Month: November 2017
DARK ROOM SESSIONS PT.1
(AD137: PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING – SUBCULTURES)
Photographer – Unknown
stay groovy x x
EDITING IMAGES
(AD137: PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING – SUBCULTURES)
My editing process:
CROP
CLONE TOOL – To edit imperfections within the background and skin
HUE/SATURATION
LEVELS
This is then what I did to my Denim disco diva images:
Before:
Editing process:
After:
Before:
Editing process:
After:
stay groovy x x
Photography by Colin Kolmel
Editing and styling by Kynza Kendall-Jones
~ SKATE CULTURE ~
(AD137: PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING – SUBCULTURES)
Today we did our photoshoot for Skate Culture. We chose the Skate park for our location (surprise surprise!)
Because it was Colin’s shoot, he styled the shoot and came up with the concept. The Sam then art directed and he and I did digital photography. Because Colin had decided that he thought he would want the final images to be in 35mm black and white film, I did the film photography.
I really enjoyed using film for this type of project as I have always loved the way it feels and looks. I also felt as though doing this really has made me improve my composition skills and my knowledge of capturing the perfect image.
The shoot went really well and it was really good fun realising the concept and ideas that we came up with. The film came out really nicely and it was really exciting to get the images back and see how well they turned out.
Skate Shoot Digital Contact Sheet
Colin decided that he wanted to choose mainly film photographs for his final ‘feature’ in our zine that we wanted to make. This was really exciting as it made me proud to have tried so hard on making the photography perfect for him.
Once Colin had edited his final photographs, he then wrote a small piece of writing to explain and become a part of his final ‘feature’ of our zine. I then created his layout and put it all together as I had volunteered to make the final zine.
We were both really happy with the way the images turned out and went so well together. I felt as though the order and composition of the images really finalised the story behind his concept that he created. I thought it was important to start with an image that really showed what the story was about. However, as his concept was really about the lifestyle and more about a specific type of skateboarder as he describes in his writing at the beginning of the feature, it was important to then show the smaller details and images that depict the mood of the people that make up his subculture. I wanted to finish on the image of Colin stood with his skateboard as this image was inspired by so many different images from high fashion campaigners that the skateboarders that he admires have taken part in.
I am really happy with the way this shoot and final outcome came out as it was such a boost for us to carry on with the rest of our shoots as this one went so well.
stay groovy x x
SELECTING THE FINAL FOUR
(AD137: PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING – SUBCULTURES)
So today I grouped up with Colin and Sam and we decided on our final four subcultures for our final shoots.
We chose one each and we did one together.
Colin chose Skate culture, Sam chose Turkish Pop Culture and I chose Denim Disco Diva and we all chose Glam Rock together.
stay groovy x x
PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY
(AD137: PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING – SUBCULTURES)
Previously, product photography never really seemed very interesting to me, however this workshop opened my eyes to more that just taking a flat image of an object.
We started off with objects that we’d chosen relevant to the recent we had been doing. I chose sunglasses and textured and patterned fabrics as I felt these would have strengthened my love for my research and been a challenge to photograph.
On the still camera, it seemed hard to make what we saw translate perfectly onto the camera, as the objects would not stay still like we would have liked them to. We also had a chance to play with gels and learn about how they would effect the image whilst using soft and harsh lighting. I found this really interesting as it gave a completely new atmosphere to the photographs and they came out a lot better than just flat images of the objects.
I am really happy with the way these images turned out and would like to try more product photography in the future if I have the chance.
Product Photography Contact Sheet
Figure 1
Figure 2
We then moved onto the larger set up to try some larger scale product photography. This proved more difficult as making sure the objects were the centre of focus when there were lots scattered around was hard. We then decided to bend the rules and use a model to use the products and this worked really well. The gels got involved and we really got some amazing images.
UNFORTUNATELY, these images got lost on the computer before they got sent to us and before we could even see them on a large scale. This was such a shame because I went to pick up the images at the end of the session and I got turned away, meaning they got lost some time between then and the next time I went to get them. I suppose this will be a lesson to us to make sure we get our images on our own SD cards, however, unfortunately we had not been told what we would be doing in this session so we could not have done this time.
Nevermind, luckily I got some behind the scenes pictures and videos and I am able to share these now.
This was the behind the scenes footage of me modelling the products and the gels being used.
Figure 3 – Photography by Samuel Jarman from his Instagram story.
Figure 4
Figure 5
stay groovy x x
Figures
Images within Contact Sheet – Photography by Kynza Kendall-Jones, Lara Markham and Freya Casserly
Figure 1 & 2 – Concept by Kynza Kendall-Jones, Photography by Kynza Kendall-Jones
Figure 3 – Photography by Samuel Jarman from his Instagram story
Figure 4 and 5 – Filmed by Kynza Kendall-Jones
~ DENIM DISCO DIVA ~
(AD137: PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING – SUBCULTURES)
The subculture in which aesthetically, key seventies disco trends + denim is shown. The contrast between casual daywear and extreme performance wear is what creates such a beautiful aesthetic.
I created this subculture ‘title’ myself as I wanted to research the key trends of the seventies and also the history and use of denim within this time.
So, naturally, I started with looking at seventies trends in general. Saturday Night Fever, ABBA, Studio 54, Disco Balls, and FLARES!
Then I wanted to look at current designers that take inspiration from the 70’s disco trends.
Ashish Gupta, born in Dehli and studied Fine Art in India and completed his MA in Central St. Martin’s. From there, his life continued with all of accomplishments and won the New Generation Award three times. The work of his that inspired me was full of sequins and denim, perfect for the Denim Disco Diva subculture.
Figure 1 – ASHISH Denim Jacket
I also looked at the Burberry A/W15/16 collection campaign that was shot by Mario Testing that focused on Brit-Pop royalty. The photographs embassy the authentic romantic hippy aesthetic of the 70’s. A Super 8 film was also made by CEO Christopher Bailey to accompany it to further the vibe of the collection. The exclusivity of the images and video is in keeping with the tone of the brand, Burberry too, making the collection extremely ‘high end’.
Figure 2 – Burberry A/W 2015/16 Campaign
Halston, an design icon of 1970sfashion, was another influence into the world of the time. The exclusivity of the garments he produced gave the impression of the fame and fortune that many celebrities were a part of.
Figure 3 – ‘Four Models’ by Halston 1978
Many campaigns this season, A/W 2017/18 are heavily influenced by the 1970’s disco trends, e.g. the Coach campaign. Therefore I made sure to take influence from these.
I also wanted to look at exhibitions focused on denim and the history behind it, deepening my knowledge and appreciation for the fabric.
Then I wanted to style a couple of outfits that fitted the research for a test shoot to see how they looked on camera.
Figure 4 – Denim Disco Diva Test Shoot Styling Board
I was really happy with the way that the photos came out. I chose not to edit them too much, as I was only testing the outfits and the location was not what i would have wanted.
Figures 5-9 – Denim Disco Diva Test Shoot
Figure 10
stay groovy x x
References
“London Fashion Week – Ashish.” Londonfashionweek.Co.Uk, 2017, http:// www.londonfashionweek.co.uk/designers_profile.aspx?DesignerID=30
Figures
Figure 1 – ASHISH Denim Jacket
https:// www.lyst.com/clothing/ashish-sequin-embellished-denim-jacket-blue/
Figure 2 – Burberry A/W 2015/16 Campaign
https:// www.wgsn.com/blogs/burberry-releases-70s-influenced-campaign-with-rolling-stones-offspring/
Figure 3 – ‘Four Models’ by Halston 1978
http:// exhibitions.fitnyc.edu/blog-ysl-halston/
Figure 4 – Denim Disco Diva Test Shoot Styling Board by Kynza Kendall-Jones
Figures 5-9 – Denim Disco Diva Test Shoot. Styling by Kynza Kendall-Jones, Photography by Indiana Tarrant
Figure 10 – Filmed by Indiana Tarrant
~ GLAM ROCK ~
(AD137: PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING – SUBCULTURES)
The subculture that ‘started’ in the beginning of the 1970’s and aesthetically, it depicted the embodiment of femininity, avant grade style and flamboyancy. It was usually embodied by men and accompanied by makeup. At the time it was revolutionary and many of these men were considered ‘heart throbs’.
I started by looking at what started the Glam Rock subculture and the history of it. Although I felt as though I knew a little bit about it, it turned out that there was a lot more to it than I initially realised.
I then went on to research some photographers from the Glam Rock subculture and also current photographers that have captured elements of the Glam Rock subculture.
Bob Gruen and Mick Rock were photographers in the 1970’s that captured many rock and roll and Glam Rock stars of the time such as David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Debbie Harry.
Figure 1 – Bob Gruen Photograph
Figure 2 – Mick Rock Photograph
Then I wanted to look at recent collections that have taken inspiration from the Glam Rock subculture. So I looked at at the Balmain Spring 2009 Glam Rock inspired Collection which was interesting to see how diluted an exclusively Glam Rock inspired collection could look from an Haute Couture brand.
Figure 3 – Balmain Fall 2009 Ready-To-Wear Collection
So then I decided to style an outfit and do a test shoot with a concept. I wanted to use the colour red and the use of perspective within my images as I liked the combination of the the androgynous powerful Glam Rock icons with the strength of the colour red.
Glam Rock Test Shoot Contact Sheet
Photography by Indiana Tarrant, Styling by Kynza Kendall-Jones
I was happy with how the test shoot went because it gave me ideas as to how I could improve and use the camera angles to give power to the model. I also really loved the idea behind the beauty shots that I did.
Glam Rock Test Shoot Selected Images
Photography by Indiana Tarrant, Styling by Kynza Kendall-Jones
stay groovy x x
Figures
Figure 1 – Bob Gruen Photograph
http:// www.bobgruen.com
Figure 2 – Mick Rock Photograph
https:// www.morrisonhotelgallery.com/photographers/gFxp15/Mick-Rock
Figure 3 – Balmain Fall 2009 Collection
https:// www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2009-ready-to-wear/balmain/slideshow/collection
~ NETSTALGICS ~
(AD137: PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING – SUBCULTURES)
The subculture in which people reflect aesthetically their feeling of nostalgia towards the early visions of the internet.
So I started off with researching the aesthetic of what these ‘Netstalgics’ were reminiscing about. I created mood boards and did a few drawings, reflecting these ideas. Some topics that stood out to me and inspired me were MySpace, Clueless, the technology of the times.
Following this, I looked into some collections that came out in the 90s, especially, to look at how high fashion was inspiring the street style of the time.
Tom Ford’s revival of Gucci stood out to me particularly because last year I went to the Gucci Museum in Florence, Italy and saw the pieces from the catwalk shows and campaigns that I found when researching Tom Fords work for Gucci.
Figure 1 – Tom Ford for Gucci Campaign 1992/3
The collections by Marc Jacobs for Perry Ellis in 1992 really stood out to me. 25 years on, knowing that Marc Jacobs was sacked for designing and running this for the catwalk of the Spring ’93 collection is mind-boggling! The images from the campaign seem so ahead of its time. However, at the time, this ‘Nirvana inspired’ style was not as ‘high-end’ as it perhaps ‘should’ have been. Therefore, fortunately for the world of high fashion, it indirectly led Marc Jacobs to have his own brand, I suppose.
Figure 2 – Marc Jacobs for Perry Ellis 1992/3
Alexander McQueen’s Highland Rape Collection and runway show stood out to me particularly too, due to the controversy that was caused by the show. I found that this idea of breaking boundaries and outwardly responding to taboo topics in high fashion was reflected in the Myspace culture and the Netstalgics’ blogs of today, as this was what they did through their self expression.
Figure 3 – Alexander McQueen Highland Rape A/W 1995
Then, it was inevitable that I would stumble upon campaigns featuring Kate Moss, whom I have never been so interested by, however after having learnt more about her and the work she did, I found it interesting to learn about how her life played out when in contact with the photographers and stylists of the time, as she was involved in some of the most iconic campaigns of the time. She said ‘I worked with Herb Ritts’ … ‘and then Steven Meisel, and then they’d start sending limos for me, and I was like, “That is so embarrassing.” ‘.
All this research lead me on to narrowing down the parts of this subculture, that I really wanted to portray through my own work. The young teenage girl aesthetics, the pale pinks and the contrasting darkness that could be seen in the Tom Ford for Gucci and Marc Jacobs for Perry Ellis campaigns really inspired me.
Therefore, I created a concept board and styled an outfit and set that fitted the aspects of the research that I liked. I wanted to contrast the light teenage girl bedroom with the teenage angst of some of the darker collections that appeared, such as the ones previously mentioned, in the 1990’s.
Netstalgics Test Shoot Contact Sheet
I was happy with the images that came from this, however, I did feel as though they needed some context to be presented better and I felt as though a lot of post production would be needed to keep the tone of the images in keeping with the ideas within my concept board.
Due to being a test shoot, I did not want to put them into a short feature editorial format as this was not needed and the quality of the shoot was not quite as up to scratch as I would have wanted if this was a final shoot so Idecided to display them in an abstract manner as they may have been presented by a Netstalgic blogger.
I was overall happy with the way my research ended up for this subculture, and I suppose it remains unknown as to whether I will be able to further my exploration in Brief 2 with my group/partner. However, either way, I would like to keep up to date with the Netstalgic subculture as it is very interesting and furthering my work whilst being inspired by it would be good fun.
stay groovy x x
Figure 1 – Tom Ford for Gucci Campaign 1992/3
http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/24492/1/tom-ford-opens-up-about-his-landmark-gucci-aw95-collection
Figure 2 – Marc Jacobs for Perry Ellis 1992/3
https://www.vogue.com/article/marc-jacobs-perry-ellis-grunge-collection-90s-fashion
Figure 3 – Alexander McQueen Highland Rape A/W 1995
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN HIGHLAND RAPE AW 1995
Figure 4 – Netstalgics Test Shoot Final Images by Kynza Kendall-Jones
COMBINING STYLES
(AD137: PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING – SUBCULTURES)
The brief was to study two different visual references to create a juxtaposition and shoot it and create a fashion ‘story’.
A story is a narrative and the aim was to create images to tell that story, explicitly or abstractly. Whether the audience create their own narrative from your images or not, the idea of creating a story to realise an intended aesthetic.
So I decided to study Tom Ford for Gucci in the 1990’s and the storyboard aesthetic from the films of the auteur director, Wes Anderson.
I thought initially that the juxtaposition between the two would be greater. This was because the Gucci 90’s collections were quite minimalist and grungy, as opposed to the highly thought out, vibrant colour palettes of Wes Anderson. However after researching more and looking deeper into the Gucci campaigns and stills from Wes’s films, I saw that the way colour worked within them both was very similar.
(References of pictures from this image below)
I then planned my looks and shots and how I wanted each shot to represent elements from both visual references.
We then had to pair up and do our shoots together.
I was really happy with the way these images turned out.
Due to working in pairs, I also did the photography for Colin’s photoshoot of his looks that he styled and came up with the concept for.
stay groovy x x
Figures
Wes Anderson – The Darjeeling Limited still
http://www.filmmisery.com/best-wes-anderson-films-ranking/
Wes Anderson – Moonrise Kingdom still
https://haikure.com/en/wes_anderson
Wes Anderson – Hotel Chevalier reference, Grand Budapest Hotel still
http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/the-10-best-uses-of-set-design-in-wes-anderson-movies/
Wes Anderson – Grand Budapest Hotel still
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/wes-andersons-grand-budapest-hotel-649204/1-ralph-fiennes
Tom Ford for Gucci AW1996 Campaign (Red)
Tom Ford for Gucci AW1995 Campaign (Blue)
Tom Ford for Gucci AW1996 Campaign (White)
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/105764291220513873/
Tom Ford for Gucci 1995 Runway
https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-1995-ready-to-wear/gucci
CREATING A SUBCULTURE
(AD137: PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING – SUBCULTURES)
Subculture : ‘A cultural group within a larger culture, often having beliefs or interests at variance with those of the larger culture.’ (1)
Today, we were set the challenge, of bringing in as many clothes as possible, pairing up and creating 6 different looks, to represent a new subculture with concepts behind them and shoot them.
It may sound easy, however, it seems styling a limited selection of your own clothes in a crazy new way to create a subculture was quite hard.
Our idea was to link each look with the concept of being ‘chained’ to a subculture and then we wanted each look to signify a social issue we wanted to fight against.
So here are the looks and meanings behind them :
Creating a Subculture Contact Sheet
Creating a Subculture Final Selected Images Contact Sheet
(Figure 1) (Figure 2) (Figure 3)
^The monochrome state of ^The concept was the chain ^The concept was the chain
being chained to the idea of that links society to having that links us to animal
needing to be a part of a to have a purpose. abuse and the misuse of
subculture. animal products.
(Figure 4) (Figure 5) (Figure 6)
^The concept that schools and the education system ^The concept was about
aren’t teaching all the right life lessons, such as feminism. overconsumption.
(Figure 7) (Figure 8) (Figure 9)
^The concept for this look was about the way technology is improving and growing
and that as a society and a world we are so tight chained to it due to the fact that
humanity seems to not be able to function without it.
stay groovy x x
References
(1) “Subculture | Definition Of Subculture In English By Oxford Dictionaries.” Oxford Dictionaries | English, 2017, https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/subculture.
Figures
Figure 1-3 & 6 – Styling by Wainam Cheung and Kynza Kendall-Jones and Photography by Kynza Kendall-Jones
Figure 4, 5 & 7-9 – Styling by Wainam Cheung and Kynza Kendall-Jones and Photography by Wainam Cheung