Tim Burtons Magical Fashion

In anticipation of his retrospective at New York's Museum of Modern Art, filmmaker Tim Burton recreates the season's dark delights - Photographs by Tim Walker. http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/fashion-articles/tim-burton-halloween-fashion-1009

Just in time for Halloween, ‘Edward Scissorhands’ director Tim Burton inspires the October issue of Harper’s Bazaar in a fun layout shot by one of my favourite fashion photographers, Tim Walker. Dressed in everything from Chanel to Alexander McQueen, the models show us a dark but glamorous side to fashion.

The above photograph’s taken by Tim Walker very much inspired me; in particular I very much liked the use of props, composition and styling with costumes, hair and makeup.  To progress with my shoot, and push myself even further into the industry I then decided I wanted to work alongside a stylist and hair/make up artist influenced by my research.

Morticia Addams is Fashion's Latest ‘It’ Girl

'Her signature dark sheath, hair, and nails crept their way onto many a runway this season, including those at Catherine Holstein, Doo.Ri, and Max Azria.’ - http://www.refinery29.com/morticia-addams-is-fashions-la

Shoot 7 Research - Hollyoaks White Wedding

Almost immediately I knew I wanted to create my final set of photographs inspired by Julia Margret Cameron. Linking the photograph to Contextual Research I became very inspired by the following Hollyoaks Advert on TV. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu2sW-r9Vb4

As my ideas developed I got very excited, I loved everything about this advert such as the song, the outfits, the theme, the hair, the makeup, the framing and the filming. So I decided to undertake more Research.

Shoot 7 - Portraits; Working with Keelor & Mike

"You don't take a Photograph, you make it." - Ansel Adams

As part of my Assignment 2 Research Blog, I have produced a number of shoots in order to get a sense of direction for my Assignment. My genre I chose to study was Portraiture resulting in photographic outcomes from both a studio and outdoor location.

For my final set of photographs I wanted to push myself, yet stick to what I feel I’m strongest at which is shooting outdoors on Location to get the best possible outcomes I can.

During my group lecture, there was a lot of discussion over the above photograph taken by Julia Margret Cameron. Everybody had a different version and saw different Narrative when viewing this photograph, which I’d used as research for inspiration on a wedding shoot as part of my Research Blog.  Although this photograph is not a Wedding Photograph by any means I found it very inspirational as I appreciated the composition, the flowers reminded me of a wedding bouquet and in my head, I see them as a bouquet. The four subjects in the photograph I see as the bride, groom and parents. Of course this was only my imagination in my head, clearly the subjects in this particular photograph are females, however it is photographs like this from almost a century ago that can still inspire today.

What was interesting to hear, was that most people saw this photograph and thought of a funeral set up portraying a death. You can clearly see the emotion in the photograph, as the subjects look sad, their eyes all glancing in a different location gives of the impression that they feel uncomfortable, almost lost. Maybe they have lost someone? Maybe they are sad? It makes me wonder about the photographer’s intentions and what she was trying to capture. This is what I love about photography, the not knowing; when I look at this photograph I see a personal story, just like everybody else will create their own narrative.

Victoria's Sectet Beauty Shots

Victoria's Secret Beauty Shots - Shoot 6 Research

I decided to look at a small selection of Beauty Photographs, to gain inspiration for my own Studio Photographs. I very much like the manipulation on these 6 images. They are quite heavily manipulated which is a contrast to how I tend work on my own photographs - however I’d love to work differently using different inspired styles and techniques. In particular I very much like the colours in the photographs below, which is something I'm keen to experiment with.  

DOUTZEN KROES, AIDRIANA LIMA, CANDICE SWANEPOEL

Richard Avedon

Richard Avedon was an American photographer. Throughout his career Avedon has maintained a unique style all his own. Famous for their minimalism, Avedon portraits are often well lit and in front of white backdrops. Often containing only a portion of the person being photographed, the images seem intimate in their imperfection. While many photographers are interested in either catching a moment in time or preparing a formal image, Avedon has found a way to do both.

Shoot 5 - Fay no.2 Final Photographs

Shoot 5 - Fay No.2

'What do I want to capture most in my photographs? Human emotion and the essence of human being. I am less interested in forcing my subjects into a visually interesting form or putting them against an unusual background.’ - Philippe Halsman

To develop my assignment further I have decided to photograph my friend Fay again as I feel the last shoot was successful resulting in some good images as Fay seemed immediately at ease and comfortable with the process, she was confident, comfortable and enjoyed the process and this came across in the images which communicated so perfectly the focus of the image taken – Personality and Fay’s confidence, self assurance, outgoing side, joy, care freeness, happiness – all key features of her personality, came through in the final outcome. Fay is uncomplicated and very natural and open; this also came across in the photographs. When I capture Fay and when she laughs the photographs become completely unconstructed. I barely needed to work on the last series of photographs I took of her.

I intend to go to Dunham Park to photograph Fay, Dunham Park is a lovely setting with plenty of opportunity to photograph. The open space and trees create such a lovely scene the potential to get a good photograph is endless.

Photographs

David Bailey Photography

David Bailey is a British photographer born in 1938. In the late 50’s he became a photographic assistant at the John French studio, and in May 1960, he was a photographer for John Cole's Studio Five before being contracted as a fashion photographer for British Vogue magazine later that year. Along with Terence Donovan and Brian Duffy, he captured and helped create the 'Swinging London' of the 1960s: a culture of high fashion and celebrity chic. The three photographers socialised with actors, musicians and royalty, and found themselves elevated to celebrity status. Together, they were the first real celebrity photographers. Wikipedia

I very much like the photography taken by David Bailey and feel it to be very influential. The model is posing, and the photograph is heavily constructed. The model appears to be very confident in front of the camera just my friend Fay is. In particular I like the composition of the photograph, the model fills the frame from head to waist yet as a view I personally am drawn to her face.

August Sander

August Sander was a German portrait and documentary photographer. Sander's first book Face of our Time was published in 1929. Sander has been described as "the most important German portrait photographer of the early twentieth century. During military service, August Sander was an assistant in a photographic studio in Trier; he then spent the following two years working in various studios elsewhere. By 1904 he had opened his own studio in Linz, Austria, where he met with success. He moved to a suburb of Cologne in 1909 and soon began to photograph the rural farmers nearby. Around three years later Sander abandoned his urban studio in favour of photographing in the field, finding subjects along the roads he travelled by bicycle. Man of the Twentieth Century" was Sander's monumental, lifelong photographic project to document the people of his native Westerwald, near Cologne, stating that we know that people are formed by the light and air, by their inherited traits, and their actions. We can tell from appearance the work someone does or does not do; we can read in his face whether he is happy or troubled," Sander photographed subjects from all walks of life and created a typological catalogue of more than six hundred photographs of the German people. Although the Nazis banned the portraits in the 1930s because the subjects did not adhere to the ideal Aryan type, Sander continued to make photographs. After 1934 his work turned increasingly to nature and architectural studies. - Wikipedia

August Sander’s work I find both influential and inspirational. Without being over constructed, over manipulated or in general just over the top he manages to photograph the natural human face as a portrait. His photographic collection is very effective and powerful and really makes you look and question the photograph. Whilst looking through August Sander’s work I noticed that a lot of his portraits although the subject is posed they show truth and realistically he is documenting the area and people surrounding him. I especially like the above photograph as it shows masculinity in its own right, I want to take all of my inspirations and interpret them using similar techniques when photographing Joe.  

Gina Chong and Chris Chong Photography

I very much like the photographic work of Gina and Chris Chong. I chose to feature there work in my blog as I find it influential. There collection or work photographing couples is what I intend to do for my shoot with Fay and Joe. As Fay and Joe are confident out going friends of mine my intentions were to get them to pose for the camera – not over pose as I don’t want that effect for my photographs. The photographs above I feel capture the beauty, trust and happiness from the couple – you can’t help but smile when you see them. I especially like the framing of the photographs – the subjects are always in the middle and the location out of focus, this works well as it makes the subjects being the couple the main focus. Once again these inspiring photographs aren’t over made up or heaving manipulated which was well in particular for this shoot as it doesn’t contradict the natural happiness and essence of the photographs. I intend and look forward to photographing using similar styles and techniques to Gina and Chris Chong.

Shoot 4 - Fay and Joe

‘When you find yourself beginning to feel a bond between yourself and the people you photograph, when you laugh and cry with their laughter and tears, you will know you are on the right track. - Arthur Fellig

To develop my assignment further and to get an insight into how to develop my photography work into a final series of photographs I have decided to do another photography shoot based on portraiture capturing my friend Fay Venetia Williams and her boyfriend Joe Mullarky. I have photographed Fay before and was thoroughly happy with my outcomes as Fay seemed immediately at ease and comfortable with the process, she was confident, comfortable and enjoyed the process and this came across in the images which communicated so perfectly the focus of the image taken – Personality and Fay’s confidence, self assurance, outgoing side, joy, care freeness, happiness – all key features of her personality, came through in the final outcome. Joe her boyfriend and close friend of mine is a very confident out going, self assured Rugby player. Together I just know that I will get some fabulous shots of them, showing not only there friendship but relationship. They have been together for over five years and I feel confident that this will become apparent in my photographs as they adore each other. I also intend on photographing them by them selves – just to expand the variety of shots taken.

Once again I have decided as this is just a minor project to act as a starting point for my development towards my final series of photographs. Therefore I am going back to my favourite location being Latchford Locks to photograph as I’ve successfully shot there in the past. The setting provides many features which make a perfect back drop for a constructed photo shoot. To make my photo shoot stand out and differ to previous shoots I have done there, I intend to go on a dull/cloudy day where these is no sun and use my reflector. This sounds silly when you first read it, however I want to photograph and experiment with the lighting, find out what works – by doing this I will get different photographs altogether with a different backdrop. I have found the lighting at Latchford Locks is key to the photographs you intend to take. If this is successful and works better then photographs with bright natural sunlight I may consider doing this again but at a different location.

'Tom & Laura Say I Do' Final Photographs

Julia Margaret Cameron

Julia Margaret Cameron (11 June 1815 – 26 January 1879) was a British photographer. She became known for her portraits of celebrities of the time, and for photographs with Arthurian and other legendary themes. Cameron's photographic career was short, spanning eleven years of her life (1864–1875). She took up photography at the relatively late age of 48, when she was given a camera as a present.  Although her style was not widely appreciated in her own day, her work has had an impact on modern photographers, especially her closely cropped portraits. Wikipedia

Although this photograph is not a Wedding Photograph by any means I find it very inspirational. Firstly I appreciate the close up cropped portrait resulting in a square photographic outcome. Secondly I like the composition, the flowers remind me of a wedding bouquet and in my head, I see them as a bouquet. The four subjects in the photograph I see as the bride, groom and parents. Of course this is only my imagination in my head, clearly the subjects in this particular photograph are females, however it is photographs like this from almost a century ago that can still inspire today. I especially like the way the subjects have been placed, although this photograph has been cropped, together the four females stand heads close creating a portrait shot. You can clearly see the emotion in the photograph, to me I feel as if the subjects look sad, there eyes all glancing in a different location gives of the impression that they feel uncomfortable, almost lost. Maybe they have lost someone? Maybe they are sad? It makes me wonder about the photographer’s intentions and what she was trying to capture. This is what I love about photography, the not knowing; when I look at this photograph I see a personal story, just like everybody else will create their own narrative.