Blog Post 3
During my time working and progressing with my contemporary portrait photography practice a lot has changed with the world, something that hasn’t happened in over a decade. A pandemic. “An influenza pandemic is a global outbreak of new influenza a virus that is very different from current and recently circulating human seasonal influenza” (cdc.gov). coronavirus also is known as COVID-19 had changed a lot within the world but especially within the fashion and media industry, a lot magazine liberating for the sustainability in the world right now by moving their platform online to making free digital copies while no one can go outside to get their content out in the world, but all fashion retail stores are closed. It’s a very surreal time in the world.
I have been taking this time to focus more on my practice with both styling and photography, but because everything is becoming very online including university itself I thought I would take advantage of this situation we are all in and create a series of fashion images including me and diverse group of friends and people that just wanted to collaborate because what more liberating then talking and taking time out of your day on facetime. I’ve called this piece of work “at arm’s length” all shot via iPhone on facetime to highlight the importance of the social distancing rule to be 2 meters apart. This to the left is a self-portrait shoot I did via facetime calling myself off my laptop and screen shooting on my phone.
To produce the shoot’s, I wanted them all to have the same sort of imagery but all to show everyone unique personalities to do this I gave my friends some direction before the shoot to masking tape their phone onto the ceiling above their bed and around the bedsheet lay 6-10 objects that have meaning and sentimental value around you and then I got them to lay in the middle and pose for me. Better lives have really taught me that I have a social responsibility and a voice that I need to showcase because that has never been more important than right now, this pandemic and lockdown of already 6 weeks has really made me think about my responsibility in the world and how I want to be preserved in the fashion community so I realized I need to up my game and improve. To do this I have been focusing a lot of post-production something that I haven’t been very good at before so always procrastinated with by doing these shoot’s I have been trying and different editing and retouching technique on all of the series so I can improve and get better but after all of the theme I would overlay the images to make the shoot look like an actual facetime call. So, I can really highlight the digital theme. However, on a lot of them, I edited it to mimic a scrapbook aesthetic, a scrapbook something we would make to capture a memory, and experiencing 2020 with all of its ups and down will definitely be a surreal memory I always hold with me.
1st May 2020 @ 5:51 pm
Blog 4 Peer Review Task
I have read over Rebekah Pavey’s Blog 3 where she described the outcome of her Better lives project ‘Contemporary portrait photography’. Whilst scrolling through all the blogs posted Rebekah’s images caught my eyes straight away.
Her Blog started by introducing the current state the world is in as that always influences the community in every aspect of life. I believe she successfully set the scene of chaos in the world. She spoke about the impact the COVID-19 outbreak has taken on fashion magazines and how the industry has taken the opportunity to explore digital magazines, this is having an amazing impact on the environment and is helping to keep the industry more sustainable.
She created a series of fashion images and making the most out of having to stay home. She was able to be creative and explore different digital outcomes. She felt it was a ‘liberating’ feeling being able to create these images with her friends through facetime. I found her first image ‘at arm’s length’ very innovative and it highlighted perfectly the effort of social distancing the world is making in order to keep those around us safe. At the same time, the image is also translating the importance of staying virtually connected with our friends and family and that although we are distant we are still a community.
The next images blew my mind, I felt like she really challenged her creativity and I found her ability to direct shoot without being present very impressive.
It is inspiring that due to the outbreak and lockdown she was thought about the social responsibility that comes with being a creative in the fashion industry. She wants to aim to make her mark on the industry and wants her voice to be heard. Therefore during the lockdown, she has been working on her post-production skills, something which she has in the past procrastinated about.
Finally, she explained why her images looked like a scrapbook and I found her reason very moving. Rebekah reminds her readers that scrapbooks are used to capture memories. In this crazy 2020 are all learning a lot about ourselves, our loved ones and our community. This is an experience and a lesson I do not want to forget.
To conclude, in regards to her personal development and her goal of wanting to make an impact in the fashion industry, I think she did that both creatively and successfully with her images, I am excited to hopefully see more of her work.
Katherine Zuleta Gil
Hair & Make-up for Fashion