Body Shoot - Model on Fashion Course

Props

PROPS - plastic butterflies, birds, lace fan and lace parasol! - Artificial flowers

FINISH - Body shoot Lighting and props

Marilyn Monroe 

FINISH - Body Tutorial Research

Cecil Beaton - Beneath the Glitter

As Beaton is my chosen artist for my 'Body shoot', I took out a documentary from the library to get an insight on the artist himself and what he really thought of the people he photographed.

As Beaton grew up he realised his background is not something he would have chosen for himself.
So, photography was his ticket to get out of middle-class respectability - that world into an interesting world. - He began taking photographs at home go his sisters, dressing them up in elaborate costumes and getting furniture out into the garden. Beaton learnt how to create dream like + theatrical environments around his sisters.
Importance of his photography was about where the sitter belonged, the props+lighting

His two sisters - Baba and Nancy 

Nancy Beaton 

- Although Beaton's mother was the daughter of a BlackSmith, Beaton would cast her as the society lady. He wanted to promote himself to the upper-classe's and get his photos published in society magazines like Takler.

Beaton was the favourite photographer of the royal family, his sumptuous portraits flattered his favourite subjects and behind the glitter, Beaton was uneasy about the world he portrayed so elegantly. 

- Mario Testino states how much Beaton has left us an enormous document of his time and how much he's learnt from it today by looking at his work.

- Beaton lived through Beauty in his photography - not just about beautiful features but the notion of high style, elegant living, the person and the environment. 

Beaton was happy to manipulate his subjects appearances into an ideal image of beauty.

He would do a lot of work on his contact prints - virtually would re-draw them

(chest area was lowered, nose were straight and moustaches were illuminated)

It was this, BEATON'S TOUCH which led to demands of his work in New York + Hollywood 

The reason why Beaton was noticed and demanded was due to the fact that his technique was all new in those days, especially to Vogue - as Beaton redefined the style of fashion photographs with his flamboyant use of background and light and revolutionised the way movie stars were photographed.

*Photo-shoot of Monroe

Mario Testino stated - ''Hardest thing to do is to photograph a person, is to get something that the person wants to give to you that won't give you that won't give to anyone else - Beaton captured something inside Monroe's images.

*Photo-shoot of Twiggy

Beaton stated ''This child, she's as light as air, we can't possibly photograph her on the ground, she's really like ariel. Have to punch her on furniture like Tinker bell.

With these photographs Beaton cristimized the 60's. 

Body research

Annie Leibovitz

A master of light.
A portraiture genius.
The Michelangelo of the twenty first century.

It's no surprise that Annie Leibovitz is pure magic. She is a master of photography, a master of fine art, and a master at capturing the portrait of a person in still imaging.
She has shot almost every celebrity, magazine, movie... you name it.
Maybe I'm bias, but not only is Angelina Jolie one of my personal favorite actresses and models, but this photo is by far one of my favorite.

Stunning. Simple. Elegant. Beautiful.

This image strikes me mostly because of her use of lighting. It is a high key tonal image mostly involving  tones of beige and grey. Although fairly neutral and bright, the shadow's created  enhance the image. The curve and highlights of the skin, and the creases of the dress in particular are amplified by the bright lights. Because Annie was a painting major in university before entering into photography, she was able to master the art of lighting in an almost renaissance way. This photograph translates into fine art easily by her use of chiaroscuro. The composition is a combination of two contrasting triangles made by Angelina's body and the chaise she rests on; the two peaks being her head and the high point of the chair. This contrast creates a linear balance in the composition that is pleasing and relaxing to the eye.

Annie managed to capture the precise moment of rest in the body which is very typical of ancient greek and roman art and sculpture. Yet in a still frame she enhances a sense of fluid motion and a softness frozen in time that captures the essence of the individual in a frame. She translates this ancient form into a photograph in a very modern way. 

Annie lives her life through the lens of her camera, and captures the moments her eye sees. Life happens before her and she simply records it in a very creative and moving way. 

To this day she continues to push boundaries and creative limits; creating images that will install a lasting impression on the world.

"This is truth, right here." - Annie Leibovitz

The Body Portraiture and Idea Development

* Is your Identity stable?
* Do you attach yourselves to your memories?
* How do you know people are not giving you complete fabrication?

- Lies of their personality and interests

Todays lecture has made me think about how I want to approach my model on the day of the shoot and capture her inner-self and beauty.

By meeting her a few times, I've noticed what character she has got, which instantly reminds me of Cecil Beaton's images of Marilyn Monroe

* Body shoot model questions

1. Tell me something about yourself
2. Why Fashion at UCA?
3. Whats the hardest decision you've had to make?
4. You miss home? - boyfriend?
5. you live with him?
6. What do you see your future as?
7. How do you feel right this moment? - with these props?

The Body RE-BREIF

Had an introduction to the Body unit - just a simple re-breif about artists that we could consider in our work

Artists;

• Irving Penn
• Richard Avedon
• Annie Leivobitz
• Bill Brandt
• Jeanloup Sieff
• Seydou Keita
• Paolo Roversi

- Cecil Beaton's work is what has inspired me for my shoot