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.   

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

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. 

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.

Practise for my Brand Shoot.

For my Brand shoot I was playing with a few Ideas. My first Design Idea is to have a natural look on my model Bizzee. No7's current and most recent campaigns have all been about natural beauty and and bringing out the natural beauty in every woman. This Idea I loved so I chose my sister to model for me as she is 29. No7 always look for models that are above 25 so I thought my sister would be perfect. Not to mention the fact that she is beautiful and has amazing bone structure. 

I moisturised her face first with Embryolisse moisturiser. This moisturiser is great for all skin types and really hydrates the skin and prepares it for makeup application. I also used my Bobbi Brown vitamin enriched face base as this is great for mattifying oily skin. I then applied mac foundation, a mix between NW13 studio fix foundation and Mac face and body N4. This matched perfectly with her skin tone. I then used Nars Concealer in vanilla under the eye and around any areas that were dark or red. I then set this with translucent powder.  I then contoured slightly for a natural look with Benefit Hoola bronzer. I also used my blusher palette from Coastal Scents to add a bit of natural looking pink to the cheeks. I then shaped and filled in the eyebrows and added a mauve colour to the eyelids. Creating shadow in the outer corners and crease. I added a bit of mascara for a soft full look keeping it very natural. I then added a dusty rose pink to my sisters lips lining them with the matching liner. 

I have included the before and after to see the outcome. I love this look on my sister as I think this really suits her and I feel like this would fit with the No7 brand message. However I want the final look to be a bit more powerful so I'm going to experiment a bit more to see what I can create. 

Test shoot for Editorial Pastiche shoot.

So today I had my test shoot. It was important that I tested the makeup, costume, lighting and camera settings to get the exact image I wanted. I had spoken to Chris a month previously about what kind of lighting I wanted and I showed him the photo thats included in my previous design posts. He talked me through what I needed to do. This included creating a light box that creates almost natural day light. Surrounding my model with light. After speaking with Chris I decided to give this a try in my test shoot. 

1. I began with pulling down the white back ground and Putting up the poles to the ceiling. 
2. I then attached the brackets to the poles and attached the large rectangular light reflector. 
3. I then put 2 large reflective boards either side of this. 
4. This was all placed next to the back wall to create a light cove. 
5. I had a tall light over the light reflector with a beauty dish fitted. This was the light source. This light would then reflect off of all of the light reflectors and boards. This was connected by the sync lead (connecting the light flash to the camera). 
6. I set the camera up about a metre away from this. 
7. 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. 
8. I used a 50mm lens, SD Card, Hot shoe adaptor.
9. Camera setting were: Manual, Daylight, Raw camera image, ISO 100, Aperture 1/160.
10. 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. 

Outcome and thoughts:

I'm really impressed with how this came out. I love the skin quality and how the white feathers softly blend with the back ground. Its soft and angelic which I love. I will have to see if I can create some contrast between the headdress and the background as this is an important aspect of this shoot. I'm also really pleased with the way the skirt, bra-let and headdress came out. They go so beautifully with the jewellery and I really feel you can really see my design ideas and how they have developed. I'm really excited to see how this shoot comes out and I really feel that this will be a strong photograph to go into my Portfolio. This project has really inspired me to design some new shoots and develop my technical skills in photography. 

Test shoot 2

I came in this morning on a Sunday to do a test shoot with my model Annie and to help assist with her shoot afterwards. I was in a much smaller studio this time so this did affect the lighting set up and also how to photo's came out. I had spoken to Peter O'keefe about my lighting and I showed him my test shoot photo's and he said that I could experiment with the lighting by adding more to light up the white background. This would make the headdress stand out more and create a separation between the white back ground and headdress. So I decided to try this Idea. I didn't make up my model for this  test shoot as it was a quick lighting experiment so I just used the time to play with the lighting. 

I created the same lighting structure but I moved it further away from the background and added some soft boxes facing the background. This was a very small space so It didn't quite work the way it was supposed to but It was a very good experiment and I could see how it would work in a bigger studio. I used the same camera settings as I did in the previous test shoot as I had recorded them to use in these shoots. 

As you can see from the top row of photos I had to adjust the lighting to get it just right. I adjust the power of the flash first and then adjusted the aperture on the camera if needed. 

I love how porcelain and crisp the skin quality is in this light and how you can see everything. The lighting is highlighting different parts of her body and I love the contrast between Annie and the background. This lighting is something I will use in the future for more shoots as I loved the outcome. However I will know for the next time that I will need a bigger studio as this was too small for this large scale set up. I do also want to try this for my final shoot shoot to see how this comes out.  

Brand Story Board Presentation.

Above is my inspiration for my brand shoot. As my word is pastiche and I have decided to re-brand No:7 I have decided to pastiche some of my favourite No:7 campaigns into a new fresh campaign. The spot light has been used predominantly in these shots so I want to use this as I think its a great was of focusing on the makeup and giving the advert a clean, premium look, the look that No:7 aims to achieve.  

These adverts have focused mainly on the eye makeup but I want to focus on the lips as the focal point and create a glowing fresh, clean skin look. My model has really great bone structure so I'm going to really focus on highlighting the beautiful curves of her face. I think the spotlight is a really great lighting tool for picking up cheek bones and defined features. Also because No:7 has survived so many great and iconic eras, I want to incorporate this into my shoot, by giving it a vintage feel, with a modern twist. This will help keep it current and keep its appeal to its current demographic. I want to use a modern 40's inspired hairstyle and red lips as my main design idea.

I wanted to mirror my image in the editing room but Sharon suggested that this might be to far for a No:7 brand shoot, which I took on board. I feel I need to keep The shoot design simple, to not lose my audience. So I'm going to keep it about the lighting and makeup.

I presented this to my class in Sharon's lecture today and I got some really great constructive feedback. I had worked really hard with my research and coming up with a design that was both forward thinking and brand appropriate. I am surprised how much I've really enjoyed designing a look for this brief. I have still been able to be creative but have also learned to fit into someone else's brief. This can be difficult but I have found it really exciting. Ive really enjoyed presenting my ideas to the class and pitching my ideas and creative thoughts. I love the feedback and love being in a creative space where creatives are all sharing design ideas and visions.

Ref: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02639/Keeley-Hawes_2639077a.jpg

http://fashionrecipe.typepad.com/.a/6a0133f0ebb10d970b0134854cfc2a970c-800wi

http://im2.peldata.com/bl1/5420/28bg.jpg

https://www.google.com/search?sa=G&hl=en&q=norman+jean+roy+cate+blanchett&tbm=isch&tbs=simg:CAQSkAEajQELEKjU2AQaBggCCD0IQgwLELCMpwgaYgpgCAMSKIwOohnjGJwZrhmlGaEZqRmUGf8Y1SyuMsU8jiS2PNQsrTLiO-olgzEaMIJzrd7uY14tJTZFJ6hRhVTzMDdApZ9fKpDRCCux5203FOZi0EEo5pU5hia_1_1bwMxyADDAsQjq7-

CBoKCggIARIED6CZzAw&ved=0ahUKEwiunfjv7q7MAhUKBMAKHdNCDccQwg4IGigA&biw=1280&bih=738#imgrc=tZVdXKk3rKrsVM%3A

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/9e/a2/82/9ea282962debffd467a4d6b4a13c1b5a.jpg

https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/371265563012523506/

Editorial Shoot for Pastiche: Styling

So I have thought a lot about the styling for my final Editorial shoot. I feel that this will add so much more to the images and create a more professional look to this shoot. Because we have had a large amount of freedom with this specific shoot. I wanted this to look like something you would see in Vogue or Harpers Bazaar. The creative designing part of shoots is the aspect that excites me the most. I love thinking up the costume, the makeup, the hair, the jewellery, the location, the lighting, the angles and composition. I love every aspect so I want this to represent my style and other skills within the industry. 

My word is Pastiche, and because I have researched the history behind feathers and stones within indigenous cultures I wanted to create a contemporary interpretation. I have chosen to interpret these items by creating my own versions. I bought some beautiful Indian wedding jewellery from a shop in Marlands in Southampton. The whole set includes a necklace, earrings, and a head piece. Its detailed with Gold stones in a gold setting and it is made in india. I fell in love with this set and thought it would be so beautiful and captivating in my editorial shoot. This set is my modern representation and symbolism of the gold stones that the mayan shamans were buried with. The gold stones represented the sun so I think it will be a special touch to include them in the styling of my shoot.

The Jewellery was the first thing that I saw that I was immediately drawn too. After this came my headdress design. I was playing with the idea of using blue feathers as I was drawn to the blue feathers the mayans used for there headdresses. I loved the blue colours of feathers I found for my mood board, but when I was making it I felt that the blue feathers would be too much all together. I wanted it to be very light and airy and I was drawn to my white feathers that I had also purchased. I started making the headdress and found that the white and gold just went so well together. I began making the bralet with white feathers too and it all came together. The last thing I designed was the skirt. My mum is a seamstress and she makes clothes among other things, and she had a box of material that I found. I found a beautiful piece of material that was a very pale duck egg blue with orange and gold birds on it! I thought this was perfect as all of these ideas, even the indigenous tribes headdresses have been pastiched from birds. It went so beautifully with the feather bralet and headdress that I asked my mum if she could make me a mock up skirt. I designed the shape and length and my mum had it ready in 2 hours. It was perfect! I put it all together and fell in love with it. From this I then designed my final makeup design. 

Pastiche: My presentation to the class

We had to give our presentations today. My word is Pastiche. Pastiche is when an artist recreates an other artists work. It can be imitation, copying or an artists use of an other or a few artists style. This idea felt really broad to me so I did feel a little intimidated. I decided to go more with the link between an Artist- The moment of inspiration- and the recreation.  I wanted to capture the feeling of inspiration, and the way that that feeling can make you feel. I wanted to capture that with light, colour, emotion. I really wanted to use Feathers as I feel this has been pastiched through history, so I really wanted to include this into my final shoot. This mood board, I feel captures that. 

I unfortunately didn't get to show my presentation to the class but I felt that I really needed some feedback and so I stayed behind so that I could see what Sharon thought of my direction. I showed Sharon my Idea and talked her through my thought process and she explained to me that my Idea was  too figurative. Sharon explained that I have made the word too big and that I need to stick to one direction and then expand from there. At first I felt quite disheartened and confused but I decided to think about what Sharon said and see if I could channel my thoughts into one space. I realised that I had lost the word in my idea. So I looked at my mood board again and had a look at what images drew me in the most and that were relevant to pastiche. This was a struggle because I didn't want to be too literal and I also didn't want to be to metaphorical. Other words for pastiche are imitation, copy and mimicry. 

The main Images that I was drawn to the most were of feathers. I thought of how used they have been through history, Through costume and art. I had a look at shamanic costumes and clothing and the traditions of shamanic people's imitations of the animal Kingdom. They believed that Birds connected them to the spirit world and that if they wore the feathers of specific birds it would bring them closer to the gods. They would mimic Birds and all animals for different reasons. Each animal would represent something different in nature. I want to explore there costumes and different beliefs and see if I can Pastiche there costumes and create my own interpretation. I also want to have a look at the materials used, Fur and feathers specifically and how these have been pastiched in art, fashion and costume. I feel that this will be really good inspiration for my contemporary shoot.

First Technical lesson back with Chris Overend.

So it was the first practical lesson since coming back from the Christmas break. We were briefed by Chris of our next project and discussed a few different lighting techniques used in the advertising industry. Some of the girls modelled for this and they came out beautifully. I have noticed that If you look at advertising campaigns you can see a lot of them are photographed in the same way with the same lighting, so I am looking forward to trying these out for this project. 

Advertising Setups.

Things to remember: Camera settings: ISO should be at 100. Shutter speed set at 1/150 and aperture  F 5.6 (The higher the number the darker the image).
If there are smudges on the lens use a 100% cotton cloth to clean it.

Lenses used: 50mm (used for the first set up), 85mm (used for the second set up), 100mm. we also used a beauty dish and a 2 light diffusers.

Computer setup: Sign in with student as both the username and the password. 

Today we worked 2 main lighting set ups. One for head shots and the second for close ups. We helped Chris set up the computer, camera and the lighting.

The first set up was the one below. This was to achieve a head shot and a bright glowing look. The back ground would come out a light grey colour but the model would look glowy.

In the set up below the model would stand a metre between the camera and the back light set up.

The second set up: The photo's below lighting is to create a close up shot. This is great for close up shots of the eye or the lips.  We also closes the aperture down for the second part.  

These were 2 examples of the lighting we were shown but it was a matter of switching the polly boards around to create different effects. I really want to experiment with these lightings as I feel these are going to create a really professional look to my final images. 

Practise