Project 6 - Final Evaluation

Looking back at the proposal I wrote at the beginning of the project, my idea hasn't changed drastically. I started off with the idea of working in the category of makeup on models, using bold and colourful makeup looks, shooting in the studio. I started to look at a number of makeup brands to help me with ways to present my images and ways to take the images. I used mostly the MAC Cosmetics website for inspiration, I looked at some of their images including ones with just makeup products and makeup on the models. The images mostly consisted of bold and strong makeup looks, but also simple at the same time. Thats where I got the idea from to create bold but simple makeup looks. I think it looked really easy to do. I also looked in to magazine articles and covers for inspiration. I don't think I researched enough in that subject to gain much inspiration or ideas.

My idea changed quite quickly after the first shoot I did for this project. I took a picture which looked more like I was trying to create a piece for a hair salon, that is what changed my mind. I thought of ideas to maybe work with the different hair/fashion through the decades but I didn't end up doing that because I thought it would be too hard to recreate because I'm not good with hairstyles and I didn't know anyone who is either. Then my idea changed to just fashion. I wanted to do fashion because it has been my go to idea throughout all of my projects I have done, I enjoy working in the studio getting 'professional' looking photos to edit on photoshop. I thought a magazine cover would be a good idea to produce for my final piece, so I decided to work with that instead of just fashion because I think it has more of a interesting feel to it and I haven't done anything like this before. I did a few practice covers on photoshop and on word to work out where I would place the magazine title and to get the right kind of model/look I wanted for the cover.

This is one I created. I feel like it looks like a magazine cover apart from that there is no shadow behind the model in the image. I matched the colour of the writing to match the models hair, I think it makes it look more interesting and formal against the white background. With the white background I think it makes the image look a bit flat, I added a date underneath the title in small letters and I included a barcode to finish it off. I think this edit gave me a lot of inspiration on how to create my final image, because there wasn't a shadow, I wanted to include a shadow to make it look more defined and real.

I decided for my final image I didn't want as much writing on it as this one. I think they look more professional and formal if there isn't so much writing on it.I think my english skills have improved on the blog in the sense of writing more and using different words that I never usually use on a daily basis. I haven't had to use my maths skills as much as english because I didn't really need to know any numbers for this project. This project consists mostly of the photography and writing side of it, so that is what I have focused on the most.

I learnt a lot of skills and techniques on photoshop which helped me a lot on editing my images making them look a lot better. I learnt them by either looking through photoshop and discovering new and different things, looking at tutorials on the internet or step by step instructions such as airbrushing and I also asked my peers and tutors for help sometimes to get a clearer understanding. I definitely pushed myself to learn new things, I wanted to know a lot of things to be able to produce what I wanted to in this project and for my final piece.

On my shoots, I gained more and more confidence working with the models, directing them the way I wanted them to look or stand or position them. I felt that I needed to be more confident than the actual model else I wouldn't have created the images I wanted. I had ideas in my head on what I wanted to achieve on a shoot or in an editing session, most of the time they turned out to be fine and the way I wanted them but there were times when shoots or editing didn't go as planned. For my first shoot I wanted the lighting to be right for the kind of thing I was doing which was makeup then, I wanted to make sure my images looked professional like some I had researched. But they didn't turn out like that because the lighting or the camera settings were wrong and the images I had took ended up being over-exposed. I think I also needed to spend more time setting up rather than doing the models makeup because it took longer than the shoot. I have learnt from that and next time I will get there a bit earlier and let someone else do the preparing so I can focus on setting up my area to shoot. Looking back through my blog, i discovered new things which I thought would interest me and maybe other people more. I went with the Magazine/Vogue cover idea because I feel it will make my final peice more interesting to look at. I thought it would make my final peice look a bit more professional also.

I researched a few close university's that would be good for me, including Exeter, Bristol and Falmouth. I then thought about financial side of things then considered saving money for a gap year in Thailand. But then thought that would be a lot of planning and money in one year. So now I have a final decision to stay in Plymouth College Of Art and do the 3 year uni course they offer in Comercial Photography. They offer a lot of projects that I would like to be apart of because it involves advertising, fashion and editorial photography which I have based most of my projects around already. After university I would want to get into a photography career, either working with a fashion/beauty magazine, travelling or making up my own buisness so I can photograph clients weddings, family photos.

Throughout this project, I have enjoyed working in the studio the most because thats where I feel most comfortable working. I feel like the studio gives me the confidence to produce what I want. I also prefer producing studio work, because I like having more control over lighting. If i were doing a shoot outside I probably wouldn't have the outcome that I would like. For the final major project, I didn't enjoy doing having a starting point to work from. Having a starting point meant we all had to think of ideas branching off a certain subject and think of our own ideas for each individual. I prefered to think of my own ideas (which was mostly fashion/beauty) to work from because I find better ideas that way by doing something I enjoy.

I think my grade for the final major project should be a pass. I think I have done enough work, written and practical to acomplish a pass but maybe I could have taken the time to do a few more shoots and evaluate them to score more marks. If I did that then I think I would be thinking to aim for a merit or even a distinction. I think there are a few gaps in my blog which I should have included.

I think I did take a lot of time to try and get my final piece finalised. I tried a number of different techniques and layouts for a magazine cover, but couldn't think of one till last minute. This image inserted is the first magazine cover I created to try and get a feel of what I wanted to produce. But after looking at the image for a long time I realised I didn't want as much writing on my final peice as this one does because it takes away the attention from the actual image itself.

Overall I think this project was successful. I am most proud of my technical skills and editing skills. I feel like I am progressing in the editing side of things on photoshop. I have learnt new things to use on photoshop which can change the look of my images drastically but still have them looking naturel. I am also improving on positioning the lights in the studio and setting up the equiptment. I have also gotten to grips with the camera settings. For example making sure I have the right apeture and shutter speed set before I do a shoot. The things I feel like I am least proud of it my time plans. I should have evaluated them more acurately in order to get more done in a shorter space of time so I wasn't rushing it all at the end. I also think I should have put in some more time to research more photographers and their work. I feel I would have had a bit more inspiration and therefore I wouldn't have had such a hard time picking out a layout for my final piece. The things I want to work on most next term is to get more shoots done for each project, I feel my blog is lacking in photography more than the theory side of things. I need to plan my time more effectively to be able to get more things done such as shoots and evaluations, that way I feel I have more of a decision of a final image and I would have had more evaluations to work from by analysing them.