Alex Poirier

I decided to use myself as research as well because I don't think anyone that i have found so far really is completely similar to my style.

I have decided to show a few photos of my Barcelona series that show the same style I am applying to this project.

Ricky Adam

Ricky Adam was born in Bangor, Northern Ireland in 1974.

Ricky has been involved in the D.I.Y. punk community for many years & has been Co. Editor/Photographer for 'DIG BMX’ magazine for over 20 years.

He has spent ‘X’ amount of years playing in bands & traveling all over the world taking photographs. 

Ricky is rarely without a camera and over the years has built up a unique series of photographs.  

"The way I work is kinda haphazard and often out of compulsion. I tend to only photograph things that genuinely interest me. I’ve found that’s the way to get the best results." - Ricky Adam

His work has been featured in many worldwide publications/record labels, some of which include: DIG BMX magazine, The Independent, Juxtapoz, Obey, Maximum Rock N’Roll, British Journal of Photography, Upper Playground, Hamburger Eyes, Dischord Records, Burning Heart Records.

His work has also been exhibited in art shows throughout the world. 

In 2012 Ricky published his first book aptly named: ‘Destroying Everything ...Seems Like The Only Option’ which chronicles his time spent rolling around in the punk & BMX scene.

Relation to my work - I chose the work of Ricky because of his photographic style rather than his photographic content. He has a black and white style that is fairly high contrasted just like mine are. 

Herb Ritts

Herbert "Herb" Ritts (August 13, 1952 – December 26, 2002) was an American photographer who concentrated mainly on black and white fashion photography and portraits.

Born in Los Angeles, to a jewish family, Ritts began his career working in the family furniture business. He moved to attend Bard College in New York, where he majored in economics and art history. Later, while living in Los Angeles, he became interested in photography when he and friend Richard gere (then just an aspiring actor) decided to shoot some photographs. The picture gained Ritts some coverage and he began to be more serious about photography.

Herb Ritts had his major photographic career in the late seventies, eighties and nineties.

he gained his reputation in art and commercial photography then going more into fashion in the late eighties and nighties doing work for the likes of vogue, vanity fair, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Ralph Lauren etc.. 

Herb was known for his clean lines and strong forms giving the images a simplicity that allowed the images to be read and felt instantaneously.
He also produced work that often challenged conventional notions of gender or race.

I feel he has a certain relation to my work firstly because of the black and white style and also because of the clean cut image that is easy to read and see what it is. Also the subject matter obviously of women. 

I personally am not gay but I feel that Herb being a gay photographer taking pictures of naked women or women in underwear is an important part of the argument. He was obviously not attracted to women in a sexual way but took these images as art and an appreciation of a woman form.

Alex Majoli

Alex Majoli (born 1971) is an Italian photographer associated with Magnum Photos known for his documentation of war and conflict.

At the age of 15, Alex Majoli joined the F45 Studio in Ravenna, working alongside Daniele Casadio. While studying at the Art Institute in Ravenna, he joined Grazia Neri Agency and traveled to Yugoslavia to document the conflict. He returned many times over the next few years, covering all major events in Kosovo and Albania.

Majoli graduated from art school in 1991. Three years later, he made an intimate portrayal of the closing of an asylum for the insane on the island of Leros, Greece, a project that became the subject of his first book, Leros.

In 1995 Majoli went to South America for several months, photographing a variety of subjects for his ongoing personal project, 'Requiem in Samba'. He started the project 'Hotel Marinum' in 1998, on life in harbour cities around the world, the final goal of which was to perform a theatrical multimedia show. That same year he began making a series of short films and documentaries.

After becoming a full member of Magnum Photos in 2001, Majoli covered the fall of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, and two years later the invasion of Iraq. He continues to document various conflicts worldwide for Newsweek, the New York Times Magazine, Granta and National Geographic.

Relation to my work - Again I chose Alex because of the photographic style rather than the content.
His photographs are very high contrasted just like mine and how I like to take black and white photographs

Guy Bourdin

Guy Bourdin (2 December 1928, Paris – 29 March 1991, Paris), born Guy Louis Banarès, was a French fashion photographer known for his provocative fashion images. 

"At the heart of Guy Bourdin’s fashion photographs is a confrontation with the very nature of commercial image making. While conventional fashion images make beauty and clothing their central elements, Bourdin’s photographs offer a radical alternative."

Guy Bourdin is very important for this project as he basically has had a lot of stick saying he objectifies women in his photography 

His first fashion shots were published in the February 1955 issue of Vogue Paris. A contemporary of Helmut Newton, they both worked extensively for Vogue and greatly influenced in different ways what would become contemporary photography.

 "Between him and me the magazine became pretty irresistible in many ways and we complemented each other. If he had been alone or I had been alone it wouldn't have worked." He continued to work for the magazine until 1987.

Since his death, Bourdin has been hailed as one of the greatest fashion photographers of all time.

Because Bourdin's models "often appeared dead or injured", some critics have accused him of objectifying women. His photographs were described as "highly controlled" and "famous for a mysterious sense of danger and sex, of the fearsome but desirable, of the taboo and the surreal"

Relation to my work - obviously there is the link with women and wether the images are objectification or not, I feel that the controversy in Guys work is a lot more than in mine at the moment but would like to try and do some images in his kind of style.

David Bailey

David Royston Bailey, CBE (born 2 January 1938) is an English fashion and portrait photographer

In 1959, Bailey became a photographic assistant at the John French studio, and in May 1960, he was a photographer for John Coles studio before being contracted as a fashion photographer for British Vogue later that year.

He also undertook a large amount of freelance work.

He spent the 60s shooting celebrities etc.. and basically worked his way up doing that to create his own celebrity status, becoming one of the first real celebrity photographers

At Vogue within months he was shooting covers and, at the height of his productivity, he shot 800 pages of Vogue editorial in one year. Penelope Tree, a former girlfriend, described him as "the king lion on the Savannah: incredibly attractive, with a dangerous vibe. He was the electricity, the brightest, most powerful, most talented, most energetic force at the magazine".

Relation to my work - A lot of david Baileys images are similar to mine in the style, the high contrast and black and white and obviously the fashion area of photography is what I am focusing on for this project.

Quick transformative task edit and feedback.

I decided to scan in my transformative task image and do a quick edit to make it look a bit better as I wasn't very happy with the print I developed.

original

edited

Also here is my feed back from my original print out.

Transformative task.

For my transformative task I decided to photograph a barbie doll in a similar style to my digital shots I had taken before.
I used the doll in various model like positions and poses. I chose to do this because it fits in well with one of the arguments bought up in this area which is how the use of women in the media effects youth.
This is immediately obvious in the Barbie that it is a very particular type of woman. Barbie is basically sold as 'the perfect woman' shoved down little girls throats and  they idolise and aspire to become just like their favourite doll.
Long legs, long blonde hair, big breasts and perfect makeup.
I feel this advert shows this perfectly, the young girl looking up to the doll in admeration as if wanting to be her.
However this is just one opinion another side of the argument could be it is just a doll and people should know the difference between real life and what is just a toy. This I feel is a very similar argument to wether violent games make children violent.

Taking the photo, after the photo.

During the shoots I have done I have done everything in my power to create a good atmosphere and make the models comfortable. 

I let each model choose the music to play during the shoot. 

I also asked each model if they were comfortable doing the images and during various poses I again made sure the model didn't do anything they did not want to. 

Then after my editing process showed each model the images and asked if they liked them and if I could use them. 

final results from first two shoots

These are four final edited photos from my two shoots.

SECOND SHOOT!

Project proposal

My project is to create a body of work that will be exhibited along with text explaining ‘The Gaze’ and giving different views and opinions on nudity of women being in the media and public eye, a book will also accompany the exhibited work for people to write their views and opinions wether it is objectification, appropriate, etc.. 

These images will be black and white and possibly exhibited on light boxes.

The images will include women in underwear however I will make sure I have permission from the models themselves, I will also not make them do anything they may feel uncomfortable doing. After shooting and editing I will then exclusively show each model their image and ask 1. if I can use it on my website and 2. if i can use it in my final exhibition. This will also be explained at the exhibition thus creating a new level to the argument.

The idea is not for me to come to my own conclusion, I have my opinions on the matter that if I write or display it will only influence decisions, I will draw my own conclusions etc during the period up to the exhibition but these will not be displayed.
I want to create an argument I want people to stand there and discuss opinions, to read the book, to look back at the image, to listen to other people talking about it, to read the accompanying text and form their own battle in there head or out loud wether its right or wrong then to go home and still be discussing it. 

This isn't just a series of fashion or beauty photographs this is a debate and a sort of experiment.

Mood board

Role model image

This is an image of Kate Moss by Rankin

The feedback I got was very mixed which is exactly what I am looking for! 

Some people saw the image as objectification, making the woman into an object of sex basically. However some people viewed it as art appreciating the form of a woman. 

And this is precisely what my project is about, ‘The gaze’ 

Gazing - to look steadily and intently, as with great interest or wonder.

I have also chosen to shoot in black and white like this shot because I feel it gives a more classic and classy feel. 

In photographic terms it is basically how different people view an image and this is what I am going to convey in this project

The aesthetic approach

Image one.

inverted photogram.
called untitled.
Naked woman. sexual?
is a gelatin silver print.

maybe on glass or metal 

representing identity maybe? showing hands, hands include a lot of information about someones identity, fingerprints etc.. 

why is it better this way than digital ?... its more abstract? it makes it open to interpretation as it is not clear.
also could be lack of identity as is is just dark and there is no clear definition in the photo.

Image two. 

From the series my ghost. 

gelatin silver print. 

mysterious.
maybe water with ink/dye put into it. Maybe smoke?
could be similar to susan dergis using water 

ghost in the title to represent the photo being mysterious and not obvious what it is. spirit like. 

maybe something put on the paper to stain it ? 

Sexual objectification survey.

I created a simple survey just to find out some opinions of people.

Objectification

What is the definition of objectification ?

'Objectification - To present as an object.'

So in relation to a person it is treating them as a thing without regarding there dignity.

According to the philosopher Martha Nussbaum, a person is objectified if they are treated:

• as a tool for another's purposes (instrumentality); 
• as if lacking in agency or self-determination (denial of autonomy, inertness); 
• as if owned by another (ownership); 
• as if interchangeable (fungibility); 
• as if permissible to damage or destroy (violability); 
• as if there is no need for concern for their feelings and experiences (denial of subjectivity).

Then there is sexual objectification which is the main point of my project, this is treating/making a person as an object of sexual pleasure or a 'sex object'

Sexual objectification is a huge subject within the media and life in general, it causes controversy and different opinions. It is also a very important argument in feminism. 

My aim is to explore ideas from every angle and display what my views are and find out what other views are. 

After Dark - The Gaze

Why are my photographs how they are?

I am exploring how people view images.

This is basically 'The Gaze' - The gaze is the idea that people have different opinions on images, so looking at a picture and forming a point of view on the image.
Basically it is about camera changing a person into an object, which, for want of a better word, makes us objectify the person/model.

This word 'Objectify' is the main word that I want to explore and argue in this project.

FIRST SHOOT!

Contact sheets.

Names?

Now I have my final idea I wanted to come up with a name to call the project.

- After dark

- Noir

- Sensuality

- Noir Soir

- Virtue

- X


I decided to use the name 'After dark' as it sort of reflects the subject matter and I think it has a certain ring to it, I also like the name 'Noir' but I felt it was too common and has been used a lot.

Exhibition idea.

I have thought about having text alongside my images so it creates the viewer to think.
The questions I came up with in my last post is a start, these are just open ended questions that with my images I will try answer or even just have the questions with no answer and exhibit these to coincide with the images so rather than just a collection of images it will create the viewer to think about it. If the questions are unanswered then it will create different people to form different ideas and opinions.
Maybe could have a book or something for people to express their own opinions.

A deeper and wider exploration.

I have come up with several questions and things to look in to that I will research and answer or explain throughout this project.

1. Are images in the media objectifying women?
2. Does it affect youth? 
3. Are sexualised images promoting rape culture?
4. Is it putting pressure on women to be like these models? 
5. Does it make men have curtain expectation of women?
6. Do sexualised images put pressure on young people to have sex?
7. How does it differ from pornographic images?

These are just a few questions I have come up with so far and will try and answer these in my own opinion educated by other opinions.

First shoot and change of direction.

Saturday I did my first soot for the project in London. I got models and a makeup artist for the shoot and took along a friend to assist and help out.
     While doing this shoot I decided I need to change my idea for this project, although I like the 7 deadly sins idea I feel i will not be able to create a project that I will be pleased with at the moment, I would need more time, more money and more resources at my disposal.
     I have decided to change my direction, I am going to explore how women are represented in the media and how it affects people through this media exposure.

A stumbling block.

I am going to do a photoshoot in London tomorrow and had originally planned to use money in my shoot.
The shoot was going to represent either lust or greed based around a relationship between money and sex.
I went into looking wether I could use bank notes in a photoshoot.
I got on to the Bank of England website and found that you have to apply to reproduce them and have them to use as a prop.

I completed this form to apply to use them thinking I went through it all ok but then here where the stumbling block appeared!! 

I had to tick off all 4 conditions, firstly the sizing may make the notes look stupid in the photo and also condition 3 because of the use of that money and sex relationship it may be considered offensive or inappropriate. 

I am going to have to explain the project and see if it is approved.