Recently spent some time considering where I want to go with the final self negotiated work. I've been looking at the work of David Stewart and really like the way he makes strange portraits that incorporate elements of still life into them.
I feel that the way the models are used in the images enhances the feel of still life as they have a very static yet composed feel. Also the message in the image is not entirely evident, if there is one at all, which to my mind enhances the image by asking the viewer to work out what the photographer is trying to portray.
I also like how the images are very precise and the use of lighting clinical, which I feel adds to the overall detached feel within the series. The use of make up and costume also adds to this as it has a very modern yet almost Victorian feel to it.
This is something I have been thinking about for a while, whether art can be purely that, with no real message behind it. I would like to make my images appear like abstract paintings, which makes me ask the question of whether I really need a thematic concern behind what I do, or does the lack of a theme become the focal point of the series?
Also it encompasses elements of fashion and editorial photography, an area I am keen to explore, and could possibly use to expand my portfolio.
Another area that I feel this could be a challenge is logistically as I would like to make this a studio project. However, rather than use the studio as the background, I would like to create my own sets, something I have wanted to do for a while. It's quite a daunting prospect, but for me this year is about challenging myself and becoming a more conceptual thinker as opposed to a photographer that reacts to what is in front of me.
To this end I would like the feel of my series to be minimal, with key pieces of furniture or props, placed in the image to embellish the main figure. However, where Stewart uses only female figures I would like to use both male and females, of varying ages, within my images.
Should I go ahead with this idea the next step will be to begin to think conceptually and begin to work out how to get the props and materials required to make the sets, as well as begin to sketch out how the images will look when shot.
Finally, I would like to shoot the series on medium format camera, as it is a medium I haven't really shot a lot of, but have always liked the results when I have used it, and also this would mean working in film another medium I don't shoot enough in.
 |
| Is there any great meaning behind this image? Does there need to be? |
 |
| I like the idea of building my own sets in a studio setting and then using lighting in a similar fashion to the one used here. |
 |
| Really like the way the set is built in this image, and how the lighting is used to add depth and clarity to the piece. |
 |
| In contrast to the image above I feel that the use of the stairwell location detracts from the feel of this image as it grounds it in a more realistic setting and puts it at odds with the rest of the series. |
