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Final Portraits

Gaining inspiration from both Brandon Woelfel and Alexander Kurnosov I decided to shoot two of my final photographs in an arcade using the lights of the machine to give my images a pop of color. I used Alexanders Kurnosovs techniques more as I liked how moody his images looked. I wasn't sure if I was able to shoot in an arcade as I thought that 'ambient lighting' was only natural lights, but after research, I understood that 'ambient light' meant: 'any form of light that the photographer did not add to their image, and can include both "natural" ambient sunlight, or "artificial" ambient light such as a nearby street light, lamp, or similar.'

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Final Portraits

Portraits are taken of my friend Sisi at a laundromat on Mount Street. I wanted to create a nostalgic feel to these three photographs so I told Sisi, the subject to portray a sad and longing expression to express that she is homesick. I was inspired by Chris Schoonover to take a modern pathway with these images, as well as the street photography style. I added a greenish/yellowish filter to these three photographs as I wanted to give it a similar look to Sam Wright's interesting approach to his photographs. I wanted to make my viewers get involved emotionally with these photographs by emphasizing and wanting to get to know the back-story with my model's emotions. These portraits used a combination of natural lights (the sunlight) and lights, it was raining and cloudy on the day of the shoot, therefore, I relied more on the lights in the laundromat.

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Photography Practice Three

(unedited photos) I took in the arcade to play around and familiarise myself with the lighting for the final photos

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Photography Practice Two

I really like the first two photographs I took of David as the shadows add contrast into the photo

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Photography Practice One

For our class activity in week four, our task was to take portraits of each other on our cameras on manual setting to familiarise ourself with shutter speed and aperture using our light meter app on our phones. I think in this photo I set the shutter speed too high therefore the images turned really bright, so next time when shooting I need to be aware of that. 

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Ian Kennith Bird

(photographer research twelve) 

Ian Kennith Bird is a London based photographer who describes his image making as ‘honest & simple’. Bird is a self-taught photographer who has profiled the local faces of the capital’s skate community for over two years.“Growing up skateboarding has provided a lot of inspiration for my work so far”. His work tracks skating during a period of change where his choice of subject was dictated by who caught his eye and focusing on the subjects in the form of full-face, intimate portraits. “Essentially it is a study of people who I find interesting, sometimes this comes down to the way they look or dress or even the attitude they have. I am drawn to his photography as his style allows us as the audience to focus on the emotions, fashion, the tattoo and injuries that  bind skateboarders together. Him shooting people rather than the act of skating itself tells more of a personal story of each of his subjects, the emotions conveyed through the subject faces grab our attention and speak directly to our emotions. I really liked how he used black and white in his portrait photography as it allows us to focus on small details with no distracting colours. 

https://www.huckmag.com/outdoor/skate/intimate-portraits-london-skateboarders-focus-individual-stories/ 

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Jamie Hawkesworth

(photographer research eleven) 

British fashion and documentary photographer Jamie Hawkesworth's first photography project was made in Preston bus station, which was then self-published newspaper in 2010 as well as in his own book called ‘Preston Bus Station.’ Hawkesworth grew up in Ipswich England where he studies forensic science than subsequently switched to a photography degree graduating in 2009. ‘The anonymous encounter became the blueprint of my approach to photography, and I’ve always tried to stay true to that simplicity.’ His aesthetic is honest and simple which is something I quite enjoy when looking at his photographs as it feels authentic.

https://www.itsnicethat.com/features/jamie-hawkesworth-preston-bus-station

https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/jamie-hawkesworth 

https://www.frieze.com/article/brief-encounters-jamie-hawkesworth

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Kotori Kawashima

(photographer research ten) 

41 year old Japanese Photographer, Kotori Kawashima gained fame after he released a book in 2011 documenting the life of one of his friends 4-year-old daughter Mirai Chan. Following her from a rural Japanese village to Paris, while she was discovering the world.  This book originally published in a small Tokyo gallery had been republished and was one of the best-selling photo book in 2011 selling 80,000 copies in Japan. "When I first saw her I knew I wanted to work with her. I was so impressed with her energy. It was so raw with an almost animalistic quality. She was inspiring. Initially, I wasn't sure if I should take her photos, but once I returned to Tokyo, I knew I had to do it. As a country girl, she was very different from Tokyo kids. She didn't know what a camera was. When I met her it was the first time she finally realised what a camera could do, but she paid no heed to it. Tokyo kids would be aware they were being photographed, so they would pose. That wasn't the case with Mirai-chan,"  I really like how these photos look as they look natural and how Kawashima used natural lighting in almost all of his shots.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/arts-and-entertainment/322292/the-future-girl

https://onarto.com/kawashima-kotori-cute-candid-photography-with-mirai-chan/#:~:text=Japanese%20photographer%20Kotori%20Kawashima%20gained,daughter%20became%20an%20overnight%20success.&text=The%20book%20features%20little%20girl,on%20Sado%20Island%2C%20Niigata%20Prefecture.

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Leslie Zhang

(photographer research nine) 

Known for his stylistic scenes in striking colours, Leslie Zhang is a photographer based in Shanghai China who has a sense of nostalgia from the past. Cultural identity is used in the foreground of his art. Before his switch to his photographic career he was interested in painting who is inspired by Japanese artists Shoji Ueda and Yoshihiko Ueda. His style of photographing portraiture translates mood and ambiance with a ‘romantic view of ordinary life moments.’ Her Chinese culture is apparent in her photographs which creates a deeper meaning behind her images where a narrative is created.  

https://www.crfashionbook.com/mens/a32450695/leslie-zhang-chinese-fashion-photography/ 

https://weandthecolor.com/leslie-zhang-photography/98092#:~:text=Leslie%20Zhang's%20photographic%20work%20is,an%20eye%20for%20striking%20compositions. 

https://i-d.vice.com/en_au/article/pkdjv8/4-photographers-respond-creatively-to-the-puma-suede-mayu 

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Koviv Konowiecki

(photographer research eight) 

BA in Media Communication from Wake Forest University and an MA Photography from University of the Arts London, Koviv Konowiecki turned to ‘photography as a way to document the things around him and shed light on different aspects of his identity’. His photography has a very personal connection with him as he takes pictures of individuals, groups of people and places that have a large impact on his upbringing and his current state of mind, “my work is very much an extension of my identity’, which I find engrossing as we, the audience are able to learn about him through his photographs. I like black and white/ monochromatic photographs as it allows the audience to focus on the detail and not get lost in colours, which really helps convey the subjects emotions and get through to the audience to make them empathize. With portraiture of people that he meets through “intuitive encounters” and a focus on communities and the individuals that make them, the people therefore become the main force behind much of the work he creates. In my photographs, I would like to set a goal where I can evoke my subjects emotions and connect it to the audience to involve them in the picture.

https://fotofilmic.com/portfolio/kovi-konowiecki-long-beach-ca-usa/ 

https://www.photo-emphasis.com/artists/kovi-konowiecki-2019 

https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/kovi-konowiecki-photography-170720 

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Cho Gi Seok

(photographer research seven) 

조기석 (Cho Gi Seok), born and based in Seoul, South Korea started out working with Korean fashion brands as a graphic design, art director and designer eventually dropped out of that industry to become a photographer as he wanted to use his skills gained to create his own images. “Photography is attractive to me because it is a medium that can coordinate and synthesis the whole thing.” His process when shooting begins by ‘picking apart it’s theme/topic, searching for references which align with the brief, but also his interpretation of it’, which is something I, as a young photographer have learnt to do and I find very important to bring originality into our photographs to stand out from the rest of the crowd. He then constructs his image, the colour, lighting and props and transforms the model into a character with narrative spirit. “I like the beauty that comes from the harmony of opposites.” From his work I really like how he makes the models stare into the camera which gives the photo a very intimate feel which is something I want to achieve in my photographs. The first photograph is my top favorite photo in his collection as I like the way the model is positioned, head tilted down, looking at the camera which to me, makes him venerable.  

http://chogiseok.com/work.php?idx=189 

https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/giseok-cho-photography-260419 

https://www.1854.photography/2020/09/gi-seok-chos-pursuit-for-beauty/ 

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Alexander Kurnosov

(photographer research six) 

Alexander Kurnosov, a Russian portrait photographer known for his ‘Sexy and Moody, Futuristic yet Raw-Portraits’,  is a self-taught photographer, retoucher and artist based in Moscow. His photoshoots consist of fashion, glamour, street style and lifestyle portrait photography. Kurnosov and Woelfe have somewhat similar photographic style as they both work with neon lights, however, I favour Kurnosov’s style as it looks more natural, untouched and realistic as he doesn’t overdo his editing process. His photos are dark which creates a mysterious feel towards his work which is something I would like to try to capture in my shots.

https://encyclopedia.design/2018/06/04/moody-portrait-photography-by-the-russian-photographer-alexander-kurnosov/#:~:text=Alexander%20Kurnosov%20is%20a%20talented,style%20and%20lifestyle%20portrait%20photography. 

https://www.curiousdoodle.com/sexy-moody-futuristic-portraits-alexander-kurnosov/

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Brandon Woelfel

(photographer research five)

Popular Instagram Influencer, Brandon Woelfel is known for his nighttime portraits with whimsical lights and flares which became his signature style. Born and based in Long Island, New York, Woelfel began his journey as a photographer as a college student studying computer graphics. His photographs feature ‘distinct soft tones and pops of brightly colored hues as well as some magical post-processing’ which creates a unique intimacy making it different from traditional photographs. Woelfel has his own YouTube channel where he posts tutorials of how he edits his photographs and the behind the scenes of his photoshoots: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkD-9tfURAMfqyf-8U5dSxw After watching some of his videos on his YouTube channel and browsing his images on his website, I thought it would be a good idea to take one of my subject models to the arcade and play around with the lighting as it is a fun environment to create a playful tone in my photographs. In one of my editing processes, I would like to play with colour where I can change the hues of a photograph to make them pop out.

https://medium.com/photo-synthesis/brandon-woelfel-a-different-kind-of-photographer-52bd3c6a1d80 

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/a/tips-and-techniques/instagram-star-brandon-woelfel-creates-whimsical-images.html

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Sam Wright

(photographer research four) 

Drawing inspiration for some of the American mid-twentieth century colour photographers like William Eggleston, Jole Sternfeld and Stephen Shore; Sam Wright, English photographer has an interesting approach to photography which brought inspiration into my work as changed my way of thinking as his work is about ‘storytelling, creating connections with both people and places and finding beauty in the overlooked and everyday.’ Growing up in Sheffield a city in South Yorkshire, England, Wright was influenced into photography through photographing D.I.Y punk gigs in pub basements and clubs around his hometown which led him to studying at New Castle School of Art and Design where he studied fine arts and advertising photographers. His work is captured through a ‘colourful and tangible way’ where light plays a crucial way whether it be natural or recreated. ‘Shooting on medium format film has influenced Sam’s work, encouraging precise composure and bringing stillness to his images. Always interested in discovering people’s stories, Same photographic journey is one of making connections and trying to represent people and places in their more honest form.’ I find myself drawn to his photographic style where he captures the subject and the environment in the purest/honest form without any alteration. The emotions the subject conveys makes me want to get to know them, who they are and what their story is, Wright edits his photograph were he adds a yellow/greenish tint which makes the photos looks nostalgic, which is something I can add to my photographs in the production stage.  

https://www.creative-commission.com/users/sam-wright-photographer

https://www.siobhansquire.com/photography/sam-wright/biography

https://www.booooooom.com/2019/10/15/photographer-spotlight-sam-wright/

https://www.samwrightphoto.com/information

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Shane Rocheleau

(photographer research three)

Born in Falmouth Massachusetts and now based in Richmond Virginia, Shane Rocheleau a photographer whose interest “is not really what’s in the future of photography, but what’s in the future of the world and how photography can make it better.” Six years after he received a BA in Psychology and English, he obtained a Post-Baccalaureate (2005) Certificate in Fine Arts from Maryland Institute College of Art and an MFA (2007) in Photography and Film from Virginia Commonwealth University. At twenty-two, wanting to be a ‘writer and wasn’t on a quest for another medium’, Rocheleau was on a road trip across the United States, who came across his friend's Kodak Advantix camera which led him into the rise to his photography career. He states that “I want to make, desperately. I’ve drawn and written a lot in my life. I love each of thoes media. But the camera demands that I enter the world outside my skull and convene with it. The camera ensured that I have adventures out there.” His work embodies the theme of ‘White American Masculinity’ as himself and others are both scarred by and privileged to enjoy “and thus responsible to address.” “I don’t know how to say it's scary to be a white man in the United States of America, because it’s scarier to be a woman or Minority. I am he whom I fight against.”. In his series You Are Masters Of The Fish And Birds And All The Animals (YAMOTFABAATA), published in April, 2018 as a monograph by Gnomic Book ‘reckons with the consequences and privileges of white hetero-normative masculinity in America’. The range of photographs were taken in his home state of Virginia where his images read as both ‘social commentary’ and ‘exploration of self and identity.’ Rocheleau states that his photographs ‘leave plenty to interpretation’, meaning is not fixed throughout his images and that it is free to be created by the reader - ‘an approach he learnt when studying English and Psychology at Mt Michael’s College. “I don’t want to create pictures that contain both the question and answer; I want to create images that withhold.” “I want my audience to ask questions about each picture, then make their own connections.” The photograph of a businessman leaning dejected against the wall is one of my preferred images in his series as the audience can perceive it in so many ways. The use of natural lighting and the shadows on the subjects face adds more meaning into this image.

https://phroommagazine.com/shane-rocheleau/

https://www.c41magazine.com/shane-rocheleau-photography/

https://velveteyes.net/features/shane-rocheleau/

https://www.itsnicethat.com/features/shane-rocheleau-you-are-the-master-of-the-fish-and-birds-and-all-the-animals-photography-publication-090818

https://www.booooooom.com/2019/11/11/you-are-masters-of-the-fish-and-birds-and-all-the-animals-by-photographer-shane-rocheleau/

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Chris Schoonover

(photography research two) 

Southern New Jersey photographer Chris Schoonover only started his photographic career at twenty-three, four years after working professionally as a graphic designer. “I was bored with design. Everything I would design would just get filtered so badly that the end product would look nothing like I wanted. Photography gave me the control I wanted”. Schoonover’s career started as a “fun little Instagram account” where he would use it as a platform to experiment and develop ideas and eventually it grew to a profession where he worked for big companies such as Urban Outfitters, Calvin Klein, Givenchy, GAP, and many more. As a photographer, ‘control’ is important to Schoonover, whether it be the scene or the clothes the subject would wear to how interesting the subject is.“That was sort of the way I got into fashion photography. It’s a forum where you can create something and photograph it for no reason that it looks good.” His work ranges from fashion to portraiture, street photography to moody still life shots. Innovative angles, faded grains, and nostalgia are used in his work to create intrigue, memorability and originality as his work is inspired by his favorite music, architecture, design and art made in the 60’s and 70’s. Schoonover gets his inspiration from looking at different works of other photographers, and research before every shoot looking at positioning, colours and locations. I really like street photography as to me, it really strips back into the basics where the photo doesn’t look staged and easy to look at. His images give me a sense of calmness and I would like to try to shoot my portraits out in the streets where it doesn’t look staged and ‘perfect’. 

https://www.ignant.com/2016/06/29/introducing-chris-schoonover/

https://blog.society6.com/photographer-chris-schoonover-on-shooting-big-brands-and-beautiful-people/

https://dno.la/blogs/journal/focus-chris-schoonover#:~:text=New%20York%2Dbased%20photographer%20Chris,for%20its%20pure%20aesthetic%20pleasure.&text=with%20his%20brother.-,New%20York%2Dbased%20photographer%20Chris%20Schoonover%20shoots%20fashion%20photography%20for,and%20collaborating%20with%20his%20brother. 

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Tyler Mitchell

(photographer research one)

Tyler Mitchell, a twenty-six-year-old Brooklyn-based photographer, and filmmaker works across many genres to explore and document a new aesthetic of blackness. He gained popularity after making history back in 2018 as the first black photographer to shoot a cover of American Vogue for Beyonce’s appearance in the September issue. Growing up in Marietta, Atlanta Mitchell at thirteen purchased his first camera, a Canon digital S.L.R, and self-taught himself how to make skate videos and uploaded them onto Tumblr. Social media plays a critical role in Mitchell’s image-making as he grew up looking at images on social media feeds determined more by algorithm than art history which makes him stand out to other established photographers. Themes such as freedom, youth, and pleasure are used in his photographs as ‘absence’ was a key motivator for him as a photographer. Growing up Mitchell, being black was psychically denied the freedom he wanted as he always had to be careful of how he was being perceived. He focuses his work where he provides a counterpoint to the pernicious stereotypes that have long dominated visual culture by showing, for instance, a multiplicity of ways a black man might look, dress and act. In his work, the position of the camera is often low and intimate, his compositions closely cropped as though he is too embedded in the scene. I found inspiration in his series of work, ‘I Can Make You Feel Good’ a 206-page celebration of Tyler Mitchell’s distinctive vision of Black utopia. His work centers around visualizing, making images, projecting, and stating that black people are enjoying their lives because in reality, existing in public space for black people in America has been denied, that psychically in their minds that freedom, enjoyment and, pleasure could be taken and stripped away. 

https://www.ft.com/content/74320dbc-b9d3-4904-88a9-5791fa740624 https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/tyler-mitchell-i-can-make-you-feel-good

https://www.tylermitchell.co/about/

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/tyler-mitchells-redefining-portraits 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfAX28oFlsI