Shoot 11 - Work Diary

In this shoot I decided to use the same model as the previous shoot as I feel that he suits the role very well. This time I ensured that he is wearing a different attire, this time a grey check suit. This allows the subject to stand out from the background much more effectively than in the last shoot as before he was wearing dark grey and navy suits which caused him to some times blend into the background more than intended. This time I showed much more experimentation in terms of the framing and especially the poses and positions the model is in. I acquired several different poses to the subject to get more variation in my photographs and also allow them to look more aesthetically pleasing, showing glimpses of a fashion photoshoot similar to professional standard. In this shoot I was interested in introducing negative space to my photographs and capturing images in landscape orientation. It forms an interesting or artistically relevant shape and is a key element of artistic composition. I further experimented with the lighting from the last shoot, varying positioning and intensity and also attempted using and longer but thinner softbox which projected light on the whole body of the subject rather than in certain places. I introduced a different chair to allow for different poses and positions to be made.
Lighting Diagram

I feel that this photograph is one of my successful from my photoshoot due to several reasons. I feel that the negative space towards the left of the subject is very effective and makes the composition very artistic and thought through. Also it is slightly unusual as he is not placed in the centre of the frame but is still standing out and behind the focal point. This is due to the use of lighting which is placed to the right of the frame, projecting him from the background. I also used a reflector just in front of the subject which allowed for more of his face and body to be visible. The shadows are very effective in showing his form and seems to be merging into the black background. I also like the lines and crosshatch pattern on the suit which also imply a sense of texture. The black and white filter I used enhances the seriousness of the piece which compliments the subject's serious facial expression. I used a sharpener tool to enhance the detail in the eyes to allow them to stand out and intensify the eye contact. I also made a couple of final touches to remove any flaws on the subjects skin in order to gain a cleaner and immaculate aesthetic. 

These two images show my experimentation with a range of poses and positions in order to gain a sense of variety in my work. I placed the softbox to the right of the subject which causes the shadows on the left. The colour schemes which I have created here have been influence by Annie Leibovitz through using a similar coolness and temperature. In order to do this I introduced more blues and less saturation and warmth. I did this by using the selective colour tool in photoshop and changed the skin colours by adding more cyan rather than magenta. Also the colour of the suit has a tint of blue which contributes to the overall colour palette where even the colour of the eyes match the scheme. I also ensure that the highlights and neutrals where cooler. In both occasions the subject is facing slightly towards the right of the composition but still looking directly at the camera to keep the connections with the viewers. I feel that both poses are equally as effective as the left photograph provides a more strong and dominant feel as he is slightly hunched over looking confident a the camera. Whereas the right image he looks much flamboyant and elegant due to the placing of his hand next to his face, this provides a fashion industry aesthetic as I got inspiration from a photo of David Beckham in a Hugo Boss advertisement. The very stern and serious facial expression creates a very intense connection with the audience, enhancing the formality, similar to Brian Smith's work. Also in the right photograph I managed to alter and improve the composition by adding slight negative space to the left and right of the subject. I did this by adding blank spaces and filling them with the content awareness tool through copying other areas in the background and smoothing it out by using the paint tool. I got rid of any spots and marks on the model's face by using the blemish tool to smooth out his skin.

Progression:

In my next shoot I would like to once again use the same model but in a slightly different outfit, maybe in just a shirt and trousers in order to create a monochrome colour scheme. Here I will also experiment with using a lighter background and different camera settings to gain brighter more vibrant outcomes.