Work Diary - Eleventh Shoot - James Cant

For this session, I focused on the work of James Cant and decided to use the same techniques as him to produce similar images. This connects with my project of society as it looks at identity and concentrates on the different identities that an individual in society can have - showing a good and bad side to my subjects. This is done through scenery, facial expression and editing. Similarly to Cant's images, I have used a straight angle when showing the subject as an innocent and happy individual but a side angle when showing a rougher side, this is so that the viewer can connect with the subject and automatically understand what I am trying to achieve.

This image is my favourite from the shoot - I like how the first image is a huge contrast to the second. The first picture is very bright and emphasises the innocence of my subject, he also has a happy facial expression to further highlight his personality. On the other hand, the second image is rougher looking and I used a different background to match it with the subject's facial expression.

However, this picture has a similar background - this affects the image as the contrast between the two images is reduced. I could have also edited the second image better so that the subject looks more dangerous.

Work Diary - Fifth Shoot - Potter Street

This was my last shoot focusing on residential areas and distinguishing between different social classes and comparing them in terms of housing. I shot in a wealthy area for this session, allowing me to capture the types of houses and cars that the middle class may own. This can be compared to my other residential shoots, especially with estate shoot I did, which is a huge contrast to the houses in this shoot. At the beginning of the shoot, I had an idea of what I needed to capture but I was worried that the images would be very similar to all my other residential shoots, making my work boring and repetitive. However, as the shoot went on, I noticed that by changing angles, I was able to add diversity to my work and stop my images from being repetitive. 

I really like this image from the shoot, mostly because of the crooked angle. As this was in a posh area, the angle makes it seem rough and dodgy - I enjoyed experimenting with this as it shows connotations of danger; the bushes also hide most of the front garden, which further emphasises this. I also used a lower aperture here so that less light would be picked up, making the image look dark and mysterious.

This image from the shoot could have been framed better - the lamppost on the left looks out of place and ruins the image. The bottom of the picture is leo very dark and is unclear to the viewer, this also ruins the picture and make it unexciting.

Work Diary - Tenth Shoot - Lee Jeffries (Studio)

For my last shoot, I focused on Lee Jeffries techniques in order to explore identities and portray my subjects in a vulnerable light. By using a black background, I was able to make my subjects stand out, which is similar to his work. At first, I was unsure about the shadows - I experimented with the lights and kept manipulating them until I found the best light to capture my subject in; I wanted the shadows to put emphasis on my subject's facial expressions and highlighting their facial features, which I further highlighted when editing the images on Photoshop. 

This is my favourite image from the whole shoot. I like how the shadow on the side of her face has created a big focus on the left side, forcing the viewer to focus on her facial features and her expression, connecting her with the viewer. The black background contrasts with her white jumper, once again, forcing the viewer to pay attention to my subject rather than the surroundings.

I also like this image; I think by covering my subject's face, it makes her look even more vulnerable and prevents the viewer from bonding with her, which makes them pay more attention to the image and find other clues on the subject. Having her hair tied up allows me to show her face and the shadows created.

Work Diary - Minimum Depth of Field

This session was not very long - we took some quick photographs using the depth of field technique with a subject. I was unsure at first how this was going to work but as I experimented with the camera, I found this technique easy to use in order to show depth in an image and exaggerate the scene. By adding a subject, it brings emotion to the image and adds more meaning to the scenery.

I took this image on the shoot - I have decided to use a close up angle so that my subject can block most of the scene while still using the depth of field technique. Moreover, the colours in the photograph all contrast each other making the image stand out and highlighting the technique used.

In the future, I would like to use this technique in my work but experiment more with it. By using different angles and aperture, I will be able to add diversity to my work whilst exaggerating the scenery and making it look bigger.

Connecting Essay Five

This image was produced by Lee Jeffries. It portrays a young subject with highlighted features, such as the hair and the eyes. This has been done deliberately in order to focus the viewer on the subject's face and prevent them from paying attention to the background. This is further done by blurring the subject's neck and clothing, to bring it out of focus and unclear to the viewer. By restricting their view, Jeffries is able to evoke feelings of curiosity and allows the viewer to wonder and dive in deeper into the image, exploring the context and trying to figure out ho this subject is. The use of shadows further helps to achieve this mysterious atmosphere from this image. Moreover, Lee Jeffries has chosen to add the element of contrast between the subject's hair and the pitch black background to add diversity to his picture. By doing this, he is also able to add colour as the subject's skin is quite pale, which reduces the amount of colour used. The angle used has been picked carefully, where the subject is able to be seen clearly without any distractions - the angle also creates a stronger bond with the subject and the viewer as the child is looking straight at the camera. This gives the effect of the child being right in front of the viewer's face due to the close-up technique that has been used. The facial expression on the subject is a negative one, although it looks neutral, the child's mouth is frowning. For the viewer to notice this, they must pay more attention to the picture, especially the facial features. This is why Jeffries has chosen to highlight the facial features, 

This is one of my images, which I produced whilst completing a shoot inspired by Lee Jeffries. I attempted to use his techniques and include elements like he does in order to come out with a similar image. I have decided to do this as it relates to my subjects, and concentrates on identity and individuals in society. The techniques I've used portrays my subject in a rough manner and is very sharp on her facial features, showing them off and highlighting them. By manipulating the light, I created shadows on one side of her face - this is so that the viewer focuses on the side that's well lit and picks out her distinguishing features, such as her bright blue eyes and pink lips. This is to highlight her beauty although I have also emphasised some flaws on her skin. I have chosen a subject with bright clothing so that she can show a huge contrast between herself and the background so that the attention is only on the subject and nothing else.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

In conclusion, these two images have more similarities than differences. For example, the techniques used in both images are extremely similar, such as the use of shadows and angles. Although Jeffries' image is closer to the subject's face, mine is still at an intimate angle so that the viewer can be connected to the subject. Furthermore, both images consist of a black background so that the contrast in each image is highlighted and prevents the viewer from concentrating their attention anywhere other than on the subjects. On the other hand, my image is brighter than the one from Jeffries. This is because I wanted my subject's facial features to be emphasised and take up most of the image. The facial expression I have used is not so much neutral, but more arrogant. The subject is looking straight at the camera with this look, making the viewer uncomfortable. Similarly with Jeffries' image, he makes the subject make the viewer feel uncomfortable.

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