Project outcomes and personal development

For the better lives project, we were asked to attend different courses other than styling and production. I decided to join the contemporary and photography course because I believe this will allow me to improve my future project for styling course. Before spring break, we were group into groups to communicate and take portraits of each other. Each learning groups were also given the task of exploring cameras by taking portraits of the group members. The basic camera settings and the idea of using different lights and movement were really helpful for continuing my future outcomes. During the lectures, we have introduced different contemporary photographers and their approaches of styles. It is also crucial to consider the camera’s perspective, incorporating with participant’s performance posture. By looking into Cindy Sherman’s early work in the ’70s, the strong elements combining with makeup, facial expression, and body language add up together to form her unique style. The performance in her self portrait has provided a strong visual language and dramatic effect. The tutor also introduced her more recent work on Instagram, and the idea of her instagram feed as a sketchbook collage. Similar to Cindy Sherman, Claude Cahun’s self-portrait definitely gave me inspiration on how I might have done for my final outcome. Not only she use her body language and her skills in styling, she merged herself into the space in her environment. The work comprise the self, and objects that are fragmented, she explored the spaces between them. Due to the lock down situation, we currently have limited resources on what we can produce creatively. One of the lecture was about taking photographs of family members, and home portrait. The use of props, clothes, mirror reflections to develop unique work at home. By transforming materials at home, and using family as models could further more deliver a more emotional connection for the photography. The idea of involving personal experiences and the individual identity into the photography by editing and the choose of environment is the goal of this project. Sometimes we have the opportunities to share process and research on padlet to have peer reviews. People were taking photos using smartphones, or even FaceTime, but the result was surprisingly intimate and warm. 

For my final outcome, I decided to ask my grandmother to be my model, which is something I’ve never done before. Because of the pandemic situation, I was able to come back to Taiwan and spend time with her, being able to understand her daily schedule and take portraits of her is really precious to me. As a styling student, most of my work were focused on editorial shoots with full onset designs or full-on styles. For this outcome, I decided to take a step back, and really consider the idea of home portrait, to document the closest people in my life, the relationship between family members during this difficult time.