Wednesday 26 May 2010

Evaluation

Evaluation

For this assignment I was to produce ten commercially viable images that form a response to my individual study. I was to show my understanding current photographic practice. As I chose fashion for my individual practice I began to explore how fashion is currently shown and researched the things that interested me the most. Something I often look to for inspiration is a website called lookbook. The site is for young designers and photographers to show their work. The site is invite only and there is a certain look that the website embraces. I like the chic and vintage look that lookbook has and this has definitely influenced my work. Something else that I looked to with this work is Urban Outfitters. I noticed that the thing they are doing a lot at the moment is using Fuji instax Polaroid film to present their clothing online. I found to be very interesting, new and nothing like what other retailers are producing to show their clothing. I liked this so much I bought myself a Fuji Instax camera and some film and shot the entire brief with it.
One other inspiration I used was Amanda De Cadenet. I came across last year when researching photographers for an essay and her work stuck with me because of its vintage and stylish look. I think I will be looking her work more often in the future.
While I was researching I also found several photographers who produce images and artwork using Polaroid film. I found these to be very interesting and attractive but not what I was wanting for the assignment with it being more art based.
I decided to shoot all my images on Polaroid because I wanted to try something different and challenge myself a little. I am a little afraid that someone looking at my work may think that I took the easy option by shooting this way but I know that it was definitely much harder than shooting with a DSLR. With the Polaroid I was very limited with the images I could take and had to really think about ever shot before taking the picture. I was also very aware that I was limited and once a picture was taken then that chance was gone. I did take plenty of film with me on the shoot but I still ended up using every single picture. I knew that using my DSLR would of make things simpler but I knew that was not the look I wanted for this brief and I porously did not take a DSLR with me on the shoot so that I would not be tempted to shoot digital instead.
I really like the images that I produced for this assignment although I wish that I had given myself a little more of a chance to practice with the camera.
I shot my images at spring wood in Whalley because I wanted to get the blue bells in the images and I absolutely love the woods. We spent several hours there while the sun was going down and caught the beautiful golden tones of the sun set in the pictures. I was so pleased with the weather that day. I would love to go back for a similar shoot but use a different camera so that I can play with the images myself.
I am very happy with the images I have produced during this assignment. I am glad that I challenged myself with this and I am looking forward to getting to get to know my new camera properly over summer and also explore serious photography with Polaroid better. I am glad I found the opportunity to open myself to new things and I hope keep pushing myself and trying to achieve better things for my work.
here are my final images for individual practice. as they are polaroids i have decided to present them on a cork board but i thought that blogging them would be a good idea too.























location ideas

when i was considering places to shoot i had three places in mind. they were spring wood in whalley, astley park in chorley and whalley abbey. i wanted to go to a place to shoot all of my images so it needed to be interesting and attractive.
i decided to go to spring wood because i have grown up going there and i know exactly how beautiful it is when the sun is beginning to go down and i knew that that light would be perfect and really give my images that extra something.
another reason i wanted to go there was because the blue bells were at there best and all over the place. i really wanted to take advantage of this and i think that it has benefit my images.






outfits

the outfits for the shoot will be clothes not too different from the onse in the urban ourtitters photos. i can not afford to buy several oufits from urban outfitters but i do own lots of nice clothes that are in the same style and they were what i used in the shoot. before the shoot i had already picked out 5 outfits that i wanted to put my model in so we were very ready when it came to the shoot. i am very happy with the utfits i chose for the shoots and i believe they reflect the style well.

Friday 21 May 2010

polaroid artists

i have done some more research into artists who work using Polaroids. Polaroid was never something that i would of associated with art or professional photography but i have now found they although it may be rare someone can be a photographer and an artist and use Polaroids.
although my idea is more towards the fashion side of photography and not art its has been good to see that i am not attempting something that is juvenile and unimportant.


Tripp & Brown




Stephanie Schneider











Jim Lucio







Camebdevos







I-Nan Kuo




Thursday 13 May 2010

location ideas

for shooting for this project i really want to have places that look familier to everyone such as a bedroom, a church, a country lane, a field, a park, a garden etc.
i have places planned that i would like to go to but i also would like to take a walk with my models and see how things flow and see were we end up. i would also be able to use my instax images as a way to document our time out walking.

polaroid transfer

i read about polarid transfers but felt that i needed to see it for myself so i found this video. i would really like to try it now. looks like i will have to buy myself a cool new machine, this sounds goods to me.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2uUliJ8rFQ&feature=related