Aesthetics

http://www.checkoutart.ca/tag/photography/

These images are from a child beauty pageant, i really like the aesthetics of these images. The images are of course very posed, i particularly like the pastel backgrounds, this is something i will look at using within my images for this assignment. I would like to look more into creating images with a similar aesthetic to these for one of my photo shoots.

Beauty Queen Portrait examples

I have been scouring the internet for portraits of beauty queens to help me with my work for this assignment, i looked at different ones from different times, i think its really interesting to see how they have changed over the years. Of course they have always shared the same purpose but the style has changed quite dramatically and the type of beauty queen has perhaps too.

The poses used in beauty images such as have stayed similar however more recent poses are often a little bit more sexualised than in previous years, but this is of course do to time and cultural changes.

I am still unsure of whether i will base my images on the recent style of images or previous styles, this is something i might have to research further and experiment with.

Ring Flash test shoot

I decided to do a small test shoot using the ring flash to experiment and get used to using it before i use it in my future work. These are some of the images i took using the ring flash, i havnt edited them as they were only to test the aesthetic of the ring flash although I did experiment with a few different poses.

I am still really keen on the aesthetic of the ring flash and intend to use it in my future work for this assignment.

The Ring flash

At the moment i am particularly keen on the aesthetic of the ring flash and it is something that i would like to try and use in my work. I think the aesthetic of the ring flash is effective both in colour and black and white.

I aim to do a test shoot with the ring flash and try and involve it in this project.

Garage portrait originally uploaded by Kelco

http://picturepost.wordpress.com/2007/12/

I came across this portrait on the internet, it really caught my eye, i think that the detail in the photograph is fantastic. I love how the photographer has captured the character of the subject, i think that this is important in all portraits but more so in quite simple or mundane portraits, its exciting to see someone's personality come through in a photograph, it tells you something about them.

Portraits form Africa by John Kenny

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/artsandculture/5279518/Portraits-from-Africa-photography-exhibition.html

This screen shot is from the Telegraph website, the link is above. Unfortunately i couldn't copy the images on to my blog. I think that these portraits are fascinating, although they are perhaps not the particular style i am looking for they are good portraits. They reflect what a successful portrait is all about, for me the images are successful and captivating, i also really love the aesthetics. I personally think that the persons eyes are really important in a portrait, one of the best things about this series of portraits are the eyes of the subjects.

Last semester - Beauty Queen images

These are a few of my better images from the beauty queen shoot i did last semester, i am reasonably happy with them as portraits but i dont feel that they express the beauty queen in a substantial way. They are sightly mundane and I should imagine on first glance they dont particularly produce alot of interest, and this is why i want to try and continue to develop my ideas and this project as a whole.

Last semester

These are two of my best images from a character shoot i did last semester. I used the model, location, clothing, accessories and props to create a character within the images. Creating characters is something i found to be important with constructed scene images, the model must be right for the shoot and work well within the images or the entire narrative doesn't work.

Propsal

This semester I will continue to explore the beauty queen theme I started to look at last semester, I will develop my ideas into a professional body of work. I have also developed a strong interest in portraiture, I would like to incorporate this into my work for this assignment, I will therefore be doing some further research on portraiture.

I will explore the Beauty queen theme in more depth by continuing to research the theme, I will try to look at it from every angle in order to understand the theme fully.

By far the easiest way to look at this theme is in an almost critical way, on the other hand I would like to do a lot more research on the theme before decided which angle to look at it from.

I produced some photographs based around this theme last semester, I was happy with the images as portraits but unfortunately I didn't think that they were particularly exciting or expressed the theme as well as they could have as they were a little basic.

I have recently found an interest in the aesthetic of the ring flash and am particularly interested in using it within this project. When creating portraits I will most probably be working in the studio and can therefore use the ring flash. I am quite interested in creating some studio portraits for this theme, I could make them very over the top just like real beauty queens, however I could take it further by using postproduction. If i was to do this i would like to get involved with stylists, makeup artists and hair dressers if possible.

Another potential idea i thought of was to have very over the top beauty queens in everyday mundane situations, creating quite an unusual narrative.

I would ideally like to improve my postproduction skills dramatically in order to carry out some of the ideas that i have come up with for this assignment. Postproduction skills are also useful to have in general for a wide variety of work particularly the fashion and constructed scene work i am interested in.

Brief

Course: Photography

Module: PH2010

Year: 2

Tutor: Steven Speed

Deadline: TBC

Assignment: 3

Project Title: Open Brief

Aims:

The aims of this assignment are to

• To develop students professional and creative skills
• To enable students to develop and consolidate their skills in one area of the course through a self-initiated project

Introduction:

During this module you should have developed a body of work and have a sense of direction for your practice. The next stage is for you to develop a project to a point where it could potentially be used to show prospective clients/employers/curators. You will have developed ideas about your subject matter and be aware of expectations for the area of industry you see yourself working in. This assignment will continue this work with the aim of producing a body of work suitable for public exhibition or publication. You will need to continue the development of your practice and consider the possibilities and practical issues around presenting your work. You will be assessed on the work as it is finally presented. You can if you wish begin an entirely new body of work for this assignment, but you are advised to draw on the skills and ideas that you feel confident will lead you to a completed a resolved body of work. If you are continuing a project, it must show substantial development over this semester. You must start a new blog for this assignment.

Brief:

This is an open brief enabling you to work on your ideas independently to a high state of completion as a public display. Following the guidelines above, produce a body of photographic work and present it in a professional manner. The final presentation may well be a wall-based exhibition, portfolio or book and you must also publish a portfolio website and a research blog.

Deadline:

TBC

Learning Outcomes:

• Plan and manage time in the production of photographic work
• Develop critical and practical skills on completion of an appropriate project

Assessment Criteria

Development work 30%

Technical skills 20%

Time Management 10%

Presentation 10%

Finished work 30%

Minimum tangible evidence of study

- Final work, typically consisting of 4-8 final prints (or other equivalent outcome negotiated with module tutor) presented to appropriate professional standards.

- Blog showing clear development and ongoing evaluations of project

- Portfolio website

- 1000 word written evaluation (including address for blog and website)

- CD with all full resolution final images

Late Submission

Please note that the penalty for late submission is as follows:

1-5 days late: a maximum mark of 40% can be awarded after 5 days: a mark of 0% is awarded

Information pack about registering for Extenuating Circumstances is available from the School Office, GR228b. EXT. 4748