique throughout her work. This photograph is from a collection called 'untitled film stills' in which she is the model in all of them. She didn't title the photographs to preserve their ambiguity. They are all shot in black and white and were taken between 1977-1980.

For my final outcome, I think that her work will be inspirational as I am planning to do self portraiture combined with Andy Warhol's photobooth technique. I particularly like the idea of the black and white images as they create more shadows and tones within the image, making them more effective. I also like how the model in the image seems distracted, or perhaps doesn't know that the photograph is being taken - or it is supposed to look like that to the viewer. This makes the photograph look more like a snapshot rather than a posed image, and I personally really like this technique.

What is interesting about Cindy Sherman is that she does everything for her photographs - the photographer, the model, the makeup artist, the wardrobe 'director', hair stylist etc... so the work is purely her own with no help from others, which I find very inspiring. This is what I have been doing for my own photographs this project. Some of her photographs are high fashion, yet some of hers are more classic like the photograph above - this shows interesting variety for the artist.

Norman Jean Roy

 

Norman Jean Roy is a fashion photographer whose work has been included in Vogue numerous times. This is a photograph of Florence Welch, from the band Florence and the Machine.  I like this photograph as it reminds me of the fairytale theme - with the lace on the dress, and the sword as well as the cape. I think that this is a more gothic feel to the fairytale theme, as the horse is black, instead of the typical white, and the clouds are grey instead of there being a clear sky. I love the use of gold and black accessories, as this shows that there is a recurring theme throughout the image.

The background is simple, and the sky is shown more than what's on the ground (such as trees, grass etc...). You can tell straight away that it has been shot for a high fashion magazine, just from looking at the shoes and the dress. There isn't a specific or obvious light source for this image, however I think that the light is from the left hand side, as this there are signs of light on the horse's chest/face, rather than the on the whole horse or the model. As the horse is rearing, it makes it seem more powerful - and the fact that there is a sword included in the image suggests power as well.

I like how there is intricate detail within the clothes, as this makes the fashion part of the image stand out more. The cape has been moved so that the viewer is able to see the dress clearly, as that is part of the advertising technique which is something to think about in my future photographs - showing the whole outfit. Also, the fact that the cape has been moved and the horses mane and the models hair are blowing suggests wind has been used for the photograph - adding to the idea of power. This technique also makes the photograph more dramatic.

Overall, I personally really like this photograph, as it shows the dress clearly which is feminine and lace which is mixed with the dramatic use of a sword and a horse. The photograph is interesting as the outfit works particularly well with the rest of the image. I like how just the model (and the horse) is lit and the background is dark. I find the background to be quite mysterious as you can't really see the ground (as I mention earlier this makes the model and the horse seem more powerful) and the clouds are dark.

Wildfox Couture Resort 2013 Collection Shoot

View the complete collection of images here.

This is the latest photography shoot for a fashion brand called Wildfox Couture, which is a company based in LA, United States. It's for their collection for Spring/Summer 2013, so the setting, clothes and also weather need to reflect this in the images - it wouldn't work if it was snowing or raining in photographs that are supposed to be for the warmer months, even though the photographs weren't shot in the spring/summer - they were most likely shot in the late summer/early autumn. The photographer for this series is Mark Hunter.

I really love the use of lighting in these images. The photographs are fairly simplistic but I think that they are effective in showing the new collection of clothes. I also like how the models have unique hair colours - blue/green and a silver/pink as these add to the feel of fairy like, as well as childlike themes. It also makes the brand as a whole stand out more.

These photographs have a child-like feel to them - perhaps down to the clothes, but I think that this could actually relate well to the idea of modern fairtytales.I also think that the colours make it seem child-like, with the pastels of the clothes, as well as the prints on the clothes themselves - the rainbows and stars.

I also think that this could be related to my theme of gothic fairytales, as the jumpers actually have rips and holes in them as part of the design, but give the feel of the fairytale falling apart, which I really like. In the third picture, I particularly like how it is slightly darker on the right hand side, as the light is coming from the window on the left - this also gives the photograph a darker more gothic feel, even if it is very subtle.

In the first picture, the skirts of the outfits as well as the setting make the photograph seem grand, however the fact that they are wearing big, chunky cardigans and the models don't look too interested gives the photograph an unusual yet interesting feel which is something that I could use for future photographs. They are both looking away from/ past the camera which makes the photograph feel almost documentary like, as if the camera is looking in on their lives.

One thing that I would change about the first two photographs, is that the colours of the outfits blend in with the background, which are similar creamy colours. I also think that in the second photograph, the lighting is too harsh, and we as the viewer of the photographs don't get to see the real detail in the models' face - it also washes the colour of her out, making it harder to tell that it is a pale silver/green.

Something that is interesting is that for the majority of the photographs of the collection, the materials of the outfits are fairly light - which would make sense as it's their summer collection. I think that for my gothic fairytale photographs, however I could use heavier fabrics for the darker theme, or perhaps mix in some lighter fabrics as a contrast.

If you look closely at the mirror in the background, you can see the photographer, which is something to bear in mind if I decide to use a mirror in my photographs. Overall, I think that this is a particularly effective advertising campaign and I find the photographs very inspiring.

Joe Gall

Joe Gall is a photographer that I found on the photography website flickr when I was searching for ghost style photographs related to fashion. This photograph is one from a collection titled Ghost Fashion that he took for the magazine Real Detroit Weekly. He took these photographs in January 2012. He uses the technique of double exposure to make the model appear as a ghost, and it also allows us to see more of the background. I personally really like this technique and plan on using it in my future outcomes for this personal project.

As these are digital photographs, I would assume that he created the double exposure technique off camera, in photoshop or a similar editing software. If I were to create my own 'ghost' photographs, I could do them off camera if I was using a digital camera, or on camera if I was using an slr, but I could also do that in the darkroom - it would be interesting to experiment and to see which technique works better.

To create a double exposure in Photoshop, you would open up both photographs that you want to use - for example one of the background and one with the model in the image. You would then copy the image with the model in it, and paste it into a new layer on the other image (the one of the background only). You would then adjust the opacity of the layer so how you like - it could be different for different images, depending on the light settings, etc...

What I like about his photographs is that they look realistic. I think that this is helped by the soft lighting and also how the model is the main thing in focus - again, something to bear in mine when I take my own photographs. The lighting seems somewhat grey toned, as are the clothes which is interesting as perhaps this is to be able to relate it to the graveyard setting.

I really like how this is set in a graveyard, as it really emphasises the technique that he has used to create these photographs. I think that this is a subtle reference at the same time, as it really makes the viewer think about this piece of artwork. I also like how he hasn't made the model too faded, as again, the viewer really thinks about it, and might even look twice at the image once they realise that it is actually using the ghost technique. These photographs were taken in winter (as I mentioned at the beginning) which is effective as the leaves have fallen off the trees, making the trees appear dead and the leaves on the ground are drying out - which is added to the theme of death within the series.

In these images (above and below), and throughout the series I think that there could be a deeper meaning in them. There is a lot of references to death, and the colours are bleak and dreary, which I think could be suggesting how particular trends don't last very long before they die and nobody wants to wear an outdated trend, perhaps.

For my final outcome, I have chosen to take fairytale style photographs, but make them gothic, and I think that this artist has really inspired me on the gothic side of the photographs. The setting and styling of the clothes are very gothic style which I personally really like. I can definitely see myself using the ghost effect in my final outcome as I feel like it will make the images look more gothic. For my final outcome I want to include several different techniques so that I have a range of different and unique images. Overall, I find Joe Gall's work inspiring as I haven't seen much 'ghost' photography and I think that this collection has been created really well.

I think that to do this technique, I would create the effect on photoshop by having an image of the background and then the image of the model there as a new layer. I would then change the layer type so that you would still be able to see the model, but you would also be able to see the background through her. The lighting in both images would have to be the same, so that the technique works, however for the second layer you could erase the rest of the image so just the model is on that layer. I think that this technique would be interesting to try as you could experiment with the different levels of opacity and the different layer types.

See more of his work here.

Kirsty Mitchell

Kirsty Mitchell is a fashion photographer whose work heavily relates to the idea of fairytales. The photograph above is from a collection titled 'Wonderland' and the photographs were taken from 2009-2012. I particularly like the image above as the purple of the outfit stands out strongly against the green of the setting. A lot of her photographs from this collection seem to have a strong purple tone to them, whether it's in the outfits, the use of coloured smoke or props such as balloons. The use of the floral umbrella/parasol is interesting as it adds to the theme of the image.

There is a 'glow' coming from the wings of the outfit, which I would imagine would be from the use of back lighting - this is an interesting technique to add effect and makes the image more 'magical', which is something to think about with my own photographs. I like how there is a slight vignette effect to this photograph - this is exaggerated on the left hand side of the photograph, which makes the viewer think that they are peering to see the "fairy".  Where the image is darker, the plants seem to be dead (this is difficult to see however you can see that the plants are browner, whereas the plants where the model is are bright and vibrant). This could be symbolising that the part where the model is is a more positive place, showing that the clothes could make you feel more positive about yourself, perhaps.

I like how the outfit is extravagant and attention grabbing, whilst the background is simple yet defined. This makes the viewer automatically look straight at the model, rather than the background or the photograph as a whole being the main attention, which is particularly important in fashion photography as you want the focus to be on the clothes and the detail within them. The photograph as a whole seems to all be in focus, which is interesting as some of her other photographs from this collection have the model just in focus. This could be saying that everything in the photograph is important, but because the outfit is more colourful, it attracts more attention.

Also, I think the styling for the photograph works well with the theme - with the use of the parasol made out of flowers, and the dress almost looking too big for the model - is this a subtle way of referencing to Alice in Wonderland? Attached to the model there appear to be wings, however it could just be purple light to make the image seem more mystical. I think that every viewer could interpret it differently, which is something that I really like about this piece and also this artist.  

This reminds me a little bit of Alice in Wonderland, as the dress looks too big for the model (purposely) and so it looks like she is trying to hold it up. This reminds me of Alice in Wonderland as Alice changes sizes throughout the story, yet her dress doesn't. The model also looks small in comparison to the background if you look closely and so this could also be suggesting that the model is supposed to be a fairy, or something similar.

Going back to the lighting, not only do the wings seem to be lit up, but the umbrella made of flowers seems to be lit up slightly as well. This gives a 'magical' feel to the photograph and in relation to fairytales could be suggesting that the model in the photograph is a 'good' fairy rather than an evil character. Although this doesn't look like it's inspired by one particular fairytale, there are elements of several different fairytales, which is something to think about when I create my final outcome.

The wings almost look like smoke, which is a technique that Kirsty Mitchell uses in a lot of her other photographs from the collection, as shown below. I think that she does this because it makes the photograph seem 'dreamier' and more 'mystical', especially as it is coloured smoke. In the photographs from the collection, the models are always surrounded by nature - trees, fields, plants etc... This also makes the fairytale theme stand out as often fairytales are set around a forest, or in a garden.

Purple is a recurring colour in this collection. I think that it is particularly effective as it makes Kirsty Mitchell stand out as the photograph/artist, even though she is not in the photograph as it is her 'signature' technique throughout these photographs. Overall, I really like this artists work, and I find it very inspiring. She uses some interesting techniques which I think will inspire me in my future work.

Some more of Kirsty Mitchell's fashion photography:

Check out her website here.

Tim Walker

Tim Walker is a photographer best known for his fashion photographs. His work is also included a lot in the high fashion magazine Vogue. He has also started working on short films recently. The photograph I have chosen above I believe is inspired by Alice in Wonderland (from the man wearing hare ears), which relates well to one of my final outcome ideas of Fairytales. I think that this image is interesting as the main colour is pink - perhaps to create the girly, fairytale mood to the image. I also like the slight light orb on the right hand side of the image, also in pink, as I think that it creates a dreamier tone to the image, which is important for Fairytale themed photographs.

The setting of the photograph is interesting as although you can't see much of it, due to the photograph mainly focusing on the models, you can tell that it is set in a field with woodland surroundings, and the use of flowers adds to the idea of the Alice in Wonderland theme. I feel like this makes the image more realistic, but still keeps the mythical feel to it, which is an interesting take on fairytales.

The models take up the majority of the picture, as they are the main focus (as I mentioned before) but I think that the photograph would look better if it was taken slightly further away so that you could see more of the setting, as I think that that way the viewer of the image would have to think more about what the image is about.

The use of lighting is interesting, as it seems to be coming from the left hand side of the image, and from a high angle - perhaps this is suggesting that the source of this light is the sun? This could be to make it more realistic, rather than using studio lights face on. This is something to bear in mind when I take my own photographs.

The idea of the photograph has been modernised with the types of clothes that the stylist has chosen which is something to bear in mind for my own idea. I like how there is not too much going in the background - it has been kept simple so that you focus on the outfits. The models seem to look bored in the image, and it could be to make the viewers wonder why this is - perhaps it is suggesting a meaning behind the image?

I think that if I were to recreate something similar, I would use harsher light, and perhaps turn the photograph into black and white so that it appeared more gothic which is where I think my idea is leading. When making the photograph black and white, I would have to make sure that there was lots of intricate details on the clothing, as you wouldn't be seeing their colours, which is something that I will need to keep in mind. In the clothing in this image, there are lots of details such as ruffles in both outfits. The female model has blonde hair, which reminds me of Alice in Wonderland even more. I think that if I was taking digital prints, I could add light orbs as a new layer on photoshop, but have them in colour, which I think would give the image an interesting look. The makeup in this image is very simple and natural looking, which is something that is a repeated technique in fairytale photography. For my images, I think I might use dark makeup - these will show up in the black and white photography well and I could experiment with dodging and burning to create the right amount of darkness. This will also add to the gothic theme.

Overall, I really like this photograph as I like the use of the simple background, and how you the models are nearer the camera / the camera is more focused on them rather than what else is going on in the background, however the rest is not ignored. The colours are very soft which I think is important to think about. In my final outcome I might try experimenting with using different colours to create different effects, especially as I am thinking about creating gothic fairytales. As my film photographs will be in black and white, the colours that I choose will create a variety of tones in the photograph, rather than colours. I also need to think about how shadows will show up, so lighting is key.


Check out his website here.

Some more of Tim Walker's fashion photography here :

Curtis Mann - Bleached Photographs

Curtis Mann is a photographer best known for his creative technique of bleaching photographs. I think that this specific example of his work is good as the bleaching gives an almost tie-dye effect to the image, which I think works well at highlighting different areas of the photograph. I love how the orange and yellow colours bleed into each other but seems to stop around the person in the picture, which looks as if the picture was designed this way, rather than being spontaneous. I think that this technique would look really interesting on a double exposure photograph, whether it was done in camera or in the dark room. It would make the viewer pay closer attention to the photograph itself and would have more of an effect on them.

I also feel like you could try this technique whilst experimenting with different patterns when you paint the photograph with the nail varnish. To relate it to my theme of fashion, one idea is that you could take a colour picture of a particular fabric, and then bleach it using the technique below to make it harder for the viewer to see what the fabric/pattern is, which I think could be a particularly interesting technique and is something that I might try for my next project. 



How to bleach a photograph :

Below are my own versions of the technique of bleaching photographs. I took some clear nail varnish and painted on to the photograph where I didn't want the bleach to go (allow the nail varnish to dry before bleaching the prints, otherwise the effect won't work as well.). On the top photograph (the flower) I experimented with different patterns and shapes to see how this would turn out, on the bottom photograph (the red carpet photograph) I covered the outfits/people so that you would be able to see the details in the dresses, and I also painted other parts of the photograph to create an interesting effect. I then placed the photographs into a tray of bleach, and allowed them to soak in there for about 30-40 seconds, before rinsing them under water. If the bleaching isn't as strong as you want, you can wipe the bleach onto the photograph (make sure you're wearing gloves!). I then let them dry. The bleaching techniques work best with coloured photographs, but you could experiment with black and white photographs too.

Overall, I really like how they turned out, and I will definitely think about using this technique again in The Personal Project next half term. I think that it adds an interesting twist to a photograph, and can make a simple photograph look more creative. I think that for some photographs - perhaps old ones that have faded, it could give them a slight antique or vintage effect. It also makes the viewer think about what the photograph is actually of, as sometimes it makes it more difficult to see, which I think can actually be an interesting technique.

Leslie David : Layer Painting

Leslie David has a unique technique when creating their work. It involves layering different paints on top of an image, and blending the colours together. I think that it is an interesting effect and also would work well in adding colour to black and white prints. I tried to recreate my own versions :

I like how the paint builds textures and layers onto the photographs, however I think that the blended colours made the photograph even darker. I personally like the top one best as it has the most variety of colour in it. Overall, I like the different textures, but it's not something that I particularly think works well with my prints.

Stacey Page

Stacey Page is an artist that takes a vintage photograph and stitches into it to create a new and modern image:

I created my own version by printing a photograph that I had taken of some costumes (relating to my chosen theme of fashion) at the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour onto photographic paper (which works much better than regular printer paper as it doesn't rip as easily). I used a berry red colour thread as I thought that this would go well with the pinks of the outfits, but also slightly contrast with the pinks at the same time. I also think that with it being red, it makes it more visible to the viewer.

I didn't have a particular pattern in mind when stitching onto the photograph, I was mainly experimenting. I enjoyed this technique and I think that it would be an interesting effect for future projects and perhaps incorporating sequins for a more colourful effect.

Rebecca Chew

Rebecca Chew is an artist thats work is based of creating 3D art pieces :

I recreated my own version by making an origami crane :

I decided to create an origami crane as I think that it distorts the image in a way that viewers would find interesting and would be intrigued to find out what the image was, which makes the work effective. 

 I don't think that mine turned out too well, as you can see, and I found this quite difficult to do. I did however enjoy it and it will be something that I keep in mind for future projects. I used one of my own pictures for this, but you can't really see the photo as origami.

Stephen J Shanabrook

Stephen J Shanabrook is an artist that distorts images by squashing, and misshaping them to create interesting yet slightly horrible new images :

I recreated this technique by using one of my own images :

and it turned out like this :

Personally, I don't particularly like the effect that it gives. It's interesting yes, but I don't find it inspiring for my future projects. I prefer the picture as it's original.

Michelle Thompson

Cent Magazine - Strange Paradises

Michelle Thompson is an illustrator, and has worked internationally with a variety of clients, such as the Royal Mail, BBC, Penguin Books, and many others. When I saw this piece pictured above, titled 'Strange Paradises' which was featured in Cent Magazine, I couldn't help but like it. My first thought when I saw it was that I could relate it to my fashion theme, with the image of the shoes, which is also repeated in the background. I also like the border like feel to the picture, with a variety of colours and textures, as well as a variety of images.

I found a picture of a dress, and really liked it, so I cut it out and painted on it with different acrylic paints. I then photographed it and opened it on photoshop, where I added photos of shoes and added a texture of a picture of a  glittery hair bow :

This is my finished edit :

I also added some brushes that I installed on photoshop. I personally like the overall effect.

Greg Sand

Greg Sand is an artist and photographer who "explores the issues of existence, time and death". He works mainly with digital photography. I think that this style of art is creative and effective - the use of weaving two images together to create one, however it is not my favourite. I created my own version using two photos that I found on google :

Here is the version I created:

I don't think that it turned out too well, as perhaps I should've chosen pictures that were similar, rather than the completely contrasting pictures. I think it looks interesting, but isn't something that I would do again.

Amy Friend

Amy Friend is a Canadian artist best know for her art that involves creating many tiny little dots so that when the picture is held up to the light, you can see it shining through the holes, creating an interesting effect. I like this idea as I feel it creates a 'fairy-like' effect, which I think would work well of my chosen theme of fashion.

I think that this specific picture looks quite ghostly and haunting, as the picture appears old, and is in black and white. I feel like the dots on the water look like little fairies, or something giving a mystical feel to the picture, which is very inspiring. Below I used the same technique on one of my pictures. I held it up to the light at two different angles to show you how it looks :

William Hatch Crosby

William Hatch Crosby is an artist/illustrator currently based in Brookyn, NY. He is also known for doing Art Department work in the Film and Television industry. As you can see from the image above, William designs often include intricate patterns in bright colours. I personally really like his work as I find it interesting as well as unique. I like how in the picture above, the original photograph has darker colours, and not a lot going on, but then the vibrancy of the pink really makes it stand out. I decided to create my own version by using an advert from a fashion magazine (helping me to relate the work of William Hatch Crosby to my fashion theme!)

To create this, I used several different colours of acrylic paint, and also used different paint brushes to create slightly different shapes and lines, which I found created an interesting and unique effect. I particularly like this type of art as I feel like you could transform any photograph into something completely new. I plan to use this technique in some of my work later on in the year.

Different Light Types.

Soft Light:
"refers to light that tends to "wrap" around objects, casting shadows with soft edges".
The softness of the light depends mostly on the following two factors:
Distance. The closer the light source, the softer it becomes.
Size of light source. The larger the source, the softer it becomes.
Soft light use is popular in cinematography and film.

Link here.

Hard Light:
Hard light sources cast shadows whose appearance of the shadow depends on the lighting instrument.That is, the shadows produced will have 'harder' edges with less transition between illumination and shadow. The focused light will produce harder-edged shadows. Focusing a fresnel makes the rays of emitted light more parallel. The parallelism of these rays determines the quality of the shadows. For shadows with no transitional edge/gradient, a point light source is required.
When hitting a textured surface at an angle, hard light will accentuate the textures and details in an object.

Link here.

Back Lighting:

Backlighting refers to the process of illuminating the subject from the back. In other words, the lighting instrument and the viewer are facing towards each other, with the subject in between. This causes the edges of the subject to glow, while the other areas remain darker. The backlight can be a natural or artificial source of light.

Link here.

Front Lighting:

Front lighting is where there is either natural or studio lighting placed in front of the subject. This can create shadows on not only the face but also in the background. It puts more focus on the front of the subject.

Link here.

Studio Lighting:

Studio lighting is where lighting is set up in a studio and the photographer can plan where they want the light to be, for example, on the left or right side, back lighting, front lighting, etc... It gives the photographer the freedom to experiment with lighting to see how the photographs come out.

Link here.

Link here.

Natural lighting:

Natural light is a photographers most accessible form of light. It can create quite magical effects (as shown in the example below) for instance, if the light is shining through the gaps in the trees. You can do all sorts of photography techniques: backlighting, front lighting and more just from using the sunlight. 

Link here.

Torch lighting:

Torch lighting is when the photographer takes a torch and places it where they want the light source to be. It can create good effects and also can be very dramatic, as shown in the example below.

Link here.

Laser photography:

Laser photography is mainly used for Light Painting. This is made by using a very slow shutter speed, and painting pictures with the laser pen. You can use different colours and make all sorts of pictures. For example, the light painting below is of Bambi, a famous Disney character.

Link here.