FMP VISUAL CAMPAIGN
KIT DICKSON
CONTENTS iNTRODUCTION
5
SHOOT 1.0
7
SHOOT 2.0
10
SHOOT 2.5
11
SHOOT 3.0
14
SHOOT 4.0
17
SHOOT 5.0
20
SHOOT 6.0
24
SHOOT 7.0
28
SHOOT 8.0
32
SHOOT 8.5
33
SHOOT 9.0
37
SHOOT 10.0
40
FINAL VISUAL
44
REFLECTION
46
INTRODUCTION This book is the Visual Campaign for the Fashion Brand Management module. The task of marketing myself as a social media influencer has been researched, developed, planned and informed by the Concept Direction and Development module; however, some areas have been adapted and changed in response to the testing stages of my campaign. This is to enable me to create the pathway for a career as a content creator in the fashion industry that will provide a sustainable income. I would consider this campaign the kick-start of my career, my research, development and testing acting as a business plan or life plan for me to build upon and expand in the future. Kit Dickson is an ambassador for genderless fashion, genderless beauty, self-expression, the blurring of masculine and feminine, and the relatable online personality that some could see as a friend or like-minded individual. This legacy is important for me to create as not only will it create a bond with my audience and therefore, a loyal following; but it will also allow me to establish this safe space where escapism can be found, and judgement does not exist. I am using this platform to stand up for what I believe in and to live my life how I want to, to inspire others to do the same or to normalise this behaviour for those parts of the world that are still so restrictive in terms of people’s freedom and lack of ability to experiment or express themselves.
Shoot 1.0
Using my iPhone, natural light and a tripod I was able to achieve a headshot inspired by a still from supermodel Kendall Jenner. This initial shoot was me testing the waters and trying to get a good headshot as a starting point for my social media page. My makeup is minimal to accentuate my features, and my hair is also parted and pushed back so as to not take away from my face. From the reference picture, the inclusion of my hands is self-explanatory, however, I also wanted to include them due to the fact that my nails are a big part of my personality. They are like a piece of armour I wear, and they complete my confident persona. The second reason I decided to include my hands in the shot was due to the way my face is shaped. In the last few pictures, you can see that my face is not symmetrical. I chose to mask this as I feel it gave a purposefully unsymmetrical finish to the photo rather than an accidental one. The biggest thing I learned on this shoot was to check the background! The carrier bags in the background required editing and removal as they ruined the clean look and distracted from the face as it was the only part of the background that wasn’t a plain wall or block colour.
(Jenner, 2018)
The inspiration/reference photo: While this picture is black and white, I wanted to create something that showed my skin tone, this will help later when I come to creating my feed as the colours must be cohesive and I knew I didn’t want a monochrome feed due to the fact that colour is a big part of my style and aesthetic.
Top 3 images. Basic editing to even skin tone.
face editing and background tidy-up.
Shoot 2.0
This shoot was not working for me. I couldn’t decide what wasn’t working but I knew I wasn’t happy with the overall photograph; I just couldn’t pinpoint what wasn’t working. I was pleased with my makeup look and the crop top was one I had selected to fit with the summery aesthetic I had planned previously. Leaning into my feminine styling was the goal for this look however at this stage I decided I need to change my approach. In a workshop with Tony Green, I learned that sometimes experimentation on the spot was more effective than excessive planning and sometimes the less clinical approach of a messier look can result in a more free and natural look. This is the effect that I was trying to capture as an influencer; finding the perfect in the imperfect, which meant I had to change up some aspects of my shoot. I began by cleaning my camera lens and changing the background. The change in lighting from moving around my room meant I had to use the ring light on my tripod to ensure I was well lit and that my shoot would be high quality. High-quality images are more important for makeup imagery as it is important to see the execution and outcome of the art clearly.
Shoot 2.5
After looking back at my reference image, I realised that the makeup was accurate, however, the overall image I was creating was too polished and I needed to add some contrasting colours and mess my hair up. the result is a perfect juxtaposition of put-together femininity and the defiance of the bold and vibrant colours. I was able to switch it up into a fun shoot that didn’t feel so rigid and planned. The red on the top added a bold semiotic which took the whole shoot from a more innocent feminine look to a vibrant, fun and rule-breaking type of vibe. The incorporation of the top is also meaningful as it is a thrifted piece, I bought second-hand at a vintage kilo sale. These types of events extend product lifecycles and minimise the amount of deadstock that goes to landfill and act as pollutants. One of my core values is being mindful of sustainability and I want that to reflect in my online presence. These pictures truly represent me. My style, core values and aesthetic could be easily summed up with the images from this shoot. In comparison with the start of shoot 2, I can see that the colour palette is too similar, and it ended up dulling the final image and making it flat and not eye-catching enough to feature as a post on my Instagram grid. Each post needs to be a stand-alone product while creating a cohesive aesthetic for my brand. This shoot taught me to be open to changing a shoot and plan for every eventuality while giving me the knowledge of how to adapt under pressure and the importance of referring back to a reference picture or mood board.
(Petras, 2022)
The inspiration for the makeup was Kim Petras’ Slutpop album art. The look ended up also inspiring the outfit change and went on to inspire the look in shoot 3. The blonde hair, pink lip and full lash showcased in the images led me to further explore the look I created in shoot 2, in a location shoot.
Top 3 images. Light editing to even out skin tone.
Shoot 3.0
Using the same look as shoot 2, I decided to combine this with a plan I had for a location shoot. I felt that the looks would merge together well and that this would also provide a cohesive aesthetic for my Instagram grid. I was really pleased with how this shoot turned out however I would have benefited from the help of a photographer. However, I was able to make it work with a tripod, but I feel the process would have been easier with an actual photographer to aid me. That being said the images I got were of high quality and captured the essence of the look I was going for. I styled the reclaimed top with leather trousers that tied in with the leather interior of my car and then finished the look with white Nike Air Force. The black and white tying in with the colours on the top. The location for this shoot was an industrial estate at sunset. I chose this as I thought the effect ad lighting would create a moody atmosphere. My experience modelling in the full daylight previously in my testing was good but showed all of my imperfections, whereas this lighting worked well to showcase the makeup and styling. I used the flash on my camera to ensure that I was lit well. In my testing, I have had experience with using the flash in darker settings and found it works well when I have makeup on as it gives a nice glowing effect and makes the products stand out. However, it does mean I had to go back and edit the red-eye on some of the photos.
Reference croquis for shoot 3.
The makeup and styling were the same as shoot 3 playing into the ‘smart planning’ discussed in the 360-campaign content schedule plan.
Final image. Saturation is edited to give a moody effect and contrast colours. The red eye has also been edited.
Shoot 4.0
As simple as this shoot may seem, it was trickier than one may suspect. The angle and positioning of my hand and body had to be just right or the image would not be of the standard that I require for my feed. This image will be used as a ‘filler’ image. In other words, this will go in between two images of me to break up my feed while keeping it cohesive. People underestimate the power of filler pictures as they are usually used to break up the main pictures of the feed. While they don’t gain much traction from an audience, the role of the filler pictures on an Instagram feed is to ensure cohesion of my aesthetic while still representing my style and brand. I feel I have achieved this with this shoot as it will fit with the themes uncovered in Shoot 2 and 3. The key thing I learned with this shoot was that I need to allocate time for filler pictures as although they may not seem as important as the full face or body images, they are time-consuming and important to get right.
Reference croquis for shoot 4. These images were ideas of how I could set up my shoot.
Final image. Warmth, saturation and shadows slightly increased in editing to create a moodier effect and maintain a cohesive social media feed.
Shoot 5.0
This shoot was for another filler photo. I got my acrylic nails done in a different style as they are a big part of my style and I wanted to showcase them as the mark of a summery mood on my grid. this is why I chose the nude, pink and white colour palette as I thought it was a nice neutral mix of colours that could complement my other shoots but also remain eye-catching enough to be a stand-alone post. The setting of the shoot was a struggle, I tried using studio light and white background however, I wasn’t happy with the effect. I waited for the ‘golden hour’ I found the sun hits a wall in my room between 6 pm and 8 pm if it is not cloudy. I waited for the opportunity to continue the shoot in this setting as I thought the effect would give off a summery effect and tie in with the neutral flesh tones in shoot 1 for example. I used my tripod and iPhone on a self-timer, reaching forward to position my hands for the shoot. In future, I would be tempted to use a photographer or get someone else to take the picture as, though it can be done, it was a bit of a balancing act and struggle to get the correct angle and position for where the sun was hitting.
(Pinterest, 2022) Nail art inspiration.
Top 2 images.
Final image. Minimal increase of warmth, shadows and sharpness. Ensuring the image ties in with the warmer skin tones used in the final edits of the other shoots. Adding to the summery mood and adding a more aesthetic value to the image as a stand-alone post.
Shoot 6.0
This was the first shoot where I had my body/outfit as the main focus. This would again act as a filler photo on my grid, however, I needed to be certain that it was good enough as a stand-alone image and was able to communicate the themes of self-expression, and gender non-conforming fashion while still fitting the overall summer theme. The season is important as it shows the ability to be current and connect with a consumer. An audience will be unlikely to respond well or relate to winter styling and outfit content in the height of summer. I could have prepared more for this shoot and had more reference pictures. However, I feel that this shoot could be seen as a test to prepare me for future outfit/body posts as it gave me the experience to know that I prefer natural light for this kind of shoot, which was something I did not have access to here. I also feel that I learned how to pose and what angles I like to do in order to feel confident and produce a high-quality image. going forward this shoot has been a learning curve and taught me how to approach taking this type of image in the future.
Reference croquis. Body/outfit poses.
Note the lighting in the majority of the images. I should have referred back to this more during my shoot.
Editing stage.
The final image from this shoot was not one of my favourites, therefore I decided to play around with the aftereffects in post-production. I attempted an oversaturated polaroid image effect which I did like, however, I discarded this as I felt it didn’t fit with the overall theme of my Instagram grid. in the end, I opted for a more natural finish, enhancing the warmth, sharpness and shadows slightly on the original image to give a summery effect without blurring the diamante detailing of the top. This experience taught me that planning is essential and that I must ensure that the conditions and setting of my shoot are in line with the desired outcome. While I am happy with the final image, the process was made difficult by my lack of planning and foresight. This is an experience I can draw upon to grow and improve my skills as a photographer and content creator.
Final image.
Minimum editing includes an increase in warmth and shadows.
