RAM SHERGILL

Ram Shergill is a an internationally acclaimed British fashion photographer who has worked with some of the most recognised names in the industry. Shergill's photography is strongly influenced by memories of his early childhood, when his early poor sight led him to imagine a fanciful rose-tinted, perfect world in which everything was beautiful. Shergill’s work has been exhibited at the Whitechapel Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum and Sotheby’s London, as well as at the Galerie Du Passage in Paris. He is also founder and editor of Drama Magazine, a publication dedicated to fashion and performance.

Ram's work is very influential to mine when considering the shoots I did when dressing my model in formal attire. His photography provided me with inspiration towards poses, light positions and also colour schemes. Below are a couple examples of his work.

Photographer Research Iain Crawford

                                                            Iain Crawford

                                                                     Biography

Iain grew up in Africa and Malaysia and developed a passion for photography at an early age. On moving to London, he worked as an account handler for Saatchi & Saatchi but left to pursue his photographic career. After spending several years living and working in New York, he is now based back in London but continues to work internationally. His career has lead him to shoot campaigns for many of the world's top brands and receive commissions from a host of top international magazines.

                                                        Why I chose this photographer

I chose Iain because he loves to capture images that have a strong graphic and textural quality while maintaining the personality and emotion of the subject. He loves the mix between paint and model. The excitement and anticipation as we waited to see the next piece of unpredictable chaos was electric. There was something magical about how random chance materialised into beautiful images in front of our eyes.

This photograph is a longshot taken in a landscape orientation. It depicts a woman merged into fog where only the top half of her naked body can be seen. This produces a mysterious feel to the piece as the female can only just be seen. The fact that the fog is pink allows for a very feminine atmosphere to be created. The dark background allows for the fog and subject to be seen clearly as they are light in comparison. The density of the fog can be seen through the tone of pink in the composition. The lighter tones of pink indicate a thicker density whereas the darker tones imply a thinner consistency. Where the fog is thinner, the female begins to become visible. It seems that there is a light source positioned towards the right of the composition as highlights can be seen on the right side of the model whereas there are shadows on the left side. 

This is a close up of what it seems to be a female model who is wearing a wet sheet of transparent fabric over the top of her face. This transparency provides a very light tone of the subjects face. There dark green paint placed over the top half of her face. There seems to be a light source coming from over the top of the subject which causes little shadow where most of the darker tones are on the neck of the subject. However, there are slight shadows which illustrate the form and shape of the subjects face. These shadows also depict the facial features where outlines are created. The shape of the features allow it to be clear that the subject is a woman. The lines on the subjects face and hair illustrate how the fabric is wet which enhances the shape of the subjects face. The structure of the models face is very feminine as she has a petite nose, big round lips, prominant eyes and jaw line.

Here in this photo colour is introduced through the use of paint. It is applied very messily  and rash which seems very abstract but also implies a sense of beauty as can be  considered to be art. The side profile of the subject can be seen through the light  background. This also shows the hair which is illustrated through the long wavy lines seen. There are a lot of shadows caused in this piece which allows for the focal point of the piece  to be the model's eyes and face. This is due to the very dark shadows around the throat  which gradually lightens towards the cheek, implying a sense of form and shape which is  also shown in the mouth of the woman.

Here a particular colour scheme has been created. The overall colour palette consists of blue/turquoise. This is created through the fact that the background, props of balloons and the eye make up all be the same colour. There are very round shapes include in the frame of the piece as in the background there is a circle and there are also two other semi-circles where the balloons are partly out of the frame. These shapes can be seen through contrast between the dark tones and the bright colour. There are patterns seen on the top of the subject. The subject is facing towards the left of the composition whilst looking directly at the camera. Her very serious facial expression implies a mysterious mood as it looks as if she is looking down at the viewers which is also shown through the level of the camera being lower than eye level. It is possible that lighting gels have been used as there are both  colours of blue and red seen on the right side of the subject's face.

How they have influenced me 

Iain has inspired me to create colour schemes in my photography which can be formed by  the use of background, clothing, make up and props all being the same colour. Also he has made me want to experiment with paint and materials which I can apply to the face of the  subject.

Shoot 5 - Army shoot work diary

In this shoot I decided to explore the importance and effect of using costume and makeup in order to create a certain mood. Here I got a male, military aged model to wear two sets of army costumes which I had purchased. One of the outfits consisted of a smart attired with a blazer, shirt, tie and hat which were stereotypically worn in the official soldier portraits. The other costume was a camouflage overall with a bullet vest and a helmet. These costumes are very recognisable and make to identity of the subject very clear. In this shoot i experimented with different lighting techniques to see which suited the costumes best. I tried using brighting lighting with the smart costume as I tried to replicate the original portraits layout, colours and composition. However, I felt the most successful lighting was the much darker low key lighting which worked very well with the camouflage costume. This also worked very well with the makeup I applied to the subjects face which enhanced the dirty gritty feel. I also experimented with the intensity and positioning of the light source in order to gain different moods and themes. I also experienced a problem in this shoot as I applied makeup to the subjects face but forgot to apply it to the neck so therefore it didn't look very effective. However, by using the burn tool in photoshop I was able to eliminate this problem. Overall I felt that this shoot was very successful and felt that the colours used and makeup/tools/costume all come together in order to produce successful outcomes shown below. These can be considered to show elements of Steve McCurry's work due to the content and themes surrounding war.

Lighting Diagram

In this portrait photograph I used low key lighting in order to create harsh shadows towards the left side of the subject's face which contribute to the mood greatly. The light source is coming from the right side of the composition which causes shadows, which are very effective in showing the form of the face and neck. I like how the lighting has caused a reflection in the subjects eyes, allowing them to stand out. I sharpened the eyes of the model to allow them to stand out even further. Here I also applied makeup to the subject's which in attempt to make him look gritty and dirty and seem as if he has been in action, providing stereotypes associated with soldiers and the army. In photoshop I used the burn tool in order to contribute to the dirtiness of the neck and some areas on the face. I also sharpened some areas more than others in order to imply a sense of texture. I ensured that the colours of the photograph remained very dark with shadows and browns which contribute to the overall earthy mood. Also the black background furthers the darkness in the image which works well with the dark tones and shadows. The fact that the figure is looking away from the camera and is deep in thought provides the sense that he reflecting on his time in the war.

This photograph is from a different angle to the previous, this time I took the photo from a side on angle whilst being more zoomed out. I also made the subject where the helmet as well as the rest of the costume. By taking the photo in this way I was able to capture the country flag/badge on the arm of the model which I feel provides a sense of pride and identity. By using a black background and placing the lighting in front of where he is facing, the profile of the model's face is enhanced and the shadows form shows the structure and form. Once again through using the makeup and burn tool I was able to make to subject seem very dirty and made it seem as if he has been in action. Here I also applied the burn tool and also the paint tool on the costume of the subject to show continuity and also to continue the dirty theme. By sharpening areas, specifically on the cheek I was able to show the texture very well. This rough texture works very well in attempt to imply slight grazes and deterioration to the skin. The colours are once again very dark and gritty which I feel works very well with my intensions. I reduced the warmth slightly in order to gain a colder effect which can be related to war.

This photograph has been taken from a close up front on angle with the model looking directly at the camera. His facial expression appears to be straight but holds great emotion and seems very intense. Through the use of the low key lighting the majority of the left side of the face is covered with shadow. This implies a sense of mystery as it seems like he is hiding something, his past. The shadow is dominating the image and therefore resembles how his past is dominating his and still effective, demonstrating the effects of war. I sharpened the eyes again which allows them to stand out and make the eye contact more tense. I then decided to apply a black and white effect which effects the mood and feel of the piece very well. It causes for a very emotional piece to be made with the big contrast. I once again used a black background which contributes to the whole dark theme. This implies themes of sadness and even regret through the colours and facial expression used; illustrating the psychological effects of war. 

Progression:

In my next shoot I would like to continue with improving my editing skills in regards to making the model seem dirty and gritty. I could perhaps relate this to Steve McCurry's work in order to provide a sense of culture through the use of costume.

Shoot 5 - Army shoot Straight Images

Shoot 5 - Army Shoot contact Sheet

Mid-Project Evaluation

At the start of the project I thought about applying paint to a models face in a very abstract style which would show the influence of Alexander Khokhlov's work. I was thinking about painting colours, accompanied by words on to the models face in order to portray their emotions/feeling and even suggest issues in the current modern society. I don't think I will end up doing this exactly but I feel that I could apply paint and makeup in order to make the subject look dirty and less healthy. I decided to discard my idea of experimenting with UV paint and also coloured powder as I felt that it wasn't as relevant to my topic as other work. I decided to not focus on photographers such as Rankin and McGibbon as their work is very vibrant and colourful and I want to focus on rather dull and muted colour schemes similar to the work of Steve McCurry and could even dabble in researching culture and identity. I could now experiment with lighting and the specific moods which they create. I also decided to not further my idea of photographing buildings in London and altering their appearance of some monumental landmarks and attractions. This is because I want to explore the emotions and moods of humans and the effect colour has on this.

Up to this point I have been focussing on very saturated and vibrant colours and the connotations that they have. Specially through using the technique of gel lighting which shows a great influence of my chosen photographer of Nadav Kander. I feel that my outcomes are very effective and are very successful in creating certain moods. I particularly like the way in which I could create masculine and feminine atmospheres each both on males and females. I have heavily researched the psychology of colour to allow me to have a more in depth understanding on the connotations of colour and what they mean. From this point on I am not going to focus on very vibrant and saturated colours. I am now going to experiment with using very muted and unsaturated colours in order to produce very different moods and also illustrate an influence of my other chosen photographers. I will be creating very gritty, dark and gloomy accounts which will be very emotional and deep. I feel that this is much more relevant to me as it suits my tonal style more.

Shoot 4 - masculine and feminine lighting work diary

In this shoot I once again experimented with gel lighting but this time I explored how I can change the atmosphere of a photo due to the colours included and their connotations. In this shoot I used colours which are not stereotypically associated with the model and therefore creating very unique pieces which have very interesting effects. Here I used considerably masculine colours on the female subject and then feminine colours on the male model. I used the same setup as before which lighting gels either side of the subject and also used the technique where I directed one of the lights on the background in order to make it a specific colour. In this shoot  I attempted to create specific colour schemes where a certain colour is dominant and i feel that my outcomes are very successful as they fulfil my original aspirations.

Lighting Diagram 

For these images I used a black background and two gel lights plead slightly behind the model in order to allow her to stand out. I have been able to create a slight type of lens flair or mist which contributes to the overall colour scheme of blue. I have used two different tones of blue gels which are stereotypically masculine. This colour is one of trust, honesty and loyalty and seeks peace and tranquility above everything else, promoting both physical and mental relaxation. It reduces stress, creating a sense of calmness, relaxation. However here I feel that I have created a particular cold mood due to the brightness and shade of the blue. In order to continue the blue colour pallet I enhanced the colour of her eyes in order to make them stand out. The two edits above illustrate a difference which I explored in photoshop. In order to amplify the cold mood I changed the temperature of the piece in order to alter the colours and specifically the skin tones of the model. Making her appear much paler and less vibrant.

I feel that this photograph from my shoot is also very effective due to the overall feminine mood created. I achieved this by using pink gels. I directed one of the gel lights onto the background in order tog provide it with colour and then directed the other towards the subject from slightly behind. This light provides a sense of shape, from and structure as it defines the left side of the subject's face, particularly around the temple  cheek, jaw and neck. As identified before the colour pink is feminine and romantic, tender and intimate, thoughtful, sensitive and caring which is normally related to female personalities. This therefore illustrates a clash between the colour and the gender of the model which I feel is very unique and effective. Due to this, there is a deeper meaning to the photograph that originally doesn't become apparent. In fact this colour imply the sexuality of the subject through these of colour.

Progression:

Similarly to shoot 3 I would like to do a shoot where I can experiment with my editing techniques in order to improve my pictures significantly. I would like to be able to alter the appearance of the subject in order to make them look gritty and dirty rather than just apply makeup. I could perhaps do this with a male model in costume and create a particularly dark gloomy and gritty mood.

Shoot 4 - masculine and feminine lighting straight images

Shoot 4 - masculine and feminine lighting contact sheet

Shoot 3 - feminine gels work diary

This is another shoot where I experimented with gel lighting but this time I had a slightly different approach. Here I have investigated different ways in which I can enhance the femininity of the female figure. I has tried to create this effect through using different colour gels, poses and also backgrounds. In order to get a colour background I didn't just roll down a different colour backdrop, instead I used a white background and directed one of the back lights towards it. By placing a gel onto this light it allowed me to project any colour that I wanted into the background and I could also alter tyne brightness and shade of the background my changing the intensity off the light. I tried to use different colour gels such as light colours like pink, purple, yellow, peach and orange which projected a much more soft and feminine light.

Lighting Diagram 

In this image I included a pink background by placing pink gel on the back light and directed it towards the white backdrop. You can see where the light is coming from as the brightness of the red side of the background is much more intense. I could perhaps try to eliminate this in photoshop and decrees the brightness to make it seem that the background is a solid flat colour. I ensure that the subject was placed in the centre of the composition and looking directly at the camera pulling a serious facial expression to connect with the audience. In photoshop I enhanced the highlights and shadows in order to show the form, shape and structure of her face, highlighting her feminine features. I did this by creating a new layer where I lightened areas such as the nose, cheeks, eyes, eyelid and mouth and darkened areas such as the crease on the eyelid, around the nose, mouth and also around the jaw in order to add definition. After doing this, the areas which i have editing would be very bold and visible, so then I decrease the opacity of the layer in order to make the effect look more subtle. Ultimately creating a softer effect where the subject appears smooth and feminine.

In this photograph I have once again used a pink background in the same way as before because i feel that the colour pink is is feminine and romantic, tender and intimate, thoughtful, sensitive and caring. It tones down the physical passion of red replacing it with a gentle loving energy. In color psychology, pink is a sign of hope. It is a positive color inspiring warm and comforting feelings. I included a yellow gel light coming in form the left side of the composition. However when reviewing the image I felt that the yellow was to bright and harsh on the image to in photoshop I changed the hue and saturation to make it into a much more warm colour which compliments the overall colour scheme. I made sure that the front light intensity was quite low to reduce the contrast. Once again I had editing the skin of the subject where I altered the highlights and shadows on the facial features like I did previously but much more subtly this time. This time I also ensure that her cheeks looked slightly rosy through the use of the paint tool in photoshop and the decreasing the opacity to make it more subtle. This contributes to the femininity and beauty of the model as it makes her look warmer and also makes it seem as if she if wearing makeup. The made the model do a pose where she flicked her here and I took a picture during the process. By doing this a sense of movement is created through the lines of the hair all pointing in one direction. I enhanced the lines of the hair by sharpening these areas. I still ensured that the subject is making eye contact with the camera in order to allow for a connection with the audience to be made. Her facial expression appears peaceful and relaxed which enhances her beauty as she seems to be effortlessly an elegantly moving. The fact that she is placed in the centre of composition and that a vignette is used allows for the attention to be directed towards the subject, making her be the focal point as desired.

Progression:

In my next shoot i aim to once again experiment with gel lighting but this time I would like to explore masculine lighting with a female subject and also feminine lighting with a male model. This would allow me to see his much the lighting can change the mood and look of a photograph. Also In the near future I would like to experiment with my photoshop skills in order to make the models look gritty and dirty.

Shoot 3 - feminine gels straight images