EXPLORING THE INDUSTRY
Wonderland Magazine
Photographer Research
Lina Tesch
Lina Tesch is a German photographer and visual artist based in Berlin.
Her photography is based on exploring the relationship between people and their environment.
Tesch’s work is characterized by its strong sense of composition and its ability to capture moments of beauty within everyday life. Her work is focused on the interactions of people and their environment and focuses on how people engage with each other in unpredicted ways. Tesch likes to focus on creating a close connection between her viewers and her subjects that surpasses time and space.
I have chosen these two images to reference from Lina Techs images as inspiration for my own work. looking at the first image I can see that it was shot on a white backdrop which is something I would like to include in my own work, this is so that I can capture a clear silhouette and make the model stand out. The image looks like a medium wide camera shot as the model is framed from around the waist up.
The tonal range in the image is quite contrasted, this can be seen when analysing the model’s jacket with the background also, looking at the models’ skin tone. All three of these areas contrast each other as the jacket mainly consists of black tones with some grey highlights and it’s a high contrast compared to the background which is a much lighter grey.
For this inspired look I will be using a set-up of two strobes, two light stands, one 20-inch softbox and one reflector.
The second image that I have chosen looks like it was a location shoot and was shot with natural light.
the reason I have chosen to use this photo as a reference is because of the shadows that have been created in the image. I really enjoy the use of the shadows as I think it adds an extra element and makes the image more interesting. One other thing I like about it is how soft the image looks and also the the pose of the model, those combined together gives off a very relaxed mood especially with the shadow hitting from the side and having the natural light combined with it also highlighting some areas. the image like a medium wide camera shot as there's some background contact but not enough to give too much of a scene and the image has also been shot from around the waist up with some space on the top.
Equipment : Two strobes, two light stands, one 20-inch softbox, one reflector
This high key lighting diagram is one of the ideas that I had in mind and I wanted to create a quick sketch to gather my thoughts about the shoot and see what would work and what wouldn't. For this lighting set up I wanted the model to be in the middle with a slight pose but still relaxed. For this shoot I would like to use a white backdrop and have the model dressed in all black to create a big contrast between the model and the background. I would like to shoot a much brighter and clearer image with as much detail as possible. I would like to take the opportunity of this shoot and focus on the fashion aspect by using either a medium shot or play around with long shot to see which is best at capturing detail while still keeping it around the fashion concept.
For this shoot I want to create a simple outfit that also has a strong masculine feel to it, while still keeping the feminine touch. I decided to go with a full black outfit with a touch of white clothing under to create a little bit of dime tin and some depth. For the overall outfit I decided to dress my model in black pants wether thats leather or smart pants either would work. For the top I would like her to be in some sort of a white corset or corset style top with a bigger blazer style jacket. I will be using gold jewellery to complete the outfit and add touch of colour while still keeping it elegant.
I wanted to create a mood board to give a visual idea of what I am thinking of creating. The ideas for this mood board is to have a variety of different ideas such as different lighting, different angles, exposures, style and many more. I want to explore both black and white and colour hence why I included both in my mood board.
Roxanne Lowit
Roxanne Elizabeth Lowit was an American fashion and celebrity photographer.
Lowit was known to have “become as much a celebrity as those she photographed”.
Lowit never went to school for photography however she graduated from the fashion institute of technology in New York with a degree in art history and textile design. During her successful career as a textile designer is when she realised her love for photography. Lowit started taking photographs in the late 70s with her 110 instamatic, she started off by photography her designs at the new York fashion shows. After some time, she started covering all the designers in Paris. Lowit had a lot of model friends who would sneak her backstage. Lowit shoots both in colour and black and white.
I chose Lowit as my photography reference after some research and I found her work to be quite intriguing. I chose the first image that is in colour as it really drew me in with its sense of attitude and the way she used her colour blending is something I found very interesting. The contrast in the image is dark with a dark background almost blending in with the models clothing which is also black. All of this is in contrast with her skin tone and the bold red lipstick which really pops from the rest of her makeup and clothing. I also like the play with the facial expressions as it makes it a little unusual however gives it an edge and puts more emotion in the image.
I would like to use some of her makeup and lighting as inspiration for my own work.
I would like to use some of her makeup and lighting as inspiration for my own work.
I would like to create a moodier lighting set up and really get into the contrast between the background, models clothing and her makeup. looking at the image I can see that the image was taken from a higher angle while the model is sat which gives it more of an unusual look as if the image wasn't planned and was more of a spontaneous shoot. I like the messiness of the image as it shows more of a raw environment and the rawness of the model and what she was doing in the moment. I can see that almost most of the model is in the shot so it looks like it might have been a long shot however with the amount of background that is in the shot I would say it was medium shot as there is some background information however its not enough for it to be a long shot. I really enjoy the image in its black and white style as I don't think it would have had the same effect in colour and that s something I would also like to take into consideration when shooting my own work.
This is another lighting diagram that I have quickly sketched up to show a little idea of what I might want to try. The reason I sketched this specific lighting diagram is because I want to get a portrait in my 8 images and I thought this would be a good simple lighting set up. I would also like to create a moodier atmosphere while still keeping the softness around the models face with soft shadows. I would like to try play around with the models hands around the face and see what kind of composition and silhouette I can create.
This is my mood board for my Male model. I wanted to create something that would show off the atmosphere and the mood I was going for. I wanted to include some images that showed full shots and portraits to represent the different ideas I was thinking off. I also included black and white as well as colour as my 8 images are going to be a mix of both. I decided to add in some images on what the outfits would potentially be and the hair and makeup as well. I included in some images to show what type of lighting and angles I might want to try in my own images.
Equipment:Two strobes, two light stands, two 20-inch softbox
For this light setup I would like to add some drama while still keeping the light and the details of the image. I would like to create a masculine stance and mood with a strong composition to show off the clothing. I would like for this lighting to be mainly focused on the clothing as this will be in colour and the model will be wearing the coloured clothes.
I have created this moodboard to showcase my outfit ideas for my two models. I decided to go with very bright clothes for one of the outfits for the models as I wanted to pick two colours that clash together to represent a feud or a separation. I decided to go for a red outfit for my male model as I wanted something bold and dramatic, make the model look fierce and create a sense of danger while still keeping it quite elegant. I chose the colour green for the female model as I think that its quite elegant and still keeps with the bold theme. I think its a good colour that makes her look fierce while still keeping that feminine touch with a soft drama too it. I think the colours go well with each other in the sense of clashing to show the anger and separation between the two.
This mood board I have created for the couple shots that will be included in the middle of the 8 images as the final images. This is when the story will be pieced together when the two "lovers" come together to show the feud is over and they have overcome all the obstacles in their way. this will be shown when they have changed into their second outfits, which will be full black with white underneath to create a little bit of dimension so its not fully flat. the outfit change will also show the change of their path and how they have been brought together which is a big step from the coloured clothes that clash each other. I have chosen some of these compositions as I think they work very well together. I wanted to have some portrait options as I really like the idea of a close up detail image however i made sure to also include some medium and long shots to show the different stages and add some variety so I had options as there will be two couple images.
These are some images I have taken to give a quick overview on how the process went when shopping and choosing the clothes for the shoot. This was taken while trying to figure out if the clothes were the right size as I was initially going for a baggier look. I wanted to go for a simpler look while still keeping it quite elegant. I decided to go for a simple blazer look with a white shirt and baggy smart pants. I also had a white polo shirt to try out and and see if it was abetter option than the white shirt as I decided that I wanted the outfit to be less formal.
For this image I decided to go with a simple sitting down pose and looking straight into the camera and leaning forward a bit. I wanted to start off with something simple and experiment with different poses both standing and sat down.
I had a simple lighting set up, I used a white backdrop with two 1200ws strobe lights and two Polly boards and as my main light I had an octagon light.
The set up was simple, two strobe lights facing each Polly board, the Polly boards reflecting the light onto the white backdrop, as the main light I had the octagon light from the front facing directly the model.
I think the lighting set up worked out well as the results were what I was going for however, the image itself is not what I was aiming for. I don’t think the pose worked out that well, even thought I was going for something simple and elegant I think this pose is too basic and doesn’t work well with the model. I decided to turn the image black and white as I wanted to go for a classic look. Looking at the image now I don’t think it came out as well as it could have, the reason for this is because the model’s skin is quite fair, and the combination of the lighting set up I have didn’t work well together as there are no shadows to add dimension therefore, the models face came out flat and ended up blending in with the background instead of contrasting with it.
This image is from a test shoot I have done to try out different poses and lighting set ups, after trying out different things I think that for my next shoot I will have to be a bit more careful with the face of the model in case it comes out too flat again. To make sure I don’t repeat the same mistake I need to add more shadows and dimension to the models face and position the main light slightly to the side which should add some shadows and make the face less flat. I might also reconsider getting a different male model as I don’t think the current model I am working with is suitable for this brief.
For this image I had the same set up as the first image as they are from the same shoot.
White backdrop, two 1200ws strobes, two Polly boards and an octagon light.
I started off with her standing up and I wanted to play around with the placement of her hands. I decided to direct her to place her hands on the side of her head, her fingers slightly on her forehead. I think that this pose with the placement of her hands worked out well, her hands were used as a frame for her face, overall, I think the whole thing worked out as I expected. The idea for this shoot was to turn the images black and white as I wanted it to be classic and high contrasted with the clothes and the background, I think that best worked in black and white. I am happy with this image, the pose works, the high contrast between the model, clothes and the background works.
To improve this image for my next shoot I will have to focus on making sure the image is centred correctly as in this one it is slightly off centre.
In this image I had both of my models working together to create a couple’s image that would combine both of my other two images. The idea for this image was to use their height difference to my advantage so, I decided to get my female model to sit down and the male model to stand behind her to create that masculine and feminine atmosphere. I think I was able to create the atmosphere that I was aiming for as the pose I used works well for the idea however, I don’t think the male model works well with the female model. The reason for this is that the female model has strong features and strong facial expressions that work well with what I am trying to create, on the other hand the male model’s facial expressions don’t match the female therefore there Is an unbalance between the two.
For the next shoot I think I will keep the same pose however I will have to be a bit more mindful of making sure the two models are aligned and centred perfectly as in this image they are slightly of centre. I will also have to work on the lighting as the male model has no dimension on his face as there are no shadows. This was because the main light, octagon light at the front was facing down which mainly lit the female model. For the next shoot I will have to make sure the octagon light is positioned well enough to light both the models.
This is a mood board for my male model to give him an example of what I would like to try for the shoot. It will give him an idea of what type of poses I would like for him to do.
