* Scanned

I find a lot of my inspiration comes from magazines and blogs and these are my current favourite images at the moment.

Top of my wish list at the moment is a polaroid camera, I like using film and the grainy aged effects it gives so I plan to continue using my holga until I can get my new camera:) Increasing the ISO is a way of increasing the grain as well as shooting with a higher speed film, there is also filter options on photoshop to create this type of effect.

Love the above and below image, simple but effective compositions. Would like to use these kind of ideas in my portraiture work but with my 60s and 70s style. 

* Inspiration

These are images taken from various other blogs where I particularly like the compositions, subjects or general image themes. In one of my earlier shoots (Indie one I think?) I commented on slightly more unusual camera angles, I don't think theres anything particularly special about the above image (doesn't majorly keep to the rule of thirds etc) however theres something about the image which I really like and really seems to work. I think it could be the very day to day scene so you'r not expecting anything out of the ordinary but the lighting seems almost perfect, the bright blue sky and the sunlight catching the shine in the models hair. 

Like the format of these images (above) very lookbook style? Also would like to steal some of the camera angles and model poses for my own work, from the below image too (like the idea of shooting from right above or below subjects). 

Really love the lighting in these two images, the above one seems like it done on a film camera, very aged whereas the below photography has the dreamlike effect but is quite modern with the brighter lighting. 

Like the retro glasses and cigarette idea, something classy yet dirty about the image. 

Like composition ideas, indoor vs outdoor but both with very similar. Again definitely going to steal the composition ideas.  

* Vintage

This layout is very effective for this set of images, the second and fourth are particular favourites. In my portraiture project I would like to experiment with this type of (& similar) format for displaying images.

* Topshop Blog

I can see my project developing into photo montages and developing mixed media techniques for example illustration, photos, paint with art etc. These images made me laugh as its taking that quite literally. 

* Colour

I really like the colourings in the above image, it was taken on a film camera so I would like to experiment with my holga to see if I can get similar tones and intensities but with fashion portraiture. 

I think the subtlety with the colouring in the above image is what make it so effective. Even though the saturation is slightly reduced the pink hues are still very intense. This is similar with the below image, the pastel colours make the patterns really stand out. These Cath Kidston fabrics really reminded me of the 70s and the retro patterns they have so I would like to incorporate the modern styles with the vintage ideas and techniques to get a sort of timeline of fashion which evolves and goes round in circles. 

* SHOOT 4 - HIPPY BASED SHOOT

The main concept of this shoot was to incorporate ideas from my earlier shoots and merge them with inspiration from artists. I think the compositions and ideas behind the shoot are very similar Eleanor Hardwick and Elena Marshall however a lot of their images have a slight more dreamy feel (similar to the polaroid sx 70 camera, and the type of images it takes) whereas my image below has a more lomo feel, with more contrast. I have also been looking at boho and hippie style fashions similar to the sixties and seventies which I tried to portray with the floral maxi dress, bare feet and head band. There are just a selection of raws but the entire shoot is in my working journal as a contact sheet, I just thought these were a good indicator of techniques and various experiments with composition. 

EDITS

I retouched this image to try and portray a lomo type feel, I tried to keep the composition quite natural and dreamy, and I really like how there is a slight wind which creates movement in the hair. I think the colour and contrast is a really strong point to the image, the contrast between the reds and greens is very eye catching and I also like the use of perspective. To develop this image I would like to take a similar shoot on my film camera and continue to experiment with composition. 

In this image I tried to create a holga style, again similar to the above I tried to use perspective but I also like how the holga type edges to the image seem to frame it. The raw itself was a little over exposed which means I lost some of the finer details so if I took this shoot again I would make sure I got the manual settings perfect and didn't make any errors such as that (making the shutter speed shorter or reducing the ISO could over come this if I wanted to keep the aperture the same because I would like the same depth of field.) 

This image is much more similar to Marshall and Hardwick's work. The lighting not specifically studio lighting but it's artificial. I like the composition, however if I retook the shoot I may experiment with different costumes and locations to add interest.  

RAWS

Dont particularly like the composition of the above and below images. Next time would try from different angles for example higher or lower. 

Like the idea behind this however this is an awful attempt as the plant isn't even in focus. Will definitely be trying this technique in later shoots though. 

(LATER TRIED IN THE AUTUMN SHOOT)

Same for these two images, however even if the grass was in focus I don't think it adds anything to the image. I like the model and composition in the photograph though and the below. 

These above five images are probably some of my favourite from the shoot. I really like the simple composition and how the colours in the sky is captured. 

(ONE EDITED LATER ON FOR FINAL PIECE IDEAS)

I like the angle used here. 

* Mixed Media

This was a selection of images which helped illustrate my initial ideas of mixed media. My plan for the project was to develop my photographic skills but by my final piece have a piece of photographic artwork which combined illustration, mixed media and photography. 

The above image is my favourite out of the selection. I really like the idea of replacing heads with other mediums and will definitely be trying this in my own work. I also like the combination of pretty illustration, portraiture  and text. 

This image is a little too contemporary for me however I like the combination of clocks and drawing to create a surreal almost Dali style image. 

This isn't a very visually appealing image however it's very cleverly edited and layered to create this technique. I definitely would like to develop my own photoshop skills to create similar images. 

(THE SMOKING EDITS WITH THE WHITE FACE, SMOKE WHICH THEN DEVELOPS INTO A CLOUD WAS INSPIRED BY THE ROAD TURNING ALMOST INTO MATERIAL IN THIS IMAGE.)

I really love this image, this is the style of illustration I would like to incorporate into my final pieces. I like the pretty illustrations but the colours and tones, work so well with the composition and model and its almost impossible to tell if the tattoos are real or just an extension of the illustration.

Definitely would like to used to curved seventies style images in my own work, like the combination of natural form and more mixed media style. Also like the how the series has been presented. In my own work and final images I will be thinking in a similar way of the best way to present my work. 

This image is very magazine collage style, I like the white blanked out faces and would like to try this in my own work, I also wanted to incorporate the felt tip style patterns. 

I like the drawing style used in this image, and would like to try some illustration work myself. 

* Boho

I would like to use similar compositions in my own work, or experiment with similar angles or use this image as inspiration and focus on specific close ups of body parts. I also really like the sepia style and the smudged make up which help give the image an emotional feel. 

(INDIE SHOOT)

Really like the use of lighting and motion in the above and below images. I would like to experiment with a hair light while in the studio which is similar to how the above image has been lit from behind. I also like the use of wind to create movement in the hair.

(USED THIS TECHNIQUE IN SHOOT 4)

Again this image has a lovely sense of movement and layering, I would like to develop my personal skills of this on photoshop. 

(SEE OCTOBERS LAYERING USING PHOTOSHOP)

This image has a very Eleanor Hardwick style to it, I like the dreamy style and almost dreamlike aura. 

(SIMILAR TO THE LOVELY BONES AND SHOOT 15 & 17) 

I was very critical of shoot four when I had the plants in the foreground out of focus however this image shows how you can make an image from this and it doesn't need to look odd.  

This last images are just examples of the fashion styles I would like to incorporate into my own work.