Research Project Proposal
Key words:
Fashion People Documentary Fairytale Colour Innovative Magazines Galleries Commercial
Overview of interests:
Fashion-
Since I first got into photography I had always aspired to be a fashion photographer for a high-end magazine. I am really interested in fashion, make up and styling. I try to keep up to date with current trends and what's popular. When shooting fashion themed shoots the only thing I struggle with is directing the model so I think I need some help on doing that.
Food-
I have always thought I would really enjoy food photography as I always loved the images you see in food magazines for the likes of Marks and Spencer's. In second year I decided to try out a bit of food photography in the studio and I am glad I did. It made me realise that I didn't really enjoy it, I didn't find it interesting and I wasn't inspired by what was in front of me. It definitely made me realise that I much prefer to work with people.
People-
During my studies at university I have recognised my passion for photographing people. We have been given several briefs which consisted of photographing people whether it was on the street or models in a studio, at first I felt out of my comfort zone but now I really think this is the path I want to take. I love creating images with people and trying to portray their personality and style through silent imagery, I also love meeting new people and hearing their stories.
Documentary-
I also really enjoy documentary photography whether it being documenting an event or even just documenting a stage in someones life, or the city I inhabit.
Working Title:
?
Introduction/Research Question:
The theme of my idea is that women/models feel drowned by society and the pressures to look a certain way and be somebody your not. I want to do in depth research into this and get responses from real women around me and use their views to aid my project.
I want to use these responses to shape the style and form of each image, so if one response is that a women feels drowned by the pressures to look a certain way I could use the underwater idea for that but I will not solely base the project on 'underwater photography'. I feel this will work a lot better as a whole series of images all underwater could get boring for the viewer and the difference in responses would not be as clear. I could maybe ask a simple question such as 'describe in one word the way the media/society makes you feel about yourself as a women?' and use those singular words to illustrate each image.
I also like the idea of re-enacting popular images in the media that make these women
feel under pressure by portraying how these images make women feel.
I want to achieve a series of images which will be displayed in a gallery or a magazine.
Aims and Objectives:
Aims:
−Use a model/s I haven't used before to broaden my contacts, a show variety in my work. −To use new equipment to broaden my skills and make use of the equipment available to
me in university.
−To base it on a topic that is very current and something I can relate too so that I am passionate about what I am doing.
Objectives:
−To leave university having done an underwater photo shoot as I have longed to do one since I started studying photography, I feel like now is the right time to take that step. −I want to leave feeling like I have challenged myself, whilst knowing I have the support of the tutors to guide me in the right direction, and used the equipment and contacts that the university can provide for me to its full extent.
−To broaden my skills and confidence before going it alone.
−To produce a series of images that I am proud of and that are current and creative so I
can use them as a starting point for when I leave university and need a set of work to enter to competitions, show to employers and put into my portfolio.
Rationale:
I want to use a current issue in society and the media today, one that I can relate too, and mix it with something I love doing, working with people. I feel it will bring out the best in me as I am very passionate about this topic and the medium of photography.
I will base the shoot on the theme of 'Women and models being drowned by the pressures in todays society' and I will ask women how they feel about the pressures in society today then portray these feelings in a series of images.
I want to make this set of work to feature in a gallery or to go in a magazine, I want people to see the images and either relate to them or realise what the pressures are doing to the women of our society. For a gallery space my images would be printed approx 102 x 72 cm and displayed in minimal frames as to not distract from the images.
Previous Research:
During Level 4 I did an essay on 'How photography has contributed to the perceptions of women in the media and the influence it has on our views as consumers?'. All the research I did leading up to this essay will aid and guide me onto more in depth research for this project.
I want to achieve a series of images which will be displayed in a gallery or a magazine.
Aims and Objectives:
Aims:
−Use a model/s I haven't used before to broaden my contacts, a show variety in my work. −To use new equipment to broaden my skills and make use of the equipment available to
me in university.
−To base it on a topic that is very current and something I can relate too so that I am passionate about what I am doing.
Objectives:
−To leave university having done an underwater photo shoot as I have longed to do one since I started studying photography, I feel like now is the right time to take that step. −I want to leave feeling like I have challenged myself, whilst knowing I have the support of the tutors to guide me in the right direction, and used the equipment and contacts that the university can provide for me to its full extent.
−To broaden my skills and confidence before going it alone.
−To produce a series of images that I am proud of and that are current and creative so I
can use them as a starting point for when I leave university and need a set of work to enter to competitions, show to employers and put into my portfolio.
Rationale:
I want to use a current issue in society and the media today, one that I can relate too, and mix it with something I love doing, working with people. I feel it will bring out the best in me as I am very passionate about this topic and the medium of photography.
I will base the shoot on the theme of 'Women and models being drowned by the pressures in todays society' and I will ask women how they feel about the pressures in society today then portray these feelings in a series of images.
I want to make this set of work to feature in a gallery or to go in a magazine, I want people to see the images and either relate to them or realise what the pressures are doing to the women of our society. For a gallery space my images would be printed approx 102 x 72 cm and displayed in minimal frames as to not distract from the images.
Previous Research:
During Level 4 I did an essay on 'How photography has contributed to the perceptions of women in the media and the influence it has on our views as consumers?'. All the research I did leading up to this essay will aid and guide me onto more in depth research for this project.
General Methodology:
Equipment loan- seeing what equipment is available to me.
I am going to create a questionnaire for women on how they feel about the pressures in society.
Data Collection and Analysis:
Research into my theme and create a questionnaire from the research, I want to get real responses to enable me to show the truth on how women feel about this topic in my images. I would like to use some quotes from the answers as captions for my photographs.
Qualifications and Restrictions:
Restrictions-
Location- depending on the responses I get,
Model- willing to do an underwater shoot, someone who relates to this topic. Qualifications-
I have plenty of women and friends who I can ask to fill out the questionnaire. Specialist
Needs:
Camera-
−Camera −Lighting −Lens
Location-
I will probably use the studio for most of the shoots so that I can create backgrounds and use props to illustrate the response.
People-
Casting models .
Proposal summary and development:
I have realised that the strong element of my work is my interest in the media and how it effects women and this needs to be the body to my project. Any other elements such as the underwater photography may come into it when getting the responses from my questionnaire but I need to focus on the main body of the project.
I have watched the new Dove commercial that was recommended and I really feel it fits well with my idea. The sense of how a women feels about herself yet what others see is totally different and I want to research into whether the way a women sees herself is affected by the media and society.
Initial References (subject specific): |http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2009/11/kate-moss-being-thin-beats-eating/
Cohen, S. (2006). Media exposure and the subsequent effects on body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, and drive for thinness: A review of the current research. Mind Matters: The Wesleyan Journal of Psychology, Vol. 1, pp.57-71
Equipment loan- seeing what equipment is available to me.
I am going to create a questionnaire for women on how they feel about the pressures in society.
Data Collection and Analysis:
Research into my theme and create a questionnaire from the research, I want to get real responses to enable me to show the truth on how women feel about this topic in my images. I would like to use some quotes from the answers as captions for my photographs.
Qualifications and Restrictions:
Restrictions-
Location- depending on the responses I get,
Model- willing to do an underwater shoot, someone who relates to this topic. Qualifications-
I have plenty of women and friends who I can ask to fill out the questionnaire. Specialist
Needs:
Camera-
−Camera −Lighting −Lens
Location-
I will probably use the studio for most of the shoots so that I can create backgrounds and use props to illustrate the response.
People-
Casting models .
Proposal summary and development:
I have realised that the strong element of my work is my interest in the media and how it effects women and this needs to be the body to my project. Any other elements such as the underwater photography may come into it when getting the responses from my questionnaire but I need to focus on the main body of the project.
I have watched the new Dove commercial that was recommended and I really feel it fits well with my idea. The sense of how a women feels about herself yet what others see is totally different and I want to research into whether the way a women sees herself is affected by the media and society.
Initial References (subject specific): |http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2009/11/kate-moss-being-thin-beats-eating/
Cohen, S. (2006). Media exposure and the subsequent effects on body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, and drive for thinness: A review of the current research. Mind Matters: The Wesleyan Journal of Psychology, Vol. 1, pp.57-71
Jobling, P (1999), Fashion spreads: word and image in fashion photography since
1980,Oxford: Berg. Retrieved, from http://books.google.co.uk/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=0c1a2W1yBoIC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=debates+about+body+image+issues+in
+fashion+photography&ots=Vxx4xSLsZ3&sig=DN4yDrTNjD1Zu6vgetRfpyLfuKc#v=onepag
e&q=debates%20about%20body%20image%20issues%20in%20fashion
%20photography&f=false
Lacey, J,Craggs-Hinton, C & Robinson, K. (2007). Overcoming anorexia.London: Sheldon Press.
Models link to teenage anorexia. (2000). Retrieved from
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/769290.stm
Street-Porter, J. (2009). Don't let the B*****DS get you down. London: Quadrille Publishing Limited.
The main thing i have changed since my initial proposal is the idea of the underwater shoot. I still would like to include this although not as the main backbone of the project. I want the young women that i ask to guide my images, so whatever their response is i will make an image from this singular word. I think this will be studio based so that i have a blank canvas to work with a can use props etc to illustrate the image. If i do get a response of one of the girls feeling 'Drowned' i feel it would be appropriate to do this image underwater but i feel if all the images were underwater the project images would all look too similar and they need to stand out to be noticed.
Lacey, J,Craggs-Hinton, C & Robinson, K. (2007). Overcoming anorexia.London: Sheldon Press.
Models link to teenage anorexia. (2000). Retrieved from
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/769290.stm
Street-Porter, J. (2009). Don't let the B*****DS get you down. London: Quadrille Publishing Limited.
The main thing i have changed since my initial proposal is the idea of the underwater shoot. I still would like to include this although not as the main backbone of the project. I want the young women that i ask to guide my images, so whatever their response is i will make an image from this singular word. I think this will be studio based so that i have a blank canvas to work with a can use props etc to illustrate the image. If i do get a response of one of the girls feeling 'Drowned' i feel it would be appropriate to do this image underwater but i feel if all the images were underwater the project images would all look too similar and they need to stand out to be noticed.
No comments:
Post a Comment