For the next photos I changed the set up and positioned the subject differently:
For this photo, the lighting was coming in from behind the subject as well as from behind the camera, this helped elevate the highlights and shadows of the subject, which also added depth. The composition of the photo also creates depth as it leads you into the into the centre where the man focus is. The subject is dressed up, sat on a bed whilst looking at a magazine, only revealing the top corner of her face. I liked this idea of the magazine covering the face because it gives an interesting feature as the subject is hiding her face, so no emotions are presented or revealed to us. I positioned the subject directly in-between the two posters, with the magazine she was holding to be displayed directly in the middle of the two posters. The photo quite obviously describes the subjects passion for music, showing herself alongside posters, vinyl’s and magazines, then seeing how this connects them together in a unique way.
Mask 1
Mask 2
For the editing, I edited the photo in two different sections. I used the mask feature on Lightroom which meant I could edit the subject separately from the background. This allowed me to create contrast more easily and make the subject pop out as I could make the background darker by lowering the exposure and increasing the contrast so that the subject could more easily stand out. This further emphasises the depth of the photo as the subject is brought to the foreground of the photo.
Evaluation:
Overall this photoshoot went as planned. I captured a series of similar yet different environmental portraits which captured the subject within her natural environment. This formed a unique and personal connection between both the subject and her passion as your presented with the subject in her bedroom, her personal environment. The subject is really into music and different genres of music, in particular she plays records. I wanted her passion for music to be expressed within the photos, so I captured different compositions which showed this through the different perspectives. I spread out the records in front of her, showing both the records itself and the album cover. I wanted the graphical prints to be part of the photo as this creates extra details and features that surrounds the main subject for example details such as patterns, shapes, and colour. However this creates a contrasting effect as it distracts the viewer, for example the photo where the magazine hides the face, only revealing an eye. I felt this created a much more engaging photo, as the face is hidden, leaving us to interpret the emotions the subject is displaying on her face. This photoshoot clearly displayed a girl within her natural environment. We are followed along this journey of a girl and her passion, seeing how they are both connected together which expresses their feelings and emotions that we quickly learn through facial expressions. This shows the viewer how they are united together.
Barbara Kruger is an American artist and photographer, best known for her artwork that combines images and text to address issues of power, identity, gender, and consumerism. Her work critiques the ways the media and culture shape and influence our views of ourselves and the world. Barbara Kruger’s work is powerful, direct, and confrontational. Through her combination of imagery and text, she challenges viewers to think critically about the ways in which gender, power, and consumerism shape our identities. A main theme of Kruger’s work is consumerism and how advertising, media and pop culture affect our sense of self and desires. She criticises the way individuals are objectified, mainly in relation to gender and power dynamics. Gender, particularly the objectification of women, is a central theme in her work. She often critiques the way women are portrayed in pop culture and advertising through her own bold, challenging imagery and text.
Kruger’s work challenges the notion of the “ideal” body, particularly the representation of women in the media. Her art explores the intersection of power, sex, and control, often questioning the role of women within a consumer-driven society.
Barbara Krugers signature style involves black and white photographs with bold and red bordered text. The text overlays the image and makes direct statements. The words are normally short, impactful and designed to make the viewer reconsider how they see themselves and others in context of culture, politics and society and make you think about the societal norms and your personal identity. The use of stark, bold type and a visual language borrowed from commercial advertising brings attention to how these forces operate in shaping societal values.
Her art is still highly relevant today, as it continues to resonate with contemporary issues of gender inequality, consumer culture, and media influence. Kruger’s use of mass media visuals and her conceptual approach have influenced generations of artists and activists.
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Image Analysis
This image is one of Barbara Krugers most iconic works “Your body is a battleground” which was created for a feminist protest about abortion rights. The message speaks to the political outlook about the debates on reproductive rights, access to birth control and abortion in America. The text “Your body is a battleground” bordered red, is placed going across the woman’s face grabbing your attention like how a title on a newspaper or billboard would look like as that is how she styles her work to spread the message. The word “battleground” suggests that the woman’s body is a sense of conflict and suggests that the female body is something to be fought over.
The image is in black and white with a red border all around. In the centre of the imagine is a woman’s face which is split down the middle, one half in normal black and white while the other half looks like an x-ray, representing the idea of a division.
With the first initial thought of UNITY as the theme, I thought immediately of the word ‘together’. Unity can be seen as bringing things or people together through emotions and thought. Continuing on from this thought, I went back and analysed my archived work. My head immediately went to my work on the topic of Femininity and Masculinity, my work for that topic I believe is some of my strongest work so far. I loved the intimacy that I explored through that topic and I enjoyed working on skin and touch through that topic too.
I wanted to venture out of just solely focusing on intimate relationships for this new topic, I wanted to also explore the idea of Unity through community and friendships. I personally believe that friendships can sometimes be as intimate or even more then relationships, with your friends being the people you choose to be around, not just the people your placed around through family.
I’ve strayed away from the idea of photographing family for this topic due to a thought that, you are born into your family and as uniting as that is, I have come to personally learn that real bonds and platonic love comes from the people you choose to surround yourself with, like your friends. You are forever stuck with family but you choose to stick with your friends and your lovers. I feel that that is honestly so much more of an emotional and intimate outlook on the idea of friendships. I hold all of my relationships that I have with people very close to me and would love to be able to show that through my work.
Photography techniques –
Mirror photography –
Mirror photography is the technique of self portraiture in photography, allowing the artist to partake in the photoshoot. It connects the photographer to the work and story, that they may be trying to show. This shows a deep connection and vulnerability of the artist and allows the viewers to feel interlinked and accepting of the photographers thoughts and feelings.
Window photography –
Window photography is the technique of photographing almost the world outside your own. It can be seen as candid photography or street photography more often, but that is not all it portrays. Giving the viewers almost an inside look into someone’s life is not only interesting, but eye-opening. Allowing yourself to view others lives, can change not only your view but perspective on a lot of different aspects of life overall.
Analysation –
In my project, I want to include the use of not just window but also mirror photography, I want this project to show a vulnerable side to me as a photographer and allow it to connect me as a person to my work. Showing deep emotion and intimacy through my photoshoots, I want to not just relate to my work but also allow myself to accept the emotions I am trying to portray in it as well.
Including window photography under the same themes and ideas will be difficult to help portray the theme of unity, however, allows perspectives on others views to change. Believing that others may have the same thought or feeling on the topic will allow viewers to almost feel a sense of comfort in their opinion and helps widen the scale of acceptance when it comes to emotion and unity as a whole, since my perspective is only one of almost 8.1 billion people.
Isms are different ways of portraying photography, Romanticism, Objectivism, Neoclassicism are examples of them.
For my final project, I want to focus my work on 2 different types of ‘isms’, Emotionalism and Romanticism. Since my work will predominantly be on the topic of relationships ( intimate and platonic ) I believe that both these isms fit quite smoothly overall.
Romanticism –
Romanticism was a movement that originated in the 18th century where artists and photographers placed a high value on emotions and subjective experiences. They believed that emotions such as love or fear were more important then rational thought or scientific discovery. Romantics celebrated individuality, personal freedom and self-expression, and all was a big part of the culture of romanticism. People were often portrayed as heroes who went against societal norms and stood for themselves. Nature also played a big part of portraying romanticism through photography and art, as romantics often viewed nature as source of inspiration, beauty and truth. They believed that nature was a strong force that could stir up and portray emotion and almost lead to spiritual experiences.
For the input of romanticism into my work I want to focus on the aspect of silhouette and touch, allowing both pieces to bring out emotion and impact towards work and what it offers to the viewer. Touch can be perceived as both intimate and platonic depending on the context of the photograph, and I feel like that will be a very powerful way of showing not just romanticism but emotionalism as well.
Emotionalism –
Emotionalism is a convey of emotions through photographs, being able to see, feel and understand how a person may be feeling through an image is a very transformative way of pointing out views, links and hidden meanings through photography. Emotionalists often use portraiture to show emotion leaving it up the the photographed to show or prove how they are feeling. With facial expressions, a photograph can engage a viewer on a personal level through intimate feelings and emotional depth. An emotional photograph is a master of non-verbal communication, a perfect way to relate without talking, making a strong enough link with whoever may see it, no matter the situation or environment. It is always felt.
Emotionalism will play a very large part of my work, even through photographs that may not be portraits, body language will show so much expression and emotion it will be hard to see through it. With including portraits in my work too, emotion will be unavoidable, I want to include aspects like eye contact and blatant emotions like sadness through crying and love through the saying ‘the look of love’. Emotions can be perceived and picked up on so easily through simple eye contact and I would love to include that in my work. Love will be a very important part of my project and capturing that will bring so much joy, not just to me but to everyone involved.
This was the first photoshoot I executed for my final exam, mainly inspired by Helmut Newton. Newton inspired me to explore the themes of femininity and identity through dressing similarly to how he presents his subjects, which can be seen through the sunglasses, blazers, skirts and tights allowing us to look more sophisticated. However, I incorporated minor details into my clothing associating with Yayoi Kusama, and they link effectively through the use of vibrant colours and background, which is an aspect of Kusama’s work. In this specific shoot, me and one of my friends were the main subjects, meaning each image was only showing one person individually. This could be seen as an advantage for my work, as often the models in both of my artist inspiration’s work are presented alone as it symbolises empowerment and confidence. Despite this, it could also be seen as a disadvantage for my project as many of the models in Newton’s images particularly are presented in duos, showing relationships and connections. So in my future photoshoots I will keep these ideas in mind so I can carry out the most accurate images possible.
The location of this photoshoot was in Howard Davis Park, in the flower gardens mainly but we slowly made our way around to capture different settings as the background. I chose to photograph in Howard Davis purely because I wanted to include scenes of nature and an outdoor environment and flowers, as it directly links to Yayoi Kusama due to her iconic symbol of flowers. However, I will also go on to edit these images and photoshop digital flowers into the background of them so it resembles a mix of both my artists.
I imported all 422 of my photos into Lightroom and created a new collection for my final exam project. As this was a significantly large photoshoot due to the different backgrounds and settings throughout, it was time consuming for me to go through and flag each image individually, as well as flagging my favourite images and rejecting my least successful ones. In addition to this, I colour coded each image either green, yellow or red to represent how successful they came out, so it is easer for me to decide which ones to edit.
Cubism is a revolutionary art movement which originated in the early 20th century. It challenged the norms of representation in art by displaying the subject as fragmented forms with multiple viewpoints. Cubist painters present a new reality in paintings where traditional perspective is replaced with abstract, layered compositions.
Mood Board
History of Cubism
Cubism was created by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque in Paris between 1907 and 1914.
Photograph of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque
Picasso was a Spanish artist who lived most of his adult life in France. He experimented with many different artistic styles and techniques, making him renowned for consistently reinventing himself. Art critics and historians typically split Picasso’s career into distinct periods.
The first period of Picasso’s career, lasting from 1901 to 1904, was his ‘Blue Period’. During this period, Picasso’s art pieces were primarily shades of blue with touches of accent colour. The subdued tones of these paintings are considered as a reflection of Picasso’s depression following a close friend’s passing.
Subsequent to Picasso’s ‘Blue Period’ was his ‘Rose Period’. This period lasted from 1904 through to 1906 and it signified a shift in Picasso’s wellbeing due to the introduction of warmer colours. These colours included pinks, beiges and reds.
From 1907 to 1909, Picasso’s art was highly inspired by angular African art and masks. This period saw the creation of one of his most controversial pieces, ‘Les Demoiselles d’Avignon’. After meeting Georges Braque in 1905, the artists worked closely together, agreeing on each other’s finished work. In 1907 Picasso showed Braque this painting which was considered as the first Cubist painting.
‘Les Demoiselles d’Avignon’ depicts 5 nude prostitutes from Avignon Street in Barcelona. The features of each of these women are depicted with angular lines and geometric/cubic shapes, appearing almost too sharp to touch. The details of their faces were influenced by African masks and carvings, alike many other pieces by Picasso at the time. It wasn’t until 1916 that Picasso decided to display this painting to the public.
In 1908, Braque responded to Picasso’s work and created the ‘Large Nude’, establishing the birth of cubism.
This was an oil on canvas painting by Georges Braque, depicting a nude female whose body has been formed by layers of geometric fragments and sharp lines. This piece was the earliest type of Cubism, known as Analytical Cubism.
Analytical Cubism is characterised by the subject being split into multi-layered, angular surfaces rather than being depicted realistically. The colours in Analytical Cubism are often very dull, mostly brown, grey and yellow tones. Here are some other images of Analytical Cubism:
Georges Braque was the reason why Cubism became such a huge art movement. This is due to his canvas series named ‘Houses at L’Estaque‘. Braque was highly influenced by an artist named Paul Cezanne. This is evident in this series through Braque’s use of geometric shapes and colourful slanted surfaces. Paul Cezanne was best known for his Impressionist work, however, his approach to painting was what inspired Cubism as a whole. Picasso and Cezanne were both inspired by the way in which Cezanne would focus on the shapes and colours of objects in his paintings, rather than their details. He would also break objects into different perspectives to highlight their form and structure. Additionally, Picasso once stated that Cezanne was “the father of us all“. This was because Paul Cezanne was a very influential painter, especially with Cubism.
Below you can see images of artwork by both Georges Braque and Paul Cezanne:
Georges Braque ‘Houses at L’estaque’Painting by Paul Cezanne
By looking at these two paintings together, you can see Cezanne’s influence on Braque through his use of colour, yellow and green, and how the building’s in Braque’s painting are broken into geometric shapes with no details.
The term ‘Cubism’ was first used to describe this art form by French critic Louis Vauxcelles in 1908. He used this term when describing Braque’s landscape paintings. In 1911, the press adopted this term and it became widely used to describe the art form.
The interest in Cubism continued to grow in popularity and a new style of Cubism developed. This was called Synthetic Cubism which consisted of simpler shapes and brighter colours than Analytical Cubism. It also often includes real-world materials such as news paper and patterned paper.
Here are some images of Synthetic Cubism:
Cubism in Art
Some other influential cubist artists included Jean Metzinger and Juan Gris.
Jean Metzinger
Jean Metzinger was a French painter who had lots of involvement with Cubism. He would write articles about contemporary painting and, in 1910, he wrote an article about the work of Braque and Picasso stating that they ‘had dismissed traditional perspective and merged multiple views of an object in a single image‘, according to Guggenheim.org. In 1912, Jean Metzinger collaborated with a writer named Albert Gleizes to publish a nook named ‘Du Cubisme’.
This book was the first major text to be written about Cubism. The publication of this book marked the formal introduction of Cubism to the world of art. It contained information about the movement and explains the principles and rules of Cubism, rejecting traditional perspective and breaking forms up into geometric shapes. The writers of this book, Albert Gleizes and Jean Metzinger, also spoke philosophically about the art movement and defended it against critics.
Jean Metzinger produced some great cubist artwork himself. These were some of his pieces:
Juan Gris
Juan Gris was a Spanish artist who produced many Synthetic Cubism pieces. He was best known for creating his own distinct style of Synthetic Cubism, making his artwork stick out amongst others. Juan Gris helped to develop the style of Synthetic Cubism by using vibrant colours and larger shapes so that objects are clearer. Gris believed that Cubism should do more than just breaking objects apart and, rather, reconstructing them in a purposeful way.
These are some pieces by Juan Gris:
Cubism in Photography
Following cubist painters, photographers began to experiment with the styles. They would do this by capturing photographs of an object from different perspectives and combining the fragments into a shattered perspective. David Hockney was known to thoroughly explore cubism.
Portrait of David Hockney
David Hockney was an artist from England who was a big contributor to the pop art movement and to Cubism. It wasn’t until 1980 that David Hockney began to experiment with photo collages. He referred to these as “joiners“. He would create these joiners using 35mm Polaroid prints which he would lay out on a surface to create a composite image. Hockney had originally created his first joiner by accident. This was a joiner of a living room and terrace in Los Angeles which he was painting. He created this joiner as experimentation as he didn’t like how wide angle lenses would distort images so he used polaroid prints and glued them together to see how it would look.
Below is the image which he created.
Hockney became fascinated by this concept so he, for some time, began to work more with photography than painting to develop more joiners. He was intrigued by the possibility of being able to showcase the essence of movement and space in a photograph, similar to how we perceive the world around us. A quote by David Hockney to suggest this is “The camera can’t see space. It sees surfaces. People see space, which is much more interesting.” This suggests that, by taking photographs from a variety of perspectives and combining them, it mirrors what we see as humans. Ultimately, it provides a sense of space in an image, and sometimes even movement. This relates to the principles of Cubism, breaking down the subject into multiple perspectives and then reassembling them to create a single result.
One of Hockney’s most influential joiners was “My Mother Sleeping, Los Angeles, 1982“.
My Mother Sleeping, Los Angeles, 1982
This is a joiner by David Hockney of his mother sleeping. Many of Hockney’s joiners had a personal essence to them, displaying his most intimate relationships, his mother being one of the most significant figures in his work. This joiner looks as if it was shot using a combination of both artificial and natural lighting. From what I know about polaroid’s, I can determine that David Hockney most likely just had to adjust the exposure of his camera. It looks to me like he would have had it on a middle-to-low exposure. The fragments of images in this joiner go together to form his mother, with each of the images lining up perfectly. The colours in this image are mainly an orange/brown colour, however the blanket on his mother’s lap adds a pop of colour, bringing your attention to her. David Hockney has formed this joiner so that his mother’s face is in the middle, making her the clear subject. Furthermore, the arrangement of the polaroid prints create an abstract shape which is intriguing for the viewer and reflects his interest in form and space.
In 1830 photography was used mainly for producing scientific and representational images and was the preserve of a wealthy elite. The Pictorialist art movement emerged between the 1880s to the early 20th century. It began in response to claims that a photograph was nothing more than a simple record of reality. It transformed into an international movement of exhibiting photography societies to advance the status of photography as a true art form, and have the same status as paintings and sculpture. Key figures in the development of Pictorialism include Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Weston, and Gertrude Käsebier. Stieglitz played a major role in advancing Pictorialism as he organised exhibitions and promoted the idea that photography could stand alongside other fine arts like painting and sculpture.
Pictorialism focuses on creating expressive and artistic images, using techniques like: soft focus, manipulation of prints, and elaborate darkroom processes. Pictorialists aim to emphasise mood, atmosphere and emotion in images rather than sharp realism. Pictorialism influenced photography by encouraging photographers to experiment with their medium. Photographers would used techniques eg gum bichromate printing and bromoil printing in order to produce images that had the qualities of fine art. Pictorialism as an art movement highlights the importance of composition and the photographer’s creative control, challenging the idea that photography was just a mechanical recording tool. Modern day photographers aim to convey emotion, mood or personal interpretation of the world in their photographs by using: soft focus, selective manipulation of images, or digital techniques that imitate traditional Pictorialist processes. The key concept of pictorialism is emphasising the beauty of subject matter, tonality, and composition, rather than the documentation of reality.
José Ortiz
José Ortiz is a contemporary photographer. Ortiz’s work tends to explore themes of perception, memory and emotion. Ortiz’s photography can be associated with the Pictorialist movement which is a photography style that aims to elevate photography from mere documentation to a more subjective, artistic form of expression. José Ortiz’s photography evidently displays key themes of pictorialism (which focuses on conveying emotions and mood rather than documenting reality) as he combines digital manipulation with analog techniques to produce photographs with a dreamlike feel to them, evoking a sense of nostalgia, memory and emotional depth to his viewers. His work blurs the boundaries between reality and fantasy as he uses smooth lines in his images. This is a core concept in Pictorialism as it’s interested in subjective interpretation and creating images that speak to the inner emotions of the viewer. Ortiz’s use of light, shadow and texture, combined with soft focus and manipulation of colour, creates photographs that transcend mere representation of the physical world. Ortiz uses photography to evoke emotion rather than simply documenting reality. Additionally, his images are ambiguous which allow the viewer to think about, nterpret and connect to his images in a unique, personal level.
In the series ‘The Perfect Present’ where you can see a man walking by himself, is one example of Ortiz’s work that closely resembles that of old pictorial images. The photograph features a man in soft, muted tones and with blurred details. This lack of sharp focus and manipulation of light and shadows replicates the soft focus techniques used by Pictorialist photographers. As a result, his image that transcends the mundane and invites the viewer to think more deeply about what his image is trying to portray. In this image, you can also see the same man walking at different points in time. This is clearly not documenting reality as a singular photograph shouldn’t be able to capture the same person at different points in time. This therefore creates a surreal and dreamlike tone to the image due to the impossibility of this actually being possible to capture without manipulation, which is a key theme in Pictorialism. Overall, his use of soft focus, lighting manipulation and focus on mood rather than realism makes his images Pictorial in style. He shows how photography can be an evocative and emotional form of art and his image represents not just a moment captured in time but an emotional journey. This links to the art movement Pictorialism as it also aims to communicate feelings and personal experiences through photography rather than just documenting the physical.
How he links to the theme of union:
José Ortiz’s piece called ‘The Perfect Present’ links to the theme of union through its emotive and symbolic elements. For example, the title ‘The Perfect Present’ suggested to me the idea of a gift (an object or gesture shared between individuals), often given to celebrate a special occasion or expressing affection. The “perfect present” symbolises to me not just a physical gift but the act of giving. For example, the exchange of experiences, memories and qualities eg trust and companionship, that comes alongside friendship and union. The concept of a perfect gift goes beyond materialism; it represents a deep emotional connection between people. Ortiz’s photograph to me acts as a metaphor for the essence of friendship and union, showing how the simplest gestures are often the most significant. Additionally, his use of soft focus and muted tones in the photograph creates an intimate and personal mood, inviting the viewer to reflect on their own personal friendships. This quality links to the emotional depth that underlies strong friendships and unions. Just as the photograph’s soft textures evoke a sense of nostalgia and emotional warmth, friendships and unions are rooted in shared memories, gentle moments and emotional vulnerability.
The theme of union and friendship can also be linked to this photograph through the depiction of a man walking alone. To me, this symbolises the isolation and loneliness that one feels by being by themselves. As the man walks alone, the absence of friendship is highlighted in the image. This evokes feelings of melancholy and sadness in the viewer which also arises when one lacks meaningful connections with others. This solitude and sad tone contrasts with the warmth and support that friendship provides. The narrative suggests that the longing for connection, embodied by the man’s solitary walk, makes the value of friendship even more apparent, showing how essential these bonds are to one’s sense of belonging and happiness.
Within this final project with the theme of union, I aim to explore themes of femininity, identity and power roles. I decided to choose these three themes to focus on mainly as they briefly intertwine with my previous personal study project that focused on youth, identity and aspects of femininity. Fine art photography is something I have researched in depth, learning how artists express their creativity and make statements through their work. Additionally, it also has the power to challenge social norms and spark important conversations within the topic of gender roles, which are important factors for me because I am a female and believe some of the societal expectations are not yet fully discarded. Helmut Newton powerfully inspired me to base my project around this ideology because his work holds a powerful historical value of traditional stereotypes around females in the media, where he firmly portrays his values and feminist beliefs into his work, allowing for the viewer to see the world through his eyes. Newton photographs women in a way that is unique and raw, despite his images looking staged. The message behind all of his work is extremely powerful, which in my opinion you can see immediately after viewing. I interpret Newton’s work as very convincing through the use of sharp contrasts and lots of tension due to the black and white filters, in attempt to show a sense of realism, what it was like for women in the 1960s. I want to reinforce these ideas in my own project, showing the similarities and differences between the time period of the 60s, compared to now. I will be highlighting the power of women in a way that directly links to Newton, by photographing from similar angles with my subjects in similar clothing in order to almost recreate his scenes.
Why it matters to me:
I want to delve into these ideas deeper to exhibit my feminist values as this is a topic I feel passionately towards. Power roles is a topic I aim to delve into throughout my project, through photographing myself and others, depicting females as strong and equally as powerful as males. This is significant to me as gender inequality has been a heavy topic for several decades, where women are viewed as weak and vulnerable. My main objective is to explore the ways in which I can present females as the opposite of these standards, reinforcing the idea of equality. I am exploring these ideas in hope that my work can become representative of all females, empowering women and therefore defeating any false narratives surrounding weakness.
How I wish to develop my project:
I wish to develop my project through conducting different photoshoots weekly, where my subjects are presented in a provocative way, a way that women are not usually viewed as. I will achieve this by photographing my first photoshoot outdoors, similar to some of Newton’s work. My subjects will be wearing sophisticated, smart clothing so the viewer can immediately interpret a like for fashion, yet the main message behind the images will delve deeper. The message I am aiming to communicate is how women can be signed up for important roles too, as well as men. I am doing this because I feel that historically, men were the only people to have specialised roles or jobs as they were viewed as intelligent, and women were only useful at home, jobless, nurturing their children. Therefore, in my first project I will be highlighting the change that has occurred in recent decades, and women achieving an important status for themselves in the hierarchy.
My second photoshoot will be in the photography studio, with my models dressed sleek and elegantly again. However, this time I will be photographing them in a way that links to Yayoi Kusama also, rather than just focusing on Helmut Newton. I will still be able to draw in accurate aspects of Newton’s work due to the clothing, props and model poses. In addition to this, Newton’s inspiration can be depicted through the act of playing into the male gaze, which I wanted to explore and challenge through portraying my subjects as dominant. This shoot will have direct links to Kusama due to the location of the shoot, as she mainly focused on photographing indoors with studio-like lighting, which will allow my images to look successful in a magazine format.
How I want to present my study:
I will be presenting my study in a photobook, specifically a magazine layout. I will use a range of images from my different shoots, edit them appropriately where they show attachments to Newton’s dramatic approaches with heavy contrasts, yet also incorporating Kusama’s approaches using vibrancy and bold colours, which can emphasise the importance of power I am attempting to present. These images will be placed into my magazine in a random arrangement to display a range of elements surrounding my artist inspirations, as well as my own ideas and values. My magazine will differ from most magazines in the media today, as there will not be any precise advertisements or persuasions built into the pages. There will not be any text, in order to keep the viewer focused on the message behind the images, rather than having a wandering eye. This will prevent the message behind my work being misinterpreted. Instead, the front cover will have a catchy title, linking to the empowerment of women, and the images throughout will show my subjects presenting themselves as confident and important women, contributing in todays society.
Where and when I intend to begin my study:
I intend to begin my study by photographing female models in a way that highlights themes of dominance and power, in attempt to discard gender inequality from going any further. I intend to highlight the change between the 1960s and now, showing how women are now viewed as equal to men, and this is something to celebrate. My first shoot will be photographed outdoors to immediately link my project to Helmut Newton, to get an idea on the type of settings I like and want to continue photographing in. If I do not like the outdoor approach, my following shoots will be taken indoors, resembling Kusama’s ideas closely. I will photograph in a studio where the images are clearly staged. Depending on how successful my first outcomes are, my next shoot will be taken in an opposing setting, to show a broad range of ideas.
For this project based on the theme “UNION” I have decided to focus on the concept of merging colours in sunsets. The beauty of sunsets all comes from the blending and merging of vibrant hues as the day turns into night creating a powerful scene within the skies representing connection and harmony of all the colours coming together to create such a beautiful sight.
When creating this moodboard I wanted to visually represent how the colours of the sunsets can capture the essence of how different elements such as people, colour and lighting can come together to form something greater than the sum of their individual aspects. This moodboard serves as a key tool in shaping this vision, offering a glimpse into the aesthetic and emotional tone I am aiming to achieve with this project. It allows me to narrow down the vast possibilities of this theme and bring it down to sections to express these moments of unity and transformation through photography.
Here is a mood board representing one of the three parts of unity I am going to use within this project to capture the theme of “UNION”.
Mood Board 1: Pure sunsets.
To capture the theme of “UNION”, I plan to use the relationship between people (families, relationships, siblings etc) and animals (owners and their pets, animal families) as silhouettes against the sunset to emphasize their deep connection. As the vibrant colours of the sunset merge and shift from fiery, bright oranges to calming pinks & purples, they will serve as a visual metaphor for the bond shared between humans, animals and both together.
The soft hues will represent the harmony between these relationships, for example with an owner and their dog, illustrating how both are part of the same world and experience life together. The silhouettes of either humans and animals or both together, framed by the sunset will create a powerful image of unity, showing that connections are among all living things. whether its the relationship between an owner and their pet or humans together as a family, the blending of colours will symbolize how we are all intertwined in the larger tapestry of life, moving through the world together all under the same sky.
Here is a mood board representing the second feature of unity that I am going to use within this project to capture the theme of “UNION.”
an ‘Ism’ is a a distinctive practice, system, or philosophy, typically a political ideology or an artistic movement.
Realism
Realism is a type of approach that captures the world as it is, without, manipulation or exaggeration. It represents things in a straightforward and honest way that is focusing on the truth and realness. This style shows the ordinary and everyday aspects of life and presents images that reflect the reality of human experiences, environments, and emotions.
Characteristics of Realism in Photography:
focus on capturing subjects in their natural state, without changing anything. This means photographing people, objects or environments as they appear in real life.
subjects from daily life: street photography, everyday work, highlighting moments and details that might go unnoticed.
Social and political commentary. Documenting and photographing real life, draws attention to societal issues, inequalities, or struggles that people face.
realism avoids setting up, retouching and editing, or any other methods that could romanticise the photo. It’s about showing life as it is.
Photographers Associated with Realism:
Henri Cartier-Bresson: Known for his “decisive moment,” Cartier-Bresson captured candid, unpoised moments that reflect real life and human nature, often with a focus on social context.
Conceptualism
Conceptualism is an approach that prioritises the idea or concept behind the photograph rather than the aesthetic qualities or technical aspects of the image itself. It’s about creating an image that communicates a certain message, thought or concept, often requiring the viewer to interpret a deeper meaning behind the visual of the image. This approach challenges the traditional idea that a photograph is simply a representation of reality, instead focusing on the intellectual or symbolic aspect of the image.
Characteristics of Conceptualism in Photography:
The idea or message is more important than the visual beauty or technical quality of the photo. The photographer may create images that challenge conventional beauty or have minimal editing within the image to convey the message.
Uses symbolism to convey complex ideas, abstract thoughts, or social commentary. These symbols are meant to provoke thought and interpretation beyond the image.
Many conceptual photographs are staged. The photographer often arranges the scene or props to communicate the message, and the final photograph is more of a planned idea than a real, non-setup image.
Often explores personal or intellectual themes, including identity, memory, language, or politics. It can reflect the artist’s inner world or address societal issues.
These photographs encourage viewers to engage and interpret the image themselves. They may have multiple meanings depending on the viewer’s perspective and context.
Examples of using these characteristics in themes would be; Identity, social & political issues, memory, time.
Photographers associated with conceptualism:
Cindy Sherman’s Untitled Film Stills: These are self-portraits where Sherman adopts various personas, examining the roles of women in cinema and the stereotypes associated with them. The photographs are not just of her but explore the concept of identity through the lens of media and cultural expectations.
Barbara Kruger’s Text-Based Photography: Kruger combines photography with bold, thought-provoking text to address issues like feminism, consumerism, and power. Her iconic style questions social norms and forces the viewer to engage with the conceptual layers behind the images.
Feminism
Feminism in photography is used to explore and challenge issues related to gender, women’s rights and the representation of women in society. Feminist photographers have used photography to question traditional narratives, challenge the objectification of women, and give visibility to female perspectives and experiences. Feminism in photography is also about exploring and deconstructing gender roles, power dynamics, and societal expectations.
Characteristics of Feminism in Photography:
The male gaze: The male gaze refers to the way women are often objectified and portrayed from a male perspective, making them passive subjects for male desire.
Feminist photographers often take control of their own images and bodies, using self-portraiture as a means of expressing their own experiences, identities, and emotions. This helps to stop traditional, often male-dominated, portrayals of women.
Investigates gender fluidity and identity. Photographers examine how societal norms influence the way we understand and perform gender, and often challenge binary conceptions of gender (e.g. male vs. female).
Critique how women have been traditionally confined to certain roles – e.g. motherhood, or beauty standards, and challenge these stereotypes.
Feminist photography has been a tool for social and political activism. Feminist photographers highlight gender-based inequalities, violence against women, and the intersectionality of race, class, and gender.
Challenge traditional beauty standards, promoting body positivity and acceptance of different women’s bodies, including those that don’t fit conventional standards of beauty.
Feminist Photographers:
Cindy Sherman: Known for her self-portraiture, Sherman uses photography to explore themes of identity, gender, and the roles women play in society. Her Untitled Film Stills series deconstructs the stereotypical roles of women in Hollywood films, questioning how these roles shape the way women are viewed.
Shadi Ghadirian: Her photographs, such as those in the Like Every Day and Qajar series, use visual metaphors and symbols to address gender roles, tradition, and modernity of Iranian culture.
Barbara Kruger: Known for combining text and image, her work critiques consumerism, media, and the objectification of women. Through her use of bold text and iconic images, she challenges societal norms and makes statements about power, gender, and identity.
