Self negotiated study.

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.

KMS Style competition

I was recently commissioned to photograph the entry for Defuzion Hair salons entry for this years KMS Art Team competition.

The concept was of a Goth and rockabilly inspired look, and we wanted to go for quite a minimal approach so that the make up, hair and clothes really came to the for.

I shot on a white background at the Salon using 2 Bowens Lights one with a softbox and the other with a honeycomb dish. A third continuous light was added for a little bit of extra ambient light.

Finally, we used a gold reflector to highlight a little bit of warmth into the face.

I'm happy to say that the client's were really happy with the finished image and look forward to seeing the image used in their entry, and also for their promotional campaigns.

I'd also like to thank Lewis for being a very helpful assistant.

Polaroids

 Recently came across my old Polaroid camera which has got me to thinking about doing a project with that.

So I started looking at the work of Walker Evans, and in particular his documentary polaroid series documenting his everyday life.

I'm currently thinking of doing a similar style of project, the snapshot as documentary .... so watch this space.

"Documentary photography has nothing whatsoever to do with art. But it is an art for all that." —Walker Evans

The Lure Series

Came across this series recently, again on the Behance network.

A lovely portrait set, by Toby Dixon, featuring the people and dogs that frequent the Wentworth Park dog races.


What lures me (no pun intended) to the series is the level of character portrayed in the faces, yet it is a very simple headshot style portrait series.


The use of lighting is minimal yet dramatic, and the image style is very reminiscent of Andrzej Drahgan, with a sharp almost over processed style. However, whereas Draghan deals with the macabre and surreal, the work in Lure show's a very human side.


Pictures of the dogs, trainer's, bookies and punters are all represented, some fit the archetypal mould of their respective position in the dog racing industry, others are more of a surprise. 


This is perhaps an area where I could expand upon the work I did in the national identity brief, the only problem is where do I find the subject?  

The full series can be viewed here: http://www.behance.net/gallery/The-Lure-Series/798731

Hair Styling Competition.

I was asked recently to take do the photography for a hair salon chain called Defuzion, as they wished to enter a  regional competition for a men's hair styling product.

The brief was fairly straight forward, a front and profile head shot of each style that was to be entered. It was however, clearly stipulated that the shots must be in black and white and that no Photoshop "wizardry" (their term not mine) was to be used.

It was decided between the stylists and myself that a minimal approach would suit the brief better, and I pointed them toward shooting on a white background to keep the images crisp.

On the day of the shoot I decided to shoot with a 580 EXII with a softbox as the main light, and another with a honeycomb grid on the white wall behind the models for illumination, but also to add more of a fall off of light on the edges of the shot.

After a short period of test shooting it was decided that the use of shadow on the face's of the models would add more drama.

I really enjoyed this shoot, and felt happy with the end results. The shoot wasn't without it's problems, but it was nice to collaborate with the stylists and see how they wanted to promote their work, and also how passionate they were, which helped feed into getting them the best shots I could.

This shoot has lead to me now in consultation with them to do a promotional campaign for their chain and for use in magazines etc, which will hopefully be going ahead in late October/ early November, the scope of which will be much larger... if anybody fancies assisting me on any of the shoots it would be much appreciated?

My Commercial work

Here's some of the images from the commercial work I have been doing over the summer.

I am sub contracted to a website design company known as the Wida group and get recurring wok from them on quite a regular basis. The work is mainly for companies working in the industrial sector and it's quite a challenge to work out how to make products like exhaust pipe manufacturers and heat treatment specialist's have the wow factor, and also to cater for what the customer requires.Fortunately, for the projects I have worked on so far, the customers have been very happy with the photography I have done.

Below are some examples of my work as it will be used on the websites:

BJP article on Freeze motion photography.

A good article looking at the use of high speed freeze motion to create stunning advertising campaigns.

A technique I would like to use in my own work.

http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/feature/2072014/velocity-freeze-motion-photography-advertising