Kirsty Mitchell

Kirsty Mitchell is also a photographer very experienced in fantasy portraiture. In her personal statement on her website, she expresses how the images she produces resemble the stories that her mother used to read to her when she was younger. She became fully immersed in photography when her mother died in 2008, and has been taking photos with this mythical theme ever since.

One thing that all of these images seem to have in common is a black or very dark background. This gives the images a very mythical and mysterious mood, because black has connotations of hiding and mystery. I really like this because I feel like it helps set the mood really well, which is exactly the reason I used a dark background in my first shoot. Additionally, the three of these images all use direct mode of address, with the subject centralised in the framing. This is used to connect with the audience and to draw them into the image and also suggests these characters have power because they’re not being shy in any way, and almost seem challenging. This is something I didn't want to use in my first shoot because I think the identity of the character is important to me, however I did experiment with this in the second shoot and wasn't so keen on the results. However, i'll keep trying with different modes of address as i'm not sure where my own project will go.
They all also have a colour scheme, sticking to shades of the same colour within the image. I really like how this is used because I feel like it really pulls the images together, and by using just one colour it can really set the mood and tone due to the colour’s connotations. 



The image above is very yellow toned, and because of the connotations of yellow (happiness, energy and intellect), we have a very positive vibe from it. This makes the image very pleasing to look at, however, her stern facial expressions and harsh makeup counteract this which in my opinion makes it much more interesting and contrasts against the colour connotations.
Her body language appears to be protective; her hands are facing towards her body, holding her decoration. It makes me wonder who this woman is and why she feels this way. Her immense decoration and accessories, to me, suggest that she is a person with great power. This is because we’ve seen this happen in real life, with the royal family, for example the painted portraits of Queen Elizabeth I as seen below.

The pattern in her decoration are very symmetrical, and it’s only the arms that really break this symmetry. I feel that this makes the composition very aesthetically pleasing.
Mitchell has stated on her website that the image is heavily inspired by how she sees the human spirit; in essence it’s a huge force of energy, which I think it’s largely shown with the use of the colour yellow. 



This image is named 'Let Your Heart Be the Map' very warm toned, and with the help of the use of leaves, and wind blown hair, it gives it a very autumnal look. She’s closer to the audience than in the other photos, which makes it feel much more intimate. Because of her otherworldy perfect and pale skin, and soft hair, and no eyebrows,  it is clear that the character is not from this world. 
I really like the way her hair and skin are very similar colours because it makes the warmer oranges pop even more. I like how the light is just on the character, because it means that the audience’s attention can’t drift off elsewhere  because there’s nothing else to look at, and so it’s way more enticing. As with the others, she has direct eye contact with the viewer, which draws the audience in even more, because it’s our natural instinct to meet their gaze. The woman is positioned right in the middle of the image, which makes it even more so that you can’t take your eyes off her.  The way the artist has increased the contrast in the photo really brings out the depth and definition to her hair, which makes the whole image pop even more.
Mitchell states on her website that this mini series within Wonderland was a comfort when she needed it most, which gives context to the tones used. She tells of how stressed her intricate shoots were becoming a stress to her and she felt she just needed to breathe, which I also feel is evident in the image as if feels very free and airy and calming, due to the hair being blown by what we assume to be wind and the softer tones. She says how the model soon became a mirror for herself, which I also relate to, clearly, because in my work while I believe i'm making a character, another stripped down, raw version of myself if you will, it's still a mirror of me.




This third image, 'Queen's Centurion' has a very dark and mysterious mood to it, created by the use of colour; black and purple have connotations of mystery, power and magic. The mood is also made very eerie with the use of props; the worn down, dried out plants and twigs to frame the woman look very bone-like, which of course have connotations of death. The artist states on her website that she designed her bodice to almost merge into the bone-like tree, so she is dehumanised. This gives the image quite a sad mood, because it’s as if her life of protecting the key has taken over everything human in her life,
The lighting is very even, and focuses on the subject straight on. This allows the the audience to believe that what is being shown is the truth about the character with nothing being hidden from them. However, this doesn't remove the essence of mystery from the work because there are still so many unanswered questions.
On her website she writes the story for this image; ‘she protects the white queen’s key which lay embedded deep within her chest.’ I really like the stories that go along with these photos because I believe the context allows for the audience to enjoy the story within the photo even more, because the artist is sharing how she perceives the images. One of my favourite parts of this image is actually the teardrop in her left eye.

This is because I feel like it adds some raw emotion to the image; everything else in it so unlike what we know as humans and we’re just not familiar with it. But in contrast, a tear is something every single person who sees this will understand and recognise. Because of this, the image as a whole will be able to reach out to everybody. 
The artist herself said the also likes the addition because she likes the idea of ‘shedding tears as miracles’, which I think adds a greater meaning behind the image, and goes to show that everybody will take different meanings and messages from images, and it doesn't matter if it doesn't quite match what you as the artist gave it.


While I know I won't be able to get anything on the level that Mitchell has created in a few months, I think I will be inspired by her whether I like it or not. She is undoubtedly the most influential photographer in my life, who made me fall in love with the fiction in photos and who pushes me to let people see how I think. Her images are stunning yet often heart wrenching, and I often find myself wanting to cry at them without even knowing why. This powerful strength Mitchell gives her work comes from her pure emotion and how she is capable of flooding that into her work, which is what I intend to do also.

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