Blog 3: Project outcomes
This unit gave me the opportunity to choose a subject completely different from my course’s degree: Fashion Portrait photography. Working and realizing visual content with a camera has always been my favorite creative passion among others, therefore, I found very exciting beginning this new course.
In my opinion this specific subject is fully relatable to two of the main themes of Better Lives: Diversity and Social Responsibility. This is because, diversity is found in any work and pictures that my fellow course mates shared for the main project, moreover, thanks to the hard work of our tutors, the project has been adequately adapted to the current pandemic crisis, and it especially involved to be socially responsible towards our communities as we had all to work and be creative from home.
Nonetheless, I found relevant to think again outside the box and create something which is meaningful and reflects myself and my cultural background. I got to the final outcome of my pictures through reflecting and investigating on my story although, I am very thankful for the help of my friends and family who even though they live far away from me, they managed to get involved remotely.
The three pictures I used for the project come from three different photoshoots: the first one showing a nude of my friend was taken at friend’s house at the beginning of the lockdown in Italy, it was also the last time I saw my friend who came over to the UK from Italy, this made this photo shoot more meaningful as it reminds me of the last funny day spent with one of the best people of my life. The second shooting was as well with another dear friend from Italy who enjoys spending his quarantine by creating outstanding makeups for his drag queen character as well as for his studies. At end it was worth it as we both pushed the boundaries of our comfort zone and improved my editing skills on photoshop as I had to enhance the quality of the pictures which are originally some screenshots done with my old 2014 IPad. Last but not least, I was very impressed and delighted by the positive feedback of my tutors about my last shooting, the idea came after I was playing with a funeral headpiece which my mom wore years ago, I was very engaged by the movement of the fringes which I clipped on a hoodie, therefore I have decided to include more than one picture in order to make the spectator have that dynamic feeling.
Overall, this course encouraged me to think more positively and feel much more secure of my aesthetics and point of views. Moreover, I found very insightful the lectures about different case studies of photography which inspired my creativity. Finally, it was mind blowing to see how my course mates have created amazing pictures with limited resources, and it made me realize that creativity goes over the lens of the camera.