I worked independently to create, style and photograph a character responding to a topic within sustainability and climate change.  I planned and developed on to an idea of creating a character that overconsumed due to their obsession with social media and fashion trends. They always want to impress others with their flashy and trendy fashion choices. However, fashion trends change constantly, leading to my character over consuming, and just throwing away when it’s not longer a trend, also contributing to waste.

Therefore i styled my character in trendy items, that were already owned to show sustainability in my shoot, like a Moncler coat, Ugg boots, a Burberry scarf, a Jacquemus bag and a Louis Vuitton bracelet. These are all items that were trending on social media at the time. I also went for an  autumn/winter themed outfit, due to the outside surroundings and contrasted darker autumn like colours like beige, brown, white and black. I asked my model to curl her hair due to this hairstyle being trendy and do a full face of makeup using social media makeup trends. These trends are usually influenced by Fashion Influencers who also promote trends and also fast fashion / overconsuming.  I then proceeded to use an outside location to portray how brands and influencers on social media use an outside background into manipulating their audience and viewers into thinking they’re eco friendly and big nature lovers. For one of the shots my model posed walking through the park, using her phone to portray the obsession of social media and constantly being on their devices. I edited both of my final photos, increasing the black point as well as the saturation – only very slightly. I also used an automatic setting on my camera (Nikon D3500) named dark lighting, that allows me to create a colder and more autumn like setting / vibe.Editing the black point and saturation, as well as using the automatic camera setting allowed me to also enhance the leaves on the ground in one of my final shots.

I enjoyed this task as it allowed me to work with my own ideas and easily observe my own creativity and development. This photoshoot has definitely been one of my most successful ones yet, in terms of looking professional and turning my ideas in to reality in the best way I could’ve. My personal development using my camera was shown clearly, especially when comparing  them to my last photographs. I enjoyed being independent and having the chance to understand myself while I perform creative tasks, like my creativity, development, how I deal with problem solving and trial and error etc.