AO1: Develop ideas through sustained investigations informed by research and other sources.
Research Influences
My research influences for Juxtaposition and for this particular idea are John Stezaker and Alma Haser. John Stezaker is an English artist whose work is a combination of both portraiture and landscape that have been put together to create a new composition. The foreground of the landscape image is positioned in a certain way to create a visual idea that it has been put in the place of the face of the model to create an abstract facial shape. Stezaker's work relates to the theme of Juxtaposition as it shows a clear juxtaposition between types of photography but it could also have connotational meanings. For example, the fact that the landscape image is covering the subject's face could suggest that the subject of the image has hidden emotions and is hiding behind a mask of some sort. Alternatively, it could also suggest a favourite place or memory of the subject which is then being projected to the outside of themselves. The images below are some images that I chose due to the fact that I aim to create my own images in the style of these particular images and compositions by Stezaker. These images are interesting because if both images were separate, they would be standard portraiture and landscape images, but because Stezaker has taken these images and combined them together, it creates an abstract look to the image but also immediately gives connotations to the person receiving the image.
Examples of John Stezaker's Work
As well as being influenced by John Stezaker, I was also influenced by Alma Haser. Alma Haser is a German born artist and her work focuses primarily on creating abstract portraiture images. However, some of her work has been physically manipulated to create this abstract portraiture image look. For example, some of her work includes a portraiture image, with a model standing in front of a coloured background. However, she has made the image more interesting by copying the same image, and placing a crumpled version on top of the image to create a more interesting and abstract look, as well as creating a juxtaposition between normal portraiture and more abstract photography. Additionally, her work could connote a juxtaposition between feelings and emotions. The images below are some images that I have been inspired by in previous shoots and are images in which I aim to follow the style of loosely. I feel as though these images are interesting due to the fact that although the 2 images are identical, one of them has been physically manipulated to create an entirely different look and in turn it gives the images a new style but could also have connotational meaning.
Research Influences
My research influences for Juxtaposition and for this particular idea are John Stezaker and Alma Haser. John Stezaker is an English artist whose work is a combination of both portraiture and landscape that have been put together to create a new composition. The foreground of the landscape image is positioned in a certain way to create a visual idea that it has been put in the place of the face of the model to create an abstract facial shape. Stezaker's work relates to the theme of Juxtaposition as it shows a clear juxtaposition between types of photography but it could also have connotational meanings. For example, the fact that the landscape image is covering the subject's face could suggest that the subject of the image has hidden emotions and is hiding behind a mask of some sort. Alternatively, it could also suggest a favourite place or memory of the subject which is then being projected to the outside of themselves. The images below are some images that I chose due to the fact that I aim to create my own images in the style of these particular images and compositions by Stezaker. These images are interesting because if both images were separate, they would be standard portraiture and landscape images, but because Stezaker has taken these images and combined them together, it creates an abstract look to the image but also immediately gives connotations to the person receiving the image.
Examples of John Stezaker's Work
Examples of Alma Haser's Work
For this particular shoot and overall work record, I aim to be more inspired by John Stezaker in the way that he assembles his compositions but also how he presents his images. In the next shoot I will focus more on Alma Haser and the way that she assembles her images, as well as the possible connotations and ideas behind her abstract work on juxtaposition.
Exam Topic Ideas
The topic that I have chosen for the exam is Juxtaposition, and in response to the exam I intend to create a series of images that loosely reflect the styles of both John Stezaker and Alma Haser by producing a series of portraiture images, and using both landscape images and copies of the original portraiture images to produce abstract portraiture images that reflect the theme of Juxtaposition. For example, taking landscape images and placing them over portraiture images, and layering a distressed version of the portraiture image over the original, to show a juxtaposition between external feelings and internal emotions but also to suggest a juxtaposition between memories and the present tense. To do this, I intend to print out images and physically manipulate them to create abstract final pieces for Juxtaposition, but that fit the theme of Juxtaposition well.
In this particular shoot, my idea is to to print out both portraiture and landscape images and combine them together in some way to be able to receive connotational messages from the images where possible. In this particular shoot, I want to focus on being inspired by the style of John Stezaker in the way that he places portraiture and landscape images together to create abstract images that could have many meanings and interpretations depending on how the audience view it.
Contact SheetsThe topic that I have chosen for the exam is Juxtaposition, and in response to the exam I intend to create a series of images that loosely reflect the styles of both John Stezaker and Alma Haser by producing a series of portraiture images, and using both landscape images and copies of the original portraiture images to produce abstract portraiture images that reflect the theme of Juxtaposition. For example, taking landscape images and placing them over portraiture images, and layering a distressed version of the portraiture image over the original, to show a juxtaposition between external feelings and internal emotions but also to suggest a juxtaposition between memories and the present tense. To do this, I intend to print out images and physically manipulate them to create abstract final pieces for Juxtaposition, but that fit the theme of Juxtaposition well.
In this particular shoot, my idea is to to print out both portraiture and landscape images and combine them together in some way to be able to receive connotational messages from the images where possible. In this particular shoot, I want to focus on being inspired by the style of John Stezaker in the way that he places portraiture and landscape images together to create abstract images that could have many meanings and interpretations depending on how the audience view it.
These are the potential images that I am going to be using to create my final compositions. The images that have a cross over the front of them are images that I have decided not to use as I do not think that they would be beneficial to my composition, and the images that have a red square around them are images I am interested in and may use as part of one of my final compositions.
Straight Images
I decided to choose these images as my best images as I felt that these images would be good for physical manipulation but also because they look the most professional and I feel that this is important for the final pieces. Additionally, I chose these images because that have a simple look to them, which is beneficial to me as I am working in the style of John Stezaker in the fact that I am layering these images with landscape, so the plain and simple background is a direct contrast with the landscape images in which there is a lot of detail. The red background of my images in this particular shoot will contrast with some of the images that I choose to layer on top, as these images will be edited to be black and white. The vibrancy of the red and the black and white will directly contrast each other and also demonstrate juxtaposition within my work.
AO2: Demonstrate your ability to experiment with photographic media,
techniques and materials & Demonstrate your ability to review and refine
work as it develops.
Photoshop Process
In a few of the pictures from my first shoot, I noticed that there were a few imperfections on the model that I wanted to edit out, as this is the most common editing process to be done on models in a photoshoot. To do this, I imported the images into Photoshop and decided to use the 'spot healing brush tool'.
In order to remove the blemish from the model, I used the 'spot healing brush tool' at a size of 82px, the hardness at 100% and the spacing at 25%. The main reason I had for doing this was that it is something that is done regularly in the media industry after a photoshoot, as photographers and editors are able to edit out any imperfections to create a uniformed look and for the sole focus of the image to be presented with little distraction.
After the editing was complete using the 'spot healing brush tool', it created a uniformed and more professional look to the image. Additionally, I would be layering another image on top of this one, so it was important for me to have little distraction when it come to the image so that people were able to interpret the image in whatever way they choose to, and get connotational meaning out of the image. For some other images, I used the same technique on the background of the images, particularly on the red background to remove any creases or imperfections that may have been on the backdrop of my image.
For most of my edits, I printed out both portraiture pictures an landscape pictures and put them together in an abstract way in the same composition. This fits with the style of John Stezaker in which he took landscape and portrait images and put them together for one composition. I decided to go further and put them together in a slightly more abstract way to give more of a meaning to my images and to emphasise the theme of Juxtaposition.
In a few of the pictures from my first shoot, I noticed that there were a few imperfections on the model that I wanted to edit out, as this is the most common editing process to be done on models in a photoshoot. To do this, I imported the images into Photoshop and decided to use the 'spot healing brush tool'.
In order to remove the blemish from the model, I used the 'spot healing brush tool' at a size of 82px, the hardness at 100% and the spacing at 25%. The main reason I had for doing this was that it is something that is done regularly in the media industry after a photoshoot, as photographers and editors are able to edit out any imperfections to create a uniformed look and for the sole focus of the image to be presented with little distraction.
After the editing was complete using the 'spot healing brush tool', it created a uniformed and more professional look to the image. Additionally, I would be layering another image on top of this one, so it was important for me to have little distraction when it come to the image so that people were able to interpret the image in whatever way they choose to, and get connotational meaning out of the image. For some other images, I used the same technique on the background of the images, particularly on the red background to remove any creases or imperfections that may have been on the backdrop of my image.
Physical Editing/Manipulation
For most of my edits, I printed out both portraiture pictures an landscape pictures and put them together in an abstract way in the same composition. This fits with the style of John Stezaker in which he took landscape and portrait images and put them together for one composition. I decided to go further and put them together in a slightly more abstract way to give more of a meaning to my images and to emphasise the theme of Juxtaposition.
AO3: Reflect critically on your work and progress
Final Edited Images
Final Edited Images
I feel as though this image that I have produced could have a few different meanings that an audience could take from it. For example, it could show a juxtaposition of internal thoughts and external feelings, or a contrast between the body and the mind. The subtle hints in the landscape image covering the model's face, such as the panic room and the man with the rainbow umbrella, could suggest that the model is feeling an internal panic and her mind feels like a panic room in some way. The bright colours of the umbrella positioned towards her body could suggest that she is physically well and healthy, but her mind is not. I feel as though this links to my initial idea well as I was able to print out both portraiture and landscape images and combine them together in some way to be able to receive connotational messages from the images where possible. I also said that in this particular shoot, I wanted to focus on being inspired by the style of John Stezaker in the way that he places portraiture and landscape images together to create abstract images that could have many meanings and interpretations depending on how the audience view it. I feel as though this links to my exam topic of Juxtaposition well, as it can be seen as a contrast or juxtaposition of many different things, one of which being a juxtaposition of internal thought and external feeling.
This particular image could also present a few different meanings that an audience could take from this image or interpret from the composition. For example, when creating this image I felt that it could be a good image to show a juxtaposition between reality and memory. The fact that the landscape image is layering the portraiture image or the image with the model could hint that this particular landscape is somewhere that the model knows well and is possibly a memory of the place. The way that the landscape image is in black and white could connote that the memory is not happy and that the memory brings back dark feelings of a place in which something bad happened. The black and white could also suggest it is somewhere that the subject does no longer visit or that it is a memory, as it is not in a saturated colour. I feel as though this links to my initial idea well as I was able to use both a landscape and a portraiture image to create an abstract composition that could have a few different connotations or interpretations depending on the audience. This reflects the style of John Stezaker, which is also something that I said I wanted to do in my initial shoot plan. I feel as though this links to my exam topic of Juxtaposition well, as it can be seen as a contrast or juxtaposition of many different things, one of which being a juxtaposition of reality and memory.
This particular image that I have produced as one of my final pieces for Juxtaposition could have various different meanings that someone could interpret from the composition. For example, when creating this composition, I ran with the idea that I had for one image to create a series of images that could depict a juxtaposition of the reality that the model is facing and an old memory that they are holding on to. As mentioned before, the fact that the landscape image is layered on top of the model leaving only room for her face to appear could suggest that it is a memory of a place the subject has visited. Also mentioned previously in another composition, the way that the landscape image is in black and white could connote that the memory is not happy and that the memory brings back dark feelings of a place in which something bad happened. The black and white could also suggest it is somewhere that the subject does no longer visit or that it is a memory, as it is not in a saturated colour. I feel as though this particular image links to my initial ideas well as again, I was able to create an abstract image using both landscape and portraiture images. Additionally, I was able to create images in the style of John Stezaker, who is my research influence for this particular shoot. I feel as though this links to my exam topic of Juxtaposition well, as it can be seen as a contrast or juxtaposition of many different things, one of which being a juxtaposition of reality and a memory of the subject.
This particular image that I created for the exam topic of Juxtaposition could be interpreted in a few different ways depending on who is analysing the image. For example, it could show a juxtaposition of style of image but also a juxtaposition between feeling, or physical and mental health. The fact that one side of the composition has been crumpled and the other side is completely untouched could suggest that the subject of the image has two sides to herself: the one that she lets people see and presents herself as in everyday life, and the one that people do not see and the one that has dark internal feelings, which is symbolised through the crumpling of the paper and how the paper is damaged in some way. The colours are also not particularly saturated, which could further suggest dark or melancholy feelings. I feel as though this image does link to my initial overall idea, but does not reflect the idea that I had for this particular first shoot. My overall initial idea was to be influenced by both John Stezaker and Alma Haser for the images that I produce for the exam topic of Juxtaposition. However, in this shoot I decided to focus only on John Stezaker's style. In this particular final composition, I feel as though it relates more to Alma Haser's style and not John Stezaker, although it is abstract. Despite this, I still feel as though this links to my exam topic of Juxtaposition, as it can be seen as a contrast or juxtaposition of many different things, one of which being a juxtaposition of mental and physical health.
In this particular composition, I feel as though I have produced an image that could have a few different connotational meanings depending on who is receiving and analysing the image. For example, it could show a juxtaposition of either reality or memory, but could also show a juxtaposition of physical being and internal thoughts as some of the other compositions I have created do. For example, the fact that the image is covering the subject's face could suggest to an audience that the model is hiding behind a mask of some sort, either literally or figuratively. The fact that the main aspect of the landscape image is upside down could connote that the feelings and thoughts of the subject are twisted or possible dark, which is highlighted through the use of the black and white. I feel as though this particular image does link well to my initial idea as I was able to create an abstract piece of work using both portraiture and landscape images which could have many different connotational meanings. Additionally, this piece of work directly relates to the style of John Stezaker, which is something I planned to do in my initial idea. I feel as though this links to my exam topic of Juxtaposition well, as it can be seen as a contrast or juxtaposition of many different things, one of which being a juxtaposition of internal thought and external feeling and another being reality and memory.
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