Month / December 2014

by Olivia Kate Violet

Evaluation of my project

Tuesday 16th December

Brief 2, project ‘Trapped’ evaluation.

With regards to mine and phoebes project, overall I feel it went really well. The styling that I chose (very minimal and black) I feel strongly conveyed the meaning behind the project of feeling trapped, not only literally or physically but mentally too. Our first image looked at the literal entrapment a frame can convey and how you can present restriction through simple but strong additions to a photograph. The frame portrays how you can feel small and boxed in and the expression on the models face also conveys a sort of bizarre and menacing look thus suggesting a dark feeling towards the world. (see right)

 

 

The second image represents a more mental feeling of trapped, how psychologically you can feel trapped to the point you need to scream, maybe from frustration, anger or sadness. I feel this shoot went really well and the image is really strong although simple. (see below)

 

 

The third image states how someone can have more than one personality or one belief. How sometimes we feel confined by the world and the pressure to be a certain way. This shoot was challenging due to the lack of studio space but I feel has resulted in an extremely emotional and powerful image. (see below)

 

 

For the fourth image we decided to do a very raw portrait where by the model looked straight at the camera conveying emotion. We then added the wire on top of the photograph (using Photoshop) to give an enclosed look. The styling focuses on simple clothing representing the lack of freedom to express oneself outrageously and how society so often makes us feel restricted. (see right)

 

 

 

final shadows

The next image again uses fencing but this time we decided to only place it on the face to show a psychological kind of restriction. The shadow behind the person is to link in the idea of having more than one opinion in life. I think this shot is really strong and conveys our intended message effectively. (see left)

 

 

 

For the sixth image we used string to bind our
second models hands together to represent a physical struggle someone can
have. The light also focuses on the hands to emphasise this. This shot I feel
makes you think of events where by you can relate and really pulls you in.
(see left)

 

 

 

 Next we concentrated on the idea that you can feel smaller than the world and that you can feel trapped in terms of there being to many options out there. It portrays how you can feel trapped from instead, not form a lack of possibilities but actually that some feel there is so many and thus can feel trapped by the possibility of taking the wrong one. This is my favourite image within our story as the detail within the shadow i just fascinating and was in fact very rewarding to capture; I love how you can even see his eyelashes and the bits of hair that are out of place. (see right)

 

tights finalF

For the eighth image we decided to use a white background to emphasise the netting placed around the arms. This again as does the sixth image, represents a physical entrapment and aims to make the viewer consider what it would be like to lack a body part and how that physical loss would make you feel trapped in your abilities. Not being able to see the models eyes also gives a very unsure feeling, drawing you in. (see left)

 

For the ninth and final image we again used props to emphasis a physical feeling of trapped. The bag over the head suggests suffocation and the string portrays the struggle and the will to break out of feeling that way. The use of dark lighting within the image I feel in turn conveys a dark message and makes you feel cold and also consumed. (see right)

 

 

Overall I think our story presents a set of really strong and story-telling set of images. Although I think we could have possibly played with the wardrobe further I also feel that the lack of emphasis on the clothing creates a stronger message and makes the viewer consider the feeling and emotion behind the image in more depth. I think that in terms of lighting we produced effective images although further practice would have been useful. Being able to have access to a studio would have made lighting and then editing easier, however in image 9 I feel the crinkled and uneven background works as it portrays that life is not smooth and nor is the feeling of being trapped.

by Olivia Kate Violet

Editing our images

Wednesday 10th December

 

We have decided to use a number of different props to edit our photographs with which each represent a different situation where someone can feel trapped:

1.Frames

-This is to portray restriction in a way that reflects a subconscious feeling of trapped, how someone from the outside may come across as happy but actually in reality underneath it all, they are not.

2.Barbed wire

-This is to represent a more harsh form of trapped, to reflect punishment that people have experienced throughout life and events.

3.Movement 

-We have used movement to reflect someone who is mentally unstable, possessing more than one personality and how they could be trying to escape themselves not others.

4.Confinment e.g plastic bag

-We decided to use this as a way of communicating suffocation and how people can feel consumed by life an thus possess a need to escape and breath.

5.Restriction e.g. string

-Finally we used string to represent someone feeling tied down/ tied too something or someone, maybe a job or commitment that doesn’t make them happy.

by Olivia Kate Violet

Research in relation to each image

Monday 8th December

These images were based on Jenn Ackerman’s work within the article ‘Trapped: The story of the Mentally Ill in Prison’ by David Rosenberg. The article goes into detail and explain how Jenn’s work portrays how patients react and behave whist being trapped in prison. The images presented are powerful but disturbing images that convey extreme emotion and this inspired the images chosen.

Looking at the first image we witness the piercing yet blank stare given by the model, conveying a loss of some kind where as within the second we can see a hidden, suffocated look portraying that the subject feels claustrophobic; the string representing the want to escape.

<Image 1

Image 2>

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next image is based on the idea of straight jacket and feeling restrained and restricted in your capabilities.

 

Further more image 4 looks into animal captivity and how they aren’t only trapped through a lack in communication but literally though fencing, it is impossible to match their surroundings to what they would be within the wild. The mesh tights are representing the fencing and as movement of limbs contributes to way we communicate we deliberately bound the hands.

tights finalFIn addition the next set of images relates this idea of having more than one self (image 6) and the need to escape it (image 5), we felt that movement emphasised this effectively.

Image 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image 5

 

 

 

 

 

These two images relate to how people psychology can feel trapped and are inspired by someone who wrote a post on the mental health forum explaining how they feel trapped within themselves.

IMG_9071 IMG_9205

<Image 7

Image 8>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The final image focuses on shadow and how it can represent someone feeling small and insignificant, how someone can feel trapped from reality and the pressures and stresses of life in general.

by Olivia Kate Violet

The third and final photoshoot

Thursday 4th December

For our final shoot, the main focus was on shadow and the use of props. We felt that with these two things we could create some really strong, powerful images. Again we didn’t have use of the studio so we set one up, using a lot of black paper and a couple of hired out lights. This shoot went really well and I felt like we had accomplished the look we had set out to create- one of dark and deep psychological feelings.