This year I have have decided to start developing and expanding the use of primary imagery within my work. Although appropriation is and will continue to a large focus within my work, I still want there to be similar emphasis on there being a strong primary image element to my work. This is made more important by the ongoing online image portfolio that I will be contributing to throughout the year.
Nevertheless, there is a different relationship developed with he image when you have taken the time to produce your own images using individuals that you have some form of relationship with, and this I feel needs to become an important topic of discussion within my work.
This line of thinking is somewhat related to the discussion with my tutor in my recorded tutorial regarding the use of approbation and how audiences receive and decode images then they can recognise the sitter/model – audiences were much more receptive to the techniques employed to make the images when they had no prior preconceived ideas about the model, in comparison to when they know who the sitter was to which they would be more concerned with why I chose that particular person (most likely a famous celebrity, actor/actress). This appreciation of my work in this way is something that I want to challenge within my oeuvre this year.
The photography studio will throughout they year be a great tool, allowing me to really expand the number of models/sitters that can be apart of my work without the use of apparition. In addition it will also allow me to develop my photograph and Photoshop skills. This week I plan to use a friend (Horcelie) as the first sitter for the year. As we already have a relationship, she will be useful in allowing me to really photograph her in a way that you cannot do with strangers or random encounters on the street.
In mind I have two plans of the styles in which I wish to photograph her.
- On the one hand, I plan to do very staged, exaggerated high contrast images, much like the images last year. I want to black-out the background, and put a spotlight on Horcelie, emphasising the angles in her have, as well as there being a strict confinement within the image to the details of her face
- On the other hand, I want very neutral images, with minimal make-up and soft lighting. Much like a passport photo, I want there to be a simplicity to the images. To this I will then proceed to take pictures from multiple positions around the face and head, differing the closeness and distance from the sitter.
IDEA 1: My thinking regarding this method is to use this images as a basis for the (A2) ongoing portfolio of images that I have started in conjunction with my 360 degrees portrait. Typically these images are much easier for me to draw from in that there is a lot of contrast within the images. These images will also contribute in some degree to the online portfolio.
IDEA 2: Idea two will be the 360 degrees portrait. Like layering, this time in stead of building up aspects of the face from a standard distance, this time I will differ the angle and approach of the next corresponding layer of the image, hopefully building a 3D image of the face and head. However to this I am then going to retranslate the resulting installation into an architectural drawing similar to the drawing that proposes the start of this piece of work.
This kind of work is very different to any line of work I have ever done within my practise. However not only am I excited to embark on with the idea, but feel that this will be an important step into developing my practise. My feelings regarding this piece are related to the need for my work to continue to develop whilst keeping the drawing element within my work.
360 Degrees Photos:
What I wanted to achieve with these images were very soft/neutral images that capture her face at differing angles and distances. In this way could play around with collaging the images together in a fashion to build up to a 3D depiction of her profile.
However, I do not want this to be more of a fragmented view, in which viewer participation is needed to decode and rectify the imagery to a degree.
Below are an example of the styles of images I took in which with each new spin of the sitter I change the angle of approach and distance from the sitter. I feel that variety between the imager will better allow me to map out a more 3D depiction.
Close Up
Close, restricted views of the face, containing a lot of detail. Light was used forward facing, and the expression remaining neutral.
Details (below)
In these images there are absence of the traditional elements of a portrait. I wanted there to be a keen focus on smaller details of the face and neck which could be used if i map out a section of her face that does not need to be fully explored, if done so on another corresponding image.
Full Body Portrait
I also felt that from a distance would be useful as it will add variety to the angles at which i can reconstruct her face, and the portrait, depending on how detailed the images (and its layering) becomes.
Mid-Range/Distance
A more standard image distance and style, this will be used initially as the 3D building process.