overall evaluation

Although I still have a long way to go with photography, I do feel that my skills and confidence have improved this term. I really enjoyed Chris’s technical lessons as we were introduced to some really fun and quirky studio set ups. We learnt how to create particular moods in our photos, which is something we hadn’t touched on before. However, I still don’t feel confident with studio set ups- I still wouldn’t attempt it on my own. Hopefully this is something I will continue to progress in next year.

 I really enjoyed having a bit more freedom with the make up design this term. At first, I really panicked when I was first given the word ‘Jam’, but then as I thought about it a bit more I came up with some really fun ideas and I loved doing the shoot! 

 I was definitely more excited about the word shoot. I had all these mad ideas that I couldn’t wait to try out. I was a bit worried about the brand shoot as it was very specific, we had to stick to the style of the brand. However, I understand that this is extremely common in this industry, so it was a really good experience and I am pleased with what I have produced.

 Overall, I’m feeling really positive about what I have achieved this term. I know that there is so much more to learn with both photography and post production, but I’m really looking forward to extending my knowledge next year. 

GIVENCHY shoot- final images and evaluation

 Here are a few of my final images for my givenchy shoot with tolly. I was really happy with how this shoot turned out. The studio set up was a black backdrop, black side boards and a beauty dish. I did this as I wanted an image with glowing, flawless skin. Obviously, the make up is the main focus for this shoot, as it is a beauty advertorial, so I wanted a lighting set up that would compliment the make up.

I created this look based on Givenchy's autumn/ winter ads. I really liked their adverts with more of a darker vibe, the make up is generally very simple and clean, often with the focus mainly being a bold lip. I chose to do a very natural and glowing base, as this is something that is very common with Givenchy's ads.

As my jam shoot had an overall mellow and chilled out out feel, I wanted to create something with a similar vibe. However, givenchy's ads are very clean and usually include a bold eye and lip. Their adds never actually involve a huge amount of colour, they usually use deeper tones rather than bright colours. I want    my model to pose with her eyes closed, to look as if she is lost in the music. rather than reggae, this time this look is inspired by soft rock, which is why i have gone for a dark look.


We spent around 30 minutes shooting after setting up. We didn't take long as I knew the exact poses i was after ( demonstrated in these pictures) although, we did play around with some other      poses just in case we found something that worked better.
I have always really struggled with photoshop and i still find it extremely frustrating, but I am really pleased with my progress this term. I now feel that i have a basic understanding of a staple photoshop skills. I look forward to extending my knowledge next year. The image below is my final edited image- all i really did was play around with brightness and contrast, and get rid of blemishes. I also used the paint tool to darken the eyelashes to make them look fuller, this is because the camera picked up the gaps between every lash and you could tell that they were false. This was a skill that I learnt this term which i was really excited about! I also used the same tool to tweak the lips slightly, this was just right in the inside as the lipstick had worn off slightly. The last thing i did was used the frequency separation tool to smooth out certain areas of skin.

Unfortunatley, due to a serious technology related mishap, i can't post my final image with the givenchy logo on my blog, however it is on my PDF hand in.

 When placing the logo and product on my image, i chose not to include a product. I had planned to place the perfume bottle in one of the bottom corners, but when i did i just didn't like it at all. I then tried just the givenchy logo at the bottom of the image and i was really happy with it. There are givenchy beauty ads that just contain their logo, so this is what made my decision final.

I was quite worried about this shoot ( photography equipment still scares me a bit) as it had to be very specific and suit the brand. However, once i got into it and got some good ideas i really enjoyed it. It was a really good experience as i know that in this industry i will be working to a brief most of the time.

Bellow are both the story board for this shoot with the call sheet.

JAM shoot- final images and evaluation

Here are my final edited images from my word shoot. The word i was given to inspire this shoot was 'Jam'. At first i panicked and didn't know what to do with it. After a lot of thought, research and advice from teachers and peers, i decided to do a shoot based on jam as in 'jamming to music'. I wanted to create something that portrayed the feelings that you get from listening to music.

I previously explained on my blog that I listened to reggae when doing my face charts for this shoot. I used certain colours to show the way that the genre makes me feel. I used several different blue tones to show how the genre makes you feel chilled out/relaxed and then i used orange to express the positive/happy vibes it has. When i listen to reggae it automatically reminds me of being sat in the greenfields at glastonbury festival- one of my favourite places in the whole world. These images are a representation of how that genre makes me feel, and how it takes me to a certain place/memory. I loved doing this look because it was so personal to me, something that i have never done before.

I hadn't really planned anything for the hair, apart from slicking it back and pulling it off the face. But when i started shooting i felt that it didn't look right and needed something extra to tie it in with the make up. I had a gold leaf style product in by kit- but it silver, and i sprinkled some in her hair to finish it off. This was very spontaneous and could have been a complete disaster as its a nightmare to get off but I'm pleased with how it looked! I feel that it tied the make up and hair tpgetehr.

I used a black back drop, soft box and a silver reflector. I knew that i wanted a set up that would make the skin look radiant, but i was worried that it wouldn't compliment the make up. I wasn't really sure if it would work as i haven't had to photograph this kind of make up before. I played around with the brightness of the light and the placement of the reflector and i found a set up that worked.

I didn't have to do much in post production- all i did really was used the frequency separation tool to smooth the skin out slightly, as georgia had some eczema on her arms. I also altered brightness and contrast.

I'm really proud of these images, i loved everything about this shoot. I loved the planning and designing, the shoot was really fun and i actually enjoyed the post production for this, too. I loved the freedom that we had with this brief.

Givenchy add facechart

I have created a relatively simple look for this shoot. I plan to create a fresh, glowing complexion. Starting with Illamasqua's radiance veil and satin primer, then covering the face, ears and neck with a mix of foundation from the krayolan foundation pallette. I will do a soft contour and highlight to finish off the skin (as well as powder,obviously). As I am doing this shoot inspired by Givenchy's darker winter ads, the main focus is going to be a dark lip and it will be advertising a lipstick. As the focus will be the lip, i will compliment this with a soft brown smokey eye. I am using tolly as my model, who has short dark hair, i plan to slick it back as this is very common in Givenchy's ads.

How have i related this to my jam shoot?
As my jam shoot had an overall mellow and chilled out out feel, I wanted to create something with a similar vibe. However, givenchy's ads are very clean and usually include a bold eye and lip. Their adds never actually involve a huge amount of colour, they usually use deeper tones rather than bright colours. I want my model to pose with her eyes closed, to look as if she is lost in the music. rather than reggae, this time this look is inspired by soft rock, which is why i have gone for a dark look.

givenchy beauty ads

I've had a look at some of Givenchy's beauty ads for inspiration for my upcoming shoot. I anted to see if there was a common theme, that i could maybe try to include in my image. I actually found that their ads seem to be very versitile, changing depending on season etc. Darker colour used to winter ads, and light/fresh colours used for spring/summer.

One thing i did notice is that the images are very plain, with no background distractions. Models are often shot in front of a plain backdrop. The ads very rarely contain any words other than 'Givenchy' and then small print underneath stating the name of the collection and the season. Sometimes the ads dont even feature pictures of the products that they are selling, its as if 'givenchy' and the make up on the model are enough of a statement. This is definitelty something to think about when doing my shoot.

I really like their darker, almost gothic inspired adverts from their autumn/winter collections so i'm hoping to create an image inspired by these. Most images feature a model with hair slicked back or pulled off their face, so this is something to consider.

Here are a few that inspired me:

images:

http://www.glamcheck.com/fashion/2011/04/26/jacquelyn-jablonski-for-givenchy-beauty-fall-2011-campaign/jacquelyn-jablonski-givenchy-beauty-fall-2011-1-jpg/

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=givenchy+beauty&biw=1366&bih=657&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjak5_kjZ3MAhVlI8AKHRvKBm4Q_AUIhAIoAQ#imgrc=w5gL_G9jjNEq1M%3A

 http://chicprofile.com/tag/givenchy/page/5

Facecharts for JAM shoot

As this make up is inspired by make up and the way it makes you feel, I needed to choose a genre of music to narrow it down a bit. This is important as I feel that different types of music provoke different emotions, which are associated with different colours.

I went home recently and i was sat with my friend and i was telling her about my ideas. we listened to a few types of music and then started to listen to one of my favourite genres, reggae. I love reggae as it just has such a chilled out, happy vibe. I started to mix a few colours together on my hand, based on the way it was making me feel. I then started a face chart and kind of just went with it!

I knew that i wanted to use supra colour, to create a sort of painted face/collage of colour effect. This is what I came up with:

It is very rare that i will do just one design and go with it, but I feel that for my idea i need to go with my initial feelings and designs. Obviously, this is not a particularly precise design, and like with any design, i may play around and tweak certain bits when i do it on my model. I'm looking forward to whacking on some reggae and having a play with this design in the studio!! It's really different to anything I've ever done before.

my brand: givenchy

Givenchy is a luxury french brand, founded in 1952 by Hubert De Givenchy. As well as making Haute couture clothing, they make perfumes and cosmetics,too.

Hubert's first line was a hit straight away with the critics, with vogue describing his first line as 'wonderful'. His work was extremely popular with some of the greatest fashion icons of all time. Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor, to name a few. Audrey and Hubert became great friends when thy first met, and he went on to dress her in Funny face, Sabrina and breakfast at Tiffany's. This is how she described his work- "His are the only clothes in which I am myself. He is far more than a couturier, he is a creator of personality'. Having such an icon of the time being completely obsessed with his work definitely played a part in his success.

Givenchy was very popular for its ladylike styles. In 1957, they released the revolutionary 'sack' silhouette - up until this point, all dresses were figure hugging and accentuated the waist. This was revolutionary as it created a 'mystery' surrounding the body underneath. Givenchy created several iconic pieces around this time, and he became one of the most influential designers of the most daring decade in fashion, the sixties. He encouraged women to show more leg by raising hemlines on many of his designs.

He went on to have many more successful collections as a designer, but decided to sll his business to Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy in 1988, and then completey retired from fashion in 1995. Alexander McQueen, John Galliano and Julien Macdonald all had stints at Givenchy after his retirement, but it is now overseen by Ricardo Tisci, who is the creative director for both the ready to wear collections and the Haute couture.

http://www.vogue.co.uk/spy/biographies/hubert-de-givenchy-biography