I want to portray how social media can lead to a loss of identity and sadness in a abstract way. I will try to show that the facade the model portrays on social media is false, and only leads to sadness. I want to use red lighting in a dim setting to help convey the negative implications of social media. 

Investigating Ideas:

In this shoot, I'm going to try to experiment with red lighting as an idea to portray the danger presented by social media. 

Location:

• At home

• At my models home

'Gilbert and George'

Their style of images with dominant red colours is ideal for my theme, as it helps to convey danger (in my case in social media). I will adapt their idea slightly, whereas they have a collage of pictures with alternating red and monochrome pictures I will have pictures that are mainly monochrome with red being the dominant colour. 

Key features:

• Red lighting

• Portraiture 

I think this is my best shoot so far. I like the abstract, conceptual theme, and the red lighting adds to this. Next time, I should try with different angles and more still life photography. 

As a whole I think the shoot was a success, but I would like to try different lighting and and change the ISO for more crisp images. 

In this shoot, I tried to use artificial red lighting to highlight the dangers of social media. I think I succeded in this, and it helped to add a surreal sense to the images. I also used leading lines (i.e the measuring tape) to draw the viewer's eye in. 

I want to experiment regenerating ideas involving books and childhood toys. 

I am wanting to try to begin the idea of life being better before social media when the model was younger. As I will not have access to my younger model, I will have to take the still life photos associated with the shoot. I want to capture childhood toys etc lying around in disuse to show how people transition away from the harmless happiness of childhood towards social media as a young teenager. 

Ideas:

• Books

• Toys

Location:

• Local primary school (Te Pahu)

Joel Sternfield

Sternfield's photos are often of abandoned structures surrounded by nature. This matches my theme, as I am wanting to show how childhood toys and playgrounds are abandoned in favour of technology. Sterfield often uses symmetrical long shots to create an lonely feeling that I will attempt to recreate. 

I don't think shoot was overly successful, however some of the images are useful for textured pictures. There was some good use of depth of field and framing. I think the pictures of books will help to establish an idea of books throughout my board. 

I experimented with depth of field and framing, as well as different ISO levels for crisper images. I also tried regenerating ideas involving books. I think this went well, and I will continue to experiment with these features and conventions. 

I want to try to show the happiness experience by youth, and their appreciation for nature, before they are introduced to social media. I also would like to highlight the transition between this and the beginning of a social media addiction after the model has been given a phone. 

Ideas:

• Books

• Phone

• Outdoors

Bill Brandt and (add other person from established practice worksheet)

Key Features:

• Portraiture

• Forced perspectives

• Close ups

Overall, I think the shoot was highly successful. The ideas of books came through strongly, and I think the use of framing, depth of field and contrast came through particularly strongly. The connection to the artist model was no overly strong except for in select pictures. I think this can be improved for future shoots. 

I experimented with different light levels by conducting some shoots mid day and others in 'golden hour'. I also tried playing with perspectives, by having the model appear as though she were standing on top of the book. 

I want to capture Barbara Kruger's style by tearing a picture of the younger model and the older model, to help show the transition between them, and to show the stark contrast. I also want to do still life pictures of the book used in Shoot 6 and 7, as well as the tap measure used in Shoot 5 to tie all of these reoccurring ideas together and regenerate these ideas with Andre Kertez's style. 

Barbra Kruger and Andre Kertez

Barbara Kruger Key features:

• Contrast

• Red and white text over images

• Portraiture

• 2 images overlayed

Andre Kertez Key features:

• Still life

• Shadows

• Purposefully arranged items

I think this shoot was my most successful shoot so far. Barbara Kruger as an Artist model came through strongly, and the composition of the images was carefully thought out. I think Andre Kertez as an artist model could have been stronger however, but the still life images did still have the same shadowing and similar angles. 

This was my first studio shoot, so I was experimenting with different lighting sources, backdrops, props, ISO, shutter speed and aperture. I also played with different angles and perspectives to get interesting looking images.  

In this shoot I want to portray a conceptual side of my social media theme by showing social media icons in pill packets to portray it's addictive nature. 

I also want to take images of my older model looking through a photo album of their younger self to show the transition from the young to the old artist model. 

Ideas:

• Studio Shoot (black background)

• Books

• Still life

Kija Lucas and Vivian Maier

I will use Lucas as an Artist model for the images of the pill packet, and attempt to achieve the plain black background and image in focus.

Maier will be used for the mirror pictures to capture the models facial expressions as well as the words I will write on the mirror. 

Overall, I think this shoot was highly successful. The connection to the artist model could have been stronger, but the use of conventions were strong. I think the images look very crisp and clear, which is something I have been needing to work on in previous shoots. 

I experimented with different angles (i.e over the shoulder shot) as well as using mirrors to create surrealist images mainly in the pictures of the pills. I also experimented further with different light levels and camera settings to create crisp images and interesting angles.