Portfolio Layouts

These are some mock ups and experiments of layouts I could use for my protfolio, as a way of communicating my seven deadly sins images. I prefer the layouts that present the images in an orderly way instead of being dotted around all over the page, as this brings greater clarity to the overall layout.

Experimenting with Typography

I have decided to experiment with typography as I will need to present my images in a communicative format and it is likely that I will also include some text, such as the title of each sin. I have searched through all the fonts available in InDesign CS4 (as this the program I will use to create my presentation layouts) and picked out all the fonts that I think could be appropriate to use and enchance my images. I have choosen a varitey of fonts which could be used for headings, as they are all more stylised than a font you would use for a main body of text.

Alot of the fonts I have experiemented have stylised scrolls, which gives the text a flamboyant and artistic flair and would compliment my images. However many of these fonts also represent period styles of writing, which may look abit old-fashioned and out-dated for what I am trying to achieve.

I need to choose a font that has a clean and elegant  modern look, as to not distract attention from my images but which will equally compliment them. The font I have choosen to use is called, University Roman LET which combines modern refinement with a stylised flair.

Off to the Paper Eaters to display my images

So I went back up to London yesterday to display my images at the paper eaters exhibition in Selfridges. I was only in London for a total of three hours as I had to get a train back so I was very conscious of the time but I didn't have a problem when it came to display my images. Zoe already had the pegs I needed to attach the images to the mesh fencing so it was just a case of pegging them up into position. I have taken these pictures to show what they look like in the space and I am pleased with the overall effect.

Final seven deadly sins images

Envy: I have chosen this image, as I like the way Georgia has the pen poised as if to show that she is the culpret behind defacing the pictures of models in the magazines. Her expression suggest a hint of jealousy and revenge, as if she has just been caught in the act.

Gluttony: This image really shows off the paper sandwich and I like how Georgia has her eyes wide open in an expression of surprise, as if she has just been caught in the act of gorging on food. This also adds a slightly humorous element to the photograph which works well.

Greed: I like how in this image Georgia is looking straight down the camera lense in a slightly seductive way as if she has been seduced by the handful of money she is clutching.

Lust: I like how Georgia is grabbing onto the newspaper bedding in this image, as if to show her desire and lust and hint as to what has just taken place.

Pride: I like how Georgia has got her head held high and looking straight into the camera, to show that she is proud to be wearing nothing more than the headdress and is showing it off.

Sloth: I particularly like the composition of the bubbles in this image as they frame Georgia, without obstructing her. I also like Georgia's starry, dazed expression as if she is day-dreaming in her own world.

Wrath: I like the mean and angry stare Georgia is giving straight down the camera as she is tearing up the sheet of newspaper in her hands.

Contact Sheets

I got my images from Jackson today and was really excited to see how they had turned out, as I didn't really get chance to view any at the photoshoot. Overall I am really pleased with how my images have turned out, however I do think that some of the sin concepts worked better than others, therefore I have a bigger selection to choose from for some sins and not for others. I also feel like I have a bigger selection to choose from than others because at the photoshoot I had to trust Jackson to delete any bad photographs as we went along, to make space on his memory card for new images as he had forgotten the cable used to download the images onto his laptop. I feel like he may have deleted a few too many from the first couple of shoots as I can remember him taking alot more photographs than I actually ended up with, but at the end of the day I only have to choose one image for each sin, so it does make the selection process slightly easier.

This shows the first selection process where I have already disregarded quite a few and have been left with this selection. I often find it quite difficult to see straight away which is the best image if I have loads to choose from, although it is nice when you can see the best image standing out straight away.

Gluttony

I think these images are some of the most successful from the entire shoot, as I think the overall composition and colour combination worked really well and have eneded up with lots of images to choose from. From this set of images,I need to choose the image which shows off my paper sandwich and props the best and where the sandwich isn't obstructing the models face and expression.

Envy

For these images, I wanted to experiment with using a number of facial expressions to show off the different meanings associated with the sin envy. I need to decided which of these images expresses the emotions of envy the most convincingly.

Sloth

The strongest images from this selection are the ones where the bubbles are in shot but don't obstruct the model too much. I wanted to experiment with the model yawning and looking sleepy and bored, but I like the ones best where it looks like she is day-dreaming in her own world.

Wrath

The best images from this selection are the meanest and moodiest looking, however its a shame that alot of her outfit has been obstructed by tearing up the newspaper. This will be a compromise I will have to make when choosing the final image. However, I do think it is more important in this case to choose the image which the best facial expression over the view of the clothes.

Lust

I am happy with the composition of these images, however they are all pretty much the same. I think this had something to do with  my model feeling slighty awarkard and unsure in such a situation, although I did try an give her lots of encouraging direction. It will be a case of choosing the one where she looks the most natural and relaxed.

Pride

This was the first sin we shot as I wanted to start the day on a nice easy one, however it does mean all the images are again very similar, as I wanted the attention to be on the headpiece in this image. There are only so many ways a person can angle their head and create an expression of pride, and from looking at this selection I can tell the image I choose will have to be one of the headdress shot from straight on, as it definitely shows it at its best from this angle.

Greed

I seemed to have very few images of any use, when I first got the full disc of images back from Jackson. This was slighty disappointing as I do remember spending about half and hour taking loads of photographs of this sin. This image wasn't excatly how I had envisgaed it, as I had planned for the paper money to be thrown up in the air and to be falling down all around her. We did attempt this many a time, however it wasn't very successfull as on every image the money covered the models face and we couldn't get the timing right. Therefore I don't have many to choose from as all the bad ones where deleted at the time, although I think one of the close up shots will work the best for the final image.

Day of Photo shoot!

Today we did the photo shoot and I am very relieved and happy to say it went without any major hitches or problems. I was up really early to pack my car full of everything we needed for the day and to pick Jackson up to take him with me to the studio. Luckily Jackson was happy to take on the role of my assistant as well as photographer as I definitely needed his help carrying everything from my car to the studio.
First job of the day was to do Georgia's hair and make up. Ideally I would of liked to use a professional hair and make up artist for the shoot but was unable to find anyone who was available on the day and who would do it for free. I felt pretty confident that I would be able to pull off a professional look with the hair and make up, however I did feel abit under pressure to get the hair just how I wanted it as I know difficult hair can sometimes be at getting just right, and I didn't have the time for a bad hair day!
Whilst I had georgia in hair and make up Jackson set up the studio ready for the shoot, but by the time we were all ready for the first shoot we were running half and hour late according to schedule. The rest of the mornings shoot ran smoothly although we were still running late to the schedule, so we all agreed to work through lunch which put us back on track.
We all worked really well together during the day and it turned out to be a really enjoyable experience, as there wasn't anything to get stressed about as things were running smoothly and I was able to see that we were getting the results I had planned for.
The only minor problems on the day were that Jackson had forgotten his cable to connect his camera to his laptop which meant we couldn't upload and view the photographs during the shoot. This meant that as his camera's memory card only had a limited amount of space he had to delete some of the photos throughout the day to make space for new ones.
Also I had planned for Georgia to bring and wear her own shoes as part of the styled outfits, but she had also forgotten to bring them and I knew we didn't have time to go back and get them so I made the decision that it wouldn't matter too much if she was bare foot as I knew in most of the pictures her feet would be obsured anyway.
I am so glad that I have completed the photo shoot and I'm now looking forward to seeing the images we created today.

Photo shoot Schedule

My photo shoot is now fast approaching and so I need to make a schedule of how the day will run and in what order we will shoot the seven deadly sins. We only have the studio booked for a day and there is the added pressure that my model Georgia needs to finish as early as possible on the day as she has exams to revise for. Therefore it is imperitive that I have a plan to make sure the day runs smoothly and we don't waste any time. I want to start the day as early as possible so we have the maximum amount of time.

8:30am - Studio opens, set up the studio, do Georgia's hair and make up

10am - Start photo shoot, Pride

10:30am - Greed

11am - Wrath

11:30am - Sloth

12pm - Lunch break

12:30pm - Envy

1pm - Lust

1:30pm - Gluttony

2pm - Finish photo shoot, pack up studio

2:30pm - Leave studio

Trip to the Paper Eaters in Selfridges

Just came back from London yesterday, as I went up there for my birthday but also as it would be a great opportunity to go to the paper eaters event in Selfridges. The reason for this trip was generally to have a look around, take some photographs and also visualise the space where I am going to display my images once I have done my photoshoot next week. I am really impressed with the look and feel of the event, as The Girls have definitely captured the nostalja of the 80s era.
Whilst I was there, I took a look around the space to see where my images would best be displayed. There was plenty of pink mesh fencing to choose from although othere peoples work was already hanging in some of the sections. I decided that the ideal space would be a large section of fencing inside the disco floor area, where on the reverse Justine was displaying her origami birds, which will add another layer and texture when my images are displayed on top.
Although Zoe was very busy being interviewed when I went along, I did manage to speak to her to agree that this space would be ok to hang my work in. We also agreed that I would come back on monday 19th April a week after my photo shoot to mount and display my images. I am looking forward to coming back and seeing what my images look like in this space.

My finished props!

I am pleased with the overall effect of my paper sandwich, which will be the main prop used in the Gluttony image. The whole thing is made from paper mached pieces of card, which I covered with torn up sheets of newspaper. I wanted to keep the newspaper print visible, to clearly show in the images that she is gorging on paper food, however I decided to add a splash of colour to the sandwich to highlight what each element of the sandwich is meant to be.

The beautiful and delicious cakes that featured in the Marie Antionette film influenced me to make an inflated slice of cake for the Gluttony image. Even though it is obviously made out of newspaper, I wanted to make the cake look as real as possible which is why I added paper mache cherries and icing on top and layers of icing to the middle of the cake.

I have also made this paper mache apple to add to the selection of food in the gluttony image, as I want to create a mixutre of all different types and shapes and sizes of food to create the image of a real feast.

This is the headdress I have made for the Pride image. As my prop making abilities are only very basic I found it a real challenge to make a headdress out of paper which stayed standing up and didn't fall off when worn. I am very pleased with the outcome of my headdress, as it took alot of time to make and is quite sturdy when being worn. The structure of the headdress is made from a headband which I covered in newspaper then several consortinure sheets of card covered in newspaper to create the fan effect, which represents the fan of a peacock tail. I have added a variety of ostorich and peacock feathers and plenty of gliiter to add to the flamboyancy of the piece and have also used bits of broken mirror to highlight the sin of vanity and pride.

I have made this broach/ hairpiece for the Greed image, as I wanted to create a piece of jewellery that incorporated the notions of money, wealth and expensive jewellery, as they are all associated with the sin greed.

This is the newspaper bedding I have made for the lust image. I actually found it quite difficult to find newspaper that wasn't plastered with cheesy adverts and gauwdy images, as this would of distracted too much attention from the overall image. However I managed to find several sheets which were suitable which I sowwed onto a white cotton backing fabric. I thought this would be easy to achieve but using a sewing machine to sew huge pieces of newpaper together is harder than it looks, as it just rips so easily. If I had chance to remake this prop I may have looked into screen printing a newpaper print onto fabric to achieve the desired effect, however time permitting this just wasn't an option.

Test shot

These are a couple of test shots I've done of the Gluttony set just so I can visualise how I want the food and table and chair to be set out for the photo shoot. This will save me time on the day as I can just refer back to these photographs when I need to set everything up, instead of spending ages moving everything around trying to get a good conposition and wasting time.

I have decided to incorporate real food in with the paper food, as it fills out the table and creates more volume. Also, I am not a competent enough prop maker to make this number of props in this shorter time limits. I am happy with the overall effect and I like the way the viewer has to look that bit harder to realise that some of the food isn't what it seems to be and is infact made out of paper.

Styling

These are the outfits I have sourced for my photoshoot, which are mainly made up of clothes I have bought from the high street. I wanted to create a style that had a subtle 80s look and also represented each of the different sins, which is why the outfits don't have a main theme in terms of colour or fabrics. Even though the 80s look was a big trend last year and was in all the shops, many of the items such as big shoulder padded jackets have disappeared from the shops this season and therefore, I found it quite hard to source clothes that I had orginally envisaged using for my photoshoot.

Envy: For this sin, I really wanted to create a green outfit to represent the 'green with envy' image, however this colour is obviouly not in fashion at the moment as there were hardly any green clothes in the shops. I was drawn to this jacket as it is very eye-catching and contains green shades, which I decided to team with this green satin, high waisted skirt which has an 80s look about it.

Sloth: I wanted to find an outfit that was light in colour, preferably baby blue, to represent the light, dreamy image of the sin sloth. I was really pleased with finding this dress as it has a high fashion look and the bleached denim fabric is very representive of 80s fashion. I have styled it with a selection of pearl necklaces, which add interest to the simple shape and the pearls also compliment the girly, soft image I want to create for this sin.

Wrath: One of the darkest sins, I wanted to represent this image in the chosen outfit. I really wanted to find a jacket with sharp, edgy shoulderpads as this would create a spiky, aggressive look. Even though shoulder pads have been in fashion the last couple of seasons, it was really hard to find this style at the moment. I managed to fnd this jacket with shoulder pads in the sale, however to give it an edgier look I have team this with a black lace leotard with adds a dark, sexy twist.

Greed: This dress is covered in multi-coloured sequins which gives a glamorous, bejewelled look and really represents the sin greed. This dress definitely has an 80s vibe with its rouched shoulders and mini dress length. The slashed neckline is actually the back of the dress, however I decided to turn it around as I think it makes a more flattering neckline and the plain back wont been seen in my images anyway.

Lust: I love everything about this dress, from the bright orange silk to the massive ruffles it is just really eye-catching and flattering to wear. The ruffles make it very flamboyant, a look which is associated with 80s fashion and creates great volume and texture to the dress. This dress will really add to the flirty, fun look I want to portray in my Gluttony image.

Lust: I wanted to use underwear as it adds to the sexy look of my lust concept. I only needed to find underwear to cover the top half of my model as her bottom half will be covered by the newspaper sheet. This red bra really adds to the drama and raunchy look I want to portray in my lust image. It is covered in pretty lace detail and the corset detail will add to the erotic, sensual quality of the overall image.

Props, props and more props!

Now I have finalised my photoshoot concept and have my selected storyboards, I need to either source or make all the props I required for the photoshoot, which is only a couple of weeks away. I have already started making some of the props such as the paper food, however I thought it would be a good idea to write a list down of all the props I will need, as there are so many I don't want to run the risk of missing any off. This will also help me plan my time, giving me an idea of when I need to have them all ready.

Lust - duvet, 2 pillows, red satin sheet, newspaper sheet

Pride - paper headdress

Greed - paper money, paper money broach

Sloth - white feather, bubbles, grey cushion, scrunched up newspapers

Envy - magazines, marker pen

Wrath - newspapers

Gluttony - chair, table, red cloth, paper food (sandwich, apple, cake) real food (pineapple, cupcakes, fruit, sweets, cakes, bottle of champange)