Bibliography

Bibliography:

Internet Sites:

https://www.facebook.com/weavingwithveranoahetet/

http://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/native-american-culture/meaning-of-feathers.htm

http://beadage.net/gemstones/

http://www.indians.org/articles/feathers.html

http://www.history-nz.org/maori.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Hawaiians

http://www.sharedwisdom.com/product/bowl-light-ancestral-wisdom-hawaiian-shaman

http://www.coventina.net/chaman-maya.php

http://www.yucatanadventure.com.mx/mayanrituals.htm

Final outcome for Editorial and Brand

Making the headress.

So as my main accessory I chose to make my own headdress as I knew I wouldn't be able to buy what I wanted from anywhere. I had been looking through many images over the past few weeks and finally got an Idea of the shape and structure that I wanted. I also had it clear that I wanted it to be white in colour and a strong structure with regards to the feathers, mixed with soft structure. 

After drawing up my design Ideas and how to make it, I took a trip to Hobby craft to see what I could find. I bought a plain white headband, different sized and textured feathers, gold beads, a glue gun and some glue sticks.

Method:

1. I cut a piece of cardboard into a round shape, with a lip to attach to the back of the headdress. This would support the feathers and allow me to attach them to something. 
2. Once this was attached I grouped together my string on feathers and arranged them on the cardboard. Once I was happy with the arrangement, I glued them in place.

1. I then layered about 10 fluffy white feathers on top of these to create a different texture.
2. I then layered some shorter, harder white feathers to these to clean up the front and make sure it looked neat and symmetrical. 
3. i then individually attached single golden beads to the head band piece to add a different texture and colour to the headdress and make it pop.
4. I then had some beads left over so I attached these to the front feathers to create a little extra sparkle and blend the beads in.   

Birds: Messenger of the Gods

Different Birds and there feathers represent different things. To the indigenous people they represent the link between the physical/nature world and the spirit world. They believe that because they can fly, they are our only connection to the spirit world and they hold the power to fly between both planes and deliver messages to and from us. 

There symbolism doesn't just stop with indigenous people though. They are significant with many different religions, cultures, and beliefs of people all over the world.

Growing up my mum was very spiritual and still is. She is one of the most intelligent people I know and is creatively gifted in many areas. She is a natural researcher so has spent her entire life absorbing knowledge. I always look to her for advice, guidance and knowledge and she always seems to have the answer, or at least can point me in the right direction. She taught me about what birds mean to

Photo References:
Top left photo-https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/371265563012250700/
Top right-https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/122512052339792689/
Bottom Right-https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/371265563012250620/
Bottom Left-https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/190488259212831158/

Reference: http://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/native-american-culture/meaning-of-feathers.htm

Frequency Seperation.

So we had learned about Frequency Separation in one of Peter's class's. I found it quite a complicated process to just pick up on my first go, So I decided to go home and have a look for an online YouTube tutorial for this so I can practise it in my own time.

Frequency Seperation is a new innovative technique within Photoshop that allows you to clean up the skin quality without jeopardising the texture of the skin. I felt that this was really useful with this project as I had recently learned about the airbrushing tool and the patch tool in Photoshop, and found them to leave the image looking cartoon like. I wanted something that still made the skin look like skin when you zoomed in but that got rid of the discolouration and lumps and bumps.

I did have to do this step by step tutorial  a few times before I started to recognise what I was doing but I'm proud of my progress as this isn't a skill that comes easily. This has sparked an interest with me, as I feel that this tool completely transforms the image and makes it look a lot more professional. This has definitely inspired me to keep going with regards to learning the different tools on Photoshop and see what all of the tools are capable of. 

I have included the link below so that you can see what I used. 

Here's the link to the tutorial I used: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldhG9fmgC7o

Photo Call sheet for Brand shoot

This is the photo call sheet I gave out for my Brand shoot. 

Photo Call Sheet for Final Editorial Shoot

This is my photo call sheet for my final Editorial Shoot that took place on the 23rd of March at 10am. 

Photo Call sheet: For Test shoot

This is the call sheet for my practise shoot with Annie for my editorial image.

Earth Stones and their Pastiche History

http://www.sofia-albertsson.se/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/tumblr_m7unmxjKfX1rvyb70o1_.jpg

Earth stones have, much like their surface, a multi faceted History. Sourced straight from the earth, they have been used for many things. Jewellery being the most popular. Precious stones have been mined for hundreds of years and used as a currency. 13 Billion are mined each year and their individual worth can be anywhere from thousands to millions of pounds. Semi precious stones are easier to come by and still just as beautiful. They are more easily found and are used for jewellery (eg Turquoise, amethyst, Ruby, Sappire), ornaments (Crystal), Costume. 

http://blog.freepeople.com/2012/10/free-people-horoscopes-25/

Other stones are famed and used in Architecture, Different Types of Marble, granite, limestone just a few examples. Stones are used everywhere and with indigenous people they were used for cook ware, pots, bowls, weaponry. I want to focus on the use of them in their costumes. They would wear a lot of jewellery for ceremonies and this made me also think of India and the ceremonial wear they wear. For brides on their wedding day they wear very elaborate decorative jewellery and I think they look so beautiful. They are always brightly coloured and Bold. I want to see if I can get some jewellery for my shoot as a way of incorporating this. I think it will look so beautiful with the feathers Im including. 

http://www.designsnext.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/indian-wedding-jewelry-3.jpg

References: http://beadage.net/gemstones/

Location shoot for Makeup in motion project.

So as I have said all along in this project, I have really enjoyed learning different Techniques within photography and I have really enjoyed the studio work I have done and the different effects you can create with the lighting. I really wanted to experience a location shoot and see how it is when you have to play with lighting that you cant control the power of. For my makeup in motion project I decided to write a short story to accompany my character designs. We also had to shoot the makeup we had done and one of the options was to either do the shoot at home, or in uni. I decided this was a great opportunity to try a location shoot. I had planned this for the easter holidays and had a look at the weather forecast for what looked like the brightest (and driest) day weather wise. This would help me with regards to lighting as I wanted to play with natural light and not have to rely on taking out location lighting.

Luckily The day I chose to shoot was a dry day and very bright so all I had to worry about was Aperture and the natural shadows, positioning, and props. I was very aware that I had to make sure the images were not overexposed, because of the direct sunlight. I also had to think about the makeup and the fact I might lose it in the images. So I had to make sure I touched up the makeup and went in a little deeper so that the camera would pick it up. 

It felt really free working outside with nature and I could feel myself feeling more excited and passionate about the shoot. Natural light is so beautiful and if you know enough about it and how it changes with the weather and the time of the day, you can really manipulate it and use it to your advantage. 

I was really lucky with my models as they were really willing to get themselves dirty for the sake of the shoot. In Winchester their is a place called the Winnall Moors. Its a random but beautiful marsh land area with weeping willows and trees emerged in the water. Their are hidden lakes and expansive reeds. The landscape is so diverse that I felt it was perfect for my photographic Location. My sister who was my model again jumped across water to climb this tree! I wanted her to almost become an extension of not just the tree, but nature itself. She tried some different poses, but this one was my favourite and she looked so beautiful! I also found a small lake in the marshes and wanted to set the scene for 'The meet' between my two characters. I love the way the lighting hits both of my models and I think because of their natural chemistry, you can really see the connection between the two.

I am really pleased with how these came out. Midway through the shoot my battery went and I didn't  have a spare battery. I was lucky that the ones I took turned out really well, otherwise the hours I put into the makeup and hair for both models and the shoot prep, including the drive to the location would have all been a a waste. I have learned so much this semester about preparation and planning and how important it is. The one thing you don't want to do is waste the models time and ask them to come in a second time for a re-shoot. Every mistake Ive made I have written down and is something I  now consider when planning a shoot. I'm constantly growing and proving myself to myself time and time again. I do feel that I have had a couple of break throughs this semester. 

Feathers: With the Mayans

http://dndon.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/modern-style-ancient-mayan-art-and-ancient-mayan-priests-maya-money-marketers-see-23.jpg

Apart from having a lot of spiritual significance featherwork to the mayans was a creative outlet. They featured in a lot of what they created including, clothing, accessories, capes, Headdresses, Loincloths, Armbands, Backracks, Sheilds, Ornaments, Artworks. 

Feathers were a sign of wealth with the Mesoamerican people and Kings and Gods in Artworks wore a lot of very elaborate feather inspired costumes. One of the main reasons Feathers were so sacred to these people was the vivid colours and patterns of the feathers they used. 

They collected feathers from all over south America and would also trade with them to create currency for their tribes. 

Feathers were of prominent use in dance and war for these people.

Feather they collected could be from ordinary birds like duck or the turkey but to the most precious were from colourful, tropical birds like Cotinga, Macaw, Parrot, Humming Bird, Oropendula, Emerald Toucanet, and the Troupial bird. 

I love the Mayan People's use of the feather but I also love their use of Jewellery and Body art. Their costume were probably the most elaborate and decorative of all indigenous tribes and I was definitely inspired reading up on them. I love the shape of their Headdresses and I think I want to use this shape for my final design as you can really see the feathers and think this will look great in my final image. 

They used colours that were very bright but I want to use white as this is ethereal and more symbolical of spirituality to me. The images of angels I saw growing up had white angel wings so I want to combine these ideas, to make the design more personal to me. 

Ref: http://www.mexicolore.co.uk/aztecs/home/did-the-maya-and-aztecs-take-feathers-for-headdresses-from-birds-other-than-quetzals-1

Feathers: With the Native Americans

http://xpatnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Native-American-A23502.jpg

Like all indigenous tribes Feathers hold a great significance with the native American people. Their belief system is based around the idea that all of nature including the earth and the earths animals, are connected to spirit and the spirit world. They believe that we were all created to be connected spiritually, and all things in nature have purpose, wisdom and power. 

They believe that when one wears a material from an animal, this will connect them to spirit and the animal it came from. All things that are found from nature are thought to be gifts from god and they honour these gifts greatly. 

Feathers in particular were given to warriors after every great battle. They would be added to the warriors headdress and Headdresses would be a map of their battles and life. 

Ive always had a great appreciation and interest for native American history and culture. They live their lives connected to nature and the earth and I believe they had and still have a very powerful message. I have definitely been inspired with this research and this has only allowed me to develop my design ideas further. I have looked at a couple of different tribes Headdress style, as every tribe would have a different style, and seen how I can incorporate this into my design. I want to make a very contemporary interpretation and need it to be a shape that is visible in my shoot. 

Ref: http://www.indians.org/articles/feathers.html

Lighting Inspiration and how to achieve my desired lighting.

The first picture on the top left position was the first time I knew what lighting I wanted. I just thought it was so beautiful. The model skin is so crisp and porcelain, but yet the lighting is so bright. The last semester I used very bright lighting and Chris mentioned that they were over exposed and almost faded out the skin quality of my model. When I looked at my last pictures through his eyes I understood what he meant. So with this project I really wanted to get that part right. It is essential to me that the skin quality is perfect. I want to illuminate the skin with out washing out my model. I want you to be able to see the skin and makeup clearly. 

I did some research into this lighting. I also asked Chris his opinion, to see what kind of set up I would need to accomplish this. I found that in order to make this bright daylight looking light I would need to make a light box. I will make this from the white reflector boards, The white light diffuser over my model and a white board/reflector in front of my model. I also want to use a white background. The light needs to be able to bounce off of every white surface and this will create the white lighting I want. 

I will do 2 test shoots to make sure the lighting works for my shoot as this lighting set up is quite complicated and I want to make sure I'm really prepared. I also feel that this is great studio experience and will help me with the technical aspect as I learn and hold onto more information when I'm physically practising the practical side. 

Here is the lighting set up I want to use for my editorial shoot. 

Image reference: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/371265563012518639/
https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/371265563012201226/
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a3/cc/64/a3cc64883a475c4c18218599124566fb.jpg

Feathers: with the moari's

http://news.tangatawhenua.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/korowai.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/78/a6/42/78a642eae85c3671aef2bd68e850de96.jpg

Maori Cloaks and Traditions.

When the Maori ancestors arrived in New Zealand from the eastern pacific nearly 900 years ago, they brought with them there weaving skills and techniques. Usually using the Raranga plaiting technique for baskets and mats they used it to make warmer clothes as the weather was a lot colder. They Experimented with materials like feathers and animal skins. 

When the Europeans arrived in the 1800's they experimented with the materials they brought with them like wool and exotic feathers and thats how they have come to look like they do. 

Maori Shamanism and the cloak. 

Add caption

Modern Art 

My mum found an artist online called Verenoa Hetet, who has transformed the classic Moari cloak into contemporary art. She did this so that the traditions of her people can reach a wider demographic, so that the traditions of her ancestors wouldn't be lost in history. A lot of Maori people are starting to bring the tradition back as it was lost for a long time. She used the classic materials her ancestors would use like feathers and shells. 

These pieces are a modern representation and each one holds a message. I love the contemporary interpretation and the materials she had used. She has turned them into art and shared a sacred part of her history with her followers. I think that they are beautiful. The way the colours and natural patterns of the materials used blend together and work together, reminds me how nature works together. 

Styling Ideas and Inspiration for my Editorial shoot

https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/558868634986063260/

When deciding on the outfit for my editorial shoot, I new I wanted a headdress and feather bralet before the skirt idea. When I think of the crop top and midi skirt, my first thought is Carrie Bradshaw's red skirt/top birthday combo, from season 4. This one of my favourite outfit's from the series and must be ingrained in my memory from years of watching the series over and over again. I love the fun and flirty look of this outfit.

I found the material in my mums vast collection of fabrics and asked my mum to make me a mock up for the shoot. Luckily she said yes and I ended up with a beautiful midi 50's style skirt that went beautifully with the feather bralet and headdress I made! I am really pleased the way this all came together and cant wait to shoot with it.

https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/303007881158491130/

My final brand shoot.

Today I had my Brand shoot. I asked my sister to model for me as I thought she was a good fit for the brand. I went in early to make sure I had enough time for hair and makeup. I wanted to do my second design idea, and style my model in a modern 40's look. I wanted to pay homage to No7's long life and  give it a modern twist, using modern makeup application and products. I'm really happy with the way the makeup came out. She looks flawless and I'm really happy with the way my model, the make up, and the hair came out in the studio. 

my studio set up.

Above is the studio set up I used. I kept my camera settings the same  as previous studio sessions but played with the light settings and aperture if needed.

1. I set the camera up about a metre away from this from the set up. 
2. The computer was next to me and connected to my camera with the tether cable. so that I could change the settings and see what I was doing. 
3. I used a 50mm lens, SD Card, Hot shoe adaptor.
4. Camera setting were: Manual, Daylight, Raw camera image, ISO 100, Aperture 1/160.
5. I altered the aperture if needed to create the brightness I was after but only after changing the light settings either by, turning the power up or down on the over light. 
6. I used to black poly boards to keep the light on my model. This also helped keep the surroundings of my model blacked out.
7. I used The spotlight fixture to create the spotlight effect.

I had to play with the positioning of the light as this was my only light source and wanted to make sure it was flattering and creating shadows in the right place on my model. When I had a good position for the light I could then begin shooting. I am really pleased with the outcome of the photos. I have so many good shots of my model that I know the next challenge is editing them and choosing my favourite and the photo that I feel is the most appropriate for my brand. 

Studio practise and being creative

This semester I found the technical and editing side of digital image production really challenging. I was asking Chris for assistance when shooting, a lot, so I decided to dedicate some time to extra shoots, to really learn about, lighting, settings on the camera, and problem solving. I love photography and found I have a real passion and love for it. I found that when I'm just being creative and doing spontaneous shoots, I'm a lot more relaxed and able to solve issues. I'm able to do this with little to no stress. I found that I know a lot more than I thought and that if I use my spare time to experiment I will feel more comfortable in more pressured situations. 

I was looking through Instagram and found some really beautiful images. The makeup was based around colour, glitter, and highlighting. I really wanted to just go into the studio and be spontaneous and creative and see what the outcome was. The only thing I planned was the hair. I wanted to donut buns either side and have them glittery. I also used some of my diamond hair accessories I used from last semester to put into the buns to give them a little extra sparkle. I then fit my makeup around this. 

I also used some pink glitter fabric and wrapped it around my sister to create a top. I then accessorised this with some bright coloured diamond earrings. I wanted this look to be bright and beautiful with a quirky twist to make it modern. 

Photography settings 

Below is the studio set up I used. I kept my camera settings the same  as previous studio sessions but played with the light settings and aperture if needed. I used the same settings as my brand shoot. I love the effect of the spotlight so I wanted to use this as I feel its a great way of focusing on the makeup.

1. I set the camera up about a metre away from this from the set up. 
2. The computer was next to me and connected to my camera with the tether cable. so that I could change the settings and see what I was doing. 
3. I used a 50mm lens, SD Card, Hot shoe adaptor.
4. Camera setting were: Manual, Daylight, Raw camera image, ISO 100, Aperture 1/160.
5. I altered the aperture if needed to create the brightness I was after but only after changing the light settings either by, turning the power up or down on the over light. 
6. I used to black poly boards to keep the light on my model. This also helped keep the surroundings of my model blacked out.
7. I used The spotlight fixture to create the spotlight effect.
8. I also played with the gels, pink, purple, and red.