Photographer Research - Richard Avedon

Richard Avedon is a well known fashion and portrait photographer, who established himself in 1923. He is famous for his unique portraits due to his consistent use of high key lighting in order to reveal different personalities of each of his subjects. The black and white theme is very common in his work, as he was an old photographer and did not have the option of the use of colour in his images. However, it has been argued that this gives his photographs a vintage feel and prevents the viewer from being distracted by the colour, allowing them to concentrate on the contents of the image and the subjects found in them. As well as photographing personalities, Avedon has tried to hide messages in his pictures; by positioning his subject in a certain way or using a specific facial expression on them, he was able to allow his viewers to connect more to his images and engage more with them, looking deeper into its meaning and exploring the different personalities that are illustrated.

This photograph from Avedon portrays the subject in a negative way through her lack of clothing; this suggests to the viewer that she is poor and is not able to afford new clothes for herself. By doing this, Avedon aims to give out a wrong first impression to the viewer about this subject; this is highlighted though the use of facial expressions - the subject has a mean, arrogant look on her face, showing that she doesn't care what others think about her, suggesting she likes keeping to herself and not share anything with anyone. The black and white element of his picture further adds to the deprivation this lady is going through; the lack of colour represents the lack of other materials and perhaps even the lack of other people in her life. The fact that she looks isolated and lonely can symbolise how she doesn't have anyone in her life and is all by herself, she doesn't have any family or friends. Moreover, her collar bone sticks out a lot, this has been achieved through the use of shadows, showing the depth of the bone and illustrating how slim she is - this may imply that she is unhealthy and doesn't eat enough, this could be due to her lack of food or due to her loneliness, which has affected her health as well as her happiness. The photographer has made it deliberate so that her clothing and her skin tone kind of blends in with the plain, white background; this is so that the viewer can see how she blends in with society and goes unnoticed. No extra attention is payed to her as she goes about with her daily life on her own.

This picture from Avedon shows a lot more contrast between the subject and the background through the use of dark clothing. Unlike the picture of the lady above, this subject's skin tone is darker than the background and does not blend in; this ensures that the viewer concentrates on the subject rather than the background. Once again, the technique of using bold facial expressions is being portrayed, the subject has put on an intimidating look on his face, looking directly at the camera. This is done in order to make the viewer feel uncomfortable - this depicts the subject as superior and powerful, suggesting that he holds an important role and has a high position in the American West society. The way the subject has tilted his head also adds to this effect as he appears to be even more intimidating, almost as if he is 'examining' the viewer, giving them his full attention. The element of shadow used highlights the wrinkles and the depth of his skin, putting emphasis on his age. The use of high key lighting has made it clear to the viewer who the subject is, allowing them to see every detail of him in the picture. This ables the viewer to become closer with the subject, even though they do not feel comfortable about him. 

This image connects the viewer to the subject immediately; by using his usual high key technique, he portrayed the subject as a goofy, friendly individual through his facial expression. When first looking at this photograph, the viewer is automatically focusing on the subject's face, allowing them to be 'acquainted' and they get the impression that he is a nice person. However, when exploring the picture, viewers become aware of the fact that he is holding a gun. This contradicts his facial expression and changes the image completely as it now seems as if he's mocking the viewer - his hand gesture further supports this. Avedon has made sure that the white background shows off the gun and puts emphasis on this object; no detail from the gun is being shown as it is plain black - the photographer may have done this to ensure his viewers are not distracted by the gun, although it is an important part of the image, he wants the viewers to focus more on the facial expression of his subject so they feel intimidated by him. The techniques used has made the subject contrast massively with the background so that the viewers are not distracted - the black and white element of this picture adds to this contrast and highlights the details on the subject as it is almost impossible to pay attention to such a plain background.

Unlike Avedon's photographs, this image has the subject positioned on the left of the picture rather than the middle, this is so his arm could be captured in the image. The posture the subject is using can be argued to be a very feminine one; Avedon chose this subject because he has a kind, gentle face, which promotes the femininity that is being depicted in this photograph. Once again, a high key lighting technique has been used in order to show a high contrast between the subject and the background; his clothes are opaque black but his shirt is plain white like the background. This can be symbolic as the subject fits in with society but his feminine looks may make him stand out a bit and get some looks from others in his community. As this photographer focused his project in Americans years ago, he may be trying to illustrate the struggles homosexuals had in their society before they became accepted. The fact that he is positioned more on the left could emphasise this as he is not 'straight' in the image, further putting emphasis on his sexuality and trying to get the message out to the viewer. It is very common for Avedon's photographs to have a hidden meaning, making his work exciting and unique. By using a simple technique, he is able to portray personalities and emotions of certain individuals.

In my picture, I have tried to show emotions and portray my subject's personality by using multiple imagery. Unlike Richard Avedon, my work is in colour, which highlights the facial features of my subjects and lets the viewer get a feel of their personality even more. Similar to Avedon's images, I have used exaggerated expressions on my subject's face so that their feelings and emotions are really emphasised.

To conclude, I have chosen Richard Avedon because of his unique style of portraiture. The black and white element to his work almost acts like his signature, allowing his viewers to automatically recognise his photographs. I have grown to love his use of symbolism through the facial expressions of his subject and the composition of his pictures; I think this is a very smart way of connecting with the viewer on a deeper level, forcing them to engage with the contents of his photographs. He also ensures that every important detail is shown in his work, by manipulating the lighting, he takes time to set up the perfect scene before shooting - this means he can think about which detail to include and which one to omit. One thing that really struck me about his work was how he always portrays his subjects in an exaggerated manner but yet, it seems so natural and real - he makes it seem as though their personalities are over-the-top when they aren't. He also makes his subjects seem as if they are reaching out for the viewer and forcing them to concentrate on them and analyse their personalities. By doing this, he can send messages across to the viewer but with hidden meanings, making his work unique and exciting.

Photographer Research - Wittner Fabrice

Fabrice is extremely good at exploring culture in society. His work consists of colour and different angles, giving his pictures an adventurous feel to them. When focusing on culture and traditions, he is very good at picking up little details of daily life for the different communities and highlighting the differences between these communities. He is argued to be very good with his use of angles and this is shown throughout his work - this highlights the contents of his images and allows his viewers to see them from a different view that normal. I picked him because I feel his use of angles lets the viewer feel as if they are there at the scene and experiencing the different culture. Moreover, Fabrice is good at framing his shot before capturing his photograph; he only captures the aspects of the scene that give his viewers a real feel of the culture that he is focusing on. This is consistent with his work, ensuring the viewer can understand the traditions that he is trying to show.

Fabrice has filled this picture with the culture of Vietnam. He has used a low angle in order to fit in the subjects as they are mostly on the floor; this allows the viewer to also feel as if they fit in with the picture as they can clearly see what is happening in the scene - some sort of market place. The culture is highlighted through the use of the traditional hats and the photographer has made sure that several hats are on show, they repeated so that the viewer can pick this item up and pay some attention to it. By making the hat a light colour, which blends in with the background, he lets the audience know that this scene being shown is daily life for them, they are used to it. Contrast has been shown to be a big element in this image as the colours are quite abstract - the green shade from the vegetables contrast as well as compliment the different shades of red and blue all around the picture. Wittner Fabrice is very good at giving his pictures a natural and realistic feel although they may not necessarily be - this picture is an example of this, he has captured a neutral facial expression on his subjects, suggesting that they are comfortable with their surroundings and that this is nothing new to them, they are completely used to it.

This picture is extremely interesting and can be seen as ambiguous. The technique of light stencils has been used here and Fabrice has done a whole project on this. Personally, this technique amazes me and I would very much like to use this in my project as it is a simple way of highlighting a specific subject or object and make them the main idea and focus in the picture. This ensures that the viewer gives their full attention straight to the stencil and ignores other aspects of the picture until they are happy they have spent enough time studying the stencil and have understood the context of it. Then, they will look at the background and focus on the context of that before putting it all together and coming up with a conclusion for the photograph. For example, in this picture, the stencil looks a little mysterious as the subject is looking over his shoulder, implying that he is looking if anyone if following him or watching him. From this, it is implied that he is somewhere he shouldn't be and his clothing further adds to this idea as they are big and he is wearing a hat to hide his face. After looking at the subject, the viewer then focus on the scene, the fence separates the viewer from the subject, making it seem as if there is no way of connecting with the subject. The angle in which the picture was taken fills the frame with fencing, emphasising that the subject is trespassing. 

This image is not very typical of Wittner Frabrice's work as the techniques used is different to the ones used in most of his other pictures. However, his use of low angles is still present; he does this so make sure the whole scene is being captured in the photograph and the viewer can clearly imagine what the beach would look like if they were there. Contrast between the sea, sand and the sky has been reduced through editing and the brightness being increased. on the other hand, the hills on the side of the picture still has a strong contrast to the rest of the beach - what this does is get the audience to concentrate on the hills and less of the beach. The subject is also dressed in dark clothing, standing out from the beach scene but matching the colour of the hills. However, his surf board matches the colour of the sand, blending into the background. The choice of matching and non-matching colours has been done in order to show the personalty and the characteristic of the subject. This suggests that he is adventurous; his surf board blends in with the beach scenery, implying that's where he belongs and he feels safe there. His clothing matches the hills, suggesting that he also enjoys spending time there, hiking and exploring. He is familiar with his surroundings and feels at home there. 

This is another image depicting culture from Fabrice. This picture was taken in India, capturing their traditions as well as there scenery. The two pictures that have been put together do not match in terms on context but do physically. He has chosen to put these two photographs together to give the viewer insights on their religion and traditions as well as their mountains and nature scenes all at the same time. In order to make these two pictures go together, Fabrice had to consider the colours that are found in both. The blue water from the photograph with the man matches the background in the photograph of the mountain. Rather than showing the greyish colour of the rocks on the mountain, Fabrice edited it and made it more of a blue colour so it matches the picture on the right. The subject has been captured with his face covered so that the viewer is distant from the subject. By doing this, the photographer stops any distractions from happening and gets the audience to focus only on the background and the scene, being able to understand the culture of India. The angle in which the first photograph was taken makes the mountain look extremely steep - too steep to walk on. This gives out a sense of adventure as equipment will be needed if anyone wanted to climb up the mountain.

Taking inspiration from this photographer, my image shows culture from a low angle, this is so that the lamp shades at the top are highlighted and emphasised throughout the picture - they also seem to be the main light source in the image, forcing the viewer to concentrate on them. By capturing subjects, I was able to show them in their culture and traditions, which is very similar to Fabrice's work as he uses the same technique in most of his images.

In summary, Wittner Fabrice has great use of angles in his photographs and I have chosen him exactly because of that reason. He has given me ideas and inspired me within my project - I have started experimenting with different angles and manipulate my photographs using this technique. He also has great use of colour and emphasises only the important colours, making them stand out from the rest of the photograph - this is a technique I am also hoping to use more and more in my project and it will give more significance and symbolism in my pictures, which is what Fabrice has achieved with his images. This brings life to his work and makes them feel real and allows the viewer to really connect with the scene. Other techniques such as light stencils have also been repetitive in Frabrice's work, making his pictures more exciting and have more of a surreal feel, giving his work diversity and creates completely different images. By doing this, he keeps his photographs fresh and makes it exciting for his viewers.

Photographer Research - Seymour Templar

Seymour Templar is an American photographer, great at capturing people in society in weird clothing and on their phones. By doing this, he tries to address social issues that can be found in the community, such as homeless and the lack of socialising between individuals in one society. He sends out messages through the use of symbolism in his photographs and allows the viewer to connect with his subjects rather than just observing the picture and moving on. Although most of his work portrays his subjects in a distant way, for example, they are covered or on their phones or far away from the camera, this forces the viewer to build up a connection with a subject as they try work out the personalities and the issues being depicted. Most of his images also have a lack of colour; this gives out the impression that the subject is being deprived of something it is up to the viewer to guess what it is. Once again, his engages the viewer with the picture and forces them to try and figure out the subject. This makes his pictures exciting and always contains a message of some sort.

In this picture, Templar has used props on his subject in a creative way in order to show homelessness. His work here is odd as the only bit in this image that depicts the idea of the subject being a homeless man is his clothing, however he does look clean and hygienic, which are not expected features with those who are homeless. The black and white element in this picture strips it of colour both physically and mentally; the viewer can see that the man in the picture is leading a dull life and it's slowly depriving him of his life, he is not able to live it how it should be lived. Emotion is also removed from this photograph through the use of props - the homeless man made a hat to protect his face from the cold using socks and other materials, this portrays his lack of money and communicates to the viewer that he is sleeping out on the streets. Although he is trying to keep himself warm, it is evident that his clothes are not enough to keep him warm but he cannot do anything about this. In photographs like these, viewers often believe the photographer is trying to create an emotional bond between them and the subject, getting them to emphasis, however, this is not the case for Templar as it is seen that he tries to distant the viewer from the picture so that they do not concentrate in their emotions but rather on the content and context of the image.

Templar is very well know for his work on capturing people on their phones, when he uses low lighting. This is done in a realistic way, as he tries to shoot his subjects in a natural environment, doing what they do on a daily basis instead of getting them to act the scene. By doing this, the viewer can see how genuinely interested the subject is with their phone and makes them wonder what they could possibly be looking at in situations that are present in the scene. For example, in this picture, it is clear that this man has stopped on a street just to look at something on his tablet, which is not usual. His headphones suggest that he could be watching something or listening to music; Seymour Templar has chosen to capture his subject with headphones in order to show hoe advanced technology is and how normal it is to people now. The fact that the subject is leaning against the wall implies that he's been there for a while and he is not planning on leaving anytime soon. This is a very dangerous scene as he can easily be attacked by thieves but he is not concerned by this - Templar portrays this using an angle where the viewer can see that he is not standing near the street light but in a dark corner instead. This photograph is trying to depict the addiction of technology and how this can lead to dangerous situations without it being realised.

Another picture of a subject on their phone is being shown here. This lady is standing in a dark street with minimal light checking her phone - the only light in the picture is coming from her phone and from street lights ahead of her. This is bizarre as she is choosing to stand in a dark space rather that a lit up space just a few feet ahead; this emphasises on how fascinating she must be finding her phone. Templar uses lighting in a smart way in this picture, only using really soft lighting directly above the lady so that the camera can pick her up but the lighting he uses is very dim as shadows are created and she seems to fade into the area where she is standing. The umbrella prop has been included due to its colour, matching the lady's dress, making her blend into the scene even more, showing how she is too focused on her phone on a daily basis that she does not socialise but blends into her surroundings. The umbrella also forms a shadow on the lady making it almost impossible for viewers to see her upper body, preventing them from connecting to the lady and focusing on the context of the picture rather than the subject.

This is not a typical photograph of Seymour Templar and can be seen in different ways. It can be argued that the guard is walking around the building at night with the guard dog, doing checks, however, it does look like the guard is dragging the dog, forcing it to help him in case he comes into any danger. This can be very symbolic as the guard seems to not have any balance; he could fall forward if he let go of the dog, this could mean that he is relying on the dog for his job and without the dog, he couldn't do his job, suggesting that the animal is the worker here and he is just bossing it around - this is highlighting by the look of his dragging the dog across the room. Templar has once again decided not to allow the viewer not to build a relationship with the subject by positioning the camera very far from the guard. This forces the audience to concentrate on what the picture has included and what is not present. For example, the lack of people in this building can suggest to the viewer that this photograph was taken at night, when it was closed. These are little clues that viewers may not have picked up on if Templar positioned his camera closer to the subject in a different angle, which would have allowed them to pay attention to the subject.

This is one of my pictures, which I took on a culture shoot in Chinatown. Similarly to Templar's work, my subject is on his phone in a natural environment, this is to show how individuals are in society. I decided to capture this person because he stopped deliberately so that he can check his phone. With the cultural background, my work shows diversity and the red compliments the orange colour of my subject's coat - this makes the viewer focus on the subject and what he's doing.

To conclude, I have chosen this photographer because I enjoy the way messages are hidden in his images and how viewer must spend a considerable amount of time analysing his image before understanding the message. This gives a deeper to his work and immediately makes it more exciting, bringing viewers back for more. I think this is an important aspect of his work, by connecting with a viewer through the messages in his work, he creates and keeps a relationship with that viewer. I also like how he keeps the subject distant from the picture, thus the viewer; I think this technique is a great way to get the audience to really concentrate on his photographs and try to reach his subjects so they can understand them and get to know their personalities as well as their struggles. Furthermore, Templar has shown excellent use of lighting and his work reflects how he experiments and manipulate the lighting in each scene; he tries his best to even though sometimes, he clearly cannot, such as on location. Despite this, he always captures his photos in great lighting and the exposure is always perfect.

Photographer Research - Lauren Greenfield

Lauren Greenfield is a photographer and filmmaker, who concentrates on youth culture, gender and consumerism. She has produced several projects, with most of them focused on some sort of culture, an example of one of her most known project is 'Girl Culture'. I have chosen this photographer because she captures society in a realistic and subtle way, through symbolism and the use of angles. Having her work regularly appearing in the New York Times Magazines, Time, GQ and American Photo, she has to keep up with her work and produce new images quite often. Despite this, Lauren is still successful when coming up with unique photographs to display society in. She has made use of a diversity of techniques, in order to allow her pictures to come out the best they can - different use of angles is seen clearly in her work as it progresses and the angles used in each picture helps Greenfield portray the stereotype or issue in that particular image and allows her to put emphasis on it.

This photography produced from Greenfield is very typical of her work; she uses symbolism to portray stereotypes and sad truths in society. The little girl in the picture is made to seem quite comfortable where she is through her body posture; by doing this, Lauren Greenfield has communicated to the viewer that the little girl is used to this scenery, implying that she is there often and feels safe there. The shoes in the background are very feminine and too big for the little girl, suggesting that she is waiting to be old enough to wear them. This is highlighted in her posture - she is sitting in a way that looks as if she is waiting, maybe for someone or maybe for something, or perhaps she is waiting for the time to come where she can fit into the shoes, showing that she will always be in this type of scenery 'waiting' until she is old enough, and this will eventually become who she grows up to be - into fashion and with the urge to look good and wear fancy shoes. The use of colour has been thought of as the shoes and the wooden stands have been selected and arranged in such a way that they match the couch, blending in with the whole scene. This shows a lack of diversity, symbolising that the little girl doesn't have much choice when she grows up - society doesn't let her choose who she would prefer to be and what she would prefer to wear.

The angle in which this picture was taken is a very interesting one; the viewer's view of the scene is very limited - they only see a small section which is repeated through the use of reflection. Greenfield is very good as choosing angles and capturing a photograph at the correct time. In this picture, the facial expressions of the girls are similar to each others, suggesting that they are feeling the same emotions. It is clear in this scene that the girls attending some sort of event that they should supposedly be excited about, however, they don't look very excited. Greenfield is trying to show the viewer that girls in society are forced to do things and wear certain clothing that they may not necessarily like. In the picture, Greenfield has included a 'behind the scenes' section to this whole image, it is evident that the adult subject is putting make up on the little girls at the back of the car. This highlights how girls are made to wear make up and have been brought up in a particular way that they start to think make up is part of everyday life. Lauren has chosen to include this but only in the corner of the photograph in order to represent how this bit in society is hidden and barely seen; this represents the way that girls are brought up from a young age, having make up put on them and making them think they need to keep putting it on as they grow up.

Lauren Greenfield has made this picture to be extremely symbolic. The young girls in the bathroom are exactly the same ladies in the doorway, this is shown through their clothing. The young girl in the black is portrayed to be obsessed with her weight and her appearance as she is wearing what seems to be a pearl necklace that may not even be hers. She is also wearing shoes as she is weighing herself, showing how young she still is, young enough not to understand that her shoes must be taken off before stepping onto the scale. By manipulating the scene in such a way, Greenfield is able to highlight the age of which girls start to be conscious of how they look to society - an age which is too young. The young girl sitting down is watching carefully as her friend weights herself, showing how behaviour is passed along and how girls all learn from each other. The older version of the girls in the doorway are still wearing the same clothing but the lady is the black is not wearing the pearl necklace anymore; this suggests that as she grew up, she realised how she must not be so obsessed with how she look and she is looking back on her younger years, wishing she felt the same when she was younger. On the other hand, the ambiguity in the picture could also lead to the viewer understanding that the lady in the black dress does not regret her younger days, she enjoyed it and misses how she used to look, reminiscing her youth.

This picture is an usual one from Lauren Greenfield; usually her pictures are taken in a naturalistic scene or a symbolic scene, unlike this photograph which is evidently staged. The element of colour is used hugely in order to show contrast and make the picture more colourful and attractive to the audience. The blue contrasts with the gold dress on the subject as well as compliments it. The whole picture is blue or green, except the girl who is in gold, even her skin tone is of a tanned colour. This creates a spotlight on the subject, immediately getting the viewer to focus on the subject as soon as they lay eyes on the image. Greenfield has to this to eliminate all the other nurses and doctors in the room as they do not catch the attention of the audience at all, they blend in with the room and seem unimportant, which is ironic as they are the people who are saving the girl. The use of lighting has been manipulated so that the main lighting is on the subject in the middle, enhancing the golden colour of her dress and her skin. This symbolises how she has been too obsessed with her looks and her appearance that she has not been realising that she was putting herself in danger. Lauren is showing how girls are going to extreme measures in order to change their looks as they believe they are not good enough and this is damaging to their health but they are too stuck in the idea of making themselves look 'perfect' that they are not realising what they are doing to their bodies.

This image focuses on boy culture and explores the stereotypes about boys, especially those who live on estates. I have used similar techniques from Greenfield's work, by highlighting the subject and making them the main focus of the picture, however, I have not shown my subject's face as it makes the viewer curious and guess how they are feeling without seeing their facial expressions.

In conclusion, I have chosen this photographer because her work is relevant to my project and I really enjoy how she portrays the different stereotypes on young girls in a surreal way, giving her work a touch of fantasy. I have been inspired by her work and would like to explore the different stereotypes in society. Consequently, I like how she always uses a range of techniques; by doing this, she makes every picture that she takes different from each other and keeps her work fresh. I have noticed that her use of colour is also very good - it makes her work very vibrant and attractive to her viewers. This is essential in her project as she is aiming to attract people to her work and force them to concentrate on the messages she is sending across.

Photographer Research - Lee Jeffries

Lee Jeffries is one of my favourite photographers that I have studied for this project. I think his techniques give his work a unique style and really connects to the viewers. His subjects are always portrayed in an emotional and sensitive way, in order to let the viewer pay attention to them and understand them on an emotional level. His use of facial expression on his subjects are mostly exaggerated so that their personalities and feelings are depicted and clear to the viewer. He doesn't hide messages through symbolism but makes them obvious to his viewers; he does this so that the viewers don't have to spend time figuring out the messages but instead focus on the contents of the image and analyse the different techniques in it.

This photograph of Lee Jeffries is remarkable - unlike most of his work, colour is being used in this image. It is evident that the subject's lips are being highlighted through this use of colour as it is the only feature that stands out the most in this picture. By doing this, Jeffries attracts the viewer straight to the facial features by starting with the lips and then the eyes; they are the second feature that stand out. This allows the audience to concentrate on the facial expression of the subject, understanding what they are feeling and creating a connection with the individual in the image. It is clear that Lee Jeffries wanted to lead the viewer straight to the expression and the feelings of his subject as he has not included anything else rather than the face of the subject, he has even included a plain black background to prevent any distractions or loss of focus on the main concept of the picture. The use of lighting is very smart as Jeffries focuses the lights to the front of his subject's face so that shadows are created in order to show depth and detail; this is shown on the eyes where the detail of the subject's facial bones are being shown - this adds to the connection between the subject and the viewer that Lee Jeffries has created.

This portrait is a typical photograph by Lee Jeffries; his use of facial expressions on his subjects is being highlighted in every one of his pictures. It is clear that he is very good with lighting and angles as he must show these expressions with emphasis and show them off to his audience. Shadows are a big element of his work and are found everywhere in this picture - even in the background. As the picture is black and white, the shadows gives this image an element of tone, showing different shades of black and grey. By doing this, the viewer still feels though as if the picture still has diversity despite the fact that there are no colours. Every portrait produced from Jeffries aims to give the viewer the chance to explore the character and his/her personality. From this picture, it is shown that the subject is thinking about something; it is unclear whether it is something positive or negative but the picture portrays him as being lost in his thoughts - the use of his hands holding his head up represents this and this is what makes his work so incredible, he allows his audience to connect to the subject emotionally and put themselves in their heads. Also, like most of his other images, this picture is very naturalistic, no make up or props are used to adjust the appearance of the subject - Jeffries portrays them how they are, representing their true selves in detail.

In this picture, colour is used to highlight certain features of the subject. The background is kept dark and distant from the viewer once again so that there are no distractions to take the viewer away from the subject. It can be argued that this picture is ambiguous; it could show how the old man has been smoking for quite a while as he looks quite comfortable doing it. However, it could also show that he feels old and feels as if he has nothing to lose - his health is already in a bad condition and smoking won't make a difference to him. it is unclear to the audience what he is smoking but it could suggest a form of stress relief, implying that he is struggling with something and due to his rough look, some viewers may conclude that this man is homeless. This is depicted through the lack of grooming and hygiene; his nails have not been cut and look fairly dirty along with his unkept beard. Contrast is a huge element in this image as his bright green eyes compliment his white beard. This automatically makes the picture more exciting and attracts the viewer, forcing them to concentrate on these particular features more than the rest of the picture. It is seen that contrast is shown a little bit further through the red in his eyes, making it hard not to notice the green colour of his eyes and also suggesting that he is tired and has not had a lot of sleep or maybe he is sleeping rough, once more, adding to the idea that he is homeless.

Lee Jeffries does a great job when including every detail from his subjects' face and highlighting them in his work. An example is shown in this picture, where all the wrinkles on this lady's face is highlighted through the use of lighting and shadows, showing the depth of the wrinkles. By doing this, Jeffries invites the viewer to guess how old his subject is, making them feel more personal about the lady. Her glasses is another feature that is added to the guessing of subject's age; it shows how the lady's eyesight is worn out and how she can't see without her glasses. Jeffries has placed the glasses on the lady's nose rather than have her wear it properly in order to get rid of any barrier in-between the viewer and the subject, the fact that the lady has lowered her glasses and is squinting at the viewer makes the connection even stronger and feel more real. The scarf around the subject's head further emphasises her old age as this look is mostly associated with the elderly. Jeffries has made sure that the scarf is not too flashy but clear enough so that the attention of his viewers is still on the subject but they are also picking up on little clues to guess her age.

This is my image, which was inspired by Lee Jeffries; I have used similar techniques to Jeffries in order to produce this photograph. Unlike Jeffries, I have decided to add more colour to my work, this is so that it stands out and looks more vibrant, highlighting the shadows in the image even more. I use the same editing tools on Photoshop so that my subjects look rough and gritty, very similar to Lee Jeffries' work - this has allowed me to portray emotions and feelings through facial expressions, which are highlighted by the gritty look.

Overall, Lee Jeffries creates amazing and detailed portraits so that he can portray his subjects as rough and allow his viewers to emotionally connect to them; by using facial expressions and close ups of his subject's faces, he is able to achieve this. By creating some photographs in black and white and some in colour, he adds diversity to his work but still aims to achieve the whole gritty, dirty look to his images.