Photoshoot 7a: Gender: Women's Work: Work Record

Work Record Studio -

Date: Wednesday 6th April 2016
Camera: Canon EOS 450D 
Editing Software: Photoshop CC 2014
Settings: F8, ISO 400, 1/60, Flash

Plans For Shoot: Today I plan to photograph a documentary series as variation from my previous photoshoots. I will depict the work associated with the genders. 

What I Hope to Achieve: I hope to achieve a series of photographs that depict women's work in a way that is nostalgic and studies changing perceptions of gender throughout time. 

Additionally I would also would like to create a series that is well edited in Photoshop using a variety of techniques ranging from simple black and white tools to either curves or levels. 

Another hope of mine is that I would like to create a minimum of four individual photographs that work in cohesion with one another to form a series based upon work.

Furthermore, I would like to shoot in a variety of locations and shoot a variety of people but within the time frame this may be too difficult. 

What I Actually Achieved: I was able to achieve a small series of photographs that appeared almost timeless in their editing and composition. 

I did use a variety of Photoshop CC 2014 editing techniques including back and white and levels. More information of this is expanded upon in the editing process section. 

I did create a series of four photographs all underneath the sub-category of women's work although my least favourite image does not appear to fit in cohesion with the rest of the miniature series. 

I was able to complete this photoshoot in two different locations but due to availability of being in the home environment and trying to avoid posing I was only abel to shoot one portrait subject. 

What I Am Going To Do Next/ Progression: The next step, as this shoot was completed in-between photoshoot 7 and 8, is to photograph a series of indoor studio shoots for men's work and then another documentary series. 

If I was to improve, then I would photograph more people and in more locations. 

I would also improve my work by practicing with other techniques in Photoshop such as curves rather than just levels to enhance the exposure and tonal difference. 

I will be taking in this documentary approach with me to the studio in that I may practice being more free and trying to capture a moment rather than precisely and carefully framing and setting up. 

Least and Favourite Image Evaluation - 

Least Favourite:

Favourite:

The reasoning behind the above pictures being my favourite and least favourite are for a multitude of reasons. 

My least favourite is so because the subject is not one of portraiture when one of the most prominent ideas behind documentary photography is to depict the character of a person or social group such as gender. Also, due to the sunny outside the image has large tonal difference where the exposure is too bright. Additionally, the composition does not adhere to any methods such as the grid method although there is some evidence of leading lines.

The second photograph is my favourite in this sequence as it depicts the modern day woman at work. I know the subject as she is my Mother and therefore was able to portray her in an environment that is true to normal. Furthermore, the tonal difference is week executed in Photoshop as I used the more advanced technique of levels. I like the image because of the housewife nature but the subject is dressed smartly as she also works and therefore conveys how societies perceptions of women has evolved but has still not changed to an equal field between the genders. 

Meaning -

Denotation: Domestic roles, housework.

Connotation: Females as the domestic housewives within society, the ideologies that have developed to encourage women to work but also conform to prior expectations, the timeless gender inequality that changes but still exists within most societies.

Context: This photoshoot was create din Bresson's style to emphasise my response to personal opinions but also to create a nostalgic feel within modern society to show how gender inequality may be considered extinct or out of place in modern society although it clearly still exists. Inequality is an outdated belief system.