Photoshoot 6: Gender: Men's Myths: Work Record

Work Record -

Date: Friday 18th March 2016
Camera: Canon EOS 450D 
Editing Software: Photoshop CC 2014
Settings: F/11, ISO 200, 1/125

Plans For Shoot: My idea for today's photoshoot is to photograph a collection of objects that accurately depict my hosen myth associated with the male gender.

What I Hope to Achieve: I hope to achieve a series of creative and intriguing photographs which I will have attempted to compose in a variety of ways for instance through layout, colour and objects to draw upon viewer connotation and pragmatics.

I also would like to create a  photographs that are significantly influenced by the stylised gender interpretations made by the photographer Phebe Schmidt. I will also draw on specific colour ideas from Ashley Armitage and Juno Calypso although I will work using a blue colour rather than a pastel pink often employed by the two previously mentioned photographers. For instance, I will again employ the pastel blue colour background with more saturated coloured objects to create both a subdued and oxymoronically saturated final outcome.

Furthermore, I also hope that I will be able to avoid using such skills as 'Dodge' and 'Burn' in editing to avoid the print issues that I have experienced with other photoshoots. A step I will take to avoid this is to employ the blue backdrop for the male gender too rather than just for women to depict a challenge of stereotypical colour ideals.

My final hope for today is to finish a series of photographs which are both humorous and pragmatically interesting like Schmidt's work.


What I Actually Achieved: This particular shoot is my sixth photoshoot and I have been looking forward to adjusting the coloured backdrop which is now a definite as I have come to the conclusion that I dislike the dark pink hue due to how it appears patchy on screen and in print.

First of all, I tried a variety of slightly different compositions until I was satisfied with the overall appearance of my final four images. Some images appeared more clumsy than others whilst others were more controlled. This is because the clumsy outcomes fit well within the stereotypical gender myth that males cannot multitask and thus complete all jobs clumsily and messily whilst the controlled outcomes are more aesthetically pleasing in the photographs and unfortunately I could not sacrifice the aesthetics for pragmatics.

Also, I continued to use the previous studio set-up just with the blue backdrop as I completed a few photoshoots in one long period. I tried out using the blue backdrop with the male gendered photoshoot which was much easier to adjust in the editing process and will eventually appear better in print. This change in colour provided me with a Schmidt style response due to high saturation and bold colours rather than a drab pink.

Additionally, I was also able to use my previous editing techniques in Photoshop to edit my photographs which I did by using the 'Vibrance' tool and the 'Brightness/ Contrast' tool. This allowed me to adjust make the images more saturated  without drastically altering the pale blue hue which as a result reflects the works of my inspiration artists Armitage and Schmidt who would not compromise their use of colour in editing. 

When sharing these photographs with an audience they understood the ideas that men are also often stereotyped as unable to multitask and more job concerned than with their families.

What I Am Going To Do Next/ Progression: The next step for me in my photoshoot process is the next topic involving the genders and the work that is prescribed to them by the gender stereotypical society. To advance, I will attempt a larger set-up which may provide a more dramatic final outcome. I will, however, either keep to the bold baby blue backdrop for both genders or switch to a less stereotyped colour and focus only on the colours of the objects and the pragmatics rather than contradictions.

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 in trying to fit the whole image in the zoomed-in framing leading to the props becoming clustered together. Also the placements of the writing, on the post-it notes, is more difficult to read due to the angles of placement.

The second photograph is my favourite of this particular series as the composition is more balanced. The objects are not clustered and thus do not confuse the viewer. Also the colours are very slightly brighter and vibrant in a way that reflects Phebe Schmidt's work and Sarah Maple's work through the backdrop colours.

Meaning -

Denotation: Work, chaos, business.  

Connotation: Stereotypical idea that men cannot multitask, one role at least will always be neglected if multitasking is required, the juggling act of work life with home life, analytical and work orientated mind compared to the nurturing and family orientated mind of 'women'.   

Context: I want the audience to understand that stereotypes and the portrayal of them can have both positive and negative effects upon people, stereotypes cannot be applied to a whole social group because they are based upon only a few from that sub-culture.

Photoshoot 6: Gender: Men's Myths

Best Images - 

6189:

6190:

6194:

6197:

Editing Process - 

I began by using the tool used most often in my other photoshoots 'Vibrance' which allowed me to increase the vibrance of the whole image and the saturation of the colours which created a bolder more Schmidt and Maple inspired final outcome.

Then I used the 'Brightness/ Contrast' tool. I was happy with the brightness of the photograph and only adjusted the contrast to increase the tonal differences and make the oulines of each object more prominent.

Photoshoot 5: Gender: Women's Myths: Work Record

Work Record -

Date: Friday 18th March 2016
Camera: Canon EOS 450D 
Editing Software: Photoshop CC 2014
Settings: F/11, ISO 200, 1/125

Plans For Shoot: The plan for today's photoshoot, after completing the men's inequality shoot, is to photograph a selection of objects that represent the category of the male gender. I will specifically focus on women today and will address one of the myths that often circulates about this gender. 

What I Hope to Achieve: I will attempt to achieve a collection of high quality photographs which I will have attempted to layout in a variety of compositions to draw the viewers eye in.

I also hope that I can create a series of photographs that are inspired mainly by the artistic style of the photographer Phebe Schmidt, whose work links to gender. I will also draw on colour ideas from Ashley Armitage and Juno Calypso. For instance, I would again employ pastel colour background with pastel coloured objects that are either close to each other on the colour wheel or on opposing sides and thus are complimentary.

 Additionally, I also hope that  I can avoid having to use skills involving 'Dodge' and 'Burn' in editing to avoid the print issues that I experience with other photoshoots.

My final wish is to build a series of photographs which are comical and intriguing like Schmidt's work, provides an interesting subject change like Altman's glitter period work and study colours with an in-depth artistic knowledge like Armitage.


What I Actually Achieved: This is my fifth photoshoot and I have been eager to experiment with more colours which is now possible due to the use of make-up in this photoshoot. 

Firstly, I tried a variety of similar compositions until I was satisfied with the overall appearance. Some of the images were supposed to be more chaotic than others but all of this was executed in a restrained manner.

Furthermore, I re-cycled the previous studio set-up used in the men's inequality photoshoot which I finished just before this shoot. I played around with different hues of pinks and made these stand out by using the lights to brighten the colours. This provided me with a Schmidt style response.

Additionally, I was able to again use Photoshop to edit my photographs but I did so using the 'Vibrance' tool and the 'Brightness/ Contrast' tool. This allowed me to adjust the saturation of the colours without altering the beautiful baby blue hue which reflects the works of my inspiration artists Armitage and Schmidt.

When displaying these photographs to an audience they noted the ideas that women are often stereotyped as too concerned with beauty and are also often stereotyped as bad drivers who cannot park.

What I Am Going To Do Next/ Progression: The next step in my photoshoots is the male version of the sub-heading myths. To improve, I shall experiment with composition, 'Hue/ Saturation' and larger subjects.

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 backdrop colour was too pale in comparison to the rest of the series. The composition was okay but the two main subjects of the image were placed too close together and thus did not create the journey that I was hoping for the audience to achieve. Also, the line of nail varnishes as bollards were supposed to be nest whereas they are not completely aligned and look out of place as it is not purposefully posed that way.

The second photograph is my favourite of this small series as the background colour is more vibrant and saturated meaning the colours are bolder and thus more Schmidt-esque in style. Also the objects photographed are more precisely placed and are not too close together. Furthermore, the nail varnishes are aligned in a non-conformist way but this time it was purposefully done to create a crafted chaos. I also believe that the bottom final outcome is more comical due to the use of colour to create a bright, joyful and humorous tone to the piece.

Meaning -

Denotation: Make-up, nail varnish, toy cars, play.

Connotation: In my mind I wanted audiences to understand the connotation that women are stereotypically bad drivers, the idea that in childhood make-up is encouraged upon girls whilst cars are considered 'boys toys'.

Context: I wanted an audience to acknowledge that stereotypes are not always true and that by regurgitating them we are only building up yet more stereotypes. I also want to challenge the gender socialisation process of children and youth and to allow children to express themselves in their way and form their own ideologies about genders rather than being forced into conforming to societies norms and values through primary and secondary socialisation institutes such as peers and the education system.

Photoshoot 5: Gender: Women's Myths

Best Images - 

6172:

6175:

6181:

6186:

Editing Process - 

I began the editing process by using the 'Vibrance' tool where I enhanced the saturation of the photograph as the lighting had blown out the colour somewhat. I did this by using the vibrance and saturation slide bars.

Then I used the 'Brightness/ Contrast' tool where I reduced the brightness which aided the white-washed backdrop and then I upped the contrast to enhance the depth of the image.