Final Photograph Series

Location Shooting

After the class critique of my first in studio shoot, I decided to take advice from the class and try a new idea. Using Alice In Wonderland as my inspiration, my new idea is to take photos of Helen in cosplay doing mundane real world tasks (like a reverse of Alice In Wonderland). This was my first time using speed lights but I think I got the hang of it quite quickly. I choose locations that were indoors as the weather was unpredictable, and places that I didn’t need to chase any one for to get permission to use (except Massey Library, I emailed them and they replied very quickly and were very happy for me to use the space). The below images are just the best from each location.

Laura Williams

Photographer: Laura Williams Source

Laura Williams like, Ronen Goldman, uses editing in foreign objects to create a surreal image.

Her lighting is even, there is natural light coming from behind the trees, and then an artificial light in front of the subject. The image is softly lit with no harsh shadows or intense highlights. There is also a soft pink hue emanating from her  subjects, adding warmth to the neutral temperature of the forest.

I don’t want to photoshop my images, but I think her lighting and framing could work well with my work. Although I will be shooting indoors so I’m not sure how many opportunities I’ll have to get filtered back lighting, or such moody environments without under exposing my images.

 

 

 

Ronen Goldman

Photographer: Ronen Goldman Source

This series by Ronen Goldman was about replicating dreams that he’s had with speed lights and editing in objects. I think the way the light is focused on the centre of the subject,with faint black shadowing around the edges, adds to the softness of the overall image. This focus on soft central lighting and having darker backgrounds give a surreal atmosphere to the photoshopped subjects. He has kept the subjects quite warm, while the background gets cooler the further away from the subject it gets.

Class Critique

Although everyone seemed to like my studio shoot, they seemed to agree that it was a bit predictable and that I could do something a lot more interesting with Helen’s cosplays. Jane suggested I look at Alice In Wonderland as my conceptual text and do a kind of reverse wonderland experience which I think is a great idea. Alice In Wonderland is the story of Alice falling through a magic rabbit hole into the fanciful world of Wonderland, overall it is a very magical and surreal.

I’ve been brainstorming some boring adult activities that I could get Helen to perform while in cosplay. So far my top ideas are:

• -Cleaning the house
• -Getting a degree
• -Finding a job
• -Working a minimum wage job
• -Scanning important files
• -Waiting in lines

Hopefully I can get permission to shoot in Student Central, and in the Massey Library as that would be very easy for me to get the location gear to, and I think communication would be faster than If I tried to contact the public library.

Second Studio Shoot

In this shoot I got Helen to bring a couple of her cosplays and it looked great! I’d asked David about what I was doing wrong in my first shoot and he said I should definitely be using a soft box and not just a rim light. In this shoot I used a directional soft box, a rim to light the backdrop, and a negative fill. It was difficult using the 7 in 1 as it’s not as easy to position on the stand, but I think I got what I wanted. I also had to keep the fill and stand out of the shot, which is why you can’t see her legs in these photos, but there isn’t much detail on her legs and she doesn’t have matching shoes for these costumes.

Kimbra

My conceptual inspiration for the fashion shoot of Helen’s cosplays is a couple of tracks from Kimbra’s new album ‘Primal Heart’. I’m not focusing on the lyrical meaning of the songs, but more the feeling that I get when I listen to them. Which is a bubbling upbeat feeling that makes me dance around my workplace when there aren’t any customers.

Lynn Lane Fashion Photography

Image Source

The contrasting backdrops used in this shoot brightens the image and gives a happy quirky feeling to them. I would like to capture the same cool lighting Lynn uses as I find it quite flattering and it keeps the colour of the garments truer to life. Styling the hair so big and all the flowers takes away from the clothing which seems like an odd choice, but it creates a nice shadow around the edges of the models face. I’m not sure how she got such defined shadows along the jaw line while keeping the face so well lit, maybe a negative filler?

The overall mood created by the carefully choosing backdrops, and cool lighting is exactly what I want to achieve in my own shoot. I would like to show off Helen’s cosplays in all their glory. They are all of very cute and happy characters (they are also quite young) which will come across clearly with this lighting technique.

Helen’s Cosplays

These are just two of Helen’s cosplays that I’m considering using, she has another one that is white and angelic but I don’t have a photo of that yet. I think I will experiment with each one and see what is most effective. A series of three would display well.

Assignment Two: Constructed Worlds In Class Worksheet

What Convention or Genre will your work be located in?

Fashion

Describe how you will explore photographic strategies:

I still think my work will be located within the studio. I’d like to work with colour, perhaps collect outfits from op-shops that fit the vibe of the music I’m going ti be using for concept.

Who’s work will you be investigating?

Lynn Lane: Source

 

Describe the contextual basis of your work:

I’m planning on using a song by Kimbra, either Recovery or Lightyears, they both have a very uplifting feeling, I’d like to explore bold back drops, contrasting colours, capturing movement and joy.