Practice

Casting a model

•          Always do a casting session, even when working with professional models.
•          You can ask to see your model face-to-face or an unedited image of him/her if you wish as Photoshop is unfortunately heavily used today. You can also ask to see them on Facetime or Skype if they live far.
•          When looking at portfolios, try to look out for a variety of poses. Professional models should be able to strike a different pose continuously during shoots. Inexperienced models will need to be directed.
•          Communicate with your model during shoots as directly and openly as possible. Remember they’re not mind readers.
•          You need to look after your model (pay for travel expenses, food and drink).
•          Keep in mind the genre of the shoot and where/when it will be taking place. For example don’t take beauty shots outside in the dark.
•          Some models are hard to book so if you’re looking to hire a specific person, make sure you contact them way before the actual shoot.
•          Keep your model cool, happy and hydrated.
•          DO NOT send unfinished images to your model or anyone who asks for them as this can cause damage to your work.
•          Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Give yourself a break during shoots. Also, give yourself enough time, taking into consideration when to set up lighting, when to do the make-up etc. 

Remember:

•           Direct your model using hands, be descriptive, get involved. Make sure to communicate with them as much as you can. Try to get to know them.
•          Take mood boards of poses you want them to perform. If they don’t understand, step into the shot and show them exactly what you want.
•          Always keep your model moving, don't let them get cold.
•          Body language – remember to look positive. Don’t fold your arms or whisper to others on set.
•          Ensure to be in a good mood as this will affect not only yourself but everyone around you.
•          Let your model know you’re happy with the images (if you aren’t, be honest but not rude).
•          Chose poses that will suit your model as everyone is different.
•          Have back-up models just in case anything goes wrong.
•          Catch quiet moments when the model is relaxed as some of the best shots are taken when they’re unposed.
•          Look at details i.e. hair, lashes etc. and get it right. Don't rely on Photoshop for everything. 

Key points

Camera settings:

•          M for Manuel – ensure camera is always on Manuel in the studio (on twisty switch)
•          Shutter speed = 1/160 (wheel on top)
•          ISO – exposure of 100 is required
•          Take most pictures in portrait
•          Take pictures in RAW (go on menu, then select image quality)
•          F8.0
•          Select Auto focus
•          50 MM lens (1.4)

Notes:

•          Make sure the floor is clear of any wires for you and your model to be able to walk around safely.
•          Always let a member of staff know of any incidents that occur in the studio.
•          Never get too close to a model as they require personal space.
•          Umbrellas are used to soften the light
•          Always use a reflector to help direct the lighting onto your models face.
•          Spill kill – kills the spill of light so you’re able to direct the light to the direction you wish.
•          Mini boom – good to use so you can navigate properly.
•          With the sync lead, wrap it around the tripod just in case it falls out, it’d still be attached.

Things you’ll need:

•          A camera (preferably Canon 55OD)
•          Hot shoe adaptor
•          Hot shoe cable
•          Tripod
•          Mini boom
•          Kill spill
•          Umbrella
•          Reflector
•          SD card
•          USB stick
•          Extension lead
•          Sync lead

Different types of Photographic lighting

Backlighting:

‘In lighting design, backlighting is the process of illuminating the subject from the back. In other words, the lighting instrument and the viewer face each other, with the subject in between. This creates a glowing effect on the edges of the subject, while other areas are darker. The backlight can be a natural or artificial source of light. When artificial, the back light is usually placed directly behind the subject in a 4-point lighting setup. A back light, which lights foreground elements from the rear, is not to be confused with a background light, which lights background elements (such as scenery).’

(no date) Available at: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backlighting_(lighting_design) (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

Side lighting:

‘Side lighting is light that falls on a subject at roughly ninety degrees to the camera. This means that one side of a subject will be lit and the other side will be in shadow. In terms of helping to convey a subject’s shape and form this is ideal. Of the three directions, side lighting creates the strongest sense that a subject has three dimensions. There’s always a catch however. The catch in this instance is contrast. Side lighting doesn’t evenly illuminate your subject.

Frontal lighting:

‘Frontal lighting is lighting that emanates either from behind the camera or from the camera itself. Built-in or on-camera flash is a frontal light. Frontal lighting has one big advantage. It evenly illuminates your subject so metering is fairly straightforward. However, it tends to flatten a subject. The shadows cast by frontal light are behind the subject, out of sight from the camera’s point of view. Shadows help to give a sense of shape and form to a subject. Without shadows a subject’s shape becomes more ambiguous. Shadows can also add drama to a photo. Frontal light lacks drama, making a photo look more like a record shot and be less interesting for this reason.’

Understanding lighting: Front light, back light & side light (no date) Available at: 
http://www.my-photo-school.com/2013/11/13/understanding-lighting-direction/ (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

Natural lighting:

‘Natural light is considered by many photographers to be the best type of lighting. Because natural light encompasses the entire light spectrum, there is little to no colour distortion in the photograph. However, natural light is not constant; depending on the time of day, the position of the sun and cloud cover, the look of the light changes.

Artificial lighting:

‘Artificial light is more consistent than natural light; however, not all artificial light sources work with the entire light spectrum and can alter how the colours in the photograph look. Types of artificial lights include tungsten, florescent and flash. When using artificial light, photographers will take steps to counteract the unwanted colour distortion.’

Ehlert, S. (2015) Definition of lighting for photography. Available at: http://www.ehow.com/about_6551792_definition-lighting-photography.html (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

Rim lighting:

‘A rim light positioned behind the subject and facing toward the camera illuminates the edges of the subject from behind so they glow and are visually separated from the darker background. In portrait photography a rim light is often used to back light the hair’.

ShortCourses-The rim light (no date) Available at: 
http://www.shortcourses.com/use/using6-15.html (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

Ambient lighting:

‘Ambient light means the light that is already present in a scene, before any additional lighting is added. It usually refers to natural light, either outdoors or coming through windows etc. It can also mean artificial lights such as normal room lights. This sort of lighting can be the photographer's friend and/or enemy. Clearly ambient light is important in photography and video work, as most shots rely largely or wholly on ambient lighting.’

Ambient light (no date) Available at: 
http://www.mediacollege.com/lighting/ambient/ (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

Soft lighting:

‘Soft light falling on the subject from a source that's large compared to the subject, wraps light around the subject, filling shadows and lowering contrast. Outdoors you see this light on a cloudy bright day when the entire layer of clouds is the light source.

Hard lighting:

‘Hard light coming from a source that's small compared to the subject casts hard shadows and has high contrast. Outdoors you see this light on a bright sunny day. The sun may be very large but it's also far away and small in the sky so it casts hard light on subjects.’

ShortCourses-Understanding hard and soft light (no date) Available at: http://www.shortcourses.com/tabletop/lighting2-8.html (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

Spotlight:

This is when a focused amount of light highlights a particular section your subject/scene. Spotlights can create strong shadows and contrast. It can also add dramatic impacts to all genres of photography.

High/Low key lighting:

‘Both High Key images and Low Key images make an intensive use of contrast, but in a very different way. While High Key images are considered happy and will show your subject as a tooth-paste poster; Low Key portraits are dramatic and convey a lot of atmosphere and tension.

When looking at a High Key picture, you’ll notice two things right away; high exposure levels and lack of contrast. In Low Key images the tone is darker, and the controlling colour is usually black. There will be lots of dark areas in the picture. It is also very common for Low Key images to give special attention to contour lines, emphasizing them with highlights.’

Tirosh, U. (2007) ‘Reviews’, DIY, 4 October. Available at: 
http://www.diyphotography.net/lighting-high-key-and-low-key/ (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

Moodboard

During this lesson we had to pick out a random word from the dictionary with our eyes shut. My chosen word was ‘Landscape’. This was quite an interesting word to me as landscape is a big part of photography. The word landscape itself has two different meanings. One is all the visible features of an area of land, and the other is a printed matter which is wider than it is high. When looking through the magazines I tried to find landscape images of nature such as a field or land; however I was only able to find ones with models included. I looked out more for strip photos, in other words, photos that aren’t portrait. After looking at 3 magazines, I was able to find 8 decent coloured landscape shots, with 2 of including a background consisting of nature. I discovered that most shots I chose, were all advertising either a brand or product. The poses of the models I chose are ones we had previously looked at and tried to recreate in previous lessons. They’re mostly lying down, looking away from the camera or using their different parts of their body e.g. hands as part of the shot.

I also tried to look for something different, such as black and white photos and placed them into a different mood-board. This lesson allowed me to look further into things when designing a mood-board as I had to ask questions to myself before I chose an image. I had to ensure each image was relevant and appropriate before cutting it out. Overall I personally think mood-boards communicate things words cannot. A picture is often said to be worth a thousand words and mood-boards are a great way to express yourself to others, and visually explain to them what is in your head. 

Poses

Fashion editorial:

In this picture we see a girl (model) sitting on a chair with her head laid on a book. She doesn’t seem to be wearing clothes as only her front part is covered with fur. I found this picture inspiring as the model looks rather dead, cold and frozen; not what we see in everyday life. Her makeup is very plain, suggesting she is rather ghostly, similar to the skull placed next to her. There isn’t much variety of colours in this picture either as all we see are dark shades such as grey, black and white. The model is staring outside the window (a natural pose) and seems quite upset. She has no sort of expression on her face. She looks unruly, imperfect and human which is what makes this image stand out from other fashion editorial images. Other images I looked at, the poses seemed quite forced and unnatural. Most poses were of a model staring directly at the camera with quite extreme levels of makeup. I personally think a lot of thought and work has been put into this image. The background and lighting go very well together as it’s created a sort of dreamy/ghostly theme. 

(no date) Available at: 
http://favim.com/image/167983/ (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

Beauty advertising/campaign:

I chose this image from a ‘Dove’ advertisement. It’s quite different to what you may see on everyday magazines/TV as the model is naked, old and rather curvy. In today’s society it probably wouldn’t make sense to hear these three words in a sentence together which is what makes this image so inspiring. The model seems very happy about her appearance which encourages other women of her age to be more confident about their size and wrinkles. Personally, I think despite the models age she still looks very good. Her hair, makeup and nails are done, just like any other highly favoured size 6 younger model. Even though the model is naked, she doesn’t seem to be shy or anxious about it as she is happily smiling using her arms to cover her bits. We also see both her hands in the image, to suggest she’s not afraid of embracing her wrinkles.  Just by looking at her, you’d get the impression she’s been modelling from a young age. This image, to me gives a very positive vibe as it’s real and open. I believe Dove did a great job of standing out against their competitors by using models with flaws in a confident manner. 

Macleod, D. (2007) Dove pro-age women. Available at: 
http://advertisingforadults.com/2007/02/dove-pro-age-women/ (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

Beauty editorial:

I chose this image as it stood out a lot to me. The use of special effects makes it highly different to other beauty editorial images. I couldn’t exactly find out where this image came from, however I think it may be to do with abuse. Through the use of makeup, it’s trying to get a thoughtful message across to its audience. The models pose is very serious, suggesting abuse is a serious matter. She is looking directly at the camera, with only her face in the shot. The photographer may have chosen to do a close up shot, to remind people they should look deeper into the issue of abuse towards women. Also if the photographer was to do a body shot, the scar on the model’s face wouldn’t have stood out as much and it may have been difficult to understand the message behind the image. Makeup wise, I personally think the scar has been placed on her mouth to suggest that she is unable to speak up for herself or express how she feels towards being abused. The makeup on the eyes is quite dark (smoky eye) in order to relate with the theme of the image. The background is black, preferably to suggest this is a dark matter. Recreating this pose, personally for me would be difficult as I find it extremely hard to be serious, especially in front of camera. 

Special effects makeup (no date) Available at: 
https://www.pinterest.com/explore/special-effects-makeup/ (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

Famous painting/contemporary fine art:

This is one of Andy Warhol’s most famous portraits of Marilyn Monroe, called ‘Turquoise Marilyn’ produced in 1964. In this painting, we see the famous blonde smiling similar to nearly all her pictures. It is quoted “Marilyn’s unforgettable smile was a

lways half-open lips as if she was going to kiss, lipsticked bright and shiny, and revealing wonderful pears of her teeth. The slow smile accompanied with throwing the head back and languid glance of her eyes drove men mad.”  

In this painting we only see a few shades of colours such as yellow, turquoise, violet, red and black shading. This close up shot is only of Marilyn’s face. Personally I think she looks rather tired, or as if her lashes are too heavy for her eyelids. The way she’s smiling also looks quite forced as in other images I viewed of her, she was smiling with such passion you could tell it wasn’t just for the sake of camera. It probably isn’t one of the best shots of Marilyn, however it’s still inspirational as despite all the problems and obstacles she faced in both her career and personal life, Marilyn yet continued to always wear a smile. 

Marilyn Monroe’s beauty was artificial? (no date) Available at: 
http://english.pravda.ru/society/stories/14-06-2007/93326-marilyn_monroe-0/ (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

Andy Warhol. Marilyn Monroe. 1962-67. Museum of modern art, New York city, in the ‘Screenprint’ section. 65 x 65 cm: Andy Warhol: * FAMOUS PAINTERS *: Reproduction: Paintings: Art: IBay pro shopping mall e-shop Lichtenstein (no date) Available at: 
http://ibay.li/product.php?productid=17342 (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

Unposed image:

This has to be one of the best pictures I’ve seen on the internet. This baby gorilla can pose better than most want to be models without even trying. It’s inspiring how shots of nature can be so beautiful, without all the hassle of finding a model, doing their hair, makeup, designing an outfit etc. All you require is probably a good camera, knowledge of how to use it and yourself. What fascinates me most about this image is that the gorilla looks like he is fully aware there’s a camera on him. I’ve seen so many images on the internet of models trying to act out this exact same pose and still fail to look this good. I don’t know what possibly this gorilla could have been doing, but he seems so relaxed and in a world of his own. Recreation wise, it’d probably be the hardest thing to act out as I don’t think you’d see many people standing with eyes closed, and heads to the side on a daily basis unless they’re sunbathing elsewhere. 

Illustration/cartoon:

Similar to other real life models, the lady in this illustration is laying down, looking away from the camera with hardly any clothing. We see a lot of red in this image which can be associated with love and femininity. The lady looks rather seductive and highly revealing which is different to what you may see on most cartoon illustrations. You’d think that cartoons are just something aimed at younger audiences, however looking at this illustration can completely change your mind which is what makes it so inspiring. Personally, I believe adults are entitled to enjoy cartoons/illustrations as much their offspring as its part of the human condition. If one was to recreate this pose from this illustration, they’d probably have to be an experienced, confident model preferably in the fields of glamour or lingerie. 

Seven Photographs that changed Fashion

Cecil Beaton:

‘Sir Cecil Beaton was born on January 14, 1904 in London. In the 1920’s, he was hired as a staff photographer for ‘Vanity fair’ and ‘Vogue’ where he earned renown for a unique style of posing sitters with unusual backgrounds. He later became an award-winning costume designer for the stage and big screen. Beaton died of a heart attack in England on January 18, 1980.

The original 'hat box' image was created in 1930 with model Elsa Schiaparrel using a 10 by 8 large format film camera (which shows the image upside down). Rankin recreated this image with English model Sophie Ellis-Bexter as he believed she had similar qualities to the original model. He used a digital camera. There are subtle changes to Beaton's images such as the hat and the model but most of the image is very much the same as the original.'

What do I like about this artist's work?

Cecil was very keen about his profession. He got his first camera at just 11, and was taught how to use by his nurse. He wasn't just a simple photographer. He worked in theatre, ballet and opera. Cecil also won 3 Oscars throughout his lifetime. His black and white work to me is very interesting. He put a lot of thought into costume's, background and lighting. 

(no date) Available at: 
http://www.biography.com/people/cecil-beaton-38501#synopsis (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

joannatayloruk (2013) 7 photographs that changed fashion - Rankin’s hat box. Available at: https://joannatayloruk.wordpress.com/2013/11/25/7-photographs-that-changed-fashion-rankins-hat-box/ (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

Erwin Blumenfeld:

‘Erwin (1897-1969) was a photographer and artist born in Germany. He was regarded as one of the most influential photographers of the twentieth century. An experimenter and innovator, he produced an extensive body of work throughout his thirty-five year career including black and white portraits and nudes, celebrity portraiture, advertising campaigns and his renowned fashion photography.

The image on the right is the ‘doe eye’ cover shot by Erwin for Vogue in January 1950. The model, Jean Patchett, was reduced to a flat white background with a perfect pair of lips, a beauty spot and one eye highlighted by a single flick of eyeliner.’

What do I like about this artist’s work?

Erwin’s images were never predicted. His images, to me speak a thousand words. He’s worked with both men and women from all races, including iconic celebrities. I believe he was ahead of his time in his style and experimentation which is what makes him different to other photographers. He definitely left his mark in the world of photography and fashion.

Blumenfeld, E. and Brown, S. (2013) Home. Available at: 
http://www.erwinblumenfeld.com/ (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

Richard Avendon:

'Richard (May 15, 1923-October 1, 2004) was an American fashion and portrait photographer. He worked first as a photographer for the Merchant Marines, taking identification photos. He then moved to fashion, shooting for 'Harper's Bazaar' and 'Vogue', demanding that his models convey emotion and movement, a departure from the norm and motionless fashion photography.

In this fashion photograph by Richard (Dovima and the elephants, taken in August 1955, Paris), Dovima (one of Vogue's highest paid models) is wearing a black Christian Dior dress with a white silk sash. The smooth, silky fabric contrasts with the rough wrinkled skin of the elephants. The model's calm demeanor also contrasts with the elephant's struggle with his chained foot. Her gesture and hand on the elephant's trunk are meant to suggest a goddess-like ability to tame the beast'.

What do I like about this artist's work?

After researching about Richard and looking at his work, I can see he was very passionate about his photography. He devoted nearly his entire life to capture the reality of his subjects. Richard was able to push photography into more than just pictures. There was a story behind most of his images. Photography to him was art and a way of storytelling.

(no date) Available at: 
http://www.biography.com/people/richard-avedon-9193034 (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

Dovima with the elephants by Richard Avedon (no date) Available at: http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1339385 (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

David Bailey:

‘David (born 2^nd January 1938) is an English fashion and portrait photographer. Graduating from being an assistant with fashion photographer John French in 1959, he began the 1960’s with a contract with ‘Vogue’ to become the decade's iconic chronicler with two defining portrait publications. They focussed on a new social order that evolved from the decade of change. David was a leading figure in the Swinging Sixties London scene and had his first Museum exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in 1971.

Typically classic and timeless, this 1963 image above by David Bailey originally featured Jane Shrimpton. Bailey was present at the shooting of this remake, posed for by Rankin's girlfriend Tuuli, a professional model. Tuuli doesn't look anything like Jane as she has long blonde hair, different facial feature and larger assets'. 

What do I like about this artist's work?

David's style was fresh and informal. Despite being dyslexic and from a working class family, he was able to work his way up into the world of fashion photography. He'll always be remembered for his star portraits simply because he does them better than most photographers. David seems to have a brilliant understanding of lighting and is highly passionate about what he does. 

What can you tell us? (2015) Available at: 
http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp05044/david-bailey (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

Rankin: Seven photographs that changed fashion (2009) Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4161221/Rankin-Seven-Photographs-that-Changed-Fashion.html?image=3 (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

Helmut Newton:

‘Helmut (born 31 October 1920 – 23 January 2004) was a German-Australian photographer from Berlin. He was a prolific, widely imitated fashion photographer whose provocative, erotically charged black-and-white photos were a mainstay of ‘Vogue’ and other publications. Helmut’s early studies were at the American school in Berlin, however by 1936 as his fascination with photography began and his disinterest in school waned, he left school and started an apprenticeship with photographer ‘Elsie Simon’ whom he was highly inspired by throughout his career.

Helmut’s ‘Rue Aubriot’ image shows a woman standing alone in a city street at night. His camera has captured an intensely private moment; the figure’s inner calm is a marked contrast to the rakish cut of her suit. The woman in the photograph evokes a familiar figure from 19^th century French art. The photograph is unusual in Newton’s corpus in that the woman is fully clothed, her long legs and pinstripes echoing all the other strong verticals in the picture.’

What do I like about this artist’s work?

Throughout the years of Newton’s career, his work centred primarily on fashion, nudes and portraits with the three often mixing. Quite a lot of his images are sexual which makes him different from other photographers. Looking at his work, I can tell he spends a lot of time preparing and thinking about exactly what he wants to do.

Helmut Newton biography (no date) Available at:
http://www.hamiltonsgallery.com/artists/37-helmut-newton/biography/ (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

s, C. ? (1977) HELMUT NEWTON (1920-2004) -rue Aubriot, Paris, 1975. Available at: http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/helmut-newton-rue-aubriot-paris-1975-4893166-details.aspx (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

Herb Ritts:

‘Herbert (August 13, 1952 – December 26, 2002) was an American fashion photographer who concentrated mostly on black-and-white photography and portraits, often in the style of classical Greek sculpture. He began his photographic career in the late 70’s and gained a reputation as a master of art and commercial photography. Herb has created successful advertising campaigns for Vogue, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Polo Ralph Lauren and many more brands. In 1988 he directed numerous influential and award-winning music videos and commercials. His fine art photography has been the subject of exhibitions worldwide, with works residing in many significant public and private collections.

The image that comes to mind when Herb’s name is mentioned was ‘Fred with Tires’, the image of a muscular young man (David Gandy) clad only in jeans that sag slightly below his waist. A rough and virile sexuality set against an evocative environment, the image became a runaway hit as a poster and was named one of the photos that changed fashion. The original photo shoot was intended for an Italian designer, but when Herb received the clothing, he and his stylist rejected it and dressed his model in overalls instead. The pictures were not what the magazine requested, but it was so powerful they ran them anyway causing a sensation.’

What do I like about this artist’s work?

Herb had the ability to make almost any subject look dramatic and interesting. In his work, he was drawn to clean lines and strong forms which allowed his images to be read and felt instantaneously.

Fred with tires (2010) Available at: 
https://iconicphotos.wordpress.com/2010/07/04/fred-with-tires/ (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

Herb Ritts (no date) Available at: 
http://www.herbritts.com/#/about/biography/ (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

Guy Bourdin:

‘Guy Bourdin (1928-1991) was born in Paris. A painter his entire life and self-taught photographer, he was working with magazine such as ‘Vogue’ as well as for brands such as ‘Chanel’. He exhibited his first photographs at ‘Galerie 29’ in 1952. Nowadays his work has been exhibited in the most prestigious museums, such as the V&A, The National art museum of China, The Moscow house of photography and many more. His oeuvres are part of the collection of many prestigious institutions such as The Getty museum of LA and the collection of the V&A among others. Guy is considered as one of the best known photographers of fashion and advertising of the second half of the 20th century. He set the stage for a new kind of fashion photography.

The image above is a shot for Vogue taken in Paris, 1977 by Guy. Much of his work featured red-headed, pale skinned, heavily made-up models, which were purposefully reminiscent of his mother. The scenes he used were carefully manufactured in order to create a surreal feeling to his photos. Guy captured the atmosphere of the 1970's with sharp humour, erotism and outrageous femininity.’

What do I like about this artist’s work?

Guys work to me is very unique with a different twist. I tend to find a lot of his images quite mysterious. They’re bizarre, but I think in a good way. He’s worked mostly with women, often producing sexual images.

Guy Bourdin – official website (no date) Available at: 
http://www.guybourdin.com/ (Accessed: 7 December 2015).

Sunshyne, D. (2013) ICONICA: Guy Bourdin. Available at: https://wonderlandiablog.wordpress.com/2013/04/02/icons-guy-bourdin/ (Accessed: 7 December 2015).