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Photo-shoot Eleven

Save Me From My Mind
In the style of Alex Stoddard

Record

Production

Photo-shoot Title:
"Save Me From My Mind"


Photo-Shoot Concept & Aim:

The aim of this photograph is to demonstrate the painful effects of a heart break, from more specifically a heart break in a relationship, the iconic ideology of the GOD Cupid shooting an arrow at people who were in love and the symbolic meaning of heart with an arrow through it represents love. So the concept of my photograph will be to turn this ideology on its head and flip both the denotations and connotations of the symbol.

Date & Timing:
This photo-shoot will take place on the 19th November 2017 at 5pm. This time allows the sun to be setting before the night goes black. This allows some light and the end of the day to be captured within this photograph again. 
 

Location:

This will take place in Farringdon Feild as this allows us to gain a large hill covering a large surface with tall, over grown, dead grass and plants. It will be fairly local and should be easy to get to and set up my Camera Equipment. 

Props:
Little props are needed within this photoshoot. It will require fake blood bought from pound land from Halloween. This will be used to create blood coming from the arrow through the subject. (that will also be needed) 

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.

Team:

For this photoshoot i will need a team to complete this shoot. Because of the area in which i am taking the photograph i will need a assistant (Lochlann Cairns) to protect the camera while it takes and to focus the lens on me (the subject / model) for a more striking photograph.

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. Tripod was needed and i used a Manfrotto compact advanced aluminium tripod in black The ISO settings will be set to  ISO-300 while the shutter Shutter Speed will be set on 1/500 seconds and an Aperture of  f/5.6.

Desired Shots:

The desired shot for my photoshoot is for the subject to be standing on the edge of the photograph (applying the rule of thirds) allowing for a dark field to be present in the majority of the photograph. The subject will be standing holding the blood dripping from the arrow that has pierced through his heart and skin.

 

Reference Images: 

Photographs

Photoshoot

Product

Product

The Genre of this photograph is Digital Manipulation. Camera Control for this photograph has the Aperture f/5.6. The Shutter Speed 1/500 Seconds. ISO is set to ISO-300. Additional Light was used to brighten up the subject while natural light of the sun was present.

Visual Elements shown in my piece are shown with:
Line. This is present with the lines of blood over the subjects body, The straight lines on the arrow and curved lines on the body. This is actual or implied Lines within the composition.
Shape can be seen with the shapes of the subjects body parts. This is shown by areas defined by their edges within the piece
Form which is the three dimensional quality of an object or shape its length, width and depth. The form of the forest behind the subject and the form of the subjects body.
Tone describes the darkness or lightness of a particular area in an image. Shading from light to dark tone is often used to emphasize the form ( an objects three dimensional quality) This is evidence with the darkness of particular areas of the forest in the background. 
Colour which are Hues with their various values, intensity and saturation this is seen as i used Camera Raw and High Pass to edit these features and create the more dynamic feel for this photograph. 
Space which is The Space taken up by objects or the space in between objects ( sometimes called negative space) which can be seen when the subject takes up the right side of the photograph (using rule of thirds) and having loads of empty space on the left to surround the subject with the forest mise-en-scene.
Texture which is the surface qualities of artwork can be seen with the texture of the subjects skin and the forest branches. 
Pattern which is Surface designs, repetition, visual interest is evidence from patterns of the trees and branches. The repetition of leafs.

Composition is seen within my photograph with Vantage Points, which is A position or standpoint from which something is viewed. Angle, Eye view, Outlook, slant, perspective and viewpoint, The vantage point of this photograph is an eye level shot. The photograph is a medium long shot. Another composition feature is the Framing and Cropping, Cropping refers to the removal of the outer parts of an image to improve framing, accentuate subject matter or change aspect ration. Depending on the application, this may be performed on a physical photograph or piece of artwork.  The subject was framed so the subject was on the right side of the photograph while space is to the left infront of the subject. Cropping was used to remove any image from behind the subject. Rule Of Thirds Divide he image into thirds as shown - if the main visual components (things in the image) lie on or near the lines then the image often tends to look 'right'. In this image the horizon line is on tone the bisector. This is evidence as the subject as mentioned before is standing on the right of the photograph using the right vertical bisect.Rule Of Odds and Evens which is  An even number of 'things' in an image can sometimes create a feeling of tension or a slightly un-natural look...while an odd number of 'things' can often create a feeling of harmony or balance is debated in here as the single subject is meant by this rule to create a balance however the single subject creates tension.
Rule Of Triangles, which is Triangles have 3 sides and tend to form stable solid looking compositions. Is seen with triangles in trees but more clearly the triangle of the arrows head and feathers. Rule Of Space, which Allows the image to appear more dynamic whilst conveying specific meaning or messages, This rule is shown by the space surrounding the subject.
Symmetry, which is When the image is equally balanced ( No symmetry would be asymmetrical ) have not been used.
Repetition and Pattern, which is Pattern can be used to suggest texture, or can produce an abstract visual experience is used only with the leaves and branches scattered across the image. Simplification which is Simle photographs, Main object in frame with a plain background which have not been used with the backdrop used to give a more realistic feel and quality for the image.

The Narrative of this photograph is to twist the ideologies about the God Cupid and the valentine tradition of shooting an arrow at someone to fall in love with. The symbol of the arrow through the heart to means lovestruck 💘 That the user of this emoji is so madly in love with the person they are sending it to that they would take an arrow through their heart for them.  This photoshoot then physically portrays the subject taking the arrow through the heart. This communicates the inverted message. Instead of the subject being madly in love with someone the subject is seen heart broken and dying because of this arrow left pieced through his body.

Evaluation

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Product

What i wanted from the shoot:
I wanted to demonstrate the painful effects of a heart break, from more specifically a heart break in a relationship, the iconic ideology of the GOD Cupid shooting an arrow at people who were in love and the symbolic meaning of heart with an arrow through it represents love.
Did I achieve this?
I believe i have successfully achieved this. The use of Cam Raw has really helped develop this piece. The colours, tone and contrast on this piece has helped create a successfully dark photograph. The location of this photograph is also a well used for the effectiveness of the conveyed message communicated throughout. 
How can I Improve Further?

To improve this photograph further i could create and use a real arrow in the photograph. Another possible improvement could be additional blood to make it stand out further.

Refinement

Experiment
Experiment Noir

This refinement was produced while making the Mental Health Awareness Posters as my experiment. I wanted the subject to capture the eyes further by putting the image in CamRaw again i was able to do this by changing the colouring and other levels. 

 

This refinement was an experiment in the Style of my later work following this in the style of Frank Miller with his Sin City work. Here the image has been converted to black and white with the red highlighted. This hasn't worked as well as other work as the red now doesn't look realistic and looks digitally enhanced on 

Follow Up Progress

This will link into my next photoshoot by using the arrows through the subject.

© 2018 by Jay Collins Personal Creative Enquiry. Mental Health. Made in Saint Robert Of Newminster. Proudly created with Wix.com

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