Photo-shoot Six
They Come From Nightmares
In the style of Christian Hopkins
Record
Production
Photo-shoot Title:
"They Come From Nightmares"
Photo-Shoot Concept & Aim:
The aim of this photo-shoot is to visually portray Schizophrenia and depression. The symptoms of Schizophrenia are Hallucinations, which is where someone sees, hears, smells, tastes or feels things that don't exist outside their mind. The most common hallucination is hearing voices. Hallucinations are very real to the person experiencing them, even though people around them can't hear the voices or experience the sensations.
Another symptom is Delusions. Some people develop a delusional idea to explain a hallucination they're having. For example, if they have heard voices describing their actions, they may have a delusion that someone is monitoring their actions.Someone experiencing a paranoid delusion may believe they're being harassed or persecuted. They may believe they're being chased, followed, watched, plotted against or poisoned, often by a family member or friend.
Another is confused thoughts where people experiencing psychosis often have trouble keeping track of their thoughts and conversations.
The concept of this photograph will show the feelings of loneliness and fear. The subject will be lonely while the masked figures will create fear towards the subject as a constant force of pressure.
Date & Timing:
This photo-shoot will take place on the 6th October 2017 at 5pm. This time allows me to have a date to plan to and then take time in creating this photograph,
Location:
This will take place in East Herrington with in a garage. I will need no permission. This location will be seen from a medium shot on the subject as i must include their body and head. The camera will be positioned eye level with the subject yet far enough back to allow them to be seen with the majority of their body. From a long shot to allow the full subject to be seen with space to add three other figures.
Props:
The props needed for my photography are a white cloth to be wrapped and cover the subjects face. A wooden seat will be needed for the subject to sit upon while the other figures come after them.
Models:
To keep within the theme and style of Self Portrait photography I will be my own model this also goes with the audience in which i wish to attract showing males can have mental disorders. However the figures may either be myself with the use of Photoshop to bring them together or will be another person to gain more realistic qualities.
Team:
There is no team needed as i will be working alone for this shoot. I have a tripod to stand the camera on and I shall set a timer for the camera to capture the photographs. Everything before will be set up my me and post production work will continue to be done by me, of course because this is my personal project. Unless i need
Equipment and Preparation:
The camera I have used for this photoshoot is a Canon EOS 1300D Digital SLR with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 DC III Lens. The batteries were fully charged before shoot. Additional lighting was used with a studio light facing the model or pointing away to create dark shadows. The ISO settings will be set to ISO-800 while the shutter Shutter Speed will be set on 1/60 seconds and an Aperture of f/4.
Desired Shots:
My desired shot is the subject to be standing alone against a while wall looking as tormented and broken as physically possible with a black bubble above his head to show the mouths of him and others which will represent the symptoms of this Disorder. The photograph will be converted into black and white with sections altered with different contrast levels to make the photograph dramatic.
Reference Images:
Photographs
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Process
The genre of this photograph is Digital Manipulation. The Shutter speed i selected for this work was 1/60 seconds. The aperture was F/4 while the ISO was set to ISO-800. This was to help me get the best possible photograph for this photoshoot.
Visual Elements are used throughout work. My use of Line has been shown with the straight lines from the background on the garage door. This helps give my piece structure.
Shape is present in this photograph with the edges defined within the piece shown on the multiple shapes constructed masked figures in the frame coming from the bottom in different positions and in different sections of the photograph.
Form can be seen with the three dimensional quality of the subject standing in the frame, The width, length and height are all present on the subject. The masked figures all in different locations and sizes allow for this 3 Dimensional look.
The colour has been used by converting the final image to a more cold colouring, this was done with a gradient map of turquoise added over with a 26% opacity. Red and blue (two contrasting colours) are positioned together opposite yellow and green (another two contrasting colours) these vibrant, bright colours are placed within this grey dull room to pull your eyes to either end of the photograph while the subject stands out in the centre in similar colours to his surrounding.
Space is present in this photograph with subject being in the centre allows alot of space however the space then is taken up by the masked figures attempting to gain the subject, lowering the space and giving near to no room for movement
Texture can be seen with the surface of the floor and garage wall, As well as the creases of the clothing the subject is wearing.The visual element of pattern is used with the pattern and repetition of the lines from the background and repetition of the masked figures.
Composition is used in within my photograph as vantage points can be seen as the perspective view point from eye level shot looking directly on the subject in the chair. This is a long shot of my subject. Framing has been used with in my piece as i have positioned the framing so the subject is in the middle of the photograph allowing the masked subjects to be positioned around him leaving him trapped. I have applied the rules of thirds as the masked figures rests on the right and left vertical line. If the main visual components (things in the image) lie on or near the lines then the image often tends to look 'right'.The use of the rules of odds and evens is debatable as there is an odd number of masked figures which according to the rule gives the feeling of balance, yet the nature of the masked figures contradicts this as it communicates the ideas of abuse, fear, and aggression.The rule of triangles has been used with triangles present in the folds of the subjects arms and the finger space between the fingers of the shadows. This creates a solid composition.The use of space is is used to make the photograph more dynamic, The subject has been trapped in the corner giving the photograph a large area left but this is then is used up by black shadows. Symmetry was not used in this photograph to convey a more clustered message.Repetition and pattern can be seen used in this photoshoot as the patterns of the black static background through the photograph while repetition of the shadows can be seen on the black background.Simplification was essential for this piece, the subject had to be surrounded by nothing to be completely alone for the arms to attack him for this photograph to work. The narrative of this piece is to communicate ideas of bullying leading to a Social Anxiety Disorder. We see the subject fear away at judgement of others, whether it be friends, family, random strangers in society, the shadows of the hands represent the views of others. It is part of the subjects shadows because it is the darkness that lurks within his own mind believing these people look down and mock them.
What i wanted from the shoot:
I wanted to represent the mental health condition of Insomnia. Showing a subject in a restless state with an inability to sleep.
Did I achieve this?
I believe i have successfully created the representation of a subject struggling to sleep, The idea of someone battling with their mind and head to sleep has been shown. I a proud with the work produced. The composition of the subject and the mise-en-scene of the piece along side the visual elements of colour and tone are the best features of this photograph.
How can I Improve Further?
I could improve this photoshoot by instead of using a mask to suffocate the subject instead using transparent cooking paper where then i can show that mental disorders may not be physical present and we cannot see them but can make someone feel trapped and stuck struggling to breath, move and get out.
Evaluation
Refinement
This Refinement i wanted to alter the background. I came up with the idea of melting the subjects on the screen. I believe by distorting the background it puts it off focus enough to tell its been tampered with however the figures with masks look well melted in the second one better than the first however the subject on the chair therefore looks clearly placed on the photograph.
This Refinement
This Refinement
I wanted to recreate the a similar style I used to do in As Photography and use a dispersion effect to try and capture the message of the photograph. I also wanted to experiment with adding as many figures i could to add more elements of horror into the product.
This refinement was without the figures and just with the subject on his own with the dispersion effect. The colours and saturation were altered to create the look on the right.
Follow Up Progress
This will link into my next photoshoot by using a mask to mask the identity of the individual.