From interviewing Tchad I have learnt some key factors in stages of how he has developed his style over the years, particularly over the past 6 years as this is when we both attended college together. As well as this we discussed his background and up bringing in a lot more detail than we ever had done prior to the interview.
Key points discussed in the interview include:
Sentimental and nostalgic items such as, the shark jaw, the watch, his belt, his mallard print shirt
The mallard print shirt – A nostalgic item given to him by a friend and it brings back great memories of working at Long leat, the friends that he made their and all that he learnt from being a tour guide at the house
The shark jaw – A very sentimental item given to him as a gift from his father, he has this since a very young boy
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Points of growth and crafting of identity such as, the braces, the blazers and generally dressing smart, and using these as symbols of seriousness and maturity. – Crafting an amour that made him feel more respectable and serious – Boy to man
Speaking of how sometimes he felt as though he was wearing a costume, I perceive this to mean that on some days probably when he was lacking some self confidence he needed to dress in a way that made him feel more mature and more respectable
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His up bringing, discussing how he felt about his dad very often being on tour for long periods of time throughout his childhood – The effect that this had on him
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How he has changed now, still dressing in a smart way but losing the suits and braces and only occasionally wearing the blazers, but often wearing trainers with smart outfits as he prefers to style himself in a more relaxed young way, when asked what his current style was he spoke of his struggle to objectively look at his own style at the moment
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PLAN AND FOCUS FOR THE SHOOT
On the shoot I would like to focus on Tchad’s Boy to man stage of growth.
To do this I have analysed each part of it and chosen particular points to focus on.
I would like to focus on:
How this look aligned with his goals. How he wanted to be seen and how he wanted to see himself
How it is drenched in connotations of academia, sport, luxury and respectability – These are all connotations that both align with Tchad’s goals and are self confidence boosting.
How it makes him feel – Confident, focused, strong.
His journey, his reason, scrutinising himself, self doubt, then moving forward and doing something about it. (This could possibly be the beauty shot/jewellery shot)
Tchad’s personality and ethics – Love of photography, good taste, art, manners.
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I have decided to shoot Tchad’s narrative from the point of view of how he wanted to see himself and how he wanted to be seen. This is informed by both my interviews with him and from what I have learnt about him over the past 6 years. I have also written an introduction to my case study (Tchad) to give a clear over view of my approach and why I have styled as I have, why I have chosen the model that I have, why I have chosen the location that I have and how I directed the shoot.
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An introduction to Tchad Findlay
Brought up in an upper middle class family, his dad is a music producer and was very often away for long periods of time, away on tour. This had a significant affect on Tchad as he wanted his dad to be more present in his life. This also I believe connects as a reason to why Tchad felt the need to grow up and dress more professional and in a more mature way.
He was brought up in the south-west of the UK, in an area that is largely upper middle class with some working class. He is very well spoken, has had a strong work ethic and sets his goals high. This is also understandable as most of his family have all achieved successful careers of some sort in creative industries.
He is mostly interested in art, fashion, sport, history, photography and having ‘’good taste’’
His reasons for dressing more professionally looking more serious and being taken more serious, in terms of academic life, in terms of getting more work as a photographer and in personal life also.
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The choice of model
I chose to book James Berridge from Rhed model management as I felt he fit Tchad’s narrative very well. A young gentleman turning into a more mature figure. His dark hair, strong jawline and traditional good looks.