Refelction
1. For the shoot I decided to work outside with natural lighting. Initially I was intending on doing a pose that was happy and so would be complimented by the sunny day that was outside. Since this was shot during school hours the location was limited. I didn’t want the shoot to occur in the shadow behind the school, this would have resulted with little contrast on my model’s face. Even if I decided against happy gaze (which I did) the sun would still be able to create dramatic lighting. The style was meant to informal with an open composition, it wasn’t supposed to look posed, but be more relatable (in setting and content). The final piece that I chose is meant to be a sceptical one, full of apprehension.
2. The shoot wasn’t what I had anticipated. Originally, I wanted to get a picture full of attitude, and I had a model in mind for it. However, when that fell through I turned to a different friend and found that the subject had to change. My main problem with this shoot was being decisive. I had an idea of what kind of gaze I wanted and then with a shift of models there was also a shift of intent. It did not cease there though, for the happy gaze that I wanted for Pawan was taken along with ones of confusion, apprehension, and attempted attitude. In the end I had to deal with what my indecision had given me. Instead of picking a single emotion to look for while weeding through the pictures, I decided I would find the best photo, the one that sent the clearest message – whatever it may be. I chose this route, so that I wouldn’t disregard a great photo due to my stubbornness on topic.
3. Some of them came across very different than others. Most of them conveyed a happy and peaceful gaze, but I found that though pretty, they were going to catch the attention of anyone – everyone smiles in photographs. I then switched emotions, trying different ones and seeing which my model could best embody. She had a lovely pensive expression in one and several comical confusions in others. In the end I found I was debating between the shots that gazed out of the frame at something confusing, concerning, or perhaps an amusing disaster (some had a hint of a smile that to me suggested an internal sigh and eye rolling). The final shot that I chose has an apprehension in it; it also has hints of judgement and in turn superiority on the part of the model.
4. The emotions that I took from this photo were the same ones that I wanted the viewers to take – an apprehension about an event happening outside the frame of the photograph that places the model somewhere above the other participants. I found that I needed to exercise some manipulation over the model but only had so much. I would offer an emotion I wanted (my manipulation) but in some cases would find that they were not able to be created (my limitations). In the end I decided to focus on the emotions that she could convey best.
