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

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/

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.

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. 

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. 

Brand: No:7

So today we were given our brands that we will use for the second half of our digital image production unit. 

I was given No:7. I will have to fit my ideas from my 'Pastiche' Editorial Shoot into this brand. 

 Known to women across England as the 'luxury brand that is affordable'. Every women knows this brand and has either, themselves, or someone they know, tried the products available. Its customers are loyal and they trust No:7. Its familiar and this is what keeps the brand alive.

No:7 was created by John Boot the heir to the boots dynasty. Having bought the company Boots back from America after the Great Depression, He decided to create an own-brand. No:7 was launched in 1935 with an 11 product skin care line and the slogan 'The modern way to loveliness'. The brand expanded with a colour cosmetics line in 1937. Production was stopped due to the second world war but was then re-introduced in 1942 and then was fully re-launched a decade later. Using the slogan 'Better and lovelier than before'. 

http://files2.coloribus.com/files/adsarchive/part_699/6990855/file/no-7-make-up-range-full-impact-small-13320.jpg

In there recent campaigns they seem a little more representative of there customer demographic. It seems to also represent what they stand for, A British Luxury Brand that is all about enhancing your natural beauty at any age, for an affordable price. It looks like they have taken the 'Real Women's Natural beauty' approach much like the 'Dove Real Beauty' campaign. They have used their reputation for being the 'every woman's brand' as a way of structuring there new marketing and advertising campaign and targeting No:7's longstanding customers.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/08/05/11/2B1DB83400000578-3185794-image-m-15_1438771442255.jpg

I have to say I'm not a huge fan of the most current re-branding. I much prefer the beauty ads featuring previous No:7 ambassador Keeley Hawes. The images were more creative and they made the makeup more exciting. They made the brand more exciting. It also felt a little more high end.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/ee/2c/11/ee2c115ddad18d7251a60e073ac90646.jpg

I love the idea of natural beauty and that every woman is beautiful and this is true, but for me I love the idea of using an Icon or famous actress to brand makeup. That was something I loved to see when I was a kid and I aspired to look like those women and buying the makeup felt more glamourous. As shallow as it sounds for me makeup has always been about glamour and lifestyle. It was about living in a type of fantasy where you could be any version of yourself you wanted. It was like costume and and matching your outsides to your insides. 

No:7 has an incredibly long history and has gone through numerous changes and re-branding, Constantly trying to keep up with changing trends. I feel that you can see this in the advertising over the years. There isn't one running theme when it comes to there beauty ads, or a particular style they go for. It feels messy and I feel that in the past they have sometimes lost there identity and tried to be a brand that they are not.

When I first received my brand I wasn't happy about it. It was the only non High-end brand that was given out and I was worried that I would be limited in my design process but I found it to be to the contrary. The fact that No:7 has such a history of re-creation and re-branding means it gives me more scope to create something a little different. It allows me to go a little outside of the box. I can pastiche some of its previous styles and create something new and fresh whilst still keeping to the bones of the brand. 

https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/mother-londen-production-s3bucket-asda8lo6v37l/content/section-5412be978e1213.44655386/Carousel/NO7_EX_LA_2009%20copy.jpg

References: http://www.boots.com/en/History-in-the-making_1371366/
http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/fashion-blog/2012/apr/16/brief-history-of-no7-boots
http://www.brandrepublic.com/article/464972/superbrands-case-studies-no7

My final idea and my second presentation for Digital Image production 2, My given Brand.

I had my presentation today. I had re-thought my Ideas since the feedback from Sharon's Class. As I was mostly drawn to feathers and furs and the colours and textures of these from my first moodboard so I decided to look at ways these were pastiched. I have explained this in more detail in some of my previous posts. I was really happy with the feedback from some of the girls in my class and from Sharon so I'm feeling a little more confident. I feel really passionate about my mood board and the direction I'm taking.

I have completed a couple of face plans so far and have come up with a final idea. I have purchased some beautiful jewellry from an Indian Bridal shop and these will represent stones. I am also In the process of designing and making my own contemporary head dress. I feel this is a way of pastiching this beautiful tradition whilst also creating a really unique look to my photograph.

feedback from Presentation:

These are the feedback forms I received from my peers. I was happy with the feedback and happy that they could connect my Idea to my images easily.

My Face Plans:

The face plan above was my first attempt when designing a look for this project. I went in with a very limited Idea of what I wanted to do. I definitely struggle with face plans and creating dimension with them. I found it quite hard but I'm going to follow a couple more tutorials and practise to really get better at this as I understand that this is a very important aspect of what I am doing.
With this face chart I had a basic Idea of what colours I wanted to use but because I am using a lot of jewellery and head accessories I wanted to keep the makeup really fresh and simple and play with small bursts of colour around the face. I also thought of blocking the eyebrows out for this idea. I would achieve this with glue to stick the hairs down and then colour over them with foundation. I would also make the skin really glossy by applying a lot of baby oil to my models body. I would then go over the body with the balm highlighter as I want a really etheral feel. I feel that this design is too much for my final look and I definitely want to strip it back. But I feel this created a stream for me to follow in search of my final design Idea.

This was my second design Idea. I liked this one a lot better because it was a little more simple. I was looking at feathers for lashes to intensify the eyes and for the theme of slight bursts of colour to stream through with this design Idea.  I love the use of coral in this look but I dont really like the purple. I would also keep the skin glossy in this design too but I would use Annie's natural thick brpws in this design as I feel they would add dimension and depth to the final design. I do feel though that I'm getting closer to my final Idea. I'm going to explore a bit more a strip it right back and keep it even more simple and see how my ideas develop.

Even though I have found this process quite challenging I feel like I have some good Ideas I just need to keep exploring and see how my ideas progress. 

Kate MccGwire: A sculpture artist specialising in the medium of Feathers.

I was browsing through Pinterest and was looking at different ways in which feathers have been pastiched. I came across these sculptures my Kate MccGwire. I was absolutely blown away. She collected thousands of feathers and created these amazing sculptures. They look like moving liquid forms flowing and creating these massive shapes. The way that feathers are made means that when the light hits them it highlights different areas. So when you move the light will move across the feathers giving the illusion of movement. This also highlights the different colours that are formed in feathers. They look like the placement of feathers on a bird. When Birds bodies move or fly, the sun hits the feathers and gives their form a sculpted appearance showing off the lines of its body.

These sculptures have made me think about the sculpture of my headdress. I am creating my own feather headdress in honour of the indigenous tribes Im researching. I know how sacred the headdress is to the indigenous people so I didn't want to replicate it. I want to use it as a source of inspiration and create a contemporary Interpretation. I love the shapes of these sculptures and would love to incorporate these into my design. Creating that movement like water or air. Incorporating the nature elements into my headdress as this is the core focus in my final image.

Hawaiian Kahunas and their beliefs.

I wanted to find out a bit more about the different indigenous tribes in Hawaii. Kahunas in ancient Hawaiian tribes are the healers, priests and spiritual teachers of their tribes.  They would have been a master in their chosen Field of knowledge and practise. Some of the different experts would have been: A dream interpreter, sorcerer, bird catcher, weather reader, Agriculture expert, Faith Healing, Spirit Communicator, User of Black magic, and High priest. 

Each would have a set of rituals used to connect with the spirit world/ Mana (Universe or Universal Spirit). These would be used as a source of prayer when looking for guidance for emotional, technical problems and for asking for channeled energies for these problems also. 

The rituals could be quite elaborate and extensive for example the use of a male human sacrifice was used to gift the chosen god. They believed that The gods needed to be fed or they would disappear. 

They were known as the secret keepers and were great influences in there tribes and were believed to be great and powerful beings. 

I love the way that in this culture a kahuna ( Hawaiian shaman) was an expert in their own Field. It was about knowing your craft and passing it on to your descendants. I love the connection to nature and how spiritually connected they were. There rituals were ceremonies that were alive and musical. Reading more about them has been a great source of inspiration to the feel of my shoot and also the costume. 

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.

Feathers and There Pastiched History

Feathers are everywhere. They are weaved into our clothes and accessories and sewn onto our homely furnishings. Feathers have always been an elegant accessory to our fashionable lifestyles. They have been used for Military uniforms, floristry, hat adornments back in the 1800's, Feather fans in burlesque. They are everywhere still in fashion today. In western culture they are simply used as a fashion accessory but elsewhere in indigenous cultures around the world they are used as a connection to the other world. The spirit world. 

In these tribes feathers are their connection to the spirit world. Birds can fly and the tribes and shamans of those tribes believe that the birds can connect them to the other world. They believe that Birds are the messenger of the gods and that they can receive messages from the gods through them. The birds are the only being that can fly through the different worlds. 

When I read this I just thought it was so beautiful. I love nature and I love how you can feel so connected to it just by being in it. I love that there is such a huge connection to animals in these indigenous tribes and how there is a give and take relationship with nature. They rely on nature and its gifts to survive.

In these tribes there is always a shaman. He or she might also be known as a medicine man/woman, spirit reader, healer, and messenger to his tribe. They are a very respected member of the tribe and their role is very important for their survival. Shamans, as part of their practise, mimick the animal world with costume. They feel that by being the animal, acting like the animal, they can connect and communicate with the animal kingdom. The shaman in these tribes is the the bridge between the world of nature and the human world. 

I really want to Mimic this in this project. I love the idea that they mimick the animal kingdom to connect with them. I really want to have a further look at Mayan, Native American, Maori, and native Hawaiian indigenous people. I want to look a little closer at their shaman's and see if I can draw some inspiration for a contemporary interpretation.