When I first commenced the project, I researched and thought about various different ways I could explore the theme Union. I knew that I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and once I read that Union was the selected topic, the first thing I thought of was relationships and family however, after having done more thinking and research, one theme really stood out to me. Cultural fashion, this really caught my eye, once i found many different series from Hassan Hajjaj that’s when I really got inspired to do this and it was something I was genuinely interested in.
The first step I took with this project, was finding available models and their potential cultural background. This was challenging as not many people are willing to be a model for a photography project however, after researching more about Hassan Hajjaj and looking at Omar Victor Diopp`s work, I had planned my first photoshoot out. The model named Nigel was willing to be a part of my photography project and he had an intriguing cultural background with many different traditions. I then went on to do self portraits which were quite strong however I did not have many strong final outcomes which appealed to me.
The next part of the project was going to be a different fashion style, I ended up selecting the streetwear style, taking inspiration from Jamel Shabazz but replicating it in the modern day. I chose to do this because it contrasts completely the cultural traditional clothing. I do like this side of the project and I enjoyed exploring this theme however, In my opinion this side of the project is weaker than the cultural aspect. I think the photos taken in the streetwear could possibly have a lack of meaning.
Overall this project was a success, I stepped out of my comfort zone and started doing portraiture rather than landscapes or street photography which was what I was comfortable doing. If I could change this final project, I would have done the whole project about cultural traditional clothing blending with modern day designer brands and use various. I did not do this for the project because I could not find many models which were accepting of showing their culture and background. In conclusion, I find that this project clearly represents Union through the unity of traditional clothing and modern day clothing comparing the two.
The final Images which I will be mounting and displaying are shown below:
A3 Images
A4 Images
I have chosen these photos in specific, as they are all strong in terms of composition, lighting technique, editing technique and they relate and show off my exploration the best.
Mounting Ideas
Mount idea #1
I chose to arrange these three together as they are all part of the same collection, focusing on the brand called The North Face. These photos were taken in a woodlands area on purpose to represent what North Face is about, which is hiking and exploring. I arranged them in a tryptic order with the one of him looking towards the left placed on the left, the one which has him central, arranged in the middle and then the last one being there so that the viewer looks at this arrangement from right to left, in a flowing state.
Mount Idea #2
These are all being arranged together because they were all edited in the same way, with the retro grainy look and they are all part of the same set.
Mount Idea #3
These are all culture portraits of the same model, wearing different clothing in front of different background so I have put these in the same mount.
Mount Idea #4
This is going to be a single print as I do not think that this photo in particular goes with any other prints. However, I think this is a strong self portrait with traditional culture being exemplified which is why I printed it.
For this photoshoot, I stayed in St Helier. I took the same approach as Jamel Shabazz and I went to St Helier which is the main town in jersey, this meant that I would find lots of urban settings which I could use in the background. For this photoshoot I took exactly 100 photos.
Selection Of Best Images
Out of the 100 images I took, these 5 were the best images in terms of relating to the artist, Jamel Shabazz. Although these photos may not be the best in terms of framing and composition, I think that the almost identical relation to the artist compensates for the quality of the composition. The composition can also be changed in photoshop or lightroom using the crop tool, therefore it is not a big problem.
Original Images
Photo #1 – Raw Version
Photo #2 – Raw Version
Photo #3 – Raw Version
Photo #4 – Raw Version
Photo development
Image #1
Firstly I cropped the image to straighten it and then I resized the image to get rid of some of the empty space next to the below the model.
Adjustments Made –
Before And After
Photo #1 – Final Image
I only made slight adjustments to perfect the image, I used the portrait mode on my camera to take this specific photo. I did this because this mode makes anything behind the subject (the background) blurry which is seen often in Jamel Shabazz’s portraits. I like this outcome, although the photo does look like an action shot, it was candid and the model chose to pose like this. This exemplifies Jamel Shabazz’s work where the photos are clearly candid but don’t feel forced, that’s the idea I get from this photo.
Image #2
Firstly, I began with cropping and resizing the image, I put the subject in the direct centre of the frame to ensure that he is the focal point of the image.
Adjustments Made –
Before And After
Image #2 – Final Image
Image #3
Firstly I began with adjusting the image by using the crop tool and straightening it as the composition was slightly diagonal.
Adjustments Made
Background Mask –
I masked the background layer because I wanted the background to stand out, its vibrant colours were not popping as much as I wanted it to, due to the lack of lighting so I adjusted the contrast of the background in Lightroom Classic.
Before & After
Photo #3 Final Image
Image #4
Similarly to all the other images, I commenced to edit this image by straightening and resizing it from the top this time to get rid of blank space.
For this photoshoot, I went to 2 different locations. I went to a spot up in St Lawrence which I knew had abandoned buildings and abandoned tunnels, I thought that these two features of the location is great and links to Jamel Shabazz’s approach as there is graffiti and abandoned scenery being used in the background. As well as the spot in St Lawrence, I also went to Les Quennevais. I wanted to put my own twist on this photoshoot and do it differently to Jamel Shabazz, my aim for this photoshoot was to capture two different models wearing different brands, and emphasizing the brands in the images. For this photoshoot I used a tripod as I was in some of the photographs and I took 635 images in total.
Selection Of Best Images
Photo 1 – Unedited
Photo 1 – Lightroom Adjustments
Photo 1 – Photoshop Manipulation
Photo 1 – Final Photo
Photo 2 – Unedited
Photo 3 – Lightroom Adjustments
Photo 3
Photo 4 Unedited
Photo 4 – Adjustments In Lightroom
Photo 5 – Unedited
Photo 5 – Adjustments In Lightroom
Photo 6 – Unedited
Photo 6 – Adjustments In Lightroom
Photo 7 – Unedited
Photo 7 – Edited In Lightroom
Photo 8 – Unedited
Photo 8 – Lightroom Adjustments
Photo 8 – Final Photo
For most of these photographs, the editing process was roughly around the same for each one. I increased the vibrance in most of the photos to get the retro / film camera look which Jamel Shabazz has in most of his images. The photos were taken on ISO 100, to get the most amount of detail and for the photographs to be fully in focus, the lighting used was natural lighting – no artificial lighting was used as the sunlight was more than enough on that day. On some of the photographs you can see that there is a motion blur of both the models heads, this was able to be done with the use of a long shutter speed, a longer shutter speed meant that the exposure time was longer and the models would shake their heads to achieve the motion blur. There are lots of colour in these photos which makes it stand out and makes my photos similar to Jamel Shabazz’s images. The purpose of this photoshoot was to capture modern day streetwear in the appropriate street way and then compare it with the cultural fashion photoshoots I have done previously.
For this Photoshoot, I did the same as the first photoshoot however, this photoshoot was done by myself and no one else. I used a tripod to set the composition up exactrly how i wanted it and then put on the timer setting on the camera so that i had enough time to click the shutter release and get into frame. Overall I took 79 photographs in this photoshoot and I took these portraits with different clothing which represents my background which is Portuguese / madeira.
Selection Of Photographs
When selecting which images are stronger than others in the photoshoot, I mainly focused on choosing the images which had a clear use of a professional lighting technique for example, Rembrandt lighting, Butterfly lighting and Chiaroscuro. Displayed in the screenshot above, I have selected the raw images I will be using to edit, the photographs highlighted in green are the ones which I find are the best in terms of composition, symmetry and lighting. The images highlighted in yellow are images which are not as strong as the ones highlighted in green however, can still be used to create interesting edits.
These Studio Portraits on their own are quite boring and lack meaning to them therefore, I am going to manipulate them using Photoshop and Lightroom to add these images below into the background. The inspiration behind this editing idea came from Hassan Hajjaj, in his photos the foreground will usually be someone from a specific culture wearing cultural, bold clothing and the background is colourful and usually cultural related, whether its a mural, a pattern etc. However Hassan Hajjaj already takes the photo of the model with the background in the same shot, I am taking a different approach as I did not have the possibilities to create a set with the background already in place, I am going to edit the background into the studio portraits.
Experimentation + Development
Photo 1 – Original Image
Photo 1 – After Lightroom Adjustments
Photo 1 – Photoshop
Using the Polygonal Lasso Tool, I cut out each tile separately off of this image, once I had done that, I dragged all of the cut out tiles onto the studio portrait file.
My next step was to make myself ( the model) be in the foreground, in front of all the tiles, to do this I used the quick selection tool selecting around myself and then using layer via copy to make myself a PNG. Once this was done, all I needed to do was place all the tiles which were layered behind me in a organized line / order.
Photo 1 – Final Form
Photo 2 – Original Image
Photo 2 – Lightroom Adjustments
Chiaroscuro lighting usedEdits Done In Lightroom Classic
Photo 2 – Photoshop Manipulation
I put these two images into photoshop removed the background of the studio portrait using the quick selection tool and Layer via copy. Once the background was removed on the self portrait, I then dragged the madeira flag onto the same page but placed behind the subject. I chose to use the madeira flag in this edit because it worked well with the madeira sign I am holding up in the portrait.
For this photoshoot I did exactly what I had intended on doing, my first photoshoot was planned to be inspired by Omar Victor Diopp and Hassan Hajjaj. To take similar images to these two artists / photographers, I decided to use a model who is from Kenya and I got him to bring some of his own cultural clothing which resonates with him and shows off the Kenyan traditional culture. For this photoshoot I used a studio with artificial lighting and captured 146 images of the model wearing different pieces of clothing.
Clothing / Patterns used
Original Studio Portraits
Photo Selection Process
Photo #1 – Raw Form – Rembrandt Lighting
The technique used for this studio portrait specifically is soft Rembrandt Lighting, this is seen by the triangular shape created on his face, below his eye as highlighted in the image above. To achieve this look I had the main studio light placed in front of the model on the left hand side pointing towards him and a reflector on the right hand side of him, with the camera placed centrally.
Experimentation & Development
Photo #1 Experimentation
Photo #2 Experimentation
Photo #3 Experimentation
Photo #4 Experimentation
Initially, I did all the basic editing in Lightroom Classic. The screenshot below shows roughly what most adjustments were made to most images, I used these settings as a preset as I thought it was working the best and then I would alter it slightly for different photos if I did not think it worked too well. I increased the vibrancy and the saturation for most of them to highlight the clothing and make it stand out.
For these 5 experimentations, I used the clothing photos which is shown at the beginning of this blog post and I selected key areas of the clothing using the quick selection tool, once I had selected the key patterns or parts I wanted from the clothing and did layer via copy. After I had the pattern as a separate layer, I then put the selected studio portrait which had its background removed and the pattern into the same document in photoshop. Using the layers tab I put the pattern in the background and the model in the foreground resizing both layers to make it look perfect. Finally, to finish off the process I did some slight changes and added drop shadows and effects to ensure that the foreground blends well with the background.
This experimentation was quite complex and required me to have some photoshop knowledge however, in my opinion these final outcomes came out great and they link perfectly to my artist inspiration (Omar Victor Diopp and Hassan Hajjaj.)
For this experimentation, I tried to recreate a famous image which Hassan Hajjaj captures, the photo taken by Hassan Hajjaj consists of models in a mix of traditional clothing and modern clothing outside Dior, a high demand designer brand. To recreate the image I had to take 3 different photos with a tripod in the same place but the model moving spots in the frame, as well as changing shirts for each one. I told the model to keep his shorts on as Jorts are a modern trend which is extremely popular in current time. I did this to replicate the mix of traditional clothing with modern / popular culture just like Hassan Hajjaj. The editing process was simple, just like the other images I had to select the model and layer via copy him and then just drag each layer onto the same document, then doing slight adjustments to ensure the model fits in with the background and any shadows or etc are not clashing with the image.
Final Images– Hassan Hajjaj & Omar Victor Diop Inspired
For my first photoshoot I am going to focus on the cultural aspect rather than the street wear. Diving into how traditional clothing can show off identity, unity and heritage, I will do this by bringing various different outfits to a studio and use the professional lighting to capture the model in cultural clothing.
My project will express the theme of union through Cultural Unity and Fashion + Identity. My target is to create compositions showing how fashion can blend with culture, becoming another way to express identity. My inspiration behind this project is the work of two photographers, both Hassan Hajjaj and Omar Victor Diop, my work will aim to replicate and adapt on their work / style of photography.
I will achieve my intended theme by using both portraiture and conceptual photography. My images will consist of bold patterns, high contrast colours and different textures that show off culture and balance. Some of the photographs will be professionally lit with studio lighting for striking compositions and some will be taken outside of the studio, out with natural light for tableau photography within an urban setting.
As well as focusing on integrating cultural aspects and fashion, I will also focus on modern fashion as its own subject, showing how present day styles can also shape identity. Fashion nowadays is mainly inspired by trends, technology and cultural traditions. By also capturing photographs of modern fashion, I will be able to contrast these styles with cultural, colourful influences, finding and spotlighting the differences in self expression and aesthetics. I can do this by using the double exposure technique or using the same model looking into their reflection wearing a different (cultural or modern) outfit.
The final product of this entire project will be a photobook which displays different identities, styles of fashion and cultural fashion, overall exploring how they form identity in unique ways.
Jamel Shabazz, Shabazz is an American photographer who was born in the 1960s in New York, specifically Brooklyn. Shabazz is known for many reasons however, he is well known because of his photographs when he captures the street life of America, the fashion and the everyday life of African American groups and communities. Jamel Shabazz gained a passion for photography when he was fifteen years old, what got him into photography was the images which he would see during the civil right movement and his dad was also a huge inspiration because his dad loves photography and takes photos too. In the beginning, when he was fifteen years old, he would grab his camera and he would go around his neighbourhood and his town capturing what he sees, producing photos which showed the natural, original energy and vibe which the streets of New York had. In New York, hip hop culture was growing and this culture was extremely popular, especially during the 1980s, fashion was also unique and extremely hyped in New York and this meant that Shabazz was able to capture all of this at the age of fifteen.
His photos in the current day and now that he is grown up and has a better knowledge on photography, his work is mainly based on and explores the themes of culture, identity, unity, urban life and pride. His photographs are energetic, original and they are bold / vibrant and the photos feel like they portray the New York City life so accurately back then.
His most popular piece of work is his photobook, titled Back in the Days which was published in 2001, this photobook consists of images with graffiti, streetwear, boomboxes and the overall style of New York and its youth in the 1970s, 1980s. Shabazz`s photography technique had great intentions, he just wanted to capture people from his city in a positive way, displaying photographs of unity in the black community with pride and strength.
Back in the time when Shabazz was taking these photos (1970s-1980s), the main camera used throughout the whole world was a film camera. His photographs were captured on a film camera and a film camera meant that the images would come out to have a warm, grainy and a retro feel / theme to them. If you have a look at all of Jamel Shabazz’s images, they are all candid photos which he gets people to pose for, most of these photographs include bold fashion, things like bucket hats, big chains, sneakers, denim etc. Other features which you will see throughout his entire photography collection is urban settings (subways, basketball courts, New York streets and abandoned, graffiti on buildings), colours and patterns, groups of people posing and natural lighting. His portraits are quite clearly staged and the models are clearly posing for the camera, however the poses and the overall photo does not seem forced, the people who were posing were proudly showing off their outfits and they wanted to be included which is what makes the photograph seem relaxed. Another aspect about his photographs which I really like is the authenticity of the images, his images are authentic and original, he builds a relationship with the models quickly and lets them express themselves however they want to, leaving the pose, the clothing and etc all up to them.
How this Links To My Project
Jamal Shabazz links strongly to my project, more specifically the streetwear aspect of my union project. I plan to do something similar to Jamal Shabazz, just like he would go out and capture peoples style I will do the same, capturing models in streetwear style of the modern day and show how fashion can be a symbol of individuality.
Hassan Hajjaj is a modern Moroccan artist and photographer, who is mainly known for his strong, abstract and outside of the box portraits. Hassan Hajjaj was born in Larache, Morocco in 1961 and when he was a teenager he moved to London. Hassan Hajjaj having experienced both living in Morocco and England (London), really formed his style of photography and art which he produces and explores. His photography work mixes lots of cultures together, specifically the African culture with the Pop culture, joining two completely different ideas together and making powerful imagery which is vastly noticeable. Hajjaj is mainly inspired by reggae, hip hop, fashion, West African lifestyle and UK culture, showing various cultures in his work.
Hassan Hajjaj`s photography style is mainly based around portrait photography however, Hajjaj is not you regular portrait photographer, he takes abstract portraits rather than simple ones. Hajjaj uses his own experiences and life and converts it into his subjects / models, the models he uses in his photos are usually wearing traditional clothing (usually Moroccan) mixed with designer / branded clothing for example, Adidas, Louis Vuitton, Coca Cola, Nike etc. As well as dressing up his models in this sort of clothing, he would also capture everyday things or regular objects like branded food and tinned cans of food, giving that pop art feeling and effect to his photographs. Everyday objects are placed around the actual photograph, creating a frame / border for the main photograph. Hajjaj states “I’m also drawn to work with cola cans and brands because I’m a Sixties child when brands were heavily pushing their names out; Coca-Cola was a big name in Morocco, and it was a ‘rich men’s drink’ that we would drink when guests were coming to our house.” This was said in an interview undertaken with 1-54 art fair. This quote shows that he would not just randomly pick the brands which he used and that there is a deeper meaning behind the choices of brands, as he is connecting to his youth and reaching out to his memories.
Kesh Angels, Hassan Hajjaj (2010 – 2012)
His photographs are normally bold and lively making them stand out to the viewer, the photos being vibrant and standing out separates the photo from the stereotypical ideas of the western, Moroccan and / or Muslim identity. Instead of fitting in with the stereotypical ideas, Hajjaj makes sure that his images show off the models as strong, fashionable and interesting personalities, he manages to do this by using magazine style setups for his shoots however the magazine styled setup has its own change made to it which reflects the traditional culture with the culture nowadays around the whole world.
His Work
Kesh Angels was one of the most popular series of shoots which he had done, the main idea behind this gallery / series of photographs was to have Moroccan women on top of a moped or motorbike confidently. The clothing used is a blend of both traditional Moroccan clothing as well as streetwear / modern brands, the use of both these clothing forms challenges the stereotypes about women, specifically Moroccan women as they are displayed powerfully with stye and embracing their own culture and background.
Another famous series of work which is made by Hassan Hajjaj is My Rockstars, My Rockstars is all about musicians, artists and performers globally. Similarly to Kesh Angels, Hajjaj uses bright and vibrant backgrounds as well as different textures or patterns included in the background, in the foreground is a model wearing a combination of both conventional fashion as well as modern, streetwear fashion. The portraits taken in this series are different to the previous series mentioned, these portraits are filled with good energy, vibrant colours and they perfectly show the connection between music, culture and fashion. Hassan Hajjaj not only shows the connection between music, culture and fashion but also shows how global trends or influences can blend and come together in a positive way, creating abstract interesting pieces of art.
My Rockstars, Hassan Hajjaj (2012-2013)
How Hassan Hajjaj Links To My Project
Hajjaj’s work links efficiently to my project, Union. His photographs link specifically by cultural fusion and fashion identity, he captures how clothing can unite and come together to create new and unique ideas for example he does this by putting traditional, modern, global and pop culture ideas together into one frame. In my project I will use Hassan Hajjaj as an inspiration, intending on taking photographs of models with cultural outfits with features of modern-day designer or brands.
Image Analysis
In my opinion, this is the most powerful and the best photograph after having researched Hassan Hajjaj. I will now analyse this image in high detail:
Technical-
This photo uses natural daylight as it is taken outside in the streets of Marrakech, the lighting is not intense which you can tell from the very faint shadows on the floor, if the lighting was harsher the shadows of the bikes and the people would be darker, standing out more. I like that the photo is taken outside rather than inside a studio with artificial lighting, I think that this makes Hajjaj’s image more powerful and even more genuine. The depth of field in this image is sharp, everything in the foreground, which is the women, and the bikes are all clearly in focus and can be seen with no blur or grain, the same goes for the background, little to no blur is seen in the background of the image and the overall composition is sharp, clear and in focus. Since there is no grain and the image is fully in focus, I can make an educated assumption that low iso (in the 100-400 range) was used and the shutter speed would have been fast rather than slow however not too fast, somewhere in between slow and fast.
Visual –
This photo is centrally framed with the models all posing in an organized order, this photo as well as the rest of his images in this series have a border / frame of a branded product, in this instance the product is a tin of food (most likely a Moroccan product.) The purpose of this border is to keep everything kept in place and the border holds the image together perfectly as well as filling up possible empty space. Another visual feature which is seen in this photograph is the use of leading lines, the leading lines come from the bikes, the street and the building the three leading lines elements make the viewers eye go straight to the main subject which is the models framed centrally.
Contextual –
Hassan Hajjaj`s work is quite heavily inspired by pop art and fashion photography; he also does have some features of street photography within his work. Hajjaj also challenges the stereotypes of Muslim women in this photograph, he has them dressed in stylish, bold outfits to argue against the stereotypical traditional way.
Conceptual –
In my opinion, I think that this image is all about embracing your own culture and traditions as well as challenging stereotypes. I think that he is trying to tell a story through these sets of images and especially this image by mixing the traditional with the modern brands, motorbikes and the pop culture, showing how it can all come together / unite and that culture is no longer a separate thing from identity. Showing that identity can be multiple things and not stuck in old fashioned ideas.
