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.

Reshoot – Stigmata

 

I decided to reshoot my stigmata photos, though I was pleased with the images the lighting and composition stood apart from the other photoshoots I had done (for example with the cat mask, or hooded figure). I zoomed into the most important aspect of the image, the face and hands, as this still conveys the themes and imagery I discussed in my previous post.

I changed the background to a lighter colour, as there is more shadow and I still wanted to have a strong sense of contrast. I do think I should have brought the light closer on the left side, to illuminate the face more, but overall it is a more interesting composition than my first set of images, and fits with the others.

Cat Mask – Photoshoot 2

For this photoshoot I angled the VHS-C camera from below, which added more shadows and depth on the mask, and created a more interesting composition. The spotlight picked up the highlights of the darker side of the mask, balancing the photo out and bringing the viewers eye into the centre.

The first image is the most successful, as it crops to the most important elements, giving more detail and eliminating the amount of black space present in the other images. It also appears less posed than the others, appearing more like a film still. As the VHS camera picks predominately  yellow tonesI edited the colours heavily in Photoshop so they appeared more neutral, as well as adjusting the levels to increase the contrast.

Mask Photoshoot

I used the golden branch antlers I made in this photoshoot. I used a spotlight as I wanted only part of the face visible, and to add a lot of shadows, creating mystery and a cinematic, other-worldly scene. This is a large improvement and a far more interesting composition than my first test shoot. I included hands to give the photograph movement, and more narrative, as the viewer wonders what is behind the mask, and if the hands belong to the masked individual, or someone else. This links back to the theme of mystery within the photo.

The spotlight and VHS camera picked up a lot of yellow tones in the images, I used selective colour to shift them to a more neutral colour. I also used levels to increase the contrast between the mask and the background, and to pick up more middle tones in the antlers and hands.

Stigmata Mary, Shoot 2

For this shoot I removed the natural light from my first shoot, but kept the spotlight. This creates more depth in the photo, however in the second photo the face is overexposed, and you lose a lot of the detail and the tones of the skin.

I kept the composition further away as I wanted to include the hands, and have the distinct beam of light from above, representative of the halo.