Advertising (Products)
Fashion
Date: 15/01/2015
CITY OF BRISTOL COLLEGE OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS:
Assignment Brief:
Unit Evidence:
Assignment Brief:
Unit Evidence:
Advertising (Product) Statement:
For this theme of studio photography I want to try to experiment with different products that I have got of my own and try to capture as many creative images as I can and then improve on them in photoshop. I got the inspiration for this by thinking of all those adverts that I see on T.V of certain adverts. I am going to use a whole selection of different products, deodorant, air-freshner, Lemsip, Springfield smell for boys. Some modern pieces of technology that I have, like camera lenses and then I have got a number of phones with me that can use as well. This is what is set in my mind at the moment. If anything changes then I will write it in a different colour. 28/01/15. Since last week I have thought of a few more ideas that I can use, in order to create some really clever looking product photography. One of my peers did a small shoot on different types of candy and from what I saw, it did look really creative. I might try to get some candy of my own and use his work as inspiration. This is what is set in my mind at the moment. If anything changes then I will write it in a different colour.
Fashion Statement:
After having done one product shoot of my own and seeing my peers do a mixture of fashion and product shoots I now have some sort of idea of what I am going to do for fashion. I have got a huge collection of m own clothes which I am going to plan on bringing into college and with using a white background I will lay the clothes out in a certain pattern, in order to create a really creative and arty looking photograph, whilst it is being shot in the studio. I have got loads of lovely looking shirts, all of different styles and colours which I can use and create a fun shape out of. This is what is set in my mind at the moment. If anything changes then I will write it in a different colour. 25/02/2015. It has now nearly been a month since I wrote on my blog and quite a few ideas came to me, whilst I was photographing over these last few weeks. I have finally decided on basing my fashion photography in the style that is used in all of the clothes/fashin catalogues. It seemed to be less pressuring than all of the other ideas that my fellow peers had in their minds and also I dont ave to use models for my work.
This is what is set in my mind at the moment. If anything changes then I will write it in a different colour. 27/02/2015, An idea just came to me and I have decided that I am going to dress myself infront of the camera, then using my wireless remote and receiver I can take the photograph of my self, then I can edit out my face and any other parts of my body that appear visible then it will look just like a reall catalogue. This is what is set in my mind at the moment. If anything changes then I will write it in a different colour.
Shoot from the 15/01/15
Mind-map and drawing of plans:
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Contact sheet of my 1st sheet of product photography:
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| The Final 6 from this shoot: |
Well these images are made from two different types of photography. First I had to set up the white background and 3 individual lights to use. I set up two lights with soft boxes on the which create soft light and then I set up one hard light, so as to get the centre of image all bright. I did have to swap over a few lights between some shoots, because it wasn't all successful with keeping it all the same.
After I had got all of the images and put them on the computer, I used the magical program called Photoshop. I used it to create the reflections of the image and and to boost their colour, contrasts, brightness and levels.
Hand written Notes:
Studio Photography Research:
X4 Research Artist for FASHION:
- Erwin Blumenfeld
- Richard Young
- Norman Parkinson (Ronald Smith)
- Damian Lovegrove
X4 Research Artist for PRODUCT:
- Lindsay Fowke
- Ferla Paolo
- Jonathan Bowcott
- Prodoto Photographic Studios
FASHION:
Erwin Blumenfeld
Born: January 26th
1897 in Berlin, Germany
Died: July 4th
1969 (age 71) in Rome, Italy
Known for: His
fashion photography published in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar in the
1940s and 1950s.
In addition to his fashion photography, Blumenfeld
also produced a very extensive body of celebrity portraiture, fine-art
photography (including black and white nudes), drawings and a few forms of
artwork. He created a whole range of photographs whilst a resident of Germany,
the Netherlands, France and he United States, Even before his death in 1969, he
was called one of the most innovative and influential photographers of the 20th
century. To this day, Erwin’s 5 grandchildren are committed to leaving the past
behind and working to promote their grandfathers’ work to a wider audience.
Sample of Blumenfeld’s work:
From looking at Blumenfeld’s official website, his grandchildren have done a really good job at promoting his work to a wider audience. Some of his work I think is really creative and fun to look at and interpret. It really shows how much thought and commitment was put in to get just the perfect shot. Some of his really colourful work is what I think is the best. It just captures a lot of attention and can really promote the idea of wanting to buy some of the clothing that his models wear.
Richard
Young:
Born: 1947 (age 68)
Known For: being an English society and celebrity
photographer since the 1970s.
Young’s photography career started in 1974 and since
then, he has photographed personalities such as Princess Diana of Wales,
Elizabeth Taylor, and Mick Jagger.
Currently, Young continues his career as a celebrity
photographer and has worked with the photographic agency Rex Features for thirty
years. He and his wife, Susan Young, own their own gallery called
the Richard Young Gallery in Kensington.
His work, as well as those by other photographers, is
displayed at the gallery. His diverse portfolio includes Diana,
Princess of Wales, Joan Collins, Elizabeth II, Kate Moss, Andy Warhol, Bob
Marley, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Jennifer Aniston and Mick Jagger among many
others.
Sample of Young’s Work:
From just looking a t a small sample of Young’s work,
it reminds me a bit of David Bailey’s work. There are some strong similarities
within each of their works. However, Young seems to do a lot more colour work
and for me personally, colour really just brings out that little bit extra
clarity and texture in a photograph. I also like how Young has had photographs
of himself taken and has included it within his portfolio of work. Even though
I am a huge fan of colour in photography, a lot of Young’s black and white
photographs are also really catchy. They are real 1970s, 80s photographs.
Norman
Parkinson (Ronald Smith)
Born: April 21st 1913
Died: February
15th 1990 (age 77)
Known for: taking up the role as the royal family’s
photographer in 1975, after the death of Cecil Beaton.
Parkinson always maintained his saying that he was a
“craftsman” and not an artist. From his early days as a photographer up to the
time of his death, he remained one of the foremost British portrait and fashion
photographers.
His work, which was following on, from the lead of
Martin Munkacsi at Harper's Bazaar,
revolutionised the world of British fashion photography, particularly in the
'40s by bringing his models from the rigid, basic studio environment into a far
more dynamic outdoor setting.
As well as magazine work, he also created celebrated
calendars featuring glamorous young women. When royal photographer, Cecil
Beaton, died in 1975, Parkinson took over. Some of his very notable
portraits included Princess Anne in 1971 and Queen Elizabeth (The Queen Mother)
in 1980.
In 1981, he was awarded the Royal Photographic
Society's Progress Medal, which "carries with it an Honorary Fellowship of
The Society" and later the Lifetime Achievement Award of the American
Society of Magazine Photographers. He received a Google Doodle on 21
April 2013, in honour of his work.
Sample of Parkinson’s Work:
Out of the three photographers work that I have currently
researched, I would say that Parkinson’s work is the most eye catching. Not
because he took over as the royal family photographer, but just how he captures
his images. From looking at this small selection of images above, I can just
tell that his images are really powerful and emotionally strong. They just have
a real sense of beauty and depth. I particularly like the one of the horse
yawning, with the lady beside him, as if ready to share an apple with him.
Damian
Lovegrove:
Known For: being a renowned portrait photographer and lighting guru.
In his words: “I’m inspired by beauty and as I have
matured as a photographer I’ve learned to see beauty in just about everyone and
everywhere. It’s not what I look at that matters to me it is what I see. I am
always converting the three dimensional scene in front of me into a two
dimensional image in my mind. The exhilarating visual experience I have every
moment of the day drives my passion for photography. I love studying the work
of other photographers to relive the excitement of their captured moment.”
Six things that I like…1. Youth – Vibrant, beautiful, effervescent, alive and broad-minded people excite me.
2. Music – Rhythmic, mood enhancing and well-structured music provides the sound track to my life.
3. Sunlight – Sunlight uplifts me, it creates visual contrast and generates fabulous patterns of light.
4. Food – Slow roasted lamb shanks with Dauphinoise potatoes and I suppose chocolate are my favourite foods.
5. Drinks – Fine old world wines, beer and cappuccino are three of my life excesses.
6. Connectivity – smart phones, and devices keep me connected via Twitter, my blog Prophotonut and Facebook.
Sample of Lovegrove’s Work:
Lovegrove’s work is bay far the best I have ever seen
with regards to fashion, light, involvement and communication. I have only
known about Lovegrove’s work since late January, early February and what he
does I think is truly amazing. From looking at one of his promotional videos he
does take his time to get just the perfect shot and he does experiment with his
work as well. From looking at his website there are some photos that I don’t
agree with that he does, but I do like the way at how he has gone about them.
He has taken his time to get the right shot. What I think is truly magical
about his work, is his skills with lighting. How he is always in control of the
lighting around him and how he always has a back up when needed.
This is one truly amazing photographer and one that
inspires everyone who looks at his work.
PRODUCT:
Lindsay Fowke:
Lindsay has a client-focused approach and always strives to better himself, by finding new approaches and techniques. This makes him stand out from the rest! Communicating and understanding the requirements of each project is the only sure way of getting happy clients.
With the creative flair and backing of a strong, hardworking and flexible team we are able to solve those creative problems and deliver to the brief. We have a fully equipped digital studio on the outskirts of Bristol and offer a first class creative service across the South West and throughout the UK. (http://www.lindsayfowkephotography.co.uk/about.html)
Wow, when I first saw this Lindsay’s work I thought that he was a woman. Lindsay isn’t a very male gender name. His work of products however is just amazing, particularly the one of the two bracelets above. To get such a crystal clear photo, plus a really powerful and clear reflection is just amazing. His work of different products and different settings, other to than just a studio is so unique, I really want to try it out for my self.
Ferla Paolo:
In His Words: “I am a award winning freelance photographer based in Bath, Somerset, England. Photography has always been my biggest passion. Through my lens I love to capture special moments with true emotion, these are the moments we treasure forever.
I specialise in creating images and videos that tell a cohesive story for extended functions like balls, fashion shows, concerts, coorporate and school events and also for more intimate private functions like weddings, christenings, anniversaries and parties.
My work encompasses many areas relating to design and advertising including – branding advertising, graphic design, computer graphics, motion graphics, product design &package design.” (http://www.ferlapaolo.com/about.html)
Samples of Ferla’s Work:
What I think of Ferla’s Work:
What I really like about Ferla’s work is his
experimentation with wide range shots and then really strong quality close-ups.
I only got to see a small sample of his work from his website, but it was
enough for me to decide on what skill he has with product photography. Out of
these 4 different images above, I would say that the one of the dinner display
is really strong with depth and texture and then out of the two close-ups, the
right half of the photo of the lamp shade is really strong and clear as well.
I do like Ferla’s use of strong, clear colour and how
he gets his images to look the way that they are. From looking at his product
work, I can tell that not all of his shots were captured within a studio and
that is factor about product photography that I do like. Not always having to
use a studio for photography.
Jonathan Bowcott
In his Words: “I love photography.
It’s why I run my business. I still get a kick out of seeing my images in print knowing the client is happy and our collaboration produced great images. Back in the early 90’s as a young, green behind the ears Bristol boy, I made my way to the bright lights and delights of London. I returned to Bristol 20 years later with a wealth of experience and an undimmed desire to create great images. Since returning to my hometown I’ve worked for large corporate clients including Coca Cola, Camelot (National Lottery) and Price Waterhouse Coopers. Well-known charities such as NSPCC, Samaritans and Alzheimers Research UK as well as established local design agencies and local brands like Triodos bank, Bristol Uniforms, QEH School and Parsons Bakery.” (http://jonathanbowcott.com/about/)
Samples of Jonathan’s Work:
What I think about Jonathan’s work:
From just looking at a small sample of Jonathan’s
images, I can tell why he loves his photography so much. He says that he is
always experimenting and thinking of different ideas of what to do next. Out of
these 4 little images above, I can’t tell which ones I like more. All of them
have really strong clarity; powerful saturation and they all have a very deep
depth of field. Also the timing of each photo has given him a great exposure.
The one of the olive falling into the glass of martini and then the fountain
looking shape of coffee, coming from the coffee mug. Jonathan is definitely one
photographer, who takes his time with experimentation, just to get the perfect
shot. A little bit like Damian Lovegrove.
Prodoto
Photographic Studios:
From the Website, What they have said about Product photography:
If you want to keep it simple and cost-effective your product photographer can shoot on a white background. If you prefer to add a different dimension to your product photography we can add some creativity to your shoot with a backgrounds, lighting techniques and post-production procedures.
If you want to promote an aspirational lifestyle our photographers and stylists can help you achieve the right environment and mood.
Product packshot photography on pure white is perfect for many uses including ecommerce, brochures and advertising material.
Our packshot photography is available to you at a competitive price, making it the ideal solution for clients who want only the very best photography with a keen eye on budget control.
From jewellery to jam jars, from chairs to coffee makers, sofas to shoes, from blue chip companies to smaller businesses Prodoto make it simple.
With the use of different techniques, the Prodoto team can create something special for your product photography. Our team will employ various creative effects to make sure your final images are exactly what you need, including coloured backgounds, drop shadows and reflections, lighting effects, dramatic angles and atmospheric colours. (http://www.prodoto.com/product-photography/)
Sample of Prodoto’s Images:
What I think about Prodoto’s Work:
This company was a good choice to finish off my
research on product photography. These people really do experiment with their
work, just to get the right images. From looking at their website a lot of
companies have used Prodoto to photograph their products and some of these
photos are just really beautiful. They are certainly very creative as well as
deep in depth of field. I really like the photographs that these photographers
have taken and I would really like to try some of their ideas out for myself
for future projects.
Evaluation:
Gathering research for my photographic projects has
never been my strong suite. I have never been able to master, doing it at the
beginning of a project. I always end up doing in the middle or at the end,
which I know, a photographer must not do. It is important to get it done at the
beginning of your project. I did know a couple of these photographers’ works
before I started doing the studio work, because I had already been shown
samples. For my last Final Major Project I will try to do the main chunk of
research at the beginning of the project, then I won’t have such a hard time
trying to sum everything up at the end.
Research Photos from different books of Studio Photography:
Shoot from 29/01/2015
(FASHION) All of the shirts and polo shirts I own.
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| All of the different coloured shirts that I had in my wardrobe. My aim was to make it look like the sort of photography that you would find in a catalogue. |
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| Final Edited Images: The second one from the top on the left side is my favourite, becasue it just attracks so much attention and it fits really well with the caption that I wrote on the photo. |
Best Images:
(FASHION) All of the socks I own.
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| Final Edited Images: Thelast photograph is my favourite out of all of these, becasue it is the bright and powerful caption that I wrote over the photo. The word "POWER" just brings so much attention to the viewer and in my case it is a bit over welming. |
Best Images:
Since I started this assignemt back in early January, I have had different thoughts about how it was going to plan out. I would say that some time during the second week back I decided that I was going to base my work on a catalogue style of photography. The reason that I wanted to do it in this way is because it was the one type of photography that doesn't require us to use models. Working with people is just so not my thing and having to get them to wear different styles of clothing and then having to pose in different postions, is just too complicated for me. I'm good with taking the photograph, it just the work before and after that I just can't seem to grasp.
Date: 04/03/2015
PHOTOGRAPHS OF EXTRA NOTES STUDIO SET-UP:
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| Camera Settings Flash Meter Readings: |
Product Shoot of Soaps, cloths, air-freshner, electric cables, camera accessories. and tea mugs
A Total of 232 individual shoots, cut down to 27:
Lighting Set-Up Photos:
Editing Process:
1st Final 3:
10/03/2015.
Remaining Photos and editing Screen Shots:
Evaluation of this Shoot:
This was by far one of the longest shoots that I had ever done. The shooting and the post-production work. Instead of spending just one hour in the studio, I spent 3 whole hours, photographing all of these different products. It took a long time and I had to try a few different light exposures, just to get the one perfect shot. Out of all the products that I photographed, I would say that all of the different soaps was probably the best. Just to have so many different colours, really makes the difference in a photograph. The last photograph, the one which is like a little collection of things, I think is one that will really grab a persons' attention.
FINAL PRINTS OF THIS SHOOT:
1,000 WORD STUDIO ESSAY:
Introduction:
In this essay I am going to write about
Studio Photography as a whole in general, the specifications of it, how it
differs from location photography, what my themes have been for this unit, the
health and safety issues in studio photography and finally my views on studio
photography.
Background of “Studio Photography”
In General, they say that studio photography
is easy because you can achieve exactly what you want, but its also hard
because you have to have more communication and interactive skills, better then
you would have than with location photography.
When we talk about Studio photography there
is a key word that we use to link it all together and that is light. Soft light, hard light, hair light and
background light. All of these types of light are the key to capturing a great
studio photograph. All of the lighting is under your control, where as if you
were doing location photography, you only have what light is available.
If you are a
tremendously creative person who knows how to go about a studio and knows how
to use the equipment, you'll get wonderfully perfect results. If you are
uncreative, you'll have very flat and boring results. If the lighting balance
or exposure is not set up correctly then, you'll have nobody to blame but
yourself.
Studio FASHION:
Fashion Photography we all know and love.
In the years gone by we have seen huge success made in magazines, films,
TV-shows, portraits and many others. It is one of the many genres of
photography that I find particularly hard. The reason being is because I always
assume we have to use models when shooting. In some cases this is the case.
Having a model does make a huge difference in Fashion work.
Having a model, just really makes the
difference in the shot. You can get them to pose in a way that you particularly
want and you can get them to try on different clothes to see what they look
like. They may look good in one set of clothing and bad in another set. So you
can always have the option. They main thing to always consider when
photographing with a model is to be able to communicate with them in a way that
they feel with confident with. Try to interact with them as much as possible
whilst photographing them. However, you don’t always have to use a model. This
king of photography can take a long time. One photographer can take up to 300
photographs, just to get the perfect one. There are many photographers you take
photographs of fashion where a model is not necessarily needed. Some
photographers have made a success of photographing clothing for clothes for
catalogues.
This is the kind of fashion photography
that I am comfortable with. It is also important for the photographer to be
comfortable with what he is photographing. For me, personally photographing
without a model is much easier and not as complicated. Sure it doesn’t produce
the same results, but it is still very attracting. When I was younger I always
remember the clothes catalogues that my mum use to show me, for when I needed
new clothes and I always wondered how these little books were made. Now I have
had the chance to try some of this photography myself and it is really fun.
Closing the book completely for having a model is not good, but there are ways for
me to try to overcome that and I look forward to the challenge, before the
studio assignment comes to an end.
Studio PRODUCT
When I see adverts on T.V on huge posters,
promoting phones, cars HD Televisions, alcohol, food and many other things I
always wonder how do the artists capture it so perfectly. When you look online,
say on amazon, all of the photographs they use as promotional pictures are
really good looking. How long will it take for you to get just the right image
to use for promotion.
Just by looking at this selection
photographs of all these different gadgets makes me feel even more motivated to
try it out for myself and see what I can achieve. Product photography doesn’t
always have to be new things. Sometimes you can have old things to advertise
which are still worth lots of money. You can get quite a lot out of valuing
things.
Product photography to me really brings the
world to life. It lets us see what we now have available in this world. You can
involve models sometimes in product photography, but I have only seen it a
couple of times. It doesn’t take as long as fashion shoot normally does, but a
lot of thought still goes into it.
Health and Safety in Studio:
Now Studio Photography may seem like fun
and games and a bit of a breeze, but NO, It is a very serious genre of
photography, and you must be careful when shooting in a studio. First you must
make sure that all of your light equipment is set up so that no one will trip
over any of the cabling. The best idea is to cover the cables with big objects,
like the bags that lights a carried in and place them over the cables so people
can clearly see them. Make sure that your set background is all in the right
position and won’t get damaged. Then the main thing is to make sure that your
model is comfortable, if your using one and that they don’t get blinded by the
lights or feel too uncomfortable.
The best idea is to draw up a diagram of
how you want your shoot look and draw up a second one if the first one fails. Always
consider the health and safety when shooting in a Studio. I was told if one
small thing happens, it can affect the whole set and could cause huge problems.
Evaluation:
Studio Photography presents many
challenges, just waiting to be done. I will admit that it isn’t the most
exciting for me do. I am more of a location photographer. I like working out
doors and using the natural light, but I will say that the last few shoots that
I did for both fashion and product have been really fun and enjoyable. Even my
teacher said to me that I had achieved a huge amount and got a lot out of just
putting my mind to it.
Even though studio photography is not my
thing, I am not completely tossing it aside after this project. When the time
comes to do my final major project, there will come a time when I will have to
use the studio and I actually do look forward to it.
Bibliography:
Studio Photo References:
Google Images of Fashion Photography and
Old/Modern Gadgets
Fashion References:
Product References:
13/03/2015
Final Product Shoot:
PHOTOGRAPHS OF STUDIO SET-UP:
Editing Process:
This was also by far some of the most fun that I have ever had in the studio. Photographing all of these modern apple gadgets was really fun. A grand majority of the products were my own personal items, and some I borrowed from friends in my class group. What I really enjoyed doing was adding the bornze layer and then desaturating that layer to make it a really deep black and white.
Final Prints:
FINAL FASHION SHOOT.
Originals & Editing Process:
EVAUATION:
This last studio shoot for the fashion was really good fun. Some of the most fun that I have had in the studio all term. I used all of the skills that I learned from doing the Experimental Imagery (De-Focus) unit, from the previous year for the Studio Techniques and combined them into this unit, except it was all focused work. Some of the things that I have learend from just doing the studio work has really given me the confidence to try and experiment with using a studio a bit more, knowing that it isn't really my field of photography. I am taking a leap as they say.
FINAL PRINTS:
Since January, which is when this studio photography unit started, I have learned a lot of different techniques, skills and used quite a few different ideas. It has been a lot of fun and I have enjoyed being in a studio enviroment. Since the start of this BTEC course, I have done a total of 5 different studio assignments. The first two, which were "Rembrandt" and "After the Style of," I did not enjoy at all. I don't know why I didn't enjoy them, but they just weren't my cup of tea. The de-focus imagery was much more fun, becasue of the creativity and the fun of the assignment. The Still-Life of Flowers, which was last June, has been by far the best fun that I have ever had in the studio. Considering it was the topic that was for the higher makring grade, it was actually the easiest out of all the previous assignments.
My next task is going to be my Final Major Project, which is worth double marks and points to all of the other assignmsnts that I have done.
When we were given the brief for the FMP, I immediatly decided that I wasn't going to use a studio, but after doing this last assignment on fashion and product, I have decided that using a studio will be quite handy and a good idea. I have decided to base my FMP on beaches and what you can find on a beach.
