13 February 2011

Henry Hargreaves


photography by Henry Hargreaves mask by strummer hoffstron

I really like the idea of this 'junk mask', it looks really effective and would be quite simple and cheap to re-create. Initially we were thinking of making some sort of headpiece and a collar for our images so I think this technique would work well incorporated into a headpiece.
I couldn't find any other examples of Strummer Hoffstron's work or even a webpage :(

11 February 2011

Rankin & Alex Box





After our group meeting today we revised the idea of dreams and what we wanted to achieve with our photos. We looked at this series of images photographed by Rankin and we liked the idea of progressing from light to dark as if someone was having a dream that was turning into a nightmare.
We are keen to create something similar to this using make-up and through some surreal styling. In the first few photos we want the look to be pristine, innocent and fragile and in each shot the model is becoming more and more disheveled until the last few shots in which the model will become a moody, frenzied mess -traumatized by the nightmare.
We were thinking of doing between 6-9 images so we can show the transformation gradually and it will hopefully look more effective.

We have booked the studio for next week and we have a few possible models lined up.
Regarding the models we have decided to use a male model to create an androgynous look and also to mix it up a bit with the make-up.
I have a theatrical make-up kit which I am confident using so I will be doing the hair and make-up.

We are having another meeting on Monday to discuss models, styling and make-up ideas and we are doing a test shoot on Tuesday evening to prepare for our final shoot the following weekend which if all goes to plan will leave us a week to select our final images and allow time for post-production.

10 February 2011

Alex & Felix







Theses images are created by Swiss duo Alex Gertschen and Felix Meier. They are a part of a series called 'Thirteen Queens'. My initial thoughts were that they look amazing. The colour and the weird props against a dreamy sky background work really well. Then I found out that Alex and Felix don't use computers AT ALL in any of their work! So these pictures have never seen a click of Photoshop which I find extraordinary! It proves that you don't have to be a wizard at photo editing to create something out of this world.

Brooke Shaden






After thinking about the dreaming theme I discovered Brooke Shaden who, in my opinion, brilliantly captures the essence of dreaming in her surreal photographs. I love the floating/falling effect of the models and the feeling of movement that is evident throughout. Click here for more images.



We are having a group meeting tomorrow so hopefully our ideas will become more finalized and we can progress with model scouting and finding a location :)

08 February 2011

Dreaming

After our group meeting today we have come away with quite a clear idea of what we all want to achieve. We all have quite similar styles and inspirations. A main trend that we are interesting in using is the idea of surreal, whimsy and fantasy in our series of images. We made a mind-map and a theme we thought about was dreams and nightmares. We want to create something a bit different and something that hasn't been done before. Dreams inspire lots of photoshoots in one way or another so we wanted to go a little deeper so that we have a stronger concept to work with. So instead of just using random dreams we decided to research into the most common dreams that people have and the meaning behind them...


Being Naked

Dreams of being naked are possibly amongst the most common dreams people have. In dreams, clothes can represent concealment and hiding, so being stripped of clothes can mean being left defenseless and exposed. Often the dreamer has fears that he or she worries may be uncovered. Dreams in which no one but the dreamer notices the nakedness are often indications that the fears bothering the dreamer are unfounded, and that no one else is concerned about them. Being naked in a dream can also indicate fear of being caught off guard. For instance, many people dream that they are suddenly naked at work or at school. Being naked in front of a crowd can symbolize a fear of being exposed, a fear of being unprepared, or a fear that those around you know things about you they are not telling you about.

Being Chased

Dreams of being chased probably have a deep, evolutionary origin. After all, our ancient ancestors actually were chased by all manner of predators, and this fear of being chased and caught has remained part of our hard wired nature. In modern societies, dreams of being chased can often arise from feelings of general anxiety experienced in the waking hours. These dreams can often be very realistic, and chase dreams are some of the most commonly reported nightmares. People troubled by recurring dreams of being chased often benefit from an examination of their waking life. Finding the thing that they are running from in real life, and confronting it, is often an effective way of banishing frequent chase dreams. For instance, there may be something you are supposed to do but have been avoiding. If this proposed action is a source of fear, stress and confusion, is can sometimes manifest in your dream life as an attacker or pursuer. Instead of facing your fear, you are running from it, and the attacker in your dreams represents the thing you are trying to get away from or avoid in real life. In some cases the pursuer or attacker in a chase dream represents not an outside force but part of your self instead. Unresolved feelings of anger, jealousy and fear can often enter your dreams in the form of a threatening or frightening figure.

Losing Teeth

Dreams about teeth, particularly dreams where the dreamer finds his or her teeth falling out, are much more common than you might think. There are many theories about just what teeth, and losing teeth, represent in the dream world, and these can be some of the most difficult dreams to interpret. One theory holds that dreams about teeth, and losing teeth, are a reflection of the dreamer’s anxiety about his or her appearance, and about how the dreamer thinks others perceive him or her. Since teeth play such an important role in physical attraction scenarios, such as flirting and getting the attention of the opposite sex, dreams of losing teeth can be manifestations of fears of getting old, fears of sexual impotence or other dating related anxieties. Another theory holds that teeth in dreams represent power, since they are used in real life to tear, chew, and bite. Therefore, the loss of teeth in a dream represents a perceived loss of power or influence. People who feel frustrated, or who feel that their voices are not being heard, may have dreams about losing teeth.

Flying

Dreams of flying may well be the most common of all dreams. Dreams of flying often fall into that special category of dreams in which the dreamer realizes he or she is dreaming. These dreams, called lucid dreams, are some of the most fascinating to both dreamers and dream researchers alike. Dreams where you are flying easily, soaring over the landscape and enjoying the serenity often mean that you feel on top of the situation and in control of your life. The flip side of that happy scenario are dreams in which the dreamer has difficulty remaining in the air, or dreams where you are unable to fly and begin to fall to earth. Obstacles like power lines, mountains and trees in a flying dream can be dream state manifestations of actual barriers in your waking life. Often the dreamer will experience fear while flying, or be afraid that he or she is flying too high. These types of dreams are often representations of fear of challenge, or fear that you cannot succeed. Identifying the barriers in your life, and overcoming them, can remove these barriers from your dream state as well as your waking life.

Falling

Dreams where you are falling are some of the most commonly reported dreams there are, and such dreams are one of the leading causes of sudden waking from a dream. Dreams of falling are most often interpreted as an indication of unresolved fears, anxieties, instabilities and insecurities. Dreams of falling can also represent a sense of inferiority or a sense of failure in your personal or professional life. These dreams of falling can represent a perceived failure to measure up to expectations, or a fear of losing your status, losing an important person in your life, or just a generalized fear or failure. Dreams of falling are most likely to take place during the first stage of sleep. That is because dreams at this stage are often accompanied by spasms of muscles in the arms, the legs or even the whole body. These sudden muscle contractions are known to science as a myclonic jerk. The dreaming mind can interpret these muscle spasms as falling, and thus incorporate falling into the dream state. Those who do biblical and religious interpretations of dreams often see falling dreams as meaning that the dreamer is taking his or her cues from the world of man instead of turning to God for guidance and advice.


Initially we would like to do the shoot on location but due to Preston's temperamental (and very windy) weather at the moment we are planning on doing a back-up shoot indoors.

So this is our initial idea, we will be having another meeting soon to discuss model scouting and styling :)

06 February 2011

David Stoupakis




David Stoupakis' work is new to me. I accidently stumbled across his portfolio on beingart.org, I really like the surreal, slightly macabre but still playful images that he has created. The children's facial expressions freak me out a little bit! I like the Victorian-esque costume mixed up with a random prop or animal(?) I think it would be really fun to do a shoot inspired by these images. The styling, use of colour and the composition of the images all work really well together.


"Much of my inspiration comes from discarded antique photos of children that I unearth. I like the idea of giving the child a new world to live in out of the dusty box in which I first found it." David Stoupakis



To see more of his work and other surreal artists on the site click here

Infinite Oz

http://www.syfy.com/tinman/oz/

Check out this link, It is called 'Infinite Oz'
"The Infinite OZ site beautifully captures the inter-dimensional weirdness of the Outer Zone (“OZ”) by surrealistically embedding one dreamlike vista in another.
What makes the project tick, though, is the injection of thoughtful motion and excellent sound design. Atmospherics like rainfall and particle fields are buttressed by shifts in the sonic landscape, adding depth to the fantastically detailed paintings. The whole experience is seamless, thanks in large part to some bad-ass code running under the hood, but also thanks to the natural way in which each artist’s painting resonates with those before and after it.
I love this stuff. It’s motion + code + narrative + interactivity + beauty. It’s the kind of experience I wanted back when I first jumped online in 1996. It’s a geek’s paradise—but it’s also the kind of thing my mom can enjoy"
Words taken from here

03 February 2011

Syfy's Alice

 People that know me will know that I am a massive Alice in wonderland fan so when I heard about the Syfy adaptation last year I knew I'd have to give it a watch. I cannot describe in words how truly impressed I was with such an original adaptation.  The styling is fantastic with most of the costumes made by Angus Strathie (who also made the costumes for Moulin Rouge!) The imagery is just amazing. 'Wonderland' is such a surreal place with a multitude of eccentric characters. Here is the low-down:


For this re-imagined adaptation, writer/director Nick Willing mines the bizarre ingenuity and twisted logic of Carroll's work to create a daringly different, boldly colorful and delightfully skewed dreamscape of his own. 
Using the classic Lewis Carroll books Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass as a jumping off point, writer/director Nick Willing has created the modern-day story of Alice Hamilton (Caterina Scorsone), a fiercely independent twenty-something who suddenly finds herself on the other side of a looking glass. She is a stranger in an outlandish city of twisted towers and casinos built out of playing cards, all under the rule of the deliciously devilish Queen of Hearts (Oscar winner Kathy Bates) who's not very happy about Alice's arrival. 
In the course of her adventure, Alice enlists the help of an array of characters including the resistance fighter Hatter (Andrew-Lee Potts), resistance leader Dodo (Tim Curry) and the White Knight (Matt Frewer). 

Here is a trailer, I know it is a fanmade one but the original one made it seem really boring!
Here is a link to a 'behind-the-scenes' video explaining in more detail the concepts behind the film.

01 February 2011

My Work

Here is a link to some of my previous work. Its just a Facebook album for now but eventually I hope to have my own website which will be more professional. There is a mixture from college and uni work to random snapshots I've taken. It's just to give you a better insight of my style of work and capabilities. I know that this blog is specific to the module but if anyone is wanting to collaborate on other projects send me an e-mail rachey_b@hotmail.co.uk and we can discuss ideas :)

Happy Campers Teen Vogue




Neon, Fake Flowers & Camping = Genius
I'm a massive fan of Miles Aldridge, his compositions and colour palettes that he works with are so inspiring.
In this particular shoot for Teen Vogue Andy Hillman has worked as the set designer. He has worked with Tim walker and often has his creations in Italian Vogue.

Location or Studio?

After the lecture on Monday about  'Studio VS Location' I came to the conclusion that my personal preference is shooting on location. I love shots that are taken in 'exotic locations'. When I look at a photograph I want to be involved in the image, I want to be transported there. I think the idea of escaping from reality appeals to me most when talking about the aesthetics of photography. Fantasy, fairytale, weird and wonderful, whimsical, futuristic and out-of the ordinary are words that spring to mind when trying to describe photography that I like.

Constructed scenes with a medley of props, colours and textures is something I would like to experiment with-Similar to the locations and set ups of  Tim Walker, Annie Leibovitz and David LaChapelle.

I have worked in the studio several times and I'm still very open to use a studio but I think the plain white background is something that I find quite daunting. I like photographs with a lot going on in them, 'more is more' in my opinion. As you can tell from looking at my previous posts I am influenced a lot by colour. I find that colour alone can be really inspiring. At the moment I think that I am referencing colour more as it is an escape from the dreary greys of Preston.

31 January 2011

Kattaca






These images called 'Flowers in December' are shot by one of my favourite photographers-Paco Peregrin.
 He works very closely with the styling duo known as 'KATTACAMario Ville and Carol Gamarra. You can pick out their collaborations a mile off. They experiment with structural fabrics and shapes, a kaleidoscope of colours and prints and have an amazing hair and make-up team too.

 I like the contrast between the perfectly polished models with their synthetic accessories and the natural organic shapes and colours of the flowers. The mix between high-fashion and nature is very successful.