Evaluation.

The perfect base brief for me has been a very interesting and new experience. I feel that although I successfully completed my final works in time, some situations along the way have been challenging. Starting this brief, I was initially very interested and excited to start the project as I found the concept fun. The seminars and practical studio sessions with Chris at the beginning were very beneficial and useful but I feel they ended very soon and then the project started automatically, this was intimidating.

Although I eventually understood the process of different lighting set ups, I felt that this something I struggled with in studio sessions and I had to reflect a lot on my notes to understand the process correctly.  Something that also worried me throughout the assignment was finding models for my photo-shoot. At the start of my project I had two models available for my shoot but unfortunately my models did cancel on me but. In response to this I became very worried but actively looked and found two new models. When I finally captured my perfect base images I felt very happy and relieved. I enjoyed planning the hair and make-up of the two shoots for the Perfect base as the models I had chosen had completely different skin tones and features allowing me to be very experimental with lighting. I feel I managed time well throughout this assignment and also set up my camera and studio lighting fairly easy. In conclusion I found this assignment really fun and beneficial, although it was intimidating at first to think I had to set up, plan and guide a photo shoot by myself, it was a good and valuable experience. I have learnt that planning, being organised and making quick decisions is very important.

FMS403DbBeautySalmonM Final Evaluation.

The perfect base assignment for me has been a very interesting yet intense experience I feel that although I successfully completed the assignment in time, there were many factors along the way that made the development of my final work difficult. Starting this assignment I was initially very interested and eager to start the project as I found the concept interesting and quite simple, the seminars with Chris at the beginning were very beneficial and useful but I feel they ended very soon and then the project started automatically, this was intimidating. Something that constantly worried me throughout the assignment was finding available models so that I could actually begin booking studios and doing the practical, unfortunately my models did cancel on me but, I managed to find two near the deadline. I feel that because of factors such as cancellation the assignment felt more intimidating then it actually was, and when I finally captured my perfect base images I felt very happy and relieved. I enjoyed planning the hair and make-up of the two shoots for the Perfect base as the models I had chosen had completely different skin tones and features allowing me to be very experimental with lighting. I feel I managed time well throughout this assignment and also set up my camera and studio lighting fairly easy. In conclusion I found this assignment really fun and beneficial, although it was intimidating at first to think I had to set up, plan and guide a photo shoot by myself, it was a good and valuable experience. I have learnt that planning, being organised and making quick decisions is very important.

Beaton Portraits Terence Pepper Roy Strong Peter Conrad National Portrait Gallery, London.

I used the book "Beaton Portraits" as a source when looking at inspiring poses and imagery for the perfect base project. I initially took this book from the library as In a practical session Chris had mentioned the practitioner and I had studied this photographers work before. In response to some online research I had done on the photographer, I decided to look in the library and see if there were any books that discussed Beaton's works and showed images of his late works they you couldn't find online.


Using this book was very helpful and I felt inspired by the portraits he captured of stars such as 'Zita and Theresa Jungman, 1927'. and also 'Sylvia Sidney, Hollywood, 1932'. I also find this book inspiring as many of the images in this book consist of black and white imagery similar to the perfect base projects. Alongside seeing this black and white images and also learning fro Chris in lessons I feel that I have a better understanding of how contrast, lighting and white balance is very important in all images, especially black and white ones. 

Plate 25 Slyvia Sidney, Hollywood, 1932.
Plate 7 Zita and Theresa Jungman,1927.
Plate 3 Nancy Beaton as a Shooting Star,1929.

Capturing my final Perfect Base photographs.

Today was my photoshoot for the 'Perfect Base' project which I feel was very successful. Prior to my booked photoshoot one of my models cancelled on me the day before which was a little disheartening, but I made my efforts to ask for help the Solent network page and also messaging friends and classmates which was helpful as I managed to find someone else to help me out and model last minute. My contemporary Elizabethan makeup partner Rebecca happily helped me out with my shoot as an assistant as I had helped her with her shoots too. Before my shoot I had the chance to do my models make-up looks which were very simple and took me about 15 minutes each to complete which was more then enough time to create my looks. Straight after doing my models hair and make-up I set up my stupid equipment and began taking photographs. During my shoot I only ended up using a soft box and a reflector to create my photographs also using the reflector as a fan to play with movement in the images. I started off with my neutral make-up look first, at first the directing was a little awkward as even though I had brought a book with inspiring images and had my plan all set up, when I began shooting my mind went blank. Although, after  taking some random shots and making my model feel more comfortable the shoot fell into place. 
It felt good to touch up and direct my models so that they could see the vision I was trying to create, but I have defiantly learnt that it is important to properly communicate with your model so that they understand what you need. Although the photo shoot and brief were quite straight forward, I did find it it tricky to not make my images look like passport images and create a mood at the same time, because of this I just encouraged my models to pose and move how they wanted as a lot of the images I captured are natural caught off guard ones. Overall I found the photo shoot really fun and successful and think that the images I have taken will be good for the final submission.

The perfect base final plan and chosen moods.

My plan for my perfect base photoshoots are to create two looks on my models; one will feature nude, neutral minimal make-up and the other will be simple gold eyes, minimal base and red lips. I have chosen the colour red for my models lips in the colour photograph as I have always felt it is a colour that turns a look from simple to bold even when combined with the most minimal make-up and the gold eyes I have chosen will compliment the red lips as they are both very rich colours. 
For my neutral make-up I plan to use a clean base, no shadow, minimal mascara and some product in the brows only.
I have asked both my models to wear black tops for my shoot as it is a plain colour and won't compete with the makeup and hair. I have booked a studio in the upstair photography studios, where I plan to use a soft box and silver reflector to create my photographs. 

Multimedia Mac Session. Importing images using bridge

Finder > Utilities> Type in 'Disk'
Choose disk select 'erase' option - this changes the format
Adobe Bridge 'BR'
SD Card
File>get photos from camera/ save by shoot date > create a folder for downloading images 
ALT+G = Copyright symbol
My course> Adobe = photoshop
Can identify colour cast by RGB numbers, shows colours and there amounts/ presence in an image
Meta Data - data of data
Colour sampler tool
RGB image a complete neutral, equal value of pixel colours will give you a light grey/white effect you can use this for the white balance of an image
Raw Images - non destructive editing
open images in> camera Raw to edit colour balance RGB levels

Digital Image Production - Mood Photography

Recently in our weekly practical lesson in the photography studio with Chris, we discussed and practiced how to create 'Mood photography'. In the studio I got the chance to observe window lighting and also a similar artificial lighting created by white light reflecting boards and and flash lighting.

We began by shooting with a high key bright background. and  placed light boards in front of this background so that the lighting could bounce against each other making the bright lighting travel and then hit the model we were shooting. This lighting set up creates a really soft effect to the image that your capturing. 

Methods;
-Create normal set up with camera, station and flash cables
-Turn lights up to full power and face onto the wall(background)
- Need two flash heads (flash heads have sensitive sensors so when two are plugged in they will work in conjunction working alongside each other)
-Normal 1/160 Camera Settings

You want to direct your model to stand in front of light reflecting boards where the light is being collected, whilst you are photographing your models behind the light boards.

Here is a basic example of the set up and positioning of the model;

If you take a photograph and it is overexposed making your model look washed out, you can adjust the flash heads for less extreme bright light. The 85ml Lense is the best lense to use for portraiture/close face shots, so this is the lense we used when experimenting. White balance is changing the colour of white on camera/photograph, this prevents you getting a colour cast. the best white balance to use on camera is the daylight icon on the camera which looks like a sun symbol.

When shooting our model with daylighting we created the same set up minus the lights and flash heads. We moved our camera model and computer into the daylight studio creating the same set up with light boards, but this time placing our model with their back to the window and lights boards in front of them this time so that you are capturing them through the gap of the boards. We slowed down the shutter speed and ISO which ended created a brighter light on the image. The effect made with this method of lighting creates a softer mood to the image. After we went through the different types of lighting and observing the moods that each image held from the methods, I enjoyed the effect that window lighting made more, it created such a soft and flattering lighting that made the model look relaxed, glowy and more moody.



Here are some images taken by Chris which best describe the two types of lighting we played with;

Left image created with flash heads
Right Image created with window lighting 

Lighting created with flash heads.

Window lighting brightness

Flash head set up