Shoot 3

This shoot gave me confidence with my project overall because i'm really happy with the vibe, emotion and overall appearance of these images.
I initially wanted to go for a golden hour shoot, but it wasn't a clear enough day to really get the golden hour look to the images.

I think that actually may have helped me because I ended up loving the images in these lighting conditions.

I went back into a woods because i like the look of isolation and being at one with nature / contrast of human and nature.

The shoot was taken on my NikonD3200, which isn't that good of a camera but I feel that the images being slightly imperfect in quality is exactly how I feel and therefore relevant and not a complete flop.

The dress used gives an overall mythical and fantasy feeling to the images, I really wanted an otherworldly feeling to the images with a very familiar to earth background to find a balance between the two.

This image has a lot of open space,  enhancing the feeling of isolation. The branches reach off  beyond the frame of the image, making the image feel even more open because we cannot see where they end. The locational context extends past this one frame.

The pose is what intrigues me most. It looks as if i'm removing a veil to reveal my identity, which is hidden also by my hair obscuring the majority f my face, including eyes. The veil could be likened to that of a wedding veil, however a wedding veil is usually white to show purity and innocence, and the red in this sense contrasts greatly to this.

The red dress suggests a theme of lust and desire, however the leaves have a slight cool purple tone to them which offers a contrast in not just colour but mood to the image.

You get a sense that the character can see you but you cannot fully see her, giving the image a mysterious and creepy feeling.

This image has the same feeling is isolation as the picture above, however I feel that this one is a bit more mysterious. The pose is rather defensive and unfriendly in contrast to the image where it's more open which suggests being more comfortable with the audience.

The pose seems sad, perhaps even mournful. Hiding her identity with her hands and dress, the character appears hostile despite the distance between her and the camera/viewer. This forces an audience to come up with their own narrative for the image.

The only part of the body that isn't covered is the arms, which she uses to hide the rest of her. I really like the secretive feeling from this image.

This image has an overall warmer tone to the image. There's less mystery and hostility within the image and the toning compliments this. 

This is a more elegant, open and freeing image than the previous two. The pose is almost as if i'm spreading my wings, another sign of freedom. The fluid feeling from the fabric adds to this.

My face is clear and visible, making it less dark than the previous two images, but more peaceful. I think this is accentuated by the closed eyes, which aren't scrunched and therefore show relaxation.  This image to me shows more of an embrace of character rather than insecurities like the other two images above.

The chest is pointing up, which could reflect having an open and welcoming heart.

This image doesn't really go with the others but I like how lighthearted they appear, they show pure happiness and innocence and reflects my need to just be childish every now and then. This image almost comes as a relief, a break of the tension in the other images.

The face is again obscured yet I feel a lot of personality is shown through the actions.

Because this image was much more lighthearted I made the blacks less dark to relieve some intensity.

the openness of this image doesn't give the image too much isolation because the character seem to cancel this out, but instead represents freedom.

I then moved the other way, swapping places with the camera, to see if I could get the sunset in the images.

I toned the image to be quite warm to enhance the effect of the sunset and the way it caught on the textures within the image, particularly my hair.

I am honestly not sure why I did this pose, I just did what felt right. The result looks uncomfortable but not so wrong that it looks unnatural. It looks kind of frail, broken on the inside.

You can see houses in the background why removes some of the aspects of isolation in the image, but also I see this place as a sanctuary to this character who doesn't want to be with civilisation, just near them. As if she doesn't belong there (also proven in her clothing vs everyday clothing) and so stays alone. 

The trees behind me act as a barrier from the bliss that is the sunset, obscuring the full view. This in many ways is a reflection of my mental health and how sometimes I don't see quite how wonderful some things in my life are because they're dark branches in my mind obscuring the full view.

This image vividly reminds me of the depiction of Jesus. He's often depicted with his arms open, welcoming his citizens (seen below). He's also often seen as a white man (although really he would have been a brown man but whatever) with brown curly hair which is slightly visible under the fabric of the dress.

If this is perhaps a female depiction of Jesus, she seems to be trapped in a wrath of red fabric, representing all the negative things religion brings; including the blood of those lost at war due to religious differences. It's clear I am not religious and so I have no problem speaking out on these issues. This has in a way become an unexpected representation on my religious beliefs.

This image is one of my least favourites from this shoot, perhaps because it's not as elegant as the others. It just seems a bit messy to me.

The dress is fluffed up, captured at a fast shutter speed. It almost reminds me of a cloud from an eruption.

The layers of fabric add a different density in each separate parts of the image, making the dress appear rather fluid and adds movement to the image.

I do like how you can see the shadow of the figure underneath the fabric, for it gives a rather creepy feeling due to the fact you cannot identify them. It looks as if they're walking towards you, however, making the overall image rather unnerving.

This image is rather elegant. First off, I really like how the arms seem to blend in with the tree branches, as if the character is becoming part of nature, yet on her bottom half she is anything but natural. We get a sense of fantasy and myth within this image from the way the dress is poofed out. 

The toning is very cool in this image to give that chilling, mysterious factor. The light was actually natural and the way that it illuminated the dress was from the sun behind me. This again creates a very ethereal feeling.

The character faces the camera and is has a very confident body language and so almost looks as if she's challenging you as the viewer, or perhaps trying to impress you.

I really like the way she and her dress light up the scene and bring colour into a world of dark.

This image has the same ethereal lighting through the dress as the previous image. The pose and facial expressions show she's in control of the lighting and the glow, almost looking for a reaction. The character is trying to show you something magical, yet her face doesn't seem enthusiastic, making the image have that essence of mystery.

The facial expressions could be read as seductive, further emphasised by the colour of the dress.

The toning here is again very cool, which perhaps suggests that the intentions here are not friendly.

This image again has a strong element of the light going through the fabric to create the ethereal feeling.

I like how the subject is more in the centre than the last image because it means that the focal point is easier and more pleasing to the eye.

The way that the head is tilted with the eye contact makes the character seem suspicious of you, and the way she appears to use the fabric as a comfort to her, keeping it close to her head and heart in a protective way.

This adds more mystery because it's not revealed as to why or the significance of her dress.

I feel that this is a follow on from the previous image. I chose to have less open space in a few of these images to have a range of different distances. The result is that this image has a lot more human emotion due to being more up close and personal to the character.

She again seems to want to use her dress fabric as a comfort, the closed eyes suggests she finds peace in the dress. 

I really like this image because it has a certain mix of fantasy and being very human. Needing comfort is an emotion most people experience, and so that is relatable in this image.

Because she's finding comfort in the fabric it suggests loneliness or reservations on human contact. People often go to others for assurance.

The way the light illuminates the outline of the subject is one of the key elements reinforcing this ethereal feeling, it feels like a conversation between the light and the character.

I'm not so keen on this image. While it has that darker feeling which I usually lean towards, I just feel that this just isn't that strong. I feel that the image is just a little too forced.

The character has a vacant expression while she pulls on her hair that's almost strangling her. This could represent my own self destruction, my relationship with my hair being what everybody knows me for, and my feelings so defeat.

There's a curl that escapes being held, which falls where my neck and spine would be, representing the fragility I feel in myself. The way it curls looks like wire on the base of a puppet, showing how I feel empty and a puppet to society.

This image I also feel is just too basic for the level I wish to be working at. The hair being flipped up shows confidence because hair is often used as something to hide behind, but the hands and arms being reserved show a contrast to this.

The stare that goes past the camera which perhaps shows the absence of concentration and the absent mind.

This image has direct eye contact with the viewer. The facial expressions show confusion, which is further enhanced by the position of the arms and hands. 

One is places near her head and one is near the face, often positions to put your hands when you're thinking.

The hair adds to this frazzled look, being frizzy and not in order, not uniform or well put together.

Despite this look, the face doesn't really show a cry for help, or pleading, but simply just acknowledgement.

In conclusion, i'm really happy with this shoot and the variety of shots with a range of emotions.

I was advised to go 'mad' and I feel that I have begun to achieve this within my work. I much prefer the images with more space in them because it is a closer representation of me and adds more mystery.