Initial Shoot Contact Sheet and Improvements

Initial Shoot

Although most of my shots dont include members of the public I would like to think that if selected on a better day, it would be easier to take much more interesting images without people getting in the way. 

I think I will change my location to suit the initial brief, and adhere to the costume so as it suits a much more modern and industrial location. 

I think that althuogh these images are pleasant, they can be even stronger and I will work on creating much more interesting images with a different selection of location and look, to really enforce the sharp suited modern look of Hugo Boss. 

Final 10

WHat it reminds? composition? location? post production? imporvement? 

This image is effective in displaying the clothes of Hugo Boss as the background doesn't blend into the garments and the black tights juxtapose the white marble staircase and the denim jacket doesn't camouflage into the black shiny door. The composition works well as the seated pose shows the garments at an interesting angle and the law of thirds helps also, the use of leading lines shows the architecture of the door frame and building drawing the viewers eye into what the model is wearing. Subtle usage of frame within a frame adds to this, and as the background isn't too busy the background doesn't distract the viewer. In post production I used the sharpening tool to create more depth and detail in the image, making it more grainy and striking, but avoiding it looking bad quality and pixellated. In order to improve this image I would attempt to make the models positioning show more of the garments and possibly take a closer shot so that it becomes clearer to see the clothes. The tilt of the models head draws the viewers attention to the logo and makes it clear as to what brand this image is advertising. 

This image is effective in displaying the models garments as the striking pose enables more of the garment to be exposed. The lighting produces interesting shadows also, without it becoming too distracting or shadowing the image too much. The interesting composition of the image with the wildlife in shot works well as the colours mirror the clothes colours and isn't too jarring for the viewers eye. The pigeon placements also produces interesting law of thirds and allows the placement of the logo to balance with image. The leading lines and repetition of the staircase draws the viewers eye towards the interesting shapes of the clothes and the ripped exposure of skin creates an allure. The location works well with the clothes and creates an interesting industrial feel that is contrasted with the models casual clothes. The location of the steps creates an illusion of floating and isn't overly distracting for the viewer as it isn't as interesting as the model. The intricate textures on the staircase don't pull attention but adds depth to the image without being to jarring but bringing the block colours of the clothes to life. Using Lightroom helped enhance these features as the I sharpened and enhances the clarity of the image, the placement of the logo made sure that it wasn't too busy in one corner of the image but rather was balanced and allowed space to allow the viewers eyes to rest. In order to improve this image I would rearrange the models hair to draw the attention to the garments even more. 

This image works through the use of leading lines as the stairs draw the attention to the model, the rule of thirds and the off centre placement of the model works nicely also, giving an edyr interesting vibe. The pulling of the clothes also makes the clothes the main interest as it draws in attention and pulls it all in. The shadows enable the clothes to not blend in too much and camouflage into the location, it also hints at the durability of the clothes and shows much more of the clothes. The  darkness of the under-layer of clothes makes the jacket stand out even more and the angular and tense pose reflects that of the rigid stairs. In the post production I used more sharpening tools to make the image sharp and clear so as to aid the viewer into the clothes, however the location is slightly less so, so as not to attract too much attention. In order to improve in this image I would like to create an increased dynamic between the model and the background. 

In this image the location is increasingly prevalent and possibly the overpowering section of this image also. The use of the rule of thirds positioning the model slightly off centre and the interesting use of the flower held by the model associates the location to the fashion and links it up nicely. The grungey look of the clothes juxtaposes the location and appears to set off certain olours in the outfit nicely, such as the necklace which is green also. I increased the saturation to make this image seem increasingly more vibrant as well as the sharpness, the use of inserting a logo allows the image to be extremely more associated to the brand and therefore the models eyecontact draws you to the brand name also. In order to improve this image I may want to have lifted of the textures of the clothes of the model more and enable the clothes to be the main focus rather than letting the location of the bush overpower it. 

This imag eworks well due to the shallow depth of field and as the clothes in the foreground are sharper than the bushes making it the main focus of the viewer. The location allows the fence to produce leading lines and therefore draws the reader in due to clothes. The fact that the model is turned away makes the clothes and accessories the main focus rather than the face and doesnt distract from what the brand is attempting to promote and advertise. The shadows however cover some of the clothes and although it adds interest and allure it would be nice if they were much more visible and therefore in post production I increased the brightness to make it more visible. Making the boss logo font white gave it prevalence and allowed it to be much clearer against the darker green tones.

This image is especially interesting as the use of angles and perspective from above show the clothes from a fresh new perspective and include some interesting location section also. The clothes are covered but can be seen clearly and the bright white of the edge of the pond contrasts against the colours of the clothes and allows it all to be very popping and bold. The interesting location and colours of the pond compliment the outfit nicely and allow the logo to label the image and make the fashion items clear. Simialrly to Boss' other shoots, the clothes link up with the location and so I have done this with the moody dark tones and that mirror the drakness of the pond. In order to improve this image I may have cropped the top of the image a little bit at the top in post production, or gotten the model to wear something that reflects that of the swirly greeen vegetation in the pond.

I really believe that this image is effective as the clothes follow BOSS' patttern of the location matching the clothing, and suiting the environment. The shiny textures and accessories on the clothes match up to the reflctive surfaces on the window, and the silvers work nicely with the metallic grey pillar also. The reflective surface really makes the models pose even more edgy and bold as you can see her silhouette in it also. The mixture of patterns and textures dont overwhelm the image or make it too busy but they still make it striking and bold. The leading lines of the pillar draws you down to the model and her clothes and attracts the viewer as it is an elongated image. In post porduction using Lightroom I used brightness to expose what was occuring behind the glass, and the mixture of reflections and windows made the image increasingly interesting. In order to improve I my position the model against the pillar so as not to confuse or blend in with what was occuring behind the glass, however her pose does expose and allow the clothes to be seen well and the pose also reflects that as it is edgy and strong and therefore much like the structures behind her. 

I think that this image works well through the use of shallow depth of field, and therefore making the clothes and the model the main focus, rather than the background. However I think that this can be improved upon due to the fact that there is memebers of the public in the background that affect the viewers attention and ruin the landscape of the background. The close up shot allows the clothes to be seen in detail and the direct eye contact of the model strikes and draws the viewer in. In post production I increased the sharpness of the image because I wanted the viewer to see an enhanced quality of the clothes, and didnt want to affect the colouring too much, so as to create a realistic representation of the clothes and not alter the look of it overtly.

I like this image because of the capturing of the location and the similarity of the hair with a simialr movement also similar to Arnaud Pyvka work that I looked at. This makes the image extremely interesting and the grey hues match the clothing nicely also. The interesting textures of the floor make the image look extremely interesting, however it may be a bit distracting as the clothing is of the same shades and so may blend in with the background. However the shallow depth of field allows the foreground to be sharper and therefore the main interest. The rule of thrids of centre positioning makes the image much more intersting and the image overall creates a lot of movement and excitement, as the clothes are one of the few things remaining still, making it the main focal point also. In post porduction using lightroom I increased the contrast of the image and therefore making it a much bolder image. 

I like this image because of the mixture of texture and materials, the greenery and the sharp structures of the industrial buildings that seep modern era. The clothes reflect that also with the structured design of the clothes and the free flowing nature of her hair. The brilliance of this image is that there is noone polluting the background. This image works incredibly well and the off centre law of thirds positioning adds an additional dynamic also. This creates an incredibly dynamic image, the lighting creating a pool of light around the model makes the image that more special as you wouldnt be able to achieve this without natural location lighting in this particular setting and luckily the planning allowed us to get there at the correct time for the best lighting. In order to imporve this image however I would straighten up the moels jacket so as to show it correctly, however in a proffesional environment this would be done by a fashion representative or assitant in order to portray the garments to their fullest. 

Final Fashion Shoot, Contacts, Planning, Some Enlargements & Brief Evaluation

PLANNING


Location:

City Hall
London

Why?

Industrial and near the river, full of interesting architecture to juxtapose the clothes. Edgy and futuristic shots. Nature around there, of Pigeons and small areas of grass as well as water features that will work nicely against the model and add interest to the image.

Fashion?


Hugo Boss style, structured shapes, well suited to the location, echoing subtly the architecture and design of the place.

Grey looking, but casual, dynamic and sharp shapes mixed with dark black ripped jeans. Also another model wearing something bright and patterned to juxtapose the dark greys and the moody hues that come with the location, bit of an experiment.

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Brief of Fashion Label and Research Images

In 1924, Hugo Boss started a clothing company in Metzingen, a small town south of Stuttgart, where it is still based. Due to the economic climate of Germany at the time, Boss was eventually forced into bankruptcy.1931, he reached an agreement with his creditors, leaving him with six sewing machines to start again.

These images are the foundation of my concept for the Hugo Boss inspired shoot.

The intense use of angles and the mixture of scenic and industrial location will influence my selection of place and how to recreate the extremely juxtaposing images of the glass and trees.

 The models take on extremely simple poses makes the image, they seem to look slightly off centre or completely in another direction to allow the clothes to be the main feature, rather than their faces, as it is fashion photography and not makeup. I will use this to influence how I instruct and play with angles of the models to present the clothes in the best possible light.

Her dress in this image mirrors the movement of the flowing movement trees in the background, if possible I will use the environment surrounding me to influence the movement of the garments in the image.

 This is an interesting image as it is taken on a lovely day and therefore I will plan to shoot on a sunny day rather than a cloudy one and possibly find a more rural/park life location to make it effective. Sunny day will allow the natural light to brighten the image and give it a sunny feel/atmosphere.

The clothes reflect the location in most of the Hugo Boss images and will request the models to wear increasingly more sharp suits/garments at the industrial location. And also allow the model to play with the clothes to draw the attention inward and toward the model rather than around the location.

Written Research on Lenses and Camera Formats

Fish Eye Lens 


Thefish eye lense is designed for digital SLR cameras, it is an ultra wide angle lens and the effect is that it is a strong visual distortion or hemispherical image. A positive effect of using a fish eye lens is your ability to get more into the image due to the distortion, moreover the wider the lens the more distortion you will have. However using a fisheye lens wont make you image unrecognisable but rather slightly unrealistic possibly, depending on the width of the lens the extremeness of this image can develop. There is two types of fish eye lenses; circular and full frame. Using a circular lens provides increased distortion, up to 180 degrees of it, and a full frame lens allows a subtler distortion.


Macro Lens

Using a macro lens provides a shallow depth of field, meaning that less of the image is in focus and the objects closest are. Macro lenses provide a small aperture, aperture allows the light to be let through, and makes the background out of focus. Macro lenses can be used by photographers to let produce effective close up shots, of flowers, bugs and portraiture usually of very small subjects, in which the size of the subject in the photograph is greater than life size  The mgnification factor of 1.0x or a ratio 1:! is easily added to the DSLR. Another interesting fact is that due to the advances in sensor technology, today’s small-sensor digital cameras can rival the macro capabilities of DSLR with a real or true macro lens, despite having a lower reproduction ratio, making macro photography more widely accessible at an increasingly lower cost. 


Zoom Lens

A zoom lens is a very common types of lens, as it enables the photographer to zoom into a subject which is an extremely handy and useful tool. Usually the standard zoom lense is188-55mm lens. A zoom lens gives you better angles and enables the photgrapher to increase the excitement of an image throught his/her ability to expose a much more intersting perspective upon the subject. A different zoom lens is a parfocal lens, this lens maintains focus when focal lens is adjusted. This variation of a zoom lens allows magnification, the image will be more magnified when focal point is father away
from the senser inside the digital SLR camera. Using a compact or point and shoot doesnt zoom as a lense would but enlarges the image, which can lose quality and become more pixellated, losing its appeal as a sharp image.


Prime Lens

A prime lens has only one focal length, however they are available in a wide range of focal lengths
telephotos and wide angles are included. Prime Lenses are typically used for portraiture since they have a maximum aperture of F/1.4 compared with the standard F/4. This lens enables the  photographer to blur the background more, since the camera has a shallower depth of field and thus the background is out of focus.  Some of the advantages of using Prime lenses over Zoom lenses include; the ability to take higher quality images, as well as be much smaller and therefore lighter than a Zoom Lens which makes transportation of said lenses easier and therefore a plus.



Telephoto Lens

Telephoto lenses are usually used in photography and cinematographic instances. The lens has a extremely long focal lens typically with the focal lens of 100mm being the smallest in order for the lens to be classed as a telephoto lens. The most common standard lens is 50mm which is exactly how you see things from your own eyes
there is no magnification.
For example, a 200mm lens would be four times the magnification of the standard 50mm so you would see the image 4 times as close up. With the telephoto lens you are able to take a good clear photograph of the moon, for this a telepohto lens of 200mm would be needed as well as a tripod clear sky and time to be able to capture with the correct photo.  You are more capable of a shallow depth of field if the subject is able to stand out from the background with the subject in focus and the background completely out of focus. Finally telephoto lenses are particularly good at capturing action and motion such as speed, dance wildlife a d vehicles. These lenses work especially well with wildlife photography, since you have the ability to take a photo from far away from the subject which can be beneficial, since getting close to wildlife without disturbing them is challenging and they can get scared. Far away objects in a distance are able to be photographed since you have the ability to take a photo from up close, whilst still maintaning quality.



Wide Angle Lens

"In photography and cinematography a wide-angle lens refers to a lens whose focal length is substantially smaller than the focal length of a normal lens for a given film plane." 

Shooting with a zoom lens or even something similar to a 50mm prime usually limits what you the camera can take in. The first type of shot that springs to mind when you think about a wide angle lens is a landscape image. A wide angle lens will allow you to fully take in the entire room and also capture the essence of the scene, without zooming in and possibly ruining the image with concentrated up close subjects. Wide angle lenses take in such a wide field of view, they can distort the apparent physical relationships between objects within the framing of the image. This results in obvious distortion, most noticeable when you see lines that should be relatively straight but are instead bent. Essentially a wide angle lens allows the phtographer to capture the bigger picture. 

Medium Format Camera

Medium format cameras use film bigger than 35mm or digital, and thus give much higher quality within the image. Its almost just as easy 35mm and digital, and in some ways more advantageous. The quality is better than 35 mm or digital and almost equal ease-of-use for when using the camera, it is a popular format for many tyoes of photography including portraiture. 


Large Format Camera

A "large format" refers to any imaging format of 102×127 mm or larger. Large format is larger than the medium format, the 6×6 cm or 6×9 cm. Most, but not all, large-format cameras are view cameras, with fronts and backs called standards. Standards that allow the photographer to better control over the rendering of perspective and increase apparent depth of field. Architectural and close-up photographers use and beefit from this format also. 


Bronica Film Camera

Bronica cameras first appeared in 1958, when the company's founder, Zenzaburo Yoshino, introduced a camera of his own design. Bronicas were used for workhorse camera's and by wedding and portrait photographers for years. 

The most recent release of a Bronica is "extremely light and compact 6x4.5 cm coupled rangefinder camera system with four interchangeable leaf shutter lenses"

Arnaud Pyvka 

ARNAUD PYVKA WAS BORN IN POIRIERS, FRANCE AND NOW LIVES AND WORKS IN PARIS.

 PYVKA STUDIED MODERN HISTORY AT THE POITIERS UNIVERSITY WHERE HE FOUNDED THE HENRI LANGLOIS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL FILM SCHOOL FESTIVAL.

 WHEN HE COMPLETED HIS EDUCATION ARNAUD MOVED TO PARIS, THIS IS WHERE HE BEGAN HIS MULTI-FACETED CAREER IN PHOTOGRAPHY, FILM AND ART DIRECTION. 

 DURING THIS TIME ARNAUD ASSISTED SEVERAL WELL-ACCLAIMED ARTISTS IN EACH DISCIPLINE AND WORKED FOR VARIOUS HIGH-END FASHION MAGAZINES AND LUXURY BRANDS SUCH AS HERMES.

The smart placement of the model allows each garment she is wearing not to be camouflaged amongst the background of the location, so the colours never blend and you are able to see it all separately as it can jump off of the background.The lower beige part of the skirt is up against the green stalks rather than the similar beige wheat tops, and so in. The floaty tassels also reflect what occurs amongst the wheat bushes as they are swaying to the side and therefore is similar to the wheat that is also swaying, it also creates a nice movement to the image as the viewer also feels slightly swayed as the camera angle is off and so makes the viewer feel off centre. There is a nice display of the law of thirds technique as the image is separated into 3 sections, grass, forest, and sky. Which is similar to the sectioned off and blocking of the garments which creates a really nice connection between the two; fashion and location. 

The image above is effective because it appears as a frame within a frame as the window shapes the women torso and mirrors her soft but angular pose, as well as the pattern on the clothes. The use of shallow depth of field enables the viewer not to be distracted by what is occurring in the foreground and also the use of similar shapes throughout the image is using the techniques of patterns that match the clothes and although the patterns are different, they aren't severely so but allow it to be a subtle match so it is not too jarring for the viewer. There are tinges of orange amongst some of the furniture which links the models clothes to some of the aspects of the location and creates an nice atmosphere all over, as it balances the image. The sleek silhouette of the model creates a nice contrasts amongst the bulky and broad shapes of the floor tiles, cupboard and window and her body reflects that of the spindly forestry outside the image and offers symmetry to the image also. 

 This image is really effective as it links the location to the clothes subtly, and without it looking too boring. The models hair is blown across her face, as is the trees and branches, they are tilted across the pale sky this is a subtle and effective way of linking the too and also drawing attention away from her face and more words her clothes. The branches offer themselves as leading lines to enable the viewer to be drawn into the clothes as the branches seem to be springing out of them and thusly drawing your eye to the models fashion items. The colour palette is also very similar to the clothes, however the colours of the clothes are increasingly more clean cut and less rustic as the scenery is and this allows the viewer not to be confused as the clothes don't act as camouflage but enhance the clothes as something that fits perfectly with nature and therefore will look amazing at anyplace and on anyone as her face is blocked and therefore it makes it look more open to everyone rather than a specific person is the only one able to pull this off.

Arnaldo Anaya-Lucca

The photographer I have research is Arnaldo Anaya-Lucc, he is a Puerto Rican fashion photographer. After earning a BBA degree, he left the corporate world, establishing himself in the fashion industry through his work with the Ralph Lauren Corporation.

I like this image as it displays the clothes in such an interesting way, the 'sitting' position allows the clothes to look dynamic and much more interesting as the block colours don't provide much visual stimulation, however the shape of his body does as it opens up the clothes as you can see it from different angles. The blue hues used compliment the location nicely as it allows us to see the clothes as the colours make it jump off of the page. The rule of thirds as he is slightly off centre means that you can see the location and it gives the image a much more striking atmosphere as it doesn't look basic but rather gives the viewer the impression that they are walking past the model. The marble slab staircase makes the image slightly more interesting as it offers some tonal shading to the image as the clothes do not, and this means that the fashion items can be ever more striking as they aren't fighting other patterns due to the basic, yet bold block colours. The level of the model gives an interesting perspective to the image as the location allows  us to look up and toward the clothes. Subtly the shallow depth of field allows the clothes to be the main focus as the are closest to the camera and gradually it diffuses into a blur. 

The image above works nicely due to again the seated positioning of the model, allowing the clothes to be opened up and allowing the viewer to see into the clothes from a more interesting angle than standing up directly. The relaxed/casual nature of this pose juxtaposes nicely with the nature of the clothes the model is dressed in, as he wears a stereotypically formal suit that really contrasts with his location, pose and accessories that have been selected to compose this image. The shallow depth of field enables the clothes to be the centre of focus as this is a very busy and colourful location, making the lights in the background less important and drawing the attention of the viewer to the items of fashion dressing the model. The use of colour is extremely important in this image as the warm tones of the location is contrasted with the cool grey of the suit and the fitting nature of the suit contrasts with the trainers, and so on. All of these juxtapositions create an incredibly interesting overall image and leaves the viewer intrigued. The leading lines used on the boxes beside him through the yellow tape, create an incredibly subtle way of ensuring that the viewers eyes are drawn to the model rather than anything else in the image.

 I found this image to be a really interesting one, as it uses the law of thirds to ensure that the model is the main focus as well as leading lines of the architecture of the building, to draw the viewers eyes towards the models clothes. The use of colour makes the clothes of the model the darkest of the entire picture and thusly the section that you are most drawn to, as it contrasts great with the brightness and white nature of the location. The repetition of lines subtly is shown on the models clothing as well as the location and allows creates a link between the location and the fashion to create an interesting atmosphere overall. The pose of the model makes the image even stronger as this futuristic and edgy location is matched with the stern look of the model and its apparent floating that is captured by the shutter speed of the camera. There is also a subtle fading as the depth of field is made shallower in the distance as you can see hills that aren't as sharp as the clothes so as to make it the main focus. The shine of the models shoes allow them to stand out as the matte building and floor doesn't deter the focus and makes the shoes look even more edgy and pristine due to the contrast. The curve of the models clothes as the cape/jacket is wrapped around his torso makes the image intrinsically more interesting as it contrast with the angular features of the image. 

This image is effective as fashion photography as the location enables the clothes to be reflected as the glass panels reflect the women shoe, making it seem as if the show will look stylish from any angle and creating satisfying symmetry for the viewer. The colours used in the image reflect the colours of the clothes and make it blend nicely, and not jar the viewers eyes extensively. The shallow depth of field blurs out the forest background and what could've been an incredibly busy background becomes softer and allows the fashion items of the models to become inherently more interesting. The rule of thirds placing the models at the sides makes it easier for the viewer to see the models clothes and the positioning of the models as the stand up in such a tall architecture allows the lines of the walls of glass to draw the viewers eyes downwards with the leading lines and thus makes the clothes the centre of attention without putting them boringly in the centre of the image.