Evaluation

My first year at Leeds has been full of exciting experiences and at many times a steep learning curve. In college I have developed my creative ideas for shoots and progressed my prop designing, styling, lighting and post production. These areas all need more work to be at professional standard. I have enjoyed researching and carrying out many of the briefs for this year. I found the Identity project to be the least rewarding, the video module was interesting but not an area I wish to progress in, the studio shoot was one of my favourite briefs as I enjoyed the research and I was happy with my outcomes, the post production module was interesting but I did not feel I progressed in my photoshop skills as much as I would have liked.
I have been very satisfied and rewarded by my progression in make-up outside of college and I am currently looking into ways of developing this into a professional pathway.

Make-up progression-general images

I have a huge passion and talent for make-up and face painting. I have been doing this on myself, friends and occasionally professionally at raves for a few years. During the course of this year my interest in make-up has grown into photographic and theatrical make-up and special effects. This is an area I am hoping to develop to a professional standard.

Identity

The identity project was based around group work and getting to know one another as it was the first brief of the year. In groups of three we were asked to take three different shots of ourselves in different identities. These had to be standing head to feet shots. I found this project dull and uncreative. We only had a shabby classroom to shoot in which looked bad in the final prints. I felt the only way to make it an interesting shoot was with mad clothes and props but the end result appeared as a raid on a fancy dress shop. This was my least favourite project of this year.

Studio Shoot

This project focuses on shooting in the studio and studio lighting. I got my idea from researching Banksy and Alison Jackson. I enjoy their anti-establishment style and felt it was fitting with my own style. I enjoyed learning about studio lighting and would like to develop this further alongside prop building. The shots are well framed and visually strong but each are very different to look at as a set of three.

Post Production-Seeing is Believing

For my Seeing Is Believing brief I wanted to produce a fairytale inspired image using different interesting characters. I found my research after doing the shoot, this is usually the way I work. I found Miles Aldridge the best contemporary photographer to use in comparison to my own work. I found looking at Hipgnosis was an interesting insight to post production prior to computer technology. I would like to develop my skills in post production and photoshop techniques a lot further.

Make-up and modeling shoots

These are some shots I have been working on outside college in collaboration with photographer Angus McDonald. I will use these shots in both my make-up and modeling portfolio. For my first real test as a make-up artist I was happy with the seasonal eye shots.



I moved on to a more professional shoot with a clothes stylist and hair stylist. It was shot on location at Fab Cafe. The shots worked beautifully, the whole team came together and worked hard to produce four different looks. I was happy with these as the second installment for my make-up portfolio.