After being quite dissapointed with my end result for my previous outcome due to a few factors, I wanted to experiment further with the same idea. However I think the slight knock-back made me try too hard and made me over-think so the imagery looks forced and too busy. These are the first images I have made since the last project and I feel as if I always have to create a few bad images in order to create some better imagery with more of a narrative, these images look too “staged”, there is too much going on in the images and the colour of the background doesnt work as well as I’d hoped they loose the humour by being too ridiculous.
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After several attempts at capturing imagery that I was happy with and felt could work in a new series of images, I created this image creating a narrative by replacing one object in a simple day-to-day situation, to construct a “surreal� image that at first glance could be mistaken for a normal image with nothing out of the ordinary taking place.–
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“EGG-PLANT” “EGG-PLANT” “EGG-PLANT” “EGG-PLANT”
“EGG-PLANT” “EGG-PLANT” “EGG-PLANT”
Although I really like this series of images I have created, they again seem to staged with the positioning of the egg and the creation of the piece is perhaps too complex, however as images I am pleased with the outcome but they’re not fitting enough with my project. They dont describe the surreal juxtaposition I want communicated through my imagery however I will use the objects again but in a less thought over image that will better describe my aesthetic for this next project. 6
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Since creating so many images on either coloured and plain backgrounds, I decided to explore the idea of using the home as a key in all the images. Using it as a play on the objects in the images. For instance placing objects that may not normally be associated with the kitchen in the kitchen, or using a normal kitchen household object or item and taking it out of context by using something that you would’nt neccesarily see a relation between the objects but their does need to be a connection in some way. This conjours up the idea for me of instead of “how to live a successful life”. I move on from this point to “How to live successfully in your home. Or something along this line, introducing more household locations, I dont want to over complicate it so I need to try and get the right balance of surrealism in the images, too far using objects that in no way could ever match compared to objects that could have some relation whether its the name the shape etc.
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Although I have used bananas in my past images, I came up with this idea and decided to explore it anyway. Whilst I like the images they look too set-up as a still-life and also they remind me of my previous banana images that I think better suit my aesthetic in the way my images look.
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SEMIOTICS: Noun
“The Study of Signs” Everyone is a semiotician - consciously and subconsciously interpreting meanings of things around them. In order for us to successfully communicate everyone has to understand the system. WHAT HAPPENS IF THE MEANING IS NO LONGER INTERPRETED IN THE SAME WAY?
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“Art School Trends” In this particular set of images I came across on ‘dis-magazine” website, they portray the exact semiotics of what people believe to be a typical “art school “ student, they do this in an ironic sort of way, the student with the typical lower back tattoo, but it has been put on her top to play up to the typical stereotype. These images reminded me of what I was looking at in the idea of semiotics, you can play up on the different way people react to things and intepret them. Juxtaposing the norm and making an ironic humourous image with the idea however you still need to understand the meaning of the image to understand the humour.
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After researching stereotypes and social norms, I decided to apply this to my work, using the idea of the house, negotiating the stereotypical ways in which we use our houses and the way we move around it to complete household tasks effectively, using each room for the “usual” things that we do in the room and the usual objects we associate and we find in the particular room, for instance the bathroom we can normally associate with a sink a toilet a shower and a bath. Other objects that go with these are things like toothbrushes, toilet-roll, shampoo, conditioner shower gel etc these are “the norm”.
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HOUSE ERGONOMICS
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“THE TRIANGLE” The triangle came about in the 1960’s during a time where there was a boom in the creation of fitted kitchens, the idea of the triangle was the positioning of the three main appliances, the three main appliances being the fridge, the sink and the oven. These needed to be fitted in the perfect triangle in order to have the perfect kitchen layout so the kitchen could be moved around in the most effective and quickest ways. Each side of the triangle would need to be exact so the appliances were equidistant .
I decided to apply this idea to other rooms in the house. Such as the bathroom, however after looking into this further. This was actually already something that had been done. So each room has its own perfect ergonomics using the rule of the triangle.
“HOW TO USE YOUR HOUSE EFFECTIVELY”
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I have started to create a serie of imagery using the bathroom and juxtaposing it with different rooms, I havent yet pulled together the images in the right order to correspond to the different rooms, however so far these are the images I have come up with. I am not one hundred percent sure about them as I am not sure if there is too much going on in them and as a result they no longer appear humourous. However I am going to carry on creating a few more in order to experiment with the idea and see where to go next.
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I continued making images juxtaposing different rooms, using the bathroom objects in the office environment. However this image looks too “set-up�. Because of this the images loses the humour that I wanted to inject into my work.
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I’m not happy with this image it doesnt appear in any way humourous and I dont think it correlates with my other images as it is not quite graphically created enough the towels make the image look too soft.
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“I created this image to go with a series of imagery, however I actually would prefer this images on its own as it creates its own meaning as if the printer is taking the role of becoming a “wax maker” so it no longer is thought about the fact that it is set-up it just creates a simple but effective surreal image.
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BEDROOM X BATHROOM 26
BATHROOM
KITCHEN X
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A
fter exploring the idea of “home ergonomics�. I created several series’ of images of juxtaposed rooms for instance the bathroom and the bedroom. Looking back on the images I dont like way they are put together in an organised series I prefer them to be singular juxtaposed images that have no relation or meaning behind them when put together.
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“ORANGE LIGHT”
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“EGG LAMP”
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“SANDWHICH BAG”
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B R O C C O L I S H O W E R H E A D
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KIWI CUP KIWI CUP KIWI CUP KIWI CUP KIWI CUP KIWI CUP KIWI CUP KIWI CUP KIWI
KIWI CUP KIWI CUP KIWI CUP KIWI CUP KIWI CUP KIWI CUP KIWI CUP KIWI CUP KIWI
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TEA
I wanted to create a “traditional� English breakfast tea image with a twist, putting it into a liquid container so that the idea wasnt too far fetched but using a container that you would’nt normally associate to drinking from, at first I created the image with just the tea-bag but it wasnt an obvious image that would make sense to everyone. The teabag wit the cord on it I think adds humour and makes the image easier to read and be understood by a large audience.
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“CARROT CORK”
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STAIRS
APPLE
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MUSTARD FOOT
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F R U I T & N U T B R E A D
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Going back through my imagery for this project so far I have selected the best ones out of all of the ones that I have created and pulled them together to see what they look like juxtaposed together with the objects and the images colours and contrasts etc. I think if I can carry on making imagery like this these will fit nicely into a series of images for another book to be printed and bound to create “How to survive you house�. 47
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KATE
STECIW
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SYNCHRODOGS
SARAH ILLENBERGER
“McForest Burger”
Sarah Illenbergers work is all based on food whether the image itself has food items in it or whether the item is fashioned to look like an edible food source, I like this about her work each image is playful and has an almost “pop art” look about it. I began my surreal imagery using food and it is something that can be juxtaposed to make a visually interesting image. She has created imagery for big brands in the fashion world and I aspire for my work to be seen in the light that hers is seen as it is fun playful and humourous.
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F-STOP “Juxtaposition Issue” F-Stop magazine is an online magazine it features, established and emerging photographers imagery together, photographers can contribute to different issues of the magazine which is what I really like about it meaning the work is all so versatile and different photographed in different countries worldwide, this is almost surreal in itself when put together they go together just from using one title such as the issue I decided to look at “Juxtaposition” all the images I have chosen to look at are surreal in some way whether intentionally obvious or not, they are concerned with the outside world in which I need to gain confidence in exploring with my work seeing everyday situations that I would denote as “surreal’. 53
VISIONAIRE WORLD
A social media-based art grant by Nicola Formichetti
Mario-Testino shoot for “Visionaire Man” Visionaire focuses on “the cross pollination of art, fashion, film and contemporary culture. It is a platform that creates across the board. Creating events, curating exhibitions, making films and they also have their own publication with a huge list of contributors there is no wonder for me why their work is so versatile and out of the ordinary, no image or cretion by visionaire is boring to me each are strong visuals.
Alex Prager at Art Basel Miami Beach.
Kreémart Kreémart is a seperate entity that has collaborated with visionaire world to create something for me that is really visually captivating. Taking contemporary artists and their ideas and making them into out of the ordinary deserts! I love working with food and creating with food because of the range of products out there it can be simple to put something together and making it look so interesting and unique and I think Kreémart have really captured this idea.
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#NORMCORE
“NORMCORE” has taken off as a “TREND” all of a sudden normal everyday has become something more than just “normal” it has become a fashion trend were the normal everyday mundane tasks and outfits have become interesting and “JUXTAPOSING” this with fashion has been something that designers are all of a sudden interested in. I like this idea and it interests me because this is how I started looking at surrealism in photography as I found myself problem solving by taking photos of juxtaposed items in the home environment, grabbing anything around me and making it visually interesting by putting it with something you would never normally see it with. Karl Lagerfeld has taken this concept to the catwalk creating a “shopping mall” theme for his catwalk Using his models walking the supermarket environment in his latest collection and i think it really works . There is so much to look at in the image becomes really interesting with so much to look at you almost forget the fact that its not normal to have a catwalk in the middle of a supermarket, I want to capture this idea in my imagery so for me this is an inspirational trend and something that makes my work relevant to the industry.
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EZCL “Causalizing Photos”
“PNDE” Photographer based in Atlanta
V-FILES
“Sasha-Chaika” Photographer based in Russia 56
THINKING
TOO MUCH I tend to over-think a lot of my ideas, however the way my ideas happen are quite often ideas I just have that pop into my head, I then write them down on my phone, but perhaps this is when they get over-thought as I then look back and question that very idea that I originally thought was worth writing down and quite often I find myself adapting the idea when infact it was perhaps either not a good idea or an idea that was better left how I first thought of it. However this is how most of my imagery is created
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OVER-THINKING IDEAS, THE WAY MY IDEAS ARE CREATED, THE PROCESS
OVER-THINKING IDEAS, THE WAY MY IDEAS ARE CREATED, THE PROCESS
OVER-THINKING IDEAS, THE WAY MY IDEAS ARE CREATED, THE PROCESS
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OVER-THINKING IDEAS, THE WAY MY IDEAS ARE CREATED, THE PROCESS
GUY BOURDIN IMAGE MAKER EXHIBITION
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DRAWING
I came across Guy Bourdin when I was searching for artists that communicated surrealism within their imagery, I saw some of his work online and then discovered he had an exhibition in Somerset House, I went to the exhibition and I am so glad that I did as I think he has really helped me understand the idea of surrealism as a language and made me feel more confident in the work that I am doing.
Guy Bourdins Imagery, although some dating back as early as 1970’s all look so contemporary and I think this is because of the images he has taken, even nowadays each image is surreal and I think over time so many social norms and ideas have changed that in order for his images to still appeal to us as “surreal” in 2015 is surreal, I liked so many of the images I could have photographed all of them as my favourites. I like his ethos of “the image should attract the viewer for other reasons that just being an attractive commercial image” as I agree with this. The fashion industry today is so saturated by the same sorts of sexualised imagery that in turn does sell thousands and thousands of products and fashion items. However it is refreshing to see an image that has no content of this kind yet is still attractive in the way that you still want to look at and admire the imagery that he creates rather than looking at another ‘new’ version of the same type of image.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Another thing that captured my attention about his work is that similarly to my work, it is all very graphic, lines from objects in the image create borders and the lines make up the image in a graphic way, most of the imagery has been shot face on similarly to how I take mine in order for this graphic aesthetic. I also really admire the way he draws out his ideas before capturing them on camera I think this is something I can learn from and perhaps try to do in order for more of my
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GRAPE
KNEE
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I shot these images above using the face, in which I havent included in any of my images and I think it makes my images that bit more mysterious, because of this I am unsure about these images and also I think it takes away from the point in the images. However I am really happy with the stack of doughnuts on his head as an image I think it works alot better than the two above, still masking the face. I think this is going to be important throughout all of my images. I may revisit the idea again using a female as a model and perhaps adding a ponytail with a doughnut on the ponytail like the hair pieces girls use to create a “bun�.
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BANANA ARM
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I wanted to create a new take on my “banana knee� Image from my previous book as it was an image I was happy with and thought I could adapt the idea using ideas and things I had learnt and bring them into project 2 to create a better image that could also show my progress in my photography and in my ideas.
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BUSH HAND
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INSPIRED After going to visit the Guy Bourdin image maker exhibition I felt inspired and confident to try and use the outdoors and things around me as my backdrop for imagery and encorporate it into the image itself so it has a meaning, From this first image just using a bush, I then decided to challenge myself more and create something that was using further the environment around me. I am now going to experiment with this idea still trying to keep the idea of graphically photographed imagery so as to keep in with my original aesthetic using clean lines and objects that could frame the image or the main focus of the image at least.
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These are the first two images I created using the outdoors encorporated into it. I am really happy with both of these images more so with the one below and it is something that I have a lot more confidence to now do as I have seen how they can turn out! I like the vibrance of the red man made material of the shoes against the natural effect of the outdoors. The green and the red enhancing one an other.
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This is another of the images I created using the outside. I think this image has an almost “wonderland� vibe to it, the vibrant forestry against the red of the shoes working together to make it an effective image. I am really happy with this image, It is eye catching and similar to Guy Bourdins images, an image I think you have to double take to take in all of the image. I think the image can be used to create several different narratives giving the viewer a chance to interact with the image and ponder upon its meaning.
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I also attempted to create other imagery outside with this particular pair of shoes as I thought the red worked really well in my favour. However I think I have found the best outcome for me for these images so now I will move on and experiment further with the outdoors and also perhaps experiment with different shoes or different props outside to create other imagery.
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CAMOFLAUGE
My next idea was to use different shoes but with the same sort of concept only this time the shoes purposefully chosen with more natural colours to blend in with nature rather than standing out again the same sort of image as the one with the red shoes, the image on the left is my favourite. I think this idea has worked well however not as good as the red shoes imagery I think they have been the most successful out of the outdoors shoots so far.
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I am unsure about these images I am not sure whether they look too unrealistic which could ruin the image. However my favourite out of all of them is the image I first shot of the pink hairbrush entangled in the grass as the contrast of the man made object and the vibrance of it against the natural green grass they are juxtaposed well in the image. I think it could have worked better if the grass was a bit longer in order for it to look a bit more realistic I may revisit this idea.
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RICE CRISPY BRA RICE CRISPY BRA RICE CRISPY BRA RICE CRISPY BRA RICE CRISPY BRA
RICE CRISPY BRA RICE CRISPY BRA RICE CRISPY BRA RICE CRISPY BRA RICE CRISPY BRA
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“CORNFLAKE BAG”
After shooting this image I wasnt as happy with the idea, in my head it looked different, I also experiment with capturing it several different ways but was still not overly convinced, as with most of my work, I thought of a different idea for this concept. This was meant to be a different version of my first idea of “rice crispy bra” as I was happy with the image I wanted to create a different take on the idea.
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This was my second idea for
a newer version of my “rice crispy bra� image, I am a-lot happier with this image, I’m undecided as to which image out of the two I prefer! I think this was a better idea, replacing one item in my purse rather than completely emtpying my make-up bag and completely changing its meaning it is too surreal and the words dont fit together to create any sort of narrative whereas I think these images create a lot better narrative.
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I decided to use the doughnuts as a prop again as I think they add humour well in imagery and also they can be put with a lot of different objects to create the sort of image that I like to create. I like these images of the headphones with the doughnuts, I have created several other images using the doughnuts also and I am undecided which image I like the most. However out of this shoot I like the image of the doughnut plugged into the headphones as you have to take a second glance to think “thats not normal” which is what I like creating in my images, a sense of interest in the image and not because the image is “attractive” looking or visually pleasing. Instead the image captures interest because of the surrealism in the image, but this surrealism takes a second glance to think about.
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“DOUGHNUT BRA� I again used the doughnuts for their comical value, I think this is one of my favourite image using them as props as the colours blend in together and it is as if the doughnuts are part of the bra which in turn takes away the first thought of the image being surreal.
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“DOUGHNUT DUMBELL� This is my last image using the doughnuts as a prop, they are just so easy to put with other things in order to create a surreal image, I like this image I have created again graphic and simple using the dumbell in the center of the image horizontally to keep the straight lines flowing through the image. The contrast of the hard silver metal against the soft texture doughnut also works really well juxtaposed together. 84
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I wanted to also explore using the coloured backgrounds again as I feel now a lot more comfortable with this project and the surreal language I am using to communicate my imagery. I then looked at this idea of using the coloured background as part of the image instead of just choosing a colour at random and I think it has worked well. The image reminds me of the way in which people often describe cash machines as a “hole in the wall� and I think because the colours match well at first glance you dont think much is surreal about the image yet you find yourself looking back at it. I photographed the image at several angles. I am happiest with the image on the right as I think the shadow works well in it to make it look more realistic. The angle it is photographed at explains what the object is well and also is reminscent of the motion of when a card comes out of a machine.
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“SHOWER LEMON�
I had this idea for ages, simplifying my previous bathroom style imagery, as they were too confusing which meant they lost their humour. I like both of these images I am unsure whether the one without the side of the shower is explanatory enough on its own as you can see the side of the bath. As an image I think I prefer the one with the shower in it anyway and I think the contrast of the colour of the shower and then the vibrant lemon works well.
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“MUSTARD FOOT” At first, I had an idea of creating “mustard foot” however after looking back at the image and I was unhappy and thought the final image could be improved, using a more stylistic approach and a different layout. the image to the left is my first image and the image above is my more recent image. I am really happy with the image above, much more so than my first attempt.
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“SCISSOR FOOT� This was an idea I had when I was feeling unsure of what to explore next, I wan unsure but thought I would try it anyway. I am actually really happy with these images the contrast of the scissors against the background, socks, and pale legs works really well! My favourite image is the one on the left I like this one because of the position of the legs and the shapes they have created I think the image has created smooth curves and this in turn adds to the graphic aesthetic I want throughout my imagery.
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“SCISSOR HEEL”
After creating my first image of the scissors with the socks I was happy with them but then I thought I could try and push the idea further, Most of my images arent very styled, merely just positioned in certain different ways so the lines are smooth and graphic. However I thought I would try making it a bit more styled using the shoes and the different positioning, I think the image on the left with the one leg in the image is the best out of them as the one leg means the image isnt over complicated amd doesnt have too much going on. Whereas the two feet the heels the socks and the scissors are too much all together and almost lose the humour.
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“HEEL BATH”
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There seems to be a bit of a theme in my imagery at the moment, I like the fact that I am using feet as people often feel uncomfortable about feet and I think this adds to the surrealistic approach of the imagery. As people often dont want to look at feet! I like the contrast of the black against the alomst clinical look of the bathroom
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“LEG VASE”
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“ARM VASE”
Between the two images I prefer the top image as I like the effect of the high key resolution I think it works well within the images and also the two drop shadows at the front work well in the image.
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“FRAME APPLE�
I am unsure about these images although I like the concept I am not 100% sure on whether the execution is quite as good as other images I have created I may re-visit this idea perhaps with a different object better suited to the center of the frame.
“BULB CHEST�
I liked this idea at first. However now looking at the images there is another take on this idea I think will work better for the type of imagery I create, I dont think these fit with my other images.
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This is my second attempt at a different take on the image on page 98 I am alot happier with these images these are more fitting with my other imagery, my favourite image out of the ones I have shot is on the page on the left I like it because I think the lighting in this image makes it look graphic like the rest of my imagery and the contrast of the skin against the black sports bra works best in this image and the light that has fallen on the bulbs has worked the best in this image. I am happy with this shoot and I would like to use this image somewhere in my final outcome for this project. 100
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SUCCESSFUL
IMAGERY
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I decided I needed to draw a line under the work I have created so far as I am constantly creating new imagery but not taking it any further and I dont want to create another book with just another set of different images for it, so I looked into creating a book from my successful images so far so I can get this printed and then I want to move on from this idea perhaps tailoring my work towards a brand creating campaign imagery for them and making the images relevant to the brands aesthetic and style.
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LANVIN
• • • • •
Contemporary Graphic Surreal Interesting Simple
I wanted to look at Lanvin as a brand I could use for my project as I like their imagery and there styling isn’t too complex so it remains fun however their aesthetic remains clear through their imagery, everything is clean cut and not over complicated and because of this you can enjoy the image and also the clothing within the imagery doesn’t get forgotten which is ultimatley why campaign imagery is created to remind you of the brand and to sell their product. 105
I also decided to look at Allsaints because there is a certain attitude that remains through Allsaints branding and aesthetic and I think it would be fun to turn it on its head and make the images more playful and fun rather thain so serious, the space and backdrops they use for their images are reminiscent of the ones I choose to create with my imagery and I feel because of this it would be good to create a new campaign aimed at their brand. Also I have seen several of their fashion films and they are all quite surreal and different yet none of this comes through in their imagery they are all quite plain and commercial.
ALLSAINTS
• • • • •
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Clean cut Similar aesthetic Creates a mood Simple Graphic
I really like ASOS as a brand as they aim at such a wide audience as obviously they have other brands on their website also but I think theyre campaign imagery is fun but quite boring, they have created some quite “out of the ordinary� shoots but I dont think they have been pushed enough so they are still quite boring and commercial but becuase they are so versatile I think there is a lot that could be done to change this. However I dont no if they are so versatile that I could do anything with the imagery and it would just be luke doing the images I have already been done but they would just be slightly more styled.
ASOS 107
Instead of just looking at fashion brands I decided to kook at department stores and supermarkets as a brand for my campaign images as it is the idea of bringing everything under one roof selling multiple different products in a store so when I put them together in the campaign images it creates an almost ironic idea of the idea of putting things together that dont neccesarily go together.
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My initial thoughts for superstores where places that house food, clothing, accessories, basically as many different objects as possible so I could make all my imagery versatile while still being true to the brand and also it means more objects that I can use in my images. After looking at all of these brands I need to look at their campaign imagery that already exists and decide from this which one to go with.
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My first thought was to look at TK Maxx as often some of their better campaigns get over-looked as people tend to associate TK Maxx with last seasons clothing at small prices and on arrival to their stores it often looks quite ‘budget’ However from looking at some of their campaign imagery I actually really like a lot of the images for instance the image on the right with the zebra in a pair of boots, similar to the way I work this is very much a surreal situation but it adds humour so it works well.
While the other advertising campaigns I have seen for TK Maxx are still strong and fun I feel like I could definatley create a campaign for TK Maxx. Below the campaign “Me by Me” by TK Maxx is using their customers in the garments they have purchased from TK Maxx, their customers can upload these images and they are much better than looking at boring simple posed model images.
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I then started to play with the TK Maxx branding on one of my images seeing what I could do for their campaign imagery and what I could use as a tag line etc. I am happy with some of them while others looked boring and a bit too static which meant loosing the humour aspect which I dont want to do as this is the main focus.
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These were my favourite campaign ideas of mine, I particularly like the end one as I feel it looks more like a finished product than the rest of them I am still not 100% on the tag line I feel it needs to be a bit more snappy but with a bit more work I think I could make something worth while out of their branding and my images to make them work together.
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Asda was the second brand I decided to look into, as it is such a large company that stocks anything and everything in their stores I thought it would be a good one to explore, I honestly thought they would have more campaigns and ones that I hadn’t seen but unfortunatley I didnt find a huge amount that really inspired me, I found their TV adverts more interesting than their imagery. Having said this, for this reason ASDA may be a good brand to go with in order to vamp up their brand and create something new and fun for them.
Asda is mostly known for their advert using gnomes to describe each of the other supermarket competitors and Asda is the the gnome with the green mankini on. This advert does work to provide humour and it is memorable but I think after doing this they could definitley do more to make their campaigns more of a point of interest.
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Contact sheet of my ideas for campaigns using one of my previous images that I thought would go well with their brand. I found these harder than the TK Maxx branding but have enjoyed creating them.
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These were my three favourite designs that I created for my Asda campaigns. My favourite is the end one because it is simple and there is more than enough going on it but it doesnt lose its humour. Using the green in two areas helps to balance the image out.
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The last brand I am going to research is Selfridges, they are a huge high-end department store that has so many different items under one roof, I think the campaign on the left really highlights this as you wouldn’t at first associate a boxer with selfridges but the image just works. After looking more into their advertising they have had a lot of comissioned campaigns created such as the one below by Wieden + Kennedy in 2009, advertising ‘futuristic pieces’ and they’re tag line is what is X as they have created a piece of futuristic art for each letter of the alphabet. Such as below, H is for ‘Happy Fruit’ I really like this campaign and I think it is quite in keeping with project and shows Selfridges are open to this sort of ‘surreal’ concept as a way of advertising them.
Selfridges also work with companies and charities to create awareness around issues concerning the creationg of textiles and fashion, just like this image of the yellow sheep outside of the Selfridges doors in the image on the right. This again demonstrates the versatility of Selfridges as a store, it has a glamorous ethos and strong branding while still creating red tape around social issues. I also just like the image for what it is, a situation that you would never put together. This is also reminiscent of the work that I create but in another extreme.
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Selfridges have recently created a “Hello Beautiful” campaign it is in collaboration with Google+ it is an interactive platform where people can upload their own imagery, this in turn demonstrates that everyone is beautiful in their own way. Alongside this they are also hosting several beauty talks instore. This is a huge campaign which can be seen everywhere and also is extremely accessible, whereas some people think Selfridges is a place that people go if they have a lot of money but in fact it is a place where everyone can browse and shop.
Metz+ Racine are responsible for the imagery above, I have explored their work before in my previous project, I love what they do and it has that surreal edge that I like to add to my work but theirs is a bit more stylized and composed. This is a campaign they did for Selfridges, again it is versatile and isnt obviously ‘fashion’ not using clothes to promote the brand. From my exploration of Selfridges I have learnt just how many campaigns Selfridges have done that I havent seen and the fact that the store doesnt actually take itself too seriously their is no fixed ‘attitude’ for their campaigns so commissioned artists may work freely and create something new for Selfridges. Every campaign containes the signature colours of yellow and black in the images and I think this works well to help recognise the stores campaigns. I am going to look at creating campaigns for Selfridges similar to what I have done for ASDA and TK Maxx. 119
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CONTACT SHEET On the right is my contact sheet for my campaign image ideas, some I now don’t like at all and would not look at using them however some of them I am really happy with I have demonstrated this on the following pages. I think the image works nicely with the store as they are renowned for their bag section. I have really enjoyed researching Selfridges and experimenting with their branding and creating my own ideas for their branding in a campaign. This is something I can definitley see myself revisiting .
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Out of the three stores I have looked at for basing my campaign imagery on, I have enjoyed creating the selfridges ones the most I think I prefer it as a choice as people dont realise the extense of what they sell, people dont realise they have a foodhall etc and I think this gives me more scope for my images and I can definitley be more experimental with objects for this juxtaposing high end items with the more ‘normal’ objects that they also sell. However I have not decided this as my final choice as I need to consider other options and think about what images I can shoot.
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BREAKFAST SHIRT
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I really like both of these images and I am happy with this idea, I think this goes well with the idea of using Selfridges as my store of choice for my campaigns, not only this but I think the juxtaposition works nicely with the smoothness and colour of the shirt with the background compared to the textured brightly coloured cornflakes.
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MANGO SHOE
This is another idea I had for a selfridges style image juxtaposing a brogue with a mango, I like this image but Im not 100% that it works for what I’m doing. the natural colour of the mango almost flows from the shoe onto the mango like they are fused together. I may re-visit the idea of using these shoes but with a different object.
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I like the idea of this image I am not sure how much I like the execution of it, I think I like the idea of the objects, perhaps I might use them again but not together as I think they would be good in an image but shot with different props.
HELLMANNS HAT
I will re-think this idea and re-visit it in a different way.
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LAMP HAT
This was just an idea that popped into my head while I was shooting the other hat idea. I dont think it works for my project, so I wont be taking this image any further, I dont think the objects work together
I decided to re-visit the idea of using a pair of brogues as a prop for one of my images, I prefer this image to the last one using the brogues, I like the confusion it created as the pair of arms look like a small pair of legs. However they are actually arms. I am happy with how this image has turned out and depending on what brand or store I end up using I would like to use this as one of my final images..
HAND SHOES
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POCKET EGGS POCKET EGGS POCKET EGGS POCKET EGGS POCKET EGGS POCKET EGGS POCKET EGGS
POCKET EGGS POCKET EGGS POCKET EGGS POCKET EGGS POCKET EGGS POCKET EGGS POCKET EGGS POCKET EGGS POCKET EGGS POCKET EGGS POCKET EGGS POCKET EGGS
POCKET EGGS POCKET EGGS POCKET EGGS POCKET EGGS POCKET EGGS
I wanted to try something using eggs as my last project I created an egg image using a tiffany box and I am really happy with the way the image turned out. I had the idea of creating a ‘pocket egg’ image and as I experimented more I was happier with how the images were turning out, the image on the left is my favourite.
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After creating the first images of the blazer and the eggs I thought I should try using a more textured jacket as I am not 100% on the idea of both props having smooth textures as I’m not sure the eggs stand out enough so they dont create an interesting enough image or look juxtaposed enough against the also smooth looking fabric. So I tried using this tweed blazer, I am not sure which set of images I prefer.
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PEPPER TIE
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‘Pepper tie’ is another image I thought would work well for a brand like Selfridges, I used vintage silk ties with multiple colours to class with the colouring of the pepper, the image above is my favourite image, I may shoot this image again using a different tie that clashes a bit more with the pepper but I like how the image has turned out. it is simple but effective.
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TIE LEG After creating the pepper tie images I thought about how I had been using body parts as props and I have been happy with the finished images each time. So i decided to use the tie and shoot this image. The image on the right is my favourite image, I really like the contrast of the printed tie against the white and pale contrast of the background and the leg. I can see this as an image that would work for a campaign image for either Selfridges or TK Maxx. http://www.asos. com/asos/asos-cross-front-halter-mesh-insert-mini-bodycon-dress/prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=4573161&clr=Black&-
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