Monday, 16 November 2015

Context


The Corrine Day period marked a massive change in the way photography was produced, it was proceeded by a massive economic boom and wealth distribution. Models were paid ridiculous amounts of money and photo shoots were done in very exotic locations, reinforcing the sense of wealth and luxury. As the 1980s finished and we moved into the 1990s there was a huge economic crash worldwide. The music of 1980s was house music - acid house all of which celebrated life and good times. In USA Kurt Cobain was forming the band nirvana - this was the anti-thesis of happy go-lucky care free acid house and marked the change in the worlds mood. Away went synthesises and in came rock and roll, music that reflected a new world. A darker economically challenged world. Heroin replaced acid and ecstacy as the drugs of rock musicians and kids started to copy
'Grunge'. Cobain coined the phrase to describe the movement in the USA. The media picked up on the 'look' and the fact heroin was being talked about and used. Kids in the United Kingdom adopted the look and lifestyle, combining the fashion style with taking class A drugs. The term 'heroin chic' was coined to describe Courtney Love and the new look. Models got skinnier as a reaction to the busty 'uber babes' of the super model phenomenon. Kate moss was considered at the same time.

Corrinne Day

Corinne day - Kate Moss
My initial reaction upon looking at this photograph is to question why the photographer has chosen to present the photo in black and white. I don't quite understand why black and white is used, because of the nature of the photograph I would've thought it would be in colour because the model looks happy and joyful, which is the opposite to the visual language that black and white often represents. The nature of the photograph, because of the time it was published, is very different from photography around that time. It looks as though this would have been one of the first photographs to have been published with such a casual, easy going style, instead of the glamorous format that most photographers would have used. 
I'm predicting that from the shape and texture of the image, it is 35mm film, it wouldn't be medium format because the shape of the image is not squared.
           From the body language and facial expressions it looks as though she and the photographer are trying to sell this joyful, spontaneous life style. This is what makes it fashion photography, it doesn't have to be clearly selling a product that is featured in the photograph, it promotes the brand by simply showing that if you wear this or do this, you will live and look like this.
             I feel that both the model and the background work well together in that we often associate the beach with sun, sun bathing and wearing revealing clothes, Moss has done almost exactly that however taken it to not wearing anything. Because of this it gives the happy feel to the photograph, however I feel that if only the model was not in the image it would have a very different feel, it would look a lot less bright and joyful and a lot more dark and mundane because of the use of black and white and what looks like an untouched background. Personally I don't like the composition of the photograph, I don't quite understand what the photographer has chosen to cut the image off at her toes, I feel that there is too much space between her head and the top of the image, I understand that that could have been used to emphasise her vulnerability by showing that she's in a huge isolated place, however I feel the model would have been better suited filling more of the image



Thursday, 5 November 2015

Careers

Cinemaphotographer
Being in in control of the camera team, frame and light of film
Required to have an artistic ability
Hours long
Start off from the bottom of recording
Can be paid up to 65000 for one production
Not necessary for agree but does help
Demand has increased

Free lance photographer
Online portfolio required
A lot of money require to get started

Art therapy 
It uses art to improve a persons physical and emotional well being
Need a degree
25000 average salary

Forensics photographer
42000-50000 salary
Three years of experience in photography 
Highly organised

Photographers assistant
It's done to start one off, to then gets you up into the career of a photographer

Film director 
Control everything in the making of a film
Average salary 90000-180000

Curator
Manage staff in galleries and exhibitions
Decides how the work is ️gona be hung

Social networking designer
Focus on how the clients website looks and work
Some sort of degree is required
Engaging with your target market
Get the point across through a website
A lot of research in your clients company

Documentary photography
Often used as photojournalism 

Art director 
Degree required 
Work mainly in advertising

Graphic design
Salary 22000-28000
Degree required
Portfolio

Commercial photographer
Mainly work in studio
Self employed 
Degree not required but need experience 
Workexperience@southessex

Review of test shoot

What happened?
I booked out both the studio and a medium format camera and used my classmate, Shane, as a model. Before the shoot took place, we discussed outfits he could wear to fit the context of this assignment, we put together stone washed jeans, white t shirt and timberlands. I found it quite difficult the styling because neither of us own 60s clothing. When looking at Bailey's work I noticed that he often includes the edge of his film in his photographs, I want to try a simular approach when printed, however it was more difficult than I initially thought.  Because the enlargers aren't made for medium format film, we had to create a frame large enough to expose all of the film, including the edge of it.
How do I feel it went?
Overall I feel the shoot was successful. I'm happy with how I did the lighting, I was successful in keeping the background grey however still keeping the model well lit. 
What didn't go very well?
Annoyingly, I feel that I placed the model in the wrong place, because of this you can see the curvature of the infinity wall. If I was to do this shoot again I would shoot the photographs against the infinity wall instead of adjacent to it.
Conclusion
Other than a few tiny issues that are easily fixed, I'm happy with the photographs. I feel that I was successful in showing my inspiration was david Bailey. I like the contrast between the blacks and whites. One thing that I would like to change would be the styling.




Plan of David Bailey test shoot

For this test shoot I'm going to use david Bailey for inspiration. Because of this I will use appropriate materials and techniques to produce a small body of work. I've decided to work using medium format because it is what Bailey used, and I like the quality of film photographs it produces. Upon looking at a lot of his photography I found that, when shooting models, he often uses a grey background. To replicate this, what I will do is use a poly board as a light baffle, to cover some of the light and stop it from falling on the background. 
            I plan to spend about an hour shooting in the studio. Kit I will need when shooting will be a medium format camera which I shall book out and hp5 medium format film
I will use and aperture of f4 and a shutter speed of 1/125
ISO:100
 

Thursday, 8 October 2015

Plan of test shoot

For this test shoot, keeping the concept of typology, I've decided to go into arcades in southend and photograph slot machines. The idea is to show the difference between old and new arcade games. For this task I will use my dslr nikon because I don't have a lot of time to print off the images, therefore it would not be very appropriate to use other camera formats such as 35mm film or medium format cameras. 
I shall shoot all the slot machines in the same format of portrait. This will make the images look a lot better when they are joined up to make one image in a grid.

View cameras

The Bechers used view cameras as they were appropriate for the task they set themselves, the negatives were very big, probably 5x4. Bigger camera formats have less depth of field so if the background detail was irrelevant, this helps throw the background out of focus. Due to the size of the negative, the quality of the image was impeccable and enables the prints to be enlarged. As the Bechers intended to use their work in exhibitions. This format was therefore appropriate.
A - front lens and panel
B - this is the 'darkslide'. It's basically a film cassette that has two sheets of film. This slots into the back part of the camera.
C - bellows - these compress and stretch as the camera 'standards' along the rail G.
D - lens which has the shutter speed and aperture setting on it.
E - these are the controls that change the focal length and focus the camera.
F - tripod needs to be a decent size.