Photography Studio Work

Studio Work

Many novice photographers dream of their own studio and their career in the art and fashion photography world. Many of them give up right from the start assuming that the studio equipment costs a fortune and takes many years of experience to master it. Indeed, successful professional fashion photographer has many years of experience, working with skilled models and team make-up artists, stylists and assistants in a huge studio with equipment for hundreds of thousands and a budget like the photo session.

Usually the beginners don’t know how to use the studio as they never tried and they never used the equipment in the there. When I first went to a studio I also didn’t had a clue what am I supposed to do with all the technology. So I decided to research and explore more about the functions of each equipment, therefore when I will went of doing my own final photography photo-shoot I will know exactly what effects I desire for my outcomes and how to set studio in the certain way to get results wanted.

Let's start from scratch. What is a photo studio? Overall, this is a room where we can control the light falling on the object photographed.

Professional Studios are equipped with;

Flash

 In some studies, also applies continuous light, but the flashes are much more practical and effective. For more complex projects, photographers use at least two, three and even a few flashes. At the beginning, however, is more than enough single piece. There are many techniques of lighting the scene only a single light source.

For a very limited budget you can buy so-called lamp system, the one that clings to the camera sled. Better, and consequently, more expensive solution is professional study lamp. Connected to a power outlet or generator is charging faster than light system powered by batteries. Furthermore, it is compatible with lots of light modifiers, which distribute them appropriately or focus, depending on your needs. A good study lamp is an expense of several thousand, but of course at the beginning of the appropriate replacement will be less powerful for less money.

Lighting Stand

 For stubborn we can put the lamp on the table or give to hold assistant. Convenient, however, buy a tripod lamp lighting system in case of extra special handle. A single stand already gets a cost of £50 kit with a handle about £100. In such a lamp holder and additionally assume you can mount a very popular and convenient light modifier, which is:

Umbrella

 There are different types of umbrella lighting. Completely white which diffused light, making the person look softer. I personally like this effect as later after the photo-shoot the photos look good and I don’t have to edit the skin of the model as it’s already been lighten in result being smoother. Umbrellas and silver reflect light, casting more contrasting shadows. The market umbrellas are also universal, like white diffuser, which can assume a reflective silver cloth. Umbrella is a very convenient and relatively inexpensive light modifier - depending on size, price umbrella formed in the range of £20-65, respectively.

 There is one thing that the studio cannot fail…

Background

 Professional, cardboard photographic background is an expense of £60. There are of course cheaper counterpart - Polypropylene background that you can already get for £15. It is Available in various colors and sizes.

 This background must be somewhere to hang. The cheapest option (not taking into account the typical "household") will be hanging it on two lighting stands - the cost of steam is about £30. On the background we can also save if we are in possession of a single, preferably grey or white wall.

The amounts are for equipment are estimated based on the average prices of these items commonly available in English shops and online auction sites. There are of course many other possibilities of photographic studio equipment, but those mentioned above are aimed at novice photographers just like me to realize that in a really small amount may have been a substitute for professional photographic studio ideal for learning and gaining experience.

Proposal

For my extended project I decided to make a product within subject of my interest which is photography. Since I remembered I was interested in taking photos, now I actually can see the improvements in my photography work; however I would like to explore it more and expand my skills even more. This project is a great opportunity to do so.

                The main area I am concentrating on is the portraiture and fashion photography. Although I am questioning my self is fashion photography a form of art or is it two separate regions?  Therefore within this project I would like to find the answer to this question focusing on fashion photography and art. As my final product I will produce the series of photos that will represent fashion photography with association to art.

                As the starter point I will investigate and research the books that will gave me some information on the topic I am willing to explore. I will look at art photography and fashion separately as well as them combined together. I will also consider looking at critic’s reviews and thoughts to help me answer the question. To develop my ideas for photo-shoots I will also research three various photographers and their style of work. Based on this exploration I will create a questionnaire and ask public for their opinions to help me decide which style is reflecting and combining art and fashion together.

                Next step during this project will be to photograph planned earlier photo-shoot, then develop it with fallowing shoots until I will get the satisfactory outcomes. Each time I will take photo-shoot I will gather the feedback from the class, to make sure that what I am doing is on a track and in the same time high standard work.  Subsequently I will evaluate my work and I will be able to answer my question and fulfil my study. At the very end I will present my final piece to a class I will either do it using photo album or on a black card. Hopefully they will like my photos and will recognize art within my fashion photography.

Art Photography?

Art photography is an art technique that uses photographs as a tool of the artist, usually a camera. There is also the ability to perform work without the use of photographic apparatus. It involves the use of luxography which implies a direct exposure of photosensitive materials.

There are different types of artistic photography. There are however some basic photography such as conceptual, abstract and surreal, exposing acts of artistic nudity, portraits, however, without the canon of classical portraiture, images of horror and the macabre, and the typically humorous. The division into subcategories photography is really difficult and in fact smoothly because of the wide range of creative topics. Artistic photography is to be primarily non-profit and non-classical.

One of the best in my opinion, the representatives in this discipline is born in 1985, German photographer and sculptor - Karl Blossfeldt. His most celebrated work is the seemingly ordinary herbarium; however his work contains photographs which are breathe taking. The simple presentation of these plants is amazing. In these photographs, plants become monumental sculptures and flowers in normal life are just weak, sensible floras. So each image is a work of art and gives viewer a very unreal reality.

If I would need to go closer into aspects of contemporary photography times, it is all about fun shape and form. The ideal representative of the artistic photography is an American photographer Edward Weston. What is its work charm? He was a creation that is typically exhibited acts of the human body. However, later he decided to do not picture man or a human body. Weston had a very specific style because he photographed mostly shells, peppers and other small forms and focused only on features, detail and form. You cannot call them the usual acts. Fun lighting and shadow, showing every detail but most of all his pictures are very unreal and decorated in black and white. The picture on the right is also connected to fashion photography, but it is also creative at the same time.

Artistic photography is now properly shaped image and abstraction. I cannot be traced in its realism, because it will never completely reflect reality. Focus on form and detail, image distortion or controversial subject matter – this is what makes current art photograph.

Critical Thinking - Reasearch

Aaron Scharf (25 October 1990) Art and Photography, Penguin Books Ltd, Photography as art; art as photography pg.233-242
The content of the material I read is all about how photography changed over the time and how art photography evolved to something on a bigger scale. The author is mentioning that once the digital cameras were invented ’’Such photographers were thus placed in a position similar to that in which they had placed painters a half century earlier and the chain of reactions at the end of the century must have had a profound influence on the new directions painting had already taken.’’ I agree to this statement as in my opinion viewers, audience are recognizing the real art when they perceive something new, shocking and unique. Majority is against it in the first circumstance however as the time is passing by, viewers are noticing the beauty inside the art piece.

Next convincing point the artist is giving in this book is about the air-brushing ’’…which appeared about that time, was as useful technically as it was meaningful symbolically. Employed mainly in photographic retouching and for adding background and other forms to the composition, it could produce the subtle gradations of tone required for a consistent photographic appearance.’’ I think that in time when the book was written the technology wasn’t evolved as now. Although I believe air-brushing is needed as stated above, not like in our days when even the composition of the photo is ‘fake’.

The art photography is wide subject to talk about and as Rodin Auguste definite in the book ’’I believe that photography can create works of art…’’. So every photograph could be consider as a form of art, we as an audience only specify those who are more irreplaceable, distinctive, rare.

The information I would like to explore a bit more is actual fashion photography and art combined together. Yet this book gave me a good starting point for my research. Now I can move on to the fashion photography and maybe than find materials about both disciplines related together.

Edited by Eugenie Shinkle (2008) Fashion as Photography, Viewing and Reviewing Images of Fashion, I.B Tauris, New York, Fashioning Fiction in Photography Since 1990 - Susan Kismaric and Eva Respini pg. 29-34
The aim of the content of the material read by me is to inform about the beginning of fashion photography and how it develop over a period of time. Points made there are approaching the area of cultural aspect and customers need while Cold War or street fashion revolution. The authors are also mentioning about the art being involved in the fashion photography, however at the beginning the artistic aspects wasn’t as important as they are now. They are explaining the modernization of fashion photography moving from the clothing and object to ’’active humans in realising situations’’. This leads the subject progress into the narrative photography which correspondingly combining the art and fashion photography together.

Susan Kismaric and Eva Respini are arguing that at the start of fashion photography there was only  object(model) and clothing, whereas now there is a ’’photographic description of lifestyle’’, what in their opinion is encouraging our generation to buy products more effectively.  The argument fallow fashion photography target audience, who are mostly young adults. Two authors are saying that they have most impact on the sales of the big labelled clothing.

Then the topic changes and writers are describing the connections between the art and photography. The photographs are really artistic drawing the attention of its target audience successfully. Susan Kismaric and Eva Respini are mentioning the first appearance of fashion photography on a cover of Artforum Magazine in 1982. They also referred to popular photographer such as ’’Edward Steichen, Cecil Beaton, Baron Adolf de Meyer, Horst P. Horst, Irving Penn and Richard Avedon’’ and their work perceived as art. Moreover authors are assuming that since then the art-fashion photography increased its popularity and became more recognized. In result more unknown photographers fallowed the rote of artistic fashion photography and even their photos weren’t remembered for long, they still had huge influence in the world of art and fashion.

Richard Avedon

In my opinion some of the points the authors are making are convincing. I am agreeing with the fact that the fashion photography evolved from simple presentation of clothing to something creative, one special moment in time. I like the comparison of earlier photography and object to the modern more complex artistic fashion photography. However I am not really persuaded to the opinion about the young people being the bigger factor within the fashion industry where it comes to photography. In my view they are important, but the most famous brands like Gucci or Dolce & Gabana are aiming at older audience, because they can afford to buy their brand products.

 I think the authors should expand more about the subject of art and photography working together well; they should include more examples than just the one about art magazine. Therefore this is the topic I want to find a little bit more about. I will try to find another source as material I studied does not include other resources I could possibly focus on.

Overall I still got some ideas for my final product. It is the representation of older fashion photography and the modern one referring to the art. Although the realization of this idea would be really had as I would like the print to be very big and it might cost a lot of money. I will still consider this idea when planning my final product.

Richard Martin (April 1991) The Idealizing Vision, The Art of Fashion Photography, An Aperture Book, New York, pg. 24-28  

Main points of an author are about seeing the fashion photography from different perspectives. Not only concentrating on a beauty itself but also making the photograph artistic, which makes the image emphasising the model features even more. The author is correspondingly building the connecting between model, materials and textures used within the photographs. By explaining the viewer’s correspondence to the work Richard Martin defining the nature of art combined with fashion resulting in something the viewer will remember as it is unique and mysterious. This is why the photographs supporting the material are not revealing the model in its full splendour.     

Richard Martin is arguing about the surrealism within the fashion photographs and the features used to make the photos special for the viewer. He is referring to Erwin Blumenfeld’s photography, writing about using positioning and lighting within the frame as well as the model’s beauty and how to emphasise it for the viewers to encourage them to take the example from the photo but also see its artistic soul. What ideas author have within this chapter;  is comparison of the beauty photographs to the films as they have this special effect; like the scene from the film. I think that this association is really interesting. I also noticed this kind of tension and movement within the art-fashion photography and I think that this may also be connected to art itself. However I don’t agree on the statement about beauty being the most important when it comes to fashion photography. Although author didn’t wrote about it, I got this feeling reading the text. 

Anne Hollander (April 1991) The Idealizing Vision, The Art of Fashion Photography, An Aperture Book, New York, pg. 33-61 
The author is stating really good valid point ’’…perfection has been embodied in images, visions of enhanced reality that teach the eye how to see clothes, and teach clothes how to look.’’  In my opinion this statement is all about the fashion and art combined together and performed in front of camera so that the photos are ’’teaching’’ the eyes how to portray the world of fashion and yourself within this world. In addition the chapter is about the history of art and fashion photography and how two of the disciplines came and bonded together, how they changed through the years. In 70s the new fashion art was involved presenting an urban life style and the street style. However the portrait photography stayed in the same place not moving forward and exploring the new faces and new ways of revealing them; the model were mainly icons and famous personalities. Then the trend changed to something different, but the photographers even so didn’t imply the art effectively. Later on Anne Hollander is saying ’’feeding the imagination and pushing the visual possibilities of clothing into new emotional territory’’, which I found quite interesting. In my personal view I think that yes, the fashion art photography can always find something to amaze the viewers and that the emotions are important when I comes to passing the massage across (persuade viewer). Although I don’t agree with the suggestion of designers being disappointed because the visions they have sometimes cannot be reflected through the camera. My way of thinking is opposite as I believe that camera can show the person from totally different perspectives making the person and object ugly or pretty and even unreal whereas when you look at the models and setting for photo-shoot sometimes you may be thinking how come the photographs show different colours and different atmosphere. It is all depending on the camera and setting as well as lighting and photographer experience. However the author was right when writing about the aesthetic aspects and how various scenes works on the viewers.

Proposal Form

Section One: Title, objective, responsibilities

The title of my project is: ’’Can fashion photography be represented in art form?’’ Within this project I will need to explore the nature of fashion photography and its connection to the art. I will be required to know about all aspects of artistic fashion photography and be able to use it in my own work. My tasks will include the researching into the industry of fashion photography. Maybe if I will be able to find articles about art and fashion relationship; it would bring a lot of advantages into my research. I will try getting hold of the people within the business. Also I am aiming to visit gallery with artistic fashion photos. Than my aim is to produce the series of images connected to each other to create a feeling of a fashion campaign, but with the imaginative side to it. My objectives would be to gather people (my models), set the theme, chose the clothing appropriate to the theme, do the make-up and decide on the location, eventually create some setting. At the end I will be able to evaluate my work and answer my title question.
Section Two: Reasons for choosing this project
I decided to concentrate my project around photography as I have a huge passion for it and I am really interested in this subject. I also believe that the project I am willing to do will help me develop my understanding in the chosen topic as well as will expand my knowledge to a wider scale. I went for fashion photography as it is my strength when it comes to practical work. I love to photograph people make them look beautiful and this is what the fashion photography is about. However my theme is not only focusing on a fashion, but how fashion photography can be combined with art, still making the same functions of persuading, promoting and encouraging people to buy products. Throughout this project my aim is to explore the artistic side of fashion photography. Why it have some many interest in our days. In order to comprehend it more I will research the earlier works of photographers and compare them with current photos. We are able to observe them every day (wherever; on billboards, posters magazines). Also I will try to find the books with materials about the art and photography associated together. The outcomes I will receive from this project, if successful; I will include the photos into my online portfolio. I think it will be very beneficial for me, because this will help me in my future employment or with applying to the university. Moreover I simply enjoy the photography so I can do something that I like while studying at the same time.
Section Three: Activities and timescales
Reasearch and Conclusions ·         Exploring Books – The Idealizing Vision and … ·         Write critical summaries about materials read previously ·         Look at magazines how fashion photography is represented there? ·         If possible interview a professional photographer? Making my Product ·         Gathering people interesting in Photoshoot ·         Setting the location and time ·         Plan out the clothing, make up and setting design for Photoshot ·         Develop the outcomes in a Photoshop, editing ·         Printing the final photographs Evaluating ·         Reflect on what I did right, what I need to improve next time ·         How good is my final project, how I could possibly make it better ·         Write evaluation of whole process assessing my actions and problem solving I have done.	How long this will take: 8 weeks 4 weeks 2 weeks
Section Four: Resources
In order to complete my research I would need to access the school library; borrow the books mentioned before. Also it will be necessary to look into some magazines shops and find the magazine about photography or simply any fashion magazine and find out how does the image is presented there. Furthermore I will try contact the professional photographer and interview him/her about their thoughts and ideas about the matter. I could also do the questionnaire about what kind of photos does the people like. ·         What colours scheme? ·         Settings? ·         Why they like the photo and what they don’t like about it? Than by being based on my results I will create my own images, which hopefully will come out as good as in the fashion magazines.