Final Images LOMO

Upon completion of developing my films, i have discovered that the lack of flash from my loom camera due to lack of battery power meant that the film from the shoot came out extremely underexposed, in order to rectify this, i will use the technique of burning in in the dark room.

If i find myself in the situation of using my lomo camera upon location, i will be sure to bring a spare supply of batteries. I was grateful for the use of a tripod during my shoot as this allowed the images to be framed in the same style and with a remote release and a self timer, i had full control over the camera, even thoguh i didnt actually have direct contact with it.Above is the contact sheet that i produced in the dark room of the film that i captured from my final shoot using a lomo 35mm camera. Although underexposed, i plan to scan these images, digitising them to manipulate them in photoshop. I will use exposure correction techniques as well as other digital processes in order to rectify the underexposure. I believe the images were successful, even though they were underexposed, this enabled me to use techniques and processes that i know and am competent with to create images unique from the other 2 finals and still maintaining my purpose and intents of the images whilst keeping the viewer interested and intrigued.

The above pictures shows the test strips of my film contact sheet that i produced whilst trying to print the contact sheet with the correct expose, with these i concluded that my images needed to be digitized via scanning the negatives in order to successfully bring them to their full potentials.


Upon completion of scanning, many of the negatives as they were underexposed came out like this:

Although technically this may seem unfortunate that the images were underexposed, i could then go about working them in my favour as with my techniques and skills many of my images actually comprise of underexpose, so that when bringing out the contrasts and vibrance the image takes on a whole new vibrant, stark look.

2nd final shoot, Preparations, techniques, processes, evaluations and final image evaluation

Like any final shoot, prior to creating the images required, i did  a test shoot in order to clarify what the desired effect was that i wanted, below is a digital contact sheet of my first test shoot:

After this initial test shoot, i decided that i had not achieved the images that i required, although following the trials and errors from my first shoot, the problems i experienced with lighting and lack of equipment, the images were not framed or composed to my intentions, because of this i re-scheduled a second test shoot, below is the digital contact sheet from my second test shoot:

Again, like the first test shoot, i did not achieve the images i wanted to as composure was not right and the images lacked the effect i wanted, this is partly due to the lack of equipment i had like a single small memory card that quickly ran out of memory space, a remote release and my reliance on the cameras self timer mode. Upon completion of this shoot and uploading the images i concluded that my desired effect was to only be created by a further extensive collection of equipment to hand and decided that the final shoot would be composed via film based techniques:

For my second set of images, my intentions are to show that i am able to show an array of skills and techniques aswell as the use of digital photography, there are other mediums in which i have found that i am competent with, i wish for the remaining final images to show this. With the use of a lomography camera and 35mm film, my intentions are to create exquisite and unique film based images portraying that of  both of the style images that are my intentions.The above camera is a lomography film camera, using 4 separate lenses, each lens, upon compression of the shutter firing separately in a sequence. With this camera i am planning on creating my images collaborated from either the 4 numerous images or from selecting 1 of the 4 images that i will accomplish.

Four lenses whir in sequence as they take your subject’s movement, and stamps it on your 35mm print. Now even more robust, ultra-heated and, in its awesome packaging.

With one push of the shutter button, all four lenses fire in perfect synchronicity with the rapid-fire flash. Flash at night to reveal critical action at parties, concerts, and nocturnal events. Flash in the day to fill in those highlights. Uses standard 35mm film.

Quoted from: http://uk.shop.lomography.com/

The above film contact sheet (which i scanned into the computer) is an example of the images produced by the camera, as you can see each of the 4 images on each 35mm negative is slightly different from the last, this is because each of the 4 images has its own shutter which works separately to each of the shutters, working simultaneously in a sequence one shutter following the last. The reasoning behind my images is due to the fact that in my previous 2 images, ive used techniques and processes in which create a harsh, grainy and stark image, i can accomplish this technique manually only by photographing the images and enlarging 1 of the 4 images, bringing out the graininess of the image. Another reason behind using this style of photography, means that i can also fully achieve the shot that i intend even though i cannot preview the image that im taking, this is based on 2 reasons;
1) Out of every 10 exposures i take, this accounts for upto 40 images in total, meaning that with this easy abundance of variable images i will then be able to select from 40 images as opposed to 10 and these images will all hold a variable from the last.
2) Because of the different shutters, working simultaneously by being active either with the image or from the cameras point of view each image will be assured to be different, as the 2nd of the 2 images involves lifting and the moving of weights and also to not include the weight or physical actions of the subject within the image, only portraying what it is they are doing, the 4 shots will have the ability to portray and select the exact point of motion which i require as i can select from 4 images of the single full motion.


Upon shooting of these image, then will i decide wether to choose individual exposures from the 35mm or to use the collaboration of the 4 images upon the 35mm negative.


The other medium in which i will be displaying my competency with is the 35mm format of film photography, the standard film used for all styles of photography. I will be using hp5 and fp4 Ilford films for 2 reasons:
FP4: A finer, crisper, sharper and clearer image although only viable to be used in brighter light with a lower ISO, i will use this for the first of my 2 portraits.
HP5: A faster film for brighter  lighting and a higher ISO, i will use this film for the faster, more explosive involved shots, this being for the second of my images.

'35 mm film is the basic film gauge most commonly used for chemical still photography (see 135 film) and motion pictures, and remains relatively unchanged since its introduction in 1892 by William Dickson and Thomas Edison, using film stock supplied by George Eastman. The photographic film is cut into strips 35 millimeters (about 1 3/8 inches) wide — hence the name.^[1][2] The standard negative pulldown for movies ("single-frame" format) is four perforations per frame along both edges, which makes for exactly 16 frames per foot^[3](for stills, the standard frame is eight perforations).

A wide variety of largely proprietary gauges were used by the numerous camera and projection systems invented independently in the late 19th century and early 20th century, ranging from 13 mm to 75 mm (0.51–2.95 in).^[4] 35 mm was eventually recognized as the international standard gauge in 1909,^[5] and has remained by far the dominant film gauge for image origination and projection despite challenges from smaller and larger gauges, and from novel formats, because its size allows for a relatively good tradeoff between the cost of the film stock and the quality of the images captured. The ubiquity of 35 mm movie projectors in commercial movie theatersmakes it the only motion picture format, film or video, that can be played in almost any cinema in the world.

The gauge is remarkably versatile in application. In the past one hundred years, it has been modified to include sound, redesigned to create a safer film base, formulated to capture color, has accommodated a bevy of widescreen formats, and has incorporated digital sound data into nearly all of its non-frame areas. Since the beginning of the 21st century, Eastman Kodak and Fujifilm have held aduopoly in the manufacture of 35 mm motion picture film.'

Quoted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/35_mm_film

As well as a film camera, i will also be using a digital camera, my reasoning behind this is to assure that the images that i am taking with film (which i cannot see due to the lack of digital technologies within the system) are portraying the images that i wish to create. By using digital technologies i will be able to instantly see the images i am producing before i take them on film, before i develop them and before they are printed.

The images i intend to create are to hold very similar stylings to that of the first set of images, the main differences being:
I will be using myself as the model
I will be using a film based medium
I will be shooting the images with a lomo camera
I will be using a remote release in order to operate my camera, even though i am not beside my camera.
I will be pairing my camera and remote release with a tripod for stability as i will not be holding it.






Have just finished final shoot for my final 2 images of myself, pictures went really well, below is the digital contact sheet from the shoot:

I used a digital camera for the composing of my images as test shots, to decide the look and style that i wanted to achieve, following this i used the lomo camera to take the final pictures.

I feel the pictures taken with the lomography camera went really well, except for the fact that that camera had run out of battery power, meaning that the camera was still operational, yet i could not use the flash gun facility. Although i could not control the low lighting and without the use of a flash gun, i used a faster film (ISO 400, HP5):

• High Speed ISO 400
• Great results in varied lighting conditions
• Wide exposure latitude
• Available as 35mm, 120 Roll & Sheet Film

HP5 PLUS is a high speed, medium contrast film making it especially suitable for action and press photography and also an excellent choice for general purpose photography. Nominally rated at ISO 400, it yields negatives of outstanding sharpness and fine grain under all lighting conditions. HP5 PLUS has been formulated to respond well to push processing and film speeds up to EI 3200/36 are achievable withILFORD MICROPHEN developer maintaining good shadow detail and well separated mid-tones with sharp grain.

Hp5 information quoted from: http://www.ilfordphoto.com/products/product.asp?n=7

If, when developed, the images are underexposed, i will try to rectify this problem by burning in the images or using photoshop techniques in order to burn in the images, bringing out all of the contrasts, details and information clearly.

 I will, upon developing the film, be deciding on the final images and whether to use each 35mm series of images or using an individual image from a quarter of the 35mm frame.

I believe, apart from the lack of battery power, the shoot went really successfully, the images that i acquired were, strong and effective and i believe that they are completely suited to my purpose of final images and for the use of fine art and exhibition work.

Intended Audience of my Final Images

My intentions for my final images are to be portrayed in the form of fine art photography. This means that my main intentions for the portrayal of my images is within an exhibition setting. The purpose of my images are to portray the contrast strain has on the human body and that each person, like a book can be read in many different ways, that although a person may be brooding and intimidating, they are people with their own personalities housing full emotions just like anyone else only housed in a much larger, more intimidating form. this is the effect that i was intending for my image and i feel i completely fulfilled that effect, my images, although i believe my images would be best suited to fine art and most appreciated by viewers that fine art holds their interest the best and displayed in an exhibition  space.

Another way in which my image can be used is for that of advertisement, specifically for supplement companies, in which the adverts comprise of large, muscular persons and relating to the viewer in some form that there here is a chance for them to accomplish their dream physique like the person pictured. I researched into advertisements for supplement companies; specifically MET-RX in which most of their adverts portray normal, everyday people in which they are shown in everyday environments with an aspect relevant to strength training and supplement use. For the advert, i included a slogan in whcih the viewer could relate to i chose to start with a question 'WANT BRAWN?' this already gets the viewer thinking about what it is they want followed by the name of the company 'MET-RX' followed by their claim 'UNLEASHING THE BEAST WITHIN' which the viewer will interpret, alongside the image of the largely built subject, the viewer believes that they are buying into a physique like this. I continued with the use of a bold bright red and emulated the font the company uses, along with the strength of my image, making it truly stand out and confront the viewer

DIGITAL FINAL IMAGES

I believe my shoot of my final images for my Final Major Project was really successful for many reasons. Through trial and error, through a test shoot i was able to decipher what equipment i needed in order to completely perform the shoot successfully and to my full ability. The fact that i had the opportunity to talk to my subject and clarify with them what it was that i wanted from them and lastly because, due to investigation and preparation, in finding and acquiring the gym studio for my shoot, this led to minimal problems and a fully effective and professional shoot.

The above final image that i created, i believe was completely successful in achieving the look i wanted to achieve. The above image completely portrays the deadpan, completely open and vulnerable feel i was looking for. When i look into the eyes of the image, i see a large could-be intimidating man, but seeming so much smaller that his physique would portray, giving a lost vulnerable appearance, almost seeming to turn the figure into that of a small child. I believe that when the viewer looks at the above image, theyre not seeing this giant, but infact, even a child, a person, just like anyone else, portraying sadness, openness, an emotion held by all even those who see not to hold to 'human like' emotions.

The second image i have created, portrays the subject in a completely different light, more so how we would be seen by any average person, so open to intimidation by that of someone different to themselves. The strain portrayed in the subjects face shows such contrast between the 2 images of the subject, that he does hold different emotions and personalities that he sleeps, eats, breathes and feels just like anyone else, despite his monstrous exterior he is just a normal person.

In these  2 images i feel i have fulfilled my project proposal in creating and portraying the different faces a person has, i believe that when viewed, my images will communicate with the viewer to truly make them understand without a word as to their purpose and my intentions that im portraying to the viewer.

Research - Inspirations for 2nd image of subject

Chuck Close

A painter and photographer of 'larger than life' proportions, Chuck made his fame as a photorealist, creating large scale portraits of various subjects, from all walks of life, portraying them in such a way that the viewer has no choice but to be intrigued and trapped my the hypnotic gaze of all of his images.

Chuck's photographs all give the viewer the ability to climb into the minds of the subject and to feel their emotions, almost enough to reach out and touch their minds.

Chuck's images all have a very 'earthy' feel to them, a real exposed and natural aura that reveals everything that is to be or see in the image

Chuck close has inspired my 2nd images as it is my intentions to portray my subjects so bare, open and honest. Through gritted teeth and popping veins i plan to portray my subject in an overpowering intimidating way, like Chuck uses size and incredible details, enabling the viewer to look deep into the subject i intend to create a similar yet intimidating atmosphere in my subject.

Dave Hill

Hill uses extreme photoshopping techniques mixed with incredible shows of role play and heart felt acting from all of his subjects to create wondrously complex portraits, most of which creating a feel of a movie type scene. Dave produced a series of images based on wrestlers, in which they are performing various acts of ferocity and strength, in which the power of the wrestler in the ring can almost be read by the depicted act e.g.

These 3 images depicting 3 various wrestlers is very suggestive to the power and prowess of the subject;

Subject 1 is depicted statically withstanding the impact from a giant truck, while subject 2 is taking the impact of a generic car, alot smaller than the truck, with less force, the subject is also the smallest with less apparent animosity and intimidation. Subject 3, the largest, sporting the most fierce and aggressive look about him, withstanding the most significantly incredible force of the 3 subjects, a train, known to generally travel at incredible speeds and built like a tank, known to cause imminent death at any such impact, yet merely cushioned by the strength and power of such an incredibly strong being.

The inspiration i've derived from Dave, i will incorporate into my 2nd images of my subjects in the form of the animosity, the ferocity of the subject, sporting a crisp, powerful and intimidating appearance of scene and subject. I will use the muscular bulk, alongside the ferocity portrayed by my subject in order to create an intimidating scene of which to intimidate and confuse the viewer.

Shoot's

So far, i have sourced 3 willing subjects to be used for my shoot.

I have acquired the permission of the gym manager to take photographs in the gym facilities and to be able to move equipment into a studio, for a more private, professional environment.

Below is a timetable of the studio's in use on Sundays, this means i have the freedom of studio 2 throughout the entire day. I plan to be commencing my first shoot on Sunday 16th May from 4pm onwards and can secure the use of at least 1 of my subjects on this day.

Studio 2:

As you can see, studio 2 is a large, clean open space that is well lit meaning extra light sources will be minimal and i will be predominantly reliant upon this lighting and a reflector.

This is a model release form, this certifies that i have been granted by the subject permission to take picturesof them. I will assure that a form like this is to be filled out by myself, my subject and a witness prior to shooting them.

Just completed my first shoot with subject, went really well, subject was very cooperative and all went very smoothly. Was not prepared for lack of light as there was a problem with the lighting, and had to resort to tripod work and the pop up flash on my camera, this along with my reflector, i managed to overcome this situation. 

Also did some shots for my subjects personal portfolio as they intend to pursue a career in fitness modeling. Above you can see that a model release form was completed by my subject, entitling me to full capabilities to use the images as i please.

Second shoot, using myself as the subject just completed, composed the shot with camera on a tripod and had my dad compress the shutter, shoot went well, sorted out lighting, very pleased with results.

(After deliberation, i have decided to try and schedule a re-shoot of the images of myself)

Updated Saturday 15th May:
First planned shoot failed to take place due to subject letting me down and not telling me, next shoot with subject number 2 will continue tomorrow and subject number 3 will be on Tuesday, still looking out for more subjects
Update Sunday 16th May: 
Again let down by subject, next shoot planned for Tuesday 18th May at 2pm, dependant on subjects reliability
Lesson learnt:
Paid for models are reliable because there's something in it for them, subjects other than friends or family generally need incentive.
Update Wednesday 26th May: 
Not completely satisfied with images of myself so decided a re shoot. Re shoot unsuccessful, decided against using myself as a model.

Here are some initial shots that i obtained using digital equipment in my first test shoot:

Following this shoot, i decided that a re-shoot was in order as i wasn't satisfied with the images that i acquired:

From these images, i was then able to make my selection for my final images:

During my FMP test shoot:
There were a few problems that i came across;
Lighting, the lack of lighting within the room, i was not prepared for, as many bulbs were out, this meant that a higher ISO was to be used, along with a slower shutter speed and wider aperture, although i could mostly accommodate this unfortunate even with variables within my camera, i still had to overcome the fact that in order to achieve an optimal exposure, without the use of a tripod, i had to use the 'vibration reduction' utility on my lens, this along with positioning myself in the strongest, most sturdy position i could allowed me to achieve optimum results. Along with the situation of lighting, i had only with me a small memory, memory stick, meaning that during the shoot, numerous times i had to unload the pictures i had just taken onto my mac and start again, this became quite an inconvenience as it prolonged the overall time of the shoot, as i was trying to keep it short, sharp and professional so i wouldn't bore my subject.
 I used 2 lenses throughout the shoot, an 18 - 55mm and a 55 - 200mm;
 

I used these lenses as it allowed me to have a vast range of focal lengths in order to work really close and from a distance with my subject, through the shoot i maintained the focal lengths of 50 - 120mm, meaning numerous lens changes were made.

Throughout the shoot, due to my ill instructions, my subject was also very keen on posing in his own manner as he misunderstood my idea, after full briefing and examples of what it was that i wanted, we then decided to plan a re-shoot in which i could achieve my desired shots, my subject was happy with this decision as we had already achieve images that they liked.

During my first FMP final shoot:

After realising various problems from my test shoot, it was then time to realise a means in which i could overcome each of these problems:

Lighting, i brought with me upon the final shoot a Metz Hammerhead flash gun, this is an extremely powerful external flash unit, which i synchronized to my camera, so that upon compression of the shutter on my camera, the flash would also fire. I also brought with me an external sync unit, along with a tripod, this meant that the flash could be positioned meters away from where i was based with my camera and still would fire along with the cameras shutter. Although, now prepared for the eventuality of the lack of lighting, i found myself in no need for the use of this equipment as i had previously reported the lack of lighting and this had been amended, many of the bulbs were replaced.
I brought along with me this time numerous smaller memory cards, i did this, instead of a larger memory single card as it meant i could make quick and easy switches of memory cards when full, allowing for easy separation of the images, meaning that upon uploading and post producing i could see simply and clearly the difference sections of the shoot, with different styles, positions and techniques.
I continued to use the same lenses in the final shoot as i did in the initial test shoot as they are lenses i'm familiar with, meaning that even though numerous lens changes were still made, from my experiences of the test shoot and the adaptations i had made in order for myself to be more prepared i could more easily and smoothly work through the shoot, fully in the knowledge of what it was i had to do to accomplish the shots i required.
My subject, during this shoot, knew exactly what was needed and acted accordingly, obeying my instructions, posing as i willed and i managed to get images that i was looking for and glad to achieve.



Throughout the shoot i was using digital techniques to capture the images, this is due to many factors such as:
This was the most reliable and effective way of recording the images as there is no
When complete, the images could be quickly post - produced and turned around for use.

Health and Safety

As my decided project  is set in a dangerous environment, there are a few precautions that i need to take into caution;
1) Caution for myself will be need as the shoot will involve various pieces of equipment and the need for me to be able to manoeuvre myself around for different shots, in this case i will have to be very wary of my surroundings as to not put myself or my equipment in danger for other peoples and the actions of my subject.

2) The safety of my subject, is of upmost importance, as the shoot entails that my subject is to perform a vigorous exercise, this will mean that they will be use heavy equipment in a high octane, rigorous fashion i.e. bench press, squatting, dead lifting or an olympic lift, as you can see from the pictures above, these various exercises are highly demanding and also highly dangerous. Due to the dangerous aspects of this shoot i will be sure to only 'recruit' experienced subjects for greater chance to avoid injury.

3) Other people present; as the shoot is in a gym, their will be other people present, all of which will be performing their own exercises with need of their own space and safety and will be working around them with patience, care and cooperation.

4) Gym equipment, i will be using various pieces of equipment during the shoot, these being, barbells, dumbells, plates, benches and racks, to avoid injury and annoyance of myself and other people, i will be making sure to place all equipment back once finished with.

What i will do to ensure safety for myself:
- Be wary of myself and what is going on around me, this includes hazard and awareness of other people
- Keeping distance from other people exercising, including my subject (meaning the use of a longer lens will be used ((55-200mm))
-All equipment that i use will be carefully monitored and kept a safe distance from my subject.

What i will do to ensure the safety of my subject:
- Only subjects that are completely competent with the chosen specific exercise to be used.
- Only allow subject to use weights that they have performed the exercise before with (no record attempts or massive overloading)
- Not to rush the subject and allow ample rest between sets/reps.
- Make sure the subject has more than enough surrounding room by choosing a safe spot in the gym and clearing all hazards.
-Due to the massive amount of concentration needed by the subject as to avoid injury, i will try to avoid using a flashgun but will be using a reflector.

What i will do to ensure the safety of others:
- Clear away all equipment once used.
- Not get in the way of other people and to ensure my subject doesn't either

Research - Inspirations for 1st image of subject

 

Andres Serrano was born 15^th August 1950, in New York City; Serrano is from a half Honduran, half Afro-Cuban background. Serrano was raised as strict Roman Catholic. He studied at the Brooklyn Museum and Art School from 1967 to 1969; Serrano currently lives and works in New York.

 Serrano is a conceptual artist, a traditionalist when it comes to photography using film and shoot straight without post production. Unlike many other photographers of this age, Serrano is unique in that he uses no gadgetry or computers, literally pointing, shooting and printing. What you see is also what Serrano saw, this really emphasises his incredibly advanced photographic skills in that he relies solely upon his own skills, that of which with lights, film and his imagination. Serrano purely works on the basis of his imagination surpassing anything that could be achieved with the use of any fancy, high tech equipment. The reason Andres images are so spectacular and without the use of Photoshop is because his effects are real, with minimal or no trickery. Serrano’s subjects are real like his series The Morgue where all the subjects are in fact dead, The Klansmen series, where the Klansmen are in fact KKK members, knowing this, it’s then amazing to think Serrano, so bold and brave enough to approach and relay his ideas and to carry them through with such brilliance, regardless of the thoughts and opinions of other people. Another example of Serrano’s creative brilliance is the image portraying the conjoined twins titled; Lori and Dori, where the conjoined twins, are really conjoined, whereas it is more than likely that any other photographer would have created this kind of image with that of Photoshop and/or darkroom techniques. In the image ‘White Nigger’ Serrano uses a white male subject, painting him black; the image is completely believable that you are looking at a black man, except for the intentional mistake where the black paint finishes, revealing the pale white of the man’s true skin. The fact that Serrano always strives for authenticity in his images it undoubtedly can start to cause some problems a quote from Andres Serrano:

“The trick is not so much coming up with ideas, as how to make them work. When I first tried to photograph my ejaculations, for instance, I kept shooting and missing. After about eight times of getting back black film I realized that I needed a motor drive on my camera. I would start shooting film before I felt myself coming, and was able to shoot a roll of film in seconds. Invariably, there would be one shot, and one shot only, of my ejaculate. In Vagina Dentata (Vagina with Teeth) the teeth-they were shark's teeth-kept falling out. I had to keep pushing them in to keep them from coming out. After a while, they stayed in place. When the shoot was over, I tried to get them out, but they were stuck. I then realized that the glue that kept them in place was dried menstrual blood.”

Quote from: http://www.artnet.com/awc/andres-serrano.html

Serrano’s works have been exhibited all over the world and created such controversy and established an elite following and respect in the photography industry. There are many prestigious galleries his work has been displayed in some of which are: Episcopal Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York City, a retrospective at the Barbican Arts Centre in London in 2001 and in the Collection Lambert Avignon France in 2006. Serrano’s work is primarily displayed in New York and Paris by the Yvon Lambert Gallery where he has established a giant, cult following. Due to the massive controversy that comes with Serrano’s work, it is natural that people will develop distaste for it, this being so, October 5th 2007, several of Serrano’s pieces on exhibition were vandalized at an art gallery in Lund, Sweden. The culprits are believed to be part of a Neo Nazi group opposing Serrano’s works.

Andres Serrano - America

In Andres series America, Serrano makes portraits of a vast array of different people from many different walk of like and depicting them, the way that they are, portraying the jobs, lives, loves and personality in a straight, simple portrait. I have chosen to research this series as it is in the same way/light that i wish to portray my subjects, Serrano's subjects range from: Porn-stars, Hobo's, Pimps, National Treasures, Nuns, Policeman, Freedom Fighters, Racists etc. Serrano shoots all of his portraits in the same way:

In allowing the subjects, freedom of pose/position

Freedom of Attire, they are shot how they are in life, no charades and no costumes, portraying them for themselves.

The main traits that i like about these images is that no matter the subject, Serrano shoots the subject in the same style, same theme and lighting, regardless of the subject i.e; no matter what walk of life the person comes from, be it policeman, racist, hobo, pimp or nun, Serrano will still shoot the image on level with the subject, neither looking upto or down upon them. Serrano uses simplistic, often bright lighting, neither harsh nor soft.

Take home notes:

Like Serrano I;

1) Will use a simplistic portrait style shot, allowing the subject to present themselves how the feel comfortable as long as no aggression is shown.

2) They will be wearing the attire that is what they would normally, giving a natural feel and showing them for themselves.

3) I will neither look up nor down on the subject and make a point of shooting them honestly and in a style no way giving any negative impressions of the subject.


Deadpan Portraiture
Unlike most generic forms of portraiture, in which the subject will be portrayed in a certain way to promote a mood or theme while deadpan portraiture works along the lines of a lack of which, it is portraiture in which the subject holds a completely neutral and emotionless expression. The common themes of deadpan photography will be obvious from all portraits;
• Expressionless, vacant facial features.
• A natural feeling shot e.g. no/minimal props, basic surroundings e.g. park, street, pool, school etc.
• Lack of physical gestures, straight bodied and usually no appearance of movement.

• A very candid, amateur style/feel.


Thesaurus definition:
deadpan
adjective
his deadpan expression: blank, expressionless, inexpressive, impassive, inscrutable, poker-faced, straight-faced; stony, wooden, vacant, fixed, lifeless. ANTONYMS expressive.

 Rineke Dijkstra

Dijkstra's works are generally individual portraits focusing on children, young adults, club goers and soldiers. A lot of Dijkstra's images are made up of series all following the trends and characteristics of deadpan photography, whereas her subjects are generally straight faced and emotionless and showing complete lack of gesture and expression, almost removing all sense of humanity from the subject. Dijkstra subjects are portrayed in black, empty environments, showing minimal details apart from the subject themselves. I have acquired inspiration for my images from Dijkstra's works as the with every portrait she creates, it is nearly impossible to feel what the subject is feeling to relate to them, instead achieving a feeling of looking through them, through their emotions, into the inner, vulnerable self. Her subjects all assume such an open empty appearance, which almost makes the subject, no matter who they are or what they appear, the emotions emitting from them scream insecurity, vulnerability and emptiness. My intentions, in using techniques inspired by Dijkstra is to really portray the lack of aggression, the openness and vulnerability of my subjects, in doing this, i intend to prove that even though these people are intimidating and a lot larger than ourselves, they are human, they have personalities, they have feelings, it doesn't matter how thick the muscle, they are just as vulnerable as anyone else.

My Project proposal

My idea for my final major project, is to involve, 3 different mediums of

photographic techniques;

Documentary

Portraiture

Fine Art

In many circumstances in our life, we are confronted by people that intimidate and make us feel insecure. These circumstances can often occur in passing, at an event, rarely are we intimidated in places of comfort and familiarity, like our homes or the homes of friends and family. Intimidation can be: an overpowering, large person in passing, fierce aggression, confrontation. These intimations will generally be in places you already feel unsafe in like, dark streets, alleyways, clubs, unfamiliar towns. People who could intimidate you usually possess similar

characteristics, some typical ones could be: tall, muscular, a different ethnicity, tattooed, shaven head, hooded/masked, gangs of people and loud 'in your face', confronting people. Although the appearance of the person may reflect of their personality, this is not always the case. For Example:

The film and novel; In 'The Green Mile', the character John Coffey is a giant, hugely muscular black man with a deep, booming voice, sentenced to death for the suspected murder and rape of two young girls, everyone in the prison that hes at (including the guards) are extremely unsure and intimidated by him. The guards continue to act weary around John until they begin to learn his true nature,first we learnt he fact that John is afraid of the dark, he's fond of a small mouse, has incredible powers of healing, which he modestly uses for good and has a gentle generous nature but will still stick up for himself. The story concludes with his death by electric chair, everyone (including the guards) are so stricken and in disbelief but grateful for the massive deeds he has done for them. The story, along with many other morals is that we really cannot jump to conclusions and judge a book by its cover, although he seemed fierce and menacing, his deeds that sentenced him to death also seem so but infact he does not mention his crime, only stating that he "tried to take it back, but it was too late." This long with what we learn is that kindness can be found in anything.

It's not just this situation that kindness and innocence can be found in the most unexpected forms another example:

'Of Mice and Men' another novel, theatre production and film, the story of Lennie and George, 2 migrant field workers, during the great depression who move from town to town working to achieve their dreams of a small house, some crops and rabbits (for Lennie to tend to). George, the intelligence of the duo, it is down to George to make sure Lennie doesn't get into (too much) trouble, Lennie Small is Georges ironically named, immensely strong giant and incredibly dim-whitted companion. The story begins with George and Lennie, moving to a new town, fleeing from their previous after Lennie's misunderstandings, leaving the rest of the town hot on pursuit of them for Lennie's suspected attempted rape of a village girl. The same sort of cir cumstances crop up in the new town as John Coffey experiences in the prison, Lennie, being so huge and strong, leaves ever yone wary of his intimidating strength in which he unknowingly demonstrates through out lifting and outworking everyone else on the ranch in which they sought employment. Another situation in which his strength becomes apparent is in which Curly, the boss's son who seeks to enrage Lennie in an unprovoked attack on him, it is in this situation that Lennie breaks Curly's hand. Another much more dominant side of Lennie is his innocent, child like nature which becomes incredibly apparent, Lennie has a love for all things cute, soft and cuddly that he can pet. Throughout the film Lennie talks of how hes going to one day tend the ra bbits, he also finds mice to call his pets and a one point gets a dog to pet, both the mice and dog all fell victim to the innocently heavy hands of Lennie, ultimately e nding in their demise. This is how the film concludes, with Lennie's unknowingly immense strength in which he accidentally breaks the neck and kills Curly's wife, which concludes with the death of Lennie. Another e xample, very similar to that of John Coffey, through a misunderstanding and innocence of their own strength amounted to their demise, yet their hearts were really the true idea of pure.

My last example of which appearance cannot be taken into account when we talk of the heart that is inside; The BFG; Film and novel by Roald Dahl, the story of a little girl named Sophie kidnapped by a giant, the friendliest giant that ever lived, kidnapped in order for him to show her his world, his life and all its wonders. The giant although feared because of his appearance infact is completely crazy and like an innocent child, infact bullied by the other larger and fierce giants. The story concludes with Sophie and the BFG warning the queen of atrocities that are the other giants who eat children, they are then captured and put in a pit, trapped, saving children

everywhere.






















My idea is to portray people in different lights that can be suggestive in both ways of intimidation and a kind of heart/innocence. I wish to portray this in a gym/workout situation, whereas for example: Mother Theressa, a kind hearted lady, who led a life of selfless deeds, dedicated to the lives of others, imagine her appearance, her face, her clothing and characteristics, now imagine her in a vest, gritted teeth, bulging veins, bench pressing twice her body weight. She could not be portrayed more vastly different to what we expect. My aim is to take a select number of subjects that are: muscular built and large and 'fierce' on all scales, i want to do a documentary style shoot of these subjects in a gym environment, a series of 2 portraits of each subject, the first image will be to portray them as themselves, i want to portray their personality, not the muscular, intimidating exterior but them as a person, the next image i want to create a portrait of them 'working out', exerting an extreme amount of voice on their bodies in order for veins to bulge, skin to turn crimson and teeth to grit. The idea of this is to portray what everyone sees whenthey look at these types of people (fierce, strong and intimidating) and then to show the viewer that these people are only human and that they really shouldn't be judged in the manor of their appearance. I got this idea while seeing myself in the mirror while working out, watching my drastic change in appearance and the split personna that i took on. The series will comprise of around 4 subjects with 2 portraits for each subject. Some examples of the images im trying to achieve:

Ronnie Coleman - 8 time Mr. Olympia, a muscular giant, in the first image, you are seeing the real Ronnie, he appears just as any guy, showing a great deal of care and love to that person and in no way is any sign of intimidation present. In the next we see the 'mask' of Ronnie, the hulking, great giant we expect, would you be intimidated by this? I think the answer would be a definite yes! These are the themes in which my 2 images are going to be related. Image A will be a portrait of a very simplistic style (head shot), portraying innocence or an open honesty that can only be embraced. Image B, the image will be shot in the same style although with a bit more revealed, portraying the subject in the intimidating light that we would feel in an uncomfortable circumstance with them. To create Image B i will have my subject performing a strenuous task (weight lifting) but i don't want the focus to be on what they re doing, so i will leave much of the rest of the body and actions out, i just want to portray their new personna while doing so.

Take Home Notes:
1) I plan on creating a series comprising of a minimum of 4 pairs of images comprising of a minimum of 4 (large and intimidating) subjects, 2 portraits of each subject;
1st image of subject; will be a simplistic, easy, open, honest portrait, showing the person for who they are and not portraying them in the intimidating nature that they might usually be viewed in. This will be a simple 'head shot' style portrait.
2nd image of same subject; will comprise of them exerting a force on the body by which of overloading the body by lifting weights. This will in turn give the effect i'm looking for of gritted teeth, red in the face, sweats and aggression, I will again focus on the subject themselves, taking a 2nd similarly framed head shot while they are exerting the force. I will not focus on what they are doing and just the effect that is achieved from it, in order to acquire an intimidating, other personality of theirs.

I will not be using flash! This is because:
1) I want to keep the images 'nitty and gritty' in the most natural environment to the person.
2) In order to maximize safety, i will avoid as many distractions as possible, a flash gun firing may most likely put them off and may lead to injury.
3)Instead of a flashgun i will be using reflectors and as light is naturally abundant in the studio i will be using, i will be able to easily spread and reflect the light.