Fashion Research 5

John Galliano

This reminds me of Victorian style, Victorian big ball gowns. Also like a snail, the way the drape trails behind her. The drapes behind her and her hair works well for this picture. Personally its not for me as I feel I just like more modern style. 

This photograph is stunning. It looks like it was shot in the early evening creating a warm glow over the whole picture or else this was put in, in post. It works really well as with the grand stairs it creates a romantic effect that juxtaposes against the dress as it looks like it is one big bin bag. It flows down the stairs behind her. This whole romantic sky and the grand staircase and the flowing push away from initial impressions about bin bag material and it becomes glamourous.

Fashion Research 4

Jean Paul Gaultier

This picture is definitely as if a crab had crawled out of the sea, the models hair even looks like seaweed. The picture interests me by the composition of different refelctions of the dress. I doubt this was shot with one frame, it looks like several pictures composite together. Especially as the lighting does not look precisely the same in each model. On the front model the lighting is fairly harsh, the left side of the models face is very dark and her eyes are too. On the models in the background face, the lighting is less harsh, much softer, which shows the style in a different way.

Fashion Research 3

Issey Miyake

Here is where things get fun and interesting and weird and colourful:

Perfectly looks like a frog! This must have been the inspiration, or a lizard on glass. The hands splay out to the sides and we can see the silhouette of the model through the jacket. The jacket is nicely symmetrical in the frame but has enough asymmetry to keep my eyes engaged.

The background is bright shining white.

This photograph has an explosion like effect. It would be great if the garment was all colourful and red and it was a colour photograph. The model looks fierce and this fits with the concept of the garment and photograph, the nudity highlights her fierce nature.

This dress reminds me of moth wings.

This looks so wacky and silly, it reminds me of a flower. It looks wacky because of the pose and the funky colours all stacked together. The pose is not stood straight at all and the knees and hips are bent with the arms outstretched. The colours are almost random and the whole thing looks impossible to walk in and to do anything in, the sleeves look too long. The model even has a looks of surprise and laughter in her face. This all comes together and for me it works, the more I look at this image the more I like it, however when I first saw it I was very unsure.

I am not sure why, but this picture reminds me of snails. Large exotic snails due to the different layers on the dress. Also similar to large intricate shells. The pose is interesting and helps to bring interest on the various angles at which the garment can be viewed.

The green in this image is something I find has a strength in its subtlety. The green of course is reminiscent of flies. The whole garment has something strange about it. The models pose really brings attention to the dark alternative style. The extremities of the garment remind me of fly wings

This picture on the left is great, the symmetry is wonderful. I like that the models head is turned to the right. Its like she is bursting through a barrier. The garment is light and her form shows through, combining the imagery of the protection of a shell and the delicateness of a wing.

Fashion Collaboration Research 2

Giorgio Armani

I like the saturated blue in these pictures and the texture of the waistcoat on the left, the necklace top on the right reminds me of a coat of shells or something.

Irving Penn

This image is really stylish, the hat covering the models eyes is an icon. The expression is almost of mourning with the down pointing face and the hand on the heart. It is a bold strong image that really shows off the hat and subtly points out the fishnet face.

I don't like the left arm as when I look at this image in 2015 it looks like she is taking a 'selfie'.

Peacock has taken his feathers off. The light is very specific on the model, letting no light spill onto the head that works with the illusion of the peacock having to take off its feathers. The picture signifies the personality under the persona of fashion.

Again I chose this photograph as I am keeping the insect theme in mind. The puffed out garment reminds me of a fly's body. The curves in the cloth pull my imagination into this vision. 

The face covered by the hat, with fishnet face. This images are much stronger and the model is showing a stronger side to the personality. Thick black and white works well for the roundness of the hat and the neck-tie.

I feel the image on the left works best as it has more contrast. but also less going on allowing the viewer to focus right on the scene. The model is showing a playful side by posing with her arms on her hips.
The framing works really well as the arms and hat keep the image symmetrical. The bow offsets this perfectly and engages the eye so one can follow the tie through the image.

Research for Fashion Collaboration

While preparing to show the Textile students some previous work so they could get an idea of what my end results are like, I did some researching into insects in fashion as their project was textiles designed by bugs.

Frankie Rayder

I like the boldness of this image how the model is directly facing the camera. Her pose is direct and engaging which highlights the clothing that she is wearing. It looks like it has been lit from above and camera left perhaps with a reflector underneath to soften out the shadows more. The photographer must have used a huge softbox as the shadows are really soft. I like the effect on her hair which remains dark. The black and white works well as the tones are visible and clearly readable.

Gianfranco Ferre

This photograph highlights the pattern on the dress well, i would like it more if the pattern were clearer, but it might just be a low quality jpeg as why the elbow is not a bit darker. The models head is facing towards the darkness of the background. The is also light in the background on the side of the dress. It is like she is moving towards darkness but the dress has pulled her into the light.

I like the way the dress is puffed out at the side, it shows off the lightness of the material. The model completely fits the frame.

The models pose shows strength and vulnerability. She has her arms crossed holding herself, but it is as if she is holding herself up which shows her strength through her garment and jewellery. The dress has a leopard pattern but in purple and red colours. the background is non existent white, not a bright white but muted and doesn't distract from the model. t is light from in front and is very soft over her face and arms, the light falls off when it reaches her legs a little.

The picture is quite interesting, the dress is flowing in the same direction as the legs, the dress is given form and shape perhaps by a wind machine. The models body position highlights the top half of the dress, the way it fans out under her face. The photograph is lit from camera right. You can tell this by the shadows on the left side of her body. The light is also coming down as you can see shadows on the bottom sides of her legs. The shadows are a little stronger in this photo than the others before. I can't put my finger on it as to why, but I don't particularly like this photograph so much. Probably because of the cross beams, they sort of seem to be there for no other reason to be there other than for the model to sit on, and are a bit more interesting than a chair.
The dress inspires me due to the fanning out at the top, it's like a strange bug with wings as the trail.

I love how soft how this image is the face is still sharp and there are soft details in the shirt, and how the cuff-links stand out from the softness. The models red lips complement the rest of the image well. Her short hair fits the image as it helps to highlight her face. The softness works well and the angle of the photograph and her position make it look as if she is moving forwards, she is going somewhere in the shirt.

The shirt reminds me of a white butterfly, it is thin and delicate, with strong white colour.

This image is very strong. The models poses are eye catching as they are strange. I like the framing as it cuts of the model on the right, it is more interesting to see than if they had both been posed in the frame.

I like the pose of this model, the dress design reminds me vaguely of patterns in a bugs wing mainly and of a sea shell. The wider angle and natural light work well. Perhaps a reflector was used as fill light. Her pose is as she is lost in thought, which is a state many people can relate to as it is often nice to go at sit at a coffee shop by oneself and just lose yourself in pondering about things, however she retains a glamorous appearance.

Initial Ideas

My initial idea is to photograph in the area near my house known as Ceasers Camp.
The area is to me very topographically interesting as it has all sorts of types of landscape. There are thick dense forest areas, pathways, dirt roads open vistas, views for miles over Farnborough and even lakes. The area has a personal connection with me as although it is somewhere used for military training, to me it is tranquil.
I grew up in London and there were no places that I could go to escape the city and wander and ponder lost in my own thoughts.
I would like to also take a few self portraits in these areas and show my reactions and emotions due to the different environments within Ceasers Camp.
I would quite like to experiment with an old medium format camera. An interesting feature of this old camera is that to advance to the next area of unexposed film, one must manually turn a dial which drags the film. One can stop turning at any point and still be able to take a photo. You could have double exposures over two places where you would normally have a photo or drag the film while exposing it, the possibilities are endless really.

Fashion Collaboration

As I would like to get a job as a retoucher I took part in the fashion collaboration, set up between the photography students and the textiles students here at UCA.
First we met with the students and our tutor talked through concepts of photographs he liked.
We sat into groups and I made some notes for the three students I would be working with:


Studio = plan b


Emily
shells print colours drapes and shadows . High waisted leggings . Baggy summery trousers . Possible make dress bold against a plain background
studio


Anna
insect eggs textures drapes and wrap like wings blue green orange eggs
with black tights
waistcoat back
focus on eggs white background
studio

colourful.jean Michel basque at
pink hair


Harriet
eye patterns . short hair model. Black and white . Pale green face . Lopsided pose
one arm longer than the other
gianfranc
possibly Emily model
straight back strong jaw smoky eyes


timetable
bring my work . 1400



We would meet up the next day.