Practise shoot

As I have had no previous experience with a photo shoots I decided to have a couple of practise shoots with my sister. This was to get an idea of what I want for the final shoot; lighting, poses, props, wardrobe, photographing in colour of black and white, movement, and close up shots or wide shots. There are so many things to think about that does not even cross your mind when you think photo shoot. 

There are a couple of example of some of the photographs I took. One of the main elements I like about this shoot was that it was fun and relaxed which comes across in the photographs, she looks natural and like she is enjoying herself.

The only prop I used in these photos was a bowler hat which brings a quirky element to some of the photos. I particularly like the black and white photos they are natural and very striking. This shoot was influence by i-D magazine wise up issue with ‘you only live once’. The shoot was simple black and white photos with a white background, quirky outfits and movement. 

Shoot ideas develop

Looking at previous i-D shoots and behind the scenes, they keep them pretty simple: clothing is the main feature and a lot of movement giving it a fun and relaxed vibe to the shoot.  

Here is an example of one of the shoots from the recent 'wise up' issue which I got a lot of my research from for this project.

What I really like about the shoot is they are using pretty quirky, ordinary people giving them fun outfits to wear and also asking them personal questions like: what is the best advice you have been given? This shoot was called 'You’re never too young to be wise'.

However I did not want my shoot to seem like it was exactly the same as an i-D shoot, just taking elements from it. I referred back to my brief to get an idea of what concept could be behind the shoot. '1 to 4 directional photographic fashion images that celebrate and promote diversity for the human form. The images should be high impact, capture the essence of All Walks philosophy'. After re reading this brief only one thing came to mind the film 'Funny Face' starring Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire. The whole plot of the film is similar to All Walks philosophy. A photographer is trying to find a new model to go to Paris to shoot the collection. But all the models in the industry are all the same ridged, stiff like statues. He spots Hepburn's character that is an ordinary Librarian and is enchanted by her 'funny face'. 

 

  

These clips show that they want a quality woman who has character, spirit and intelligence. They want someone fresh and unusual much like what All Walks are trying to do in the fashion Industry.

 

Model???

Unfortunately I am unable to photograph Sally Brown, as I was unaware that she lives in Northern Ireland and does not regularly come to England unless it is sport related. I was really excited about photographing her and had some fun ideas of what to do. However I knew there would be a chance that this would not happen.

 I had been researching other photographers who had taken photographs of other Para Olympians, here is an example below.

Richard booth

  

Booths photographs are very empowering the movement in them makes these athletes become more of the superhuman. I also like how he has kept the step up and colouring simple so the main focus is the athletes and their movement.

 

I had to brainstorm another person I could photograph who would embodie All Walks philosphy. The model is the key element of the shoot and if they do not challenge the restrictions that are put up about the industry with age, shape, skin tone or size then there is no point in me doing the competition. I also wanted to show a bit of the personality of the model.. the quirkier the better. I started to think of people I knew who who be the perfect subject.


Possible models:
Jerry my hairdresser: he has such a quirky style and has striking features which would work well

Dot, a teaching assistant from my old school: she is the definition of fun and always has fun hairstyle and a quirky fashion sense. She always like to wear something different that will make her stand out. Would photograph amazingly.

Grant my old milk man: He has striking features and is a well known figure in Balham for being such a lovely person and also recently overcame his battle with leukmia.

Suzy the owner of the flower shop Tiger lillies in Balham: She has striking features and would photograph well



  

Seduction by Art

Seduced by Art: Photography past and present

This exhibition was incredible because I discovers all different types of techniques photographers use in their work. To us it may look like such a simple photograph but they have spent hours getting it set up, so everything is absolutely perfect. The photograph below is by Richard learoyd, who is a real perfectionist. He says a photograph does not just happen there is a huge amount of work that goes in to it. Even in this image below, it took him hours to get the position of the hand grabbing the torso right.

The photograph below is by Ori Gersht the technique he used in this piece is incredible. He used liquid nitrogen which froze the flowers, that in it's self is amazing. Flowers which are fragile anyway become a different type of fragile like porcelain. He then exploded them and look the photograph with a really high shutter speed so he could capture ever moment and it looks like the bunch of flowers are china exploding. For some reason it reminds me of Alice and wonderland when the red queens men are painting the flowers, maybe it is because both them and Ori are doing something article to destroy the flowers. I would love to be able to create something like this but it takes a huge amount of time and money so possible in the future.

Here are some image of the whole development behind the photograph

Here is an another example of his work called the 'big bang' it is incredible seeing it in slow motion because you see all the amazing details.

This was my favourite photograph from the exhibition  is it so simple of a young man who looks Italian. However it is the slight touch of brown that is used in the image, the way the light is hitting his face and How he is not look directly at the viewer as if he is deep in though or looking quite guilty.

Valentino: Master of Couture

Valentino

This is another exhibition when the set up is so key. You beginning with a section which has invitations and letter so people that have worn Valentino's designs varying from Liza Minnelli and Princess Diana. Then moving on to the photographs through the year of his fashion house developing. The main attraction is a long thin room set out like a run way with white chairs and mannequins with his couture designs on them which start from the beginning of his career to the end. Even all the chairs are labelled with famous peoples names who have worn his designs. It is astonishing seeing the clothes up close and seeing  the amount of detail that is goes into each hand stitch. Elegantly presented which I feel reflects Valentino's label.Three words that sum up Valentino's collections: Elegance, sophisticated and timeless.  

I had to get a postcard at the end just to have a souvenir of this amazing experience of seeing this exquisite dresses up close. This made me discover the photographer Cathleen Naundorf. She creates these amazing images that she then by taking simple Polaroid photographs and manipulates them into looking aged. I'm not sure how she does it, However it is incredible.

'She’s developed a unique technique of using the characteristic quirks of Polaroid – once again, an anachronistic technology, though hardly without its own warmth and charm – playing with shadow and light and developing a visual language entirely her own'



Tim Walker: Story teller

Tim Walker: STORY TELLER

At Somerset house, one of the best exhibitions I have seen for a long time. It was not just the fact that his photographs are amazing it was the set up of the whole exhibition.. down to every last detail of how it was exhibited. The writing on the wall was never in the same set up, never a simple paragraph but a swirl of writing in circles which often complemented the work it was around. Also one of my favourite parts of the exhibition was the all the props he had used in his photographers were displaced near the photograph it had been featured in. Here is an image below showing the set up. They are even still in their wood packaging with a straw like material still around it. Making it a less intimidating atmosphere as if Tim Walker himself has just taken them out temporarily for people to see.

Behind the scene of one of the shoots that was shown in the exhibition, he is almost like a film director who is a photographer because the set is the most important aspect of the shot.

It is very bizarre because my main focus in all my projects is the figure, However in the exhibition my favourite image is the one shown below of roses in a glass sundae dish and what looks like cream dripping off them. It is so simple however so effective. He has used the colour of the roses that are the classic flavours of ice cream strawberry, chocolate and vanilla. The colours he has used are very much 'Tim Walker' he loves using pastel colours which is shown through out his work. It is something that look at it is beautiful, sweet, happy but a bit isolated at the time. I would love to hang something like this in my room. 

After going to his exhibition it really made me think of the music video by Lily Allen 'The Fear' the colours with the grand old house as the background setting and how the props were the main feature in the video.

Nick Knight evolutinary film and fashion photographer

Nick Knight is a film and fashion photographer who is inspirational with a lot of things he does below is him going through the different areas of his exhibition in 2009. He has developed photography in so many different ways.. using 3-D photography and filming. It is incredible what he explores with the fashion industry.

He has also developed SHOWstudio's which do very interesting shoots and explore different areas.

Here is a recent Topshop Campaign celebrating a decade for the Highstreet brand.. with model of the moment Karlie Kloss. This campaign is 3:

Having never done a shoot myself it is really interesting to see what happens behind the scenes of a shoot and the detail that goes into every shoot.. it is so throughly  planned.

Here is another example of Nick Knights shoots behind the scenes with Karlie Kloss, they spend more time setting up the shoot for each photograph an taking the actual image. Karlie is wearing wigs in the photoshoot and they even take photos of just the wigs in the light to see what they look like. Us mortal fashion readers have no idea how much goes into each fashion spreads and story.  

Things you need to think about in the shoot:

• MODEL!! very key part
• Story board (concept behind the shoot)
• Location
• Lighting
• filters
• Background
• type of Camera
• Wardrobe
• Hair
• Make up
• Props

There are probably many more things to think about but these are the key elements in a shoot from look at behind the scene footage.