Photographer 5 - Craig McDean

Photographer 5 - Craig McDean:

https://www.artandcommerce.com/artists/photographers/Craig-McDean

Craig McDean is a British fashion photographer originally from Manchester and now based in New York. McDean started off as a car mechanic before studying photography. His work is commonly used for advertising purposes, and he has photographed for brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Calvin Klein and Estee Lauder. 

I have decided to include the work of Craig McDean in my research as i think that he is a good example of advertising photography. His images usually advertise a product with it being worn or used by a model, these models are often famous celebrities, some of whom McDean has worked with include Cara Delevingne, Madonna and Natalie Portman. I find that his style of photographing is interesting, something common in most of his photographs is the use of colour. In many of his images he uses the same sort of tones and shades of one or two colours. This creates a interesting image that all fits together subtly. 

This is and example of an advert for makeup brand Yves Saint Laurent, the model Cara Delevingne is featured in this image promoting a new makeup product. The way that this has advertised the product is by having Cara wear it, commonly brands think that if its worn by a well known celebrity then many people would be interested in buying it. In this image the use of colour like oranges and browns has made the image quite a subtle colour that still  stands out. The use of light on the left side of them has been used to try and highlight Cara's face, by doing so they would be highlighting the product that she's wearing helping it to stand out and to promote it further. 

This image is another example of beauty advertisement this time for the bran Estee Lauder. In this image they are not promoting one singular product, but just the brand in itself. The aim for this image was to just show a makeup look and photograph it in a way that makes the products look interesting and sellable. This way of advertising is incising without giving to much away. This would meant that anyone who was interested in the products would have to go to the store to find out more. The image itself is interesting in ways of the composition. The side on view of the model where they have turned their head towards the camera means that the face ties up the majority of the frame. By doing so the makeup look becomes the main focus of the image.  

This image an example of a fashion advert. In this image colour has been considerate so that the image doesn't have a large amount of contrasts. In this image different tones of grey have been used to allow for the image to fit together elegantly. The composition of the image has been considered in a way that shows the outfit in a clear way, and make it fit into the advert effectively.

This image could debatably be advertising both makeup and fashion. The composition of the image makes it possible that both is being shown as you get clear view of both the clothing as well as her face and the makeup that she's wearing. By doing this the photographer has been able to show the whole appearance of the model, this could become inspiration for people looking to buy the products being sold. 

In summary, McDeans work has been an influence to me as he has helped me to look into the idea of advertising photography. His work has made me be considerate of my composition and colour that I'm using. Overall i think that McDean has been a good photographer for me to research and think that his style of photography could form a shoot at some point in my project. 

slow sync and high key - work diary

Slow sync  and high key - work diary:

In todays session we was working on the technique slow sync.  Slow sync works with a long extended flash and slow shutter speed along with a movement that takes place during that flash. I found that the concept of the technique is quite easy, however i personally found that it was quite hard to think of movements to do that would show a effective slow sync photograph. 

Progression:

If i was to do this task again i would think about the images that i would be producing. I think that i would need to develop my ideas further to think about how i would like my final image to look. I think that in doing this i would be happier with the images that i produce and that they would be more effective and show a more developed idea of the technique. 

Above is an  example of slow sync, i think that this photograph examples this technique effectively as there is the part of the photograph that is well exposed and well lit, as well as the part of the photograph that is distorted and showing the movement that is being made.

The image above is another example of a slow sync photograph, the background is blurred and the light around the subject as been distorted. The subject being in focus helps to develop the technique by give the eye something to compare the movement to. 

Above and below are my attempts at slow sync photography. I think that the idea of what i was trying to achieve came across in the photo above as you can see the movement of the ball and where its traveling. However i think that the distortion of Lauren's face (on the left) lets the photo down as that would be the part of the image that i would want to keep in focus. 

I think that the photograph below is a better attempt as the parts of the photograph that i wanted in focus stayed that way, however in the photograph you can still see the movement yet they are not as defined as i had wanted. 

High key photography: 

In this session we was working on the technique of High Key, high key works with the use of lighting to define the subjects of your photograph. You generally have an all white background and use the lights t focus on the subject to get the photo a well defined as possible. 

Progression:
I enjoyed the session on high key as i found that it was quite easy to use and was a very simple but effective technique. I think that the photos that i produced worked well at demonstrating the technique, and i think that this technique could be something i continue to use during the rest of my project. I think that because my topic is style the technique will work well as it will be an effective way of demonstrating the different styles that i want to show.

Above and below are two examples of high key photography. In both the colours are all smooth and bright so that they stand out. The white background lets the two people standout without making them look washed out or pale. The effect also help to see all of the features of the face especially peoples eyes making the colours standout.

Above and below are my two examples of high key photography. I think that my photographs work because of the white background meaning that the subject stands out in the photograph. I like the way that the technique works to show the face and the clothes. I think that this will be a good technique for my project.

Slow sync - Straight images:

Slow sync - Straight images:

High key - Straight images

High key - straight images:

High key photography - image bank

Hight key photography -  image bank:

Above is an example of a high key photography. The background in this image is important as the white background yeps to enhance the light and to reduce the shadow that is made. The object is well lit with there being no harsh lines. Its a good technique to use to show contrast as they are clear and well defined. This is effective when photographing faces as you can see the features of the face clearly and well defined. 

In the image above high key has been used to clearly show the definition of the rose. This is achieved as you can clearly see each of the petals of the rose and how the fit together. The shape of the rose is obvious as well defined meaning the high key effect has worked. The whole thing being photographed in white helps to equalise the colour to help to show each petal. 

The image above is another example of high key photography being used on people. The use of the high key takes all of the colour out of the photograph and 

allows you to focus on the details. In this photo you focus on the eyes of the child and let them stand out.

In the image above the high key helps the eyes and eyebrows to standout. The colour is equalised making those parts stand out more. This would be a good technique to use when looking at beauty or in my case style as you ca  focus on certain parts of the face or clothing to help to make them standout or noticed. 

slow sync definition post:

Slow sync - definition post:

Slow sync flash combines a burst of flash with a slow shutter speed. The result is a image that is distorted and shows examples of movement.

In the two images above and below, slow sync has been used so that the people in the image can make a shape using a light. This is effective because the delayed flashes helps to pick up all of the light and show the drawing that they are creating. This technique is a fun and unique technique and is a good clear example of slow sync.  

 

The image above is another example of slow sync. The background is the photo is blurred and you can't actually tell what is in the background. The boy has stayed in focus us the main subject of the photograph. This helps to show the effect of the slow sync as it is highlight by the contrast between the focused and unfocused aspects of the image.

In the image above a less obvious slow sync is being shown. The technique is still the same as you can see a distortion in the image. However this time the movement is less obvious. Instead of moving completely out of frame the subject haas just move over to the lift slightly but the same effect is still given. This is an example of that this technique doest just have to be used for big movements and can still be used simply and subtly and still be just as effective.

Photographer 4 -Yulia Gorbachenko

Photographer 4 -Yulia Gorbachenko:

http://www.yuliagorbachenko.com

Yulia is a New York Based fashion and beauty photographer, she holds a Masters degree in Digital Photography from the school of visual arts in New York. She's photographed for averts for brands such as L'Oreal, Make Up For Ever, and Clinique. Her images have been shown in Elle magazine and Cosmopolitan UK. 

I have chosen to include Gorbanchenko's work in my project as i think that she evidences a very modern approach to beauty and fashion photography. Her work for magazines shows many trends that are being followed or will be followed in the future. Her style of photography is simple yet elegant with the majority of her images focusing massively on composition. 

Gorbanchenko's work is an influence to me as she is able to achieve simple shots that look effortless and professional. Her style of photography is something that I  would aim to incorporate in to my project a i think that it could be very effective and interesting for my project. I could also use this technique for my project photography and aim to shoot the images as if they were going to be used in a magazine. 

The images both above and below are examples of the work that Gorbanchenko has used in magazines. The image above is an example of how she decided to photography fashion, this way of photographing has meant that she could show both sides of the jumper that is being advertised. They way that these images have been lit is so that there is a slight shadow in the bottom corner, this adds depth to the image making the lighting of the image more interesting. The use of the lighting here has also allowed for the hair to stand out and contrast against the colours of the jumper and the skin. 

The image above is another example of her images for magazine work. This image however is more focused on the beauty side of photograph, this close up shot of the face allows for a clear view of the makeup on the face. The way that the camera has been set up has been made to try and keep a minimalistic and natural look on the face. This has been achieved and the model hardly looks as if they are wearing any makeup. This image would have been used for a natural beauty shoot to try and show minimalistic makeup. 

These images above and below are both from Gorbanchenko's personal portfolio on her website. The image above is again a image that focuses on the makeup side of beauty. The models hair is also a key part of the image as it takes up a large amount of the frame and is a prominent feature of the model. The styling of the hair makes the image stand out as it looks in place as well as natural at the same time. The way that this image has been lit is with more light on one side of the face and less on the other, this creates subtle shadows on the face making it look more natural and adding depth to the features. 

This image below is an example of Gorbanchenko's more abstract work. Here tone has been used to enhance many shadows on the face. The use of the lighting highlights the areas of the face that the sun would naturally hit making it stand out but in a natural way. 

In summary the work of Gorbachenko will be a strong influence for me as she has a classy and elegant way of photographing makeup and fashion photographs. I like her subtle use of shadows as i think that they add a nice amount of depth to the image as well as keeping the natural aspect to the image. I think the way they she will influence me the most will be through her lighting use as i think that it is key to making this style of images look effective.

Shoot 1 - work diary:

Shoot 1 - work diary

For my first shoot i wanted to keep it simple and be a basic starting point for the rest of my project. For this shoot i was on ovation and decide to have natural makeup in a natural setting and just simply photograph it. Looking at the out come of the shoot, i think that there are some images that have come out quite well and are clear examples of beauty within the. The relation to my topic here is how the makeup is for the style of the person in the image and how it suits them. 

Progression:

If i was to shoot this same shoot again there would be somethings that i would change. I think that it may be best to do this type of shoot in the studio where i would have complete control over the lighting and the way that my subject looks. I feel like the images that i have produced have not been a great example of the quality that i wanted nor what i am capable of creating. I don't think that i will re-shoot this same shoot however, this is because i think that it was a good starting point and i now know for future shoots what i want to do. I think that this shoot has elements that has worked but does not need re-creating.

 I think that from this shoot, my most successful images that were produced are the ones that are captured looking into the mirror. I think that this clearly shows beauty which is the aspect of style i was focusing on.

This image and black and white is effective because i gives the idea of style when getting ready for a party or event. The use of the mirror reflection is effective because it gives the image a girly feel and is a more original way of shooting. 

I think that this image could be improved on however by being more considerate of my background and the things that will also be in the frame. 

This is another example of an image from my shoot. Again i think that the mirror reflection is effective and this time the use of colour makes the image look more interesting. I think that is image is one of the ones i am happy with as i think it shows beauty and style in the basic way that i had hoped for. 

Personal shoot 1 - straight images

Personal shoot 1 - straight images: