Final Images & Evaluation

For the theme of Environment I took inspiration from my surroundings and upbringing in Somerset and Glastonbury, growing up amongst the myths and legends, as well as the modern witchcraft and alternative religions entwined in the area. When researching I took inspiration from rituals shown in films from The Wicker Man to Eyes Wide Shut, as I wanted to take my images to a more extreme point of view. Within these films lie the tropes of mysterious cloaked figures, the use of masks, and the innocent girl sacrificed. These began as a starting point, as I collected masks and created a headpiece and cloaks.

I originally planned to shoot outside, however as I used myself as model I felt I would create more successful images by cropping the composition in and playing with the angles, rather than attempting a bigger scene where I would have less control. Taking the shoot inside, the link to Environment is less apparent, which is something I do regret.

Shooting inside did mean, however, that I had more control over the lighting. I kept consistent between my shoots, using one spotlight onto the model from above. This was very effective in my first mask photoshoot, as it created interesting harsh shadows, and made only part of the hand visible. It was also effective on the first stigmata Mary photoshoot, as from a further distance the highlights and shadows appeared statuesque.

I used a lighter background for my other two images, as there were more dark elements, and I wanted to create contrast. They therefore fit thematically with the other two images, and though they do sit apart I have kept the same colouring and lighting the same.

My cat mask photographs were taken portrait while the rest are landscape, in retrospect I should have shot another in this format to balance, as when printed it does not fit with the set. This is something I will consider more in the future. However, this composition was definitely more effective for that set.